January 2012 Praise and Prayer Requests

Please join us in praying for the work in Eburru and in praising God for the mighty ways in which He answers our prayers!

Praises:

• For a solid foundation and continued growth in our child sponsorship program
• Mike S. has volunteered to serve as the new David’s Hope new accountant!
• Over 400 generous donors and sponsors contributed to David’s Hope during 2011, representing both churches and individuals. December’s giving almost doubled the giving from all previous months in 2011.
• 21 people were baptized in Eburru on December 11th
•  Feast Party was held on Christmas Day in Eburru.  All of the Camp Brethren staff were invited and the gospel message was shared! (Staff represents distributors, ground men, teachers, cooks, lab tech, nurses and others)
• Funding was provided to supply each of the 12 orphanage residents with 3 sets of school uniforms
• A new teacher was hired for the new 3rd grade class!

Prayer Requests

• 2012 goal is to increase from twelve to sixteen orphans in orphanage.  This will require additional funding to meet their needs
• Camp Brethren School will go from 2 standard classes to 3 in January and will be able to accomodate 200 students
• A new 3rd grade teacher and a new class of students will join the existing Camp Brethren family in January for the 2012 school year’s start.  Pray for smooth transitions and a successful school year
• Logistics and planning for Pastor Steve’s upcoming trip to the USA in late March/early April
• Opportunities to share the work of Camp Brethren with potential partners in the US
• Funding is needed for new textbooks, electricity for the school & the construction of 5 more classrooms in 2012
• Next David’s Hope Leadership meeting on January 15th
• Bank wire transfers to go through correctly; there have been some technical issues with this lately
• For safe & quick completion of the orphanage parent’s house and teacher’s dorm in January
• For a new orphanage cook for to accept position & alleviate the growing workload on the school cook

Christmas Catalog: End of Year Giving to Help Eburru

Your money goes a long way in Eburru! It is amazing what a blessing even the smallest donations are in this remote African village.

As you go about your Christmas preparations, we ask that you consider making a one time or monthly donation to David’s Hope International.  Check out our Christmas Catalog for some gift options or simply make a general donation to fund the greatest needs in Eburru at this moment.  We are extremely thankful for any amount you feel led to give. Your generosity will make a difference and spread holiday joy this season!

Blog Post: David’s Hope Leadership Retreat Recap

This past weekend, the David’s Hope Leadership team and some of our awesome volunteers were able to sneak away to the mountains to do some planning for the year to come and just bond as a team and get to know one another better. It was pretty cool to get away with folks from a number of different churches and backgrounds all in support of the work God is doing in the rural village of Eburru, Kenya. I had a true sense of the church body in getting to know how each of us are wired and gifted differently. And, how God can use all of us in support of the work He is doing in Eburru.

What amazes me is the impact that this place has on people. We had a range of people at the retreat that went from a person who’s never been to Kenya all the way to someone who’s been there multiple times starting 11 years ago. I think there are two things about Eburru that are so attractive to us Americans. First, the people of Kenya are so warm and hospitable and just generally grateful not only for what we have brought but more importantly what God has done. By American standards life is not easy in Eburru. Not by a long shot. But, in every conversation we have with Pastor Steve and Mary we hear them say “God is good.” If only I was as quick to remember that in my day to day challenges. I have so much to learn from the people of Kenya.

Second, it is so easy to see how God is tangibly improving this place. I last went to Eburru in January. Since that time, electricity has been installed in a number of the facilities David’s Hope supports. I know that doesn’t seem like a lot but it is huge for this little village. When I was there in 2006, the roads were full of potholes and drivers had to swerve their way around them. This year the majority of the roads were about as good as the roads in DC (not that that’s saying much…). I wish it was as tangible for me to see God moving and improving things for me here in the day to day. I think it’s a matter of perspective and giving credit where credit is due. It’s all too easy for me to think I had something to do with changes that happen in my own life, when in reality it’s all under His control.

Thanks for checking in with David’s Hope. We hope that in reading through this blog and our website in general, you will be reminded that… God is good!

- Cindy
(Outreach, Partnerships & Volunteer Director)

November 2011 Praise and Prayer Requests

Please join us in praying for the work in Eburru and in praising God for the mighty ways in which He answers our prayers!

