HondurasMD Team

Taught to Steal
A microessay by Dr. David Black
http://hondurasmd.org

I am often asked, Why do Hondurans steal?The short answer is that they are taught and encouraged to steal, though some US folk use the sanitized word “pilfer” instead


Their caretakers, including mothers, teach stealing as a necessary craft.  If we stole as a child and were caught, we were probably corrected in manner that ensured we'd never, ever do that again. But what if your mother had congratulated you for having stolen the items, or had punished you for not bringing back enough loot? That happens in Honduras, and it destroys the culture from inside like a cancer that overtakes and destroys healthy cells.

To change things, even for a few lives, means overcoming the cultural tide. That is what Juan Paz' simple gospel message attempts to do for the children within the reach of his community service ministry. His first message is his life; Juan, his family, and his children don't steal. , fathers uncles is also an invitation to a life of hope – that morality and hope are two sides of the same coin. Sometimes the seed falls on good ground; the ears hear, the minds and hearts change.

Please help support Juan in his continuing effort with your prayers and giving.

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and VERY IMPORTANT, in the description, write: Foundation Esperanza: Account F1432352. Foundation Esperanza is a charitable program of the Congressional District Programs, a US 501(c)(3) Public Charity, Tax ID 65-0970090.

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