Circle of Hope – Our Beginnings

The Circle of Hope ministry began in August of 2018 in answer to the great needs the Breath of Life Church was encountering in their church community. Women and children did not have the means to sustain themselves adequately or were in desperate situations due to the violence in Mexico. So many women and children were coming to our doors, finding hope, and learning about Jesus, but they also needed help in practical, physical ways.

In November 2019, we were one of the recipients of the Alliance Women National Project and received a very generous donation that spurred the ministry to begin to dream about how to truly become a place of caring and hope for so many in the community surrounding the Breath of Life church plant in Guadalajara.

The Circle of Hope began to offer different workshops for women in our community, giving them job skills, dignity, and the ability to move forward and advance in society. Each workshop began with a verse from the Bible and a short thought on that verse. These mini devotionals were prepared by the women leading the workshop.

The workshops offered were basic haircutting techniques, professional makeup and nails, basic English classes, introductory calligraphy (just in time for Christmas and homemade Christmas cards), artisan jewelry, and sewing (birthed from the COVID-19 pandemic where we began making facemasks).

As we grew in 2020, Circle of Hope began to look for a larger building. The initial space we were renting was a one-room office where we were very restricted on space. We could only have one workshop at a time with a small area left for counseling, but at least we had a space.

With the infusion of the support from Alliance Women, we began looking for different rentals that would meet our needs to facilitate more ministry.

Due to the economic crisis of 2020 in Mexico from the pandemic, we were able to rent a home with a large first floor, a covered outside patio area, and four bedrooms upstairs. Our director, Lety Avila, is now living on site at the Circle of Hope home. During the week, there are several workshops that happen simultaneously—it is a house filled with hope!

Laughter can be heard in each room. In one room, women gather to learn new techniques on cutting hair while in another room, a group of women learn about the Fruit of the Spirit through a Bible study led by one of the lay leaders from the church. In yet another room, Lety and I are look at the new year and determine what new workshops we should plan for and what our budget allow us to dream about.

Alliance Women is committed to prayer and financial support for the Circle of Hope ministry in Mexico. We have set a goal to raise $16,600 for this vital ministry to women. To participate, please visit www.alliancewomen.org/give.

An Alliance worker

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