The House of Dorcas is a shelter and center for women where they can
come together for Bible study,fellowship, counseling and training on a
microenterprise operated by a group known as "The Women in Business".
Additionally, they operate a safe house for
women to run to when they are in abusive relationships. It becomes safe
haven for women both spiritually, physically and financially.
The House of Dorcas has been restored with a grant from The Giving Circle.
Current needs for the house are furnishings, furniture and supplies.
It
has a bath, kitchen, bedroom, office, and a meeting room which are in
need of furnishings such as beds, chairs, etc and supplies such as
kitchen, bed and bath supplies.
Beginnings
As Jacob’s Farm developed, we began sharing the story throughout the country, meeting people we thought would care. And they did! We received a lot of encouragements and gratefulness. It was a huge lesson I learned about what a great need there was for the rehabilitation of alcoholics and drug addicts. The thing that impacted us the most was the immediate seriousness we saw on EVERYONE’s face. It was like, as soon as the word rehab was mentioned, the person stopped in their tracks, and said in desperation, "please tell me about this." Time after time we were told "I am directly affected. My brother, my wife’s brother in law, a person in our church, my neighbor, etc." It was really dramatic. People were crying out for help. Then came the boomerang or the counter punch one might say.
While Jacob's Farm was applauded as a much needed and successful program for the men, we found there was no support for the women left abandoned or widowed due to the men's addictions. The fact that there was an equal or greater need to help the women suddenly became obvious to us. When there is alcoholism and addiction in the men of the family, there is devastation in the home and family. Women are often abused, and deserted, left to pick up the broken pieces. They are left to raise their family alone, to do it all, and in most cases with no money for food, or school or... actually anything.
We will never forget the conversation while visiting with a drug abuse officer, and sharing our desire for a ministry for women, he said “I can fill it up tonight! Please do something. There is such a desperate need." This was the germination for the House of Dorcas.
The House of Dorcas
The House of Dorcas is operated by "The Women In Business". "The Women In Business"
was
begun 45 years ago by Soila Pott. She had been deserted
by her first husband, and then found herself in an abusive relationship
which ended abruptly. With 5 children to raise and seeing others in similar situations,
she formed a group of women. They started farming together, and supporting each other.
As they progressed in their small farming business,
they
formed a little store and began making tortillas for sale.
And the business thrived. God provided through this little business
not only an income but spiritual and emotional support for
the ladies to survive.
Forty years later Soila's youngest daughter, Lydia, came along side of her. With great admiration for what her mother had done in love for so many people... providing caring leadership for women who were hurting... Lydia has continued her mother's vision and kept the store going.
One day while visiting with her, we asked about a house in the village that they owned. They shared with us that they had been praying for years for a way to use it to expand their outreach. In very poor condition, it was in desperate need of restoration. They had obtained bids, but never had extra funds from their business to restore the house.
And They Prayed
When we saw the house and heard their story, we felt their vision for
ministry to women. We prayed alongside them and God provided a wonderful group of
ladies in the US called "The Giving Circle"
who provided grant for the restoration. A team
was assembled to restore the house and now the House of Dorcas is a
reality. The house
will be used for Bible studies, training centers for microenterprises
and also to 
promote their businesses such as a
craft store,
etc.
The House of
Dorcas has undergone a transformation!
This house now has electricity, a completely new front
porch, new boards throughout the interior and the exterior,
running water and a new plumbing system.
The men working on the house
shared that the Lord has been
faithful to equip them with the skill set needed for each job.
They came back to the hotel and told the story of the
plumbing miracle! Apparently, they tackled plumbing job that
was beyond the scope of
their expertise. The
very day they were scheduled to work on the plumbing the Lord sent
a new patient to Jacob’s farm and guess what his training was in??
Yes, plumbing!
Additionally, through The House of Dorcas, a safe house for women who are victims of domestic abuse has been established. We are currently raising support for furnishing it so that when a woman finds herself in crisis she can have a safe place to run to temporarily. For security reasons, this house is not being promoted to the general public in Belize, but making sure that the right people will know where to advise abused women to go in a moment of crisis.
The Five Ladies of Patchakan
The next step has begun. Lydia is moving forward developing the women’s ministry. She has pinpointed 5 ladies in the village who are again, in great need. They are widows, or single moms with children to raise. One of them is a teenage mom shunned by her family. This is the beginning of a group being called The Five Ladies of Patchakan. These ladies come together for bible study, encouragement, counseling, and training. Each is developing a micro enterprise/small business so they can stay at home, and provide and income for raising their children. There are so many options now for these women from making pizzas, operating a laundromat, selling handmade crafts, canning local produce, raising livestock such as chickens and so many other options. But most importantly, the message of the Gospel is being spread through this ministry.
