April 2010

VOH Follow-Up

After a nice rest at Christmas and the wedding of a good friend, the year started off on a good note… however our rest didn’t last long as we ended up being on the road for almost three months straight.

We were able to make a follow up visit to the youth at VOH in Kitwe, Zambia where we did a team building training last year. When we left them in August, we gave them the task of coming up with a community project they could do together as a group. This would allow them to put into practice the concepts we discussed such as communication, planning, being punctual, respectful, honest etc.

We were not sure what exactly we would find when we returned, but we were pleasantly surprised!

Although not the whole group from last year was present, we had over 30 young people who spent much time detailing how they had been working together as a team and what they had been doing.

There was much discussion and the young people were quite open and willing to discuss not only their successes, but their failures as well. We were able to talk about the importance of communication again—they saw first hand how lack of communication creates stress and problems—we discussed the importance of respecting others’ opinions and ideas, its ok to make mistakes, and it is ok if we  fail but we have to get up again and keep going as we continue to modify and seek counsel as to the way forward.

It was also encouraging to hear the report from the Chaplain that she has seen them working better together and being more encouraging towards each other. We pray that this will continue, not only when they know that we are coming to visit but in all their activities.

Of course we couldn’t have left them hanging, so we tasked them with another project—to come up with ideas and plans to impact the younger children living at VOH, so that when they become young adults ready to leave VOH they will already have the skills necessary to work together and plan for the future.

On the Road Again

 A few days after we returned from Zambia, we were on the road again with some CCP visits. I think the workers at the toll gates must know us by name by now!? We continue to enjoy spending time with the children and hearing how their lives have truly improved because of the CCP program. Life continues to be difficult for them, but with the help of CCP they are able to stand a bit taller and be more confident. We thank God for that!!

From there we travelled down to South Africa where we helped Pat & Gerald Golbeck with MissionsFest 2010 in Pretoria. It was definitely a lot of work but we enjoyed being able to help out and be involved in such a great event. Felix did all of the posters and artwork as well as being the official photographer. I helped with admin and signage in the building.

I also ended up being the ‘gopher’ during the conference making sure that the kitchen was well stocked and everyone had what they needed!? It really was a lot of fun and we enjoyed the privilege of being part of something that is sure to grow… it was also exciting to connect with people we met at last year’s conference.

The turnout seemed much better than last year and although the venue was smaller, it created a comfortable environment for people to hear not only from the speakers and presenters, but from God as well. There was a much bigger mix of races this year than in previous years and it was great to see different races working together. South Africa can be such a volatile place, but with God’s mercy and love it is amazing to see people pulling together for His Kingdom.

Jubilee Christian Center

We are so encouraged to see what is happening with the youth at JCC! Ten youth from last year’s group ‘graduated’ into Young Adults this year, and we have a new crop of teens, about fifteen, who come on a regular basis! They are energetic and full of life—they are also eager to attend meetings and be part of what is happening. We were able to host them at the end of February at our place for a ‘movie afternoon’. We ate lots of popcorn and chips and it was great to see new bonds forming between youth who otherwise were strangers. The group continues to grow closer together and kids we didn’t expect are showing up for meetings and ‘pep talks’ on Sunday after service. We are excited to be able to get them into ministry as we continue to grow with them this year. Young people are feeling more comfortable coming for advice and just sharing what is on their hearts. They really want to be involved and need a place to call home…..

‘The Hub’ was handed over to the Church Administration earlier this year so that the youth who are volunteering would be more integrated with the other church activities, as well with our travelling schedule we wanted to ensure there was someone constantly supervising. Felix will continue to oversee and manage ‘The Hub’ as we see our vision fulfilled!

The Young Explorers, as the children’s ministry is called, is growing in leaps and bounds and the kids are quite a handful on Sunday mornings… but what an opportunity to feed them and equip them to live successful lives at home and school. We don’t take that responsibility lightly—an encouraging story related by one of the parents: ‘Sharon’ will not allow the parents to watch movies in the evenings because Aunty Cecelia told them they have to be careful what they watch and only watch things that are good for them. So she tells the parents to put the movies away and only watch them when the children are sleeping!?? Out of the mouths of babes…. That was encouraging but also a challenge to remind us that we are not babysitting the children but giving them life lessons that they will take with them throughout their lives. We thank God for the opportunity!!

