Ministry Center Project

Christmas at the Lighthouse Project

Advent, Family, Holidays, Ministry Center Project, The Lighthouse Project, Third Culture Kids, Urban Ministry -

This year on Christmas Eve we had two parties to celebrate Christmas and enjoy a Christmas meal with our friends at the Lighthouse Project. It has become our tradition to stay open on December 24th which is the day that Christmas is celebrated in El Salvador. For many of those we serve, we are the only family that they have, and our center is the only place they go for a Christmas celebration. We had a great time giving special recognition to those members of our programs that have stepped up to serve this year, Jon shared a Christmas message, we handed out Christmas gifts, and enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner. Our two seatings were a success, and our whole family had a great time serving together. Thank you so […]

Lifeline

Discovery, Holidays, Ministry Center Project, Short-Term Missions -

When we came to El Salvador five years ago, we were sent out from an amazing church family. We grew so much during our time at Discovery Christian Church, and the opportunities that we had there for leadership and service helped to prepare us for full-time ministry. Discovery continues to act as our “lifeline” in many ways. They handle our finances, pray for us, do our mailings, and send teams every year to see firsthand what is happening in El Salvador. They also raised the funds to help us buy our building which currently serves more than 100 people each week, and offers a safe haven for people struggling on the streets. Individual members of Discovery support us with their personal finances, volunteer time to work on our website, and […]

A Beautiful Mess – Roof Project Update

Fundraising, Ministry Center Project, The Lighthouse Project -

The Lighthouse Project center is an absolute mess. There is dust everywhere, pieces of dry wall, crumbled up bricks, and exposed rebar. But it is a mess that is truly beautiful because it means all our funding came in and the center is getting the facelift it needs! Miraculously we received full funding and the help of a volunteer team to replace the roof, demo the false ceiling and dry-wall a new one, add an exhaust fan, and change a small patio into a room where our clients can get weekly therapy with a psychologist. We are reminded again that God does answer prayers and we thank you for praying and for giving to make this happen! The building is already significantly cooler, and even though it’s a work in […]

Matching Funds Opportunity – Roof Update

Fundraising, Ministry Center Project, The Lighthouse Project -

As we shared in this post, we are in great need of roof renovations at our community center. The center is the heart of our operations and a great resource to the impoverished, homeless, kids in crisis, and trafficking survivors in our community. A generous donor has stepped up and offered to match donations up to $3,000! This is a great blessing and a wonderful opportunity for anyone who wants to be a part of this project. Your donation will be matched, so every $50 donated is $100, every $250 donated is $500, and every $500 donated is $1,000! We have a work team arriving next week to begin repairs so we will need to pay off all materials during the next few weeks. But we need your help! If […]

A Roof Over Our Heads…

Free the Girls, Fundraising, Ministry Center Project, The Lighthouse Project, Urban Ministry -

It’s Thursday afternoon just before 2 o’clock and it’s a typical day at the center…hot, humid, and loud. There is a young survivor of human trafficking in the office meeting with me about starting her own business selling bras. Another girl who is already in the program waits to buy another bag of bras to sell. Meanwhile Jon is playing checkers with one of our clients in between phone calls. Outside on the sidewalk there are 25 homeless men, women, and teens waiting for the front door to open so they can come into the Lighthouse Project for our Thursday meeting. They are waiting to shower, eat lunch, and meet with our staff. By 2, there will be at least 10 more. A visiting team and our local volunteers are […]

New Bakery Opens Today!

Ministry Center Project, The Lighthouse Project, Urban Ministry -

We are excited about a new micro-enterprise that is starting today! After several months of preparation, we are starting a small bakery in the Lighthouse Center! The bakery is a micro-enterprise that will employ three Salvadorans as the bakers and trainers, and it will employ six clients from the Lighthouse Project as sellers. To qualify, our clients had to go through a job application and interview process. As part of their work and training, they will learn about various aspects related to the business including sales, baking, and management techniques. We’ve already tasted the first batch of bread and it is delicious! We will keep you updated about the project. Please pray with us that this new initiative offers practical help for our friends who are looking for a new […]

Did You Know?

Gangs, Immigration, Kids at Risk, Ministry Center Project, The Lighthouse Project, Urban Ministry -

In my last post, I highlighted the need for one-on-one connections with our friends on the street. That’s the heart of the Lighthouse Project. The more we get to know our clients, the more we learn just exactly what they are up against. For example, did you know that El Salvador has a higher death rate from alcohol consumption than any other country in the Americas? Did you know that men in El Salvador are 27.8% more likely to die from an alcohol related cause than women? (You can read the full article here). Did you know that this past weekend, the Salvadoran newspaper La Prensa Grafica reported that 40 children have been murdered so far in El Salvador this year? Forty lives 17 and under have been cut short since January […]

One Person at a Time

Ministry Center Project, The Lighthouse Project, Urban Ministry -

We like results. It’s all American…to get the job done, celebrate it, and move on. Results. Fruit. Success. That’s what we want. Apparently, we are in the wrong line of work. The truth is that street ministry does not produce a lot of quick and measurable results. There are ups and downs as we ride the roller coaster of addiction alongside our friends, and there are steps forward and back as we work with people who have lived their whole lives on the streets, and then there are the miles and miles of obstacles as we try to help people get a foot out of poverty. It’s long, it’s hard, and “results” are hard to come by. The scope of the problem is enough to suck anyone down. It’s a […]

Learning to Read and Write

Kids at Risk, Ministry Center Project, Urban Ministry -

A few weeks ago we added a literacy class to the Lighthouse ministry. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the doors are open for our friends to learn the basics of reading and writing. Reading and writing are basic skills that all of us so easily take for granted. Sadly, this is not an option for many kids and teenagers who are growing up on the streets of San Salvador. Gerber is the first to take advantage of this new opportunity. He was abandoned on the streets as a young boy, and now at the age of 20, he is excited to be able to take formal classes at the Lighthouse ministry center.  Please pray for him that he would stay motivated and not grow discouraged, and please pray for Ericka as […]

Discovery Team Gets It Done!

Discovery, Ministry Center Project, Short-Term Missions, Third Culture Kids -

We had a great time with a work team from our sending church, Discovery Christian Church. They have supported us in El Salvador from the very beginning, and they kicked off our fundraising campaign for the ministry center through their BRIX capital campaign. It was so fun to have the first group from Discovery actually see the building and what is going on there. They came with the purpose of laying ceramic tile throughout the building and they worked HARD! Painting, laying tile, sawing, demo, they did a little bit of everything and we are so grateful for all of their hard work!!!! Let’s get to work! Demolition Day! Looks like Tori wants to break some stuff too! Painting, painting, and more painting! Ian wanted to get in on the […]

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