Missionary Ana Aleman has always been a favorite in our office. Her selfless devotion to the poor at Las Mercedes/Prince of Peace Nutrition Center in Honduras continues to be an inspiration. She truly puts her faith into action.
A few staff members recently visited the nutrition center and got a chance to lean more about how Ana got there and her motivation for doing the difficult work she does each day.
Ana said children like Carmen are what keep her going even on her worst day.
She found Carmen lying in an empty milk bottle carton in the streets of El Progreso, Honduras. Abandoned by her family, the frail infant’s skin clung to her bones. She was severely malnourished and nearly dead.
Now Carmen is a happy, healthy 13-month-old. The care she received at Prince of Peace Nutrition Center saved her life.
“We see so many sad cases coming here. It is truly heartbreaking,” Ana said. “Children are poverty’s worst victims. They are helpless to protect themselves, and often their impoverished parents are incapable of caring for them.”
Ana, a Texas native, came to Honduras 10 years ago on a mission trip — and she never left. Overwhelmed by the sights of children with skeleton-like bodies sitting in the streets and desperate mothers begging passersby for help, Ana decided to open a nutrition center that now provides life-saving care to dozens of malnourished children whose destitute parents cannot afford to feed them.
“How can you see a need like that and turn away?” said Ana, a devout Catholic.
“My faith compels me to help these children. I thank God every day that I have the opportunity to work here. This is what Christ meant when he said to live out your faith.”
Please remember to keep Ana and her life-saving ministry in your prayers. To learn more about Las Mercedes/Prince of Peace Nutrition Center click here.