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- Created: May 14 2020 May 14 2020
This month we want to highlight the “Lights for Christ” scholarship program of Divine Savior Lutheran Church in Zacapa, Guatemala, recipients of a $95,000 grant from Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) in the 2019–2021 biennium.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”Matthew 19:14
When members of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Wichita, Kansas, served on a mission trip to Guatemala in 2014, they observed the devastating poverty of people living in the Zacapa landfill. The families who live at the landfill have very limited means. The children often help gather recyclables from the landfill to provide income for the family. They also saw how Divine Savior, the local Lutheran Church, was reaching out with Christ’s love to the families. The two churches worked cooperatively to develop a scholarship program, “Lights for Christ” (Luces de Cristo) to enable the children in the garbage dump to attend Divine Savior Lutheran School. The churches are enthusiastic about this program and are eager to expand in order to provide more children with the opportunity to receive a Christian education and to share Christ’s love with their families.
The Lights for Christ Program offers Christian education to children whose parents have been economically dependent on collecting garbage in the municipal landfill. The children come to this program with many needs. They are provided spiritual and physical support while they receiving a Christian education. Students receive well-rounded meals twice a day during the school year. Holy Cross sends medical doctors to serve the community annually. During their visit, the American doctors check the health of each child in the program and provide needed medicine.
LWML Mission Grant funds will enable Lights for Christ to expand the children’s education beyond grade six by providing them an academic education in grades seven through twelve at the Lutheran School. It will cover a portion of their tuition fee and a school supply bag, books, task materials and a tutor. It will also cover the cost of a Christian education teacher, transportation, food, clothing, medicine and other personal care items.
The Lights for Christ Program is bringing the life-saving Gospel of Christ to children and families in the Zacapa landfill. It has provided essential theological, financial, medical and people resources, as well as being a valuable mission opportunity for Holy Cross members as they support Divine Savior Lutheran School’s Gospel outreach in Zacapa.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.Psalm 36:9
Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) is the official women’s auxiliary of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Since 1942, the LWML has focused on affirming each woman’s relationship with Christ, encouraging and equipping women to live out their Christian lives in active mission ministries and by supporting global missions. For more information on each month’s mission focus, visit LWML.org. Saint John’s Mission Guild (LWML) meets the first Tuesday of each month at 10:30 AM in Room 301. All ladies of the congregation are invited to attend.