As a shy college student who didn't speak Spanish and had never been on a mission trip before, Amber Foster seemed like an unlikely candidate for a life of Central American ministry - but God knew better. After one week-long spring break trip to Honduras, Foster fell in love with the country. And after a few more week-long trips and summers spent in Honduras, Foster moved to live in Tegucigalpa full-time upon her graduation from Oklahoma Christian University in 2004.

After five successful years spent working with a church and community called El Mogote, Foster decided it was time to search for a new ministry. What she found was the hurting population of people living in urban poverty in the heart of the capital city.

In January 2009, after prayerful consideration, Foster and her adopted son Darwin Maradiaga decided to take action. What started as serving food from the back of their car to a few people at a bus stop one night per week quickly turned into serving about 100 people at three different stops three nights per week.

Wanting to do more for people than just hand them a plate of food, Foster adopted the name Breaking Chains for the ministry and began renting a building in downtown Tegucigalpa in summer 2010. Since then, Breaking Chains has reached out to hundreds of people by meeting their physical needs, forming relationships and sharing the love of Christ. The organization continues to serve meals four nights per week and now also offers a variety of other programs including Sunday worship service, weekly bible study, recreational programs and a temporary to semi-permanent living facility.

The name Breaking Chains symbolizes the hope in Christ to release the hold of the shackles that bind us. The individuals and families whom the ministry serves are all affected by different circumstances and life choices. The most common chains are extreme poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, violence, prostitution, poor education, unstable family situations and, above all, a desperate need for love. The hope is that through the visible love of ministry workers and the knowledge of God’s unconditional love, chains will be broken, lives will be changed for Christ and hope will be restored for both this life and the next.