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Video transcript

Hello and welcome to Hope from the Edges. I’m Andy Roberts, CEO of CMS.

In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring news from three edges in our world – stories that you are making possible through your gifts and prayers.

First, we’ll go to Honduras and hear about a young woman who went from street life to full life. From there we’ll go to South Sudan where a former cattle rustler was steered towards a better path. Finally, we’ll turn the spotlight on a mission partner who has spent two decades in challenging work that has taken her across the globe.

But before we begin, I want to take some time to acknowledge an anniversary none of us would have wanted to commemorate.

By the time you receive this video, we will have crossed the four-year mark since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and I want to take a moment to ask for your prayers for our mission partner Alison Giblett, who has remained in Ukraine this whole time, faithfully sharing the light of Jesus – despite missile attacks, freezing winters and growing despair.

This is most definitely mission at the edges. Let’s go to God together and keep praying for peace to prevail.

And now, let’s hop over to Honduras for a story of hope nine years in the making.

The country of Honduras faces huge challenges including rampant gang warfare, poverty and corruption.

Many children in Honduras suffer from abuse or neglect and are drawn to life on the streets, which can be both cruel and dangerous.

In 2017, a young girl named Johanni was one of these at-risk children.

She recalls, “When I was eight years old, I spent most of my time out in the street. My parents didn’t send me to school. No one was looking out for me except myself.”

Johanni spent much of her time hanging out with other kids at a local park. She could see no real future for herself.

One day, she met some adults who were different – kind and interested. They listened to her struggles and told her Jesus loved her.

Over time, these people, CMS mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson, helped Johanni and 14 other children register for school. This was the beginning of a new life chapter for Johanni as well as the start of what would become a life-changing project for many children.

This group of 15 children were the beginning of Proyecto Alas, a programme that supports at-risk children to continue in education and make good choices for the future. A key part of this programme is that each child is assigned a mentor.

Johanni says, “My mentor listens to me, encourages me and helps me make positive decisions.”

Now 16 years old, Johanni is an aspiring nail artist. She says, “Most girls my age don’t make it to high school so I’m really proud of my achievement and growth.”

The Poulsons are grateful to have walked alongside Johanni these nine years and to have seen her and others reach their God-given potential.

We now journey to South Sudan.

In South Sudan livestock is highly prized. So, cattle raiding is big business.

In recent years, raids have become more intense, more violent and take place on a much larger scale. It’s a crime with a huge cost.

Makol was a cattle raider from Warrap State, South Sudan. He knew that stealing cattle was wrong and that people were getting hurt, but he was making too much money to stop. He also knew if he was caught, he could be executed.

One day Makol was caught in the act, arrested and put in a police car. He knew his fate was sealed.

What Makol didn’t know was this: that night a peace rally was scheduled to take place, led by Archbishop Moses Deng. Drawing on training he’d received from our colleagues in CMS-Africa, the Archbishop spoke to the community on the theme of love and forgiveness.

The governor of Warrap State, General Aleu Ayieny, attended this rally. Having heard about Makol’s crimes, he had planned for him to be publicly executed at the end of the peace rally.

Evening came and Makol found himself sitting in the back of the governor’s car, waiting for his punishment, while General Ayieny listened to Archbishop Moses’ message nearby.

When he had finished, the governor stood up and addressed him:

“Your Grace Moses, I have a living dead young man in the back of my car. I have brought him here to kill him in front of these crowds and multitudes by firing squad. We have spoken a lot against this practice of cattle raiding and today we could have been making an example out of this man…but because you have spoken of forgiveness and reconciliation command I have forgiven him.”

The governor went back to his car and instructed Makol to follow him. Makol followed slowly, walking to his death.

But standing there in front of his community, hanging his head, he heard the words, “You are forgiven.”

Makol was overwhelmed at this mercy and grace. It wasn’t long before he received Jesus and was baptised.

Four years later, his cattle raiding days are behind him. He and his family belong to a local church and Makol provides for his family by working as a prison warden.

Join us in giving thanks for this life that was changed and continue to pray for all CMS people in mission involved in making disciples in areas facing violent conflict.

Last but absolutely not least we want to congratulate a CMS mission partner who is marking 20 years since she first began responding to a huge call God placed on her life.

In 2005, while lamenting the suffering of millions of girls and women impacted by the practice of female genital mutilation (or FGM),

Ann-Marie Wilson asked God: “Who will help girls like this?” 

To her amazement, the answer came back as an audible voice: “You will.”

