OUR LIVES in 2008

In case you don't already know, our lives have changed greatly in the last year.......... 

Sarah Keeling married Sylvain Sebazungu one year ago on May 19, 2007.  Sarah and Sylvain met while working together at the clinic in Kigali where Sylvain was a nurse.  It soon became obvious that God had plans for their lives together and Sylvain was able to come to America to be married and become part of the family. 

Heather and Josh Clark have been blessed to have a precious son, Matthew Hunter, who is 1 year old and already an A&M fan. 

We are all excited to see how God is going to continue to use us through Africa Anchor of Hope to do His work. 

We praise Him alone for all of the blessings we have been experiencing.

2007 Report

•  Feeding of 20 children lunch 7 days/week and payment of school fees and materials as well as following their daily lives in general.  
• Special Christmas for the children in Rwanda and Congo that we work with  
• Financially assisted with a Bible Camp for children in Rwanda  
• Monthly salaries of 2 nurses and security guard at the Church clinic that we partner with  
• Completion of two CEER church school buildings in Rwanda, one opening with students in January 2008
• School fees and supplies for 41 children (mostly orphans) in Congo  
• Lunch 5 days/week for 30 children (mostly orphans) in     Congo  
• Emergency relief for refugees in camps in war torn Congo  
• Almost completed the first building in the Beyond the Bridge conference/socio-recreational center in Congo  
• Established the position of full-time Anchor of Hope Representative in Rwanda- filled by Vincent Bahizi who has been working with Anchor of Hope in this position on a part-time basis but has now graduated from the University and is joining AOH full-time.    

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2008 TRIP REPORT

   * Anchor of Hope became registered with the Rwandan Government as an International Non-Government Organization.

  * We stepped out from the Ligue, which is a Christian organization through which the children were being supported with lunch under the "umbrella" of their children's ministry.

   * We established an Anchor of Hope office and hired our own staff to begin ministry independently.

   *We had an "open house" to transition to our new office with the kids and their parents

   * We began feeding and ministering to the children out of our office, taking full responibility for all the ministry to the children.

   *  We had an outside kitchen built where the food will be cooked and money in charcoal can be saved (food is prepared outside on cookers with charcoal)

   * Much time spent in administrative paperwork and bookkeeping organization with our Rwandan Representative

   *While in Congo, we had the opportunity to visit a refugee camp and visualize the tragic conditions of life there as well as discuss with Beyond the Bridge possible opportunities for assistance

   * The trip was also one of accountability:

            ~I was able to visit all of the schools that our Anchor of Hope kids attend except one which is very rural (Vincent follows up with this school and the others routinely, but I wanted to visit while there).

           ~Heather and I had a meeting with the pastors of the CEER church about our partnership with them and visited the clinic that we contribute to financially. 

           ~Trip to Congo with Heather to visit a ministry that Anchor of Hope supports-Beyond the Bridge Ministry led by Martin with whom many of you are familiar 

     *We pray that God will always remain in the drivers seat and will lead Anchor of Hope to be what He wants it to be.  Thank you for your prayers!  We would like to get the word out about Anchor of Hope and our ministry.  If anyone has a group that we could talk to about what we are doing, please email us and let us know.  We can work with you to set up a time, as our ministry is growing and opportunities are plentiful for doing more according to God's will and the capacity of our organization.  

                        2008 Trip    Accomplishments