About Us
Our Story
Light of Love Ministry was born from a vision that had been on our founder, Susan Zidlicky's, heart for many years. In 2013, Susan felt inspired to go on her first mission trip to the Dominican Republic where her eyes and heart were opened to those in need. The following year, she took her second mission trip to Uganda where she met friends who became like family and missionaries who motivated her to continue on this path of her journey.
The next trips were El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras with her family, creating new traditions of service-oriented Spring breaks. Her children are now part of the story as they've learned how to love and serve people all over the world.
Malawi and Kenya came next on Susan's mission world map. Africa is filled with beautiful stories of love, hardship, perseverance, and joy. Susan's most recent service trips were to Kenya and Jordan. Each of these countries have unique cultures, deep histories and are full of wonderful and loving people.
Altogether, these nine countries have built a backbone for what is now Light of Love Ministry. Every trip, every service opportunity, and every country, has guided Susan’s vision for how she wants to inspire and teach others to love and serve our brothers and sisters around the world. With every sequential trip, Susan has added knowledge and developed ideas on how she would like to lead teams and serve those in need in the future.
There is a great need to come alongside people all over who are hurting and are often in desperate situations. There are also plenty of people who want to serve and are just looking for the right opportunity. That is where Light of Love Ministry becomes the bridge to give people a way to go and serve abroad.
Light of Love wants to help open doors and change people's lives. Serving can be as small and as important as sitting down to talk to someone and hearing their stories. It can be learning to make bricks that will become a new home, going out after dark in a new city to feed the homeless, filling an extra suitcase with children's shoes and school supplies, traveling with a group of orphans on a field trip to the beach, packing and praying over meals to feed a community, playing a game of soccer at a local school, and so much more. These are things Susan has already been part of and would continue to do through Light of Love ministry.
Meet Our Board of Directors
Susan Zidlicky
President
Susan was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Communications. Susan worked in the corporate world for several years doing marketing for some of Chicago’s largest law firms. She and her husband have four sons and live in the western suburbs of Chicago.
Heidi Bernover
Treasurer
Heidi serves as Treasurer of the Light of Love Board. A certified hot yoga and Pilates instructor and former studio owner, her passion lies in helping women become the best version of themselves. Drawing on 13 years of experience in financial services, she now educates and empowers women through USDA organic plant wellness and high-performing clean skincare.
Heidi's heart for service began with a church mission trip to Mexico in 1999, where she helped build a home for a family in need. In 2023, she and her son Harrison traveled to Kenya together — a Light of Love trip that quickly became an annual tradition. Since then, they have returned to Kenya twice more and expanded their service to El Salvador.
At her core, Heidi is a builder — of confidence, of leaders, and of community. She brings infectious joy to everyone she meets and finds her greatest fulfillment in watching others step into their own strength.
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Stacy McGowan
Board Member
Stacy McGowan currently lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with her husband, John, and their three growing-up-too-fast children. While she has lived in three countries and three states, she will always be a Nebraska girl. Stacy is an educator, a volunteer, an aspiring tennis player, and a reader, but she feels most herself in the kitchen baking and cooking. Stacy is delighted to be a part of Light of Love Ministry. Stacy travelled on her first mission trip with Susan only two years ago. Ever since, she has been encouraged and inspired by Susan's enthusiasm for service around the globe and can't wait to see where they will go next!
Allison Fakhoury
Board Member
Allison Fakhoury has called Riverside, Illinois home for the past 18 years, where she and her husband have raised their two sons, Oliver and Leo. Allison is a lawyer and has spent more than 20 years in public service with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, building a career focused on protecting investors and serving the public interest.
In February 2025, Allison and her son, Leo, went on their first Light of Love service trip to Kenya. What began as an opportunity to serve, immediately became something much more personal. The time she spent with the children and local community left a lasting impression, and she returned home with a deep appreciation for the impact of Light of Love’s work. The experience sparked a strong commitment to the organization’s mission and a desire to help create opportunities for the children and families it serves.
Jessica Buchanan
Vice President
Jessica is a born and raised Texan who met fellow board members, Susan Zidlicky and Jessica Riels, in college. Their history of friendship started then, and 22 years later, this organization was born under Susan’s leadership and heart to serve those in need. Jessica works on staff at First Baptist Church of Alexandria. She served in El Salvador with Susan and supported various missions along the way. She is married to Dee & has two children, Rose & Cole. She & her family live in Alexandria, Virginia.
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Leilani Harbeck
Secretary
Leilani Harbeck lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with her husband and two sons. A Nebraska native, she attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and earned her law degree from Creighton University School of Law.
Leilani and her sons recently had the life-changing experience of serving in Kenya with Light of Love Ministry. Their time there deepened their faith, expanded their perspective, and strengthened their commitment to service. Inspired and encouraged by Susan, Leilani is thrilled to continue this journey with Light of Love, broadening her enthusiasm for supporting and uplifting communities in need.
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© 2022 Light of Love Ministry. EIN #88-1062293
The Corporation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and religious purposes in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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