Zainab's Story

My name is Zainab Precious Umara and I am a Sierra Leonean.  I was born in a village called Morkaba to a very poor family.  I was the first born and the only child to live here.  We moved to another village where my parents would be able to farm.  It was here that my brothers were born.  We stayed there for quite a long time. One day when my youngest brother was about three months old my mother felt very sick.  My father took her to a nearby village to see the local witch doctor.  He treated her but she grew continually worse.  On one early morning she jumped on the bed that she was laying in, screamed out of her mind and gave up her last breath.  Our father died three months later and life became more difficult.

My grandmother took us in and we lived with her for three good years.  When I was nine one of grandmother’s nephews came and took me to Freetown, our capital city.  He left me with a woman who took me in and loved me as her own.  She took great care of me and everything was good and the future looked bright. I began attending school in Freetown at the age of 10 and I was put into grade 2 and sat for the national exam at the end of the year.  I scored the highest out of all of the children.  My teachers grew to love me for my hard work and effort.

However, for some unknown reason the woman I lived with grew to resent  me.  She stopped sending me to school with lunch and I went to bed with an empty stomach on most nights.  Life became dismal living with her.  I don’t know what caused her sudden hatred.

I grew stubborn and began sleeping on the streets and doing anything to get some food.  One day the woman took me back to my grandmother’s village.  My grandmother was forced to take me in, even though she was unable to care for both my brother and I.  At that time I was 14 and in grade 5.  It was here that I first met Pastor Francis Rogers.  He enlisted my brother and I into his feeding program and planned to move us into an orphanage he was building.  God had other plans for us and allowed a fierce storm to destroy the orphanage building and delayed any consistent care.

In 2008 I was in grade 6.  We had nothing or very little to eat.  My grandmother loved us, but had no good means of taking care of us.  I began hanging out with the wrong group of people.  I attended church only to get some food or financial assistance from the congregation.  My outlook on life was poor and I chose to sleep with a boy just for money.  I know God allowed me to get to this point in my life to bring me to my senses so that I would commit myself to following Him.

Ephesians 6:13 says “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

James 2:26 says “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.

James 1:6 says “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

Luke 15:17 says “And when he came to himself, he said, “How many hired servants of my father have bread enough to spare and I perish with hunger.”

When I read these four scriptures I repented of my sins and asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.  I am thankful to the Lord for making me who I am today through all of the struggles I faced. Since then my story has drastically changed.  I am now a new woman according to 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”  I grew spiritually each day and began serving the Lord.  God brought David Tanner, Phil d’Entremont, and Karen and Sandy Baird into our lives.  These individuals set us in a direction that God ordained.  Two children’s homes have been built, a fresh-water well has been installed, communication with Christians in America has been established and relationships are growing and giving us further hope.  We all attend school and we receive medical care.  All of this has been done and accomplished through the love of Christ and to the glory of God.  The Sierra Leone Project of New Hope Initiative has become a beacon of light in our dark country.  This project has led many to Christ and is a witness to all of His love.

I thank Pastor Rogers for all he does for me and all the children in the home and in the surrounding villages.  He has become my mentor, given me the name Precious, and is training me to be the future orphanage director.  When my grandmother passed away, he wept with me for days.  I also thank New Hope Initiative and all those contributing to our life through finances and prayers.  We would not be where we are without you following God’s will.  May God bless you all.

By Zainab Umara

A New Hope In Sierra Leone

My name is Moses Kallon and I was born in Sierra Leone. My parents divorced when I was one and a half and my mother gave me to my grandmother to care for me. She tried her best to tend to my needs, but by the time I was eight we were struggling to get by. I began working for people who would give me food or a little money. I did this for 2-3 years, but it was not meeting my needs. I started stealing from people’s farms for fruits, vegetables, and chickens. I would either eat what I stole or sold the goods so I could buy clothing. On the occasion when I was caught in the act, I was beaten severely without any mercy. Although I suffered many pains and anguish from being beaten, I continued to steal. This was the only way I could survive. When I was ten my older brother came from another village and paid the school fees for me. This was my first time attending school. My life improved, but after I completed grade four my brother could no longer afford the school fees or help my grandmother purchase food.

In 2005 God smiled on me when He brought Pastor Rogers from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, to our village of Moribatown. I went to his house asking for work in order to feed myself. After some time, he recognized my hard work and humility. He later took me in as his own child, allowing me to stay in his house with his family. We stayed there for three years or so, living an average life in that difficult time after the war. During this period, Pastor Rogers introduced me to Jesus Christ and the salvation He offered by dying on the cross.

