LANA VASQUEZ – LIFE IMPACT INTERNATIONAL
(Guest Speaker at The Roads Church)
Introduction & Welcome
Our friend Lana Vasquez is here today. I think we’ve known each other for around 15 years. We first met when we had the privilege of going over to Thailand, and many of you have also visited there. As a church family, we’re so thankful to support her and her ministry.
Here’s what that looks like: out of our tithes and offerings—everything that comes into The Roads Church—we give a percentage to her ministry each month. As our giving goes up as a church, our giving to Life Impact International also increases. We want to continue making a bigger impact with Lana and her team as they serve, not only in Thailand and Burma, but now in Brazil as well. She’ll share more about that.
We don’t want to take any of her time—she is such a privilege to have here. She’s small in stature but mighty on the inside, and we are thankful for her. Come on, Roads Church—let’s honor Lana as she comes to bring the word!
A Life of Obedience and Calling
“I don’t know what I don’t,” Lana joked as she came to the stage. “Everyone says I’m little, but I don’t feel like it. I feel big on the inside—like a pitbull stuck in a Chihuahua’s body!”
She continued, “It’s so great to be with you this morning. I always love coming here because you’re one of our main church supporters. I love bringing updates and showing you the faces of those on the other side of your giving each month. It’s truly an honor.”
Lana introduced her special guests. “I brought my very first daughter. I’ve been in Thailand for 24 years now. I was 24 years old when I went for the first time. What was supposed to be a two-month missions trip turned into 24 years of my life—half of my adult life now. Don’t do the math!”
“The first face I saw in Thailand came up to me at 14 years old and said, ‘I don’t have a mom, and you don’t have a daughter. From this day forth, you’re my mom and I’m your daughter.’ I couldn’t leave that nation. She’s been by my side for 24 years. I know she looks 24 years old—she’s Asian and blessed like that! That’s my first generation.”
Generations of Rescue and Hope
“God gave me a vision from Psalm 127:3-5: ‘As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. They will not be ashamed, but will subdue and conquer the enemy at the gate.’ He told me these children in the Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu nations of the world—generations that don’t know Him—will be raised up to know Him and make Him known to their own nations.”
“Now, we’re on our third generation. I’m officially a grandma—the youngest grandma you’ll ever meet! My second generation is here as well—Op, who’s doing media in the back. She’s 27 years old and has been raised in children’s homes with her parents, who were my first house parents. She’s given her life to ministry, serving Jesus and loving on children.”
“She’s so soft-hearted and loves the kids deeply. Once, when some of our four-year-old boys—who had just come off the streets—started boxing each other, Op pleaded with them to stop. When they wouldn’t, she just sat down in the middle and started crying. They stopped immediately, realizing they had broken her heart.”
Rescued to Rescue
“We have a saying in Thailand: we are rescued to rescue. We’re rescued to introduce people to the great Rescuer, Jesus Christ. Our 20-somethings—the next generation—are the hardest workers in the house. They serve on the worship team, teach Sunday school, lead youth worship, interpret for missions, and work on our organic farm. That farm now provides 40% of our food budget. You’ll see them in action preaching the gospel later in the video.”
“The promise and vision that God gave me as a 24-year-old girl—having never been on a missions trip or seen what a children’s home was—was a blueprint from Him. I trusted that everything He promised me would come to pass. Now, 24 years later, I’m walking in it. He is a good, good Father, and He is faithful.”
“Today, we have 128 children in Thailand. In Burma, we have 52 acres we call the Promised Land, where girls are rescued from exploitation. On that property, they have a safe home and a father who doesn’t abuse them, breaking the cycle of exploitation in their generation.”
The Promised Lands and Rescue Efforts
“If one property wasn’t enough, God gave us another 17 acres—the Boys’ Promised Land. And if that wasn’t enough, He gave us another underground safe home that we operate in partnership with the Thai government. Every rescued child on our border must come through Life Impact’s care by law and government decree.”
“We also run a boarding home for children from the local garbage dump. When we first arrived, this dump was a pool for traffickers who would trade a child for a motorcycle. In their lifetime, they’d never earn enough selling recyclables to afford a motorcycle. We started a sidewalk Sunday school there, and about 100 children began attending and giving their lives to Jesus. Mothers got saved, then fathers. For the past 10 years, we have transformed this environment, and not one child has been sold from that community since.”
“People saw the change and wanted to do more. They gave us a $250,000 home for these kids. Now, 58 children from the garbage dump live there, with their families able to visit. It’s giving them hope and a future.”
Capacity and Growth
“In Thailand, we are at full capacity. We’ve built 19 family-style safe homes on our property, each with house parents. Every home is filled with children, and we’re building two more homes this year to keep up with the need. Last year alone, we rescued 24 kids.”
