Our Ranch community has had a consistent outreach to the local rural community in which we live. We provide jobs for over 15 employees from the community (not counting Hondurans that come from the city). Several of these jobs are house assistant jobs, which bring these employees into close proximity with our house parents and children. These relationships in turn foster interaction with the community and outreach on an as-needed basis to those employees and their families.
In addition, in the past, whenever we hosted construction teams, part of the team experience had been to go into the local community and deliver clothes, toys, food and the gospel message to a selected home. More recently, however, we have had the construction teams go into the city and participate in the WGO medical brigades for one day of their stay. This change has left a small gap in our local outreach. However, two recent projects have more than made up for this gap.
In addition, in the past, whenever we hosted construction teams, part of the team experience had been to go into the local community and deliver clothes, toys, food and the gospel message to a selected home. More recently, however, we have had the construction teams go into the city and participate in the WGO medical brigades for one day of their stay. This change has left a small gap in our local outreach. However, two recent projects have more than made up for this gap.
Literacy Program
Oscar, our only Senior in high school, is required to participate in over 100 hours of community service as a government requirement. This requirement sparked our principal, Valerie Schubert, to pursue a long term desire of hers to provide an adult literacy program in the community. Oscar is now playing a major role in providing this literacy program, but the contributions from the ranch do not stop there. One of our Honduran teachers has decided to participate in the program, along with Valerie, and they have also opened up the program to any of our teens who want to participate. I am very excited that Obed has decided to participate.
A local church provides space for the classroom.
Obed works with one of the few men in the program.
Children's Bible Club
Our second outreach that has started recently is a Bible club for small children. This program was the desire of Paul Hosier, our new director of the Children’s Ministry at the ranch. It goes hand in hand with the literacy program, because the Bible club offers a place for the children of the adults participating in the literacy program. Again, several of our teens from the ranch are participating in this program. Brayan, Will and Obed have participated at times.These types of outreaches are outstanding ways for our children to give to others from the resources they have been given. It helps them to see the richness of God’s blessings to them, what they have that many others are lacking. And it helps us as a ranch community to address the real and pressing needs of those around us.
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