Bringing Eternal Worth to Light

Hey there! You may not know me yet, and I do hope to have the pleasure of meeting you someday soon. I’m David Leister, and I've had the privilege of serving as the Director of International Operations here at Mission Lazarus since December 2021. God has been preparing me and my family throughout many years in international business and pastoral ministry for this honor of a lifetime. I get to lock arms with an extraordinary group of men and women in Honduras, Haiti, and the U.S. who are loving and serving the "Lazaruses" of the world in Jesus' name (See Luke 16:19-31).

I'd love to discuss this concept of vision with you. Whether we're talking about an individual or a business, vision is an ideal future imagined where life is just better in all aspects. Vision is a sort of promised land where things just fire on all cylinders and people are living up to their God-given potential. A dream (vision) is a better future in need of an architect who will show others how to make it a reality (Edward Rowell). At Mission Lazarus, our vision is limitless and depends on God to fulfill. 

Our vision guides our every decision, plan, and investment, irrespective of magnitude. We are passionately committed architects of a model of development and discipleship designed to flood the light of Christ into the hearts of countless thousands of underserved Honduran and Haitian people. We refuse to toss table scraps to those beneath us, chasing fleeting feel-good moments. At Mission Lazarus, we go deep in relationship, and we go the distance in empowering spiritually and materially impoverished people to build their own chairs to join God's people at His table. 

"Bringing eternal worth to light" is our vision. 

In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus likens his followers to lamps that are meant to shine heavenly light for the world to see, not to remain hidden under a bowl. Nearly two millennia after Jesus gave this command, by the grace of God, the Mission Lazarus family is bringing eternal worth to light through our schools, health clinics, community and economic development, evangelism and discipleship initiatives, and through our for-profit businesses such as our coffee farm or the Posada restaurant and lodge.

All of these programs and relationships were designed for the divine purpose of invading the darkness of neglect, poverty, and pain with the peaceful, hopeful, and everlasting light of Christ. Together with our faithful ministry partners, we will continue to increase the wattage so that more and more Hondurans and Haitians can experience the life transformation only found in Christ.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on how "bringing eternal worth to light" resonates with your heart, and whether you have a vision for your own life, family, or organization. God bless you!