EliHope — A Bridge of Hope

Across the globe, there is a need. A need for food, shelter, money, resources, basic hygiene supplies, and education, but ultimately there is a need for Jesus. Through the EliHope program, THREE18 Ministries hopes to meet some of these needs for children and families in the villages of Belize. Meeting the physical needs of children and families opens hearts and minds to hearing about the Gospel; tending to tangible struggles in the lives of others not only improves their quality of life, but reveals to them the slightest glimpse of the love that the Lord has for them.

When asked simple evaluation questions regarding their family life, healthcare, nutrition, and hygiene, students ages five through eleven in the Camalote and Roaring Creek villages of Belize were often unable to provide clear answers, or sometimes even confirming their family’s impoverished condition. Through these assessments and a vetting process, THREE18 Ministries will identify the greatest and most immediate needs and address them in an urgent and direct way.

The EliHope program is funded through trip volunteers; a portion of every trip cost goes straight back into the community THREE18 desires to serve. As our missionaries commit to serve via sports outreach, medical clinics, vacation bible school (VBS), construction projects, or general ministry initiatives (evangelism, church planting), the money will connect them intimately with a family or child in need of basic necessities.

Not only is each and every volunteer connected by their financial commitment, but each will have the opportunity to meet and connect with their sponsored family while on mission. This lays the foundation for a lasting relationship, one that is encouraged to continue via a letter mailing system! THREE18 staff will connect trip volunteers with their EliHope family throughout the year using handwritten letters. This is an exciting way to encourage, pray for, and share the love of Jesus with a family across the world.

The EliHope sponsorship is a direct result of years of praying about how to embody the third pillar of THREE18 Ministries: Belize outreach. With three pillars of ministry, community, campus, and Belize, THREE18 serves students, neighbors, and the people of Belize through student-led bible studies, discipleship, sports chaplaincy, mission trips, and events such as localized fishing tournaments. These avenues serve as a funnel of support for larger scale international missions.

Brett Bagwell, THREE18 founder and CEO, has been travelling to Belize and serving for more than a decade. Having been to a dozen or more countries during his ministry, Bagwell has a special love for the people of Belize and founded THREE18 with the desire to become embedded in the local community. A long-term, reliable ministry presence that encourages lasting discipleship is the goal of THREE18’s international ministry, and is strongly aided by the EliHope program.

The students of Raymond Sheppard Nazarene Primary School, located in Roaring Creek village, are leading candidates for EliHope sponsorship. The funding would provide for students like five year old Trevion, who took a special liking to Ouachita Baptist Kinesiology student Emma. Trevion and all his classmates, as individually sponsored families, would receive direct funding to provide for day to day necessities as well as more emergent items as needs arise. EliHope sponsorship will foster a lasting relationship with families and children like Trevion, with the ultimate goal of sharing the love of Jesus with them.

From shoes to soap, electricity to evangelism, THREE18 has identified a need in Belize. Through international initiatives such as short-term mission trips and long-term programs like EliHope, Bagwell and THREE18 desire to bring hope to the communities of Roaring Creek, Camalote, the greater Belmopan area, San Jose Succotz Village and into the entire country of Belize.

-Rose Comstive | THREE18 Director of Global Engagement