Receive greetings friends from all of us at Hope Anew Ministries,

We hope that you are beginning to enjoy the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere after what we understand has been a hard winter.

A Grand Opening….of Sorts

At Hope Anew, we continue to experience God’s grace as we serve the children at the center.  The month of March was a culmination of a journey we started in October last year in the construction of bathrooms at our center.  We received a grant of approximately $6,000 dollars from GOAL Kenya, the organization which handed over the daily operation of the center to Hope Anew, to assist with the construction of both the sewer line and the bathrooms.  The construction of the permanent bathrooms is indeed a blessing, for not only are they more hygienic and easier to maintain, but also cost effective.  Prior to the new bathrooms, we were using portable toilets which had to be emptied once a month at a cost of $138 dollars. During the rainy season, the cost would go up twice or even three times due to water runoff which made it an unsustainable expense.

A group of children from five different schools which access the center were invited for the opening ceremony. They presented songs, dance and poems during the occasion.  We even had a saxophonist perform a number for us!   After the ceremony, refreshments were served to our guests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evangelizing & Discipling

Towards the end of March we saw seventeen children come to the Lord in one day!  Here is how it happened:  we had been holding a series of classes for our staff on how to lead children to Christ; we were using Child Evangelism Fellowship materials.  On the last day of training, after completing the classes, one of our staff took the opportunity to gather children together and begin using the Wordless Book in order to present the Gospel and seven children received Jesus into their lives.  Later on that day, after we finished our Hope Club, we gave an invitation for children who were interested in speaking with us about receiving Jesus into their lives, to remain after the club.  About twelve or thirteen stayed and out of that group, ten of them invited Jesus into their hearts!

Imagine our joy that day!  Not only the excitement of children being born into God’s Kingdom but also the delight of having our staff take the initiative in sharing the Gospel and multiplying ourselves as child evangelists so that more children can be reached.

It has been our desire to disciple children who have begun their new walk in the Lord in a more structured way. During the second week of April, we managed to contact the Child Evangelism Fellowship office in Kenya. We were invited to pick up some discipleship materials for children that are produced by The Mailbox Club.  This will aid us immensely in following up with the new believers.  Please pray for this endeavour; that it will really help us in getting the children grounded in God’s Word.

 

 

 

New Arrivals

Another praise and joy is the arrival of the Maisonville family to join our team at Hope Anew!  They will arrive here on April the 28^th.  Mark, Maureen and their son Kris will truly give us a much needed boost in our work with the children.  Mark is a master craftsman and he will be able to use his God given skills to train some of the kids who may be interested in learning carpentry and the use of various tools.  His coming also means that  the center maintenance issues will be handled in a more professional way.   His wife Maureen has an experienced background in education of over 25 years and she will be responsible for our tuition program.  Kris, their son, is an accomplished artist and he will use his creative skills in our art and crafts program at the center.  Kindly pray for their safety as they travel and also that all of their luggage will arrive here with them and especially, a shipment of their household goods which they have shipped will be cleared at the port of Mombasa without too much difficulty and at a fair, affordable fee. 

 

How Can You Pray?

Praise:

That the Maisonvilles are arriving this month.

Also thanks giving for the provision of funds for bathrooms construction.

Prayer points:

• Provision of a home for the Maisonville family within walking distance to the children center  as well as a smooth transition after their safe arrival.
• Pray that The Mailbox Club discipleship ministry will bear much fruit.
• Pray for the health and safety of Hope Anew Staff and the children who frequent the center.

Thank you brothers and sisters for your prayers and support! May the Lord continue to bless you as you partner with us in the various ways that he has laid in your hearts.   May the Lord Jesus refresh you and continually fill your hearts with joy and gladness!

 

In His service,

The Kamaus