Praises:

• A new bull was born and is healthy.
• The support of many generous donors, sponsors and prayer partners
• Teacher’s dorm construction is going well and just needs the roof to be put on. All the teachers are excited about these new accommodations.
  
• Orphanage parents dorm home is now fully funded and construction will begin shortly
• Pastor Steven’s new truck has been working well on the rough terrain near Eburru
  

Prayer Requests

• Pray for Mary Njenga (Pastor Steve’s wife) who had a bottle fall on her and lost several teeth
• David’s Hope Leaders Retreat-November 11th-13th  - pray for us to see God’s plan for our future involvement projects & strategies. Praise for the people coming from Colorado, Prince William campus and elsewhere who are/have participated with us.
• Possible future plans for a boarding school, hospital, and/or tourism business in Eburru. Pray for God’s wisdom as there are many questions and research to be done to determine how these projects would operate, contribute to sustainability and potentially be supported by David’s Hope.
• Logistics & wisdom for Pastor Steve’s possibly visiting the USA in March or April

October 2011 Praise and Prayer Requests

This October 15th we are encouraging everyone to participate in our Day of Prayer for Child Sponsors. Please consider committing to 15 minutes of prayer this Saturday to pray for our current and future sponsors and for the students in Eburru.  We currently have 20 sponsored children thanks to your generosity (in just a few short months!).  There are still 150 more students who are looking for a sponsor to help cover their school fees, meals and supplies for the year.

Please also join us in praying for the work in Eburru and in praising God for the mighty ways in which He answers our prayers!

Praises:

• 2 of the cows are pregnant – this will help them continue providing milk and will produce revenue!
• Over 260 individuals have donated to David’s Hope this year so far.

Prayer Requests

• The David’s Hope Leadership Team is going on a planning retreat this November 11-13.  Pray for clarity in goals and strategy and for some great new ideas!
• The monthly David’s Hope meeting will be held on Sunday, October 16th.  Pray for those who come out to show their support and learn more about our mission.
• Continuing fundraising for a new dorm parent’s house to compliment the orphanage which opened this summer.
• Prayer for Pastor Steve, Mary, Jonathan, Eva & the many other Kenyan leaders who are busy at work in the ministry each day.

September 2011 Praise and Prayer Requests

Please join us in praying for the work in Eburru and in praising God for the mighty ways in which He answers our prayers!!

Praises:

• A team from Colorado visited & blessed the ministry in Eburru last month
• 18 of the 174 children at Camp Brethren School have been sponsored since we launched the sponsorship program last month
• The CBM compound was able to successfully host a Pastor’s Conference – a blessing to them and a new source of revenue for the ministry
• New goats have been born & this program continues to provide nourishing milk for the students
• Mattresses & linens have been funded for the orphanage, which is set to open soon
• Teacher Eva has agreed to be the orphanage dorm parent when it opens in September

Prayer Requests:

• Teacher Simon is leaving the school (he was offered a great position with the government!).  Pray for wisdom as a replacement is sought for his position
• Pray for the orphanage as it opens in September – 12 students will live there.  8 of them are already students at CBM; the other 4 are new to the program
• Funding is needed for a teacher’s housing building.  This will help provide a great incentive to attract and keep talented educators at the school

August 2011 Praise and Prayer Requests

Please join us in praying for the work in Eburru and in praising God for the mighty ways in which He answers our prayers!! Praises:

• Camp Brethren is hosting a Pastor’s Conference on August 4th & 5th.  The school compound enables them to raise some revenue by housing group events
• Fourteen wells have been drilled and are providing an abundant supply of water
• The Frontline Prince William team arrived home safely from their July trip and were greatly blessed by the opportunity
• 150+ gifts have been given in 2011 by generous donors.  A portion of this was recently raised to help buy necessary medical equipment and to fund 1/2 of an ambulance

Prayer Requests:

• A team from a church in Colorado is now in Eburru serving with Pastor Steve & Mary
• A large reservoir tank is being built to efficiently store the new water supply
• Pray for funding to begin work on a building to house the dorm parents and teachers
• David’s Hope launched a child sponsorship program – the goal is to find a sponsor for each of the 170 students at $30/month
• Additional volunteers to serve with their time in the USA
• For the David’s Hope leadership team as they make decisions and prepare for a fall retreat full of planning
• For strength, energy & guidance for Steve, Mary, their 2 sons (Kenneth & Lucas), Jonathon, George, Peter, Pastor Peter and all of the other staff member in Kenya

An evening of prayer and praise is scheduled for August 18th.  If you would like to join us, email news@davidshope.org for more information.

