A couple of weeks ago my wife, Irene, and I were in the USA at a time that most were saying it’s the most beautiful time to visit. I must agree that it was mostly sunny and the flowers were beautiful to watch. Unlike the time when it snows, even though I always long to someday see snow, if only just for once! Most people prefer this time to winter. Well, seasons come, seasons go…we always praise God for that!

In southern Africa, winter is here, and the cold, though not as snowy cold as it may be in most parts of America, yet quite cold that during this time we so often learn about children, especially from child headed homes, dying because they left a charcoal brazier in their small room and the carbon monoxide consumed all the oxygen leading to their passing out. All this, simply because they don’t have enough blankets to keep warm.

As the children we love to support enter week two of their schooling this winter, keeping warm in school for the next ten and half weeks is important, and yet it always tends to be a luxury. Apart from keeping warm in the night, most of these children yearn to be warm when they go to school. Thank God, through the local church, we have helped a number of them with  jerseys, a school uniform prerequisite to help beat the winter. However, a lot more still need your help. I implore you to continue donating to the ministry of Forgotten Voices and you will help keep one more child warm this winter.

James 2:16 reminds us, in practicing our faith, to not only bid farewell to those that are cold, but to do something about it! I always thank God for your help because the kids you see above are going to keep warm in school this winter. Don’t grow weary of helping, but keep on doing good, especially for orphans such as these!

Your fellow servant in God’s ministry,

Remmy Hamapande – Africa/Zambia Director

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Forgotten Voices African Director of Spiritual Ministries, Pastor Fibion Ndhlovu, sent this short reflection last week. It echoes the daily challenges many of our partner churches share with us on a regular basis. I imagine many in ministry here in the USA and around the world can identify with the sense of limited resources in the light of pressing needs. Giving context to what he had written, Fibion simply said, “Our partners can pray.” Please do pray as you read on, and keep an open heart to whatever God may impress upon you.

This morning as I was busy doing some laundry I heard the knock on the door.   I anticipated seeing one of the orphans we are assisting with school fees.   Yes it was a little boy, primary level, but not among the beneficiaries.   I could recognise the face.   The little boy sometimes comes to our Sunday school classes.   I ask him his name and he tells me he is Kudakwashe [God’s will]. He quickly tells me he has come to ask for assistance.  I looked at him and ask him what kind of assistance he needs.   He tells me he needs school fees assistance.   It was difficult for me to tell the little boy that we are no longer taking additional kids for assistance.   I told him to go and tell his father to come and see me but the little boy tells me that his father is away in the rural area and he is living with his brother and another younger sibling.   When I asked him about his mother he tells me that his mother died.   The father has not yet called to tell them when he will be back.   I told the little boy to tell his father that when he comes from the rural he should come and see me; and that in the mean time his brother can come and see me.  

I couldn’t ask more questions but the little boy left me wondering – Is his father in the rural area critically ill?

Within a space of about less than 10 minutes, I heard another knock.   When the little boy got in I could recognise he is Cecil, one of our Sunday school kids.   He lost his father last year after a long suffering.  He is at secondary level in school.   His grand-parents have asked the church to assist in the area of school fees.   When Cecil heard us asking for school reports from beneficiaries, he brought his also so that we could see his performance.   He is doing very well although he dropped a little bit last term.   The teacher’s remarks indicate that he seemed absent-minded for the rest of the term.   The little boy could have been affected by the loss of his father.

Challenges seem to be on the cross.   As the little boys leave me praying “For how long, ‘O’ Lord….”  I am also thinking of how we can effectively address the plight of Tyndall, a sibling to Lorraine and Lance [twins] Chauke, who lost their mother late last year.   He was in boarding school but now they are struggling to get him a transfer letter because he owes the former school some money.   Life has changed drastically changed for them.

 And we should all pray these orphans and be part and parcel of the solution.

   “For how long, ‘O’ Lord …..”

 

As we start this new week, we would love to encourage our partners in Africa with the knowledge that they are covered in prayer. Please feel free to leave comments or words of encouragement which we can pass on to pastors in Zimbabwe and Zambia facing challenges like the ones above every day on behalf of the body of Christ.

Ellen Shaffer, Director of Project Management

Tags: church, death, education, orphan, prayer
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This is my mom. I love her like crazy and am so grateful to have her in my life. We’re very close – she was even the matron of honor in my wedding! But in the last 11 years, we’ve only spent a little over 3 years living near each other, sometimes going 2 or 3 years in between visits. Mom and Dad live in Papua New Guinea and I live in Pennsylvania. I know that even as her adult daughter, my mom wants to care for me and wishes we could live close all the time. She couldn’t be here for my college graduation or my son’s birth or so many moments in between. She’s had to entrust my well-being into the hands of friends, fellow Christians and other mentors in my life – many of whom she’s never met – to fill the mom role when she’s not here.

