The longer the ministry of Forgotten Voices is in partnership with local churches across Zimbabwe and Zambia, the more we have opportunity to see the long-term impact of our – and your – investments into these locally-run orphan care ministries. As we share the stories and needs of real children with YOU – our prayer warriors, supporters, advocates and co-laborers – we want to give you updates on these precious lives in whom you have invested much.

So today, we have an update on Stuart, first blogged about by Ryan Keith when he visited Zimbabwe in March. A team of Fogotten Voices volunteers from the USA visited him in July and brought back the following report and photos!

We met Stuart-13 years old, who wants to be a pilot. His school fees are paid through the partnership between Entumbane Presybterian Church and Forgotten Voices. An orphan, he lives in a home headed by Sharon, his mother’s sister. Also living in the house were Sharon’s brother Enoch, and her two children,  Nyasha, 10 years old, grade 4, who wants to be a nurse and Niger, 10 years old, grade 4 wants to be a lawyer.

When asked what he missed most about his mother, Stuart replied, “she loved me, she bought me things, she cherished me.”

Sharon, Niger, Nyasha, and Stuart

When asked what Sharon hopes for the future of these three children, she replied, “that they do well in school, that they get good jobs and that they have a good life.”

She said that her worry was how to put food on the table when there is nothing. Enoch sews shoes and belongs to a traditional African dance group, but through both of those occupations he is unable to earn enough money for all of them to live on. Enoch wanted prayers for his dancing group to get a good regular contract.

Sharon said she would like prayer for a “good life, for God to guide them and to help her raise her children well.”

 

When I (Ellen) first saw the photo of the family, I was struck by the pride in Sharon’s eyes as she looked at the children in her care. Her prayer requests below are heartfelt and cut to the core issues she faces raising them. She’s asking God to provide. We join her in this request. This month, by God’s grace, we will send funds to Entumbane Presbyterian Church to pay school fees for Stuart and others. Entumbane is one of 15 church-run orphan care ministries scheduled to receive funding this month and we still need to raise funds to honor our commitments to these partners and cover other ministry expenses. Would you make a gift this week to help us continue providing holistic care to Stuart and hundreds of children like him? Be part of the answer to Sharon’s prayer today. 

Tags: education, prayer, raising children, Travels in Africa, zimbabwe
Filed under: General Blog