Who We Are

A Message From The Founder

In this life, if we are lucky, we find Jesus, who is there knocking on the door of our life asking to be let in.  In 2008 I had an encounter with God, with a simple yet profound message to me, “Take care of my people in the Sertao” an arid poor area in Northeastern Brazil.  A few weeks later I surrendered my heart and my life to Jesus, my savior.  This began a journey of study and prayer that has created a new and better life for my family and later allowed for the founding of this Charity, whose focus is to advance the spiritual, physical and economic condition of those who modern society chooses to overlook.  Certainly in the Sertao, where God has told me to go, but in other areas of the world that have their own version of the same thing.  

In serving God, I have witnessed so many times how a “single” step in faith towards God has changed lives profoundly, and mission opportunities, whether near or far, create this opportunity to take a step for believers, as well as those who are seeking but do not yet know Jesus. 
For my family with over 17 years of missions experience, we have developed deep relationships with lcoal missionaries in Brazil and India, which allows us to create new mission service opportunities for those God is calling to go, in a safe and targeted fashion.  Creating the opportunities across denominations, to go and serve the “least of mine” and “widows and orphans” while also bringing the good news of Jesus’s love to those that have not had a chance to hear it before.  In honoring God through serving, both those sent and those receiving are changed and blessed.  We are excited that we have the ability to assist in bringing God’s Kingdom.

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Meet the Team

  • John Ward

    John Ward is the founder of Light on the Hill Charities, Inc., an organization he established in 2024 alongside his wife, Maira Ward, to help organize and expand their ministry efforts. John has been blessed to witness hundreds of children give their lives to Christ and to see many young adults step into full-time missionary service. He continues to serve across more than a dozen project locations dedicated to advancing God’s Kingdom. A significant part of his work includes partnering with two indigenous groups in Brazil to support and spread the Gospel. John’s heart is to serve God wherever He is leading and where the need is greatest. Through Light on the Hill, he is passionate about creating opportunities for others to participate in meaningful Kingdom work.

  • Maira Ward

    Maira Ward is a co-founder of Light on the Hill Charities, Inc., which she established in 2024 alongside her husband, John Ward. She plays an essential role in supporting and growing the organization’s mission to serve God where He is needed most. Maira is deeply committed to advancing God’s Kingdom and walking faithfully in the work He has set before their family. Through Light on the Hill, she helps create opportunities for others to participate in meaningful service and Gospel-centered outreach. Her heart for ministry and service continues to shape the vision and foundation of the organization. Maira is passionate about using her gifts to support Kingdom work and encourage others to answer God’s call.

  • David Moore

    David Moore is currently retired from a career in senior management positions in companies involved in automation technologies for industrial and electric utility customers. David is also a Certified Financial Planner© professional actively working with clients. He holds an Electrical Engineering degree and an MBA. He enjoyed serving his church in international missions and financial management capacities. David and his wife, Kathy, have two married sons and three grandchildren.

  • Agmar Mendes

    Agmar Mendes is a Brazilian-American leader who brings decades of cross cultural experience, compassion, and integrity to The Light on the Hill. She  holds a degree in Languages and Literature from the University of São Paulo.  She faithfully supported her husband's ministry, Rev. Paulo Mendes, throughout their 40-year marriage. A mother of two married sons and a joyful grandmother, Agmar is known for her collaborative spirit and her lifelong commitment to serving children, families, and vulnerable communities with  faith, resilience, and integrity. She also enjoys playing the guitar and  contributing to worship through music. Faith and action are her motto.

  • Richard Hartley

    Richard Hartley has been actively involved in international mission work since 2006, supporting and partnering with missionaries around the world. He brings nearly two decades of experience in cross-cultural ministry, along with strategic insight shaped by his Master’s degree in International Business, which helps guide effective project support and organizational advancement.

    He lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, with his wife, Sofia, and their two children. Richard Hartley has previously served as an elder at the Brazilian Christian Church in Marietta, GA, and currently serves as Chair of the Nominating Committee at First City Church in Alpharetta, GA. He is passionate about strengthening the global Church and equipping those called to serve on the mission field.

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Our Story

In 2008, John Ward was at a very low point in his life, with serious health issues, a failing marriage, struggling financially, and disconnected with God.  During this tumultuous season, John took a step in faith and accepted an opportunity to serve on a missionary trip to Aracaju, Brazil.  He had an encounter with God during this first missionary trip and accepted Jesus as his Lord later in 2008.  God used this missionary experience as a catalyst to help John work through the mistakes of his first marriage and early self-centered and destructive lifestyle to a life that was more in line with God’s plan for his life. 

John remarried in 2013 to Ms. Maira Santos Freitas, who he met while serving on missions in Brazil, and has 6 children.  John has been continuously doing short term mission trips since 2008 and has been working with several missionary teams in the Sertao of Brazil since 2019.  They have been blessed to see God’s miracles in these locations including the completion of 4 facilities that act as both learning centers for hundreds of children each week, but also community centers or churches providing locations for Christians to worship. 

They have been blessed to see hundreds of children give their lives to Christ, several young adults give their lives in service as full time missionaries for God, and continue to participate in more than a dozen different project locations to advance God’s Kingdom work.  In addition, they are working with two different indigenous groups to help support and spread the Gospel in Brazil.  Light on the Hill Charities, Inc. was founded in 2024 by John and Maira Ward to further organize and expand this effort - with the mission to serve God where needed and provide opportunities for others to help. 

They feel blessed to participate in the work God is doing in certain missionary fields, and their desire is to glorify Him with this effort to attract and support missionaries around the World.