It's The Right Thing To Do

My role at New Hope Initiative (NHI) is a strategic role. NHI desires that the projects we support around the world set goals and vision for the future and work toward accomplishing those goals. By setting goals and vision, NHI projects can grow and impact more and more individuals living in poverty and for many years into the future. NHI strives to have sustainable programs that are led by well trained, competent leaders. My role with NHI is to support and encourage these strategic initiatives of setting goals and vision and training leaders. The role fits me well. I am a business, strategic thinker. I like to think hard about problems and figure out ways to solve them. I like to see people and projects grow and improve and be a part of that growth. And, I like to think how we can leverage our projects and our influence for the advancement of the gospel. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit NHI’s special needs orphanage in Hyderabad, India. God showed me how all the strategy in the world could never justify what we are doing there. Only what we read in Scripture and when we understand God’s heart for orphans can we justify why NHI supports this orphanage. These kids will never be leaders. These kids will never be pastors, teachers, or influencers. They will be lucky to make it to their next birthday. Several years ago, a major donor of the orphanage pulled out and it would have been the perfect opportunity for NHI to drop the entire project. I asked Sandy Baird, Founder of NHI, why he stayed. His response was, “because it’s the right thing to do.”

Sometimes as Christians, we have to make hard decisions especially when it comes to limited resources like money. Many US churches want to see the money they give make maximum impact for the gospel. And, I understand that. But sometimes, we must only look to Scripture and the heart of God and do things because they are the right thing to do. They are the things God cares about. They are the things Scripture commands of us. Even if they have absolutely no strategic value.

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. - Psalm 68:5

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. - James 1:27

The best strategic ideas will not make these kids different. But caring for them the way Jesus instructs us will make them feel loved. It will help them see there is a God that loves them just as they are and that He sent His Son to die for them so that one day they might have perfect bodies without sickness and have joy that will last forever. They can know today that though their parents have abandoned them, that their country and community have rejected them, they have a Father in heaven who accepts them and who has adopted them into His eternal family.

- By Lauren Allgood - Leadership Development Director

Fighting Ebola In Sierra Leone

Few things in recent memory have been more publicized and discussed than the recent Ebola crisis. As challenging as this has been for us in the western world, it is a full blown disaster for those who live in West Africa. It will be a long time before life returns to pre-crisis levels in places like Liberia and Sierra Leone. At New Hope Initiative we have been placed in the forefront of this battle as we maintain an ongoing critical presence in rural Sierra Leone at our Moribatown orphanage. Although the Ebola crisis has not been reported in Moribatown it has been confirmed in areas less than 10 miles away.

The Ebola crisis is placing difficulty and hardship in the path of everyone in that region and our facility is no exception. Unforeseen and unimagined challenges must now be faced. If the entire region is quarantined it will be incredibly difficult to find the food to feed our 72 children everyday. Our NHI leadership recently approved 6 months emergency food funding so that supplies can be stockpiled however many bank employes in that country are staying home so it took us weeks and weeks to even get the wire to Pastor Rogers and his staff. Listen to these other dire predictions for Sierra Leone.

The World Health Organization is warning that Sierra Leone may not be able to contain the spread of the virus with the potential existing for tens of thousands of new cases in the coming months. World hunger entities are warning that over 50% of the nations food crop is rotting in the fields or remains unplanted due to fears among farmers of contracting the virus. Most experts are predicting dire food shortages and famine in the coming months. The World Bank released a study last week predicting that the GDP for Sierra Leone, already one of the poorest countries in the world, will be cut in half for 2014 and 2015 causing an economic meltdown in that country. And most challenging, as the number of Ebola deaths continue to grow, will be the pressing need to care for those huge numbers of children who have been recently orphaned.

Would you help us by praying not only for Sierra Leone in general but specifically for Pastor Rogers and the children of our orphanage as well as our NHI I leadership team as we attempt to meet this crisis head on. Also will you be ready to help us in the days ahead as we try to financially meet the needs of our children in the midst of the coming economic crisis in that region.

Joy In Sierra Leone

I arrived in Sierra Leone with some expectations since some friends had gone a couple of years before, but nothing can prepare you for what you see when you arrive. The kids and staff were all outside waiting for us and singing “Welcome … we love you in Jesus’ name”. They had spelled out “Welcome” in white painted rocks in front of their humble home. It’s an emotional first glimpse into the lives of these orphans. This is not my first orphanage experience. I arrived at an orphanage in Fuling China in July of 2005 to hold babies and give the nannies a much needed break, and I returned in March of 2006 to pick up a 9 year old boy who we adopted. God sometimes has plans that are different than ours.

This trip to Sierra Leone pulled at my heart strings just as much, only these children have the blessing of growing up with Pastor Rogers, the orphanage director, as their surrogate father. I was drawn to the spiritual maturity of the children and spent a great deal of time getting to know them and listening to their stories. Several teenage girls took me aside and asked me to be their mum. My teenage daughter was on the trip with me so my heart just broke for these girls. As much as they are loved and cared for in this home, they know that life will be very difficult for them as they grow older.

