A Farewell Reflection from Jill Stoltzfus

November 1, 2023

Jill Stoltzfus, former Executive Director of ASJ-US, with the tapestry blanket she purchased on her first trip to Honduras.

Dear Friends,


I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about my time with ASJ, and as I reflect, I find my eyes coming to rest on a blanket that I purchased on my very first trip to Honduras in 2003. That blanket still hangs over the back of my couch (that is when I’m not curled up under it), and I realize that it has become a symbol for me of the work that I, along with so many of you, have done together to help create a more just society in Honduras.


When I stand back and look at the blanket, I see a beautiful tapestry, a piece of art. The closer I look at it, the more I can see the intricate work that went into weaving each of the hundreds of threads together to make the whole. 


It reminds me of my journey at ASJ and how God, the ultimate weaver, has woven the experiences, passions, skills, gifts, and moments of hundreds of people all together to create something profound.
Each thread may seem simple in the same way moments pass without us recognizing their significance, but when you stand back, you say, “Wow! What a thing of beauty.”


I can see examples of these threads in my personal life and how they have been woven together to make me who I am today. 


I see my church growing up and how every week I had to recite Micah 6:8 for my teachers: "What does the Lord require of you, to do justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God."
This verse became the drumbeat of my heart - but it was a verse I didn’t fully understand until I was in Honduras seeing the work of ASJ. I see my family, people who showed me how to live out love, especially in other parts of the world. I see the thread of Calvin University where two professors, Kurt Ver Beek, and JoAnn Van Engen, exemplified for me how to approach life with both my mind and my heart when I did a semester abroad in Honduras. During that semester, they took me all over Honduras - Copán, Amapala, Olancho, maquilas (factories), banana plantations - and we studied Honduran history and various approaches to development work. This was pivotal as my love for Honduras began to grow, and my desire to be part of making life better for those living in vulnerable conditions took root. 


I have also been reflecting on the development of ASJ over the past 15 years and how God has been faithfully weaving threads together for ASJ as well. 


I see the thread of working for peace - ASJ co-founders Carlos Hernandez, Jo Ann Van Engen, and Kurt Ver Beek feeling called to do something to respond to the violence in their community, Nueva Suyapa.
They initiated the peace and justice project, which reduced the homicide rate in their neighborhood by 75% from 2005-2010. This statistic alone could be the end of this story, but it wasn't because, at that time, Honduras had the highest homicide rate in the world, and everyone was looking for something that was working to address violence. Here was ASJ, a relatively small NGO at the time with a successful project, knowledge of how the system worked, experience with walking with victims, and now an opportunity to change national systems through a police purge and judicial reform - God is faithful. 

Putting bumper stickers on cars to promote the Transformemos Honduras alliance in 2009

I remember the coup in 2009 and how it fractured society– churches, families, and friends divided. I saw ASJ change the narrative by focusing on what was most important for Honduras: education and health. Out of that was born Transformemos Honduras, our first alliance with the catholic church, evangelical church, and other NGOs. This was the first of many alliances to come - as ASJ knows our work is stronger when we do it together.


I saw ASJ's wisdom and resilience in 2019 when we lost half of our funding due to U.S. government aid cuts. We had to reduce staff and programs, and while this was painful, I also saw how ASJ began 2020 united in facing the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic presented in Honduras. Without missing a beat, ASJ immediately began working to ensure that the health care system could work for its people - work that won the World Justice Project award for creativity and success. 


When I reflect on my 15 years with ASJ, I see a group of courageous Christians following God’s call "to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God" - Love, Justice, and Humility. I see a group of people who believe that justice is possible, and who inspire me with their wisdom, strength, creativity, and resilience. I see a clear vision of knowing that justice work is possible - it is difficult but not too difficult, it is complicated but not too complicated.