Announcing the Child Sponsorship Program

David’s Hope International (DHI) has launched a child sponsorship program where donors can select and sponsor a child from Camp Brethren School in Eburru, Kenya. Camp Brethren School is the education arm of Camp Brethren Ministries, DHI’s sister organization in Kenya. Currently, Camp Brethren School has five classes ranging from preschool to 4th grade and has 170 students enrolled. The students at the school live in the surrounding villages and many walk long distances to receive the high-quality teaching and development offered at Camp Brethren School instead of attending other nearby government run schools. In addition to providing a certified Kenyan primary education, the students at Camp Brethren School receive two nutritious meals a day as well as bible based guidance and spiritual encouragement 5 days a week.

With a $30/month donation, each sponsored child will receive a Christian education, a school uniform and shoes, school supplies, medical check-ups and two nutritious meals every day. Your contribution and support will help a child overcome extreme poverty and give them hope for a better life.

To learn more about sponsoring a child, please email Sponsorship@davidshope.org. To sponsor a child, please click here.

July 2011 Praise and Prayer Requests

Please join us in praying for the work in Eburru and in praising God for the mighty ways in which He answers our prayers!!

Praises:

• Scott’s safe trip to and from Eburru which generated many new ideas for the future
• Frontline Prince Williams’ missions team who are In Eburru until July 8th
• For Sarah and her team of volunteers who are creating a new child sponsorship  to support the 170 children in the 5 classes at Camp Brethren’s school
• The new Jerusalem church’s continued grownth – they now have 54 members and 200 children in just 5 months

Prayer Requests:

• Funding for an ambulance to avoid still born deaths when there are labor complications
• The 14 children who will be move in to the orphanage in July/August
• The Frontline Prince William team as they are currently serving in Eburru until July 8th
• The upcoming launch of a David’s Hope Child Sponsorship program
• Strength and wisdom for:
  • Pastor Steve & Mary as they oversee the ministries in Eburru
  • George as he manages the onsite and mobile clinic and farming project
  • Jonathon as he fulfills the administrative role at the school
  • Peter, the new clinic nurse, as he settles in to Eburru and cares for patients
  • Pastor Peter at the Jerusalem Church

Scott Sweat’s Blog: Back from Kenya!

one of the classrooms, taking a quick break

Hello David’s Hope Friends! I’ve just arrived back in America after an amazing trip to Kenya! What has been accomplished by David’s Hope in just two years is almost mind-boggling. There is a school where there was no school. There is a church where there was no church. There is an orphanage where there was no orphanage. A small community ministry now has electricity and water where there had been none before. These things have taken a lot of generosity, hard work, and, most of all, God’s grace. Thank you all for your help and prayers in this effort. It has made a huge difference in the lives of so many people that I’ve met with this week.

I learned so much and grew to appreciate even more the sacrifices Pastor Steve, Mary and their team make each day. I was able to spend over a week really walking in their shoes and learning first-hand about their vision for the ministries there. We are blessed to have partners in Kenya who are so selflessly committed to the work there. God is really blessing the church and its ministries. The new church is thriving, and I was priviledged to have fellowship with the church members all week. The school, orphanage, clinic, and church have all grown so much more than Steve and Mary ever hoped, dreamed or imagined. But with that expansion comes great responsibilty. I arrived in Kenya with a to-do list and I’m coming home with an even bigger to-do list. I am excited about how David’s Hope can help provide more avenues to share God’s love and hope with more people. I hope you will come hear about what I learned and how we can help this Sunday afternoon (June 19th, 2pm, 312 Wesmond Dr., Alexandria).

me and students from the school

Have a glorious day!
Scott

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