Two decades later, Ann-Marie is still answering that call. Through her international organisation, 28 Too Many, which merged with Orchid Project in 2022, she has gathered the stories of thousands of FGM survivors and built a global movement dedicated to ending FGM worldwide.

Ann-Marie and the Orchid Project team haven’t just changed individual lives; they’ve shifted global policy and fostered grassroots change across continents.

You can discover the remarkable story of Ann-Marie’s 20 years in this vital work by going to the Stories section of the CMS website.

Ann-Marie’s journey is a powerful testament to how a single person can spark profound global change.

And it all began with a simple, radical act of daring to ask, Who will help?

Thank you for joining me for these stories from the edges and for your prayerful support, which makes them possible.

Please share this video with your church, small group or anyone you think could use some fuel for their faith.

Until next time, we are so grateful for your gifts and prayers as together we go:

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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The post Hope from the edges March 2026 appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Honduras: Classes recommence at Proyecto Alas

Mission Partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson ask for prayer as the mentoring centre at Proyecto Alas reopens and classes recommence at the beginning of February. Please pray that the children and young people will be motivated to start strong and return to a more structured schedule. Please pray for student Orlin who graduates at the end of the year, please pray for him as he contemplates his next steps following graduation.

The post Honduras: Classes recommence at Proyecto Alas appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

In 2017, Johanni was one of the first at-risk children in Honduras to receive vital care and mentoring from mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson. Several years later, thanks to steadfast support, she’s on a path to a bright future.

“When I was eight years old, I spent most of my time out in the street. My parents didn’t send me to school. No one was looking out for me except myself.”

These are the words of Johanni, a 16-year-old girl in Honduras. But it’s not just her story – many thousands of children in Honduras are living this today. Many children’s parents don’t have the capacity to care for them properly. Many children don’t go to school for one reason or another. Many children try to find a sense of belonging on the street and are drawn into gangs.

Back in 2017, aged eight, Johanni used to spend a lot of time in a local park. One day, she met some young adults who were different. They listened to her struggles and told her Jesus loved her. They invited her to play some fun games. Over time, these people, mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson, helped Johanni and 14 other children register for school. It was the beginning of a new life chapter for Johanni as well as the start of what would grow to become a life-changing project for children.

Mentoring makes the difference

This group of 15 children were the beginning of Proyecto Alas, a programme that supports at-risk children to continue in education and make good choices for the future. A key part of this programme is that each child was assigned a mentor, a safe adult to meet with for an hour a week to talk about anything and everything.

Mentors also visit them at home and pray with children’s families when possible. “My mentor listens to me, encourages me and helps me make positive decisions,” Johanni says.

Now 16 years old, Johanni is an aspiring nail artist. “Most girls my age don’t make it to high school, so I’m really proud of my achievement and growth.” She is sure she wouldn’t have made it this far without her mentor at her side, supporting her all the way. Johanni still spends time with the kids she used to play with in the park – but now, they do their homework together at Proyecto Alas.

The Poulsons are grateful to have walked alongside Johanni since the beginning of the programme in 2017 and to have seen her and others grow and flourish over the years. More recently, the Alas team have also set up a transition to adulthood programme for those who have graduated from secondary school, and Empresas Alas, a business arm that aims to make the project more sustainable. Now, 65 children and young people are connected to the mentoring programme, 10 young adults are in the transition programme and Alas’s businesses – a barbershop and a coffee shop – aim to provide employment for young adults.

Faith is an integral part of everything they do. The mentors, who are all Christians, are committed to demonstrating and proclaiming who Jesus is. “If we do that well, it’s kind of inevitable that people will want to know him,” Steve says.

One step at a time

Rather than expecting lives to change overnight, Lindsey and Steve and other mentors with Proyecto Alas invest in incremental development – walking alongside at-risk children and young adults over several years as they take one step at a time. The Alas team begin by help meeting children’s most basic practical needs, supporting them to build secure relationships and to continue their education. Without this foundation, ideas of living a stable, independent life and going to university will remain distant dreams.

It’s slow, steady work for both the mentors and the children themselves. Lindsey, Steve and others involved with the project have always known that the long-term, slow-burn work of mentoring is worth it, but seeing someone like Johanni come this far is the ultimate reward.

As Johanni’s words at the beginning of this article stand for many children’s stories, we hope the following words of hers also reflect the stories of many other children: “At Proyecto Alas, I have finally found a place where I belong, where I can be myself, and where I can begin to dream about my future.”

Pray together

Give thanks for the life-changing work of Proyecto Alas.