Children’s Ministry Training

We had a great privilege of hosting two special ladies from Canada the last couple of weeks who came specifically to do training with the CCP workers and children’s ministry volunteers in various churches around the country. Hailey Armoogan from PAOC and Geri Sweet delivered insightful, fun, interesting and thoughtful presentations to our workers and teachers—young and old men and women—who have a heart to serve the children of this nation. We visited six cities and had over 120 people attend the seminar days. We were so thankful for the people who came—and the feedback we received was more than we could have asked for. They were encouraged, they were challenged, they were excited to go out and use the knowledge they had gained. This was a ‘foundations’ course on the importance of children in the Kingdom of God and many of them had never heard the information presented before, so we are thankful that for our first time we were able to reach so many workers across the country.

This was ‘step 1’ in a process and hope that in the future we will be able to build on what has been planted. Our prayer now is that they will be able to use the knowledge gained and put it into practice in their children’s programs and make a bigger difference in the lives of the children that have been entrusted to their care.

TO PRAY FOR:

 The workers who attended the training—that they would push on in the work and make inroads into the lives of the children

 Safe travel to and from the Africa retreat in Kenya over the next week

 Continued support and finances in a time when everyone is feeling the squeeze

 Strength and health to do the work

 Dedicated and passionate people willing to help with the work

 Discipleship program to spread across Zim

 More servants in the church to do the work with love and compassion

PRAISE GOD!!

 For God’s protection, both on the road and at home

 For continued strength and health

 For good relationships with our colleagues

 For His presence in our lives

 For our family visit in March with Cecelia’s sister and niece

 For His goodness everyday

 For increase in atten-dance of children and youth at JCC

 For YOU, without whom we couldn’t be here

 

 December 2009

ANOTHER YEAR WINDS DOWN…

It is hard to believe another year has passed us by… so much has happened—and so much more needs to be done. We have so many things to be thankful for and so often we have seen the hand of God moving in this land.

We want to say a big thank you to you for all of your prayers, encouragement, support and giving. Not only in 2009 but over these last few years. The lives we have seen touched, the smiles and the laughter, the sharing and the tears, the learning and the growing—all these things couldn’t have happened with-out you.

As we reflect at this time of the year, we want to focus on God’s peace, love, and joy. It is easy to get caught up in the many things that have come to symbolize Christmas but let us all remember the ‘reason for the season’. The giving of God’s son so that the world may have eternal peace.

May you and your families experience Christmas in a new and exciting way this year! May you feel renewed, and refreshed as you get ready to jump into a new year full of all the things the Lord has in store for you—and for us!

PRAISE GOD!!

 For His continued faithfulness and provision

 Safety on the roads

 The changes we see in the lives of young people

 The opportunity to impact lives for the Kingdom

 The smiles that we see when we go out and visit ‘our children’

 Successful completion of the training/discipleship program

 Our good health, insight

 For YOU, without whom we couldn’t be here

 

TO PRAY FOR:

 Continued support and finances in a time when everyone is feeling the squeeze

 Zimbabwe—that God would continue to bring healing and restoration to a beautiful land

 Strength and health to do the work

 For refreshing during this holiday time, renewed vision for 2010 and beyond

 Continued protection and provision

 Dedicated and passion-ate people willing to help with the work

 Strength, wisdom and discernment as we move forward

 Lost souls to find their way into the church

 Discipleship program to spread across Zim

 More servants in the church to do the work with love and compassion

 

 “Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.” ~ Jude 2

“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:7

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!!!

Cecelia & Felix

 

 

 

 

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October 2009

THE TRUTH HITS HOME…

When people talk about HIV and AIDS sometimes we close our ears and our minds. We say “I’ve heard it all before” or “I’m glad it’s not my problem”. It’s just an ‘African’ problem or a ‘third world’ problem.”

 The problem is…. It is a problem that belongs to all of us… it is a problem that affects us all.

HIV brings severe devastation -to families, to communities, to nations, and to the world.

For us, HIV means a whole generation of working people are just not there to fill positions, which means that companies don’t have the skilled people they need in order to succeed which in turn means they don’t make as much money and in many cases close down altogether. This lack of production then means that we have to start depending on foreign aid in order to struggle to survive. This in turn, increases the debts of the ‘first world’ countries and eventually we all pay for it. Of course HIV also affects us wherever we live, because of the alarming trend that says it is ‘cool’ to sleep around. This can only lead to more devastation in the area of HIV, unwanted pregnancies and other diseases.

If we add to this HIV problem other things like global warming-another dimension is added to poverty, families not able to sustain themselves, children not able to go to school because they now depend on grannies for survival and there is nothing to grow. It is a big circle, the ‘circle of life’ as we see in The Lion King. Lack of hope brings desperation, desperation leads to dangerous behaviours, and that leads to sickness and death.

People know the facts about HIV, but when they are faced with the reality of life-poverty, hunger, lack of employment-they often-times lose hope. They figure ‘what difference does it make if I die sooner or later?’  Nothing made this more real to us than when we went to a funeral for the sister of someone from church-she was only 32… had been sick for years but never wanted to be tested for HIV. She got really sick one day, then two days later she died.

It seems like such a waste of life… and this is seen over and over again.

They say the HIV infection rate in Zimbabwe has gone down-which is a great thing! – but until we wipe it out of society totally then we haven’t won. We need to keep talking about it, telling young people they need to stay away from dangerous behaviours, they need to stay pure before they are married and faithful while they are married. It seems like simple things but despite it all, things that families don’t talk about. And so, as one of the things that we do with young people-we talk to them about relationships and sex. We want to see them live out God’s potential for their lives and be the next leaders of tomorrow. What a privilege!!

The Hub

It is a dream come true!! Our very own ‟Hub‟ – the place where it all happens-has come alive!

God has blessed the work of our hands and we see the results. The Hub is officially open 6 or 7 days every week selling coffee from around the world (mostly Canada and Africa), tea, cakes and other drinks and treats. ‘Everything for $1′ is our motto… we see young people just coming to spend some time when they have nowhere else to go. We see pastors and others who come for meetings come to enjoy a cup of tea and catch up on the news. We see others coming to enjoy a game of pool or ping pong. What a wonderful way of reaching into the community! We are excited about the possibilities. We are providing some much needed cash for a few faithful young people who are working in shifts and we are looking forward to beginning some special outreaches to the kids at the neighbouring school-mainly to do with ice cream and milkshakes!

We are also in the planning stages of another ‘Movers ‘N’ Shakers Nyt’ and starting up afternoons of music with live bands from the church and other places. This will allow us to interest young people-and old-from all walks of life to come into the church, meet some people and hopefully begin attending. Just by spending a little bit of time at The Hub.

CCP

It seems we are always going or coming, to or from a CCP trip. We visited all our areas in September and even got a singing and marching welcome from the children in one area!? We wished we had brought the video camera that day!! We are planning our last trip of the year in November… We always love going to see the smiling faces, and hear the laughter. We also hear the sad stories of the children and how the families are struggling-but then we hear how CCP makes such a big difference in their lives. THANK YOU for your faithfulness!!

Jubilee Christian Centre

We have been busy these days with the children and youth of JCC. One of our goals was to create a bond-us with them and them with each other. One of the ways we want to do this is through events and trips where they can relax, have fun and be themselves. On two (2) separate weekends we took the children to a local game park called Mbizi (zebra). We ate, went on a game drive, did some canoeing and played some volleyball. It was a blast both times!! The children and youth enjoyed it immensely and for many of them it was their first time in a park like that-and their first time to be able to just relax out ‘in the wilderness’. As one of our regular missions trips with the children we visited St. Giles, a home for children with disabilities. The children sang their songs about God’s love, the importance of the Bible and had a lesson about God’s salvation plan. We were also able to bless them with a few treats to share with each other. Fourteen (14) young people graduated from the discipleship course that we are running. It is a good starting point for them to ensure they understand the faith so that as we go out with the young people to minister to others, they are able to ‘give an answer for the hope they have’.

PRAISE GOD!!

With Thanksgiving just past we thought we would share some of the things we are thankful for:

 God’s continued faith-fulness and provision

 Families who are supportive and loving

 Strength and health to do the work

 For what God has given us to do

 Zimbabwe seems to be improving by the day

 Each other

 Souls won

 Ability to impact lives for today and the future

 For YOU, without whom we couldn’t be here

 We are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary!

TO PRAY FOR:

 Continued support and finances in a time when everyone is feeling the squeeze

 Zimbabwe-that God would continue to bring healing and restoration to a beautiful land

 All ministries we are involved in – JCC, CCP, Social Concerns-that God would guide us in every area

 Continued protection and provision

  God would show His love and mercy to all of those involved in the various programs

 Strength, wisdom and discernment as we move forward to win souls.

