Dear friends,

It has been almost 3 months since we wrote to you. But it is only because of the few moments we’ve actually had to sit down J. We have started several drafts and letters to you, only to be interrupted by one urgent need after another. Let us fill you in…

BLESSINGS

We have admitted 8 new children into Shamwari House, and a newly opened Nyasha House in the last 3 weeks. We will need sponsors for these new children through Child Care Plus! First 4 older children between ages 6 & 11, then another 4 …

Our family has now settled back into life in Zimbabwe. The familiarity of our family dogs, the neighbour’s rooster that starts shouting to the dawn at 4 a.m., the beauty and freshness of the gardens after the rains, the children’s smiles and hugs as they came running to us at the Village, were all welcoming sights, sounds, smells and touches.

We have been blessed to see the stores expand to such an extent that we have never seen them so full in the 4 ½ years we have lived here, garbage bins line driveways as services are slowly restored …

Dear friends, Our family is now nearing the end of our furlough in Canada. We have put over 25,000 km on the van we purchased for our travels and have been overwhelmed at the response of people all over Canada to the children of Zimbabwe and the Village of Hope. If there was one verse that sums up the last 5 months, it would be Ephesians 4:16 … "From him (Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." NIV In my …

Dear friends, family, partners,

It’s been a while. Seems that some of you didn’t get our last update at the end of August and so our apologies to you for the electronics and internet we battled with that month. So at this point, please know that our family is safe and sound on furlough in Canada, and that things are carrying on well at the Village of Hope in our absence. Here’s a little update…..

KUMUSHA….

Having received another one year work permit in Zimbabwe in late August, our family made plans to head to Canada – to see family …

Dearest friends! We were blessed this last week that God has again “made a way where there seems to be none!” We have been granted another year extension on our work permits here in Zimbabwe! We are good here until August 26th, 2010! Thank you for standing with us in faith, for standing with us in prayer! HALLELUJAH! Things are now in high gear, as we prepare to leave home in Zimbabwe for 5 months, and make arrangements to spend time with family and friends in Canada! There is much to do! We praise God that …

‘His divine power has given us everything we need for life…’ (2 Peter1:3)

This has long been a favourite verse of mine. And since I love the KISS principle and am getting worse by the year at memorization  - I’ve shortened it to remind myself constantly that when times get rough, when you’re not sure which country you’ll be in next month, when the cost of living rises to what seems beyond our means, when you’re living through your 4th 12 hour electricity cut of the week, and when the future seems uncertain - that God still has everything …

1 in 3 children in Zimbabwe is orphaned and/or abandoned. Have we just stopped you in your tracks?  Stop and think about that for a moment.  Picture 3 of your own children, a class of 30 from your sons or daughters school, or maybe you have 15 grandchildren.  What if one third had nowhere to go , no one to care for them or feed them, no one to ensure they went to school or dreamed of a future.  What if….?

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

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It’s hard to top the news of last month! After opening a double storey school block, we took a big sigh, leaned back in our chairs, closed our eyes for a moment and thanked God that it was over J, and that after all the challenges along the way – that we were now ministering to 350 children in such a positive environment. The Village quieted this month of April, as children went on school leave, staff took vacation, we said goodbye to our second short term missions team of the year, and began to reflect on the …