Merry Christmas from Hope For Life!

Hope For Life Update December 2010

www.HopeForLifeMinistry.org

This month HFLM welcomes our 23^rd member, 13-year-old Djuhudi. The day of Djuhudi’s arrival, the boys began cleaning the house and washing Djuhudi’s new clothes and bedding completely on their own initiative. When Djuhudi finally arrived, the boys ran to him with hugs and immediately began showing him around the house. Djuhudi is an intelligent and inquisitive boy, who is overcoming severe malnutrition from street life. After being abandoned by his immediate family and abused by his extended family, Djuhudi left for the streets. When asked his opinion about HFLM a week into his stay, Djuhudi replied to his social worker, “I like it there. They actually care about how I’m doing and they take good care of me. I don’t want to leave.” Please join us in praying for Djuhudi’s transition into HFLM, asking God for holistic healing, that Djuhudi will not be tempted to leave, and that he’ll come to know Jesus.

Most of the children have returned from visits to their extended family members during their school vacation. The majority of their journeys were successful and they returned to HFLM happy to have seen their relatives. One of the older boys was finally able to reconcile with his family after not seeing them for five years. Because of the positive outcomes, we plan on pursuing further family involvement in HFLM this coming year.

During the children’s school vacation, HFLM staff were able to spend a lot more time with the boys. We’ve enjoyed attending a national soccer match, completing small projects around the house, playing, and studying together. While on a bus earlier this month, the eldest boy, Paul, turned to the staff and randomly stated in perfect English, “You are a gift from God in my life.”

We are so thankful for our sweet boys, our new staff, and the overwhelming peace and joy that have filled our home over the past few months. We are grateful for your support and prayers and want you to be encouraged by knowing that God is not only hearing our prayers, but is thoroughly answering them. Thank you for partnering with us in 2010! We wish you a Christmas full of thankfulness, joy and peace!

Megan Swanson & Hilliary Anderson

November HFLM Update - Good news!

Hope For Life Update November 2010

www.HopeForLifeMinistry.org

We have much good news from Rwanda to celebrate this month! The boys have officially completed their first academic school year, many for the first time in their lives. Two boys received the highest test scores in their class for the entire school year! The oldest boy has passed his exams and will enter secondary school in January. One of our former boys, Claude, also returned to HFLM after leaving for the streets for 5 months. Futhermore, we are starting our family reconciliation program, where each child has the opportunity to visit any existing relatives – we’ve even been able to locate one child’s extended family all the way in Burundi!

Additionally, construction on our new “Hovde House” has finally begun! 6 of the children who do not wish to visit their relatives are staying at HFLM for their holidays. When asked what they’d like to do during their time off of school, they replied, “We want to help build our new house! We can carry rocks and chop bushes and sweep!” Construction is set to be finished mid-February 2011, at which point all staff and children will happily move into our new home.

At the construction site, our land is scattered with lush fruit trees. 7-year-old Emmanuel began helping to pick the ripened fruit, stuffing every pocket he owned full of small mangoes. When local poor children arrived half naked and with bloated stomachs, little Emmanuel looked down at his full pockets, then at the kids, back at his pockets, and back at the children. Suddenly, an idea came to him and a sweet, shy smile began to spread across his face. He reached into his pockets, took out all the mangoes he had and started passing them to all the little kids. I love seeing Jesus in our boys!

Sincerely and gratefully,

Megan & Hilliary

October HFLM Update

Hope For Life Update October 2010
www.HopeForLifeMinistry.org

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” - Ephesians 3:20

In the last month we have seen God powerfully provide for and act on behalf of HFLM. As many of you know, the boys were taken out of our custody for two months and were dealt a hand of trials. The severity of their circumstanced reached the point that they decided living on the streets was more bearable. Thankfully the boys were returned to us last month, before they executed their plans of returning to the streets. When the children were allowed back into our program, we saw that many of their hopes of future prospects had diminished. HFLM’s Children Director, Chantal, explained the truth about what had happened and was able to clear up many of the boy’s misconceptions. Their hope for their futures quickly returned, and we have continued to try our best to ease their confusion.

We have since seen improvements in the daily operations of the home, along with growth in the boys. This progress can largely be credited to our two new staff members, Faustin and Jacky, who have demonstrated a diligent work ethic that has overflowing positive effects on the home. Even the boys have noted that they see a difference in HFLM since Faustin and Jacky joined the team. They have been an encouragement to the boys, and the children in response have greatly taken to them.

Not only has God safely returned the boys to HFLM, He has exponentially blessed us this last month through fundraisers. Both of the art exhibitions in Seattle and D.C. were more successful than we could have ever expected. We are so grateful to everyone that participated and supported the events.