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September 2009

Jubilee Christian Centre

Firstly we thank God for an awesome turnout for our first ‘Movers ‘N’ Shakers Nyt’ held the last Friday in July. Our Succoth Hall was packed out with standing room only. We estimate that we had about 150 youths from various churches in the city in attendance. We really were overwhelmed at the turnout-but then serving such a big God it isn’t such a surprise!?

The night started off with no power…literally. The electricity went off before we were to begin but we were ready with a back-up generator- although it only was strong enough to power the instruments, so our praise and worship was in the dark… One of our friends frantically drove home to bring some battery operated lights which helped tremendously when Murray Cornelius was speaking. It had a great impact on the young people and over 15 of them came to dedicate themselves to the Lord. We thank God for such a harvest and pray that as they attend their respective churches they continue to grow in God’s Word.

We are in the process of planning our next ‘MNS Nyt’ and are expecting big things from God! Prime Time Youth (PTY) is doing well and growing step by step. Unfortunately we were not able to take our kids on our planned missions trip as finances for the youth are a problem. We pray that as we move forward ‘The Hub’ would be able to provide some needed income for many of the youth.

We continue to pray that God, by His Spirit, will continue to touch lives and encourage the young people to attend regular meetings. We especially need the girls to attend in full force-there are many young girls at church but somehow they are hesitant to attend Friday night meetings so we are trying to persuade and convince them that we need them in order for us to take the group to the next level. We pray they will take heed.

The children did us proud a few Sundays ago as they did a presentation in front of the whole church-surprising many people, with their knowledge of basic Bible facts and singing the ‘books of the Bible’. How sweet it is to hear eternal truths from the mouths of babes. We thank God that even the quiet, shy ones were willing to step out, take a chance a speak in front of hundreds of people!!

CHANGING A LIFE… ONE AT A TIME…

 ‘…when my parents died I was not sure that I am going to continue to learn but well God revealed himself and gave me people like you who enable to pay fees for me and who provided me with clothes.’

‘I feel better than others that have both parents. I thank God to give another parent like you…’

‘I am now able to stand among other children without being ashamed…’

These are quotes from real children who are sponsored by people like you. CCP goes much farther than just paying school fees-it goes to touching the very hearts and lives of the children. It affects their emotional, physical and spiritual lives… it gives hope where otherwise there would be none. So from us to you… THANK YOU!

It can be said many times, but still does not convey the importance of what you, as a sponsor, as a donor, are doing in the life of a child.

Close to 400 children receive support for school fees, food in their stomachs, programs to help them gain confidence, learn about life and have fun at the same time. And also, maybe most importantly, we are also ensuring that they hear the Word of God and know that He has a plan for their lives.

We are about to embark on our third trip of the year to visit the children supported by CCP-to try to get to know them better, to see how they are improving from one visit to the next, to hear about their struggles and their successes, to ensure that we are empowering those on the ground to help the children and giving them the tools they need to succeed. We love these times of sharing, laughing, playing and praying with the children, and we can only hope and pray that the time and energy we use to take these trips will give us great rewards in later years. That the time and energy we put in now will be shown by a great harvest being reaped in years to come! We thank God for the opportunity to be His hand extended-and yours-to the children of Zimbabwe. To let them know that somebody loves them…

It is always an encouragement for us to hear that as soon as the children hear we are coming they start counting the days until ‘the arrival’. The long days, the many hours on the roads are all worth it when we arrive to a sea of happy, smiling, laughing faces, waiting to hear what God has for them that day.

In these difficult times, both in Zimbabwe and in Canada, we Thank You, for sacrificing of yourselves to make a difference in the life of a child. To give them hope, a future, and the love they so badly need.

ACROSS BORDERS

We had the awesome opportunity to visit the VOH in Kitwe, Zambia to do a Team building training with the young people there. Originally it was meant for the older ‘kids’ getting ready to transition out of the orphan-age and back into society, but it was opened up to some of the other kids from VOH, the com-munity school and the local church. In total we had 69 in attendance-much more than we could have hoped for! God is so good! The kids not only learned basic concepts about teamwork, but also about their own strengths and weaknesses, and what they need to work on to be good members of a team. We couldn’t just leave the kids with head knowledge so we challenged them to come up with their own project-as a group-to help the community and begin to implement it. We promised to come back in a few months to check up on them and evaluate their team-work skills and how we can improve… A challenge but so rewarding!!

