Herald of Hope - July 2015

Volume 3 | Number 7 | July 2015
VOH & IJM Partner
to Save Enslaved Children
USA
P. O. Box 670394
Dallas, TX 75367
Tel: 817-523-4419
Tel: 817-677-8647
[email protected]
Kwaku Sarkodie Looks on as Fred Asare and Kaign Christy (IJM) Sign Agreement
T
he brutal life faced by enslaved children in Ghana’s fishing industry along Lake Volta,
the world’s largest man made lake, is an unfortunate but harsh reality that still exists.
Daily beatings and hunger are characteristic of life on the lake. An estimated 50,000
children have been trafficked and enslaved to work with fishermen. International Justice
Mission (IJM), a non-profit focused on human rights, is working in collaboration with Ghana’s
anti-trafficking unit, the police and government social workers to rescue the children and
bring the traffickers to justice. During the rescue process, the children need safe locations
where they will be cared for before being reunited with their families or given long-term
care. Since 2006, Village of Hope has been caring for such rescued slave children and we
currently have 19 of these children already among the children of Village of Hope. We
strongly believe that it is part of our God-given duty to receive children rescued by IJM and
provide them with the care that they need, either for the short term or for the long term and
that is why Village of Hope has entered a partnership with IJM to save these children from the
harsh lives they experience and give them hope for the future.
GHANA
P. O. Box GP 18169
Accra, Ghana
Tel: 233-24-431-3404
Tel: 233-20-823-2585
[email protected]
OVERSIGHT
Village of Hope is under
the oversight of
the Elders of
Springtown Church of Christ,
Springtown, Texas, USA
and
the Elders of
Vertical Centre Church of Christ,
Community Six, Tema, Ghana.
MINISTRIES
Hope Children’s Village
Hope Training Institute
Hope Christian Academy
Hope Christian Hospital
Church of Christ School
Hope College
Hope Farms
Church of Christ at Village of Hope
Ayawaso Church of Christ
Evangelism
Church Planting and Strengthening
Fred Asare (Managing Director, VOH) & Kaign Christy (Field Office Director, IJM Ghana)
Southwind Church of Christ
to Leave Behind a Legacy
A
fter 80 years of existence in Memphis and Shelby
County, Tennesee, the congregation known as the
Southwind Church of Christ, this year, had to be
dissolved. Every cloud has a silver lining, however, and so
out of this sad turn of events came a great blessing. The
elders of the Southwind Church of Christ, after the sale of
the church building and grounds, presented a check of
$160,000 to Village of Hope for the construction of another
academic building for Hope College.
On April 18, students, staff and the PTA of Hope College
came together to pray and break ground for the Southwind
Church of Christ Academic Building. Construction of the
building began soon after and is still in progress. It is our
hope that by September, when the new academic year
begins and a new set of students arrive at Hope College to
join the continuing students, the Southwind Academic
Building will be ready.
With this second academic building, Hope College will have
all the classrooms and laboratories needed for its current
programs and student population. The elders, board of
directors, management, staff, students and children of
Village of Hope and Hope College are very grateful to the
Southwind Church of Christ for allowing God to work through
them to show his love in this marvelous way.
Groundbreaking on April 18, 2015
Groundbreaking on April 18, 2015
Sand and Stones for Construction of Academic Building
Groundbreaking on April 18, 2015
Bricks Supplied for Construction of Academic Building
Foundation Completed - Brick-Laying in Progress
Page 2 | Herald of Hope | July 2015
A Word from Caroline Gallagher
Caroline and Team Lipscomb (2015) with House Mothers and other Female Staff
Greetings from Ghana! As I sit in the guest house on the final night of my 6th trip, there are many memories I could share. The summer of 2009
was the first time I was blessed with visiting the Village of Hope. I have been able to visit for 6 amazing years. Many of my best friends have come
from the Village of Hope. Words cannot convey the impact the Village of Hope has had on my life, but I will share two of my favorite things about
the Village of Hope: the Ma's spa night and the Christ-centered community.
