Mission Lazarus Overview
- 1. Mission Lazarus Enriching Mind, Body & Soul
- 2. Four areas of focus Spiritual Educational Medical Agricultural
- 3. Mission Lazarus Refuge brings the four focuses to one location
- 4. Other areas
- 5. Spiritual Ministry Collaboration with 17 Congregations
- 6. Spiritual
- 7. Choluteca
- 9. Mission Lazarus provides for congregations Resources for Gospel Meetings Bibles Song Books Counsel, Advice, & Encouragement Legal Status from Honduran Government Vehicles Special Programs (ie: nutrition program, seminars, child sponsorship, medical brigades)
- 10. Educational Ministry Four Early Childhood Development Centers (ECDC/CIDT) 2 Vocational Sewing Schools 1 Carpentry School Christian Leader Training Center Preacher training school
- 11. Early Childhood Development Centers Ciudad Nueva (Limon) Monjaras San Marcos de Colon Duyure Focus on poorest of the poor Max enrollment is 150 children Each center has 1 director, 5 teachers, 2 cooks, & 2 guards Children provided with education, 2 meals/day, love, & pay L.10 per month ($0.50) Community Outreach, no strings attached gesture of God’s love
- 12. Vocational Sewing Schools San Marcos de Colon Ciudad Nueva (Limon) Focus is on women without skills Learn a trade that will provide for their families Program lasts 2 years Approximately 20 students in each school
- 13. Carpentry School Hacienda Mission Lazarus Equipped primarily by ACU with used industrial wood working equipment Focuses on children from the Refuge as well as surrounding villages Program lasts two years
- 14. Christian Leadership Training Center Meets in downtown Choluteca on weekends. 2 year program. Local preachers are teachers. Approximately 40 students currently enrolled. Focuses on church members from the regions who want to become more active
- 15. Medical Ministry Clinica Lázaro – Las Pitas Clinica Lázaro – Cedeño (opens 2010) Nutrition Program – Entire Choluteca Region Family Program – Entire Choluteca Region
- 16. Clinica Lázaro Full operating Clinic 3,000+ families on file Open 3 days per week in Las Pitas Staffs full time Doctor, Nurse, Pharmacist, Guard, Driver, Evangelist Meredith Jones is Director of Health Services 2008 women’s health services are offered providing detection of cancer & other diseases through Pap smears
- 17. Nutrition Program 80 children currently sponsored. Receive sack of nutritious food & medical check up every month. Family receives 4 laying hens upon entering program. Program lasts one year, child graduates or is removed from program. Serves as church outreach in areas served, no strings attached gesture of God’s love.
- 18. Family Program Goal is to work with at risk families so that they will not have children in the nutrition program. Families receive monthly visits to learn about health and hygiene. Families also receive medical check ups. Serves at a church outreach throughout the Choluteca region.
- 19. Agricultural Mission Lazarus Hacienda Serves at Outreach tool for training seminars for local Campesino (Peasant) farmers. Serves as outreach tool for training seminars for major area cattle and milk producers. Serves at outreach to US college students through crop and animal studies with Abilene Christian University. Vocational training for children of the Mission Lazarus Refuge. Source of income for Mission Lazarus Refuge.
- 20. Agricultural - Outreaches Drip Kit seminars train campesinos how to raise a garden in the dry season and how to make organic fertilizer (compost). Artificial Insemination seminars train area cattlemen on advantages of using AI and how to AI a cow. Corn variety test with ACU dept of Agriculture & Environmental Studies - 2007. Legume forage study with ACU dept of Agriculture & Environmental Studies - 2008.
- 21. Agricultural - Vocational Training for Mission Lazarus Refuge Children will begin to care for calves and production cows. Children will have riding & horsemanship lessons. Children will learn how to begin a family garden and will maintain a garden year round.
