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June Update 2012

Thank you all for your prayers for the Cooper family! As they completed their time serving in Rwanda and were preparing to leave, Corban caught a 24 hour flu and had to be hospitalized. Thanks to the grace of God, Corban was able to leave the hospital just in time for his family to catch their flight back to Seattle. Their family feels blessed to be back at home and commented, “We feel we are now living in a Four Seasons Hotel compared to where we had been living so we’re really enjoying that.”

Hilliary will be heading back to Rwanda this month to spend the next year living and serving in Rwanda. She is very excited because Gwen, an intern from Moody Bible Institute, will be serving alongside her for two months in order to serve the boys and assist with daily needs. If you are interested in interning or volunteering with HFLM either in the States or in Rwanda, please visit our website for more information: www.hopeforlifeministry.org.

HFLM has been blessed to be able to accept another child named Patrick who is 13 years old. Although his siblings, Nsabiri and Baby, have been living at HFLM for the past three years, Patrick was living at another street center. When this center shut down last fall, he went to live with his mother off and on. But due to his mother’s abuse of alcohol and the severe poverty, Patrick spent most of his time on the streets.

HFLM staff found Patrick on the streets, and he begged to be allowed to come and live at HFLM with his brothers. HFLM staff searched for his mother to obtain permission and found her, skin clinging to her bones, collecting garbage for dinner. When asked if she would be fine with Patrick living at HFLM, she agreed without hesitation. Patrick was absolutely elated, and his joy overflowed as the staff brought him to his new home. He literally ran, pulling the staff to the bus station. Patrick was so overcome with anticipation of his life changing for the better that he would have run the whole 12 miles. He has transitioned extremely well to his new family, and it seems like he has always lived there.

It is through partnerships with you that HFLM is able to continue providing a safe home to Patrick and many others like him. With continued support, HFLM hopes to offer a safe home to even more boys. Thank you for so faithfully and generously giving your prayers, resources, and time to this ministry!

GARAGE SALE ITEMS NEEDED!

A garage sale will be held this July to benefit HFLM. If you have items to donate or would like to help coordinate this fundraiser, please contact Megan at swansonhfl@gmail.com

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May 2012 Update

We are excited to share a few stories of transformation from Hope For Life with you this month!

Each week, approximately 10 to 14 local street boys in our community participate in our Outreach Program by sharing a meal at Hope For Life, bathing, washing their clothes, receiving counsel, and sharing in a devotion. At one of these meetings, HFLM staff led a discussion on the impact of drugs and alcohol on our bodies and brains, and how much money these boys could save by not using these substances. This new concept of budgeting led the children to begin evaluating how they spend the little money they earn each day through begging and performing odd jobs. A few weeks later, three boys attended the outreach program wearing clean clothes. Curious about their transformation, our staff prodded and discovered that these specific boys had cut back on their drug purchases, saved their money and were now off the streets and renting a small apartment together. It is so encouraging to us to see these results!

Theft is a common act of survival that most of our boys used to engage in during their life on the streets. Two such boys were Paul and Bosco. When Paul came to HFLM, he came to know the Lord and his entire life was changed as he gave up his former habits of theft, drugs, and violence. Bosco, however, continued to struggle with stealing and lying and because of his behavior, was kicked out of the boarding school he had been attending. Upon his return to HFLM where he is now residing full-time, Bosco began noticing how entirely transformed Paul was from the boy who he used to know on the streets. Bosco questioned Paul, “Why don’t you steal anymore? Why did you change?” Paul was able to start an ongoing conversation with Bosco detailing how his relationship with Jesus changed his life. Soon after, Bosco decided that he too wanted to dedicate his life to Jesus. This past week, Bosco was baptized in our local church and we couldn’t be more proud of him and of Paul for so boldly sharing his faith.

We continue to progress in our long term goal of making HFLM self-sustaining. In service of that sustainability, HFLM is engaged in an agricultural project growing produce and also raising rabbits and goats. While it has been a challenge to make the project profitable, our game plan evolves as we learn. Our primary goal is to grow crops that will reduce our food costs to almost zero. The secondary goal is to use our land to generate profit; we are considering options that include growing moringa trees. As we strive to reach our first goal, our staff have been attending farm training that has been very informative and revolutionary in understanding traditional Rwandan farming practices. However, we need your help in the form of both ideas and knowledge of how to manage a profitable self-sustaining project. If you are skilled in this area, please contact us!

