And with growth, we can expect the challenges to grow as well. The number of medical appointments; the number of skinned knees and tears; the growth in the quantity of food (especially when food is so scarce) and clothing needed in our orphan homes, grows on what seems like a daily basis.

We may not be able to fulfill every need, to improve their life to the level of blessing we experience as North American’s, but what we have, we freely give. (Acts 3:6)

May your heart be encouraged as you read about some of the lives the Village of Hope touches day to day, through your support.…

 DERRIK / Derrik was introduced to us through one of our community feeding programs. It became very apparent, very quickly, that the community around him expected him to just not wake up one morning, he was just so sickly, had no energy and was so very skinny with a bloated belly and sores head to toe. Social Welfare got involved when we also found that he was being locked into a small room for sometimes 12 hours at a time without toilet or food or water. At that point, he was moved into our orphan homes. Within a month, the community he had come from was talking of the changes they saw in Derrik – his bloating began to disappear, his skin condition was resolving, his smiled more and began to play soccer outside with the other children as his energy level returned. It became apparent that he was also very jealous when kids other than himself were the centre of attention J. Today, Derrik is also on treatment for his HIV, and is a different child than we first met only 5 months ago – he is energetic, attends preschool full time, and is slowly growing a new head of shiny black hair without sores on his scalp! He loves being hugged and loved! There is a lot of laughter wherever Derrik is found J. Derrik is a miracle and only God know where he will take this life He has saved! (pictured below in the green sweater, with Nyasha and Esnath)

ZVIKOMBORERO / After 3 months of trying, we were at last able to secure a wheelchair for this 11 year old with Muscular Dystrophy. His mother has carried him anywhere he needed to go on her back since the age of 6 years. Instead of sitting for hours in one position at home, Zviko is now in grade three at CHAPS, he is attending Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy once a week after school. He has been given new clothes and gets fed a healthy porridge before school each day at CHAPS. This little boy’s life has changed forever, he has gained his independance and now smiles all day. His father stopped us on the side of the road to say thank you for how blessed their family is now that Zviko is taken care of in a way they could have never afforded. We praise God for the Village of Hope and ChildCARE Plus being here for Zviko! (pictured right)

NYASHA / Nyasha means ‘grace’ in the Shona language. She was abandoned, left at a strangers house with a small backpack of filthy belongings. From the police station, to Social Welfare - when we arrived to pick her up from their offices, she was asleep on the floor in a dress that used to be pink, but was now brown and caked with dirt. She was sick to her stomach during transfer and was very wary of everyone. Nyasha is now a work in progress. She is beautiful and outgoing, but rather bold and crude in her speech. She is HIV +’ve. She bares the scars of being treated as nothing, and of being part of traditional witchcraft. Her household prays in earnest for her everyday as she speaks of fantastical dreams, and openly refuses to touch the Bible or say the name ‘Jesus’. What this child has been through in her 3 brief years is horrific, yet the Village of Hope gives her a place to find safety, food, medical care and the love of Jesus Christ! Please pray for healing from within for little Nyasha. (pictured left in red)

ESNATH / Esnath was given a place to stay at the Village, the same day that Nyasha came. She was a little girl whose picture was publicized in the local paper when she was abandoned at a train station in January this year. The story gets complicated beyond that point, and from the mouth of a 4 yr. old, is unclear. However, she was brought by police to the Dept. of Social Welfare, and the Village of Hope was called for a place of safety for her. This little one has a gift of song and dance. She is delightful, gentle, and kind hearted. Our hearts broke the day she asked if maybe her mom could come and stay with her at the Village of Hope – not fully understanding what had just happened to her. Today she is in our Preschool full time, learning to count, sort shapes and colours. Having come without any identification, without a birth certificate or any indication whom her extended family might be, we are unsure of her birthdate. Esnath is also HIV +’ve. Please pray for healing in the depths of her heart. (pictured left in blue turtleneck)

VILLAGE OF HOPE OFFICIAL DEDICATION

This month at the Village we have been swamped with preparation for our official Grand Opening and Dedication of the Village of Hope orphanage and Cornelius Hope Academy Primary School (CHAPS). The guest list includes people internationally who will be part of our ribbon cutting and dedication service on March 15, 2008. Please pray for peace and God’s favour to rest over this event.

