Originally published in the fall 2025 Update Magazine.
Every child deserves a safe, loving, faith-filled home. At Hope Children’s Home, several Pensacola Christian College alumni, along with other staff, work to give vulnerable children and infants bright futures. Matt Higgins (Bible’04), Mandy Higgins (studied Graphic Design‘01—04), and Ashley Hearns (Elementary Education’11, M.S. Educational Leadership’13) serve in Tampa, and Pastor Matt (Pastoral Ministries’00) and Dallita Goins (Nursing’00) serve in Honduras. Together, they support the ministry’s urgent mission: to love children in need and equip them for the future. Children at the ministry receive living essentials, including shelter, meals, clothing, healthcare, an education, and, best of all, a place to call ‘home’ centered on the lifegiving love of Jesus Christ.
Called to Children’s Ministry
Matt Higgins and his wife Mandy share a desire to help children. They first became friends while they were attending PCC, Matt for Bible and Mandy for graphic design. As they got to know each other over their years in college, their friendship grew into love. Matt proposed to Mandy shortly before his graduation, and the couple were married a month after he received his Bible degree. As they looked forward, they began to pray about their future together. They imagined that Matt’s studies would lead them to work in youth ministries, but God directed them down a different path. At the time, Matt’s father was working at a Christian nonprofit called Hope Children’s Home. He told Matt and Mandy that they were praying for a married couple to join the administrative staff. The Higgins saw this opportunity to enter children’s ministry as an answer to prayer. They were eager to start work immediately, so Mandy chose to follow Matt to the ministry before her fourth year of studying concluded.
“Every day we’re reinforcing the things that God has called us to do, which is to love these children, prepare them for the future, to have a ministry that’s Christ centered, and for the children to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Since 2004, Matt and Mandy have been serving at Hope Children’s Home. They oversee the nonprofit’s two locations in Tampa and Honduras along with its ministry for infants, Bundles of Hope. They have been able to use their skills from their liberal arts educations to provide administrative and media leadership that support the nonprofit’s mission. As executive director, Matt ensures the nonprofit’s administration operates smoothly. Mandy is the creative director, and she shares the mission with the public to gain supporters. “Every day we’re reinforcing the things that God has called us to do, which is to love these children, prepare them for the future, to have a ministry that’s Christ centered, and for the children to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” Matt said.
Matt and Mandy believe a distinct way Hope Children’s Home helps children is by providing a support system into adulthood. When children graduate from the ministry’s high school, they are assisted as they take on responsibility. Many choose to attend college, and Matt and Mandy frequently help graduates move to their chosen schools. Students are welcome to come back to the ministry on semester breaks. The message is clear: the door to home is always open. “‘What happens to the children when they turn 18?’ That’s a question we get a lot.” Mandy said, “Because in the foster care system, you ‘age out.’ We say 18 is just another birthday—it’s family for life.”
Life at Home
A day at Hope Children’s Home in Tampa combines education, play, family, and Christ’s love to help children thrive. The children live in six colorful and spacious houses and are cared for each day by sets of cottage parents. These caretakers create loving, Christ centered homes. A child’s day begins with waking up in his or her bedroom, a homecooked breakfast, and house devotions with cottage parents and other children. After busy school days, the children can explore the secure, green, 55-acre Tampa campus, climb the tree house, or use the two playgrounds. They also can compete in casual basketball and pickleball games at outdoor courts. After playtime, children eat dinner, have devotions, and are finally tucked in to bed. House parents Lace Bonilla and her husband care for 14 children in their cottage. Watching over the children is deeply fulfilling for Lace. “[Being a house parent] is something I’ve always had a heart to do,” Lace said, “and my husband really has a heart for children as well.”
“Watching God transform their lives is one of the most beautiful parts of working here.”
Since they have stable, loving home lives, children can focus and excel at school. They attend the on-campus Hope Christian School, which provides a high-quality education exclusively for ministry children. PCC alumna Ashley Hearns is principal, and she is at the forefront of the school’s mission: to equip students academically and spiritually, preparing them for success while strengthening their faith. Ashley has found that new arrivals are often academically behind, and she leads efforts to help them get back on track. The excellent education helps the children to change the trajectory of their lives. According to the nonprofit’s website, 95% of graduates go to college. Ashley believes listening is crucial to help children succeed. Her office door is always open to students—whether they have questions or simply want to talk. “[I want] to rebuild those relationships so that they feel like they have somebody on their side who will listen to them and is there to walk through life with them,” Ashley said.
Beyond prioritizing education, recreation, and family, Hope Children’s Home encourages children to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Children participate in house devotions, attend weekly worship services, and go to Christian camps during the summer. Through these activities, children hear the gospel and have an opportunity to respond to God’s grace. Ashley believes seeing children saved and growing in Christ is a highlight of being principal. “Watching God transform their lives is one of the most beautiful parts of working here,” Ashley said. “They haven’t just learned that their past doesn’t define them; they’ve embraced the truth that God defines them.”
Hope in Honduras
The mission of Hope Children’s Home goes beyond the United States, touching lives in Honduras. Matt and Mandy partner with PCC alumni and missionaries Pastor Matt and Dallita Goins to lead this location, giving the Goins primary administration of the home. Since 2004, Pastor and Mrs. Goins have been using their degrees in pastoral ministries and nursing to reach the Honduran people with the gospel at Iglesia Bautista El Faro. Through the partnership with Hope Children’s Home, many children have been saved and baptized. These children also have an opportunity to become church members and participate in Christian service. “I believe the most rewarding aspect of having the Hope Honduras partnership is the transformation of the gospel in the lives of the children,” Pastor Goins said.
The ministry benefits Honduran children by providing them with a practical education that prepares them for life. Belkis Bonilla (Nursing ’22) grew up at Hope Children’s Home of Honduras and was its first graduate. Receiving a high-quality education propelled her to academic success. After graduating from high school, Belkis attended PCC and earned a degree in nursing, building a foundation for a fulfilling career and stable livelihood. Pastor Goins appreciates how providing an education allows the ministry to reach the Honduran community. He shared, “Hope Children’s Home enables us to serve our community in unique ways, enhancing the reach of the local church.”
“God’s hand is evident in the ministry of Hope Children’s Home.”
Beyond equipping children for the future, the Goins do an even more important work through Hope’s Children’s Home: sharing the gospel. The Goins highlighted the testimony of Kathya, a child that came to the ministry because of childhood instability. “Kathya came to us as a nine-year-old girl. She had never been to school,” Mrs. Goins said. “Fast forward nine years with plenty of food to eat, a nice home and bed to sleep in, spiritual nourishment, genuine love and kindness, and Kathya is a beautiful 18-year-old that has learned to read, has a heart to serve, and, most importantly, has given her heart to Jesus!”
Through Hope Children’s Home’s ministry, hundreds of children like Belkis and Kathya have received a safe, faith-filled home where they experience the love of Jesus Christ and are prepared for the future. Over their years of service, these PCC alumni have seen God bless the ministry with enough resources for expansion. While still serving children in Tampa and Honduras, the ministry is moving forward to open as many as eight new Florida locations. From bringing together committed Christians like the Higgins and the Goins to meeting the ministry’s needs, God has faithfully provided. The future is bright, and Hope Children’s Home is prepared to provide lifegiving care to many precious children in the years to come. “God’s hand is evident in the ministry of Hope Children’s Home,” Matt said. “It’s a testimony to people who are fully committed to Christ, and He’s blessing it. It’s just miraculous.”