Annual Report

Dear Friends,

I have witnessed many volunteers and mission groups visit the girls at Our Little Roses. These positive, personal interactions help the girls grow and mature and have a spiritual impact on those who volunteer. The staff of the Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society in Miami and the staff of Our Little Roses Ministries in San Pedro Sula have much to accomplish before the volunteers arrive in Honduras. In Miami, Wendy’s team provides expertise, ensuring mission teams receive answers to all their travel questions and facilitates other requests, such as shipping supplies and gifts.

In San Pedro Sula, Diana’s team arranges safe and timely transportation for the groups upon their arrival and departure. They also assist with their lodging, food, outings, and their different activities during the week. I thank God and all our staff who make these visits happen.

We are blessed with the help of many other volunteers, including our dedicated OLRFMS Board of Directors, which meets throughout the year to give counsel to the organization, those who raise money for OLRM through their churches and communities, and those who write letters to the girls because they cannot visit.

Our volunteers are vital to our success and longevity, and they have become our most passionate advocates and donors.

Thank you to everyone who has so generously supported our ministry this year.

Blessings,

Chair, Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society

Dear Friends,

I'm excited that this 2024 annual report will focus on the impact that mission teams and other volunteers continue to have on our ministry. Since Diana Frade opened the doors in 1988, volunteers have been integral to the Our Little Roses story. It all started with the churches that heard about Diana's ministry and answered the call by sending teams to be the hands and feet of Christ through acts of service. These volunteers were open to stepping outside their comfort zones to travel to a different country and experience another language, culture, and traditions. Many groups have made an annual trip for decades, and the Our Little Roses experience becomes an intergenerational part of their history.

I remember speaking with a family from Historic Christ Church in Alexandria, VA, and being told how a grandmother got a special card from her grandson after he returned from his first trip to OLRM. He included a Lempira (Honduran currency) in the card and wrote: "This is towards your first mission trip - you HAVE to go." That family now has three generations who have traveled to Honduras - Our Little Roses has become a part of their family story.

From the very beginning, our volunteers have brought skills to share. Whether helping the girls with homework, playing games, holding summer Bible camps, teaching classes, or providing manual labor for painting and building, the mission teams lend a hand wherever help is needed. And there is one common takeaway - the team members ALWAYS tell us they received much more than they gave.

The girls at OLRM share how much they love the volunteers and how much they learn from them. They practice their English, try out different activities, and learn about different cultures and traditions. Most importantly, they know they have friends from other parts of the world who care about them. So, while spending time playing cards or enjoying a local beach may seem like a small thing to us - for the girls at Our Little Roses, it truly impacts their growth and development.

I know you'll enjoy this report, and I hope it may inspire you to visit - it will be an experience you'll never regret!

Executive Director, Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society