BUILDING NEWS

Gord and our Program Manager (Richard Chimbetete) have been busy interviewing and hiring 3 skilled builders to assist our construction crew.

The 4 children’s homes currently being built were ground to a halt as we drowned in an extra heavy rainy season, turning the Village into what we called ‘Lake Hope’. We pulled all our workers off their jobs to reconstruct roadways and paths and dig drainage ditches. And finally purchased a water pump to help drain the foundation trenches so the brick and concrete footings could go in. (flooded trenches and new water pump pictured left).

As the electricity cuts continue, and office work slows down for days at a time, we at last invested in and hooked up a 16 KVA generator to run our offices, homes and church when the electricity goes out.

NEW CHILDREN & PROUD PARENTS /

In the last 6 weeks, we have welcomed four new residents into our children’s homes. Nyasha and Esnath are pictured above. But we most recently also welcomes two boys by the name of Joseph, and Tashinga (both boys of 8).

As we grow, we still need CCP sponsors. Please pray about the opportunity of changing a life in Zimbabwe forever. Call the office at 905-542-7400 and ask for the ChildCARE Plus, and simply tell them you want to sponsor a child at the Village of Hope, Zimbabwe!

As ‘parents’ of this growing crowd of possibility, we watched tearfully and happily as several of our CCP sponsored children became prefects (student leaders) in Cornelius Hope Academy Primary School in early February – God has surely had his hand in our choices for CCP!

Thank you for being a part of our lives and part of the Village of Hope. We continue to pray for you in return!

PRAYER REQUESTS THIS MONTH/

1. For the renewal of our work permits, expiring in June.

2. For the Village of Hope Dedication celebrations, March 15, 2008.

3. For Godly women with a calling to work with children, as house mothers.

4. For Zimbabwe national elections, now set for March 29, 2008 – for peace and God’s will in it all.

5. For the new CCP children at CHAPS who are struggling and working hard, in the change from a low level gov’t school to the high standards of CHAPS.

6. For more CCP sponsors, as we still have several children not sponsored whom we are paying school fees for and feeding, including 3 of our latest additions of Esnath, Nyasha and Tashinga.

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.

“We do not want you to be uninformed brothers about the hardships…. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure….”

The words penned by Paul in 2nd Corinthians 1, mean more to us today than ever before. There are days we feel ourselves ‘under great pressure, beyond our ability to endure’ as we minister in Zimbabwe. Paul watched the impossible happen around himself, he felt God’s comfort and direction when the situation and persecution seemed impossible. He continued to minister to the needs of those around him, though he felt ‘under great pressure, far beyond (his) ability to endure’. And he was supported by a loving body of believers. His hope remained in a God who could raise the dead and not in man, so what could man possibly do to him? These words remind us every day to continue to trust. They are comfort and strength 100’s of years after Paul’s own missionary journey.

Though the Village of Hope continues to be an oasis in a troubled Zimbabwe, the miracle of this oasis is perhaps not understood. Maybe we have been too apt to report the positive only, to look like we can handle it all with great faith and never despair. But it is time for a reality check! We do not wish to provide a forum for complaint, but only a chance to explain the miracle that we are living more clearly and that God would be given glory for it! And so you can pray more specifically for our family and the ministry of the Village of Hope.

www.zimbabwesituation.com

Though we do not endorse the opinions on this website, it gives a most accurate reflection of life in Zimbabwe today and the mosaic of difficulties, economy and politics that plague this beautiful country. Inflation is reported to be in the tens of thousands - but what does that look like on the ground? As a Canadian, what frame of reference would you use?

Well - when we moved here in September 2005, a loaf of bread cost $12,000 ZD. Today that same loaf goes for $700,000,000 (YES MILLIONS!!). But since we removed three zeros last year to make calculations and currency easier, I can buy a loaf for $700,000. That is IF you can find it in a store J. Are the zero’s throwing you off? Welcome to life in Zim! I went grocery shopping the other day for home and spent the meager amount of $69,000,000.00 ZD.

ECONOMICS 101

In Canadian terms, we are limited to taking out $2 from the bank a day, because of a shortage of bills in circulation. So….

- To buy a pair of shoes would mean 10 withdrawals over 11 days (Sundays they are closed).

- To buy a tray of 30 eggs means spending one whole day’s withdrawal plus a few bills.

