Thousands of lives are shattered on a daily basis. If only we could have intervened “before,” maybe we could have made a positive difference. Out of that sentiment Engadi was born. We must impact one life at a time. The majority of the young men in these impoverished neighborhoods will join a violent gang before their 14th birthday. The sad reality is that once they join a gang, most lives will be snuffed out before they reach age 24. Joining a gang is an act of desperation, because they see no other way to get ahead in life. If Engadi can offer them hope in Christ and a practical opportunity in life, we change the negative future of hundreds of people. The core of our ministry focuses on impacting the lives of about 80 people.
Derek Program
In Hebrew, “Derek” means the way, the journey, or the trajectory through life which one travels. For us the Derek program is the essence of what we are doing. We are trying to impact one life’s journey at a time. These boys come to the Engadi Center after school every day of the week. On Mondays they study the Bible. Tuesdays are for English classes. On Wednesdays the boys get involved in a community service project in their own neighborhood. If their attendance has been good the rest of the week, the boys can come and play on the iPads we have on Thursdays. Periodically we have outings to buy Ice cream or eat pizza, which they pay for with “Derek Dollars” they earn based on their attendance and good behavior. Meet the boys in this incredible program here.
Scholarships
Salvation in Christ Jesus is essential for securing eternal life, but we cannot ignore serving God’s children while still here on earth. Many of the kids in the neighborhood want to get ahead, but just don’t have the resources or opportunities to study and fight for a better future. With something as simple as bus fare to get to a better school, kids excel and can completely turn their lives around. We currently have 30+ kids in grade school and around 10 young adults in the university! Each year our program grows and God always provides. Meet these students and learn how you can transform a life here.
Derek Girls (Coming soon)
I believe we can all agree that it is the guy’s fault. Many times the guy deals the drugs. The guy abuses young girls. The guy abandons his family. The guy beats his kids. By impacting and changing the guy’s future, we can have a positive impact on the girls in his life. Due to limited resources and space, our primary focus has been with the young men. As God generously provides, however, we are able to dream and see the incredible possibility of growing into more and more of a women’s ministry, as well. We aren’t there yet, but one day soon we do hope to replicate our program to serve the females that come through our door.
