Project Update: Honduras – August 2026
“The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.” —Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 470.
Every day, people make decisions they later wish they could undo. Some choices bring years of heartache and overwhelming burdens, making people wonder if even God can help them. Yet the gospel shows that Jesus specializes in taking broken lives and making them whole again. Lariza Mabel knows this truth firsthand.
Growing up in Honduras, Lariza began making adult decisions while still a teenager. At just 16 years old, she began living with her boyfriend. By the age of 24, she had four children. Like many young couples, Lariza and her partner dreamed of building a better future together, but poverty, unemployment, and the daily struggle to provide for their family placed enormous pressure on their relationship. Financial hardship led to poor decisions that only deepened their difficulties.
While Lariza was pregnant with their fourth child, her partner left for the United States in search of work, taking their oldest daughter with him. The separation broke Lariza’s heart. Not only was she now raising three young children alone, but she also felt abandoned by the man she had depended upon. Discouragement and uncertainty filled her heart, but God was quietly preparing a happier life for Lariza.
After relocating to Olanchito, Lariza made friends with a young woman named Carolina. “She welcomed me into her life with genuine kindness and compassion,” Lariza says. Carolina’s family offered Lariza employment in their family business, and later, when they knew her better, they invited Lariza and her three children to live in their home. Most importantly, they introduced Lariza to Jesus.
Carolina invited Lariza to church, where for the first time she experienced a loving church family. For more than a year, she attended Sabbath services as well as Bible studies to learn the doctrines of the SDA church. Lariza’s 8-year-old son became especially interested, and during an evangelistic series, he made the decision to be baptized.
Watching her son’s enthusiasm for God’s truth stirred Lariza’s own heart. Before the baptism, the district pastor visited Lariza to request her permission to baptize her son. As they talked, he gently shared how every person needs Jesus, regardless of their past. His words touched her deeply. She realized that although she had made many mistakes, God’s love had never stopped pursuing her.
Lariza has discovered that God does not define us by our failures but by His grace. She continues living with Carolina’s family, caring for their children while raising her own. She thanks God daily for providing a safe home, meaningful work, and a church family that loves and supports her.
Through Bible work, evangelistic meetings, children’s ministries, and compassionate Christians, lives like Lariza’s are being transformed by the gospel. Your support of Mission Projects International helps make these life-changing ministries possible. Please prayerfully consider partnering with us to reach more families with the hope, healing, and saving love of Jesus Christ. Please pray for Pastor Elmer and the lay workers of Honduras as they bring people to Christ, and make their work possible by marking your gifts “Honduras Evangelism” or “Honduras Workers.”
