| Dear Friends, Merry Christmas! It’s hard to believe 2021 is already coming to a close. As I look back, I can clearly see the many ways God has provided for Arm of Hope over this past year. What a privilege to watch God come through even when things seem impossible! He is so good! Here are some Arm of Hope updates, as well as some ways you can help and pray! Dennis Bartch Yesterday was a sad day, as we celebrated the life of Dennis Bartch. Dennis and his family have been supporting Arm of Hope since day one. In fact, Dennis was on that Alaska trip when we first met Philip Darko, and the seeds of Arm of Hope were planted. Dennis traveled to Ghana with our Arm of Hope team twice. I remember him laughing as kids hung all over him, I remember him dancing and singing with the kids in worship, and I remember him putting hours into his illustrations (including an indoor tug of war), as he taught the kids in small group time. Dennis will be sorely missed, but his legacy lives on in the many Arm of Hope kids he has touched over the years. Please pray for Dennis’ wife, Bobbi, and his children as they face the hard days ahead of them.  Our Team The Ghana team is moving forward in faith! We have hit many obstacles along the way, but each time, God has seen us through: cancelled flights, visa website issues, etc. In spite of rising costs, God has provided for everything we need. Please pray for health for all of us, so we are able to travel. Pray also that our visas will come back quickly and our flights will stay open. We pray that we can go, but we trust God with everything that is going on in our world, and we trust Him with the results of this trip. Thank you for lifting us up in prayer! We feel those prayers, and we know God works through them!  Christmas Gifts Now is the time to drop off a gift for your sponsored child. You have no idea what this means to your child! They know their sponsors’ names and all about them. They are so proud to realize you care about them! It is kind of heartbreaking for me to tell some of the kids that they do indeed have a sponsor, but their sponsor doesn’t ever connect with them. I assure them that sponsors do care about them because they are providing them with their education, but the missing relationship is hard. I’m not meaning to put a guilt trip on anyone, but just asking you to consider connecting with your sponsored child this year. Here are some easy ways you can go about it: 1. Put together a small gift, a note, and a picture of your family, and get it to me before our trip, so I can hand deliver it for you. There will be a bin behind our mailbox at 1708 Ridge Road, Elizabethtown, where you can drop off your gift at anytime, or you can give it to me or a team member. 2. Please pack your gift in a gallon ziplock bag this year, and get all the air out of it for easier shipping. Mark the bag with your child’s first and last name, as we have many children by the same first name! If you don’t live in the area or don’t have time to shop, you can just put a $5 or $10 bill into the envelope with your note. Any small gesture of encouragement will help your child feel loved. I can already see the smiles!  Toilet Paper Rolls Our team is collecting empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls for a craft at camp.Please help us reach our goal of 600 rolls before our trip. There is a collection bin in the kitchen at Hope Community Church, or you can drop them in the bin behind our mailbox with your gift. Cards for Kids Waiting for Sponsors Arm of Hope still has many kids who are waiting for sponsors. It is so disappointing for them when sponsored kids receive gifts and they do not. Arm of Hope is providing a small gift for every child, but we need cards to go along with the gifts. If you are willing to make a few cards for kids in Ghana, you can use bought Christmas cards and write a short note of encouragement telling a little bit about yourself, or I can give you blank cards you can use to make your own. Please let me know if you’re interested in serving in this way.  Cookie Bake The Arm of Hope Christmas Cookie Fundraiser is coming up on December 17! Look for our Facebook event coming soon, or email me with your orders at cheryl@armofhopeinghana.org.  Camp Mattresses Our Arm of Hope camp is in need of mattresses! Rented mattresses are often torn and unsanitary. We would like to own our own mattresses for the comfort and safety of our children. The cost of each mattress is $46, and we could use quite a few for our camp of nearly 600 kids. IIf God calls you to share with the Arm of Hope kids this Christmas by providing mattresses, you can give into the Ghana Camp fund at armofhopeinghana.org, and make a note for “mattresses.” Many people are looking for a way to “pay it forward” this Christmas, as they look back on the many blessings God has given them this year. This is a great way to do just that! I know this is long, so if you made it this far, I want to say a big THANK YOU! God has done so many things in and through you this year, and I cannot wait to be on the ground to see the answers to those gifts and prayers. Many more stories to come as we travel December 27 – Janaury 10. Follow us on Facebook for stories, pictures, and updates! Wishing you an amazing Christmas season with your family and friends! Cheryl Zimmerman, Arm of Hope Director cheryl@armofhopeinghana.org |