Living in a House of Sticks

Gerardo was only 12 years old when he traded in his schoolbooks for an old machete. His neighbors paid him to trim branches, fix their fences, or collect wood. He made very little, but he gave it all to his mom. But even with Gerardo's extra money, they couldn't afford the rent and were told to leave.

"I felt so bad," Gerardo's mom Elba told us. "I told my children that we would have to find a new place to live. But I didn't know where."

That's when Gerardo and his brother hatched a plan to build their mom a new house. They collected branches from a nearby forest and bought some used plastic with some of Gerardo's earnings. They tried to build a shanty to protect them all from the wind and the rain.

"I was so scared when mom told us we had to move out. She said we would have to live on the streets until we found something. That's why we built the shelter," said Gerardo.

So CBN's Operation Blessing brought building supplies and, on some donated land, built the family a brand new house!

"I watched them building it. I was so excited!" exclaimed Gerardo.

"I have no words to thank you for giving us such a nice place," said Elba after they all moved in.

Meanwhile, Gerardo has put away his machete and is heading back to school!

"I am so happy because you made the dream of having our own house come true!" he said.

"Thanks Operation Blessing for my house. God will bless you for being so kind to me and my family," added Elba.

CBN Partners provide practical help for families in need. This often opens hearts to receive the message of Christ. If you are not a partner, please join with us today. For a small investment of $20 a month, you can bring help and a message of hope to people throughout the world. Become a member today!