At Saving Susan Ministry, we connect children in need with loving Parent Partners, One Child, One Step at a time. Parent Partners commit to this relationship through high school, but what happens with our children and their education when they graduate? The Next Steps Program ensures that each orphan Parent-Partnered through Saving Susan Ministry has the opportunity to pursue their next step in education through the Baskin-Bowler Scholarship, named after Pastors Jack Baskin and Craig Bowler. We currently have 9 students enrolled in University or Trade School in Guatemala and Cambodia, and are committed to working alongside them to ensure they achieve their dreams.
One of those students is Hugo, a 19 year old young man from Guatemala. Hugo grew up at House of Hope Zacapa with his siblings, Jelbin and Miriam. He is very creative and a gifted musician and artist. He plays 5 instruments and has worked hard to learn conversational English. In Guatemala, when you reach high school, you can attend trade school, so Hugo applied for our Baskin-Bowler Scholarship to attend Architect School at Industrial Trade School. He is in his 1st of 3 years in trade school before he will enter into college to earn an Architecture Degree. With the guidance of Greg and Sarita of Greg Miller Ministries, his Parent Partners Bill and Annalena Burbridge, and corporate sponsor CROFT & Associates, Hugo has every opportunity to accomplish his goals.
Bill and Annalena began Parent Partnering Hugo and his brother Jelbin in 2018, but have known their family since the children were young. They have been to Guatemala multiple times to spend time with the boys and right away they saw the natural talent Hugo had for artistry and design. “Whenever we would ask Hugo what he wanted to do he always answered architecture. Since he was little, Hugo has always loved drawing and painting. He and I have spent many hours together painting and drawing. He always looked forward to that activity. Architectural design could be considered an extension of fine art. He has a vivid imagination and I can see him creating some very exciting architectural designs.” - Annalenna Burbridge
Hugo’s interest in architecture came at a very young age and comes with a greater purpose behind his passion. He says “my father was an architect, and when I was little he took me to see one of his works. Since then, being an architect has been my dream. I also want to be an architect to take my family one step further. I want to help people design their houses as they dreamed it. I want to take this opportunity to thank Saving Susan Ministries for helping me take that important step to achieve my dream.” As a young boy growing up in an orphanage in Guatemala, hard work and persistence have been his driving factors to make his dreams happen. He enjoys helping others and making the most of his time. Annalenna recalls “He’s always looked forward to going up in the mountains to work on mission projects and pulled his own weight. I also know that every Sunday he enjoys operating the video camera to capture church services. And whenever an opportunity arises for him to play the violin at a wedding he always gets very excited.” Hugo is always willing to serve and use the gifts and talents God has given him to help others.
In 2019, Saving Susan Ministry saw another set of Parent-Partnered students graduate from high school with the desire to begin college. The Baskin-Bowler Scholarship Program was designed to give every child Parent-Partnered through Saving Susan the opportunity to pursue their Next Step in education. Looking ahead at the projected number of students who will be graduating in the next several years, we know we need partners to come alongside us in financially supporting these students. A doctor close to the ministry began sponsoring two students in Medical School a few years ago and this birthed the idea for corporate sponsors who can sponsor a child aligned with their field. In Hugo’s case, the owner of the building where our offices are located is CROFT & Associates, an architectural firm! CROFT & Associates has a heart for giving back to the community and they jumped at the opportunity to sponsor Hugo’s education. We are grateful for their partnership to help Hugo pursue his goals!
Saving Susan Ministry, alongside the Millers, Burbridges and CROFT & Associates are incredibly proud of Hugo, and can’t wait to see him accomplish big things in his future. Greg Miller said, “I’m proud of Hugo because he has stayed straight on what he wants to be, he has never fluctuated. He also has so many abilities and he works at them to perfect them. He’s humble, and just keeps going forward, no matter what setbacks might come, he keeps looking forward.”. We all are committed to coming alongside these orphaned children for life to help them achieve their goals, One Child, One Step at a Time.
Blueprints created by Hugo
