Venezuela and Dominican Republic

Niños de la Luz ministry overview

In 1992 an eager young couple, Jon and Shannon Haslett came before the church leadership with a bold request.   After some ministry experiences in Africa and the Philippines, they got married and were presented with the overwhelming heartache of starving and homeless children in Latin America.   With this passion moving them, they sought the support of CBC to send them off.   They moved to Caracas, Venezuela, and began meeting with street kids every morning to feed them.   One hungry hand grew to 50 and two dedicated missionaries grew to a throng of volunteers.   The Haslett's ministry, Niños de la Luz (Children of the Light), is now a nationally recognized organization committed to helping children at risk in Venezuela.   Their ministry location in Caracas, called the Lighthouse Ranch, has three homes open to kids who have been rescued off the streets.   In addition, a half-way transition home has been opened up in the heart of the city to reach out to the kids who are ready to leave the street life behind.

In 2003,   the Hasletts were again prompted by God to spread their ministry.   They moved to the Dominican Republic to begin the next phase of their street children outreach.   They established a life skills school, open to all children at risk throughout Latin America.   Currently, Jon and Shannon live in the Dominican Republic managing the La Baliza Life Navigation School where they disciple, guide and equip young men and women to become active, Christ-centered people in their communities.

Child Sponsorship

Sponsorship provides hope for Latin American children who have been rescued from abuse, abandonment and life on the street. This is a hope which motivates kids to look to the future, to set goals and to persevere. Your commitment to help your sponsored child is what encourages the boys at the Lighthouse Ranch and La Baliza to continue moving forward in the program.

Contact Niños de la Luz to see if there are children available for sponsoring.

Writing your child

As a dedicated sponsor, you are encouraged to write your child at least 4 times a year. Hand-written letters and printed photos can be mailed directly to Niños de la Luz.  Insure that your child's name and reference number is clearly marked on anything you send. For faster communication, click here to email your child.