Andrea stood in front of the mirror, hardly recognizing the little girl looking back at her.

Just months earlier, the reflection would have told a very different story.

When Andrea arrived at The Refuge children’s home at Mission Lazarus, she was six years old but carried burdens no child should. She came with her two-year-old brother, both of them weak from severe malnutrition and their bodies showing the effects of long neglect. Andrea had never set foot in a classroom and had never been given the simple, steady care every child needs to grow.

For nine years, Candida Rosa Benítez walked the paths of Finca San Lázaro with quiet faithfulness. What may have looked like ordinary work was, in reality, the steady unfolding of something much greater. When Rosa first arrived, seven members of her family depended on her. She carried the weight of providing each day—showing up with perseverance, sacrifice, and deep love. There were challenges, but she remained determined to build a different future for her family.

Grace is easiest to admire from a distance. It is harder—and holier—to recognize when it wears dust on its feet and hunger in its stomach.

In Fort-Liberté, Haiti, I saw despair and dignity standing side by side. Poverty that constricts opportunity. Hunger that lingers longer than it should. Uncertainty that presses on families daily. And yet, in the middle of it all, I witnessed something the world often misses: not mere endurance, but life being lived with intention and faith.

For months each year in southern Honduras, the river rises. What is often a bone-dry riverbed can become impassable during the rainy season, cutting off entire communities from school, medical care, and even basic supplies. Life, quite literally, is put on hold.

This was the reality for one remote community we serve in Honduras until a group from Churchill Mortgage decided to step in. They didn’t just send support, they showed up!

For nearly 18 years, Henry has been waking up before dawn, traveling a long distance each day to serve at Mission Lazarus in Honduras. He doesn’t do it for recognition. He does it because, as he says, he loves his work, and because he knows he is serving God. Henry works with service teams from North America, leading projects that may seem simple at first glance: building latrines in rural communities.

Mission Lazarus remains committed to investing in national leadership. At this year’s Leadership Conference, one powerful theme echoed through every session, testimony, and moment of prayer: Investing in the One.

At San Lázaro Coffee, coffee is a tool for transformation. While we are committed to quality, sustainability, and responsible farming, our deeper purpose is in people.

This week marks the first day of school at Lazarus Academy. With the new school year comes fresh notebooks, new pencils, nervous smiles, and the kind of hope that only comes with a new beginning.

When people talk about Haiti, the headlines are heavy - violence, instability, uncertainty. But on the ground, another story is unfolding. One that is quiet, courageous, and deeply hopeful. In just a few weeks, something extraordinary will happen.

Every year, Heartland Dental Foundation partners with Mission Lazarus by serving alongside our medical and dental teams in the remote mountains of Honduras. Using Mission Lazarus facilities and working hand in hand with our local staff, Heartland volunteers provide specialized dental care through two focused clinical areas. One clinic delivers restorative and root canal treatment, while the other focuses on extractions.

As we close out 2025, my heart is full of gratitude for the ways God has worked through Mission Lazarus over nearly 25 years. What began as a simple desire to serve has grown into a ministry where students learn with dignity, families find hope, and communities encounter the Good News of Jesus.

Juan’s story captures the heart of Mission Lazarus. We don’t come to fix poverty - we come to walk alongside men and women as they discover their God-given potential. Seeing Juan grow from a local mason to a leader shaping others’ futures is living proof that transformation happens when faith, opportunity, and hard work come together.

In the small village of Jayacayan, where job opportunities are scarce and most women are expected to stay at home, Nancy Mondragón has learned that hope can be planted like a seed. At 28 years old, she lives with her husband, their little girl, and her in-laws in a modest home where every bit of income matters.

Litzy’s dream represents the future we envision for every child who walks through the doors of Lazarus Academy - a future filled with opportunity, faith, and purpose. As we expand the school, your partnership ensures more students will have the chance to learn, grow, and lead. Together, we are building something that will last for generations.

When Elisson first arrived at Mission Lazarus, no one could have imagined the man he would become. His family had very little material resources, but what they lacked in wealth, they made up for with determination and a quiet hope that life could be different.

When Lidia arrived at The Refuge Children's Home as a toddler, she had already endured unimaginable loss and hardship. Her early life was marked by instability and neglect, leaving her unsure of what it meant to feel safe, valued, or loved. But within the walls of The Refuge, something began to change.

I recently had the privilege of traveling to Honduras with a group from my church. One morning, we volunteered on the San Lázaro coffee farm. It was only three or four hours—hardly a full day—but those hours changed how I’ll look at my morning coffee forever.

Nineteen years ago, against all odds, a little girl’s life was about to change forever. Six-year-old Marcela Betanco arrived at the Mission Lazarus Refuge Children’s Home in Honduras with her three siblings. In her short life, Marcela had already endured more than most people will face in a lifetime.

In the quiet mountain town of San Marcos de Colón, Honduras, a small bootmaking shop once stood—humble in size, but rich in craftsmanship.

The San Lazaro Coffee harvest is a labor of love from individuals who are part of the communities we serve in Honduras. The coffee farm strengthens self-worth, restores dignity, and opens the door to lasting transformation. But we need your help to ensure this life-changing work continues to thrive.