May 14, 2024 / Tribute / Source: Allen Rainey
Ann Rainey followed the Son into heaven on August 2, 2023. She has had a profound, lasting impact on SonLight Power. Her husband and founder of SonLight Power, Allen Rainey, reflects on why the mission was made possible through her.
Above: Ann at Brookville Lake, Indiana
Ann was the driving force in the beginning of SonLight Power. Without Ann – her inspiration, support, grace, faith through financial sacrifice – there would be no solar mission. No development of my skill and talent in solar. No SonLight Power.
THE 12-PACK THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
But the full story starts at a campground in Mounds State Park in Brookville, Indiana. We ended up next to a guy with a 12-pack of Budweiser and a loudmouth in the campsite next door.
Ann and I loved the outdoors. But this experience, along with similar unfortunate camping experiences, inspired both of us to consider purchasing land so that we could enjoy a quiet, comfortable place to camp. This was early spring of 1995.
By early summer we had purchased 50 acres outside Brookville that we affectionately called Camp Amakanata, named after my grandfather’s fish hatchery in rural Georgia renowned for its ability to grow trout.
Above: Camp Amakanata near Brookville, Indiana
Ann liked Amakanata as much as I did. Throughout the summer weekends, we were busy clearing the land, exploring, and camping. Ann was there many weekends but also spent time with family.
It didn’t take long to realize how important electricity would be to make the camp viable. I considered bringing grid power to the camp at first, but when learning how much it would cost, I started exploring other options.
They say necessity is the mother of invention. That was the case when I started my journey with solar power in 1995. Back then, solar power wasn’t nearly as mainstream as it is today. Especially in rural Indiana.
Ann waited patiently that winter as I poured into solar power trade magazines, books, and installation manuals. When I was ready, we invested $1,200 to install two panels, a charge controller, inverter, and battery. Those components would power a well pump and a few lights for camp buildings yet to be.
Above: Camp Amakanata powered by multiple solar power systems throughout
That marked the beginning of many improvements, experiments – learning and mastering solar power by trial and error. And the beginning of a story much bigger that only God could write. Fortunately, Ann perceived what I almost overlooked.
PERSISTENCE
Skip ahead almost five years – I’m entering my fifth semester at Regent University (Virginia Beach, Virginia) pursuing a degree in Practical Theology with what turned out to be a concentration in missions. It was during that stretch that Ann shared her belief that solar power was going to be part of my long-term mission.
At first, I didn't pay attention to the seed being planted. I was distracted by the crush of study. But eventually it worked its way into our prayer life and we were both asking for wisdom and guidance to see what that would be like.
Over time, I envisioned doing solar work in some form as a missions pastor. Ann didn’t think that was the answer, but she really didn’t know how things would work out. We stayed persistent in prayer.
Above: Allen and Ann at 2017 Rotary Club of Cincinnati’s Jefferson Award banquet
The Bible verse that comes to mind for that season is Luke 11:8 “… and yet because of his persistence…” We were persistent and eventually we found ourselves moving back to Cincinnati for the last semester for family reasons.
That's when Wayne Darbonne, the missions pastor at our church, College Hill Presbyterian Church (CHPC), organized a missions conference. At the conference, Dr. Jeff Heck was doing a breakout session for medical mission teams serving in the Central American country of Honduras. So I went and listened to what Jeff had to say.
Afterward I asked him, “Is there any need that you have in Honduras for solar power?” And Jeff looked at me and said excitedly, which is out of character for him, “You know solar power!? You need to come with me to Honduras!”
And so we did. That was the beginning of solar-powered ministry.
BEGINNINGS
The year was 2000. Ann and I hopped on the next flight that Jeff took to Honduras with his nonprofit called Shoulder to Shoulder. My primary task that week was repairing a modest, but critical solar power system.
Above: Scanned photo of Allen repairing solar power system at Honduran clinic in 2000
The system served as the only source of electricity for a medical clinic run by Shoulder to Shoulder serving residents of remote mountain villages near the border with El Salvador. When the system was down, there was nothing to power lights, refrigerators to preserve medicines, or medical devices for surgical procedures.
The repair job was successful. Dr. Tony Neff and I worked hard to find the problem, eventually discovering a loose connection on the roof and repaired it.
Above: Scanned photo of Allen at first solar project in 2000, with clinic nurse and Tony Neff
The system worked right away – in more ways than one. Before Ann and I left the country, the head of the Intibucá health department had already called Jeff asking him when we could come back. That’s because there were other medical clinics in the region in desperate need of solar power. My solar expertise was in high demand.
Ann was a trooper on that first trip to Honduras. She experienced major discomfort sleeping on the cement floor where we stayed. But by being present, she witnessed first-hand her earlier God-inspired vision combining my knowledge of solar power and missions.
Upon our return to Cincinnati, Ann and I met with Tim and Fide Gehner, leaders of the Honduras missions team at CHPC. The four of us planned our next trip to Honduras.
Ann’s enthusiasm and insistence on making these first two trips made the decision easier. I was concerned about the cost aspect as I didn’t have a paying job. Her faith inspired me.
GRATEFUL
The follow-up trip to Honduras with Tim and Fide was a great success. After much prayer, the mission committee at CHPC encouraged Ann and me to go one step further. They offered to help with the startup expense of creating a new nonprofit organization. SonLight Power was born.
Above: 2002 SonLight Power team from CHPC bound for Honduras
I originally envisioned SonLight Power as a part-time endeavor so I could make a living and stabilize our financial position in other ways.
But in time, the tremendous need for solar-powered ministry in places like Honduras made us rethink the scale of our efforts. Ann insisted we focus on the mission rather than our income for a few years. Her faith inspired me yet again.
Above: Ann on SonLight Power trips to Honduras in 2004 (left, center) and 2008 (right)
Ann joined me on four different mission trips to Honduras and one to Kenya to equip an orphanage run by our friend, Lucy. Ann was enthusiastic and encouraging every step of the way, even when a few paydays were missed – and later when I would be away on the mission field a week or more every month.
Some of those times were hard for both of us emotionally, but she refused to ask me to slow down. She often said, “Do the work [taking Light into Darkness], Honey, while you can.”
Above: Ann with children on 2006 trip to Kenya
Her strength of character, Holy Spirit-inspired vision, support, and faithful sacrifice were key ingredients in the success of SonLight Power from the beginning.
I and countless others impacted by this mission since then are so grateful.
POSTSCRIPT
In August 2023, as Ann was going to meet Jesus, SonLight Power was on mission again in Honduras. On the day of Ann’s passing, a member of the mission team captured a photo of a beautiful sunflower blooming at the school where the team ministered that day.
Above: Sunflower seen growing at community near Juticalpa, Olancho, Honduras
Sunflowers were Ann’s favorite flowers and have been adopted as the official flower of SonLight Power.
But what made this discovery so unique is that sunflowers are rarely seen in Honduras, let alone in a remote school community. Talk about a God sighting.
On my trip to Honduras in February 2024, I gave sunflower seeds to Sara and Antonio Gale, who now coordinate our trips from Tegucigalpa. As those new sunflowers grow, I cannot help but be reminded of the symbolism – we are touched by the seeds of hope in Jesus that Ann planted in Honduras and beyond.
Ann’s prophetic vision to use solar power as a Kingdom ministry continues to leave a lasting legacy today and into the future.
Above: Sunflower planted by Allen grows in Honduras, Ann’s favorite flower
For more information: VIDEO: 2017 Jefferson Award featuring founding stories of SonLight Power
