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).

I used to sleep in church. My mum would take me to church when I was young and I remember I didn’t want to be there.

My first impressions of hearing about Jesus weren’t very good.

Growing up, I was a very angry person. I had a terrible attitude, I didn’t listen to people. My whole world was going to work with my mother at a large local rubbish dump. When I got a bit older I started smoking, drinking, stealing from people so I could buy drugs. I didn’t like being around my mum. I didn’t want to work.

I saw no purpose to my life. I was just existing. It’s not like I had any hopes or dreams; I was just living for the moment. I didn’t think about tomorrow. I wasn’t making good decisions. Nothing really mattered. Then one day I came to Street Kids Direct (SKD) and I met a guy called Jonathan, who listened to me talk about my life and he encouraged me to get closer to God.

The best decision I ever made

I hadn’t realised how much I needed someone to talk to, and it was good to learn that I could also talk to God. I realised God was the only one who could help me change my life. God was the best person I could have ever met. I decided to follow Jesus.

Things didn’t change for me overnight. It took years. My friends tried to respect my decision and the fact that I wasn’t doing the same things I used to, but a distance grew between us, and this was difficult. My family saw good changes happening in me, but it has taken my mum a long time to get used to the idea that I had changed. We are still on that journey together to be honest. But I still think it’s the best decision I ever made.

Because the thing is, God never abandons you. There have been times when I have been distracted from faith, or I’ve struggled to understand, or I doubt. I think we all do. But sooner or later, you always find the light in the dark.

The most important lesson I’ve learned from God is forgiveness. God is the perfect example of forgiveness and I have had to learn to forgive, to let go of some things from the past and move forward. To not let things build up.

When things are tough, I pray and I talk to the people God has put in my path. The people around me like Duncan (SKD’s leader) and Azaria (a CMS mission partner) have helped me think differently, to see life differently. They know life can be difficult and thanks to them and God, I think I have changed a lot. I feel God has done a lot for me in my life and I try to reflect that. I am not a millionaire so I cannot pay them back for what they have done for me, but I thank them for not giving up on me. You can’t give up on people or assume they will never change. You have to give them a chance to be different.

I know what it’s like

I want other people to know that following God’s way is the best option. I think the best thing I can do is listen to other people’s stories and share my story. Because I know what it’s like to feel alone, to feel empty and angry at the same time. I know what it’s like to always feel like you need something more, but you don’t know what so you look for quick fixes to make you feel better. I know what it’s like to be outside of God’s things, to not know where to turn. But I want them to know it’s never too late. You can be happy.

That’s the thing. I do feel happy. It’s hard to describe, really, but I feel like a different person. It’s difficult to put into words, but it’s something that God has given me and it can’t be compared. It’s a love I feel and I feel good in myself. And I think the most important thing is just to keep going, with the help of God and others.

Give now

Many people might have ignored or given up on Danilo, but God never left him and neither did the people in mission who continue to walk alongside him. Please give to help more people like Danilo become disciples of Jesus.

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The post “I used to sleep in church” appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

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).

Steve Poulson shares the joy of being part of the life of a young man named Ever over many years – and celebrates seeing fruit even in challenging times.

By Steve Poulson

I work with street children and help run a mentoring programme at Street Kids Direct in Honduras, with a vision to place a caring and consistent adult in the lives of every high-risk child.

Locked out of education

2020 wasn’t easy – from 15 March it was illegal for anyone under age 14 to go out. Many of the kids we work with are no longer keeping up with school – without access to a smartphone and regular internet, they can’t do the homework schools send through WhatsApp.

There’s no indication that classes will be back in January (when the school year starts here), so we’re desperately trying to figure out how to help them maintain essential skills and get back into education.

Ever hopeful

But there is hope on the horizon. Recently, the other volunteers and I met up in person for the first time since lockdown began and started chatting about ways forward.

And God is still at work in the lives of those we work with, even in lockdown…

We’ve been working with Ever for a long time. He is now 21 and Street Kids Direct has sponsored him through school from the age of 13 or 14. Ever and his brother are the first in their family to graduate not only from secondary school but from primary school.

Pursuing dreams

Ever really wants to be a mechanic within the police, a role which requires basic police training. He was accepted into the police academy during lockdown.

I’ve been taking him through more intense discipleship over the past few months, and about a month before going to the police academy, he decided he wanted to be baptised.

The pastor, Dionilo, and I baptised him a day before he left for training.

He’s the first person I’ve seen all the way through from early teens to adulthood, taking steps of faith and being successful.

A police job means a regular income once he passes his training. The one problem is the corruption in the police, but Ever is determined that if he feels forced to start compromising on his Christian values, he will leave the police.

A natural disciple

Ever has now been in police training for six weeks. He’s already been promoted to assistant to the head of the training programme and leads prayer and devotions for his friends most evenings.

It’s so encouraging to see a young person who is really growing and taking concrete steps, and now loving it so much that he’s naturally sharing it with the people around him.

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The post For Ever, Amen! appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).