Pray for God to strengthen and encourage Lindsey and Steve and to bring many more children to the programme.

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The post Johanni’s journey: street life to full life appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Honduras: Alas planning week

Please lift up Lindsey and Steve Poulson and their Proyecto Alas team as they gather from 12–16 January to plan their ongoing work with at-risk children. Pray for wisdom in their planning, and for all involved as they adjust to changes in the staff team and their responsibilities. 

The post Honduras: Alas planning week appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Honduras: sleeping

Please pray for mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson and their seven-month-old daughter Elizabeth, who share that they have ups and downs with sleep. Pray for the family of three as they seek to establish a routine. Pray, too, for even more people to benefit from Lindsey and Steve’s work of mentoring and creating safe spaces for at-risk children and young people.

The post Honduras: sleeping appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Honduras: temporary closure of coffee shops at Proyecto Alas

Mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson, working with at-risk children and young people, ask for prayer for the future of the coffee shops at Proyecto Alas in Honduras. These coffee shops provide safe spaces for at-risk children and young people in a context where gang violence, corruption and poverty affect many. The original shop is currently on pause due to inadequate staffing. Additionally, after a year and a half of obstacles and setbacks at the newest shop in Siguatepeque, the decision was taken to end what was becoming a financial blackhole.

The post Honduras: temporary closure of coffee shops at Proyecto Alas appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Honduras: working towards a more stable future

“Please pray for Jorge and Alonzo,” write mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson. Jorge and Alonzo are two of the young people Lindsey and Steve are in contact with through their work of mentoring and supporting at-risk children and young people with Proyecto Alas. Jorge graduated from secondary school last year and began working at a coffee shop connected to the project. Now, after researching options and talking with his mentor, he has decided to begin university classes. Proyecto Alas is providing scholarships for both him and his older brother Alonzo, who also graduated from secondary school via the Alas programme. Please pray for Jorge and Alonzo as they begin this new challenge and take the next step towards a more stable future.

The post Honduras: working towards a more stable future appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Honduras: family of three

We give thanks with mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson for the safe arrival of their daughter several weeks ago. Pray for them as they settle into life as a family of three. As they take time out from their work of mentoring and creating safe spaces for at-risk children and young people, pray for others to step up as necessary to carry on this vital work.  

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Video transcript

Hello and welcome to Hope from the Edges.

I’m Andy Roberts, mission director here at CMS.

In the next few minutes, we’ll bring you inspiring news from three edges in our world – stories you are making possible through your gifts and prayers.

We’ll start in Nepal, where we’ll meet a young man who has chosen Jesus over fame and fortune.

From there, we’ll go to Honduras to meet an award winning barista in a story that involves good news and good brews.

Finally, we’ll give you an update on the situation in eastern DR Congo and share how you can play your part in bringing peace to this nation.

First, let’s go to Nepal for a story of one young man who has made a big sacrifice to follow Jesus, but who insists it’s totally worth it.

In Nepal, a mostly Hindu country, fewer than 2% of the population are followers of Jesus.

Amit grew up in midwestern Nepal. As a young boy, he gave his life to Jesus after a friend took him to church.

As an adult, he became a professional dancer and choreographer, which he says pulled him away from his faith. But one day, when he was in his early 20s

Amit was shocked that Jesus would love him that much, and from that day forward, he says he returned to his first love.

Today, though he could be making loads of money on YouTube or TikTok, the only thing Amit wants is to be a living evidence that Jesus is alive.

He is studying at theological college and preparing to go back to minister within his home community.

We can’t wait to share more stories from Nepal with you over the coming weeks and months.

Make sure you’ve signed up to receive news from CMS updates.

Now we go to Honduras, where we’ll meet an award winning barista who has had a rocky road to faith.

Carlos was previously wary of Christianity having been hurt in the past. Yet, he was intrigued by Café Alas part Proyecto Alas a Christian project supporting at risk children and young people, and the chance to work in a café with a cause.

Mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson invited him to manage this cafe ministry, just as he was dreaming of getting involved. Carlos took the job.

As he settled in, he had to adjust to a culture where people were seen as more important than making money. Here, people were given second chances if they messed up.

When Steve supported Carlos through a difficult time, Carlos decided that these Christians were different. They were not like the Christians who had hurt him in the past.

Carlos was becoming more open to faith in Jesus. At the same time, Proyecto Alas was growing and the team decided to open a second coffee shop a few hours away.

Carlos and his family moved to the new location in January 2024 to run the new cafe.

