Investing In the One

Juan Herrera, Director of Construction with Mission Lazarus Honduras, has an amazing story!

When Juan was a boy in San Rafael, life was hard. His father made bricks by hand, and Juan worked alongside him. Their home, little more than sticks and mud by the river, was swept away by a flood one year.

Juan didn’t own his first pair of shoes until he was twelve, and by sixth grade school had to end so he could work.

Years later, while helping build a small church, Juan met a young missionary named Jarrod Brown. Jarrod asked him to take on a new challenge - constructing a medical clinic in the mountains. Juan wasn’t sure he could do it, but he said yes.

That simple yes changed everything.

With Mission Lazarus, Juan learned new skills, led new projects, and eventually helped build schools, homes, and churches across Honduras and Haiti. He became not just a builder, but a mentor and a leader - a man whose faith and work are shaping generations.

Today, Juan is the longest serving team member for Mission Lazarus in Honduras and leads a group of twenty people.

From a barefoot boy to a master builder, his life is a living testament to what transformation looks like when faith and opportunity meet.

Juan’s transformation is just the beginning…

Encouraged by Jarrod, Juan returned to school in his forties - an opportunity that sparked the creation of Mission Lazarus’ adult education program. Studying after long days of work, he earned his high school diploma in 2024, inspiring dozens of others to follow his lead and proving it’s never too late to learn and lead.

Through the work of Mission Lazarus, men and women are discovering purpose, dignity, and faith through work, education, healthcare, and community development.

When you give, you’re not just funding projects, you’re investing in people like Juan, whose lives bear fruit far beyond what any of us could imagine.

Most Urgent Needs