In the Near Future
Currently, the girls are living in a house adjacent to the church. Behind the house and its patio space, there is a small apartment where Ruth Ramirez (the house-mom) lives with her daughter. At the front of the property, there are two shops that are rented out to small businesses, one that sells natural medicine and the other that offers internet services.
Spending $650 per month on rent alone is a strain on the orphanage’s resources. Once we purchase the house, we will not only save $7,800 per year, but the small businesses will generate monthly income. The current owners are willing to sell the entire property for $180,000. Considering Bogotá’s steadily growing real estate market, this is a very reasonable offer. Please pray that we are able to meet this goal soon! If you would like to contribute, visit the Donate page and specify that your donation goes toward purchasing this property.
Long-Term Plans
As Jacob and Libni were working together to make the dream of an orphanage a reality, God began to stretch their vision farther still. Initially, founding a home for girls was the only goal, but now it is one of many projects we hope will birth out of Children’s Outreach Ministries. Other ideas include:
- an occupational training center for Colombian teens who cannot afford to attend college, or even high school, but must be able to generate an income for their impoverished families
- an elementary school for children from needy families whose only option is to attend ineffective public schools that still charge fees for materials and uniforms
- more small-scale orphanages similar to the Beehive that provide safe and loving environments closely connected to the church community
The Business Model
In order to work towards a self-sustainable ministry, Jacob is working with Libni’s brother Daniel, the associate pastor of the church, to develop The Detail Difference as a means to create income for the orphanage as well as provide employment for members of the church. This is a franchise of the business Brian & Sue Templin began in Spokane, WA over 10 years ago. It is now a quickly growing business with franchises in Seattle, Portland, and Austin as well as more locations in the near future. Learn more about the business by visiting The Detail Difference website.
