Faithful Service in the Field
As an agricultural technician for the Honduras Macuelizo program’s local partner, Mennonite Social Action Commission (CASM), Orfelina is helping families in rural Honduras transform their communities.
Every morning before she sets out, Orfelina prays, asking for safety on the road and that every seed planted in God’s name falls on fertile soil. Rain or shine, she spends her days visiting farms to support local families. She helps them put techniques into practice that encourage long-term health and resilience.
“You have to know how to reach people,” she shares. Orfelina always starts by building trusted relationships, listening and understanding the reality of each family. From there, depending on their situation, families receive technical accompaniment to improve crop management, grow a diversity of fruits and vegetables, produce compost, establish staple grain reserves, manage small-scale livestock systems, and build chicken coops, eco-stoves, latrines, and more.
One of the areas in which Orfelina has witnessed the biggest transformation in over the years is family nutrition. Gardens have become the first line of defense against malnutrition. “The children have overcome that struggle; they are getting past illnesses like anemia. The training has helped so much, and these are things the families now have right there in their gardens.”
Orfelina’s faithful service is also sparking inspiration for the next generation. Her 13-year-old daughter, Esmerelda, watches her mother work alongside these communities and now imagines a future of her own in agriculture as an agronomist or veterinarian.
Whether delivering supplies, tending to livestock, or sharing a laugh with local families, Orfelina is always present and hands-on. Her dedication to this work turns everyday tasks into acts of transformative service.
“It is my happiness. My motto is to teach and learn at the same time,” she says with the conviction that every family has the power to transform their own life when they have the right support.
Honduras Macuelizo is led by Church World Service and local partner Mennonite Social Action Commission (CASM)