High school graduation season is here, and every year it brings the same realization. Our time with young people is unbelievably short. One moment they are kids with questions, searching hearts, and open hands. Then suddenly they are walking across a stage, stepping into adulthood, carrying with them whatever we poured into their lives during those fast-moving years.

I recently read a story in Corrie ten Boom’s memoir, The Hiding Place. For quick context: she survived a Nazi concentration camp. Years after the war, she came face to face with one of the cruelest guards from that place. The man reached out his hand, asking for forgiveness. She writes that, humanly speaking, her hand was stuck to her side frozen by pain and resentment. She couldn’t forgive; she didn’t feel anything kind or noble. But in her desperation, she prayed, “Lord, give me Your love.” And when she obeyed and stretched out her hand, she felt a rush of supernatural love that didn’t come from her.

By: Simon Howling

As we move closer to Christmas, like many churches around the world we’re beginning our Advent series, exploring the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. For the third year in a row, I was assigned to preach on hope. I joked with a friend about it, and he replied, “Simon, …

By: Ruddy Arauz

In the last few months, I have been thinking a lot about how costly it is to build something and how easy it is to destroy it. Not long ago, I saw a video where a 22-story building was demolished in only ten seconds. Ten seconds to erase what took almost two years to construct, with hundreds of people involved. That image stayed with me. Can something that required time, effort, and persistence really disappear that quickly?

By: Romon Gore

When we moved to Bolivia 16 years ago (crazy, right?), we joined another ministry. We didn’t arrive with a grand plan or a vision to start something new. We just wanted to help — wherever we could. From orphan care to church work, we threw ourselves into whatever needed to be done.

By: Melinda Gore

Integrity is often tested when no one else is watching. It’s not about doing what’s right because of fear of being caught, but because we want to honor God, even when the “wrong” way looks easier, faster, or even “justifiable.”

By: Camilo Flores

Many of the books I’ve been reading about agriculture all begin with the same theme: preparing the soil. It’s one of the most demanding tasks in the entire planting process, and so far, it’s been the most exhausting one for me. I’ve ended up with back pain, sunburns, and hands covered in dirt. From breaking up hard clumps of soil to pulling out weeds or trying not to damage tree roots, these have been long, strenuous days of preparation. All of it so that, in a single afternoon, every seed can find its place and begin to grow under daily care.

By: Simon Howling

When people hear the term “futsal program,” they usually picture the training sessions, the uniforms, and the matches — a fun “kick around” that helps us connect and engage with kids in the community. You wouldn’t be wrong in thinking that. We connect with numerous kids from our community through our training sessions. We’re blessed to have uniforms and compete in local competitions on a regular basis.

But it’s also so much more than that. We often say that we’re a futsal program where our lowest priority is futsal.

By: Ruddy Arauz

At our ministry, we have a garden that has produced all sorts of things, and it excites us to see everything that’s still to come. I’ve watched many plants sprout, grow, and bear fruit there—but I have to admit, I’m no expert. When they’re growing, they all look the same to me: green leaves, similar stems, even flowers that look almost identical.

By: Romon Gore

If you’ve spent much time around me in the past ten years, you can probably guess where this is going. Yep — community. I talk about it all the time, and there’s a reason. Community is one of the things most often missing in the church. We’re great at running events, programs, and Sunday services, but sometimes we forget who we really are: not just individuals who believe in Jesus, but a people who belong to one another because we belong to Him.

At Red Roots, we love sharing updates about our ministry and nonprofit work through newsletters, YouTube videos, social media, and the occasional podcast. But we wanted to create a space where you could hear directly from the people living and loving this mission every day: Romon, Melinda, Ruddy, Simon, and Camilo.