Well dear friends…
We are reaching the end of 2008 with the fast approach of Christmas and just wanted to take this time to wish you all a very,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

You have indeed honoured the children of Zimbabwe by partnering and praying with us through this very difficult of years! May God bless you in return – pressed down, shaken together and running over (Luke 6:38)!

Please remember our family and the children here with a prayer and a smile, as you enjoy a few children’s quips that we have noted and laughed at, through 2008 at the Village of Hope. …

There are moments that define who we are, that define our ministry. We had two moments this month that exemplify what the Village of Hope is all about! A moment in time that brings scripture to life!

THE PERSISTENT WIDOW

These past two months, we have held a series of meetings with our Child Care Plus Committee to fill the spots at Cornelius Hope Academy Primary School for grades preschool – grade 3, for January 2009. As usual these meetings are heart wrenching as we sift through one difficult story …

Like looking through the pages of a picture book, snapshots of our life freeze moments in time. Pages of pictures together begin to weave a story, to tell others not in the picture, what was, what is. No matter what we say in a newsletter, the story of Zimbabwe today and the Village of Hope can’t be told effectively without looking at pictures. We pray you are blessed as you look through our ‘picture book’ of the last 2 months…..

SNAPSHOT #1 – The teachers of CHAPS have taken a moment to walk up from the school on …

Dear friends,The Zimbabwean winter has been long this year. It is still cold enough to require a few extra blankets at night, the winds have started whipping the dried leaves of winter off the trees, the sun hidden behind gray clouds.

If you have been watching international news, you know that we seem to be in the eye of a political storm right now. The political violence has calmed but for small pockets here and there. There is a tenseness …

Hi there!

Just another quick update and praise report!  We are so thankful for the overwhelming response of prayer support that came across email, and even in a few phone calls, for the scriptures shared!  We are a blessed family and the ministry of the Village of Hope is blessed!  It meant so much.

Please know that things have calmed considerably in the last few days (it’s almost like the last few weeks never happened).  But the general mood in the country is one of complacency and worry.  Though the current political woes are settling, and the violence has calmed, there are …

Dear friends,

Please do continue to pray for the situation here.  We know that many of you have asked how we are coping and wanted to answer you as a whole.

-          A missionary colleague here was just denied their work permit and given 7 days to get out of country, after over 4 years of service.

-          Our work permit expired June 16th.  We are now working here on 30 day extensions stamped into our passport each month until a final decision on our permits is made.  However we are praying about our safety here and whether we as a family, should …

Dear friends, family, prayer partners:Seems I have a new Bible hero these days. I have spent several months pouring over the words in Jeremiah. His life challenges me. And it would take hours to share the many thoughts swirling around in my head. But for now, let’s concentrate on one single thought from Jeremiah 32. JEREMIAH BOUGHT A FIELD!

That in itself is no big deal.

But the why and the circumstances should challenge each one of us.

Jeremiah bought a field in Anathoth – a place which was often a target in his prophecies of doom and …

There are so many children roaming the Village of Hope each day now. This is a huge answer to prayer and a fulfillment of the dream that started in 2001. I love the sound that echoes across the fields at 10 a.m. when the Primary School is on break. I love the sound at 4 p.m. when all the resident children are home and running and playing outside our offices. And with growth, we can expect the challenges to grow as well. The number of medical appointments; the number of skinned …