It is only with your partnership and prayers that transformations such as these are possible. We hope you are encouraged and will continue to join us in this important work for the glory of God!

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Hope For Life April 2012 Update

Post author By Hope For Life
Post date April 9, 2012
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Tear drops hit the red dust near a little boy’s bare feet. His bloated yet empty stomach protrudes under tattered overalls that hang loosely from his shoulders. His bed is the protective walls of the street gutters where sewage freely oozes through, and his scarce meals are bartered from the coins given by a rare passerby that tosses him their sympathy. Although only 5 years old at the time, Nsabiri lived on the streets, had no home, and no one was looking after him. Sobbing he cried out, “Please, don’t leave me here. I don’t want to sleep in the street gutters anymore!” Six months later Nsabiri’s cries were answered when HFLM officially opened on March 14^th, 2009.

This last week, Hilliary was able to share Nsabiri’s story and the stories of so many others with similar plights who shared Nsabiri’s hunger for a different life. Standing in front of 700 middle school and high school students at Cedar Park Christian School (CPCS), she was able to touch the hearts of the students and provide hope for them to do something for others less fortunate. Many of the students were inspired by the transformation underway at HFLM. Each student had a picture of one of the boys under their seats and was challenged to take that picture and pray for that boy. The students excitedly went around the sanctuary, snatching up any leftover pictures. One girl shared that she had taken over 16 pictures, taped them to her mirror as a call to prayer for the boys. She also engaged her mother who has joined in the prayer for the boys. It was touching to see the response of the student body at CPCS and their hearts for the vulnerable children in Rwanda that are their age.

Every child has a right to be fed, clothed, educated, receive shelter, and have their medical needs treated. It costs approximately $98 a month to do this for each of the boys at HFLM. Please consider investing in one of the boys at HFLM and sponsor him to receive these basic human needs so they can continue to open their hearts to Jesus. We currently have 17 boys who need sponsors. If you are interested in serving as a sponsor, or even partially sponsoring a child, please email Hilliary at andersonhfl@gmail.com.

Meanwhile, in Rwanda another trimester of school has been completed at HFLM and the boys are on break. We are excited to welcome home Veterne and Claude who are attending boarding school. Veterne was excited to come home and share his knowledge of sign language and the other skills he has learned at his specialized boarding school. He continues his physical therapy learning how to walk, and more and more takes part in those games and activities that involve walking and running. When the whole family is home, we have the opportunity to further invest in their lives as we put on special events along with the times of prayer. We cherish these times of break and they stand as markers of the growth and development of all at HFLM.

Thanks to the Hovde Foundation, HFLM now has three computers providing the opportunity for the boys to learn computer skills. Most people in Rwanda never have the chance to own a computer, learn to type, or use computer programs. This training will further enable and train our boys to succeed in future careers. We are so grateful for the continuing support of the Hovde Foundation.

We are all so very thankful for how well the boys are doing and the consistency they have had in their lives through being at HFLM. Your support makes this possible and we can’t begin to tell you how much it means to us and more importantly to the boys. Thank You!

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February Update 2012

This last month, the boys and staff at Hope for Life have experienced tremendous growth and maturity in Christ. We have been blessed to have Corban and Laura Cooper serving as the Assistant Directors. They have been leading bible studies with the staff that has brought everyone together in unity. Having heart to heart conversations with individual boys to encourage them in their relationship with Christ, the Coopers have become influential role models in the boys’ and staff’s lives. And of course, their two daughters love their new play mates!

Paul has been at HFLM for 3 yearsOne of the boys who continues to be positively impacted by those at HFLM is Paul. We asked him if he would help write our newsletter this month and he decided to share his testimony. Paul was born into, as he would say, “a miserable life.” His family slept on dirt floors under a patched tin roof, and would go several days at a time without food. As a young boy, Paul was hired out by his family to work on farms as an animal caretaker, and he gave his meager earnings to help his family survive. Working away from his family, he was introduced to destructive behavior. Eventually, this course of behavior led him to leave his family and move to the capital city, Kigali.

“Life was not easy in Kigali. I started spending the night on the streets and taking up bad habits such as cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. I even began stealing. During that time, I wondered what would become of my life, but I couldn’t find the answer.”

