When people enter a new country, they need help and hope through an open door. Members of Greenwood, South Carolina, Community Church of the Nazarene learned this when their community became home to immigrants from Mexico. Sensing God's direction, they opened La Puerta de Esperanza (The Door of Hope). Holiness Today talked with director Carol Gray about this compassionate ministry center.

HT: How did La Puerta de Esperanza begin?

CG: In the last several years, our town has seen a great influx of Mexican immigrants.

The people in our church wanted to communicate with them and sponsored a Spanish class. Then some of us volunteered to teach English as a second language at a Hispanic housing project.

Class attendees shared, "I'm having a problem at work. I don't know what they're saying." Or, "My family has a need and we don't know where to go."

We realized these individuals needed information and advice and we could be a reliable presence in their community. Doing things from church is just not the same as being there with them during the week.

Our congregation decided to start a compassionate ministry center. We purchased property across the street from that housing project. Nazarene Compassionate Ministries gave us a startup grant to fix the building on the property. We have had great responses from the community.

HT: How does the center operate?

CG: It's staffed by volunteers from our church. We teach English classes four times a week and offer a Spanish class. We tutor children from the housing project after school four days a week. In the summer, we offer reading programs to help children overcome the language barrier.

We try to meet physical needs by keeping donated clothing, household items, furniture, and some emergency food at the center.

We also help with things like parent/teacher conferences. The parents want to be involved in their children's education, but our schools are not equipped for this Spanish-speaking influx. We help families register their children for school when they arrive from Mexico.

They're such determined people to come into communities where they can't speak with anybody. We try to be there for them, so they can just knock on our door and ask, "How do you do this?" or "What am I supposed to do with this paper?"

Approximately 20 children attend our after-school tutoring program. Our English classes involve about 30 people. We minister to 50 or 60 people during any given week.

HT: How do you create bridges between church members and the people who come to the center?

CG: We express our needs to the congregation explaining that they don't have to speak Spanish. Anyone can fold and sort donated clothes and many can teach English.

Once people from the church come to the center, they're sold on the ministry. Your heart reaches out to these people. They are gentle and grateful for anything.

You do the simplest thing, such as answering a question they've been confused about or go with them to do something they were petrified to do alone, and they act like you've given them a million dollars.

HT: What has been the affect on your church?

CG: It's unbelievable! We are now a multicultural congregation. We have a van and bring people from the housing project to our church for services.

We use Spanish and English music. The sermon is translated on headphones for the Spanish-speaking people. About 15 people now attend a Hispanic Bible study.

Our congregation has reached out and met the needs of the people. They donate school supplies, food, and other things as we announce needs. Throughout the community, people have now heard about the center and offer their services.

HT: What advice do you have for those who see needs in their community but aren't sure where to begin?

CG: It has to be God's plan. When we got the idea for this we talked to Luis Valverde, the Church of the Nazarene's Hispanic coordinator for our region.

He said, "If God has placed the vision in your heart, you start taking the steps to make it happen and watch God open the doors."

You do have to have the faith to step out and to begin the task. As you do, God will miraculously make it happen.

Holiness Today, March/April 2005

Please note: This article was originally published in 2005. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.