The HUB

We continue to slowly get our very own coffee bar up and running with comfy sofas, high stools, with pool and ping pong, fuse ball and darts to come… it will meet an urgent need in our city and touch youth we would otherwise not have an opportunity to reach. Gord Cooledge, our very own VOH missionary and former Head Chef at McMaster University, conducted a training for those interested in helping to serve at ‘The Hub’ where we learned about standards of cleanliness and service. We are so excited to see how God will use this before the end of the year to touch young people!

PRAISE GOD!!

 For His continued protection

 For His faithfulness to continue opening doors for ministry

 For young people who are willing to hone their talents to serve Him

 Good health-for us, our families and friends

 We are able to find all that we need in order to live

 That our electricity seems to be available most of the time now!

 For a great PAOZ Conference held at the beginning of August with over 1,000 in attendance

 For YOU-may He continue to bless, lead and reward you for your faithfulness and commitment to His Kingdom

“…I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers..” ~Philemon 4

“…let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” ~1 John 3:18

TO PRAY FOR:

 Continued support and finances in a time when everyone is feeling the squeeze

 Zimbabwe-that God would continue to bring healing and restoration to a beautiful land

 All ministries we are involved in – JCC, CCP, Social Concerns-that God would guide us in every area

 Continued protection and provision personally

 God would show His love and mercy to all of those involved in the various programs

 Strength, wisdom and discernment as we move forward

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August 2009

Spotlight on ChildCare Plus (CCP)

IMAGINE….

You are ten years old.  Your father has died, your mother has been sick for several years.  There was no one who could-or would-care for her, so you did it yourself.  There was no money to pay for the doctor, no money for school fees, not much money to buy a little bit of rice and some vegetables.  You and your siblings were left on your own, hoping that one day mom would be well again.  And then it happened…  she passed away.  Oh people came to cry and say what a kind person she was, but where were they when we needed them before?  After she was buried we had nowhere to go, no one to turn to.  We lived on the streets, begging for a little bit of food so that we could trick our stomachs into believing that they were full.  Then just as we thought there was no hope, someone found us and took us to a local orphanage-Alpha Cottages.  We found shelter, food, some clothes and we were now able to go back to school.  I want to be a teacher….

We hear stories like this over and over again.  Children left with nothing, no one seems to care-but God cares!  He hears the crying, He sees the suffering.  We are thankful that we are able to partner with people like those that run  Alpha Cottages in Masvingo town, to help feed, clothe and educate the leaders of   tomorrow. 

Alpha Cottages, although a Zimbabwean orphanage, relies solely on the assistance of  donors to help them meet all their needs.  2008 was a very difficult year for them and they saw their numbers dwindle as they just were not able to care for any more children. 

We are thankful that as CCP, we are able to partner with them as they try to help those children who are the most vulnerable in society.  We currently assist with a ‘feeding program’, sponsored by Bethel Tabernacle in Hamilton, to ensure that they have the needed funds to keep their cupboards stocked and the little stomachs full.  We are also happy that we are in the process of getting the resident children sponsored so that we are able to help with things like school fees, medicine and other needs. 

We pray that not only will we be able to help the children physically but that their spiritual health improves so that they are able to take their rightful places not only in society, but in the Kingdom of God!

We have also made it possible for their Superintendent to attend a training session at Village of Hope in Harare.  It was a huge benefit to them and we already see signs of improvement!  We also plan to bring some of that VOH expertise to them and train all of their workers and caregivers so that they are able to provide the best possible care for the children.

We see so much potential but the needs are many….  At Alpha we hope to also partner with them to begin a self-sufficiency project, or Income Generating Project (IGP), so that they do not have to always rely on the help of donors to keep them going. 

But we can only do this because of your faithfulness and commitment to us and to CCP.  THANK YOU on behalf of the children at Alpha Cottages-and all the children of CCP!

Jubilee Christian Centre

Prime Time Youth International (PTYI), the youth group at JCC, is doing very well!  While we were away, Felix’s ‘second in charge’ did a great job of keeping things moving and ensuring that the youth continued to attend.