The view from our office building in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, showcasing the beauty of Honduras

God has weaved each of our stories together to create a close-knit international community committed to doing justice in Honduras. It’s a thing of beauty. While my time as director of ASJ is ending, my story, love, and passion for Honduras will continue to be one of the threads woven together with yours as we work to create a more just society. I know that God will continue to weave our stories together, and I am excited to see the ways this beautiful tapestry of justice in Honduras will continue to transform and grow. 


My heart remains with this important mission of justice that continues to be the drumbeat of my heart. I hope you join me in looking back at the whole tapestry and say, "Wow, what an amazing thing that we are collectively a part of together. We are creating a more just society.” 


Abrazos,


Jill Stoltzfus


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ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US Congratulate the Honduran People,  Call for Full and Transparent Results As sister organizations committed to justice, peace and hope in Honduras, ASJ-Canada and ASJ-US extend our deepest congratulations to the people of Honduras on the peaceful conduct of their national elections on November 30, 2025. With the initial tally showing an extraordinarily close vote, we call on election authorities to do what is necessary to ensure a transparent count of the remaining ballots in order to guarantee public trust in the final outcome. We commend the Honduran voters for their dedication to democratic participation and their commitment to shaping the future of their country through civic engagement. We also recognize the efforts of electoral authorities, civil society organizations, the international community and the thousands of volunteer observers who worked to ensure a transparent, orderly, and secure process. We are especially proud of our sister organization, ASJ-Honduras, for their unwavering commitment to democracy demonstrated through their electoral observation efforts, their analysis activities, and their consistent call for a fair and orderly process. Now that such a process has been achieved, the work turns to counting the votes with accuracy and transparency. The results remain close, increasing the possibility of a contested result. We support the work of the election officials at the National Electoral Council to give Hondurans confidence in the final results by conducting their count with rigor and transparency. We remain hopeful that the spirit of peaceful participation in the democratic process embraced by the electorate will carry forward into the post-election period to come. We look forward to continued collaboration with ASJ-Honduras as we all work together toward a just and hopeful future for all Hondurans. Matthew Van Geest President, Board of Directors ASJ-Canada Russ Jacobs President, Board of Directors ASJ-US
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Dear friend,  I couldn’t stop looking at the picture. Of course, there had been plenty of inspiring photos from this summer’s Prayer Walk for Peace and Democracy. The sea of blue and white rising and falling as hundreds of thousands walked the Honduran hills through Tegucigalpa, flowing like a never-ending stream. Catholic nuns praying their rosaries alongside Pentecostals dancing in the streets. But the picture that still knocks me flat is the closeup. The one of the two men standing side by side (picture enclosed). They are exhausted, and the shorter collapses into the taller. The tears mostly hold joy and relief, but they are mingled with something darker. After all, there had been threats—promises of harm done to themselves and their loved ones if they led their followers through the streets of Honduras in prayer. Despite the fear and intimidation, Pastor Gerardo Irías and Monsignor José Vicente Nácher forged ahead. They knew Honduras needed unity and, above all, prayer before the looming November 2025 presidential elections. As an ASJ supporter, you know that these kinds of threats aren’t out of the ordinary, and your support has helped slow and reverse violence in Honduras. Today, I am writing to share a way you can continue standing with brave Hondurans like Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José in hope. The Evangelical pastor and the Catholic archbishop put the word out as widely as they could to their churches, hoping to mobilize 20,000 to walk and pray. Instead, an estimated 230,000 walked in the capital of Tegucigalpa alone. It was a historic moment. And without your past support for ASJ, it may have never happened. After all, two years prior, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José didn’t even know each other’s names. They first met in 2023 at ASJ’s offices. They were two of many civil society leaders convened by ASJ to discuss safeguarding democracy– especially before the election in 2025. It was at that meeting that they shook each other’s hand and learned each other’s name. It was at that meeting–and many subsequent meetings–where old religious prejudices began to be replaced by trust and mutual affection. So, when the moment came this summer to act, Pastor Gerardo and Monsignor José knew what they had to do. And they knew that they had to do it together.
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