- 22. Agricultural – Mission Lazarus Hacienda, a Business Dairy & Beef Cattle Milking herd of 60 head of cattle 17 Holstein heifers imported from New Zealand. Brahman, jersey, holstein crosses Beef herd of 10 Brangus heifers. Approximately 60 calves
- 23. Dairy Business Currently producing 450 - 500 liters per day in rainy season. Goal of 1000 liters per day. Milk is sold locally for $0.40 per liter (~ $1.60 per gallon). Milk is provided to Mission Lazarus Refuge. Milk is provided Nutrition Program. Milk is provided to ECDC.
- 24. Beef Business 10 brangus heifers New heifer calves will be added to the herd. New bull calves will be sold or fattened for use within the Refuge. Goal is to grow to beef herd to 30 Brangus cows. Steers will be sold for around $0.50 per pound, 2x US price.
- 25. Pork Business 1 boar & 5 sows. Piglets are sold at 3 months. Pork will be provided to Mission Lazarus Refuge.
- 26. Coffee Business Approximately 30 acres in production. Old coffee trees are being pruned for new growth to increase yields (approximately 2/3 of plants). Over grown shade trees are being pruned to allow for more sunlight. Plan is to double in size within the next 5 years. Coffee is roasted and sold for $12 per 1 1/2lb bag. Goal is for ML to retail all coffee. Coffee cooperative pays $1.70 per pound of unroasted beans. Coffee is 100% organic High elevation - over 4000 ft- grown Arabica beans.
- 27. Timber Business 350 acres of Pine & Oak forest where coffee plantation is located. Vast amounts of mature timber that NEEDS to be harvested. 2008 & 2009 pines infested with Pine Bark Beetle were harvested. 120 cubic meters Net $5000 for ML Private forestry technicians estimate we have around $150,000.00 of mature timber that needs to be harvested. A “Plan de Manejo” or management plan that is required by Honduras government is currently in the works. Once completed we can begin the process of obtaining permits to harvest Pine timber.
- 28. Reforestation 2007 - 5000 Pine trees planted at the Mission Lazarus Hacienda. 2008/9 - 40,000 trees planted Varieties Include Pine Guanacaste Spanish Cedar Mahogany Eucalyptus Trees provide an Environmental Endowment for Mission Lazarus. Board foot of Spanish Cedar currently $2.00
- 29. Mission Lazarus Refuge Focuses on natural siblings, orphaned, abandoned, & neglected. Currently 30 children custody of Mission Lazarus. 6 homes at Mission Lazarus Refuge open that can house a maximum of 10 children & 2 Tias or Aunts. Currently are waiting to have more children assigned to us by child protective services.
- 30. Mission Lazarus Refuge Staff Delia Solis – US educated local director Allison Brown - Director of Social Services - Areas of Focus: Includes Physical & Mental health at Refuge. Providing oversight and mentoring to Delia Solis. The goal is to work herself out of a job.
- 31. Other Areas - U.S. Teams 38 teams scheduled for 2009 Work at churches, clinics, schools, and Mission Lazarus Refuge. Provide invaluable encouragement to locals. Provide funding for much needed projects. Provide life changing experience for group members.
- 32. Other Areas - Internship Program 10 week program Interns work in all ML projects They are treated as adults and are responsible for their own cooking, cleaning, etc. 2009 had 12 interns working with us.
- 33. Other Areas - Lazarus Lodge Group Lodging & Restaurant Lodging 16 rooms 8 rooms for couples 8 bunk rooms Maximum Capacity - 102 All rooms are fully furnished Sheets Blankets Towels Soap Shampoo HOT WATER Posada San Lazaro
- 34. Restaurant Provides breakfast, lunch, & dinner to groups. Fully furnished and equipped with commercial equipment. Well trained staff. Income Opportunity Open to public for lodging & meals when groups are not planned. Open to church groups for retreats.
- 35. Total Number of Preachers: 11
- 36. Total Number of Mission Lazarus Employees: 112
- 37. Total Number of Beneficiaries from church programs in the region: Too many to count!!!