Thank you again for all of your support and for standing by us as we underwent trials. May God get all the glory!

Hilliary Anderson & Megan Swanson

September 2010 Update

We write to you today with much joy and thanksgiving! Last week we received encouraging and amazing news that Josiane decided to return all of our old boys, our previous possessions, and our former house to HFLM’s care! A contract between she and HFLM has been signed, and as of August 30th, the boys are once again in our protection and care! We will promptly be moving back into our formerly rented house with the addition of two new boys who eagerly joined HFLM last month. Please continue to join us in prayer for the boys' healing and restoration. We were distraught to discover their physical, emotional, and spiritual condition due to the trials they have undergone. However, we hold onto the scriptures which tell us that suffering is not without reason or purpose, but that our loving God uses it to refine and mature His people. Thank you for standing by us in prayer and support through these trials. We praise God for opening doors for the boys to be returned to our care and are grateful to have such wonderful, loyal, and encouraging people like yourself around us!

In other news, we have begun construction on our new land and hope to have the house finished by January 2011. Upon its completion, HFLM will be accepting a few more boys into the program and will be adding another staff member to our team. Due to our upcoming expansion, we will have increased financial needs. To help compensate for these anticipated needs we are holding an art exhibition, Creative Change: A Benefit Art Exhibition for Rwandan Street Children. The event will occur on September 18, 2010 at Hallway Gallery in Bellevue, WA. The exhibition will feature pieces from Rwandan artists who grew up in orphanages themselves. Fifty percent of the proceeds will directly benefit HFLM while the remaining fifty percent will support the artists themselves. We look forward to joining you for a meaningful evening filled with beautiful art and wine for the betterment and care of Rwandan children!


Creative Change: A Benefit Art Exhibition for Rwandan Street Children
September 18, 2010
Five to Eight O’clock PM
Bellevue Hallway Gallery
800 Bellevue Way NE
Bellevue, WA 98004

Thank you again for your steadfast partnership during the trials of the last few months. We hope
your faith is encouraged by seeing the Lord’s hand move in HFLM.

You're Invited!

You are invited to CREATIVE CHANGE: A BENEFIT ART EXHIBITION FOR RWANDAN STREET CHILDREN. Hosted by Hallway Gallery in Bellevue on September 18th, the event will feature semi-abstract paintings that portray the beauty and struggles of daily life in East Africa. Displaying a wide variety of artistic styles, canvas sizes, and vibrant colors, the diverse price range of the exhibit offers something for any budget. Half of the funds raised from this event will directly benefit Hope For Life Ministry, while the remaining 50% support Rwandan painters who grew up in orphanages themselves. One of the Rwandan artists will even be in attendance of the exhibition!





We look forward to joining you for a meaningful night filled with beautiful art and wine for the betterment of Rwandan children!

For more information, email swansonhfl@gmail.com

July 2010 Update

This week, HFL staff arrived to see all the boys hard at work cleaning dishes, sweeping, cleaning out their rabbit cages, and washing their clothes. They are motivated by a new program created to encourage them to continue having good behavior and to complete their chores. Staff will randomly draw two names of boys each week, and if they’ve been good, they’ll be taken out by staff for the afternoon and given $2 to spend as they please. Words fill the air at HFL of soccer matches, buying icecream, and having more personal time with staff members.

Six Seattle Pacific University students visiting Rwanda eagerly volunteered to help HFL this month by cleaning and painting our dirty walls and playing with the children. While on his way home from school, eight year old Daniel heard from neighborhood kids that six abazungus (white people) were at his house. When asked why he arrived home from school unusually early before the rest of the boys, he wheezed between heavy breathing, "I was so excited, I ran the whole way back!"


This month, HFL’s newest member Muhawe wants to thank you. Two months ago, Muhawe wore dirty, clothes and a stone cold expression on his face each day as he begged and lived in an abandoned building. Today, Muhawe regularly impresses staff with his humility and servant attitude. While the SPU team scrubbed away grime, Muhawe stood watching. 30 minutes later, he mustered up the courage to ask if he could help. Seeing the huge, delighted grin that spread across his face when we assured him that we’d love his assistance, you’d think we’d just given Muhawe an amazing gift! He eagerly began scrubbing walls and cleaning floors alongside of us, joyfully humming and smiling. We praise God for the changes in this young boy.

"This is Muhawe. I am 12 years old. I pray for you so that you can continue to help us at HFL. I ask God that He’ll let you be able to visit HFL someday. I also thank God because He changed me and took me away from the street and now I’ve stopped taking drugs. Please continue to pray for me. I also thank God because I used to have bugs living in my feet and now they are gone!"

June 2010

(Pacifique and Emmanuel eating lunch.)

