Living Hope for Honduras has the good fortune of a devoted volunteer Board of Directors, comprised of individuals spanning a variety of careers, expertise and abilities. They cast the vision and implement plans for our organization. The Executive Committee of the Board oversees operations, functioning as volunteer staff in the US.
Guillermo Argueta
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Board Counsel, Honduras
Guillermo Argueta is a practicing attorney with Argueta and Associates in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He acts on the behalf of the ministry in all legal matters and advises the Board, especially regarding cultural and civic practices. He is very devoted to his family and is a leader in his church. Guillermo enjoys his hobbies of racquetball, and riding dirt bikes. Guillermo is married to Gaby Zelaya and they have 4 children.
Deanna Beauchamp
Dallas, Texas
Board Member
Deanna (Kirk) Beauchamp is originally from Topeka, Kansas. She is married to Dr. Gary R. Beauchamp who served as a minister of the Church of Christ for 50 years. Gary and Deanna co-authored 16 well known Bible-based books and she has authored 3 books of her own. Deanna taught Communication at Amber University, Dallas, Texas, and has conducted Business Seminars and Women’s Bible Seminars in many states and Honduras. She earned a B.A. and MBA from Abilene Christian University.
Before retiring, Deanna owned and served as Chief Administrator for Lifeline Home Health Services and CareLink Home Health, in Dallas, which she considered both a ministry to Seniors and an opportunity to hire women professionals. Deanna uses her considerable writing and administrative skills to raise the profile of the Living Hope and is especially effective at fundraising.
Deanna and Gary were among the first workers for Living Hope, starting with the farm, then the scholarships and now Esperanza Viva, the homes for girls. She calls Living Hope her greatest ministry interest, a true work of love.
Lee Bedingfield
LaGrange, Georgia
Board Vice-Chair
Lee Bedingfield lives in LaGrange, GA and is an elder with the Broad Street Church of Christ. His wife Michele runs a domestic violence center for women and is also a non-profit director for Calumet Center which helps women recovering from addiction. Lee is originally from Northwest Alabama and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University. He is currently employed by Milliken and Company as their Global Product Manager for the Cable Business. Lee joined the board in 2018. His family has taken multiple trips to Honduras and each has been impacted by the Living Hope work in the region. Outside of work and board life, Lee is active with the family farm, scuba diving and duck hunting. He and Michele are always looking for the next global wine country trip.
Melissa Brown
LaGrange, Georgia
Board Member
Melissa Brown lives in LaGrange, GA. She is a graduate of Columbus State University with a degree in finance. She has been employed with Colony Bank since 2009 where she is currently Vice President and Assistant Compliance Officer. Melissa joined the board in 2015 and serves on the Finance Committee and assists with managing the accounts. Melissa began going on mission trips to Honduras in 2012 has been 12 times since then. In her spare time Melissa enjoys calligraphy and art and has painted several murals in Honduras over the years. She attends ThreeLife Church where she volunteers in the audio/visual team. Outside of work and volunteering, Melissa enjoys kayaking, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her dog.
Larry B Duncan
West Point, Georgia
Board Member
Larry B. Duncan lives in West Point Georgia and has been working in overseas missions since 1994. He has served on the board of Living Hope for Honduras since 2014. Larry has led mission teams to Honduras since 2001 and over 75 to Latin Countries to build churches and assist in other Christian works since 1995. He is the founder and director of MissionSource Ministries, a non-profit that has provided support to over 2000 short-term mission members. He is a branch manager for Raymond James Financial, Inc and serves on the finance committee for Living Hope applying his 40 yr. financial advisory experience. He has devoted his life to doing missions, spreading the Gospel and teaching whenever needed in Spanish. He takes Matthew 28: 16-20 seriously: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Don Lee
LaGrange, Georgia
Board Member Emeritus
Don Lee made his first mission trip to the Gualaco area of Honduras was in January 2010 and since has returned many times. Don is one of the founding Board Members of Living Hope and served as Treasurer until 2017. He has served as a deacon of the First Baptist Church on the Square, LaGrange, Ga., unpaid advisor to several small corporations, charter member of The Founders Society of West Georgia Health Foundation, served as Coordinator of the LaGrange International Friendship Exchange ( L.I.F.E. ) which was the foundation in making Craigavon, N.I. (UK) a Sister City with LaGrange, Ga., Trustee of the West Georgia Tech Foundation. Inc., past member of the JC’s, Lions Club, and American Heart Association He has been a member of the Highland Country Club for almost 40 years. He retired from Interface, Inc. in 1994 as Senior Vice President-Operations and Director. He was a co-founder of the company and held various executive positions since its inception in 1973 with national and international responsibilities. Prior to joining Interface in 1973 he held several positions with The Milliken Company in four different cities. Don is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, School of Business Administration (Accounting & Economics) where he was a member of the International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi. Additionally, Don served in in U.S. Army for three years (1953-1956) in Indiana, Colorado and Germany. He and his wife, Joan, have been married since 1958 and have made their home in LaGrange, GA since 1970. We have two beautiful daughters, four GRANDsons and one GRANDdaughter.
Carolyn Kiley
Dallas, Texas
Board Member
Carolyn Pool Kiley lives in Dallas, TX and brings 15 years of non-profit experience to the Board as the former development officer of CitySquare and the original Executive Director of New Friends New Life, a faith-based organization that serves formerly trafficked women and girls. She previously owned a retail business in Carthage, TX where she served on numerous local boards. She holds a BS from the University of North Texas and a Master of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University. Carolyn joined the Board of Directors and first visited Honduras in 2017, “impressed with the holistic nature of the ministry and its dedication to serving and training indigenous leadership.” Since retirement, she and her husband, Richard, have lived in Middlebury, CT in the summer and Dallas in the winter. She is an avid potter and often donates her work to various non-profit organizations.
