Welcome one of our newest sites: Citylight Church

"It's amazing how God works when you're available," says Citylight English School director Josefina Chavez.

When Josefina and her late husband arrived at Connell Baptist Church (now Citylight) 20 years ago, the congregation had started an after school tutoring program for the kids. "The parents wouldn't leave - they would just hang out waiting for the kids. The church said, 'What do we do with the parents?'"

The church leaders proposed to Josefina and her husband, formerly church planters, that they start an English program for the parents. I said "No, we don't know how to teach English! My husband said, 'Let's pray and ask God what He wants us to do.'" That night, Josefina couldn't sleep. "You know when it's God because he won't leave you alone until you do what He's asked you to do," says Josefina.

So Citylight English School was born. From the start, Josefina's husband made sure that the Word of God was central and let students know from the beginning.  That sparked interest in many students who came from a background in which they were taught that it was a sin for anyone but the priest to read the Bible. "They were amazed," says Josefina. "They said, 'You guys read the Bible? You study the Bible?" Two older couples from the church started buying Bibles for the students. They didn't push, but simply offered, and were amazed when 40 Bibles, then 60 Bibles quickly disappeared.

Later, around 2008, they saw the need for their students, mostly of Hispanic origin, to

Josefina (bottom right) with a teacher and students

become U.S. citizens, but didn't know to start. Once again, they let their faith in God lead the way. They reached out to a government agency, who provided them with an immigration kit. "We didn't know who would teach it, just prayed that God would provide." God brought 3 teachers. Since then, over 70 students have become U.S. citizens.

Citylight English School has also seen a lot of spiritual fruit from the relationships built through the ESL program. All of the ladies in Josefina's small group came directly from ESL, and at least 40 members of the Hispanic congregation at Citylight came the same way.

There have been countless others who have met Christ through their program and even gone on to start small groups or churches after they moved to other places. One former student called the church after moving back to Mexico City. "Can you send me a Bible?" she asked. "My son has accepted Christ."

In reflecting on the many years they have spent teaching English as a Second Language, Josefina says, "God has done it all. We've just been faithful with all the great resources that God has put in our hands."