Thanks to a grant from the Hovde Foundation to buy land and build a house, HFL now officially owns its own land! HFL staff took the boys on a 15 minute walk to the new piece of land to share the wonderful surprise with them. Upon reaching the plot, they told the boys that the land they were standing on is now theirs. The boys were overjoyed and began cheering and thanking God!

Since the children first came to HFL, they have been interceding with God that He would give HFL land. This answered prayer has been a great encouragement to the boys, and one of the older boys David proclaimed, “I have prayed so much for land, and I know that God has answered my smaller prayers for food and clothes, but I didn’t expect that He would answer such a big request. I am going to pray even more now!"

As everyone walked back to the home, a couple of the boys expressed their fear of needing to change schools due to the location of the new land. Upon hearing their concerns, Veterne spun around in his wheelchair and rebuked them saying, “Are you crazy!? Don’t you think that if God has provided us land and a house that he will provide a car too?” This gave all the staff quite a laugh.

Needs

• Please be praying for Claude. He ran away, and has been unwilling to talk with HFL staff. This is the first time a boy has left in 8 months. We pray that he will come back to the home to stay.
• Most of the boy’s sandals are broken and they are in need of new ones.
• The boys also have been longing for soccer cleats, but we have been unable to afford them.

** If you’d like to give to either of these specific needs, please mail a check to the address on our website or donate through paypal, designating which project you’d like to support (http://www.hopeforlifeministry.org/).

This month, Habimana would like to share his gratitude for your support:
“I am Emmanuel Habimana. I study in primary 3. First of all, I greet you. I am so happy to write to you and am so happy to inform you of that I play soccer, watch T.V., and I’m always at Hope For Life. I hope to see you one day at HFL. Thank you so much for how you help us. God Bless you!"

(Some of the boys in their school uniforms.)

May Update 2010

We are THRILLED to report that our boys have received their report cards from their first term in school. They performed remarkably! 15 out of 20 of our children were in the top 10 of their class, with the average class size being 45 kids. In third grade, Paul had the highest scores in the class, Pacifique took second place, and Habimana took third place. This has been a huge validation of all the hard work HFL’s staff has been doing the past year, preparing the boys academically to re-enter the public school system after so many years away from school. The children are pleased with their scores and a healthy competition has emerged for Term 2 to see who will be first in their classes. Meanwhile, their teachers remain happily stunned! We could not be happier or prouder of their achievements and diligent effort.

Yves, a 13 year old boy in HFL, decided to fast for the first time last month because he wanted to draw closer to God and ask for wisdom to do well in school. The night after his day of fasting, Yves loudly woke up the oldest boy in HFL exclaiming, ‘I think I’m dying! Wake up and make me some food!’ We all had a good laugh the next morning.

This month, Emmanuel wishes to thank you for your support of HFL:

“Hello,
My name is Emmanuel Nshimiyimana and I am 15 years old. I greet all of you, our friends, in America. Today I am so happy because I am in Hope For Life. I am happy because I am studying so well in third grade, because I am becoming a strong child of God and because I know that God helps each person who is sad. I thank God because we are so good here now. I want to tell you thank you so much and I ask that God will bless you for helping us. I hope that you have a good life and to see you in Hope For Life someday. God bless you!
-Emmanuel”

April 2010 Update

Highlights:

• Last month we had a wonderful 1-Year Celebration with the children and community members in Rwanda who have been involved with HFL this past year. Paul shared his testimony with boldness and inspired several people who were in attendance. We wished each of you could have been here to celebrate with us. We look forward to another year together!
• 
  HFL’s new connection program has begun as each child excitedly received their first letter from their penpal. Each child has been encouraged greatly at having a friend in America who would want to be personally involved in their life. When they received their letter and pictures from their pen pals, they ran around the house excitedly yelling and waving their pictures in the air. Thank you to all who are participating and bringing hope to our 20 kids. If you would like to be a penpal to one of our children, email Hilliary at anthill00@hotmail.com
  
  A competition has emerged amongst all the children as they are currently in the middle of their first set of exams. They are studying diligently and can be found everynight praying together on their own initiative, hoping to earn the right to tell their American penpal that they are the smartest student in their class. We are so proud of each child, and particularly of Paul, Veterne, and David whose teachers have reported them as having the highest scores in their classes thus far!
• We are thrilled to report that all of our boys have been tested for HIV/AIDS and all are negative!

