The following is from ASHTON GREER, City of Danville; AND NICOLE VAN HYFTE, Vermilion Advantage:
Not many people give up the comforts of the American life and all of the associated self-gains for a life of service to others, but that is exactly how Nathan and Lauren Lenstra are choosing to live out every day, and they’re doing it right here in our community. Nathan started a ministry of love and service to families in the Fair Oaks neighborhood in 2007. Ten years later, The Hope Center formally established in 2017 with the mission of helping the kids realize and live out their God-given potential.
The goal is for the Hope Center to be a safe, inviting, and fun place where people can encounter Jesus, find hope, and experience peace, healing, and abundant life. The Hope Center offers weekly programs during the school year for kids of all ages. They also host events throughout the year, such as soccer camp, Vacation Bible School, Christmas Store, and carnivals to engage the community in a multitude of ways. They take a holistic approach to their work, teaching the kids about all areas of life with an emphasis on healthy relationships. For both Nathan and Lauren, The Hope Center is their full-time job.
When asked, Nathan says he is called to Fair Oaks as God has been developing in him a heart for cross-cultural ministry for many years. He lived in Mandaree, North Dakota teaching in the school system in a Native American community previously, and before then he was a Chemistry teacher at Danville High School. He feels like The Hope Center is an opportunity to continue serving across cultures, right here in his hometown. In addition, Nathan volunteers through teaching a weekly Bible study at the Juvenile Detention Center and as an educator for Faith & Finances, a class hosted by Love INC.
Lauren has a Master’s degree in Social Work, and loves working with youth. She did some mission work in Peru in 2014, and began asking herself, “Why am I traveling to do this when there is so much need where I live?” She started volunteering with Nathan’s ministry upon her return from Peru, married Nathan shortly after, and the rest is history. Lauren says she loves the day-to-day interactions with the kids, encouraging the kids who really struggle, and that “being consistently here for them you get to see the transformation in their lives through that relationship.”
Day in and day out, these two serve not only their own neighborhood, but also their many friends and neighbors in the Fair Oaks community. Nathan and Lauren are doing the hard work that will influence future generations, and we want to say thank you for investing in the lives of so many.
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
