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“I remember that when I was seven years old, crying, I told the Lord, ‘One day I am going to be in a place where I will change another child’s life, just as I would have wished someone had changed mine,’” says Lisbeth.
At 25, Lisbeth is living out that prayer. Once a child on the streets of Honduras, she’s now a community leader, entrepreneur and mentor – bringing hope to over 300 children and 60 young people through World Vision’s Youth Ready programme.
From survival to service
Lisbeth’s childhood was marked by hardship – an absent father, an alcoholic mother, abusive relatives and the responsibility of caring for her younger siblings. William faced pressure to join a gang, Yenifer was placed in protective care, and Sara was born with disabilities.
After her mother died when she was 17, Lisbeth feared her dreams were lost. But God had other plans.
She joined Youth Ready – a project partly funded by gifts in Wills and designed to empower young people from vulnerable backgrounds – learning a range of skills, then began working in a store. When the pandemic hit and she lost her job, she turned to baking. Soon, she was selling pizzas, cakes and bread in her community and feeling, for the first time, accepted and loved.
“I decided to start a business,” Lisbeth shares. “God had already used World Vision to help me begin again despite all the problems happening around me.”
She calls it her ‘rainbow moment’. “I remember the biblical part about Noah… God sent the rainbow to signify that everything would change. So I thought to myself, this is my moment… God is going to do something new in me.”
Faith in action
When World Vision launched a sponsorship programme, Lisbeth volunteered to represent her community. She helped families facing poverty and secured funding for a community centre.
“When World Vision changes a child’s life,” she says, “it’s not only that child’s life that’s transformed; it’s the lives of their siblings, family, parents, and everyone in that household.”
Later, she became a Youth Ready instructor.
“I realised that just as my life was changed one day when I was a young person, I could now change the life of another young person,” she says.
Today, she’s married, has been accepted to university, and is supporting her siblings.
Lisbeth always dreamed of a different life. She’s built a sweet home full of hope for the future – for having children of her own, growing her business, realising more community projects and supporting her church. Psalm 121, displayed in her kitchen, reminds her of God’s protection.
A lasting legacy
Leaving a gift in your Will to World Vision is a simple yet powerful act. It’s a way to honour your values and reflect your compassion – blessing others long after you’re gone. Once you’ve taken care of your loved ones, your gift could help young people like Lisbeth build a better future – for themselves and those around them.
Request your free gifts in Wills pack – which includes a free Will writing offer – to create your lasting legacy.
Visit our World Vision Website.
