Jeanette's Mission

This isn't the update I planned to send this month. It was supposed to be 2022 highlights of the great things God did in and through VOH last year. Suffice to say, lots of great stuff happened, children's lives were impacted and God is good! But instead, I have an unexpected personal update and need for prayer. Long story short..... I had a chest x-ray in August, before I left for Tanzania, and they found something. For those who don't know, I came home just before Christmas, due to my 90 day business visa limit, to see my aging mom and to follow up on this with a CT scan. Turns out I have an 11 cm mass tissue "draping" over my heart. It had shown up in a CT scan several years earlier and they didn't think anything of it then, but now that it's grown (albeit slowly) and is near my heart, the surgeon told me it's best thing to just get rid of it, do a biopsy and make sure it's nothing, and then I can "get on with my life." (aka missions) I...

    MERRY CHRISTMAS! It's almost Christmas.. so thought I'd make a short video, where I share what God has been teaching me and a special treat from the kindergarten class just for you. Hope it will speak to your heart, and that you will find joy in knowing how much the kids appreciate all you are doing for them! Just before I go, thought you'd enjoy a few pics of Christmas celebrations in Burundi, Zambia and Malawi centres including presents - new clothes.. and a live chicken?! (Have you ever received livestock under your tree?!?)    MERRY CHRISTMAS! Thank you for standing with me and making a difference in the lives of VOH kids! Jeanette

  Q3 has been crazy... in the best possible way! I'm back in Africa, getting settled. So much has happened in the last 3-4 months. Covid still hovers over several of the countries where we work, and in others (like where I'm living) you'd hardly know it exists. But either way, we continue to help the kids. Hope you find these updates helpful to see the mission from my raw perspective, learn what I'm up to and help you sense the joy of being part of it with me!  2021 Q3 Update (July - Sept/Oct)     Instead of sharing many different activities from Q3, I thought I'd focus on one big one that happened just after I arrived in Tanzania. It kind of encapsulates it all ... a Grade 7 Grad Ceremony! What's been Happening In this one event, I could see the vision and mission of VOHA and the same hopes and dreams we have for all the centres represented. The whole thing was over 6 hours long....  so I'll just share 3 parts: 1. The Fashion show 2. The Car...

Happy Thanksgiving! I have to admit, I'm missing my family and the big turkey dinner this year. Turkeys are not found in Tanzania ... so we have to compromise, with chicken. But, I brought over a can of Ocean Spray cranberries, some turkey gravy mix, and even a box of Stove Top stuffing to share with my newfound Canadian friends who are going to celebrate Thanksgiving with me ... it will have to do, but it will be NOTHING like my sister-in-law's turkey dinner, that's for sure! Anyway, Thanksgiving isn't just about the food... it's about pausing to be thankful for all God's blessings in our lives. You're one of them to me. I wanted to send this quick note to you to say  THANKS  for being in my life and letting me share this mission journey with you. It's so great to have family and friends who care and I just want you to know I truly pray for you often and am thankful to God for you. I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving. As you say grace, please pray ...

  Well I finally arrived. It feels like a long time since I came home to Canada lCOVID hit last spring, but after being back in Africa for just a week, it already feels like I never left!  In case you missed it, I'm going to be based in Mwanza, Tanzania. My role is still regional, supporting all 10 VOH centres in 5 countries (Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Burundi and here) but being based here means I can also help out a bit with the VOH Tanzania work while Julius, the director is on leave. He's taking a bit of a break with his 3 sons after the tragic loss of his wife last November. One of the local board members is assuming the role of interim director until he returns, so hopefully I can be some extra support as needed. Coming in Africa is an adjustment, but I'm settling in. I'm living in a studio apartment in the basement of the Julius's home. It's comfortable, cheery and cozy ... despite the bathroom pipe that burst a couple of nights ago and floo...

I booked my ticket - leaving for Tanzania on Sept 8th! It's exciting and scary all at the same time! But it's time. I'm ready for what God has planned for me to do there. Please pray for me in the upcoming weeks for all the details and the peace of God as I enter this next stage of the journey, and most of all continue to pray for me when I'm there! Next time you hear from me, it'll be from Africa ... But for now... here's the Q2 update.... alot was going on (including a new preschool!) Q2 Update                                                                                                       July 2021                                 Projects! That's the...

"I have my Rights!" Over the last few months, I've been hearing that statement a lot lately as we begin to see things opening up, but still await life to return to "normal" and protests are increasing with people saying we have rights and what our freedoms!  Though it's tough, we know it's for a limited time, and are thankful that we live in a country with freedom and our rights are respected and valued.  Sadly, it's not that way in many parts of the world. And it's often not that way for everyone - especially children. Thirty years ago, world leaders made a historic commitment to the world’s children by adopting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which is an  international human rights treaty that has become  the most  widely ratified human rights treaty in history. It  basically states children are entitled to 4 basic rights - survival, protection, development and participation.  Sounds pretty basic, doesn't i...