This is what it's all about...

Imagine living in a dirt village with no mother or father. Perhaps an elderly grandmother is caring for you along with numbers of other children. Picture in your mind a constant gnawing hunger pain. You don't know day to day when you will be able to eat. Because of your youth you have to work extremely hard. There is also abuse and neglect, and a sense of hopelessness. You are merely existing - struggling to survive. The children at the Village of Hope along with children from other villages come from this environment. Praise God that He is providing a safer haven for the children in these villages.

Last week we had an exciting arrival of nine new children. They are doing well and are adjusting rapidly. Even though most of them do not speak English well, they have been able to connect with the non-African-dialect-speaking Americans as well as the Village of Hope children. None of them have ever attended school except for Kahilu who is five. Now thy are all doing some sort of school. Four of the older ones are attending the Hope School, and there is going to be a new pre-school for the five younger ones.

I recently asked a few of the children what they thought of the new ones. Mary loves the new children. She says her new sister and favorite friend is Mary. They have a lot of fun together, and Mary has told the new Mary all about Jesus. John's favorite friend is Joshua who lives in Mommy Nora's house. John's "best thing to do with him" is to play ball. Exildah loves Mary, the new girl, who lives in her house. Even though they speak different dialects, Exildah says they can understand each other. When I asked Sharon Jaula who her favorite friend was, she replied, "All of them!" She likes to help them all learn English, and can speak all of their dialects - Nyanja, Bemba, and Lenjae.

So, you can pray for:
Joshua Chanda (4)



Maselino Chanda (6)



Tereshina Chanda (8)



Shaibu Chanda (10)



Idah (5)



Ethel (5)



Kahilu (5)



Agnes (8)



Mary (8)



Even as we are excited tohave these nine new children we are happily anticipating eight more new children in two weeks and sixteen more as soon as the houses are ready. Our prayer is that the Lord wil lead these children to HImself. We are co-labourers with Him in this endeavor. As it says in Psalm 145:4 "One generation shall thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts."