John,

With every story of hope that we’ve shared during this pandemic, there is a story before the story. There is usually pain that precedes the joy, and sorrow that precedes the hope. But the darkness never wins, and the light of hope permeates even the bleakest of times.

This week we go to Guatemala to meet Jakelin and her son. The sweet moment we want to share with you today was actually an outtake from an IJM documentary that was being created about Jakelin.

When Jakelin was a child, her father perpetrated horrific violence on the entire family. From many forms of physical abuse, to forcing the children into labor — Jakelin’s childhood was essentially demolished by this man.

One day, Jakelin’s mother took her children, reported the crimes to the police and hoped for a miracle. Without the resources to hire a lawyer, the family had little hope that the justice system would actually work for them. IJM learned of Jakelin’s family, provided a skilled lawyer and ultimately saw Jakelin take the tremendously brave step of testifying against her father.

He received an eight-year prison sentence because of this family’s strength and Jakelin’s courage.

Of course, the little boy in this clip didn’t know all that. He just knew he wanted to see the camera, be adored by the film crew and get picked up by his mom. And Jakelin, being such a caring mom, didn’t hesitate to let him have his moment in the spotlight.

Now, because of her strength and IJM’s intervention, Jakelin is safe and dreaming of the future. A future that includes telling her story, advocating for the rights of those who have lost their voice and, of course, sharing many more tender moments with her son.