Veterne playing with Petra CooperIt was when Paul met Hilliary, Chantal and Megan that his life changed. “They were the people God used to speak into my miserable life.” Paul was one of the original street boys taken in by Hope for Life. He explains that his life slowly began to change as he was introduced to prayer, studying, and good behavior. “My life changed completely when I made the decision to receive Jesus Christ.” Paul was able to break his old habits and he began going back to school, where he is now preparing for the National exams. Paul credited prayer as the intervention God used to free him from his addiction to cocaine saying, “I felt God clean my mind.” He is enthusiastic about his studies and especially relishes the opportunity to learn English. Every cent he earns, he saves to one day buy a radio and listen to English stations. Although education is important to him, he told us that “the most important thing I know is to obey God because out of all things I know and will know, they all are in Him.”

Paul asked for us to share this verse with you, because it changed his life. Psalms 1: 1-2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night”.

This verse sets the tone for this month’s update. While we continue to be grateful for what God has been doing in Hope for Life, we still face many challenges and ask you to join us in prayer. Please pray for the Coopers in this ministry and for their daughter Petra whose health is struggling, for the boys’ continued transformation as they grow deeper in their relationships with Jesus, and for them to understand true forgiveness and repentance. Additionally, we have been able to reconcile three of our boys with their families: Obed, Jackson, and John Hagenimana. We will be financially sponsoring these boys so that they can live with their families. If you would like to sponsor one of these boys, please email Hilliary at andersonhfl@gmail.com. Furthermore, we ask for prayer that our farming endeavor will be profitable and sustainable. Thank you for continual love and support.

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Hope For Life December 2011 Update

Post author By Hope For Life
Post date December 15, 2011
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The past month has been very eventful at HFLM despite most of the boys staying with family or relatives for a portion of their two-month school holiday. Six boys stayed at HFLM for the whole holiday break, which means the home is a bit quieter than normal.

Over the break, many of the boys have been thriving while staying at their relative’s homes. One in particular, Uwimana, has impressed us with his continued diligence to attend church and choir practice on his own initiative. Each Sunday since staying with his relatives, he has walked two hours to attend church and choir practice with the rest of the HFLM boys. Although many of the boys found their home situations improved, some have found life at home even more difficult than when they first left to the streets. As a result, a few of the boys temporarily went back to the streets.

When Chantal and Hilliary were looking for one of the HFLM boys on the streets, they encountered two young boys named Puppy (7) and Eric (9). These boys were covered from head to toe with painful sores and itchy bites caused from scabies. Moved by compassion at the conditions of these boys, they decided to take them to HFLM. When the Puppy and Eric arrived at HFLM, their faces lit up at the new prospect of life. Puppy has lived in severe poverty his whole life and was finally forced to the streets a couple months ago. Eric has lived on the streets for over two years because his stepfather refuses to allow him to live at home with his mother. They have adjusted very well and are now thriving at HFLM!

The Coopers arrived in Kigali in mid-November and will be helping with Hilliary’s duties while she is in the States. Corban and Laura, with their two young daughters Kaiah (5) and Petra (2) have transitioned well. They are learning how HFLM runs and the many things needing to be done. They joined HFLM for a big Thanksgiving meal where they heard testimonies from the boys about how Jesus has filled their hearts with gratitude. After a message from the Bible about being thankful, everyone went around and shared what they are thankful for. The two new boys were thankful for being able to come to HFLM and one praised God that he is finding healing from his scabies. Jackson melted Laura’s heart when he said he was thankful that God has changed him to be a “good boy now”. It’s amazing to see that God can and does change the hearts of all of us.

Thank you all for your support and prayers! Please continue to pray for the boys while they are visiting their families, for Emmanuel who has returned to the streets, and for the Coopers as they are learning the ropes at HFLM.

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November 2011 Update

We are excited to have completed our second full year of school at HFLM! We are very proud of the boys for all of their hard work and how well they have done. In particular, we have been very impressed with Paul, who was the 1st in his class of over 50 students for the third trimester in a row! His diligence and hard work goes beyond his studies and can be seen in his spiritual life and his willingness to help those around him.

