A couple weeks ago, I received an email from Hillary with Home of Hope sharing some unexpected good news that brought me to tears.
The two girls my wife and I have been sponsoring in Rwanda, Anualita (18) and Shillo (7), “are doing so well they are no longer in need monthly sponsorship!” Hillary said that Anualita has worked hard to become a seamstress, and is working regularly and is able to support herself! Shillo’s mother has started a successful small business, leading to freedom and independence again. Wow!
Hillary was thankful, but I can’t thank her and HOH enough for what they’ve done through obedience and God’s grace.
She said, “These are my favourite updates because there is nothing like seeing children come out of poverty through sponsorship!”
Part of me is sad that I never expected this message.
I can’t relate to the struggle, or how much $40 a month can do in a child’s life. I didn’t think about ingenuity and ways out of poverty sooner than a high school diploma and hopefully a steady job for these girls.
I’m amazed that with Anualita and Shillo, that small, regular seed of money has started to break the cycle of poverty.
I know there’s a lot more to it than the dollars. HOH has been faithful with making sure all the funds go directly to the children, even though administration has it’s costs. The team is working hard to be upfront with how it handles finances, and I think that spreads to those they help. It has led to strong, beautiful, smiling, Jesus-loving people who have their chins raised high.
I’ve been a sponsor for about 10 years.
My first sponsor child with Home of Hope was Simon, who was about 13 at the time. I’ve heard great things about Simon over the years, too. He brought me to tears three years ago with a video of him with a translator, saying thank you, explaining where he was aspiring to go in his next stage of life (get his driver’s license), and saying that he was praying for us. What a blessing it is to be prayed for by my brother in Rwanda.
Moving ahead, Hillary said there are two more desperate girls living at the Dream Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, who need sponsorship. I’m proud to say my wife and I are now sponsoring Jessica and Esther, who are sisters recently abandoned by their mother at the local police station. I can’t imagine the heartache of that mom, but I’m excited to see what God will do in the lives of her daughters through sponsorship and the work of Home of Hope. I pray she can hope again, too.
We have been given such a blessed time and place to be alive in Canada, and I’m excited to see what God puts on our son’s heart to do to be helpful to his neighbours.
Thank you Home of Hope for all you do.
–Britton, Jocelyn and Ari