We are staying with a ministry here in Talanga, a city about an hour outside of the capital of Honduras. Our host knows of several ministries in the area and is more than happy to connect us with them. She thought that the Manuelito Project would be a great place start looking and we were hoping to connect with them soon. It was our first full day here in Talanga and we went to the bank to pull out money for food and lodging expences. As we pulled into the bank a truck from the Manuelito project pulled in right behind us. This allowed us to speak with one of the workers and set us a time to visit the next day and ask some questions.
We arrived at the Manuelito Project and it seemed pretty quiet for a week day. It is Semana Santa (Holy Week) this week and schools and many stores are closed for the entire week. We were greeted right away by a man named Eduardo whose friendly demeanor and big smile made me feel right at home. We soon were able to sit down and talk with him and learn about the Manuelito Project. He was eager to talk with us and was happy to answer questions!
The Manuelito Project was started by a man named Jorge Pinto over 10 years ago. Jorge was given a vision about building a place for children who were on the street so that they can have a home. There was some land that was offered up as a place to build and thus the project started. There are over 40 kids that live at the Manuelito Project, many who were found living on the street. While many are orphans, they don’t call this place an orphanage; it is their home. There are mentors there that help the children learn more about God and walk in the Christian faith.
On site is a school where they provide an education to an additional 80+ children in the Talanga area. Without this school many kids wouldn’t have a chance at a proper education. There is also a food program where the kids get a meal and a snack when they come to school. The teachers at the school are all Christians and they have a Christ centered education at the school.
While we were talking with Edwardo, we had the opportunity to meet Jorge Pinto Jr. Jorge’s father is the visionary that started this ministry. While Jorge shared with us about the details of the ministry it was evident that he cares deeply about the ministry and the boys and girls that they live there.
Afterwards were were able to tour the property and meet some of the boys and girls that live there. We had such a great time and I could see that the Lord is doing great things there. You can check out their website at http://www.projectmanuelito.org/.
Also, they partner with World Gospel Mission (WGM) which is based out of Marion, IN. I have worked with WGM in the past and have had great experiences. If this is a place that you feel called to serve or support please learn more about it at their website listed above. You can also learn more about World Gospel Mission at www.wgm.org.
