EA Board of directors

Our Honduran Board of Directors

Tristan Mohagen Face

Tristan Mohagen

President

Tristan Mohagen serves as the executive director of El Ayudante. He and his family have been living and serving in Honduras since 2007 and have been a part of EA since 2008. His passion is for serving the Honduran people and sharing Jesus with them in a tangible way. His talent and experience in construction have enabled him to build the EA campus into what it is today. He loves working with the teams and seeing projects come together.

Allan Deware

Vice President

Allan Deware has been living and working in Honduras since 2002. Although U.S. military service is what initially brought Allan to Honduras, in 2004, he founded and is the President of Pinturas Americanas – a paint store chain with over 30 stores throughout Honduras. He has been assisting El Ayudante since 2011 in creating contacts for El Ayudante in the Honduran business world. His business knowledge & networking has been a big blessing for El Ayudante. In his spare time, Allan enjoys golf, watching football, and traveling.

Gueiby Betzabe Meza

Secretary

Betsave has a degree and experience in Civil Engineering which has been a big asset to EA. She has been working closely with the local mayor’s office and civil groups to bring constant access to water and basic sanitation to our zone. Her insight into the complexities of community projects and coordination with other groups has been very helpful. Betsave and her family live in Comayagua and are always available to serve.

WhatsApp Image 2020-12-23 at 11.13.08 AM

Flor Amador

Treasurer

Flor Amador is an Agricultural Industrial Engineer and also has expertise in Human Resources. She is the director of the Human Resources department for Pinturas Americanas. Flor is always available to advise us in HR and legal matters and/or point us in the right direction for specific information or contacts that we need. Flor has been a part of the MIEA board since 2018 and for her, it is a pleasure to serve in this capacity.  Flor and her husband are both born and raised in the city of Comayagua and have 2 lovely children. 

Dinora - President

Dinora Lopez

Legal Voice

Dinora Lopez is the director of Ruach Bi-lingual school in Comayugua, as well as a school counselor in the public high school near her house. She has a heart to serve her people and to make a difference. Her heart is to raise up a future generation of leaders in Honduras. Dinora is very active in her church and in other ministries happening in the area. Dinora is a mother of 4 and in her spare time is learning English. Dinora has been a great asset in finding translators as well.

IMG_1054

Jorge Alcides

Vocal 1

Jorge Alcides is a neighbor to El Ayudante and a respected leader in the community of Lo De Reina, as well as neighboring communities. Jorge and his wife, Ana, are teachers and help us best assist the communities in the area of education. Jorge & Ana have 2 children and are always opening their home up to others – including having housed EA staff and interns. Jorge leads the children’s ministry at his church and is very passionate about assisting his community to be transformed through Jesus. They are active community advocates and have facilitated the marriage class at EA.

Beth Mohagen Face

Elizabeth Mohagen

Vocal 2

Elizabeth Mohagen serves as co-director of El Ayudante with her husband, Tristan. She felt the call to missions from an early age and has a passion for working with the community to see their dreams achieved. Her education in Sociology/Social Services serves her well as she leads the Community Outreach department of the ministry. Her love for and her relationships with the people in the community are amazing. Beth & Tristan have 4 children: Sigel, Maddy, Ali & Gabriel.

USA Board of Directors

El Ayudante Missions USA, Inc. is  a registered not-for-profit in the State of California with an active board that facilitates all the ministry planning from the States, as well as playing an advisory role to all ministry in Honduras. They  actively supervise the giving and bookkeeping of the ministry, including financial audits and accountability. We are very grateful for our US board.

In addition to the board of directors, Mel Cox, founder of El Ayudante, is an active part of the happenings with the ministry. Mel has been a part of El Ayudante from before we even had land! His passion for missions and his heart of compassion for the Honduran people is contagious. Mel is constantly in contact with the directors of the mission and is a wonderful sounding board.

Dr. Jeffrey A. Johnson

President

Dr. Jeffrey A. Johnson received his undergraduate degree from Augustana College (IL) and his Doctor of Optometry degree from Illinois College of Optometry. He has been in private practice since his graduation in 1980, and is a member of the Illinois Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. In 1991, Dr. Jeff was involved in the formation of New Vision Ministries, Inc., a non-for-profit corporation. NVM provides eye care to the under-resourced and works in close association with El Ayudante. He makes several trips a year to serve at El Ayudante and is vital to our optical care. Dr. Jeff and his wife Beth have three married children, 9 grandchildren and have been residents of Cary, IL since 1984.

bruce

Bruce Mohagen

Vice President

Bruce Mohagen retired from Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc in 2019, where he was the VP for Improvement Services.  He had worked for Simpson for 20 years and for Pacific Bell, the California Telephone company, for 27 years before that. He has been a Software Engineer and Database Designer for Pacific Bell, a Quality Professional for Simpson, promoted to VP of Quality, and beginning in 2004, he developed the Financial Internal Audit Department. Family is very important to Bruce. He lives in California with Shanon, his wife of 49 years, and he travels often to Washington to visit his daughter Jennifer, and to Honduras where Tristan, Beth, and their children are the directors of El Ayudante.

Jennifer Shackelford

SECRETARY

Jennifer Shackelford currently resides in Memphis, Tennessee. She received a degree from Union University in 2000 and taught school full time for several years before her sons were born. After they entered the world, she taught school part time in home school programs and in adult education classes. For over 20 years she and her husband, Fred, have been in full time ministry serving churches in West Tennessee. Most recently, Jennifer has launched a career in real estate. Their three sons, Clayton, Jack and Andrew, keep them busy with sports and trips to the grocery store. For fun the Shackelford family loves to hike, ride bikes and really do just about anything outside.

manny

Manny Martinez

Treasurer

Manny Martinez has been involved with the California wine business for the last 35+ years, the last 14 as the owner of a successful wine barrel import company.  He received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University. In addition to running his business, Manny is actively involved in his church and has done fundraising for several para-church organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Manny lives in the Bay Area with his wife, Paula. He has three daughters, two sons-in-law, 4 granddaughters, 2 grandson and a grand dog Jack. Manny faithfully follows his beloved S.F. Giants, 49ers, loves to travel and play golf.

Mark Howard

Member

Mark and his family live near Austin, Texas where Mark works as a residential mortgage loan officer. Before joining the mortgage industry, Mark served as a youth pastor and missions pastor, as well as a missionary on staff with El Ayudante in Honduras for 3 years helping lead the Teams department. Mark was attracted to the mortgage industry as a way to serve families when purchasing a home, but still feels a call to actively serve the church and non-profits in various ways, including leading an annual mission trip of mortgage professionals to El Ayundante and teaching at his local church.

Terry Plotz

MEMBER

Terry Plotz

MEMBER

Terry Plotz lives in the coastal town of Reedsport, Oregon. He has been the pastor of Reedsport Foursquare church for 12 years and has a long history of working in the non-profit sector including directing 3 children’s homes, two years of missionary work in St. Croix, and running a Bible camp. He also was an executive with the Boy Scouts for 10 years. In addition to pastoring, Terry is also on the school board, is a police chaplain, and very active in disaster preparedness committees. Terry has a pastor’s heart and loves training and mentoring people into their calling. Terry and Paula have been married for 35 years and have 4 children and 12 grandchildren.

We covet your prayers as we walk out God's call for EA in Honduras. We are trusting God for direction and financial provision. When you give to El Ayudante, 100% of the donation funds the ministry

Click the donate button to give today! 

Contact us at admin@eahonduras.org for more information on how you can help