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.

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.

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.

The Refuge is a community of eight homes for orphaned and vulnerable children. Here they have access to quality healthcare, education, and vocational training, laying the groundwork for good health and a future livelihood.