One of my favorite things to do while here at the village is to put on a Ma's spa night. It is a time of pampering and giving manicures, pedicures,
and massages to all the hard working house mothers. The few hours we get with them is great. The joy and strength that comes from the
wonderful mothers is only from God. They are the true definition of a Proverbs 31 woman (Proverbs 31:30). They are a great example to their
homes, and to the guests of the Village of Hope. I think the mothers’ favorite part is testing their knowledge of the Lipscomb team, and seeing how
many they are able to embarrass with the questions and advice they share. The mothers at the Village of Hope are truly a blessing to all who
know and love them.
Another blessing the Village of Hope has is something that can only be experienced here.
It is the great Christ-centered community that is here. The time spent at the Village of Hope
leaves me longing for something so pure when I return home. The bold prayers, continual
devotion, and their investment in others' lives are some of my favorite parts of the
community. Whether it is your first time, or hundredth, they cover you in prayers and love
from the moment they know you are coming. They are a great example of what a Christfocused community should be.
It is so inspiring to experience a culture where God is truly at the center of lives, and that's
how it is at the Village of Hope. He can be seen in everything the Village of Hope does, from
the house parents, to the actual worship services, to the friendships made with the kids.
The amazing God-filled community here is what keeps bringing me back year after year.
Blessings,
Caroline
Caroline Gallagher has visited and volunteered
at the Village of Hope many times with teams
from Lipscomb University. She is pictured here
(left) with Cynthia Arthur, house mother and
her son Jesse.
July 2015 | Herald of Hope | Page 3
9th Graders Write
National Exam
Hope Christian Academy Class of 2015 (86 Students)
Church of Christ School
Class of 2015
(10 Students)
Students Church of Christ School
Class of 2015 in Exam Hall
T
his year’s national exam for 9th graders, known locally
as the Basic Education Certificate Examination, took
place over a longer period of time than originally
scheduled. Mid-way through the exam, an announcement
was made by the national authorities that some tests had to
be retaken. Apparently, it had been found out that there had
been an extensive leakage of exam questions prior to the
examinations. Therefore, our 86 children from Hope
Christian Academy and their ten counterparts from Church
of Christ School had to take an unplanned break and wait for
the new examination dates.
The children’s graduation ceremony had been scheduled for
June 20 and unfortunately, they had to wait another nine
Page 4 | Herald of Hope | July 2015
Students of Hope Christian Academy
on Lunch Break between Tests
days to retake the cancelled examinations. Many of them
were in tears because they felt that they had worked hard
towards the exam and had wasted their time. However, their
teachers and other adults on campus were quick to reassure
them that they would be able to take another exam at any
time.
Although we were disappointed at the inconvenience,
teachers, kitchen staff and administrators proceeded with
their work, each doing his or her part to make sure that the
children were organized, fed and prepared for the retaking
of the examinations. We have faith that each of the 96
students, 24 of whom are children of the orphanage, will
excel and continue on to high school.
T
Hope Christian Academy Holds
Graduation Ceremony
he traditional graduation ceremony held each year for
the graduating ninth grade and preschool classes was
held on Wednesday, July 1. The 86 members of the
10th graduating ninth grade class and the 46 members of
the 11th graduating preschool class gathered at Hackmann
Hall, Hope College, to receive their certificates and awards.
The children showcased their talents in recitals, dances and
songs. The preschoolers will continue to the first grade in
September and we look forward to seeing many of the ninth
graders back at Hope College. Here are a few pictures from
the graduation day:
Preschool Graduating Class with Staff & Teachers of Preschool
Welcome Dance by Elementary School Students
Traditional Ghanaian Dance by Graduating Preschoolers
Ebenezer Sackey (Managing Director, Hope Christian Academy)
Addresses Audience
Jacqueline Wettey Receives her Certificate
Some Members of Graduating Class of 2015
July 2015 | Herald of Hope | Page 5
Will You Consider Helping to Give
A SPECIAL GIFT
to the children?
T
he main Village of Hope campus at Fetteh houses the
orphanage (Hope Children's Village), the elementary
school (Hope Christian Academy) and the hospital (Hope
Christian Hospital) on 25 acres of land. The Chief and Elders of
Fetteh have donated an additional 65 acres to Village of Hope
thus bringing the total size of the Village of Hope's property at
Fetteh to 90 acres. The high school (Hope College) presently
occupies about 10 acres while the remaining 55 acres lie fallow.
