A lighthouse: a beacon of guidance and direction. We could agree that we all need a lighthouse in our lives. This month I got to see how brightly one is shining in Penang, Malaysia.

One ministry I was blessed to work with this month is called Lighthouse. They have a drop-in center for those who are in need of a free meal to come for dinner. This is a place that is a trusted and reliable light for those who need it. The smiles that I got as I handed a plate of chicken and rice is all the thanks I could hope for, though I feel as if I should be the thankful one for the simple lessons and blessings that I received during those times.  That’s only half of this ministry however.

As the old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Half of our time was spent in the feeding center of Lighthouse while the other was spent helping in the bakery. This bakery is a training bakery that brings in those from the street who wish to learn to bake. They are enrolled, taught, and enabled to then go out and open their own shop. This ministry goes so far as to give the students an allowance and encourage them to save because whatever they have saved when they graduate a local bank will match and help them in getting a place to open a shop.

I loved to see the pride these men took in their work. They were right there next to us to make sure we were doing things correctly and making things look the way they were supposed to. At the end of the day, they could look around and see what they had created and take pride in their work and in themselves.
It was such a blessing for me to work with the people and see the hearts that are reaching out as the rays of a lighthouse to give guidance to those who may have lost their way and lost hope. My prayer is that I can be as my name means, a “light” for those I come in contact with this year and as I go home and face my future wherever the Lord leads me.