Good News!

Sorry I have not kept up with this blog. Today I write with good news! A provisory sale contract has been signed! As of January 2010 the House of Hope no longer pays rent! There is still $8000 left to complete the sale (due mostly to what we lost in the exchange rate and partly to $2000 that they kept back to use for completing the paperwork...deeds are expensive to obtain), but there are local partners willing to complete this sum now that they see that the bulk of the payment has been made.

This is a great start to the New Year for the House of Hope! I'm so proud to say that the orphanage has its own home and so thankful to all of you who made this possible! They already have plans to expand the second floor and we know God has wonderful plans to continue to use this ministry to bless young people in this city.

May 1st

Good news! The money for rent was pulled together from a few generous friends of the orphanage, so they've got 7 months paid and will move there on May 1st. They can stay in their old house for another few weeks, so there's no danger they'll be on the streets any time soon. It's great that they will be living in their new house, but we still need upwards of $60,000 (depending on the exchange rate). By the end of the year this house should be their very own. Woohoo!

Moving Day looms

News flash: The owner of the orphanage's current property came back...and said they need to be out by Sunday the 22nd! They're facing the prospects of going out on the street because they have no place to go. They've scoured the city but cannot find an adequate place to rent at an affordable price.

The one solution that has presented itself: the owner of the place we want to buy will allow them to rent for 7 months before making a payment. The 7 months must be paid up front, however, which is $2800. This would be great because they could move directly into their new house and we'd have another 7 months to continue fundraising for the purchase of the house.

If you'd like to contribute to this $2800 sum to keep the orphans off the streets, please send your check with the memo: "House of Hope 7 months rent". And please contact us to let us know the check is on its way. Thank you!!!

New house in sight

Sorry it's been awhile since an update. The original house we were looking at has now sold to someone else since we weren't able to make a down payment in time. Thankfully, this led the orphanage staff to discover an even better location. The new house is 2 stories tall and corresponds very well to their needs.

We now need to raise a total of $70,000 to purchase the house. It's more expensive than the other house, but it is better than the other one and will not require any renovations. And this is still a good price, given the high cost of property within the capital city.

I don't know right now the current total, but I know we need at least another $55,000, so let's keep at it! Nothing's too big for God and if we all come together it's an attainable goal. What keeps me encouraged is knowing that once we achieve the goal it's going to be a lasting contribution to a very worthy cause. It's something that will continue to make a difference for many years to come!

Pray for wisdom and provision for the House of Hope in the meantime, because they still need to move out of their old location but don't have a place to go yet. We either need to raise the last of the funds very soon or they need to make a temporary move into another rentable house.

Financial Housekeeping

Just a little notice to all who have generously given or who plan to give:

The tax deductible receipts will be issued as soon as the money is sent off to purchase the house OR at the end of the year, whichever comes first, so do not expect to receive an immediate acknowledgement of your gift. It's a small church with a small staff helping with the financial side of things, so this is the easiest way for them to shoulder the extra work of this project.

All the money is waiting in an account here in the States until we are able to send the full amount to purchase the house or to make a hefty down-payment. No funds will be used for any other purpose (rent, food, etc.). We don't want to send only part of the total sum and then not have enough to complete the sale and end up losing the house. So until we raise the total amount, the orphanage remains in a precarious position. Please keep praying and spreading the word!

It's looking good!

Good news, folks! A couple of generous donations have recently been pledged so we're up to about $12,000. Praise our faithful God and let's give thanks for the compassionate people making this dream come true! We need $20,000 to secure the house and they need to move out of the current location in the next two weeks. That means this week we're looking for about $8,000 more to come in so that by the end of January we can send off the first installment.

We're putting profiles together on each of the children so that a sponshorship organization can find school sponsors for them. It's amazing to read where each child came from. The stories of abuse and sickness and family deaths make what's happening at the House of Hope shine even brighter. Won't it be a great day when they have a house of their own?!!

Now is the time

Hi folks! Thanks to all who have contributed to the project so far! I don't have a current total handy, but I think we're at about $5000. February is soon now and that means the orphanage needs to move out of their current location in the next few weeks!

The sellers are asking for $20,000 in order to secure the new house. Know anyone who would like to make a contribution NOW? Please continue to pray for the funds to come in and for the orphans and workers to have peace and wisdom in this tumultuous time.

The time is now

Hey folks! Thought I'd update where we are in our fundraising. Need a nifty thermometer or something to show the progress, but for now here's what we've got:



Total Needed: $47,000
Down payment needed ASAP: $12,000
Total as of now: $1,829.40

So if you're thinking of giving we really do need you! Please continue to pray for the House of Hope.

Video of children singing

The children at the House of Hope orphanage in Brazzaville, Congo love to sing their hearts out! This song in French talks about how no one has chosen their color, so you have to listen to their heart, and we need everyone to make the world.

Alternative Christmas and End of Year Giving

Hi folks! Sorry for the blogging silence. This has been a big time of transition for the expats involved in the project (we're scattered in countries all over the world, no longer together in Congo). But the fundraising goes on! We desperately need to make a down payment of $12,000 ASAP.

