by nataliearauco | Mar 23, 2026 | Stories
I ran into Fredy the other day. We hadn’t seen each other in almost seven years. What a thrill it was when he stepped off his motorcycle and pulled off his helmet. It took me a moment to recognize the young man before me. He looked at me for half a second, then rushed...
by nataliearauco | Dec 14, 2025 | Stories
Chapter 1: The Whisper The heat pressed down through the tin roof of the small village school in Chivoc, Guatemala, and the air vibrated with that quiet mix of nerves and new beginnings. Plastic shoes scuffed against the concrete floor, benches creaked, and someone’s...
by nataliearauco | Feb 7, 2025 | Stories
Isabel looked up from where he sat among the other leaders of the Bible study. The chilly night wind rustled the trees outside of the small home, branches scraped against the tin roof of the porch. The dim light from the single bulb overhead cast flickering shadows...
by nataliearauco | Jan 20, 2025 | Stories
In the heart of Oaxaca, Mexico, lies the region of Mixteca Alta, home to rugged mountains and the resilient Mixteca people—an unreached group scattered across hundreds of remote villages. These communities are nestled among dense forests and rolling hills, places...
by nataliearauco | Mar 7, 2024 | Stories
I sit at a table with three 11-year-old girls. They all look at me expectantly. Waiting for me to give an answer. But I am speechless. On the other side of the porch, the women’s group erupts in laughter as they work through the Bible study. The young men’s group...
by nataliearauco | Nov 2, 2023 | Stories
“How am I supposed to know what a good dad is?” Jasper crosses his arms and slumps back against his seat. “I never had one.” I take a breath and put down my plate of stewed greens and beef. A simple meal, shared with Mason and Jasper, the two brothers sitting around...
