Saying Yes to Service

As families walk through the door to the Saddleback Irvine South PEACE Center, Vanessa feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude that she gets to play this part in serving her community. She never imagined that she’d be spending her time helping families get groceries they need, organizing classrooms full of ESL students, and equipping individuals with career and family resources to give them a hand up when times get rough.

For 21 years, Vanessa had taught elementary school students in an area where many under-resourced families lived. She cared deeply for each child she taught. Before the start of the school year, she would place her hand on each desk and pray for the student who would soon occupy it. As a natural encourager, she would never turn away a child who wanted to help in her classroom, believing there was a place for everyone’s unique contribution.

As Vanessa served the educational needs of her students, she couldn’t help but notice that other everyday needs weren’t being met outside of school. Some had up to 18 family members living together in a single home. Some slept in beds with three other siblings or cousins. Grandparents or other relatives were raising these children because their parents were either absent or unable to care for them. Some had family members who were in danger of being deported — or had already been deported.

In many cases, the caregivers of these students could not be actively involved in these kids’ education; they worked long hours and some could not speak English. Through her interactions with her students, Vanessa saw that it wasn’t just the children who were struggling, it was entire families who were in need.

It felt inadequate, then, to focus so intently on homework and tests in the classroom with all the uncertainty these kids faced at home. Vanessa’s students still worked hard, but many were unable to keep up. Vanessa felt a constant urge to be doing more to help these families. She did her best in the classroom, but wondered to herself if there were something more she could do to help.

While attending church one weekend, Vanessa listened to Pastor Rick outline his plan to get churches more involved with serving their local communities and partnering global churches through The PEACE Plan and was inspired to get involved. Vanessa and her entire family signed up for a PEACE Trip to Buenos Aires to help the new campus launch in that city.

They worked with the local community to lay a foundation for a new church campus. Vanessa was amazed by the outpouring of love shown to those on the PEACE trip by the people in Argentina.

Vanessa returned from the trip having grown closer to her team members and stronger in her faith. She had seen what The PEACE Plan could do for a community and began looking for other ways to get involved.

Pastor Kevin noticed Vanessa’s passion to serve and approached her with the opportunity to lead Irvine South’s PEACE Center — helping serve families in the community through the Food Pantry, lessons for English language learners, and other community resources. Vanessa wanted to continue saying yes to these new ways to get involved and thought this position would fit her passion and experience well.

After years of wondering how she could serve entire families in her community, Vanessa saw this as a perfect fit. She felt confident that this was the ministry God had meant for her to be part of; it was the way she could serve families in need, the answer to the unrest that she had felt while teaching.

During her first Christmas season helping at the PEACE Center, Vanessa helped organize a collaboration with Olive Crest’s Kinship Support Services. She brought together 103 volunteers from several ministries to serve families who were taking care of the children of family members or friends. Caregivers picked out Christmas gifts for the children, while the kids were entertained with cookie decorating, crafts, hula dancing, and other fun games.

Vanessa has coached ESL, taught volunteers, and organized volunteer roles for a local girls soccer team that was looking for a way to serve the community together. With every new task or challenge, Vanessa feels affirmed that she was wired for her role.

Recently, Vanessa members from another purpose driven church in Argentina visited Saddleback to learn about the PEACE Center — and they happen to be from the very same church in Buenos Aires that welcomed Vanessa and the other volunteers with open arms during their Global PEACE trip. Vanessa was able to serve these visitors and equip them with new processes and methods for them to serve their own community in Argentina. She felt her gratitude coming full-circle as she was able to serve them after they showed so much hospitality to her when she visited them years before on a PEACE trip.

The selflessness of the volunteers and the love they show to all who visit continue to amaze and inspire Vanessa every day. She is constantly training new volunteers and organizing new ways to serve the community through the PEACE Center. It's a big task, but Vanessa's passion is up to the challenge. After helping in the PEACE Center during the day, she often comes home too excited to sleep because of all the ways she’s witnessed God work in the lives of people that day.

Learn more about the PEACE Center at saddleback.com/peacecenter