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Shared Memories: Our 18-Year Journey with NPH
Roger and Judy Paulsen
Sponsors and Supporters
July 2024
In the fall of 2005, a member of our church in Renton, WA, invited her goddaughter to join us for worship and share her experience as a volunteer at an “orphanage” in Central America. The goddaughter’s name was Kara King and the “orphanage” was the NPH home in Honduras where disadvantaged children could live safety and receive unconditional love. We quickly learned that the home is not an orphanage!!
Judy was intrigued by the possibility of sponsoring a child – something she had been considering, but she was uncomfortable sending money to an organization she knew little about. Shortly after Kara’s presentation, NPH USA hosted a Fiesta at St. Anthony’s Church in Renton where a group of children from NPH Mexico presented a program of traditional Mexican music and dances. We attended the Fiesta and met Donna Egge. Anyone who knows Donna, can guess the “rest of the story.”
Donna helped us select two young sisters in Honduras to sponsor (Maria Fernanda, age 2, and Genesis Suyapa, age 1), and “planted a seed” for us to consider joining an NPH USA group traveling to the Honduras home the following summer. Accepting Donna’s invitation, we visited the Ranch in 2006 and met our goddaughters for the first time. We fell in love with them, but they were mostly afraid of us. Since then we have visited the girls almost every year, and have watched them develop into beautiful young ladies. Fernanda (21) is attending University and studying Social Work, and Genesis (20) will graduate from high school this November. We keep in touch with the girls and are looking forward to our next visit to the Ranch in November when we will celebrate Genesis’ graduation with her and her family.
Roger and Judy with Genesis and Fernanda in 2006 and 2022.
In 2010, we began sponsoring a 15-year-old boy (Breylin) that Judy met on an earlier trip. Breylin came to the Ranch with his three sisters and younger brother after their mother died of cancer and their older brother was killed in an accident. We were privileged to attend Brelylin’s high school graduation in 2018. Breylin is now an “hermano mayor” (“Older Brother”) living in a village near the Ranch with his wife and young son. We have formed a close relationship with all of Breylin’s siblings, and always look forward to visiting with them on our trips to the Ranch.
When Breylin left the Ranch in 2018, we accepted an invitation to sponsor Henry, a specially enabled young man who continues to live on the Ranch. Henry has a learning disability, and cannot speak. He always remembers us when we visit, and we look forward to spending time with Henry and his friends and caregivers at Casa San Juan de la Salle.
Living in the Seattle area gave us the opportunity to host NPH students who were selected to participate in NPH’s Seattle Leadership Institute. In 2014-2015, we hosted Nelson from Honduras, and in 2017-2018, we hosted Darich from Nicaragua. Both young men were a delight to have in our home and in our lives, and we continue to stay in touch with them on a regular basis. Nelson and Darich are both currently employed by NPH in leadership positions in their respective countries.
As you can see, NPH has been, and continues to be, an important part of our lives. We are eternally gratefully to Kara and Donna and so many other like-minded NPH supporters we have met along our 18-year journey.
