Finding Every Child: The Next Step in the Backpack Process

The last backpack team may have packed up and headed home, but if you think that means backpack season 2025 is officially in the books — think again! There’s still plenty of work to do.

This past Thursday, March 20th, the Honduran staff of Sowers4Pastors hit the road once again, circling back to each area to track down kids who missed their distribution day. And this year, that’s a longer list than usual. Why? Because the coffee harvest was later than normal, and when backpacks were being handed out, many children were busy working alongside their families, picking coffee. Now, the hope is that these kids are planning to return to school — and that staff can find each and every one of them.

This follow-up also provides a chance to register new students in the program. In the past, new kids were signed up during the main backpack distribution events. That may have been faster, but it had some challenges. Occasionally, children would show up to receive a backpack and shoes… but never actually attend school. Imagine the disappointment of a sponsor who chose a child’s profile, only to learn weeks later that the child wasn’t in class and thus was not available for sponsorship. Understandably, that was discouraging for everyone involved.

So, S4P has fine-tuned the process. Now, they wait for official government-issued enrollment papers from each school, detailing the number of students in every grade and their ages. These documents provide a much more accurate, up-to-date picture. And conveniently, they are available just as the second round of backpack distributions begins!

With Mary Faith now on board, the goal is to update and create student profiles almost in real time. Each day, as staff return from their trips, they hand off registration forms and child photos to Mary Faith. By the next day, she’ll have those profiles created or updated—just in time for the next batch to arrive. If all goes according to plan, this entire process will be wrapped up in two weeks, allowing sister churches in the States to hold their events for sponsoring new children without delay.

Please keep everyone in your prayers as staff members revisit communities and Mary Faith works on the profiles. Brandy specifically asked for “prayers for safety and that we will be the light of God in those communities.”

Let’s make it happen!

 - posted by Christi