Joseph (Joe) Cartier

About This Project

The Mission of Hope began in the fall of 2015. Joe developed a heart for the people of Central and South America after witnessing the aftermath of political turmoil in some of these countries. The poverty was overwhelming and Joe felt led by God to minister to the people living in the villages dotting the shores of Lake Atitlan, Sololá. He began doing street ministry, developing relationships with families and children, praying with them and doing what he could to meet their material needs, including the cost of medicine and schooling. He continued the following year doing much of the same… However, the needs he witnessed were beyond his means and left him feeling completely overwhelmed. There were hundreds of toddlers and children wandering the streets while their moms were busy trying to sell their handmade wares.

Through his continued involvement with families in the villages, he realized that many of the children he encountered were from single-parent homes and he discovered that there were virtually no childcare services available. Many of the single parents made just enough money to buy food for the day, which left them in a very precarious situation because, in the event of a major health issue or crisis, many would be forced to beg or borrow money at incredibly high-interest rates.

Seeing the need and a means to make a difference, Joe began the Light of Hope Daycare. The first one opened in January 2017 in San Pedro, La Laguna and the second one opened in February 2019 in Panajachel. Both are situated in the poorer area of the village, where families have easy access to them. The maximum capacity for each is around 15, where they are caring for babies as young as 8 months old and children up to 6 years old. All staff have experience with child care and many are teachers with college degrees. It has been a real blessing to provide these college-educated individuals with full-time employment, in a time of high unemployment, offering a wage equal to that of teachers employed in private and public schools.

Light of Hope Daycare is a Christian faith-based daycare whose motto is “No child is refused.” The children are provided with proper hygiene, medical care by the nurses from the Public Health Clinic, nutritious meals, playtime, outings and educational activities. It is free of charge although we do accept donations from parents, relatives and local churches. The teachers are being encouraged to consider the daycare as their own; as more of a family than an institution…..where faith, hope and love are the driving and essential elements driving its existence.

Street ministry remains a strong component of the Mission of Hope, where the poorest of the poor are met with compassion, the sharing of God’s redemptive love and the knowledge that God will never abandon them. It is very overwhelming; there are no words to describe God’s presence in the streets when a few come together with a genuine prayer for increased faith that God truly blesses the poor, the impoverished, the sickly, and the unwanted. Street ministry, although difficult to describe, is a mission with a massive mixture of pain and joy.

“And now faith, hope and love abide….these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 ”