June 24, 2025
Justice seekers from Canada, the US, and Honduras commit to working together
From June 12th-15th, the boards of directors from ASJ-US, ASJ-Honduras, and ASJ-Canada retreated together in Honduras. Russ Jacobs, president of the ASJ-US board of directors said,
“Time together draws the boards closer around the shared mission and helps refine our focus.”
The three boards spent meaningful time discussing institutional strategic planning, budget, and mission alignment, but also took intentional steps to, once again, declare their commitment to walking alongside each other in the work for a more just Honduras.
In addition, the three boards spent quality time with ASJ staff. A special devotional was held to worship and pray together. Carlos Hernández, executive director of ASJ-HN said,
“The joint meeting between ASJ-US, Canada, and Honduras was excellent! An opportunity to strengthen our relationships, reinforce unity, and, for us [ASJ-HN] in particular, to show that we are not alone–that we have the support of our brothers and friends from ASJ-US and Canada. The visit also contributed to the morale and motivation of our entire team. In difficult times, it is important to know that we are not alone.”
The boards spent time learning about the work on the ground from those who execute it on a daily basis. Directors from the different focus areas such as education, health, security, and transparency gave engaging presentations with detailed context on the achievements, roadblocks, and challenges that Honduras is presently facing.
Furthermore, the three boards also sought to hear from community leaders and members about how our work for a more just society in Honduras has impacted and intersected with their families. As Kyle Meyaard-Schaap, Executive Director for ASJ-US, put it,
“We didn’t want to travel all the way to Honduras just to sit in board rooms all day. We worked hard to create opportunities for the members of the boards to experience firsthand the transformative work that ASJ-Honduras is doing on the ground every day.”
The directors visited a local marketplace, Mercado Los Dolores, in the historic downtown area of Tegucigalpa. There, they met the president of the marketplace, who received them with Honduran hospitality and gave them a tour of the market. During that visit, representatives from the transportation business sector joined the conversation to share their lived experience as victims of extortion and how the response from the government, or lack thereof, puts their lives and livelihoods at risk. Both representatives from the marketplace and the transportation sector expressed their appreciation for our partnership, closeness to, and advocacy for their communities.
The directors also visited the community health center located in the Nueva Suyapa neighborhood and the one-room schoolhouse in the La Montañita village. Our local partners gave tours and provided valuable information on what their day to day serving their community looks like. The boards had the opportunity to hear more about the challenges Hondurans face in the areas of health and education, culminating in a time of play in the rain with the children from La Montañita followed by a warm, homemade, Honduran meal.
