Hope For Life April 2012 Update

Tear drops hit the red dust near a little boy’s bare feet. His bloated yet empty stomach protrudes under tattered overalls that hang loosely from his shoulders. His bed is the protective walls of the street gutters where sewage freely oozes through, and his scarce meals are bartered from the coins given by a rare passerby that tosses him their sympathy. Although only 5 years old at the time, Nsabiri lived on the streets, had no home, and no one was looking after him. Sobbing he cried out, “Please, don’t leave me here. I don’t want to sleep in the street gutters anymore!” Six months later Nsabiri’s cries were answered when HFLM officially opened on March 14^th, 2009.

This last week, Hilliary was able to share Nsabiri’s story and the stories of so many others with similar plights who shared Nsabiri’s hunger for a different life. Standing in front of 700 middle school and high school students at Cedar Park Christian School (CPCS), she was able to touch the hearts of the students and provide hope for them to do something for others less fortunate. Many of the students were inspired by the transformation underway at HFLM. Each student had a picture of one of the boys under their seats and was challenged to take that picture and pray for that boy. The students excitedly went around the sanctuary, snatching up any leftover pictures. One girl shared that she had taken over 16 pictures, taped them to her mirror as a call to prayer for the boys. She also engaged her mother who has joined in the prayer for the boys. It was touching to see the response of the student body at CPCS and their hearts for the vulnerable children in Rwanda that are their age.

Every child has a right to be fed, clothed, educated, receive shelter, and have their medical needs treated. It costs approximately $98 a month to do this for each of the boys at HFLM. Please consider investing in one of the boys at HFLM and sponsor him to receive these basic human needs so they can continue to open their hearts to Jesus. We currently have 17 boys who need sponsors. If you are interested in serving as a sponsor, or even partially sponsoring a child, please email Hilliary at andersonhfl@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, in Rwanda another trimester of school has been completed at HFLM and the boys are on break. We are excited to welcome home Veterne and Claude who are attending boarding school. Veterne was excited to come home and share his knowledge of sign language and the other skills he has learned at his specialized boarding school. He continues his physical therapy learning how to walk, and more and more takes part in those games and activities that involve walking and running. When the whole family is home, we have the opportunity to further invest in their lives as we put on special events along with the times of prayer. We cherish these times of break and they stand as markers of the growth and development of all at HFLM.

Thanks to the Hovde Foundation, HFLM now has three computers providing the opportunity for the boys to learn computer skills. Most people in Rwanda never have the chance to own a computer, learn to type, or use computer programs. This training will further enable and train our boys to succeed in future careers. We are so grateful for the continuing support of the Hovde Foundation.

We are all so very thankful for how well the boys are doing and the consistency they have had in their lives through being at HFLM. Your support makes this possible and we can’t begin to tell you how much it means to us and more importantly to the boys. Thank You!

Hope For Life March 2012 Update

“This is one of the most fun things I have done in my life!” exclaimed several boys as they swam for their first time in a pool. Corban and Laura Cooper treated the boys and HFLM staff to a swimming day and lunch at a nearby hotel. The boys were thrilled to have the opportunity to go swimming and show off their dog paddling skills. Staff member Gustave grew up near a lake and could be seen with a huge smile doing back flips into the pool. The boys followed his lead and one by one without pause leaped into the pool, literally jumping on top of each other. The Coopers had to quickly grab the boys and explain the need for safety precautions. Thankfully all the boys made it home without injuries, bringing ecstatic smiles with them! It was touching to see the “tough” boys have the opportunity to let go and just be boys.

Another exciting innovation is that HFLM has begun an outreach program for the local street children. Every week we welcome them to the HFL home and provide for their various needs. Thirteen boys originally participated and the program has continued to grow. The street boys who attend have the chance to bathe, wash their clothes, eat lunch, socialize, and join in a devotion to hear the gospel. When these children were asked what it meant to be a Christian they responded with remarks such as: being a good person, going to church, and even one said speaking in tongues. Corban shared that even though good deeds are a fruit of being a Christian, we cannot earn our way to heaven through good works. It is through faith in Christ and faith alone that we are saved.

We are thankful for the development of the staff and the impact on the boys’ lives. We pray that God continues to draw them to know Him more. Please join us in prayer for staff unity; for the well being of all of our boys; and for the continued success of the outreach program. AndMurakoze cyane (thank you so much) for your support and prayers.

February Update 2012

This last month, the boys and staff at Hope for Life have experienced tremendous growth and maturity in Christ. We have been blessed to have Corban and Laura Cooper serving as the Assistant Directors. They have been leading bible studies with the staff that has brought everyone together in unity. Having heart to heart conversations with individual boys to encourage them in their relationship with Christ, the Coopers have become influential role models in the boys' and staff’s lives. And of course, their two daughters love their new play mates!

Paul has been at HFLM for 3 yearsOne of the boys who continues to be positively impacted by those at HFLM is Paul. We asked him if he would help write our newsletter this month and he decided to share his testimony. Paul was born into, as he would say, "a miserable life." His family slept on dirt floors under a patched tin roof, and would go several days at a time without food. As a young boy, Paul was hired out by his family to work on farms as an animal caretaker, and he gave his meager earnings to help his family survive. Working away from his family, he was introduced to destructive behavior. Eventually, this course of behavior led him to leave his family and move to the capital city, Kigali.

"Life was not easy in Kigali. I started spending the night on the streets and taking up bad habits such as cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. I even began stealing. During that time, I wondered what would become of my life, but I couldn't find the answer."

Veterne playing with Petra CooperIt was when Paul met Hilliary, Chantal and Megan that his life changed. "They were the people God used to speak into my miserable life." Paul was one of the original street boys taken in by Hope for Life. He explains that his life slowly began to change as he was introduced to prayer, studying, and good behavior. "My life changed completely when I made the decision to receive Jesus Christ." Paul was able to break his old habits and he began going back to school, where he is now preparing for the National exams. Paul credited prayer as the intervention God used to free him from his addiction to cocaine saying, “I felt God clean my mind.” He is enthusiastic about his studies and especially relishes the opportunity to learn English. Every cent he earns, he saves to one day buy a radio and listen to English stations. Although education is important to him, he told us that "the most important thing I know is to obey God because out of all things I know and will know, they all are in Him."

Paul asked for us to share this verse with you, because it changed his life. Psalms 1: 1-2 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night”.

This verse sets the tone for this month's update. While we continue to be grateful for what God has been doing in Hope for Life, we still face many challenges and ask you to join us in prayer. Please pray for the Coopers in this ministry and for their daughter Petra whose health is struggling, for the boys’ continued transformation as they grow deeper in their relationships with Jesus, and for them to understand true forgiveness and repentance. Additionally, we have been able to reconcile three of our boys with their families: Obed, Jackson, and John Hagenimana. We will be financially sponsoring these boys so that they can live with their families. If you would like to sponsor one of these boys, please email Hilliary at andersonhfl@gmail.com. Furthermore, we ask for prayer that our farming endeavor will be profitable and sustainable. Thank you for continual love and support.

New Year Update 2012

Hope For Life wishes you a Happy New Year! Thank you to everyone who donated money so that our boys could have a Christmas celebration. A Rwandan organization also contributed, taking the boys to play soccer and share a meal with many other vulnerable children. The boys had the opportunity to hear a motivating testimony of a former street boy who has now grown up and leads a successful life.

In Rwanda, most people celebrate their birthday on New Years. This big birthday party was an incredibly exciting day for the boys and the staff at HFLM. Spurts of giggling and singing filled the home and every face was lit up with a smile. Each boy received a birthday cake with candles and everyone sang happy birthday as the candles were blown out. Claude, who had never celebrated a birthday before, eyed the other boys and quickly blew out his candles as well. Not knowing what a birthday candle was, he proceeded to eat it. He was quite surprised to discover it was wax and not edible! Afterwards, two guests, Erin and Karen, taught the boys various crafts and games. Even the oldest boys Paul and David had a blast. They all made lions out of paper plates, glue and pens.

Thanks to the Hovde Family’s donation, three bleating goats have made their home at HFLM! The boys, most notably Berco, have learned to shepherd and care for the goats. We will be raising and breeding goats to help with the self-sustainability of the home.

This last month we lost two of our HFLM staff, Gakuru and Jean Baptist. The overturn of staff is always a difficult adjustment for the boys. Please join us in praying for stability in the boys’ lives and for God to continue to mold their hearts. Similarly, we are grieving the loss of Yves, Habimana, Donath, and Muhawe. These boys left for the third time and therefore lose their option to return to HFLM. Even though they are no longer at HFLM, we love them and know they are not a lost cause to God. We pray that God will work in their hearts and turn their lives around.

Thank you all for reading our update and joining us in prayer. Your encouragement and generous support are essential to this ministry.

Hope For Life December 2011 Update

The past month has been very eventful at HFLM despite most of the boys staying with family or relatives for a portion of their two-month school holiday. Six boys stayed at HFLM for the whole holiday break, which means the home is a bit quieter than normal.

Over the break, many of the boys have been thriving while staying at their relative’s homes. One in particular, Uwimana, has impressed us with his continued diligence to attend church and choir practice on his own initiative. Each Sunday since staying with his relatives, he has walked two hours to attend church and choir practice with the rest of the HFLM boys. Although many of the boys found their home situations improved, some have found life at home even more difficult than when they first left to the streets. As a result, a few of the boys temporarily went back to the streets.

When Chantal and Hilliary were looking for one of the HFLM boys on the streets, they encountered two young boys named Puppy (7) and Eric (9). These boys were covered from head to toe with painful sores and itchy bites caused from scabies. Moved by compassion at the conditions of these boys, they decided to take them to HFLM. When the Puppy and Eric arrived at HFLM, their faces lit up at the new prospect of life. Puppy has lived in severe poverty his whole life and was finally forced to the streets a couple months ago. Eric has lived on the streets for over two years because his stepfather refuses to allow him to live at home with his mother. They have adjusted very well and are now thriving at HFLM!

The Coopers arrived in Kigali in mid-November and will be helping with Hilliary’s duties while she is in the States. Corban and Laura, with their two young daughters Kaiah (5) and Petra (2) have transitioned well. They are learning how HFLM runs and the many things needing to be done. They joined HFLM for a big Thanksgiving meal where they heard testimonies from the boys about how Jesus has filled their hearts with gratitude. After a message from the Bible about being thankful, everyone went around and shared what they are thankful for. The two new boys were thankful for being able to come to HFLM and one praised God that he is finding healing from his scabies. Jackson melted Laura’s heart when he said he was thankful that God has changed him to be a “good boy now”. It’s amazing to see that God can and does change the hearts of all of us.

Thank you all for your support and prayers! Please continue to pray for the boys while they are visiting their families, for Emmanuel who has returned to the streets, and for the Coopers as they are learning the ropes at HFLM.

November 2011 Update

We are excited to have completed our second full year of school at HFLM! We are very proud of the boys for all of their hard work and how well they have done. In particular, we have been very impressed with Paul, who was the 1st in his class of over 50 students for the third trimester in a row! His diligence and hard work goes beyond his studies and can be seen in his spiritual life and his willingness to help those around him.

Daniel, another boy who we are extremely proud of, has been a role model to all of the boys with his work ethic and servant’s heart. Every day he can be seen at Jacky’s side, who is called “Tantine” (Auntie), helping her cook and clean. He has been dubbed the name of honor, “Little Tantine,” which he proudly bears and grins broadly every time he hears it called. Later this week, we are going to surprise him with a gift in honor of his inspirational character. Recently, Tantine discretely asked him, “If you could have anything, what would you want?” He responded, “My very own Bible and a new pair of shoes.”
The boys now have two months of holiday, and almost all of them are going home to spend anywhere from 10 to 60 days with their families or relatives. We are looking forward to this time, as the boys will have the opportunity to further reconcile with their families. Also, their families will no doubt notice the transformation that has taken place in their lives. We ask you to join with us in prayer for the boys who may face minimal parental guidance and supervision while they are home. Please pray that they will stand strong as they face temptations and peer pressure.

The arrival of the Cooper family this month represents a prayer that has been answered. The Coopers will be volunteering at HFLM for the next 6 months, assisting with the Executive Director position. This will provide a positive family model for the boys and allows Hilliary to return to the States so she can complete her student teaching (her last semester) at Moody Bible Institute.

We thank everyone who donated money to purchase Bibles last month! We were able to buy 11 Bibles and a book store has also agreed to donate a few more. It is a gift that is truly treasured by the boys. Even the smallest boys who don’t know how to read, excitedly flip through the pages, imagining the stories behind the ink. We also often catch 15 year old Berco hiding in the corner reading the Bible, or sneaking off with one after devotions.

We would like to thank all of you again for the support and prayers that makes the transformation in these boys’ lives possible.

October 2011 Update

After spending almost a month in the USA, HFLM warmly received Hilliary back to Rwanda. We have found October to already be a busy month as we’ve witnessed God continuing to move and as we face several new challenges.

One area that HFLM is excited about is the spiritual growth in the boys since coming to HFLM, especially noticeable in 13-year-old Djuhudi. When he first came to HFLM, Djuhudi clung to his Islamic roots and refused to go to church or pray with the rest of the children. In the last several months, however, we have witnessed God greatly moving in Djuhudi’s heart. One afternoon, after hearing a message on salvation, the boys had the opportunity to share what they’d learned. Djuhudi proclaimed, “I now know that when I die and come before God, I will not be saved because of my good works, but because of my faith in Jesus Christ.” This is an incredibly encouraging reminder to us of the purpose of our work.

Conversely, many new challenges have surfaced at HFLM. We ask you to join us in prayer over the difficulties we are facing as it has come to our attention that two former staff members have taken up residence near HFLM’s home and have been meeting with our boys on their way to school. The boys have been greatly influenced by these meetings, and several are under a strong power of manipulation. We know that children are easily influenced, and our prayer is that they would not be influenced by evil, but instead by what is Godly and true. Please pray for them to have discernment, to not to be easily swayed towards evil, and that the lies and manipulations of these former staff members would cease.

We also ask you to join us in prayer for team unity. We have hired several new staff members and are all trying to learn how to work together. In light of the other challenges we are facing, we ask you to pray that our new team will be able to serve together in unity and receive strength to handle the challenges of ministry and working with children from adverse backgrounds.

Another tangible way you can assist us is by contributing towards purchasing additional Bibles. In spite of the difficulties HFLM is facing, we feel this would be an especially valuable time to invest in this project. If you would like to contribute please email Hilliary at andersonhfl@gmail.com. Thank you for continuing to stand in partnership with us. None of the progress we see would be possible without you.