The States Diner
Blog post written by Jenni Ramsey
It has been so awesome to see the progress this week on Sus Hijos' latest project, the States Diner. The diner is currently being completed and will open to the public in two weeks. We had a tour of the diner on Tuesday morning and prayed over the opening of the restaurant. We were all encouraged as we heard stories of how God had answered so many miracles to make this dream a reality. I was humbled as I saw Kurt Ackermann, the President/Founder of Sus Hijos, kneeling in prayer asking God for his blessings on the restaurant.
We were so excited to eat at the diner last night and loved being served by the bright eyed young men and women who are currently in their "job training". As I enjoyed my delicious chicken waffle dinner, I glanced into the kitchen and saw Kurt hugging one of the servers. It was a beautiful moment and a perfect example of how love flows through Sus Hijos in all that they do.
Here is the vision of the diner:
In 2003 the Ackermanns moved their family to San Salvador, El Salvador. Their hearts and eyes were opened to the desperate plight of orphans and abandoned children. They work with both private and government orphanages and in 2008 formed the foundation, Sus Hijos. They now have transition homes for children who are forced to leave the centers and have little or no education and no job skills. The States Diner is a restaurant program to teach young adults the skills to serve in the hospitality industry, allowing them the opportunity to be trained in a real working environment. The vision of The States Diner is to train young adults to believe in themselves while serving others. This program is designed to allow them to mature into the next of their life with the necessary skills to support themselves while giving back to their community.