This is my son. There are no words to describe how madly I’m in love with him or how he brightens my life every day. In a perfect world, I would spend every day with him playing in the dirt, driving tractors around the living room and eating peanut butter sandwiches. But as a part-time working mom, I’m extremely grateful to some close friends, my mother in law and some wonderful preschool teachers who invest so deeply and personally into my son’s life when I’m at work.

This is Yvonne. She lives with her husband and 3 children in Zambia. Both she and her husband are HIV+, though thankfully all three children have tested negative, including Baby Shareen. It is a significant struggle to provide for the family. Baby formula (to prevent HIV transmission) is expensive, as are school fees for the older sons and antiretroviral medication. Yvonne and her husband have no viable way to make a living a this time, especially when their health is poor. Their tiny house and plot of land affords a little space to raise chickens, but no room for a garden. She says, “We are tired of living this kind of life. Pray that God can make a way.” Even in this dark situation, there is hope. A local clinic provides counseling and health assistance to Yvonne and her husband. Their local church, a Forgotten Voices partner, provides food aid for the family and school fees for the two sons. Forgotten Voices is honored to partner with Yvonne’s local church to invest in the family’s needs now, and also have a plan for care in place if someday AIDS makes it impossible for to care for her children herself. This is the reality that so many families and churches live with throughout southern Africa. So many mothers (and fathers) live with the daily knowledge that they may not see their children reach adulthood. Who will care for the children left behind?

3 moms, all deeply invested in the well-being of their children, yet also reliant on others to give their kids the best life possible. Can you relate? This Mother’s Day, consider giving a gift to Forgotten Voices in honor of the mothers who have inspired you! Give in honor of your own mother or give in honor of other women who have invested in your life. Give in honor of those women who invest in the lives of your children, who are part of the village raising up your child. Give in honor of women like Yvonne who need someone to come alongside them with a commitment to help care for her children, even if she is no longer able to do so. Donate here and receive a gift certificate which you can present to your mom or other special women in your life this Mother’s Day.

Tags: aids, church, counseling, death, Giving, hope, Mother's Day, orphans, zambia
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It seems like we are going to experience early winter in Zimbabwe.Winter is good and yet it brings pain with it. It becomes clear who has a blanket and who doesn’t have, who has a jersey and who doesn’t have, whose has warm shoes and who doesn’t have and etc. Recalling my early days at school walking barefooted on winter morning without a warm jersey makes me identify more with many orphans who are going to endure the winter cold as they go back to school this coming Tuesday in Zimbabwe. We pray that God will move our hearts to pray for these kids and also our hands to give towards their basic needs.

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Summit VIII starts today!

Representatives from Forgotten Voices International and organizations from across the country and the world are gathered today at Saddleback Church in southern California for a 2-day conference  on adoption, foster care and global initiatives to care for orphaned children.

If you’re at Summit this week, be sure to visit our booth, meet Kathy and learn more about supporting and joining the ministry of Forgotten Voices! Be sure to ask about resources for churches and families to connect with Forgotten Voices and check out her session on engaging volunteers in ministry.

If you’re not at Summit (which is most of you), don’t feel left out!

While I’m not at the Summit conference this year, I’ve attended in the past and know it to be a wonderfully encouraging event with many opportunities to network and strive forward together in the cause of orphan care. And while I support the event in prayer from Central PA and follow portions of it online, I’m reminded that all of us in this community are here because we share our Heavenly Father’s heart for children. Children like Andile. She and her brother are being supported by the Entumbane Presbyterian Church, one of our partners in Zimbabwe. Andile is in Form Four (grade 11/12). After losing their parents, these two siblings moved in with an uncle who is still quite young himself and struggles to now shoulder the new role of “parent” to his neice and nephew. The church asks that we pray for these two, that they may know God’s leading in their lives.

Join me today in praying for Summit, and for all the kids around the world who weigh heavily on the hearts of those in attendance.

Ellen Shaffer, Director of Project Management

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Each month we receive prayer and praise updates from the churches with whom we partner across Zimbabwe and Zambia. Below are just a few of those updates. We hope you’ll take some time to pray about these requests and praises, and remember the work of our church projects in Africa. You can learn more about the projects featured here by visiting www.forgottenvoices.org/our-projects/project-profiles

Ndeke ECZ, Zambia
Pray for good health among the orphaned children supported by the church.

Pray for Ndeke ECZ leadership that all the planned activities for 2012 shall be accomplished without fail.

Pray that the home based care givers who recently received grief counseling training would find it useful and meaningful in their work among children and families.

