The International Missionary Network (IMN) team first heard about Mario “Tigre” Lopez in 2021, through their ministry partner Hope to Walk. Tigre’s relationship with Hope to Walk began decades earlier. After losing his arm and leg in a high‑voltage power cable accident in 2000, he received his first prosthetic arm and leg from Hope to Walk in 2002—restoring not only his mobility but a sense of wholeness and hope.
Nearly twenty years later, Tigre is now a husband and father of two, living with his family and mother in a one‑room adobe house in the Sololá district. The home had no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and a dirt floor. Yet despite his circumstances, Tigre became a passionate advocate for people with disabilities, helping them find employment through his work at the local municipality. When the COVID‑19 pandemic hit and he lost that job, he refused to give up.
Driven by humility and compassion, Tigre searched tirelessly for new ways to serve his community. He even traveled around Lake Atitlan (roughly 30.5 miles away) on one leg to raise awareness and funds for people with disabilities. The money he collected went toward providing food for families in need during the height of the pandemic. Today, Tigre continues his mission in a new role with Hope to Walk, where he is learning to craft prosthetic parts and help others regain independence—just as he once did.
Even as Tigre dedicated himself to helping others, his own family faced urgent needs. Their aging adobe home was deteriorating, and their bathroom sat in a separate structure outside. Still, because the family owned their land, there was hope for a better future.
That future became reality through the combined efforts of BuyOne BuildOne, IMN, and Hope to Walk. Together, they built a safe, sturdy new home for Tigre and his family, complete with electricity, plumbing, two bedrooms, a family room with a kitchen, a bathroom, and a covered patio.
Filled with gratitude, Tigre shared:
“It is a great blessing to have a home that can protect us from the weather. This makes us so happy. I thank God because He put people with a great heart in our way.”
