July Newsletter
The Expectation of Good
Hope is the expectation of good. As Christ followers, our hope is in Jesus who leads us to our hope in God. Often the road to hope is bumpy and challenging. Burundi Hope has been blessed to be the tool the Lord has been using to show the children of Burundi the hope they can have despite their physical challenges. Providing windows of opportunity for the students of Ephphatha and Kanura gives them encounters in their world they may not otherwise experience. To be taught and to learn from a Christian worldview through these experiences is a twofold blessing. It gives them hope knowing that Jesus is walking with them through their challenges and those around them share God's love.
The Samuel Project is the program Burundi Hope developed to support the educational programs of Kanura and Ephphatha. Each of the past 3 years has brought to light challenges and new ideas which will enhance the educational impact of the schools. The schools have a combined enrollment of 350 students. We are filling in the gap of assisting the schools with resources, materials, and educational experiences to make a positive impact on the quality of education. During the fist year we focused on teaching materials which included visuals and manipulatives. The second year brought the addition of the Afterschool program allowing for opportunities to be part of drama, traditional dance, and music ministry teams as well as sports. Afternoon programs have a twofold purpose: they provide structured activities in the afterschool hours and give opportunities to share the Gospel in churches and community.
Another important aspect of life experiences is being able to visit historical landmarks, industry, cultural museums, and natural wonders of your country. Ephphatha Deaf School and Kanura School for the Blind have never experienced anything outside of their campus walls except for travel on the road to and from school. This changed during the 2022-23 school year. All 350 students and the teachers at the schools participated in a field trip that reinforced their studies during the year. From preschool to Senior High all the students said it was the best educational experience they have had.
Student Highlight
Fanny is a class 8 Business class student who visited a palm oil manufacturing plant. In her words, “Other schools in Burundi do not have opportunities to see the things we only learn about in books.” Her teacher Leonidance validated this with his feedback, “we can teach theory, but it is practical experiences the students will never forget.”
Quarterly Ministry Focus
Our Ministry Focus this quarter is the Samuel Project. Pray how you can assist with providing the needed resources, materials, and life experiences for the students at Kanura and Ephphatha. We currently have received $3197 of our $15,000 goal. We are trusting the Lord to fully fund this amount by September 11, the first day of school!