Pacifique wishes to thank you each of you for your support. He writes:
“Hello! Most importantly, I greet all of you who live in America and support HFL! I am happy to write you and to tell you we are so happy in HFL. Everyday we watch TV, play soccer, and study. I don’t have any problems in my life now and I am so happy to go to school. I am also happy to sleep in a good bed and to have a bed room. I praise God because He is big and He gives me life.. Thank you so much for helping us! God bless you so much. Love, Pacifique.“

March Update

Your partnership has helped 22 children successfully complete their first month of public school! We have seen immense fruits from our labor over the past year, working to increase the academic level of our children through remedial school and lessons at home. All seven boys in 1st grade have excelled beyond their curriculum, and Paul’s 4th grade teachers have reported him as “chief” of his class intellectually and in leadership! This is a miracle given that one-year ago Paul couldn’t read or write.

Highlights

• HFL has accepted its 20th child into our residential program. Eight-year old Muhawe has been accessing our drop-in services for several months, and began staying at HFL when he contracted a severe case of malaria one month ago. He is now healthy, healing from extreme familial trauma, and is happily enrolled in school for the first time in his life.
  
• Two HFL Staff are going back to school to complete their Bachelor’s degrees as they were financially unable to do so until now. We are excited to be a part of equipping and training Rwanda’s leaders.
  
• HFL has purchased 50 chickens to generate income! Thank you to all who donated through the quilt raffle and enabled us to begin this project.
  
• HFL has the opportunity of possibly receiving a grant from Hovde Foundation (www.hovdefoundation.org), which would enable us to buy land, build a house, and begin agricultural self-sustainability projects. Please be praying that the grant proposal will be accepted.
  
• There have been several grenade bombing attacks in Kigali the past few weeks, which have been attributed to the upcoming Presidential elections. The attacks are occurring far from HFL, but please pray for God’s protection of our staff and boys, and the overall country of Rwanda.

On March 13th, HFL is happily celebrating its 1-year anniversary since rescuing 11 boys from prison and establishing HFL. We can’t thank you enough for your partnership this past year in caring for the total 22 children now enrolled in our program. Each child has a truly remarkable story of transformation, and we could not be happier! We hope you are encouraged to trust our good God and to continue being involved in building the kingdom of God in Rwanda. From all 22 children and 7 staff
Morning stretchesin HFL, Murakoze Cyane (Thank you so much)!

February Update

Highlights

• On February 1st, the children began attending public school! With your partnership, we have been able to equip 21 children to go to school and better their futures. The eldest is in primary 6 and all the small ones are in primary 1. Please be praying for the success of our boys and that they would not get discouraged in their studies or by the fact that the students in their classes are all younger than them.
  
• Play For Hope, a Christian sports ministry organization, held a soccer clinic with our kids, teaching them drills to improve their skills. The kids had a wonderful time and several local street boys participated as well. Their staff noticed a huge difference in our kids exclaiming, “Whatever you have done, you’ve certainly done it right! These boys are so different from when they arrived at HFL.”
  
• We continue to be in relationship with local street children who regularly come to HFL to wash, to receive a meal, to pray, and to be accompanied to the doctor if they are severely sick. Each day, several of these boys beg staff to be accepted in HFL.
  
• Your chance is finally here to connect with one of the boys at HFL on a personal level – to learn more about his family history, his interests, his dreams, and to begin communicating directly with him via emails. No financial participation is required to participate. Simply email Hilliary Anderson at anthill00@hotmail.com and tell her you’d like to get involved. We hope you will be transformed as much as we have by being in relationship with these children.


• For more stories and information on what is happening at Hope For Life, check out Megan's blog: http://www.megstersblogs.blogspot.com/ .
  

Paul, one of the oldest and most mature boys in HFL wishes to be the one to thank each of you for your support this month. He boldly exclaims, “God sees your generosity and will have rewards waiting in heaven for all you have done for us.”

January Update

Umwuka mushya! Happy New Year from the children and staff of Hope For Life! December proved to be a monumental month for HFL as 11 children and 1 staff member were joyfully baptized on Christmas day, 50 chickens were purchased to generate income for HFL, and 5 more children were accepted into HFL. Your support has played an enormous role in allowing 21 children to begin this year with renewed hope, excitement for beginning their studies in public school, and immense joy at what they’ve been given. Their lives and hearts have been completely transformation since this time last year.

The Sunday before Paul’s baptism, he boldly stood up with tears streaming down his face and announced that he had something to say. He confessed that he had lied about his family history and was not Rwandan. Convinced he would be forced to leave the home, he declared, “Now I can tell you the truth about my past because I know Jesus. I know that He is always with me and that He is going to take care of me wherever I am, even if I’m on the streets again.” This exhibition of faith initiated a night of confession from all of the boys. The night ended in many tears, hugs, and affirmations of forgiveness and love, furthering the boys’ holistic healing. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” –James 5:16

This is but one story of the dramatic transformation that is occurring at each heart in HFL. May their boldness, healing, and faith inspire you. For more information on the daily happenings at HFL, read Megan’s blog at http://www.megstersblogs.blogspot.com/.