Something that made a lasting impact on me is an experience we had with all of the teenage girls and Mrs. Rogers. We gathered in a circle and asked questions of one another. One question that was posed to them was to tell us something they like about themselves and then something they like about the person next to them. They really felt uncomfortable talking about themselves, but loved saying nice things about their “sisters”. In Sierra Leone, they don’t have electronics and stuff to fill their lives with. So they take the time to pray and worship and read. They are poor financially but rich in spiritual values. I so want to be like them in that way!!! I vowed to change my ways when I returned home but our culture sucks you in like a vacuum. Some of the girls made bracelets for me and I have them on my dresser to remind me to live a rich spiritual life, like they do.

When I heard a team was returning in January, I had to write letters to my “kids” and let them know how much I love them. I received so many letter back as they expressed their appreciation for Americans and how we help them. They appreciate the water well they have and the pigs and their home and they know many people sacrificed so they could have these essentials. Giving towards this project makes a very broad positive impact.

I look forward to my return next year along with my daughter who went last year and another daughter who wants to meet all these wonderful children. Pastor Rogers, his staff, and New Hope Initiative are changing a corner of the world one orphan at a time and needs the support of people like us. Will you consider being a part of that change?

By Joy Nobilini

Amazing India

We want to invite you to be a part of an amazing experience as New Hope Initiative travels to India this coming September. You will have an opportunity to serve as a volunteer in our special needs orphanage as well as experiencing of of the worlds most distinctive and unique cultures. The trip dates are still a bit tentative however we are planning on departing Saturday September 27 and returning around Monday October 6. The cost cannot be finalized until we have the airfare booked however we estimate the cost of this all inclusive experience to be between $2200 and $2500 dollars.

The major focus of this trip will be to spend time and help with the developmental issues of our special needs children who live in our orphanage near Hyderabad India in the center of this amazing country. Even if you have no experience with special needs children we can train and prepare you to have a part in this mission. We will also, depending on the skill set of our team, spend some time working on the physical buildings, and possibly doing some training of the staff.

We want to have our team finalized by late May so that we can get the best prices on lodging and airfare so if you are interested please communicate with our director Sandy Baird at s.baird@newhopeintiative.org. Sandy is planning on personally taking part in this trip. He will put you in contact with our India project and team trip directors Miguel and Katrina Bustos. This promises to be an incredible experience, we would love to have you join us!

Progress & Growth in 2014

A WORD FROM THE DIRECTORS

2014 has gotten off to a busy but very blessed start for New Hope Initiative. In every area of our work and planning we have seen progress and growth. We would like to highlight a few of the amazing blessings we have enjoyed in this first quarter of the year.

1. Our medical clinic in Arusha, Tanzania continues to amaze us with its scope and effectiveness. We are currently offering daily X-rays as a new service and on a Monday last month we saw a record number of patients for a single day at 168. Pray for Dr Byemba this month as he has to travel back to the Congo to take care of legal requirements related to his ability to stay in Tanzania. Many of you have heard the incredible story of his families escape from the civil war in the Congo so this trip home is enjoyable but also fraught with challenges for him.

2. In Kibera our newly reorganized school is already showing incredible progress. The first trimester has recently finished to sterling academic growth and we are looking forward to an awesome year. The construction in Kibera seems to be never ending. We currently are working on a new clinic building as well as a new complex for Biashara. We also will be starting a perimeter security wall at the complex and paving the school compound during the next month. Project Biashara had it most successful event ever at McLean Bible Church's women's conference where they sold over $12,000 in merchandise made by our Kenyan women!

3. Penda Project has grown to its highest level to date with 142 students in secondary school and another 15 qualified for university. We still are in need of about a dozen sponsorships so please consider helping us give the gift of education to a deserving student.

4. In Sierra Leone theft and security issues are pushing us to install a security fence around the entire large complex. We already have had several faithful partners who have stepped up to help with this fence. We believe about $20,000 will be needed to complete this urgent project. We are finalizing plans in the next few weeks for an early January trip to Sierra Leone. If you are interested in joining us please contact our staff. We would love to have you be a part of that team.

5. We have dates set for our team to travel to India to help with our special needs orphanage. Please take time to read the accompanying article and pray about joining us on this life changing experience.

In closing, we have 3 MAJOR projects that are in the serious discussion and planning stages. These include new school projects in Ethiopia and Nicaragua and a guest house in Nairobi Kenya. These 3 developments are big and very exciting for our future and we ask you to pray with us for clarity and direction as we take the final steps in each of these. We will give you more details about each of these in our quarterly update in July.

We love and appreciate all of our friends and supporters who help us make a difference around the world.

Sandy and Karen Baird - New Hope Initiative Directors