Pray that many people will accept Christ through the Evangelism Ministry.

Praise God for the successful medical operation received by one of the home based care volunteers.

Praise God for the good behavior of our school-going orphans as reflected in their school reports.

Vineyard World Outreach, Zambia
Pray for Francis, one of the leaders who leads church ministries to the disadvantaged. He has been sick for several months and is the breadwinner for his large family.

Pray for wisdom on how to continue offering an effective feeding program to children with increasingly limited funds.

Praise God for the visible fruit of ministry! Recently a group of children assisted by the church who formed their own worship choir within the church and have brought joy to many.

Pray for a mother of two supporting her family as a clothes-washer since her husband left. She was recently hospitalized and her young hildren had nowhere to live. The church stepped in with crucial assistance during the family’s crisis, and hopes to continue helping with income generation now that she has been discharged and restored to health.

BIC Copperbelt Churches, Zambia
Praise God for 10 year old Edward. His local church began paying his school fees two years ago and he began attending church faithfully at that time. Since then, he’s begun bringing his two older brothers and his mother to church, and all have since become members. Though only a young boy, Edward is living his life as an example to his family. Pray for God’s hand on his life.

Pray for this church’s growing capacity to reach more children and families with immediate care, such as school fee payments and home based care, as well as long-term solutions for income generation and stable food supplies.

Mtshabezi National AIDS Programme, Zimbabwe
Pray for families throughout the region facing severe food shortages after an extremely dry growing season and widespread crop failure.

Pray for a young girl named Evidence. In December, she was hospitalized during the annual psychosocial support camp for illness related to her HIV+ status and was started on antiretroviral drugs. Since December she has responded miraculously to treatment and may be well enough to resume school again next term.

Tags: children, education, growth, health, prayer, sustainability, zambia, zimbabwe
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Last night I had the privilege of accompanying Remmy and Irene (visiting Africa/Zambia Director and his wife) to speak at Community Evangelical Free Church in Harrisburg, PA. We were warmly welcomed by a impressive number of people who came out on a Wednesday night to learn about a ministry and a pastor most had never heard of before. Thank you for your hospitality, your great questions and your love, Community E Free!

One of the closing themes of the evening became the importance of prayer. During the Q&A time, the question was posed, “how can we pray for your ministry?” Remmy and Irene both responded and emphasized the great value of prayer, which is vital to their often overwhelming work. Today I want to add a few more requests that have been on my heart and the hearts of many on our team:

1) Pray for one of our pastor partners who took his young son to the hospital for a severe skin rash.

2) Pray for a dear pastor and friend who has just received news of the death of his father.

3) Pray for several families within the broader Forgotten Voices family dealing with cancer diagnoses.

4) Pray for Irene, Remmy’s wife, as she’s not been feeling well this week and has a full travel and speaking schedule.

We hope you can hear from our hearts how greatly we value your prayers for the ministry of Forgotten Voices, our partners in ministry and families and children we are all working to serve. Please, please, please continue to pray.

We update our blog on the first of every month with new prayer and praise updates from our partners in Zimbabwe and Zambia. So check back Tuesday for new updates!

Ellen Shaffer, Director of Project Management

Tags: #FVVisit, death, health, prayer
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Though you don't know whose hands these belong to, God knows and we do too! Thanks to all who serve behind the scenes!

There are so many people who serve behind the scenes. Last week our team brought you some of them as we highlighted National Volunteer Week. In my role I often get to see the tireless efforts of people no one knows about, but we depend on daily. Many of them would have it no other way. They serve the mission because they love it. They embody servant leadership.

When we first started Forgotten Voices, quite a few people at the beginning left early to pursue other awesome things. There were moments where I wondered how God would provide. Those moments keep coming, but I’ve seen over and over God’s faithfulness to provide just the right people – rarely when we want them to come. But waiting patiently is part of refining how we should work.

There isn’t enough time or space to write out all the people who stand behind the scenes to build our little engine, not just in the USA but in Africa. Hundreds of people in southern Africa and dozens around the world have offered insights, service, and prayer to our ministry since before we were even an idea. To all of you, thanks!

This past weekend a volunteer threw a fundraising dinner, attended Purple Door, spoke at several events, and hosted 23 energetic children and even more parents. All of these events were led by volunteers, from start to finish. We hope this culture continues to grow.

