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.

When life gave Sandra Hernández every reason to give up, she chose something else: courage. She didn’t wait for a rescue. She didn’t ask for pity. When hardship shattered the life she knew, she took her youngest daughter by the hand, left everything behind, and decided to begin again — trusting that Christ would walk with her every step of the way.

In the quiet La Botija mountains of southern Honduras, something beautiful is happening. It’s not just coffee being cultivated at San Lazaro Coffee — it’s hope. Neyli Cruz, 23 years old, is a shining example of that hope. Originally from the small community of San Pedro del Norte, Nicaragua, Neyli was no stranger to hardship.

The Vocational Carpentry School at Mission Lazarus has been a cornerstone of change and hope in southern Honduras since its inception in 2003. It all started with a small but powerful vision: to offer a lifeline to the young men of Ciudad Nueva, a neighborhood in Choluteca that was rebuilding after the devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998.