Home is Where They Love You

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend.
I felt very fortunate to be at home with my family, including two cute baby cousins to keep us all entertained. I never want to take family gatherings for granted, because each time there is a different group. Over the years we have had new people come, and others who can’t come anymore because they moved away, passed away or drifted away. Soon I will be the one who isn’t there for some of those gatherings as I prepare to move back to Zimbabwe. One thing never seems to change. Love and laugher are always present at our table. It is home to me.
I had the chance to travel to a few groups and churches throughout March and meet some wonderful people who have joined in supporting the HOPE project. At one stop, I was able to stay with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. As we were making fajitas in her kitchen, I noticed a sign above her stove that read, “Home is Where They Love You.”
It made me start thinking about where my real home is…certainly my family back in West Virginia loves me, so that must be my home. Then I remembered the faces of my children in Zimbabwe. Their love is so easily seen in the smiles and hugs and laughter. But, just like my family group is always changing and reshaping itself, my community in Zimbabwe changes too. New children come to the orphanage, some pass away, and others have to move away. Through these changes, it is still home to me because there is so much love present.
Home is not so much about bricks and mortar, but about the relationships we have. How can we feel safe in these relationships if they are always changing and reshaping? There is one place we can call home that is forever constant. God never changes. He was with us when no one had yet thought of us on earth, He is with us today and every day no matter what city, state, or continent we wake up in, and He is the one Who will walk with us from this life into the next. Some of you reading this may be very fortunate to have many places you could call home, many places where you are loved. There may be times for each of us when we don’t feel there is any place we can really go and feel at home. But we can be assured that God will always be our constant and consistent home. "Home is where they love you" (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and every morning we are willing to wake up and look to Him, there is a resounding "Welcome home!"

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” Psalm 90:1

Wanted: New Sponsors!

Hey Everyone!
I have a list of over 400 great kids who are in need of a sponsor to help with their education. They have been identified by their local school teachers, pastors, and doctors in Zimbabwe as those most in need of assistance. Currently a little over 100 of these children are receiving scholarships from the HOPE fund, but I am hopeful that we will be able to place all of the children in school.
If you, a friend, your Sunday School, or other organization would be able to consistently provide $30 a month to sponsor 1 child (or more) please email me. You will be given the name and information about your child. A picture and yearly update letter from your child will follow as soon as I am back in Zimbabwe. Your monthly donation will provide school fees, 2 new uniforms a year, 1 pair of school shoes, and other supplies needed. If there are funds remaining for your child, we will provide a school sweater for the cold months (June and July), soap to wash their uniforms and other needs. I also promise to provide your child with a hug free of charge!
Below are just a few of the children in need of a sponsor...thanks and hope that you enjoy the Spring weather!

Where are They Now?

Lynn and I arrived safely back in the United States yesterday after a wonderful month with our children and friends. For those of you who have followed Project HOPE from the beginning, I thought you might enjoy an update on a few specific children you may remember.

Back in 2004 eight sponsors were located to help place two young children in boarding school after the death of their father (see Benji and Chipo, 2004). It is hard to believe that Chipo will be turning 13 next month. She is in her final year of primary school and will take her exams at the end of the year to see if she qualifies to go on to secondary school (junior high). Chipo has many friends and her smile can light up a room. Benji turned 16 last October and is in his second year of secondary school. He has grown into a polite and hardworking young man that we can all be proud of. They are both very thankful for those who have prayed for them and contributed to their schooling.

In 2005 while visiting children in the villages, Mai Chimbo and I found a very malnourished little girl named Faith. She was so weak she had to be carried out to meet us. Some of you may remember the miracle of her recovery and how we found her only one week later running around and playing with her friends after she received some healthy food from the nutrition program. Faith came to visit this January with her brother and uncle who she now stays with. She is now part of the HOPE education program and collects school fees and supplies each term. Faith has grown into a healthy 12-year-old who likes helping to care for her twin cousins that live nearby.

In August of 2006, Baby Janine was born, the daughter of one of my friends here. I was the first one to visit her in the hospital and had the privilege of carrying her up the mountain to her rural home when she was ready to leave the hospital. We traveled back to see Baby Janine last week, although she is no longer a baby:) She loves dancing and singing and it was evident that she is well-liked from the many people shouting to her as we walked back to the main road at the end of the day. She will start preschool next year and I am amazed how quickly time passes.


Project HOPE continues to assist children with nutrition and educational needs. Each Monday morning, children who are malnourished or HIV positive gather to receive food and soap. Each term, more than 100 children come to the office to receive school fees. They are all working hard in school and are very grateful to be receiving an education-an opportunity that many children are not given in Zimbabwe.


All the children are growing up so quickly, and I truly miss not being able to see them every day. Although we had a great time visiting everyone, the trip also served to remind me of where I have been called to work and what I have been called to do. I love working with the children of Zimbabwe and hope that it will be possible to return on a more permanent basis sometime this year.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this trip a success. Even with increased school fees this term, we had enough to keep all the children in school. Your continued prayers and support are greatly appreciated.

Waiting for the Rain

Hello from beautiful Zimbabwe! Irikunaya...it is raining, storming in fact, and I love it. I have been waiting for the rain:) Lynn and I arrived safely in the capital city of Harare last Friday and began our journey to Fairfield Children's Homes the next morning. Everything is so green with beautiful flowering trees everywhere. The feel of the soft, warm breeze and the smell of rain in the air that I remember so well were a perfect way to begin our trip, but the best was yet to come.
As we turned onto the mission road, McDonald, one of the children from Fairfield was walking toward us on the dirt path. We stopped the car and as soon as he saw me he came running and jumped into my arms so forcefully I was literally knocked to the ground!
We continued on to the children's homes. Mai Mari Jeni was the first one to see us. She dropped her hoe into the garden and came running with arms open wide...followed by every mother and child at Fairfield...one after another after another. That must be what a welcome into heaven feels like...waves of love washing over you again and again and again. We sang and danced and I could see that all of our children here have grown big. Many of them are now young men and women and I am so proud of them.
We are managing this week with no electricity and no water in the homes. The children collect rain water in buckets for us each day when it rains. We are very fortunate that cholera has not arrived yet, but in other areas people are suffering.
The inflation finally hit an all time high of multiple billions to one US dollar last month, so everyone is using foreign currency now. People trying to get a ride to work or purchase food for their families have to use US money, but very few people have access to it, so they are forced to go without. How long can a country exist on someone else's money? Things here are extremely expensive now.
Please continue in prayer for Zimbabwe and the children. We are very happy here and God is continuing to bless each of us in the middle of the difficulties.

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!