“I have a picture of the little ones we rescued. They’re so stinking cute. Back in the day, babies were being sold on our border for $18. We are the only organization that takes babies, because caring for them increases the budget by $300 a month. But we refuse to turn them away.”
“Recently, due to the civil war in Burma, thousands of refugees have been fleeing across the Thai border. Many mothers, desperate and with nowhere to go, are selling their babies—even auctioning them while still in the womb. But our team is on the frontlines, ready to intervene and rescue those children. We call ourselves the church that never sleeps.”
Recent Rescue Story: Quan
Lana showed a video of Quan, a recently rescued three-year-old girl. “She was sold for 5,000 baht—about $175—across the river that separates Thailand and Burma. Her father, an alcoholic, left her with his friends while working. When he returned one day, both his daughter and her belongings were gone. Thankfully, our network enabled us to rescue her just three days later.”
“Quan means ‘gift’ in Thai, and that’s exactly what she is. Stories like hers remind us why we’re here: to prevent, rescue, and heal. Every day, children like her are saved because of this ministry and the people who partner with us.”
Work in Burma
“Burma has faced one of the longest-running civil wars in the world. Children are forced to become soldiers or sex slaves, and others are used as human shields to set off landmines. We’ve seen this devastation firsthand.”
“My own daughter went to the frontlines during a time of heavy bombing. While everyone else was fleeing, she was moving toward the danger, carrying rice and the gospel. She trained with freedom fighters for three weeks. From that experience, we started three homes for war-zone orphans. All three homes are now full.”
Expanding to Brazil
“As if Thailand and Burma weren’t enough, God placed Brazil on my heart. I had always held the promise of Brazil, but I was faithful with what was in front of me. Then, pastors I had gone to Bible school with reached out, saying, ‘Lana, the children of Brazil are calling out to you.’”
“Thailand is one of the world’s top countries for child exploitation, but Brazil is tied with, if not worse than, Thailand. In some regions, children are not forced into trafficking—they freely sell their bodies for food, simply to survive. The poverty and over-sexualization of a generation are overwhelming.”
The Projects in Brazil
“We targeted the capitals of child exploitation and landed in three areas: the Amazon, the Northeast, and Rio de Janeiro’s infamous City of God, one of the most dangerous favelas in the world.”
“In Rio, we transformed an old crack house into a prevention center. We negotiated with powerful drug traffickers, who surprisingly supported us because their own children would benefit from our programs. We now see 350 children weekly at that center, providing them with warm meals and safety.”
“One day, the number-three leader of the local drug cartel requested to meet me privately. As he spoke, I heard the Holy Spirit tell me, ‘Pray for him.’ I placed my hand on his shoulder and prayed for the blood of Jesus to wash away every stain. He began to shake and cry. That day, he told me, ‘As long as you keep doing what you’re doing, you will always be protected.’ For two years now, they have guarded our team. I believe one day he will be saved.”
A Message for the Church: Wet Feet Water Walkers
Lana transitioned to her message: “The title of my message is Wet Feet Water Walkers. I believe God is calling us to step out of our comfort zones and walk by faith, just like Peter did when he stepped out of the boat.”
She read from Matthew 14:22-33 and highlighted Peter’s courage: “Peter didn’t step out to show off. He simply wanted to be where Jesus was. And Jesus wasn’t in the boat—He was on the water. Peter’s faith wasn’t perfect, but his heart was fully after Jesus.”
“When Peter took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the waves, he began to sink. Isn’t that just like us? We get distracted by the storms around us and forget the power of His word. Jesus’ command to ‘Come’ was enough to hold Peter up over every wave. His word is still enough for you.”
Your Next Yes
“What’s your next yes? God is calling us to live beyond comfort, to step out of the boat of convenience and into the waters of faith. Your yes to God—your trust and obedience—unlocks miracles, breakthroughs, and salvations for people you may never meet.”
“I almost quit in Brazil. It was too hard, too overwhelming. I thought I’d just stay in Thailand because it was finally successful and comfortable. But God reminded me of the faces on the other side of my yes—the children waiting for rescue, the lives waiting to encounter Jesus. I had to renew my yes.”
Closing Prayer and Call to Action
Lana concluded with a powerful call: “There are faces on the other side of your obedience. Miracles are waiting on the other side of your yes. What is God asking you to do today? Maybe it’s stepping out for the first time. Maybe it’s saying yes again after disappointment. Whatever it is, His hand is ready to lift you up.”
She prayed over the church:
“Father, I thank You for every person here. Show them their next yes. Remind them of the faces, the places, and the miracles waiting for them. Give them courage to step out of the boat and trust You, even when the waves are against them. Make us wet feet water walkers, living the faith-filled life You’ve called us to. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”