At Saving Susan Ministry, we connect children in need with loving Parent Partners, 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? We began featuring each of our Next Steps Students in April, starting with a young man from Guatemala named Hugo. If you haven’t had the chance to read his story, please do so!
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 10 students enrolled in University or Trade School in Guatemala and Cambodia, and are committed to working alongside them to ensure they achieve their dreams.
Today, we are introducing you to Narciso, a 23-year-old young man from Zacapa, Guatemala. Narciso is studying in Culinary School at Intecap trade school to become a Baker. We met Narciso in 2016 on our first trip to House of Hope Zacapa with NorthStar Church. Narciso started out as a quiet young man, having endured a lot in his life at such a young age. Though he was quiet, one person in particular had a way of making him open up little by little. Patricia Campbell met Narciso on her first trip to Guatemala. She had already been sponsoring him through NorthStar church and was excited to meet him face-to-face for the first time.
“In January of 2015 I began to sponsor Narciso through my church’s missions’ program. I knew I was taking my first mission trip to Guatemala and I thought it was a great way to connect with a child from the orphanage that we would be staying at. In April of 2015, our mission team arrived at the orphanage and were greeted by a mob of excited children. I wanted to find Narciso as soon as we got there, however, I could not find him at first. As I made my way through the group, I found him against the back wall, keeping to himself and very quiet. At the time, he spoke a little English, enough to understand me when I introduced myself. From that moment on, we started the slow but loving process of becoming a family. It was after my second trip to Guatemala that I became a parent partner through Saving Susan Ministry. It was through this ministry that Narciso and I really bonded.”
Saving Susan takes the extra step in sponsoring orphaned children through Parent Partners. These families in the U.S. and Canada not only financially sponsor their child, but create a relationship by video calling their child a few times a month. This “face-to-face” interaction takes the sponsorship a step further by allowing the child and family to communicate and really get to know one another.
Patricia said “Over the last five years we have shared many conversations and while most have been amazing, just like any parent of a young adult, there have been many hard conversations as well. One of those conversations was about what his future looked like and what the next steps would be. Once he graduated from high school, he decided to go off on his own for a little while, reconnecting with some family. After a few months, he realized that God had a much bigger plan for him. So, he came back to the orphanage to find stability and support. After some soul searching and a few conversations with me and others, Narciso decided to go to culinary arts school, to become a baker. I was so excited for him I want the best for him, and I pray that he will continue to follow God's lead.”
Not only does Narciso have an amazing Parent Partner here in the States, he also has the love and support of Greg and Sarita Miller, former Directors of House of Hope Zacapa. Narciso now lives with Greg and Sarita and they have encouraged him as they would their own children to follow his passion in life. Said Greg, “Narciso has always been a hard worker and willing to help in any way he could. He helped me in the orphanage on many projects and helped me with the church planting in the mountains around Zacapa. I have watched Narciso grow and mature throughout the years and he has developed into a nice young man with a servant's heart. His desire is to be able to support himself well enough to take care of his sisters and their children. When he told me he wanted to be a baker I was thrilled. Here [in Guatemala] bakers do well, I know a few who have done very well financially. I knew if Narciso could master the trade he could work anywhere. That’s the goal we have for these kids, that they would be able to support themselves doing something they like. One thing for sure, there will always be a need for bakers, and so far, Narciso is doing very well at learning the trade. It’s helping him with confidence in himself also. He really likes baking and has already sold some of the stuff he has made; he looks very satisfied each time he learns how to bake something new. Because of baking and the education, he is getting at Intecap, Narciso could be one of the very few who really get to do what they like to do for a living.”
One way to make a difference in the lives of these orphans at Saving Susan Ministry is through sponsoring the education of our Next Steps Students while they are in school. Chris and Anna Gatti, owners of Canvas Bakery and Doughnut Dollies, saw the chance to sponsor a child with similar interests to their profession and seized the day! “Supporting Narciso in any way we could actually just kind of happened” says Chris. “Much like my original interest in and subsequent trip to Cambodia with Saving Susan, I just heard about the ministry and asked if I could go. I probably should have asked my wife Anna about committing to a trip to Cambodia on the heels of just opening our third restaurant, and I probably should have discussed supporting Narciso when the opportunity arose, but in both instances, I just knew what we were supposed to do. My wife, Anna, knows me better than anyone, and supports me and believes in me when I surely don’t, and she has been incredibly grace filled throughout our lives so far, and the Cambodia trip and later accepting the opportunity with Narciso was no different. After coming back from Cambodia I didn’t feel “led” or have a desire to directly sponsor a child, primarily because we have 3 adolescent/teenage daughters of our own and we know that this is when they need us the most in their lives so far, but I do feel a strong desire to be involved in the work of this ministry, but just from a different angle. Because my wife and I are both in the culinary industry, when the opportunity to support Narciso’s studies to become a pastry chef came to our attention it seemed natural and normal and I didn’t hesitate to agree to help him in this pursuit. I hope one day that he has the opportunity to come here to the States where he could work with us and continue to learn with us and our teams of chefs. Narciso had a tremendously difficult past, but in our profession, we see a lot of that trauma in so many different forms. His story is part of our story and ours his, but we are all HIS children first. Can’t wait to meet Narciso in person one day, but if it’s not His will then we get to meet and put our arms around his neck one day in heaven.”
Narciso had the following to say to the Miller’s, Patricia Campbell, Saving Susan Ministry, and the Gatti’s with Canvas Bakery for all the help and support he has received: “I am grateful to the Millers, and Patricia Campbell because they have helped me since the beginning of my studies. Thank you to Saving Susan and to Chris Gatti for all the help! Hopefully one day I can have my own Bakery!”
Saving Susan Ministry, alongside the Miller’s, Patricia Campbell, Canvas Bakery, and our incredible community of supporters are proud of Naricso and can’t wait to see him accomplish his dreams. We all are committed to coming alongside these orphaned children for life to help them achieve their goals, One Step at a Time.
Written by Kristi Laughlin
Ministry Coordinator at Saving Susan Ministry
