STARTING WELL! January at the VOH, Zimbabwe
There is a theme running through the Village of Hope these days in sermons, in devotions, in assembly words…..
That of running the race marked out for us. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 tells us to run in such a way that we may obtain the prize. Many words have been spoken about starting well and finishing well, keeping our eye on the ultimate goal – eternity with Jesus Christ.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF THEIR LIVES
Today we can truly say that we have STARTED WELL! On January 15th, 2008 at 7 a.m. the grounds of the Village of Hope began teaming with children in full dress uniform, and parents, happily anticipating the first full open day of Cornelius Hope Academy Primary School (C.H.A.P.S.) !! If you were one of those that have sponsored a Village of Hope, Zimbabwe child through ChildCARE Plus, your sponsored child was in the joyful rush of the morning! Congratulations – you have done an awesome thing and God smiles today! These children will mix with the 40% of our school that comes from the more affluent community around Good Hope Community and learn that in God’s eyes we all have the same value!
Our day began with the parents and children gathering in their respective classrooms, while Village employees acted as ushers and yard attendants to help guide each family according to grade. At 7:45 a.m. the organized march began class by class into Hope Community Church (our current assembly hall), as smartly dressed children filed in line by line with parents at the back of the hall. The assembly began as Mr. Musasa (Headmaster / Principal) addressed the gathering, and then we all stood to sing the Zimbabwe National Anthem, and two praise songs to our God! As the assembly continued….
- Mrs. Zowa (VOH Social Welfare Officer & Pastor’s wife, pictured in blue below) offered a prayer of thanksgiving and dedication of CHAPS and of all the children present.
- Mr. Cooledge gave welcomes and a message of hope for the future.
- Mrs. Cooledge encouraged the children to DREAM BIG and prayed ‘God sized’ dreams over them.
- Rev. Zowa delivered a short message on a crumpled $500,000 Zim dollar note, emphasizing to the children that God sees value in us no matter how we feel we have been crumpled and torn.
- Mrs. Musarara (a local CCP parent) offered a note of thanks on behalf of all the parents gathered.
As the final prayer ended, an orderly exit happened class by class and we jumped out of our seats to greet parents and take more pictures! What a holy noise as the students made their way to class for the first time at CHAPS! What a wonderful thing to hear the laughter of 200 children on the playground and fields as they took their first morning break at 10:30 a.m. To see the new playground in full use, and the new benches in the gazebo full of older children getting to know one another.
We ended the day well by sorting over 200 pairs of new school shoes, then fitting and handing them out to all our sponsored children. What a job and what a great feeling!
We shed many tears to think of where God has brought us in a year! To think of how many years the Village of Hope has waited to have its red dirt indented with the footprints of the future hope of Zimbabwe!
Even now as I sit and write this, and about 150 metres behind me, a newly hired crew of 10 builders is digging a hole to lay the foundation of one of 4 children’s homes, to be built at the Village through 2008! A new feeding point at another local ‘plot’ opened last week and feeds another 20 preschool aged children daily. And we will feed all those that come to CHAPS (200 children) a breakfast porridge before school starting next Monday.
God is good and he truly cares for His children! He has allowed us to start well!
CHILD CARE PLUS SPONSORSHIP UPDATE /
We praise God and want to thank you for taking up the challenge!
We know that most of the children attending CHAPS have been sponsored, but there are still a few more. God bless you as you consider changing a life forever!
PRAYER REQUESTS THIS MONTH /
· That we would continue to find food and building materials to run the Village of Hope and its many programs
· For God’s peace in our lives as we try to do our best for the Village of Hope in a very restrictive economy.
· For Pastor Denver - the new youth and children’s Pastor to start at Hope Community Church in the next few months.
· For our work permits which expire in June this year. The renewal process has been started.
· For peace during upcoming National elections, tentatively set for March 9th, 2008.
· For our children – Nathan, Ben & Latasha – as they start their new school year this week.
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