Tucked away on the edge of Jarabacoa, just past the golf course, lies the community of El Callejon, which literally means “the dead-end.” But a walk down its two narrow streets tells a more complex story. The neighborhood is full of life. Kids zoom by on bikes, men laugh over dominoes, music is playing and neighbors greet each other from porches or gather around bancas buying lottery tickets.

Yet beneath the vibrant surface the community carries deep wounds—abuse, addiction, broken families, and far too many teenage pregnancies. Many in this community come from homes where tenderness and trust are rare.

That’s what makes the work Students International has been doing here so impactful. It’s the opportunity to be salt, light, and hope to those that desperately need it. This past summer, I’ve seen a few simple but deeply meaningful examples of just this.

This past week Katie, our staff nurse, was visiting Daniela, a teen mom in our Mamas and Babies program. She wasn’t doing anything big, just standing and talking with Daniela, her mom, and her sister outside the banca where Daniela works along with a few short term participants on an outreach. A few minutes later, I passed back by and saw them all holding hands and praying in the street. It was simple and unassuming, but it was powerful. Katie shows up each month faithfully. She listens, prays, and reminds young moms like Daniela that they matter, that their babies are worth fighting for, and that their lives are not a dead-end, no matter what the world says.

Just a short walk away, Esther Hernandez leads our Social Work site, a small, colorful space filled with the artwork of those that come each day. It is a place of laughter, creativity, and care. Girls and young women gather daily  talk, and be reminded of their value.  Esther doesn’t preach from a stage. She shares the gospel through everyday conversations and genuine kindness. This summer, I’ve been struck by a verse she has written on the whiteboard:

“Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy to the body.”
– Proverbs 16:24

Many of these young girls come from homes where kind words are rare. But in this space, they experience something different, gentle correction, encouragement, and love. It’s in the small things, affirming a painting well done, listening to a story, laughing together. And those small things like kind words bring hope and health to even our physical bodies. This is what long-term ministry looks like, not flashy nor perfect but it’s faithful. It’s about showing up again and again until truth can be heard and love begins to take root.

At Students International, we believe the gospel must be lived out as it is spoken. In El Callejon, it’s alive in home visits, sidewalk prayers, tutoring, art projects, and even kind words. And little by little, this place is lit up by the hope of the gospel. Because Jesus meets us right where we are, even if its between two narrow paved streets in the middle of what others call a “dead end”.

Will you join us as we continue to pray for the many lives in El Callejon that we serve through Tutoring, Social Work, and Healthcare?

God, we lift up Daniela and the young mothers of El Callejon. Give them strength, hope, and deep assurance of their worth in You. Surround them with people who speak life and truth. For the girls at the Social Work site, may they experience healing through art, kind words and your loving presence. Bless Katie, Esther, and the other site leaders there as they pour themselves out in Your name—give them wisdom, endurance, and joy in the small, faithful acts of love they offer each day.