Casa de Luz (House of Light)

Note: To review our ministry to special needs children prior to beginning Casa de Luz, go to the "Why PC?" and "Our History" pages.  Click a  button on left panel.

The Vision, the Work, the Reality

Given the continued poor conditions at the orphanage in the years 2000 through 2002, and the ill treatment of our volunteer workers, God placed in our hearts the need to build a new home for the special needs children. It would be a home where they could live in comfort and dignity and be loved and cared for the way God intended. This new home would be called Casa de Luz (House of Light).

March/April 2003 was a turning point in our ministry. Through our contact with Dona Rosa de Mejia, the wife of the Dominican Republic President, the government granted us a five-acre parcel of land on which to build our future Home. The property is located in the Los Frailes area of eastern Santo Domingo, which is a sparsely populated area within a couple of miles of the Caribbean Sea. A Construction Fund account was opened and we embarked on some serious fund raising efforts. Radio Unica, a Spanish language radio network, took Project Child under its wing and held a radio marathon on Radio Unica August 9, 2003 from 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm. It was a fabulous success, as the final tally was $87,162. The glory of this event belongs to God.
An early artist rendition of the vision
Before building could begin, the land had to be cleared of dense vegetation, the ground leveled and a fence erected around the entire property for security. The fence was comprised of three feet of concrete cinder blocks on the bottom,  topped with wire mesh fencing. We broke ground November 3, 2003 on the building construction. The foundation was poured within the next few months.
In early November 2003 we acquired a 45 foot container at a very reduced rate to use as storage. USA Donations (hospital and medical equipment for Casa de Luz) were stored in the container until the container was full, and then we shipped it to the Dominican Republic. Many donors and gatherers helped fill the container several times.
By June 2005, the first floor shell of the Main Building  of Casa de Luz was completed. In the foreground are two of the few large trees on the property. This shaded area was designated for a Prayer Garden.
By February 2006, some rooms were completed.  With electricity finally available we could see our gleaming bathrooms for the first time! In August 2006, a large mission group completed indoor work on four more dormitory rooms and installed a new sink, stove and an 18-foot food warming and serving station in the kitchen. Prayer for all the occupation permits began in earnest!
To see our Newsletters and Articles in our archivers from this 2004 - 2007 era, click HERE
After nearly three years of hard work, some frustration, and much anticipation, on September 20, 2006 Casa de Luz opened its doors to the first child, Massiel, a beautiful 13-year-old girl. There was no fancy grand opening except from the Lord. When Lucas (our Executive Director in DR) was carrying Massiel out of the car and placing her onto a wheelchair to bring her indoors, he saw a white dove by the entrance of Casa de Luz. No white doves had been seen in this area before! We believe the white dove was a message from God marking a special day for Casa de Luz and a symbol of the pouring out of His blessings. It was God's confirmation to us that His Holy Spirit was present just as we had known from the time that we broke ground in November 2003. By December 2006 Elisa, Yohan, Rafelina, Yohana,and Tia had joined Massiel as residents at Casa de Luz, the House of Light.	Massiel       Side of main bldg, 2008            Front of bldg, 2008
By the end of 2007 we had 17 resident children so that the challenge of 2008 was for the operating income to catch up to the growing expenses.  Groups of volunteers continued to come in 2007 and 2008 to work on the facility and love the kids.  The work included the erection of walls for employee locker rooms and a laundry room. Also, the existing buildings needed repainting due to the intense sun and humidity in this area.
Several youth groups have worked in Prayer Garden	Team lays foundation for prayer garden wall

 To view future plans for the Casa de Luz facility, Click Here

Our Caring Staff

Feeding time!		Our diligent kitchen staff
Childcare Worker		Children try new therapy room flooring
Laundry on porch until laundry room is finished		Taking advantage of hot Caribbean sun
Elisa receives physical therapy		Rosaura receiving therapy on legs

To review future plans for the Casa de Luz facility - Click Here