37 days.
Wow!
That’s how long it will be until this team departs for Ghana and our third annual camp with the Arm of Hope kids! We are gathering supplies, planning lessons, finishing up our fundraising, and getting things in order. It is an exciting, exhausting, exhilarating, privilege to go to Ghana and work with the amazing, missionaries and Christ-followers there. I have personally learned so much about sacrifice, servanthood and discipleship while partnering under their leadership.
This year’s camp theme is “Hope”.
Hope in God’s plan for each child.
Hope in God’s awesome power in the life of each child.
Hope bigger than our enemy – because our God is bigger.
Hope for the future of each child.
Emily VanderMey, a former member of our Ghana camp team and an amazing artist, designed the above logo for our camp shirts this year. I love how she depicted the hope we each have in Christ, as His power is big enough to hold the past, present, and future of every individual child in His mighty hand. Pray with me that God will touch the hearts of many children this year, bringing them into a new or closer relationship with Him!
In order for children to be able to attend camp in Ghana, they must be regular attenders of Sunday Bible club in the slum community. Attendance is taken each week, and the children carefully check the list to make sure their names are written down. No one wants to miss camp! It is the highlight of their lives and they literally look forward to it all year long.
A view of Sunday Bible club in the slum
Regular Bible club attenders are also put on a list to receive scholarship to attend school. This is made possible by people like you who are willing to invest a dollar a day in the life of a child. I think of all the times that I waste a dollar – at the Dollar Store, on a cup of coffee or a slushy – little unnecessary things that I purchase that could be said “no” to so that a bigger purpose could be accomplished. I am humbled when I realize the power of my simple, wasted dollar.
The faces of children awaiting sponsorship for the 2016-2017 school year.
We are currently in need of finances to put over 200 children into school at the beginning of September. The cost is just a dollar a day, $30 a month or $360 for a year. This small amount of money will provide a student with school, healthcare, and a scholarship for camp.
If you feel God tugging at your heart to sponsor a student or to give a one-time gift to Arm of Hope to keep these kids in school for another year, please go to armofhopeinghana.org and click on “online giving” or write a check (with a separate note designating it for sponsorship) and mail it to Hope Community Church, 1806 Harrisburg Avenue, Mount Joy, PA.
We are trusting God to provide the additional $15,000 needed to keep these children off the streets for another year and provide them with an education. If you have already given or are planning to give soon, thanks so much for making a difference with your dollar. I promise you; it will not be wasted!