2020 was a great year! What?!?!

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What?! How can I say it was a great year when most of us were happy to see 2020 finally over?! For sure it wasn't easy, and it certainly had many challenges, but if we look hard enough, we can see the good too.  

It reminds me of the story of Joshua and Caleb and the 12 spies when they went to explore Canaan. Most of them saw the people who looked like giants, the fortified walls - all the challenges. But Joshua and Caleb saw opportunity. That's how I feel about 2020... despite the challenges and giants we faced both here and in Africa, there were great things too. For example, through our work with Villages of Hope Africa, in 2020:
  • 7,000 children were impacted by our programs
  • 5,027 boys and girls had the chance to go to school
  • 6,225 were part of a daily feeding program
  • 4,537 received medical care
  • 124 youth were engaged in youth empowerment programs 
  • 283 children were cared for in children's homes
Programs continued, often with creative solutions, like teaching school through local radio stations and distributing "Hope Packs" of food to families in the communities, to ensure children were cared for.
Children still graduated, got medical attention, learned more about God and learned new skills. 

And you were a part of it! Through your giving, support & prayers of my mission, we were just as much a part of impacting the lives of children in need in 2020 as the staff on the ground. 

God’s been faithful to me personally, too. Thanks to many of you, and some special year end gifts, my immediate needs are met. I still need a few new monthly sponsors to ensure a strong foundation moving forward, but I know He will provide.

All in all, I'd say 2020 was a great year! I'm believing 2021 will be great too! 

I'm going full steam ahead supporting the teams in each of the 10 VOH villages. I love it (though can't say I love the time difference for our zooms calls, like the one I had last night with VOH Chongwe from midnight to 1 am!) We are in the thick of finalizing 2021 plans with the village directors this month and continue to work through the challenges the pandemic presents. The leadership and staff on the ground are as committed and passionate as ever. 

Things are a bit unsettled in Africa right now with more COVID cases emerging in recent weeks and the concern that the new strand in South Africa is spreading to neighborhood countries, where we work. There are strong advisories against travel to most of the countries, so in discussion with my boss, we will continue to support the mission based out of Canada for now and head back to Africa as soon as it's safe, hopefully in the not too distant future. 

I wanted to start the year looking back at what was accomplished in 2020. Looking forward to doing great things with you in the year ahead as we do our part in supporting the ministry of Villages of Hope Africa to impact the lives of more children. 

In closing, for both God's mission work and our lives personally, let's be like Joshua and Caleb this year, looking for the opportunities before us, and then expecting God to come through .... He will! 

Jeanette

Let's hear from you! Post a comment.  .... 

What was great in 2020 for you? 
What are you expected God for in 2021?

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