Are you looking to do some end of the year giving for a tax break? The Newberg Calvary Chapel will be sending receipts at the end of the year for your tax deductions. Snowed in or running out of time and ideas for Christmas gifts? Why not give a donation to the orphanage and let your loved ones know it was done in their name?

Continue to pray for the funds, for the owners to not sell the house to anyone else, and for the orphans and workers--many kids and staff have been sick lately. Let's pray they have a healthy, happy holiday!!

Hoping to get some more testimonies posted soon of how lives are being transformed at the House of Hope.

Marche de Noel - Sunday, December 7th 2008 - 10 am – 7 pm

Jardin des Saveurs Restaurant

Marche de Noel, the annual holiday craft market in aid of local charities, will be held on Sunday, December 7 at Jardin des Saveurs restaurant.

It will feature a tombola (raffle) at 3 pm. Some of this year’s prizes include two airline tickets, a case of champagne, and lots more.

All proceeds from the event will benefit a number of charities in Brazzaville. Last year, the proceeds went to seven local charities.

Hope to see you there!

Congo kids living in poverty 28/11/2008 11:42 - (SA)

Brazzaville - Half of Congo-Brazzaville's child population, or about
1.2 million minors, live in poverty with no access to healthcare or
education, the UN Children's Fund said on Thursday.

"Fifty percent of Congolese children, or 1.2 million of them, are
living in poverty and without money, but also without access to
education, nutrition, health, water and adequate housing," said Koen
Vanormelingen, the head of Unicef in Congo.

But Vanormelingen said effective and relatively cheap measures could
narrow this chasm such as free primary education.

Women and children are the most vulnerable groups in the oil producing
country, where most of the 3.6 million inhabitants live on less than a
dollar a day.

In 2007 Unicef called on Brazzaville to set aside 20% of its oil
revenues to improve the living conditions of children.

- AFP

Sourced on 30.11.08 from News24
<http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2433936,00.html>

Meet Gloria

Gloria is one of the most stunning examples I've seen of the way God is using the House of Hope to make a difference. She was uncared for and unwanted by her relatives. When my friend went to pick her up at her house he said she was sitting in a corner wearing a plastic bag. She didn't even cry when he took her.

When I first met Gloria a year ago she'd been at the orphanage 3 months. She was sullen and didn't interact with me or play with the other children. Though she was probably near 2 years old, she still crawled and didn't speak. A few months later I noticed she was making progress because she would cry when I left or when she didn't get the toy she wanted.

Today Gloria is truly glorious to behold. She smiles and plays all the time. She's even talking now. I don't know how the few workers at the orphanage do it because you'd think an abused child like that would need a ton of individual attention to make such a recovery. But just as there's always somehow something to eat, the love and attention too is enough to go around. And God is the big factor that makes up for everything they lack.

Current & Future House Locations

House of Hope Orphanage (current site)

House of Hope - New Home (future site)

More photos

Hi everyone! There are more photos of the children available on Facebook.

Whatever it takes...

As a friend of HOH, I always get involved somehow, just like that time where I distributed donation packages from the US. It included toys, hygiene consumables, clothes, shoes, bed sheets... etc
A week later i received a thank you note and an email from a friend of HOH too. She is a bit more involved and that email just showed me in reality the meaning of where there's a will there's a way. I could not not publish the email and i ask you to comment on it for inspiration,

Sincerely,
Gbrain

" Hi!

Just wanted to tell you guys a cool story about the sheets that were given to the orphanage.

Espé said they had a real problem this school year with the uniforms. The schools were really strict and didn’t let anyone come without a uniform. Well, the uniforms are khaki and blue, and some of the sheets that were sent were khaki…you can imagine what happened!

He said they were able to make really nice uniforms for the kids! Thought you’d enjoy that,

XXXX "

A House of Hope is born

The various wars Congo suffered from 1993 to 1998, caused material damage, homelessness, misery, poverty, hunger and death, and put on the streets orphans, needy people and young mothers, as well as the elderly.

Before this horrible spectacle, which was painful and hard to bear, Sister Dorcas, a servant of God with a humble and sensitive heart, was touched by God’s grace and made the decision with her meager means to come to the rescue of these unhappy, abandoned people who had no one to help them. It was in this context of piercing misery and social instability that “Sister Dorcas’ House of Hope” would be created to help orphans, vulnerable children and needy people.

(Written by Pastor Youssouf, volunteer at House of Hope Orphanage, translated from French)

House of Hope Orphanage needs your help

This blog has been created for the purpose of sharing with those who care about a great need in Congo-Brazzaville. The orphanage “Sister Dorcas’ House of Hope” (Maison Espérance Soeur Dorcas) is in a time of crisis. The property they’ve been renting has been sold and they must be out of the house by the first week of February 2009. Astonishingly a new property that corresponds to their needs has already been located, but they need funds to purchase it and they need it fast.

Promoting this fundraising project gives a great opportunity to share some wonderful testimonies about what God is doing in Congo through a little place called House of Hope. If you like what you see, please consider giving to this worthy cause.

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