Merry Christmas!

Dear friends, Merry Christmas!

I hope you are all enjoying the holidays and will have time to spend with family and friends over the next few weeks.

I will be leaving for Zimbabwe in less than three weeks and am very excited to see the children. Many of you have expressed concerns about the current cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe. Although cholera is a very serious threat, the Children’s Homes where I will be staying have a safe water supply and we will be taking extra precautions to ensure a low risk of infection.

Below are a few words I received from the administrator of the HOPE programs. As you will see, even in the middle of the chaos in Zimbabwe, God is still very present. May these words remind you during this Christmas season that no matter what your situation, God is very present with you as well. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Wenyu Munahse,
Janine

From the administrator of HOPE:

Thank you for your support that has so far enabled 80 vulnerable children and 280 HOPE Outreach program children as well. We only wish if you were around to see for yourself how happy and well fed and kept the children are. There only way to say thank you are the smiles on their faces, but behind those smiling little faces there are sad stories to tell of the pain they passed through before coming to Fairfield Children’s Home.

Only this morning two HOPE Outreach boys who had just finished sitting for their “O” and “A” levels exams, Shepherd and Samuel respectively, came to our offices to say thank you for the great assistance they received from our HOPE outreach program to enable them to go this far with their education. I only wished if sister Janine was around with us to see the happiness written all over the two boys’ faces. After Samuel had left my office I said to myself truly God is merciful. Why I said those words to myself I don’t know, but I shed some tears of gratitude to you people at both FOSA and GBGM. I was emotionally affected by Samuel’s gratitude.

Hello everyone!

Plans are moving along for my trip to Zimbabwe in January. I will leave on the 8th and come back the first week of February. Please continue in prayer for the country. I have just received notice that the main hospital in Zimbabwe closed their doors and shut down because there are no medical supplies in the country and most doctors have left. The patients were all sent home. There has been a cholera outbreak in the capital city, Harare, because the drinking water is no longer safe. Many people have not had any water for over a week in their homes. Imagine not having water to drink, wash dishes, or flush the toilet for that long. This is all along with drought. The political sharing talks that were supposed to occur between the current president and the opposition leader have not worked so government is at a standstill.

Sounds hopeless, right? Good thing our God is big enough to overcome all of these tragic situations. Please pray that He will bring justice for His people in Zimbabwe. Remember God listens to the requests of His sons and daughters (that would be you:) If you ask Him for something He will be faithful to answer in His own timing (which is always best) and in His own way (which may be a solution we didn't think of). We can trust Him for an answer.

Wenyu Munashe,
Janine

Hello Friends of Project HOPE!

It has been a great summer for me in Kentucky, but I have been missing my children in Zimbabwe for over a year now. Fortunately, I will be returning for a one-month stay in January 2009.

This trip has multiple purposes.
To see how much my children have grown! (and to make sure they are ok)
To check on Project HOPE and determine how we can best assist our friends living in extreme poverty.
To determine the political and economic climate, so I can make a decision about returning long-term in the future.


You may have noticed Zimbabwe in the news a lot this past year. Elections for the president in March caused much violence, and a final decision still has not been reached. Inflation has spiraled at such a rapid rate that the Zimbabwe dollar no longer has any value at all. The last rate I received was 100 trillion Zimbabwe dollars for every $1 US. Imagine pulling 50 trillion dollars out of your pocket just to buy a coke!

Please be in prayer for the children of Zimbabwe and for the talks between the government parties to end peacefully so there can soon be some positive change in the country.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers!