HFLM Update December 2013

“There’s an emergency, come quick!” exclaimed Yassipi, one of the boys at HFLM. Staff rushed into the home and saw orange flames emerging from one of the bedrooms. Only moments earlier, Yassipi heard a “pop” in the bedroom and entered to find a wooden chair caught on fire by a faulty voltage regulator and a sparking outlet. He rushed to tell staff and by the time they arrived the room was ablaze.

Isiaka and Baby grieving over their destroyed room and lost belongings

Immediately staff evacuated the children from the building. They started filling buckets of water and throwing it on the fire, but soon discovered the fire was growing much quicker than the dribbling water pressure could combat.  For a brief moment, everyone despaired, believing that the whole home would burn down. In the midst of prayers, neighbors came rushing over and yelled, “Dirt! Throw dirt on the fire!” The neighbors, staff, and children worked in unison, filling buckets and any accessible container with dirt. After 15 minutes of throwing dirt on the fire, the flames began to die down. Staff was able to re-enter the smoldering house and continued to pile soil on the burning furniture until all of the flames were extinguished.

The neighbors, kids, and staff all joined each other outside and began praising the Lord for saving the house from burning down, and most importantly, that no one was hurt. We are so grateful for our neighbors, without whom all would surely have been lost. There were only two things that made it out of the fiery room unscathed; one was an integrated mathematics book, and the other was the Bible.  When the Bible was discovered, a few of the boys began singing “there is power in the name of Jesus!”  It was a powerful moment that will not soon be forgotten.

Baby holding his Kinyarwanda bible that survived the fire

Although we are extremely grateful there were not greater losses, the fire has been a setback to HFLM and has shaken the boys. After taking inventory of all that was destroyed by the fire, we’ve estimated it will cost $1,450 to rebuild the three rooms scathed by the fire, and $350 for lost materials. We will be starting the rebuilding process soon and hope to have the boys back in their bedrooms by Christmas. It took a whole community to put the flames out and it will take help from our HFLM community to rebuild.

One of the rooms damaged by the fire

In light of the losses we experienced, we would love to make this Christmas special for the boys. Here’s how you can help:

• Rebuilding HFLM: Give towards the $1,450 we need to rebuild and repair our home.
  
• Replacing Materials:  Give towards purchasing $350 worth of items lost in the fire: $100 for clothing, $90 for mattresses and bedding, $40 for school materials, and $120 for furniture and curtains.
  
• Christmas: Help us host a Christmas celebration that will cost $100 and will include a special meal for all children and staff.
  
• Education: We’d like to send all of our boys to a private school where they will receive a higher quality education. With a lower teacher to student ratio, the children will receive more specialized instruction and attention that will have a lasting impact on their future. The first trimester begins in January and we need to raise $3,500 to cover their first trimester of tuition.

To make donations towards these needs, visit HFLM's website.

In other news, thank you for your prayers regarding our Executive Director, Torey, and her plight in obtaining a visa. Immigration has allowed her to remain in Rwanda while she is in the appeal process, as previously they were threatening to force her immediate departure. Please continue to pray for God’s providence in this situation as we wait for immigration’s final decision. Thank you for playing your part in HFLM. We couldn’t succeed without such a generous, faithful, and loving community to support us!

To see the complete story of the fire, visit Ryan Dalbey’s blog here.

November Update 2013



 “My name is Grace!” five year old Grace proclaimed excitedly.  It is a rare sight seeing someone so proud to declare their name, but up until this last month, 5 year old Grace had no name to share.

Grace holding her new doll. She immediately named her Cynthia.

 

Last update we introduced Benjamin and his twin sister Grace who we found living in a marketplace.  When we brought the twins to HFLM, we were shocked to discover they believed their names to be “boy” and “girl”. During the 2 weeks Grace was at HFLM, Torey sat her down and explained that although she is a girl, that is not who she is. “You have a special identity to your Heavenly Father. We want to tell people who you are by giving you a unique name.” The name Grace came easily as we saw her Heavenly Father’s evident love for her, caring for her and giving her a brand new start in life. Torey shared with Grace that her name will continue to grow meaning as her story unfolds and as she understands her redemption. 

Because HFLM is a center for boys, Grace only stayed with us temporarily. She is currently at a loving home and looks forward to HFLM’s weekly visits bringing Benjamin to see her. In January, the twins will both move to a new center called Africa New Life allowing them to be reunited and also attend one of the best schools offered in Rwanda. 

Grace wearing Charlie's glasses (When she first came to HFLM, all she owned was this onesie and torn skirt).

 

A huge gift that continually blesses our organization is the wonderful volunteers that come serve in Rwanda. This month we are excited to introduce you to our Sustainability Coordinator, Charlie Gladtisch: 

Hello friends of HFLM! My name is Charlie. I arrived at the end of September and will stay for one year. My role as the Sustainability Coordinator includes implementing income-generating projects, working to reintegrate boys into their families, and networking with other organizations to help meet our needs. I have loved getting to know the boys, especially watching them grow into men of God in our semi-weekly bible studies.



Eric showing another one of his creative ideas

A few weeks ago, the little boys and I read about treating our neighbors as we would like to be treated. I began to close the lesson when 11 year old Eric interrupted with a stern look on his face, “Why can’t we give our leftover food to the boys still on the streets?” My thoughts skirted from security risks to difficult implementation, but I realized that God can easily brush those barriers aside. Even if it’s just an extra bowl of rice, we do have more to give. It’s beautiful to see the boys challenge us to follow Christ more closely. After a long pause, I told Eric he’s absolutely right, and we’d look into it.

October Update 2013

We are experimenting with HFLM’s update style and would love to hear your feedback. Recently we were quite touched by God’s hand at work and we share with you this unfolding story. Hope For Life’s Children’s Director, Chantal, recently heard about two young children who were living in a nearby market. Shortly after, Chantal and I (Torey) began a search to find the children. Chantal, known as Mama Muto (small mama) throughout is a master at weaving through the busy market.

We found ourselves in an area of the market most would avoid, as it is dirty and filled with a thick smell of urine. In the midst of hardened faces and swarming flies, there stood a pair of five-year-old twins  who lit up as we arrived. The boy having heard of HFLM already had an idea of why we were there. However, as our ministry is only a home for boys, we stared in bewilderment at his sister wondering how we might also care for her. The instantaneous decision was to bring her to HFLM and provide a shower, meal and love, even if only for the day. 





Benjamin holding hands with his sister

 

While in transit to HFLM, we posed question after question to better understand the background of these adorable twins. We soon realized these children believed their names to be “Mahungu” and “Makobwa”, which directly translates to boy and girl in Kinyarwanda. Having grown up on the streets and in the market, their innocence was robbed and experiencing cruelty and abuse became normal. With their father in and out of the hospital due to epilepsy and an absent mother, they were left to find their own way and care for each other.

 

As we approached HFLM, the twins were wide eyed taking in their new surroundings while tightly holding onto our hands. It was so painfully obviously how starved for affection these little ones were. Tears began streaming down their cheeks every time we would put them down or let go of their hands. However, when moments of bravery sparked, the boy would go play soccer with Olivier, a 14 year old residing at HFLM.

Top: Benjamin with a volunteer. Bottom: Benjamin's sister wearing a spare shirt as we washed her clothes.

 

After the first week of living at our home, the staff named our new boy Benjamin after Jacob’s youngest child in the Bible.  Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son, just like our Benjamin is HFLM’s little one. Having a little one at the home has shifted roles at HFLM and it has been fun watching the boys nurture and care for him.  Our HFLM boys recently came up with personal goals and Olivier lovingly shared, “I want to show Benjamin how to do things. I want to be a big brother for him here.” Olivier has fully taken on this role and is often hand in hand with him helping with his chores or washing their clothes together.

Benjamin has become an integral part of our family and is no longer defined by the market. He has a new name, a new home, and a new spirit. His kindness, affection and infectious smile make our days brighter. We continue to search for a stable home for his sister.  Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we look for the best placement for her and also for Benjamin as he transitions into his new home at HFLM. Thank you for your support and being part of this life transforming work.