Mayda Loveland Tress has lived a life defined by compassion, conviction, and calling. A Christian for over 67 years, her journey into global ministry began at just 19 years old, when she started sponsoring her first child. That seed of love for others has only grown deeper and wider with time. In the 1980s, with the support of her church, Mayda coordinated efforts to rescue and resettle a Laotian family of six to the United States who had been displaced by the Vietnam War—planting a legacy of restoration that would one day blossom into the Rescue and Restore Initiative.

Over the years, Mayda has continued to pour her life into tangible acts of service and justice. She started at the age of 19 by sponsoring a child and has gone on to sponsor many children across the globe ever since then, offering love, support, and opportunity to those in need. Through her project Home4Good, she raised funds to build 11 homes in Guatemala and 3 in Honduras—offering stability and hope to families in desperate need. As a registered nurse, she has participated in 11 medical mission trips in partnership with another nonprofit, bringing clinics to extremely remote and impoverished areas in Guatemala, Honduras, and Cuba over the past 11 years. Mayda was also awarded Tenant Hero of the Year, an honor that helped her facilitate the donation of over $1 million worth of medical equipment to Guatemala, furthering her mission to improve healthcare in underserved communities. She was also featured in CBS12 News during their Thank a Nurse segment for Nurses Week in West Palm Beach, FL, where she shared her inspiring story of turning personal tragedy into a mission.

From organizing Christian concerts to serving on medical missions, and from the villages of Guatemala and Cuba to the streets of Nepal and Pakistan, Mayda has spent decades being the hands and feet of Jesus. Her heart burns especially for children trapped in systems of poverty and slavery, and her greatest joy is watching hope take root where despair once ruled.

In 2025, Mayda founded Rescue and Restore Initiative with a vision to reach the unreached and empower the overlooked. Her unwavering faith, paired with her relentless pursuit of justice and mercy, continues to inspire others to join this mission. She believes that every act of love—no matter how small—can transform a life, a family, and even a nation.