The Lighthouse Project

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 […]

Updating…

Family, Free the Girls, Interns, Short-Term Missions, The Lighthouse Project -

It’s definitely time for a quick update. Our internet was iffy for the past few weeks so I haven’t been able to post anything, not to mention we have been running, running, running for days! We are in the homestretch of the school year for the kids which means final projects, tests, and a general wrapping up of 1st and 4th grade. I can’t help it, the last few weeks of the school year are always bittersweet for me. I hate the fact that my kids are growing up so fast, and I am looking forward to having them around all summer. We also have continued to have growth in our ministries with the Lighthouse Project welcoming more homeless men and women each week, and the addition of another girl […]

Mother’s Day Celebration

Free the Girls, The Lighthouse Project -

Yesterday we had a big Mother’s Day celebration with all of the moms who are involved in our programs. We invited all the moms from the Lighthouse Project, as well as the moms involved with the Free the Girls project.  It was great to get all of the girls together and have a fun time with them. They were welcomed at the door by one of our volunteers who dressed in a suit and gave each a rose. Then they came into our “salon” where they got their hair and nails done. After everyone got their makeovers we had some snacks and played a game. We also had a guest speaker, our friend Evelyn, who has a beauty salon here in San Salvador. She shared with the women some reflections […]

Finding God

The Lighthouse Project, Thinking About God, Urban Ministry -

“I want to serve you God! Where are you?” This is the cry of the man in the comic above, and the homeless man behind answers with the simple word “Here!” People talk about wanting to “find God.” They may look to the latest spiritual fads, or try to find Him in some other experiential way. But I have never found Him there. God is found in the low places…the dirty man on the street, the woman exploiting herself, and the child that lives in the hovel of poverty. He is found where things are broken, decaying, and seemingly beyond repair. He is found in the wreck of lives, in the loss of hope, in the place with no escape. He is in the silent eyes that shout out desperation. […]

“I Haven’t Seen the Beach in 15 Years!”

The Lighthouse Project, Urban Ministry -

“I haven’t seen the beach in 15 years!” exclaimed one of our friends yesterday when we took a group from the Lighthouse Project to the beach. You see, when you are homeless your world closes in. It becomes the city streets where you live and the fight to survive another day. It becomes the buses that you ride, and the belching fumes that you breath in as you walk the hot sidewalks day in and day out. It becomes loneliness, and the struggle, and the cement that you pound with your aching feet. That is why we like to take our friends to the beach every now and then. We want them to feel the warm Pacific, breath in clean, sunny air, and wiggle their feet into the soft sand. We […]

A Great Loss

The Lighthouse Project -

It is with heavy hearts that we share with you the news that our dear friend Gerber has passed away. We have spent many hours pouring into him, and he has been involved in our homeless ministry since it began four years ago. He has been on the streets for nearly his whole life. He was learning to read and write in our literacy class, and we shared God’s truth with him every week. Gerber had a great heart, and he loved to help out with anything and everything around the center. He considered himself to be Jon’s “personal body guard, ” and he took pride in guarding Jon’s truck and looking out for all of us. He found joy in joking around with everyone. He was always smiling and […]

Getting Creative

Free the Girls, Fundraising, Human Trafficking, The Lighthouse Project -

Next week is Semana Santa (“Holy Week”) and everyone goes to the local beaches during the vacation days. Costa del Sol is a popular beach in El Salvador, and next week it will also be the site of an art exhibit featuring original paintings by men, women, and children involved in our programs and ministries. The idea is a creative one, and it was developed by a generous donor and friend who offered to sponsor an exhibit featuring works of art painted by survivors of trafficking, and men and women who have lived on the streets of San Salvador. The artwork will be sold, and the money invested back into our projects. This past week our artist friends have given several painting workshops and we have all worked to help […]

Crossing Paths…Some Thoughts on Hosting the World Race

Missions, Short-Term Missions, The Lighthouse Project -

Part of our role includes hosting volunteer teams that want to serve in El Salvador. This past month we hosted one such team from the World Race. The World Race is an intense 11 month mission trip around the world to serve the “least of these”, and each month features a different country. They spent the third month of their journey with us in El Salvador. This team of seven were servants in every sense of the world. They spent the majority of their time working at the Lighthouse Project, and so they spent literally hours this month hanging out with our friends from the streets. They simply loved them. They loved them through a listening ear (despite the language barrier), and through countless cups of coffee and games of […]

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 […]

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