My H&H Story: Paula & Rodrigo Diaz
A CHANGE OF PLANS AND A CHANGE OF HEART
A planned vacation to Hawaii quickly turned into a trip to Honduras during a Sunday church service. When Paula and Rodrigo Diaz heard there was a need, they decided to answer this call to serve.
This led to a week-long service trip in 2012, where the couple worked in disaster relief and met Denny Fuller – beginning a relationship that would be pivotal in their life.
Seeing the strong need for more than just supplies and short term fixes, both Paula and Rodrigo approached Denny with a desire to do more. When he told them about H&H, they said they felt passionate about getting involved and working toward a long-term sustainable solution.
Growing up in Colombia and living now in the US, both Rodrigo and Paula knew poverty existed but never saw a way to be a part of the solution.
But one unforgettable experience changed Paula’s mind and broke her heart. While she served in the rural communities in Honduras, many mothers tried passing their babies to Americans saying “they could have a better life outside of Honduras.”
This moment led to the Diazes becoming more and more involved with H&H, and they soon established their roles as volunteers and board members with the organization. They even got their daughter Valeria involved so they could serve together as a family.
Rodrigo proudly shared that after Valeria’s first trip “she learned the difference between the ‘want’ and ‘need.’” Now Valeria, at the age of 15, sponsors a student in La Cuchilla, with nine of her classmates at school. Paula shared she does chores around the house so she can pay for another child’s education.
With their nine-year involvement with H&H – Rodrigo as a board member for six years and Paula as a board member and the Education Team Leader – the Diaz family has seen amazing transformations in the communities served. They saw clean water installed in Remolino, electricity powering La Coroza, and restrooms built in La Cuchilla.
But bigger than all of this, they have seen the people of Honduras become empowered!
“Seeing people starting to believe in themselves and being encouraged by the fact that someone believed in them and stayed long enough to give them a shot is amazing,” Paula said.
They’re helping each other and educating each other. Their dreams of becoming hairdressers have turned into dreams of being doctors, teachers, financiers, and so much more.
Paula encourages all who want to serve to answer the call! “Kids should have a fair chance.”
“These kids will bring change to their community,” adds Rodrigo. “Any little changes we do in the villages is going to change these generations forever.”
Because of supporters and volunteers like Rodrigo and Paula, H&H has a firm foundation to stand on. These two have served selflessly and dedicated their time and resources to make these stories of transformation a reality.
Thank you, Rodrigo and Paula, for how you serve Honduran communities alongside H&H. You are making an impact that will have a ripple effect for generations to come.
October 9, 2021
Written by: Nikki Peters