Pastor Rogers is a man of God with a huge heart for the suffering children of Sierra Leone. It is for this reason that he sought to build an orphanage. In 2008 he met a missionary from the U.S., David Tanner. David brought the project to Pastor Sandy Baird who put our future dreams in motion. In 2009 both men brought a small team with them in order to establish a feeding program

God once again blessed my life as I met Phil d’Entremont. God placed Phil and I together on his first day in Sierra Leone. The team had broken into small groups to teach Bible lessons to the children and I was in Phil’s group. I took it upon myself to be Phil’s interpreter between the children and him.

Since that day Phil has treated me as one of his own. He financially supports me, encourages me, and even disciplines me when necessary (thankfully only once, but my actions justified his and Pastor Rogers’ rebukes). Phil is always looking out for my best interests. I was so pleased when New Hope Initiative appointed him to be the director of the orphanage project. I gave my life to Christ when I met Pastor Rogers, but I felt the love, care, and concern of Christ when I met “Daddy” Phil. I hope to graduate high school in the next few years and I know “Daddy” Phil will do what he can to assist me in growing into the successful man God wants me to become.

My life has forever changed under the programs and dwellings established by New Hope Initiative. I can now boast of eternal security in Christ Jesus. I now have a hope of a brighter and useful future. May God bless all the sponsors and supporters of the Karen Baird’s Children’s Home.

By Moses Kallon

Letter from Pastor Rogers

Dear All, We are grateful to God for your self-sacrifices in making our once hopeless children now bounce with hope.  We are grateful to you for making this project a wonder in our small village and its environs.  If not for the love of Christ in your hearts, these children would not have become what they are today.  Our children want to be in touch with their sponsors very often, but Internet is a luxury in our village.  I have been trying everyday for a week to find a strong enough signal to send this message.  Cell communication is also poor in our remote setting.

Everyone here is healthy and kicking.  Prayer for you, our sponsors, is a must in our daily devotions.  The kids are curious to see those who have never seen them but love them so much.  This is because we let the children know who is sacrificing so much to give them a future. 

The love of Christ is vividly shown to our community through this project and to some extent, makes evangelism easy to the lost.  This would not have been possible without you.  God could have chosen to use another person, but He chose you and that makes your sacrifice for these kids very significant. Especially since this is the first project of its kind in our entire district!

Once more, we are grateful for your great love for us.  We assure you that your donations are raising a mighty army for the Lord.  He will richly bless you.  We love you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For and on behalf of the kids, Pastor Francis Rogers - Home Director

Christmas Magic

You can bring incredible joy this holiday season to some of the poorest children in the world as you participate in our New Hope Initiative Christmas Project. We are hosting numerous Christmas parties in homes across America to raise funds for the children that New Hope Initiative sponsors in Africa and Asia. All of these funds (100%) will go towards Christmas presents for the children and projects that will directly impact their lives. These parties are informal, fun, and a great way for you to share your passion for New Hope Initiative with your friends and family. Check out our website to see if there is a party scheduled in your community. If there are none in your area, you can host a party!

We have a package available that will allow you to host a party. It is simple, easy, and is a great way to make a difference in the lives of the children New Hope Initiative sponsors. If you are interested in learning more about hosting, please email Beth Snyder. Make this a very special Christmas for some very special children.

A Word From The Directors

We are just finishing our very busy summer travel season and have had the pleasure of hosting 10 teams since late May! Every group has brought something special to the table and we have seen the work progress in nearly every facet of ministry. I am always amazed at the incredible heart, passion, and talents of the ministry partners God sends us. These trips are more than just mission vacations, but are vital to the ongoing work of New Hope Initiative. Without question our greatest tool in expanding the work of NHI is our short - term exposure experiences. The vast majority of our trips are group-specific trips where a church, school, or other organization brings a team from a single entity. However, in January we are going to have two open enrollments trips to Africa. From January 8 to 17, 2013 we will open enrollment for a trip going to the Kibera Slum of Nairobi, Kenya. The second trip will be to our NHI orphanage in Sierra Leone West Africa. This trip will be from January 17 to January 27, 2013. Both of these trips will be life-changing experiences. If you are interested in more details, contact Sandy Baird at s.baird@newhopeinitiative.org.

By Sandy and Karen Baird - Directors of New Hope Initiative