At the beginning, Carlos felt it was up to him to make the cafe a success. When things didn’t go well, he was tempted to give up. But one day a pastor came into the cafe.

Carlos started seeking God and going to a local church with his family. Soon he gave his life to Jesus.

Since taking the step of faith, Carlos’s attitude towards the cafe has changed. Instead of feeling like it’s all up to him to make the cafe a success, he is praying and trusting God to make things happen.

Finally, let’s go to DR Congo.

If you’ve seen some of our recent communications, you may already know that the people in Goma are being pushed to the edges.

Violence has left communities shattered and in fear.

People have lost their loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods.

We are so grateful to everyone who has given to our emergency appeal – thanks to you, our partners on the ground have provided vital relief and support to thousands of people.

Let’s keep standing with our brothers and sisters in the Dr Congo.

You can find out more at churchmissionsociety.org/pray

Thank you for joining me for these stories and for your prayerful support, which makes mission in these places possible.

Please share this video with your church or small group, or anyone you can think of who could use some fuel for their faith.

So until next time, we are so grateful for all your gifts and prayers as together we go:

With Jesus
With each other
To the edges

ENDS

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The post Hope from the Edges May 2025 appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

When mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson in Honduras needed to find a manager for their cafe ministry, they immediately thought of renowned barista Carlos. There was just one issue: Carlos was no fan of Christianity.

Cafe Alas in the town of Talanga is part of Proyecto Alas, a project to create safe spaces for at-risk children and young people in a context where gang violence, corruption and poverty affect many and limit opportunities for change.

The project includes a mentoring programme, bringing consistent and caring adults into the lives of young people who often feel abandoned.

The cafe is one of several businesses that bring in income for the project and provide employment opportunities for the teenagers as they get older.

As the cafe thrived in 2022, Lindsey and Steve were keen to appoint a manager, so that Lindsey could transfer this task to local hands. The name that had sprung to mind for them was Carlos, one of the top baristas in Honduras!

They knew Carlos through his wife, Carolina, and knew he’d won national awards and had much management experience. Yet Carlos was wary of Christianity – after being hurt by church in the past, Carlos remained open to the idea of belief, but was not open to church at all. Lindsey and Steve weren’t sure how he’d get on in a faith-based business.

Little did Lindsey and Steve know that Carlos and Carolina had also been thinking about Cafe Alas, and dreaming of what Carlos might be able to do there.

Carlos and Carolina came to Lindsey and Steve with a presentation about their vision for the cafe.

Just like Lindsey and Steve, they saw the possibility of not just making money, but creating future employment opportunities for young people, to counter a common impression that it is impossible to make a decent living in Honduras.

A clash of cultures

After much prayer and reflection, Lindsey and Steve felt that God was prompting them to appoint Carlos as the cafe manager, and he started work.

The first year threw up challenges – Carlos had come from environments where the main priorities were to get supplies as cheaply as possible and to make as much money as possible. He was used to shouldering much of the responsibility himself, with employees making mistakes not given second chances.

This contrasted with the values of Cafe Alas, where people are of utmost importance along with high quality coffee and good service. Taking a Monday off as a sabbath for everyone, in order for staff to rest, seemed counterintuitive to Carlos – shouldn’t they be using every opportunity to bring in an income?

A turning point

After this slightly rocky first year, and with some personal challenges coming up for Carlos, Lindsey and Steve wondered if they had done the right thing in appointing him. Then an incident led them to consider letting Carlos go. Yet Steve first took time to talk to Carlos, and was able to offer pastoral support outside of the coffee shop.

Carlos came to Steve to say thank you, and observed, “That showed that you care about me, not just the shop. Anyone else would have just got rid of me.”

This was a turning point for Carlos, and a few weeks later he commented, “You guys are like the Jesus that I’ve read about in the Bible. Not like the other Christians I’ve met.”

The Proyecto Alas team had given Carlos his first example of people attempting to follow Jesus and share his love without hypocrisy. From that point onwards, Carlos was more open to faith in Jesus, though wary of making any commitment.

Alongside these changes for Carlos, the opportunity came up for the team to open a second coffee shop, several hours’ drive away – and they felt that God was opening doors for this to happen without them pushing too hard.

To start this new venture, Carlos and his family moved to the new location in January 2024, but it was hard being far from their usual community. Sales weren’t as good as everyone had hoped, which also put pressure on the family’s finances – so Carlos and the wider team were tempted to give up.

