For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Although Jesus, the Son of God, existed from all eternity He came to earth as a child 2000 years ago. Because He came as a child to a life of poverty, He understands what our children experience. Because He understands and cares, He comes to them, and to us, as -…

(read more via the .pdf below)

Here at the Village of Hope Zimbabwe our school is a major part of our Village. It consists of our Preschool with 3 teachers and 88 children ages 3 to 5; our Primary-School (CHAPS – Cornelius Hope Academy Primary School) Grades 1 – 7 with 14 teachers and 382 children; and our developing Secondary-School-(CHASS) currently comprised of 51 students in Form 1 (Grade and Form 2 (Grade 9). In January we will open our newly constructed building housing Form 3 (Grade 10) with accommodation for Form 4 (Grade 11) in 2012…

(read more in the .pdf below)

While Canadians are celebrating Thanksgiving, we here at the Village of Hope have been celebrating and giving thanks also. Our greatest reason for celebrating is always the children – we see first-hand the difference that this Village is making in the lives of hundreds of little ones. Celebrate with us!

This weekend we also celebrated for four days the 10th Anniversary of Hope Community Church – in so many ways the hub of the Village of Hope Zimbabwe. With special speakers, including our Overseas Missions Director Rev. Murray Cornelius, much music, good food, games and activities, drama by the children, etc. we all rejoiced in the goodness of God over the past ten years. It was a wonderful time of Celebration. But with the Celebration also comes the challenge of how to accommodate the growing needs of this packed out church. (for more including pictures see the .pdf below)

To each portion, God has set time and days of His choosing. What better example than from Jeremiah speaking with the captive Israelites in Babylon,

 “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future….” (Jer. 29:10-11)

Or can it be put more plainly than in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…”

…(read the rest of the newsletter below)

Not so long ago, a dear friend, VOH Board Member and Hope Community Church’s Associate Pastor K. Chipise, preached on ‘revisiting the altars in our life’. Revisiting gives us an opportunity to remind God – the way Moses (Deut. 9), Nehemiah (Neh. 1) , Aaron (Exodus 24) and other ‘old Faithfull’s did – of His promises along the way… (read more via the .pdf below)

- ceilings are being completed in our first ever youth boys apartment! Jeff is now 18 and Social Welfare would prefer he be out of the homes, now that he is legally an adult.

- the SS washroom block has final touches going on – just need to finish the plastering and plumbing.

- our students are finishing up their final exams and taking in last classes, before they take a break for the month of August. Term 3 for 2011 starts up again September 6th.  We are proud of some of the awesome results of our resident kids – the very ones you sponsor!  Pam, Daniel, Esheka, Yvonne, Karen…..

- one of our housemoms lost her father last week – please pray for her and the family as they grieve.

- histories and profiles are being completed for about 25 new children to start school in January 2012 at CHAPS!  These are ones that would not afford to go to school without help and come from desperate situations.  Please pray about taking a new one on sponsorship and helping them achieve their dreams!

- the medical clinic is now being furnished – the next step in the registration process.

To God be the glory!!

The washroom block for the Secondary School is nearing completion (pictured right).  Once done – this will allow our Registration to be independent, and not under another local school! Thank you! And the electricity for the first ever boys youth apartment is going in.

At the end of June we received an anxiously awaited for container from our friends in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada! WHAT A BLESSING! As a riding tractor, school uniforms, laptops for the computer lab (happy students assisting with the off load and set up, pictured below), sewing machines to teach Fashions & Fabrics, and other items too numerous to mention were loaded off to shouts of praise!

And we celebrated as our sports teams from the school earned a name for themselves – girls Netball & Volleyball teams in 1st place!

The downside of these last 2 weeks have been the many and looonnnnggg electricity cuts which makes business and cooking dinners a challenge.  And in the midst of a Zimbabwe winter, means being outside in the cold cooking over a fire, that much more of a challenge.