BECAS CON BENDICIONES
Scholarship With Blessings
“Becas con Bendiciones” is a scholarship program in Honduras that provides support to underserved children to help them attend school. The program focuses on providing essential supplies, uniforms, and a spiritual component through Bible studies and prayer.
Although public school access is free, Honduran children may not attend public school unless they can pay for uniforms, school supplies, sports attire and other maintenance fees. This financial barrier results in many Honduran children being unable to attend school and helps explain why Honduras has one of the lowest literacy rates in Central America.
What started as a dream to become involved in international missions working with children, became reality for Texas natives Henry and Sara Clines. In 2006 they created a foundation and started the Becas con Bendiciones Program.
Donors can sponsor the educational expenses of a Honduran child for just $125 each year. All Program administrative fees are paid through the Clines’ foundation which means 100% of sponsors’ contributions go directly to support these Honduran students. Today over 800 students are supported with this program.
La Ceibita is one of 17 communities who benefit from this scholarship program and it is administered through each community’s Methodist Church. Each student becomes part of monthly “gatherings” at the Church where they find bible study and support by the Church community.
Sponsors receive information about the students they are supporting and periodic updates as well as communications from the sponsored child. ION Missions has partnered with Becas con Bendiciones to encourage sponsorships for La Ceibita school-aged children.
Learn more by visiting:
ION Missions Partnership
In Fall of 2024, ION Missions accepted the role of managing the Becas con Bendeciones School scholarship Program for the La Ceibita community. Founders of Becas, Henry and Sarah Clines, felt that the time was right to transition this role to ION Missions, as La Ceibita is in a very remote location, ION Missions had been serving this community for almost 2 decades, and the Clines could then focus their time on the other 16 communities with a Becas Program.
Testimony
Almas Story
A small ION Missions Team visited La Ceibita in early December of 2024, participating in the end-of-year school celebration as well as other service projects. When the Team learned that one scholarship recipient was unable to continue in the Beccas Program due to excessive school absenses. Team members Mike, Shelley and Ann decided to visit Alma the next day at her home. During the visit, Alma’s Mom explained that Alma’s absenteeism was due to her asthma and she was finally getting medication to reduce asthma attacks. When Mike asked Alma why she wanted to go to school, Alma said “I want to go to school so I can become a person”. The Team was speechless with lumps in their throats and tears in their eyes. We knew that the proper Christian response was to allow Alma another year to participate in Becas.
When the ION Missions Team revisited La Ceibita in early November of 2025, Pastor Orlin identified 10 families for the Team to visit. Imagine the surprise when the first visit was Alma, her Mother, and her younger brother. The ION Team included Alma’s Becas sponsor, Chantell. Once again, tears flowed. But these were tears of joy as we learned that Alma thrived in school this year and that her asthma symptoms had significantly improved. Chantell assured Alma’s Mom that she would continue supporting Alma’s Becas scholarship through high school and would support Alma’s younger brother as well.
God works in amazing ways and Alma’s story highlights God’s power through the connection of ION Missions with the Beccas Program, how God pulled us into Alma’s situation and providedgrace to allow Alma to continue her schooling with Becas scholarship support, and connection of Alma to her scholarshipsponsor. With God’s power, the Becas Program will continue to give the students dignity and hope for a better future.