Running on faith

Yet through it all, God was still at work. Around half way through the year, Carlos called Steve out of the blue. He said, “A weird thing happened – a pastor came into the coffee shop and started chatting to me. The pastor said he had been on a prayer walk, saw Cafe Alas, and felt God put something on his heart to share with me.

“Then he started sharing a number of things with me and perfectly explained my situation, right down to tiny details, even though he had never met me. Then the pastor said, ‘So far this coffee shop has been run on the faith of someone else, but now it needs to be run on your faith.’”

Carlos felt challenged and convicted that this was God speaking. Carlos started seeking God, praying with his family and even going to a local church with his wife and son. Soon after that, he decided to give his life to Jesus.

Steve says that he has noticed a real change in Carlos in the months since he decided to follow Jesus: “At the beginning of 2024, his attitude was that he needed to work super hard to make this cafe work. After this step of faith, his attitude is now about making sure to pray.

“He has a much more relaxed sense of this not just being on his shoulders, as he is relying on God to make things happen. And as Carlos grows in faith, he is praying and listening to God – and now sometimes I am being ministered to by him.”

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Owen was on the streets, taking drugs and rejected by family. His story could have been similar to that of many young men in Honduras: drawn into gangs, crime and destruction.

But today Owen is studying at university and running a barbers’ shop with CMS mission partners Lindsey and Steve Poulson, who work with children and young people at risk.

Here Owen and Steve tell Owen’s story…

My name is Owen. I am from Honduras. I’m 24 years old and I’m the owner of Barbería Marquez Alas.

Rejection

I grew up in a disintegrated family and I was rejected by my mother. That was really hard and I decided to go to the streets.

God gave me the gift of being a good student. Despite being on the streets, taking drugs and doing very bad things, I still got very good exam results. That meant I could join a project where I could live in a children’s home here in Talanga, a town north of Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.

When I went into the children’s home, my family wanted nothing to do with me. For the 13 years I lived there, neither my mum nor my dad, nor any of my family, visited me. And that really was hurtful, because I wanted them to see that I was not a failure.

Steve: I met Owen as a teenager when he was living in the children’s home. Owen had lots of difficulties growing up, but he’s always been very responsible and willing to work. A few years ago, he started to learn to cut hair and practised on me. I went through a couple of years with pretty bad haircuts. But now, it’s got much better.

I realised that having my hair cut by Owen was a great opportunity to chat with him, so that ended up being our times of mentoring. We would come together every couple of weeks or every month – he would cut my hair and I would hear about his life.

Switching off from God

Owen: I always heard about Jesus. When I was a small child, my uncle and aunt would take me to church and Sunday School. I also joined a Bible study group for children. About four years ago I left the children’s home, and with it the safe bubble where I’d grown up. I started to spend time with people I had met at school and they weren’t necessarily a good influence.

My life completely changed. I started going out to parties, spending time with women and doing things that didn’t honour God. Although I was able to work, I would still go out at the weekends and abuse my body. I knew it wasn’t pleasing to God, so I sort of switched off that part of my life.

Steve: When Owen left the children’s home, I was still able to go and get my hair cut by him, so we stayed in contact. I had always said, “Why don’t you come and join us and start your business, your barbers’ shop, with Proyecto Alas [the project Lindsey and Steve work with]?”

Proyecto Alas

Lindsey and Steve Poulson work in mentoring, creating safe spaces for at-risk children and young people to grow. They explain what Proyecto Alas is all about:

“Gang violence, corruption and poverty affect many Honduran young people. Many experience trauma at home and have few opportunities to change their circumstances. They feel abandoned to make a life for themselves and seek belonging in the only place they can think of – the street.

“Proyecto Alas started as a mentoring programme for children and young people. We bring together a consistent and caring adult with a child or young person, and that adult walks alongside them. There’s so much research showing even just an hour a week one to one in this positive environment can really make a difference.

“Proyecto Alas has grown and now includes an education programme for children to get homework help, a psychologist who provides support and a youth group at the weekends.

“We’ve also started businesses, such as Owen’s barbers’ shop and a cafe, that bring in support for the project and provide employment opportunities for the teenagers as they get older. Through employing people in our businesses, we’re able to give them a dignified way of helping themselves. It’s really exciting to see coffee shop staff, for example, paying for their own education.”

Sick of it all

Owen: There came a point when I realised I was sick of this monotonous life. I went into a time of very deep depression, and I tried to just finish it all. I started praying again because I was sick of what my life was turning into. And I started searching for God again.

One morning I woke up crying, feeling terrible. I said to God, “I don’t want this anymore… God, what do you want for my life?” The Lord gave me the opportunity to start receiving discipleship. And also to be part of the barbers’ shop project.