Nate, praying with Mrs. Maposa, a volunteer homebased care coordinator in Zimbabwe

One guy who stands behind the scenes, helping our ship sail and volunteers coordinated, is Nate Shaffer. For over 5 years Nate has served our ministry in a variety of capacities. Next time you see him, embarrass him a little and say thanks. He manages our volunteers, keeps our office running, and is working hard to improve our efficiencies, improve communications, and day-to-day operations. Truly he is someone we could not live without at Forgotten Voices. He loves serving behind the scenes, but his un-thanked love has gone on for too long. Just as Mrs. Maposa (pictured left) serves home-based care volunteers in Zimbabwe faithfully without consideration to thanks, Nate leads by example – an example for us all.

Nate is one of the main reasons I am so optimistic about our ministry’s future. He is a beacon of reason to help guide me in in the midst of stormy seasons. He is a steady rock that allows himself to be used to push off from – launching me, and others, to dream new dreams with our partners in Africa. He is building our culture of service that I hope spreads deep and wide.

I’m thankful for him. In the future I look forward to you hearing more from him on the blog. Until then, Nate – from all of us at Forgotten Voices International, thank you.

-Ryan, President

Follow Ryan on Twitter: @ryanmkeith

Tags: Africa, aids, forgotten voices, hope, nate shaffer, orphans, Ryan Keith, zambia, zimbabwe
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This morning we have  10 wonderful Messiah College students volunteering their time at our offices as part of their annual Service Day.  They’ve all been promised pizza very shortly as our small way of saying thanks! But truly, this is just one of the many projects and initiatives that Forgotten Voices couldn’t do without volunteers.

Meet Tori and Bree, two brand new volunteers (as of 9am this morning!) helping clean up our office to host events later in the year

Think you might like to be a one-time or ongoing volunteer with Forgotten Voices? Read on below to find out how.

1) Find out about existing volunteer positions we’re looking to fill. We keep a running list of volunteer needs, many of which can be done from anywhere in the country. They include a variety of skill sets, commitment levels and time investment. Contact Nate Shaffer at nshaffer@forgottenvoices.org or call us at (717) 506 3144

2) Tell us about an event or project you’d like to coordinate on behalf of Forgotten Voices. In the last year, we’ve had volunteers approach us with a desire to coordinate a 5K fundraiser, a benefit dinner, a bake sale and more. We’ve been so honored by the initiative  of volunteers to take on the challenge of raising funds and awareness on behalf of Forgotten Voices and we’re eager to continue partnering with these efforts. Contact Nate Shaffer at nshaffer@forgottenvoices.org or call us at (717) 506 3144

3) Start a Ten Together group. This is a different but equally important to support Forgotten Voices and contribute towards volunteer efforts. We value the work of volunteers so much that we built it into our Ten Together fundraising campaign. In a nutshell, Ten Together involves donating $10/month to Forgotten Voices, donating 10 hours of service/year in your local community and doing these activities within a group of 10 friends/coworkers/family members etc. Visit www.tentogether.org to get started and to find resources to help you find local volunteer opportunities.

We’re excited to welcome more friends into the volunteer family at Forgotten Voices. Will we see you this year? 

Tags: fundraising, Messiah College, ten together, volunteerism
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Meet the volunteers of Forgotten Voices

Pictured (L-R): Matt Kirkley, Volunteer Director of Student Relations; Brian Reilly, Volunteer Director of Marketing; Irene Hamapande, Ryan Keith; Julie Bunch, Volunteer Director of Administration; Remmy Hamapande; Ellen Shaffer; Kathy Goss, Volunteer Coordinator of Kids Serving Kids

Forgotten Voices has 2.5 staff members working in the USA and 2.5 staff members working in southern Africa. The rest of our work depends heavily on volunteers and we couldn’t function without them! Last night we celebrated National Volunteer Week and Remmy & Irene’s arrival, with ice cream cake and a conversation on why we commit our time to Forgotten Voices. Common themes included a desire to help children, a desire to set an example of service for our own children, an excitement for Forgotten Voices’ unique model of supporting local churches, and a desire to be part of changing the conversation on how missions and ministry can and should be carried out. Click the names of our volunteers above to read more about the roles they serve and what motivates them.

The volunteers on our core team given leadership and significant hours each week to various areas of our ministry, but they’re not alone. In 2010 we had over 90 volunteers in the USA contributing to Forgotten Voices in some capacity. We have volunteers who organize events and fundraisers and volunteers who write thank you cards. Volunteers compile our monthly prayer and praise updates and write profiles of the children we serve. Volunteers represent Forgotten Voices as conferences and festivals and churches and schools. Volunteers developed our VBS curriculum and resources and create our videos. Later this week volunteers from Messiah College and West Shore Evangelical Free Church will be cleaning/painting/generally improving our office space.

If you have ever donated your time to Forgotten Voices, we thank you and honor you today!

And believe it or not, we could use more volunteers. Check back tomorrow to learn how to join our volunteer team!

Tags: children, church, Leadership, service, volunteerism
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