The Three E’s of 2nd Mile Missions

In our approach to holistic community improvement we have adopted a three-phase mantra: Educate. Equip. Empower. Each phase also operates as a component of our Mission.

Education establishes a foundation for growth. 2nd Mile Missions provides a Christ-centered education to over 800 students each year between our two schools: 2nd Mile Education Center and Hope Academy for Christ.

Meet Evangely: She is in 11th grade and has been attending 2nd Mile Education Center since 1st grade. Both her and her sister have been in the sponsorship program through school. Their mother and father both passed away when they were young, however their grandmother was able to continue caring for them and keep them enrolled in school. Evangely is lively, smart and college bound. Her sister, who also attended 2nd Mile Education Center is currently an English teacher in the school and in her last year of college.

Equipping others to lead a healthy and rewarding life begins with hope for the future. The House of Hope works to restore health and give the hope of Jesus by providing a safe and secure home for abused and abandoned girls.

MeetYulissa: She is 17 years old and has been in the House of Hope since it opened in 2015. Yulissa experienced trauma and neglect in her early years. Her mother was a prostitute who also practiced voodoo in their home. After her mother passed away, her sickly father could not provide enough food for their four children. She and her siblings cooked, cleaned and somehow managed to get to school everyday. Since joining the House of Hope family,Yulissa has grown into a beautiful young, Christian woman who hopes to attend University and eventually give back to others who struggle like she did. Yulissa has learned English and has a job in the office of 2nd Mile Education Center where she is learning organizational and leadership skills.

Empowering others includes providing access to dignified opportunities. 2nd Mile Missions does this through Vida Plena, a ministry partner that offers artisan training, business and finance education, and dignified employment for women from our local communities.

Meet Mirtha: Everyone who meets Mirtha is impressed. She is a smart and dedicated young woman who knows what she wants and has been working with Vida Plena for a couple of years now. As we support, encourage, and empower her to achieve her dreams, we love seeing her paying it forward to her family and neighbors. As a 21 yr-old, she is not only the primary breadwinner in her large extended family, but is transforming into a stable pillar of hope for many young women in Monte Verde. Her growing faith, cheerful disposition, and tenacious dedication to her life goals are an incredible and much needed example to other young women in Monte Verde.

Because of Mirtha’s advocacy, her little brother, Johny (X yrs old), is now a sponsored student at Hope Academy, and together with the support of 2nd Mile Missions and Vida Plena, they are bravely making their exit from the generational cycle of poverty. We love welcoming them both on campus as she tucks his shirt in, makes sure he has his books and a snack to eat before heading over to our workshop. 

Mirtha wants to finish her high school diploma, get a visa, and study at a university in the US with hopes to work in the fashion and design industry. It sounds simple, but that road is chock full with difficulty for someone in her circumstances. But with her gritty determination, she’s already made huge strides towards her goal and has a clear and defined path to study in the US within 2 years.