Rebecca Bermonte
There is no replacement for live updates from our global church partners, the individuals who are on the ground, facing the daily challenges (and joys!) of championing hope for at risk children every day.
Published June 29, 2022, 2 min read.
Throughout our 2022 Spring Webinar Series, supporters heard updates directly from Hope Story’s partners about their outreach to vulnerable children & their families.
Your prayers have been a big encouragement to us – to me. So many people are praying for this work. We can see God at work at the Gampela Centre.
Pastor John Tandamba, the Gampela Centre, Burkina Faso
One of the many remarkable testimonials and stories we heard from the churches we work with was from True Vine Church in Zahle, Lebanon. True Vine is a grassroots church which sprang out of a moment in time that no one but God could have anticipated. A street gang of young people were feeling empty and started seeking out something more from life. These young people started to demand answers about faith from the Christian community and when invited to do so, started gathering weekly to study God’s Word with a few Christian leaders from the community. From those early meetings a new church with a vibrant community outreach was born, and Hope Story is glad to be a part of it.
And from Zambia, Pastor Imasiku and Brother Benny explained that schools are so overwhelmed the teachers can’t manage to really teach all of the kids. In a class of 80 students, if a few children – even younger ones – drop out, the exhausted teacher might even feel a sense of relief for having fewer students in the packed classroom. But these young dropouts might end up on the streets, maybe in gangs – some not even teenagers yet. Read on to learn more about our Zambia church partners’ robust response to this crisis.
The New High School
From Tanzania, Pastor Majama explained why the new high school is a game changer for the community:
“Usually when girls (and boys too) finish grade 7 they stay at home waiting until they get married – teen marriage is a real problem in the community. Opportunities for them beyond the home are extremely limited. With no job skills both girls and boys face limited job options. You’ll see kids selling water bottles, watches, etc. on the side of the road because they are unemployed. Families carve plots into smaller and smaller pieces of land over generations, until eventually a family is trying to eke out an existence on a 10 x 10 plot. High School allows kids to break out and pursue meaningful work and do something with their life.”
If you missed the live webinar events, you don’t have to miss out on the updates! The replays are still available on our website. Watch the webinar replays here.