Daniel, another boy who we are extremely proud of, has been a role model to all of the boys with his work ethic and servant’s heart. Every day he can be seen at Jacky’s side, who is called “Tantine” (Auntie), helping her cook and clean. He has been dubbed the name of honor, “Little Tantine,” which he proudly bears and grins broadly every time he hears it called. Later this week, we are going to surprise him with a gift in honor of his inspirational character. Recently, Tantine discretely asked him, “If you could have anything, what would you want?” He responded, “My very own Bible and a new pair of shoes.”
The boys now have two months of holiday, and almost all of them are going home to spend anywhere from 10 to 60 days with their families or relatives. We are looking forward to this time, as the boys will have the opportunity to further reconcile with their families. Also, their families will no doubt notice the transformation that has taken place in their lives. We ask you to join with us in prayer for the boys who may face minimal parental guidance and supervision while they are home. Please pray that they will stand strong as they face temptations and peer pressure.

The arrival of the Cooper family this month represents a prayer that has been answered. The Coopers will be volunteering at HFLM for the next 6 months, assisting with the Executive Director position. This will provide a positive family model for the boys and allows Hilliary to return to the States so she can complete her student teaching (her last semester) at Moody Bible Institute.

We thank everyone who donated money to purchase Bibles last month! We were able to buy 11 Bibles and a book store has also agreed to donate a few more. It is a gift that is truly treasured by the boys. Even the smallest boys who don’t know how to read, excitedly flip through the pages, imagining the stories behind the ink. We also often catch 15 year old Berco hiding in the corner reading the Bible, or sneaking off with one after devotions.

We would like to thank all of you again for the support and prayers that makes the transformation in these boys’ lives possible.

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October 2011 Update

After spending almost a month in the USA, HFLM warmly received Hilliary back to Rwanda. We have found October to already be a busy month as we’ve witnessed God continuing to move and as we face several new challenges.

One area that HFLM is excited about is the spiritual growth in the boys since coming to HFLM, especially noticeable in 13-year-old Djuhudi. When he first came to HFLM, Djuhudi clung to his Islamic roots and refused to go to church or pray with the rest of the children. In the last several months, however, we have witnessed God greatly moving in Djuhudi’s heart. One afternoon, after hearing a message on salvation, the boys had the opportunity to share what they’d learned. Djuhudi proclaimed, “I now know that when I die and come before God, I will not be saved because of my good works, but because of my faith in Jesus Christ.” This is an incredibly encouraging reminder to us of the purpose of our work.

Conversely, many new challenges have surfaced at HFLM. We ask you to join us in prayer over the difficulties we are facing as it has come to our attention that two former staff members have taken up residence near HFLM’s home and have been meeting with our boys on their way to school. The boys have been greatly influenced by these meetings, and several are under a strong power of manipulation. We know that children are easily influenced, and our prayer is that they would not be influenced by evil, but instead by what is Godly and true. Please pray for them to have discernment, to not to be easily swayed towards evil, and that the lies and manipulations of these former staff members would cease.

We also ask you to join us in prayer for team unity. We have hired several new staff members and are all trying to learn how to work together. In light of the other challenges we are facing, we ask you to pray that our new team will be able to serve together in unity and receive strength to handle the challenges of ministry and working with children from adverse backgrounds.

Another tangible way you can assist us is by contributing towards purchasing additional Bibles. In spite of the difficulties HFLM is facing, we feel this would be an especially valuable time to invest in this project. If you would like to contribute please email Hilliary at andersonhfl@gmail.com. Thank you for continuing to stand in partnership with us. None of the progress we see would be possible without you.

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HFLM September 2011 Update

Post author By Hope For Life
Post date September 6, 2011
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During the boy’s recent three week long vacation, our four boys attending boarding school came home. One of these children is Veterne who resides at an orthopedic center where he has been undergoing physical therapy and continuing his studies. Upon arriving to HFLM, Veterne eagerly showed everyone his leg braces that slip over his feet and connect at his hips. He shakily stood, slipped his arms through his crutches, and began walking. It gave all of us so much joy to see Veterne walking for the first time! He has now returned to the orthopedic center to continue physical therapy to strengthen his leg muscles and enable him to walk further distances. After a great three weeks of vacation, the boys have returned to finish their third trimester of school.

