The Hope Project!!!!! Our ministry partner for the next two and a half months! I want to take this blog to talk about this ministry, their vision, and all that we have and will continue to be doing.
The Vision
We are all poor, our poverty just looks different. Poverty could mean you lack material possessions, but broken relationships also cause poverty. There are four main relationships: one with self, others, God, and creation. When one of these four relationships is broken we have to be able to understand that it will have an affect on the other three relationships. For example, there was a time when I did not follow God, I was poor in spirit, which caused me to have broken relationships with myself and others. I was not secure in my identity which caused me to make poor decisions, and I was not sure how to love others best which cause a strain on my relationships with others (family & close friends). We have to recognize these are a cycle, when we do that we get to see where people are at and minister effectively.
This ministry is relationship centered. We are not here to hand material things to people but instead walk alongside of them so Christ can bring healing to the areas of their life that need it. We don’t have to do things but instead walk with them through the journey. Walking intentionally and realizing we are broken too. We want to exceed the normal expectations of love which looks like saying ‘you are valued’ and making sure they know that they are welcome at the table and then let Jesus do the rest of the work.
The Hope Project bases their programs on the four broken relationships. The four branches are counseling services, community outreach, spiritual development, and economic empowerment.
Relationship with Self
The Refuge Pregnancy Center:
This service is a two-year program for women who unexpectedly got pregnant or need guidance in childcare and motherhood. Individual counselors provide help to these women through training, therapy, and responsibility lessons to prepare them for the 9 months of pregnancy and the first year after childbirth.
Drug/Alcohol Counseling:
Drugs and alcohol are a major problem in low-income communities, so many are unable to provide rehabilitation for their loved ones. These individuals usually destroy families and end up in gangs or on the streets, so The Hope Project offers trained counselors for the entire family.
Relationship with Others
Club de Ingles (English Club):
This club is meant for Costa Ricans to learn English. By using a conversational curriculum, learning English is an awesome way to build relationships in the community.
Art and Coffee Club:
This club is another part of the community center outreach that teaches art lessons over a cup of coffee. This time is meant for fun, creativity, and relationship building within the community.
House of Raw:
House of Raw is a hip hop dance class/battle ministry. The purpose of this is to help kids in gangs and on the streets find their passion in street dance and then train them to make a career out of it.Jose, the leader of this ministry, is the top Krump dancer in Central America and is known around the world for his dancing. (This type of dance is highly respected on the streets, in gangs, and now in American pop culture). His dancers are highly respected and highly discipled by Jose so they are grounded in a truth that will set them free from their pasts.
Relationship with God
House Churches:
The community center for the Hope Project is also a house church. For those who don’t know what a house church is, it is an intimate church of a small number of people intended for an emphasis on community and discipleship. The Hope Project intends to continue to raise up pastors within their house church to create a network of house churches across San Jose.
Bible Studies
Evangelism:
We simply build relationships within the community by letting the Holy Spirit highlight people that need support.
Relationship with Creation
Business Club:
This club is meant for business owners across San Jose and those who want to start a business to come together in the community to build relationships and to share and help others in the area. This is a place where business meets God to uplift the kingdom and create more intentional relationships than just networking and favors.
King’s Economy:
King’s Economy is a class that teaches individuals to budget, spend, and steward their money and resources well. As Christians, we are called into a high level of stewardship in which we use our resources wisely to honor the kingdom and not be foolish in our uses.
Waves of Grace:
This program is meant to provide sustainable income and employment to women living in low-income communities. The Hope Project teaches women how to make bracelets (similar to Pure Vida bracelets) and bars of soap as a home business and then connect them to stores around San Jose and online to make a livable income.
This past week we were able to work alongside the refuge center and waves of grace. My team was able to lead a devotion about placing our identity in our Heavenly Father rather that earthly things. We shared personal testimonies. Wednesday, we learned and made bracelets with the woman. We also were apart of a small group called parenting and pancakes. We were able to hear what has been going on in their lives, talk with them and pray over the individuals. We also shared more personal testimonies and I was able to share mine with a women who was going through similar things my family and I have been through. Working with the women this week has been so special.