We have now moved into our new home-Succoth Hall-and are excited about what God is going to do.  Earlier in the year it was decided that to give the youth a sense of belonging and purpose we would ‘take over’ the small hall that is in the church building. We had it carpeted and even bought flags from different nations while we were in Canada.  It really has made a difference and the youth are excited to be involved.  We have heard comments like ‘wow, this youth group has changed and is not what it used to be’; ‘I am now going to come every week’; ‘we want to be involved in what is going on here’.  We even have people who are not ‘youth’ by age, but by attitude who have also decided to attend because of what they see God doing.

We are excited that not only will Murray Cornelius, our PAOC Assistant Superintendent for International Missions, be sharing with us at the end of the month, but that it will also be the kick-off of our new ‘Movers & Shakers Nyt’…  for the youth of Harare.  This is going to be a monthly worship and praise night for youth from different churches to come, have fun, worship the Lord, get inspired and hang out at ‘The Hub’.

So far close to ten churches have been invited and we are trusting that we will have a great turn-out for our kick-off.

It is neat to see the excitement building among the youths-what a great opportunity we have to impact them and get them involved in the work of God.

We are also planning our first outreach with the young people at the end of August … we will be taking them to Alpha Cottages in Masvingo so that they are able to minister to the children there, as well as help with odd jobs that might need to be done.  For many of them, this will be their first visit out of Harare, so we pray that the Lord will open their eyes to see what He sees. We also plan to take some time to just have fun together and see a National Heritage site, Great Zimbabwe, as we continue to get to know one another and see how God can use us together as a group.

The children’s ministry continues to give us joy as we see the children learning about God’s Word. They have been learning about the Bible, how many books, who wrote them etc.. And really seem to have grasped not only the importance of the Bible but why it is so important.  While we were in Canada the children did an outreach at the local rehab hospital where children are in residence and reports are that even the small ones were able to share about God’s Word! We are just thrilled that they are beginning to see that God has a place for them too.  They are currently preparing a presentation for the entire church and we are starting a series about sin and God’s love. Please keep these ministries in your prayers.

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May 14, 2009

Just wanted to give you some great news…  God continues to bless -as Felix has been granted a visitor’s visa!!  We are planning to come to Canada for just a short visit – 3 weeks – and hope that we will be able to see you!  We arrive on May 30th and leave on June 22nd.

We are in the process of making appointments, but if you would like to ensure you see us, please let us know so that we can make arrangements.  THANKS so much for your continued prayers!!!!

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April 2009

We trust that you have enjoyed a restful, peaceful and happy Easter as you celebrated the resurrection of our Lord!! Easter has been quiet around here for us, and we are thankful for the break this year. We just returned from an 8-day whirlwind trip to visit all of our CCP areas. We travelled well over 1,000kms on dirt roads, tarred roads, and roads that used to be tarred but are now full of potholes. Or should we say, trenches!? It has been great to get back in the saddle so to speak and visit with all of our children. We have missed them so much after these 8+ months away from them and to see their smiles and hear their laughter was worth the bumps, the dirt, and the long days on the road. It continues to be an awesome privilege to be able to minister to them. In total we have approximately 350 children who are part of the CCP program in Zimbabwe at the moment. This includes those who have individual sponsors as well as those who are part of the feeding programs. We operate in 8 different areas around the country which touch 12 separate communities. In each area we took new photos of all of the sponsored children, got updates on those who may have left the program during the hard times that we have faced the last year in Zimbabwe, and also got an opportunity to catch up with the pastors to find out how their churches are going and how vital this program is to so many. How wonderful to hear that everyone-children, parents, pastors-had been praying for my papers to come through and to know that the children saw such a tangible answer to prayer.The theme for this trip was teaching them how to grow spiritually-by praying every day, reading their Bibles every day, obeying those in authority, telling others about Jesus and going to church. They received the lesson very well and also learned the memory verse-Philippians 4:13-”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Different object lessons were used and we even had some visits from some very special puppets!! Of course, no visit would be complete without playing games. Not just any games, but games that teach them skills like cooperation, communication and interacting with one another, working together and the importance of determination and courage to try something new. We ourselves are always encouraged by the children’s desire to try new things and step out of their comfort zone. We thank God that together, in Zimbabwe and Canada, we are able to give hope to those who really have none!!Permanent ResidenceAs you all know, in June 2008 my work permit was denied and I was given 7 days to leave the country. Although we appealed the decision, I was not given any added time to my ‘7 days’ which meant we had to leave-Fast! It was a time filled with stress, unrest, impatience, frustration, fear etc…. We spoke to many people regarding the way forward and decided that applying for permanent residence based on our marriage was the way to go. So after returning to Zim (without any problems!) in October we applied for the residency. We were pretty confident that things would work out, but because of all the problems Zimbabwe had been experiencing in 2008 anything could have happened. But we knew that God was in control and that whatever was supposed to happen, would. It was a difficult time of waiting on God but it taught us lessons in faith, lessons in love, lessons in patience…. We learned a lot!! We left it in God’s hands and continued to make plans for His work to move forward.Time kept ticking and we were beginning to think that we would have to put Plan B or C in action, but God came through!! At exactly the right time, for various reasons, we got notification that my permit was ready for pick up. We were overjoyed!! Although I do have to admit I was only going to ‘believe it when I saw it’!?

Since returning to Zimbabwe in October 2008 we have been more involved in JCC. It has been great to get back into leadership meetings and strategizing on the way forward for the church. JCC has so much potential, and we are only tapping into a little bit right now. Felix and I believe that we, along with the other leaders, can help JCC move to the next level. Felix is now officially the youth pastor at JCC. The first meeting had 2 young people, the second had 8 and from there it has been 15+ every meeting. We thank God for that! We are trying to boost the youth program and at the same time boost the reputation of the church in the community. We are planning to create a place where young people can come and hang out in a safe environment, while at the same time making a few small ‘cosmetic improvements’ to the church. We are calling this place ‘The Hub’, where it all happens. Please keep it in your prayers. I continue to be involved in the children’s ministry and am excited about the possibilities for the future… we have faced many challenges over the years but we feel that this year we can break those barriers and go beyond what has become the status quo.

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March 7, 2009

Our dear friends…  this is just a quick ‘thank you’!!!  For all your support, encouragement and prayers!!!!  My permanent residence permit has been granted!!!  It has been a HUGE relief and we are so thankful to the Lord that in times like these, we were able to get it finalized….  we know it is only because of all the prayers that it was pushed through and went so smoothly.  THANK YOU!!!  Cecelia & Felix 

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August 2008

 

 

 

We’ve heard recently that Cecelia and her husband, Felix, are in South Africa. They are not, at this moment anyway, being allowed back into Zimbabwe. They are trying different avenues and will keep us posted as they have some information. They do appreciate our prayers.

 April 2008

You know, it is amazing.  I thought that I was busy before, but somehow more seems to have been put on my plate and we are trying to wade our way through it all.  We love all the doors that God is opening up and we are slowly adjusting to work and married life.  It is a challenge though, especially since I had been on my own for so long doing things my way ….  we are having fun and enjoying.  Not to say that challenges haven’t been there, however we are learning to work through them, and in it all we know that we know, that this is where God has called us.  It is really neat to see the way that God is using us – both together and individually – as if we had been together forever.  Felix has been shown favour on all fronts and has been accepted by those that I work with.  It sure makes life much easier – most people now figure that since I am married that I am officially a Zimbabwean, although that isn’t quite true, of course!?

I thought it might be nice to give you some ‘reports from the field’.

A testimony from the Child Care Plus program

“Their lives and performance at school has greatly improved.  Both the parents/guardians and the church are thankful to you for availing yourselves to be used by God this way.  We are equally grateful to God for Cecelia P. Chiriseri…this trust was graciously committed to her by God probably because she has the welfare of the child at heart.  This has earned her a great affection and a role model status with these children.  Answering a question what she would like to be when she grows up during their teen’s lesson at church, this girl said ‘I would like to be like Cecelia who is always helping the needy people’”.  ~  Gwanda

And yes, it brought a tear to my eye when I heard that!  How wonderful that beyond giving money for schooling and food, the program can also impact a young person that way – so that they may see Jesus at work.

“…We have seen children’s school results improving because their school fees are being paid on time and they have clean school uniforms.  Every child attends church service every week to share the word of God with them.  Looking at the community and the surrounding areas there is an alarming death rate for young parents leaving the children in the hands of grandparents, some very old to look after the orphans left in their care.  There is a death or 2 every day of the week…” ~ Mawabeni

It is amazing to see how God is using the CCP program to touch lives and communities.  I think in almost all the churches the program is running (11+) the pastors have reported that people are now coming to church because of the care they see the church is providing to the children. Also, the feeding program that we launched last year is growing – we now have over 150 children being fed every week (on top of the 275+ sponsored) and we have had to quickly put policies and procedures in place.  The volunteers now do home visits to the children, they are trying to arrange help for school work, and we are hoping to introduce a discipleship program for the children this year.

