Maribel’s Story: God Changed My Life

Maribel arrived at the home at seven years old — a little girl full of fear, unable to understand why life had already been so hard. She did not know what safety felt like. She did not know what love looked like. But God was already writing a different story for her life.

“I found a safe place where, little by little, I learned what love, respect, and hope truly mean,” Maribel shares. “I met people who stood by me and showed me that my past doesn’t determine my future — because God can transform any story.”

The turning point came through Papa Rick. Through his guidance, Maribel came to know God’s love and realized for the first time that she was not alone — that her life had a purpose. Everything changed.

“From that moment on, the way I saw the world changed completely,” she says. “I began to dream again, to believe in myself and in what God could do in me. He healed my heart and gave me the chance to start over.”

Today Maribel is 18 years old and studying nursing. The road has not been easy, but she has learned that with hard work, faith, and perseverance, anything is possible. And she carries a message for the other girls still at the home: you can reach your dreams too, no matter where you come from or what you have been through.

Her plans for the future are clear and purposeful. She wants to finish her studies, build her career, and one day support other young people who need to know that they truly can move forward.

“I want to be a tool in God’s hands — to encourage, heal, and serve,” Maribel says. “Showing through my life that He can break chains and make all things new when we open our hearts to Him.”

Maribel’s transformation from a frightened seven-year-old to a confident nursing student pursuing God’s calling is exactly what your support makes possible. Every gift to Restoring Children International helps write stories like hers.