Steve: At the beginning of 2022 Owen was in a really low place. One day he called because he was losing his job and his home. We managed to arrange a place to stay, and we worked together towards opening the barbers’ shop.

While all of that was going on, we were getting to spend more time with Owen. He was coming to prayer meetings at our house and at one of those he re-dedicated his life to the Lord. There was a 180-degree change in his life. From searching for meaning in drugs and a whole host of things he shouldn’t be doing, he started seeking Jesus.

180-degree change

Owen: Over the past year, there’s been a big change in me emotionally. I realised that even though I was going out to parties, it was something I didn’t want. I was hiding a hole in my heart. When I stopped going out, I was able to stop filling that hole with things that really weren’t healthy for me. I am very thankful to God that I’ve gone at least six months with no alcohol and no drugs.

God has given me the strength to keep going every day, get up every day and never give up.

Although I didn’t grow up with my father or mother, God always put people around me. And thanks to God, those people have helped me to grow spiritually and through my education. Now whenever I wake up, I say, “God, may your will be done today. I want to follow you.” And when I go to sleep, I say “thank you”.

“It’s amazing to
see how Owen
is really taking
charge of his
own life under
the guidance of
the Lord….”

Lindsey and Steve Poulson,
mission partners in Honduras

Passing it on

Steve: Owen is now an example for our other children and youth. He’s been through what they are going through. So it’s great to see him studying social work at university Monday to Thursday and then Friday to Sunday running the barbers’ shop.

Jesus has changed Owen amazingly. It’s not been easy. It’s been a long journey with many ups and downs. But we know we need to just keep going. Never give up. Jesus never gave up on me. So why should we give up on Owen and the other young people we work with?

Owen: I’d like to serve as an example for the kids [at Proyecto Alas] and be a help to them. Because it might not be easy, but asking for help from God and just keeping on going every day makes it worth it.

I don’t just want to be an example of someone who’s graduated and has their own business. I want them to see that I’m someone who serves the Lord. Because everything that I have has been given to me by God.

Recently I got a tattoo on my leg saying “I just didn’t give up,” because Jesus has always been there and he didn’t give up on me.

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When life got too much for Katerin, trusted mission workers were there – and are now mentoring her back towards a thriving life.

By Lindsey and Steve Poulson

TALANGA, HONDURAS – Katerin sits at one of the corner tables of Cafe Alas, sipping from her fruit smoothie as she chats with her mentor, Lorena. Katerin has had a difficult last few weeks, but on this Tuesday afternoon she can just be a typical 17-year-old hanging out in a coffee shop.

Cafe Alas is a place Katerin can relax, enjoying the cosy environment complete with comfy sofas, greenery and calming instrumental music. Here she shares with Lorena the joys and challenges of her life during their weekly hour together as part of the Proyecto Alas mentoring programme. 

Dramatic turnaround

One month ago, Katerin was hospitalised after she attempted suicide by overdosing on some medication.

The pressures of being a single mother of a nine-month-old, helping her mother run their home as the only daughter and taking classes at the weekend to complete school grade 8 had just felt like too much.

But because of the good relationship between Proyecto Alas and the family, Katerin’s mother called the directors for help, and an ambulance was arranged to rush an unconscious Katerin to hospital – just in time to save her life. Thankfully, Katerin is now on the road to recovery.

Breaking taboos

Mental health is still a fairly taboo subject in Honduras, but thanks to Proyecto Alas, Katerin is able to receive the support she needs.

In addition to her weekly hour with her mentor, she has regular sessions with the project’s psychologist, who is helping her process her emotions and learn strategies for resilience.

She is also starting to work as a part time cleaner in the coffee shop, which not only provides her a steady income to support her baby’s needs, but also a stable routine to support her own health.

A safe place for the community

Cafe Alas has become a popular place for Katerin and other children and young people who are part of the Proyecto Alas mentoring programme, as it is conveniently located in the same building. The coffee shop was reopened in this new location in April 2022, with the main objective of earning funds to help support the programmes of Proyecto Alas with at-risk children and youth like Katerin.

The coffee shop currently provides part-time employment for seven young people, and is proving to be a “safe place”, not only for kids and their mentors, but for the wider community as well. 

Pray together

Please continue to pray for Katerin, as well as the other children and young people who are part of the projects that Lindsey and Steve are working with. Pray too for Lindsey and Steve as they support Proyecto Alas and help to manage the coffee shop.

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The post Life-saving love appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).