Young Tuyizere, who has been with HFLM since April, has returned to live with his mother. After greatly missing her, HFLM staff accompanied him to try and locate his mother’s home. The area where Tuyizere’s mom lives is immensely poor and prone to violence, but they were finally able to locate her small shack. During their visit, Tuyizere decided that he’d like to remain with his mother instead of returning to HFLM. Even though his mother wishes for him to return to HFLM as she doesn’t possess the means to care for her son or send him to school, we must respect the child’s wishes. We are concerned about the situation and are hoping that Tuyizere will change his mind. Please join us in prayer for his protection and for his future.

In January, HFLM is launching a new reconciliation program! In partnership with local organizations, we will offer training in income generation to the children’s parents. For several boys in HFLM, the only reason they cannot stay with their parents is immense poverty. In these situations, we hope that through this program we can equip families to begin earning an income and reunite some of the boys with their families.

Hilliary has returned to Seattle for the first three and a half weeks of September. Before she left, the boys curiously bombarded her with questions about America. One of the youngest boys inquisitively asked if there were trees in America and then shyly asked if America has a sun. They were shocked when she teasingly responded that there was no sun in America!

We can’t thank you enough for your continued partnership with HFLM. Although we continue to face many challenges, it is always encouraging to know there are so many who are faithfully supporting us by giving of your hearts, your prayers and your resources. Thank you for believing in our boys!

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August 2011 Update

Hope For Life was privileged to host the Hovde family as they recently visited Rwanda and spent a day at HFLM. All eight of them impressed us with their diligence and hard work. They planted 200 hedge plants, leveled the boy’s soccer field, and moved a ton of rocks (literally). Their hard work set an example for our boys, who could be seen laboring alongside of them the whole day. Tuyizere, who is 9 years old, proved to be the most dedicated worker. The Hovdes’ would fill a wheelbarrow to full capacity, which a grown teenager would have difficulty moving, but Tuyizere would instruct them to pile in more dirt. Remarkably, he was able to move these very heavy loads and empty them himself. Apparently, showing off gave him the adrenaline he needed to work hard all day.

The boys recently completed their exams and finished off their 2nd trimester of school. It was a time of celebration as four of our kids received the best scores in their classes and another scored 2nd place! All the boys did well, and we are very proud of all our students for how hard they have worked in school.

When HFLM’s newest member Claude, who is 5 years old, was recently asked his favorite hobby, he instantly replied that it is eating. He furthermore exclaimed that his future hope is to grow big and strong so that one day he can ride a bike and drive the other boys on it. On a side note, he mentioned with slightly less enthusiasm that he would also like to be a soldier.

Lastly, the boys’ clothing are getting quite worn and almost every day they can be heard asking when they can get new clothes. We want to bless them with new clothes, but we will need approximately $350.00 extra this month in order to be able to offer this gift. The third trimester of school is also starting at the end of August, and we will need an additional $300.00 for school fees. If you would like to contribute towards one of these causes please email Hilliary at andersonhfl@gmail.com. We are excited as we continue to witness God moving in all these young boys’ lives. Thank you everyone for all of your support and prayers!

Sincerely,

HFLM Staff

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July 2011 Update

We are delighted to announce that the boys of HFLM are officially living in their new home! The day of our move several of the boys stood up praising God for all that He has given us. Djuhudi reflected that if HFLM staff had not found him, he would not be alive today. God has taken Djuhudi from living in a hospital bed to thriving in a beautiful new home.

(Moving Day)

A week after moving into our new house, HFLM threw a party celebrating God’s thorough provision. The boys invited their friends and neighbors. During the celebration, HFLM staff slipped out of the main room and surprised the boys as they rode into the house on brand new bikes generously donated by Northlake Christian Church. The children immediately jumped out of their seats screaming with absolute joy and delight!

(Gakuru Driving the Younger Boys)

A Moody Bible Institute student, Jonathan Villanueva, is completing an internship in Rwanda. He has been teaching our boys English in his spare time. Throughout the week, Hilliary regularly feels a slight tug on her shirt and an eager voice asking, “When is teacher Jonny coming next to teach us English!?”

In the last few months, many challenges and important changes occurred, including: moving into our new home, accepting two more boys into our program, and seeing shifts in HFLM’s leadership. Please continue to join us in prayer during this transition. If you are interested in becoming a monthly financial sponsor, or would like to give a one time donation for a specific cause (such as furniture needs), please contact Hilliary at andersonhfl@gmail.com. We are so grateful for all your support in transforming the lives of our beloved boys! From the bottom of our excited hearts, we all shout thank you!

Sincerely,

HFLM Staff

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