For Children Without Fathers, They Changed Everything
Last week, Casa Bernabé celebrated Guatemalan Father's Day in a way our dads won't soon forget.
The morning began with all of the men on staff heading off campus for a few hours of paintball together while something special was happening back at Casa Bernabé. For months, the women on staff had been secretly planning a celebration to honor the men who faithfully serve our children every day.
While the dads were away, the campus transformed. Our vocational party decorating class created elegant decorations, the women prepared a delicious feast, and everything was arranged around a royal theme as a reminder that these men are sons of the King.
When they returned, the dads quickly changed into their dress clothes before walking a red carpet into the celebration. As each man entered, he was introduced with a description of the unique ways he cares for the children at Casa Bernabé. The afternoon was filled with great food, games, laughter, and fellowship as the men were celebrated for the countless ways they serve our ministry.
It was a beautiful day, but the real reason we celebrate our fathers isn't because they deserve one special lunch each year. It's because of the extraordinary work they faithfully do every single day, often unseen.
Most of the children who arrive at Casa Bernabé have never experienced the consistent, loving presence of a father. Some have known abandonment. Others have experienced abuse or neglect.
This makes the fathers of Casa Bernabé incredibly important.
Our house dads and father figures don't simply supervise children, they raise them. They teach kids how to kick a soccer ball, patiently help with homework, fix broken toys, pray with teenagers, lead family devotions, comfort frightened little ones after bad dreams, discipline with wisdom, celebrate birthdays, cheer from the sidelines, and remind each child that they are deeply loved.
Our dads choose this life of sacrifice because they believe every child deserves to know what a godly father looks like.
Psalm 68:5 describes God as "a father to the fatherless." What a privilege it is that our children don't just hear those words—they get to experience a glimpse of fatherly love through the men God has called to Casa Bernabé.
These fathers have sacrificed careers, comfort, and higher-paying opportunities to invest their lives in children who desperately need consistency and unconditional love. Through thousands of ordinary, unseen moments, they are helping rewrite family stories, and showing our children that faithful fathers really do exist.
One day, we pray these boys and girls will pass that same love on to the next generation, breaking cycles of abandonment and dysfunction through the transforming power of God's love.
As we celebrated Father's Day, we were reminded how grateful we are for each of these remarkable men. Thank you for supporting this ministry where children don't simply find safety—they find fathers who faithfully point them to their Heavenly Father.
