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The ministry makes community outreach a priority.
By Vivian Gatica
Twenty-five women from the Watsonville (Calif.) Corps’ Home League accepted Christ in late February.
Corps Officer Captain Melissa Viquez, who leads Home League, said the goal of the ministry is community outreach and to involve more women with the corps.
“Our strategy is to be present in our community no matter what,” Viquez said. “All the participants and members of the congregation are working very hard to make this dream come true.”
Watsonville’s Home League is primarily a Spanish-speaking ministry with 40 to 55 women in attendance each Wednesday. According to Viquez, 97 percent of the group are Hispanic women, but the ministry is open to anyone and translation is available.
“For the Latino community, this program means a lot. The ladies have the opportunity to build new friendships, and for many of them the Home League ladies are their family here in the USA, simply because their relatives may live in Mexico or Central America,” she said.
The group has an upcoming service project to pick up trash in two local parks.
“Together we have the opportunity to do different activities that bring joy to our community,” Watsonville Home League member Rosario Rosales said.
During the Wednesday meetings—held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.—the women discuss various topics and learn how to apply new knowledge in their daily lives.
“It’s always nice to come to Home League knowing that God is going to speak to us through his Word, and that we will receive an extra portion of happiness and love by sharing with the other ladies that come to our program,” said Esperanza Garcia.
Future goals of the ministry are directly involved with community outreach. Viquez said that her primary focus is to improve the community’s relationship with the Watsonville Corps, and she plans to do this with the help of the Home League.
“We believe that God’s amazing and transforming power can empower us to make a difference in our community,” Viquez said. “God called us to be the light of the world.”