Jan Oliver
LaGrange, Georgia
Board Secretary
Janelle (Jan) Walters Oliver lives in LaGrange, Georgia and serves as Vice Chair of the Board. She graduated from Lipscomb University with a degree in Bible and attended Abilene Christian University earning additional degrees in education. She taught school in Houston, TX and Atlanta, GA, and then managed her husband's dental office in LaGrange. Following in the founder’s (her father) footsteps, Jan has volunteered for Living Hope since 2005. She was instrumental in planning and construction of the Children’s Home and served as LH’s office administrator. Today, applying her expertise as an educator, her primary emphasis is managing secondary and university scholarships. She also assists with administration of the children's home and interfaces often with the Honduran staff. Jan is married to Dr. Mark Oliver, and they have 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and a granddaughter.
David Seaberry
Springtown, Texas
Board Treasurer
David Seaberry and has served on the Board of Living Hope since 2018 and currently serves as Treasurer. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and owns a small business in the restaurant industry, providing dining and catering services to corporate tenants in and around Dallas, TX. He made his first journey to Honduras in 2017 where he met the Honduran leadership team and connected with their desire to spread God's word, educate children, and provide a safe haven for abused and abandoned girls. His business experience, along with his dedication to the mission provide excellent council to the Board. He and his wife Sonia call a small farm in rural Springtown, Texas their home.
Johnnie Pilgrim
Newnan, Georgia
Board Chair
Johnnie Pilgrim is a founding member of the board and serves as Chair of the Board. He has been an active member of the Board and Executive Committee since Living Hope was chartered as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2013. Johnnie has proved to be an effective and respected leader overseeing daily activities as if he were staff. He brings 20 years of business ownership experience to the ministry, as well as 24 years as a deacon in the Church of Christ in Newnan, Georgia, where he now serves as an elder. Much of that time he has been in charge of the youth ministry and has supervised many youth groups traveling to Honduras. He estimates having made more than 25 trips to Honduras since the organization’s inception, where he advises and interacts with the Honduran staff and community. He has been highly involved in establishing good practices on the farm, the Children’s Home, and has helped to shepherd church growth. Johnnie is also a member of the USAF Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol and is currently Commander of the Griffin GA Squadron. He is a certified Real Estate Appraiser.
Robert Walters
LaGrange, Georgia
Board Member Emeritus
Robert W. Walters helped to organize Honduras Outreach, a Christian 501(C)(3) in 1989. He served on that Board for 10 years. Upon observing the great needs in the Agailta Valley of Honduras, his focus became to plant and support a number of churches in this remote but beautiful valley. This was the genesis of Living Hope for Honduras, Intl, now known as Living Hope for Honduras.
In 1999 his interest turned to building a dormitory facility for mission groups to use in Gualaco, Honduras and to recruit those of special talents to become involved in Honduran missions.
In 2003 Bob and a partner purchased a 170-acre farm and equipment to raise fruits and vegetables for the benefit of the workers. In 2017 he donated the land to Living Hope, to become a safe and beautiful home site for at-risk young Honduran girls while continuing to serve as a working farm and dairy.
Bob chairs the LHH Lynn Fund committee, which involves the management of the finances of a permanent endowment fund organized by Bob and his wife Pat for the benefit of Lynn’s Casa currently under construction. The fund is to ensure the long-term safety and welfare of the girl’s home.
For 40 years, Bob served as an Elder at Broad Street Church of Christ, a mission minded church in LaGrange. GA. In the 1980s he led a number of mission groups to Lisbon, Portugal, planting the first church, and purchasing the church building currently used in the capital city. In the 1990s he led mission groups to Poti, Republic of Georgia, and the Ukraine.
Bob has served on numerous boards including a financial bank board for 35 years, served 34 years on the Board of Trustees at Faulkner University, Montgomery, AL, and on the board of The Christian Chronicle, a Christian-based monthly newspaper. He is a retired businessman living with his wife Pat in LaGrange, Georgia.
Wade Walters
Franklin, Tennessee
Board Member
Wade Walters lived most his life in Lagrange, Ga. where he was a member of Broad Street Church of Christ. After graduating Lipscomb University, he worked in a successful family business owning a part of that business until selling it in 2008. In 2009 Wade and his wife, Karen, moved to Franklin, TN and now attends 4th Ave Church of Christ in Franklin.
Wade’s 1st trip to Honduras was May 1990 and it had a profound impact on his life. Along with his father and sister, Wade was part of a small group building the foundation upon which Living Hope was established maintaining a regular presence in the early years of the work in Honduras. He hired the first ministers and lead groups to build the first churches building, led groups of medical professionals, and organized spiritual growth seminars for churches and ministers. Through the years, Wade continued to lead efforts to build not physical facilities but to build relationships and provide encouragement as we work in partnership with brothers and sisters in Honduras. Wade continues to focus on the spiritual well-being of the Living Hope family in Honduras.
One of the greatest blessings (and the most fun!) of his life the is that for nearly 20 years he has led weekly Bible study and mentored men struggling with homelessness and addictions working with ministries first in LaGrange and then in Nashville.
Sofia Crook
Honduras
Board Member
Sofia began serving on the board in 2023. Sofia’s family owns and operates the boutique hotel, Humuya Inn, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Living Hope has been bringing groups to the Humuya for many years and a natural relationship with the Crooks began to form.
Sofia has made trips out to Gualaco and is a great interpreter for our groups. She has a heart for the girls of Esperanza Viva and has a keen eye for all things social media. She spends almost half the year in Honduras helping run the Humuya and the other half with her family and friends in Arizona.