by Lisa Steele, FLM Executive Director

En Español

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.—Romans 12:2

This has been my favorite verse for as long as I can remember. It is so easy to continue to do things the same way. It is familiar. It is comfortable. We know how to do it. But when we stop and renew our mind—thinking of how we can approach a situation differently and more effectively—we can transform our life and the work around us.

Transforming lives is what we do at Family Life Missions. Our Foster Care Program (Creciendo en Familia=Growing in Family) provides a stable Christian home for a child in Catacamas. And, of course, those children living at Por Los Niños continue to receive love and care from our caregivers, teachers and staff

Our Family Preservation Program (Transformando Vidas=Transforming Lives) is growing! This program provides important resources and tools to families in the community through workshops and our bilingual school. Last year we reunited Erick with his biological family after intensive preparations, and we continue to check with his family on a regular basis. We see many opportunities in the future to reach out and equip families to be healthy physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

 

All three of our programs have the same goal: to provide a loving, Christ-centered family for each child. Our hope is to provide more resources for more families in the coming years so that children can remain in their biological families (when possible). We know that research shows “that the parent-child relationship and the environment of the family—which includes all primary caregivers—are at the foundation of children’s well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them.—from Parenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0-8 (2016)

We will always care for and support orphans, but we are excited to grow more in the area of Family Preservation as we continue to follow God and serve the children and families in Honduras. By growing in each of our three programs, we are keeping God and family at the center of all we do.

We are not conforming. We are transforming. One life and one family at a time.