PLEASE PRAY:  that God would continue to put people full of love and compassion in the forefront of this ministry; that we would be directed by Him when going into new areas; that His love and care would be evident to the children, and their caregivers

About the HIV program,

It consists of many facets – collecting food for the infected, affected and children; providing fruits for those who are sick; doing youth training; counselling to those who are HIV+; paying school fees for orphans; herbal gardening; home based care; camps for OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children); garden for commercial sex workers – just to name a few of them.  Some churches are still behind the game in this area, however some are farther ahead because of the drive of the individual pastor in the church.  We had a bit of a set back last year as we did not have an official ‘Director’ in place, however I am happy that a friend and colleague has been established as the ‘boss’ and he is quite happy to help things move forward as they have been.  So our push over the next few months is to ensure that a number of income generating projects begin.

PLEASE PRAY:  for the people responsible for each province, they face many challenges in their roles; for pastors who are still not convinced the church needs to address social issues in order to be relevant; the people that we are helping – that God’s love would flow to them

“And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”     ~ 2 Kings 6:17

About Rebranded (youth)

Mission:  Rebranding youth for Christ and transforming the nations

 Vision:  Nations revolutionized through Gospel empowerment of the next generation… 

Goals:  Youth reaching youth, Capacity building – social, practical, emotional, spiritual Networking, Relationships, Exposing God-given talents

Tools:

            Sports

            Seminars

            Arts – music, drama etc

            Camps

            Conferences

Our camp in December was awesome and God really worked on the hearts and minds of the young people.  We had over 130 in attendance, which could have been more except we had to say No on the last day…  we faced many challenges but we saw the goodness of God over and over again.

“I was called to dance but I thought I couldn’t do it and thought I could become a lawyer as a way out, but God spoke to me during camp and told me my calling and gave me a vision.  Rebranded has changed lives of youths and has made them want to live according to God’s will.”  ~ Jane

“I am  now a changed person from what I was but now I am not that I was in the old days.  But I just want you to be blessed by the Lord God.”  ~ Freedom

“I became more mature in Christ.”  ~ Rutendo

“I have been inspired into doing so many things during the camp.  I have realized my potential and will release it back to my fellow youth group.  As a first time experience, it was worth it and I want to see another experience.”  ~ Kuda

Momentum has been put into place and many youth just wait for each event, however we hear good reports of the changes that pastors see in their youth groups.  Attitudes (bad) have slid away; young people taking the future seriously, setting their minds on their goals…  we have plans to do a discipleship program for those that want to participate, a leadership day in April, as well as a ‘street fest’ that will showcase dance, song, fashion and other talents to the general public, thereby giving us the opportunity to share Christ with the wider community.  Sports tournament, and of course another camp in December. 

God has also given us the opportunity to own some property!  He had given us the vision of opening up youth recreational/training centres but all of our plans seemed to fail, until God opened the right door.  We now own the property and we hope to be able to develop the plans soon.  We want to work within the rural community to help with job creation, youth training and also orphan care.  We will be working closely with the church there that also is feeding over 100 orphans.

PLEASE PRAY:  for God’s wisdom so that we can identify new youth leaders; that His vision of youth centres will be realized and more land will be found in other places; against hopelessness and despair as the situation continues to deteriorate and the devil dashes hopes and dreams

About JCC,

The biggest and ongoing great news about JCC is the purchase of the property!  We have a long way to go in paying it off, however it is great to have a place we call home…  if any of you thinks you might be able to help with the ‘building fund’ for this church it would be great.  Not only do we have to pay down the debt but we need to do repairs, landscaping, painting, fixing the parking lot etc….  but God is blessing us and the numbers are growing and our worship team improves all the time.  It is a big job but when God gives someone a vision He is faithful to see it through…  Murray Cornelius and his wife Cindy were just here for a visit and we had a great time with ‘mom & dad’ in the house  

  Well I think this is long, but gives you a bit more of a picture of how far and wide your support reaches.  Really we could not do this without you and the vision that God has given to all of us to help fulfill His great ‘big’ plans for Zimbabwe.  Your continued prayers are always welcomed and your support has eternal value!! 

THANK YOU!   

Cecelia & Felix