Our Team
In-Country Leadership
Director, ALI
Eustaquio Jimenez is the Director of Abundant Life Institute. Eustaquio has over 15 years of experience as a Director in the Honduran education system.He received his Bachelors in Education with an emphasis in Social Studies in 2017, and his MBA with an emphasis in Education in 2021.
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Assistant Director
Meet Francisco Pavón Mejía, our newest Honduran Executive Staff Member!
Francisco joined our team as a new graduate in 2019 as an English teacher and has served as Director of our Accelerated Program for the last several years. An empathetic and passionate leader and educator, he loves helping equip students of all ages.
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Facilities Manager
Melvin Garcia is the Facilities Manager of the Institute of Abundant Life. As Facilities Manager, Melvin leads the cooks, watchmen and cleaning staff. He coordinates our feeding program and the maintenance of the school facilities. Melvin is a passionate, faithful leader who offers daily encouragement and love to our students and staff.
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US Staff
Katie Volosen
Katie brings innovation, creativity, and a love for the La Mosquitia region that began 10+ years ago through one of our partner ministries, Send Hope. After receiving her B.A. in Global Business, Katie joined our team in 2020 as Social Media Manager and support for strategic projects. She stepped into the role of Executive Director in 2021 and is excited to continue serving and working alongside the staff and students of Abundant Life Institute and to continue learning and growing with the ministry, our partners, and our ROH community.
Amanda Feller
Amanda has a big heart for people of all cultures and is passionate about combining the heart of ministry with the mind of business. She graduated with her B.S. in Global Business with a Minor in Finance and we are beyond grateful for the organization and structure she is helping bring to our growing operations! Amanda believes that when you empower an individual with access to education, you are investing in the future of the community, the nation, and the world as well. She is excited to learn and dream alongside the ROH community and is honored to play a minor part in equipping the next generation of innovators and world changers.
Board of Directors
The Waits Family
In 2010, Alex and Laura moved their family from Dallas, Texas to Puerto Lempira, Honduras to live life with the Miskito people. When they saw a need in the community for safe and accessible Secondary Education, the dream for Abundant Life Institute was born. 12 years later we have a growing and thriving Institution and are proud to be one of the largest private employers in the region, all thanks to Laura and Alex's commitment to partner with local leaders for long-term, sustainable transformation. Today the Waits live in Fate, Texas with their 5 children Aidan, Arlee, Adam, Aaron & Cumi Joy, where they continue to actively support and champion our local staff as they lead the way forward.
Read MoreBethany Gray
Bethany and her husband, Kevin, have spent several summers over the years working in Honduras at Abundant Life Institute as a family and have huge hearts for our staff and students. Bethany is a stay-at-home, homeschooling mama to their growing family and provides critical support to the whole team. They live in Huntsville, Alabama, and are actively involved in church leadership at Kingdom Life Christian Fellowship. Our Eli Gray Memorial Feeding Program was named in memory of Bethany and Kevin's son Eli, who had a deep passion for making sure all ALI students received adequate nutrition. We celebrate his heart every year through #LovelikeEli to raise funds for this program.
Read MoreRussell Hall
From the first time Russell was introduced to Reach Out Honduras, he felt a great admiration for The Waits family, our Co-founders, especially their hearts for the people of La Mosquitia. After learning about the organization Russell, along with his wife, Krystal, immediately jumped in and got involved. They worked with the golf tournament as well as the dinner until he was approached about serving on the board. Russell considers it an honor to serve alongside a great group of friends that all have a shared heart for the people of Puerta Lempira, Honduras. He looks forward to pouring his heart and everything else they have into this organization.
Read MoreJames Templer
James was introduced to Reach Out Honduras in 2014 when he, along with his son and father, participated in a short term mission trip with a team from Riverside Church of Christ. James was drawn in by the way he saw the Lord at work through the Waits, the school, and the students to spread His love throughout the region. He has been back each summer since bringing family and friends along. James, who is a CPA, joined the Board of ROH in early 2017 in the role as Treasurer. James and his wife Ellen live in Flower Mound, TX along with their son and two daughters.
Read MoreGary Cochran
Gary has earned two masters degrees, in Biblical studies and clinical psychology. He also is a Licensed Professional Counselor and provides counseling in various areas for singles, the church and community, drawing from his experience with adolescents, families, college students, singles, single-parent families, abused, and disadvantaged children/youth. Gary has devoted his life to minister to others and firmly believes in the power of ONE LIFE that is fully committed to follow the ONE LIFE that revolutionized the world 2,000 years ago. He brings to the board an ability to advise and keep the focus Christ-centered in all that is accomplished.
Read MoreGlenda Collins
My name is Glenda Collins. I was raised in Honduras and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult with my children. My Husband, Jack, and I have a blended family of 7 children, 14 Grandchildren and 1 Great grandson. We live on my husband’s family farm in rural Woodstock, Connecticut. We have been interested in missions since we met and have had many trips to Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and of course Honduras. On our second trip to Honduras we met the Waits when both our churches decided to visit the same place at the same time.
Heidi Lawrence
Heidi and her husband Tommy were introduced to Reach Out Honduras in 2016 after a presentation by Laura and Arlee at a church luncheon. Their hearts were moved by the mission to minister to the people of the La Mosquitia region and immediately became involved through student sponsorship and prayer, as well as the golf tournament and the dinner fundraisers. In the fall of 2018, Heidi and Tommy participated in a vision trip to Puerta Lempira where they were able to witness first hand the love that is IVA. Their commitment was deepened upon seeing the dedication of the teachers, the students and the entire Waits family. Heidi joined the board in 2020 and looks forward to supporting and furthering God’s work at IVA.
Natalie Salazar
God led Natalie to Reach Out Honduras in 2013 when she made her first "blind date" trip to Puerto Lempira to help inventory library books and translate government documents for a "school" that was merely a storage shed with no students. But God had put on her heart the same mission that He had given the Waits family, and so it was a match made in heaven! Natalie has since been on repeated trips to Puerto Lempira to serve as translator, counselor, singing princess, clown, Tambako dance party coordinator, and a variety of other roles. But her favorite role is to be a witness to the transformation of ALI from a mere vision into a beautiful reality! She considers it her divine purpose in life to serve God's kingdom in Honduras and is beyond honored to be doing that with ROH! She is a single mother and especially loves camping and cooking with her sons. She is on the worship team at her church in Dallas and wishes every night could be karaoke night!