- To buy a 5 kg. bag of rice would mean 3 withdrawals over 3 days.

- To see a doctor….. well, you get the picture.

Since the economy is so unstable, most stores operate on cash only. And as this was making life difficult for the average person and in an effort to curb the inflation and make goods affordable, about 6 months ago “price controls” were introduced! As shopkeepers had difficulty selling at the controlled price - below cost - goods then disappeared from the shelves and hundreds of shop keepers were arrested for not complying with the gov’t prices and a huge black market opened up for anything that wasn’t on the shelves. Today it is more about ‘who you know’ than ‘where you go’ to fill your pantry shelves and feed your family!

What we commonly referred to as grocery shopping is now humorously known as grocery ‘HUNTING’

These economic woes extend beyond food shelves, to clothing, office supplies, construction materials and fuel. The lack of fuel at stations that used to be so reliable, ensures that we group our trips and sometimes park a vehicle for a few days until petrol reappears. Fuel queues can be kilometers long and take hours, sometimes only to have them run out a few cars ahead of you. The crime rate continues to rise as more families are left destitute, unable to pay rent or buy food. Companies lay workers off as they go under or downsize in an effort to survive. Yet salaries remain the same and do not rise with the inflation! A well educated civil servant or grade school teacher might make the equivalent of $3 for the whole month but a bus trip one way is 30 cents. After rent, taxes and utilities, the money is gone - never mind for transport or food. Every company is now not only limited by price controls but wage freezes as well. So strikes are imminent and when ordered back to work, they go but do not work. The primary school teachers in government schools are either not showing up, or attending but not teaching and so the education system itself is failing this future generation!

Doctors and nurses are not attending Hospitals, common medicines are not available, people with marketable skills are leaving the country, school books are not being printed for lack of funds to buy paper or ink. Because we are seen as those that have money, the requests for help come fast and furiously and we need wisdom each day to make decisions and operate outside the gray areas of life here.

Walk through your day with unlimited access to personal funds, popping into Walmart to buy a pair of socks (and finding them), or eat a meal that won’t break your cash allowance. Look at the full shelves and be blessed today!

2 Corinthians 1:9-11, 14

“….But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead…. HE WILL DELIVER US. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers….. that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

A DESERT OASIS

In a country where the very breath of life is pained and full of effort, the miracle of the Village of Hope stands as an oasis in the desert! We have bread, milk and meat! We continue to find decent medical care for those ailing around us, to feed 150 children daily and even dare to dream of expansions. We have dared to open a school and find school books. If you can even remotely understand the situation we have described above and the way it affects every day life, you will understand that THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IN THIS ECONOMY….. IT IS NOTHING WE HAVE DONE BUT IT IS BECAUSE GOD HAS FOUND FAVOUR WITH THE VILLAGE OF HOPE!!! He is ‘our hope and He will continue deliver us’!

In reality, there are days the very pace of life here is ‘far beyond our ability to endure’ (vs. 8), and days we long to have a Big Mac with a Canadian friend instead of being here, but we also know that we are covered by your prayers through those difficult moments! Thank you to God, to you, and for the times He prompts you to pray! You are indeed ‘our boast’!

PRAISE REPORTS

- occupancy permits for the CHAPS Administration building & school block have been granted! Mr. Musasa and Mrs. Mupinda have moved in!

- Derrik has gained weight, is smiling and playing and settled in to House 1.

- Evernice has had her cast removed and has the all clear from the doctor.

- We ended this term with another successful Fun Day - bringing the kids from the local farm plots who benefit from our feeding program, out for a day of fun, a special meal and treat (pictured left).

- The first ever CHAPS prize giving happened November 30th! We praise God for Takunda - who has risen from a 6% average last year, to third in his class with an overall average of 81% in CHAPS!! (pictured above right)

PRAYER REQUESTS

- For Tinotenda, the 6 year old boy that just moved into our children’s home. His scars are inward and deep. He will need much love and to learn to trust again.

- For Joshua’s eye surgery to happen December 11th.

- For a way forward with Zviko as we are still figuring out therapy appointments and a wheelchair, as he has been diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy.

- For training to happen this week for all new staff members, on recognizing and handling ‘children at risk’.

- For our family’s safety as we take some time to travel and rest this month.

May God bless you and keep you as you prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth! Merry Christmas!!