For the past 19 years of Village of Hope's existence, the
children have always maintained the campus by clearing
bushes and weeding the grass with machetes. Weeding with
machetes is very hard back-breaking work. In the past, we
have always had “big boys” and “big girls” to do most of the
weeding with the little ones helping as much as they possibly
could. Of late, however, most of our “big boys” and “big girls”
have moved on to high school (boarding school) or to
college (university) or have become independent
adults and so maintaining the campus has
become a real challenge for the little ones.
A SPECIAL GIFT
Mower: $4,100
Please help by mailing a check to:
Village of Hope
P. O. Box 670394
Dallas, TX 75367
Make a gift online at:
thevillageofhope.com/donate
Page 6 | Herald of Hope | July 2015
We need your help to change this 19-year-old tradition of
“mowing” the grass with machetes. We have located a really
nice mower at a John Deere dealership in Accra and we would
like to buy it and present it to the children as a SPECIAL GIFT.
It costs $4,100. By buying it in Ghana, we will avoid the cost
of shipping from the United States as well as huge custom
duties/charges at the port in Ghana. The dealership will also
provide after-sale servicing and parts whenever such needs
arise in future.
Will you consider helping to give A SPECIAL GIFT to the
children?
Hope College is in Need of Laptops
H
ope College is a high school established and run by Village of Hope with a mission to educate students in preparation for a
lifetime of character, scholarship, service and leadership to transform their world to impact the world. The school has made
significant progress in the short period of two and a half years of its existence. Enrolment has jumped from 36 students on
its opening day to 222. Our first graduating class made up of 74 students graduated in May. Owing to our strong emphasis on
academics as well as spirituality, the students have been well prepared academically and we have also seen evidence of spiritual
transformation in their lives. For example, as at June 30, 2015, 80 students have been baptized into Christ. The manner in which
these teenagers comport themselves and treat one another with respect and compassion is heartwarming to witness.
As a young school, we have many challenges. The major one is financial. Our enrolment numbers are low, making it difficult to
meet the cost of running the school. We have had to cut back on many needs just so we can survive. We need your help to meet one
of our most pressing operational needs. We are in desperate need of laptops.
We urgently need 3 laptops – one for the administrative office, one for academic work, and one for the library. Over the past two
and a half years, the school has operated with only one laptop. For many, if not most Americans, it may seem hard to believe that a
high school with 222 students, 23 faculty members and 3 administrators has only one laptop but that is the reality we have been
coping with. Sometimes it is sad to see faculty and administrators struggle over the use of the laptop to complete their work. To
make matters worse, the only laptop is now showing signs that it is gradually approaching the end of its useful life with frequent
problems. At the moment, the keyboard has quit working and we have had to connect an external keyboard to be able to use it. It
might stop functioning any moment from now. The truth is, we need a new laptop for the school's administration and two additional
ones for the library and for academic work.
You may earmark your check by writing “Laptop” in the memo section of the check.
You may also make your gift online at thevillageofhope.com/donate.
If you would like to give the school a laptop, please email us ([email protected]) and we would
arrange to receive the laptop to be sent to Hope College in Ghana.
T
Oversight Elders Visit Fetteh
he Elders of Vertical Centre Church of Christ (in Tema,
Ghana) who have local oversight of the Village of
Hope in Ghana visited Village of Hope on Wednesday,
July 1. The day was a public holiday in Ghana (Republic
Day) and so all the five elders and one deacon of the church
spent the day at Fetteh. They visited the various ministries
of Village of Hope located at Fetteh. They also spent time
with the managing directors of all the ministries, discussing
with them, at length, the status of the various ministries
that they head and the way forward in advancing each
ministry and the work of the Kingdom of God.
Right: Fred Asare (1st from Left) with Elders & Deacon
Below: Elders Meet with House Parents
July 2015 | Herald of Hope | Page 7
Online Giving is Here for Your Convenience!
Please donate online at www.thevillageofhope.com
Just click on the Donate button...
...and select the Credit Card tab
Powered by Blackbaud’s eTapestry & Symantec’s Norton, it is safe and secure.
Page 8 | Herald of Hope | July 2015