Posts Tagged ‘New Life Homes’
We are on our way!!! Five teenagers from New Life Childrens’ Homes have received all that’s necessary for them to attend the premiere of “Liyana,” the stunning film they made happen. Never out of Eswatini before, they are traveling through Dubai to the Los Angeles Film Festival, –as invited guests.
The past four weeks have been grueling, confusing, and exciting all at the same time. Peter has been up and down to the capital city multiple times, pushing every button we could, trying to learn and accomplish what many said could not be done in the time available. A number of people have stepped up to expedite the process. Now we’re all but in the car, leaving Tuesday, 13 June.
We’re still nervous about traveling through South Africa with their excruciating rules applied to youth traveling with other than their biological parents. Please pray this will go well!
Check out this first look from Entertainment Weekly.
Thanks for praying!
October 2013, Board of Directors, African Leadership Partners, Inc.
Every time we get together as the Board of Directors to discuss the work of African Leadership Partners, we have a great time. Mark & Terri Judy (center) were able to join us, all the way from Kenya, East Africa, where they serve in field leadership with Africa Inland Mission. Our discussions were greatly encouraging to Mary Jean and me. We worked through a number of sensitive issues with a wonderful spirit of unity. We continue to thank God for each one on this board, most of whom have been close friends for almost 40 years.
As usual, a certain amount of time was given to looking at the financial position of the mission, now composed of three missionary units, plus a fourth family seconded from The Antioch Partners. With the recent global economic crisis putting strains on many churches and mission groups, we have not escaped the pressures. We’ve seen our reserves draining down as donor’s ability to give was being reduced. More than 20 donors have fallen away in the last two years alone. During the past five years of global downturn, Mary Jean and I have chosen to not seek to raise additional income to replace those supporting partners who could not continue. Over this season we’ve seen God supply!! Sometimes it has been “unexpected” gifts and sometimes through our decisions to slow the pace, or by pulling back completely. However, now our Board has encouraged us to step up efforts to share our financial situation.
You will know that we receive donations via three channels. Two of these are focused fully on the New Life Children’s Homes project, in the form of “Child Sponsorships” and the more general “Orphan Project Support.” The latter account allows us funds to extend the various developmental aspects of this challenging undertaking. Both of these funds go 100% to the orphan project. The third channel is support to Mary Jean and me, providing the usual salary, housing, and health insurance. In addition, these funds provide all the overhead associated with our work which also includes leadership training services to a variety of churches in Eswatini as well as in several nations in the region. On top of the usual banking fees, communications, and office expenses, the higher priced line items are transportation, and supplementing the costs of leadership training. You can imagine with fuel at more than $5/gallon in our area, and more than $8/gallon in Zambia, plus the extensive distances involved, that transportation costs are our biggest single line item. Remember, Zambia is twice the geographic size of California!! Twenty two years ago, when we first arrived to serve in Africa this item was set at $500/month. This has now risen to $1,100/mo.
Needless to say, as we have aged (“seasoned” is the PC term I’ve learned recently), so has our circle of supporters. Some have passed on to glory; others have retired, while many have been severely pinched by the macro economic factors. As an example, we were startled to note recently that 5 of our current donors are each over 90 years of age, having given faithfully for most all the years we’ve been in missions, and are sharing more than $600/mo of support to our ministry.
In short we set a goal to restore $2000/mo in our support contingent. We’ve already seen some of this coming together. At this point we still need a little more than $1000 per month.
In addition the time has come to replace our delivery vehicle for New Life Homes. It is a compact Toyota pick-up that is now 14 years old, with around 400,000kms on the clock (240,000miles equivalent), with much of that on rough gravel roads. Maintenance costs are now chronic. We estimate that we need about $25,000, and currently have $15,000 in hand (including the value of the old unit) to purchase a 3 to 5 year old replacement.
You didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway. Both of us are 62 years old this year, enjoying excellent health, and hoping to continue effectively serving His Kingdom for many years to come, — Lord willing.
We are asking you to pray with us for God’s provision of finances to enable us to continue strongly in the work we’ve been called to. And please do consider if you are able to give some portion of your material resources to help us and those we seek to serve.
Thanks for praying!
PS: I’m making progress on the writing of “Money Matters: God’s Answers to Poverty” with still much to go before I can get it to some readers and then to editors.
We’ve received some shocking and tragic news from our colleagues at New Life Childrens Homes. Please pray for them.
Winni is one of our house-mothers, a smart and wonderful person who gives more than her share to the efforts of the total operation of homes, farm, and school. She came with four children. Two sons are in their twenties, and two younger girls who live with her “added” family at New Life Homes.
Her second son, named Nkululeko (“freedom”) and about 20 years old, completed high school last year and has been living and working on the farm for most of these past two years. Last year he was selected by the students and staff of his school to hold the position of “Head Boy”, leading a group of prefects (both girls and boys) who are recognized as student leaders and assist in the operation of the school. He was most worthy; an honest, sensitive, and hard-working young man.
Apparently there was a problem related to a girlfriend that was unacceptable to some of her relatives, two of whom came to the residence in the community where Nkululeko was staying overnight. They attacked him, beat him badly, and he died alone sometime during the night.
For any mother to lose her son is a terrible blow. To lose a good son to such brutal and senseless violence is worse. To any mother in Africa where there are no social security structures, losing a son is also a huge economic blow, akin to losing all one’s retirement resources.
Please pray:
- For Winni, her son Bongani (an outstanding young man in his last year at university), and her daughters, Rita and Lynette.
- For the other 40 children, three other house-mothers, and all the farm staff. They also still remember the attack by four armed thugs some three years ago.
- For justice & mercy to be served. We understand two young men have been arrested, confessing to their actions.
- For Tommy & Mandi Bottoms, who shoulder the major leadership at New Life Homes in our absence. Tommy has spent a great deal of time mentoring Nkululeko, AND he had also been tutoring one of the alleged culprits in mathematics in preparation for his end-of-high school exams.
- For Tiersa Chaffin, who only arrived at NLH two weeks ago, to train our preschool teachers.
- For Rob & Jennifer Taylor, who work at the farm and schools, live a distance from the farm, but engage with children and staff each day through their ministry roles.
- For Mary Jean and me, who are trying to provide support, counsel, and some measure of leadership from afar, while continuing the ongoing travelling ministry to our support network which we are currently undertaking in the USA.
By God’s providence, two pastors, and their wives, from a supporting church of ours in California were visiting that weekend. While not the confluence of affairs we would choose, God’s wisdom had them on site.
Thanks for praying,
Peter
This photo was taken in December 2012. Four of our New Life Homes children missed the photo. Two little ones were napping. The two oldest were away at boarding school and at work.
New Life Children’s Homes, through the generous partnership of many churches, individuals, and other donor groups, now carries the responsibility of four homes and 40 children, as well as those that earn their living through some form of care for them. We are blessed with many hard-working Swazi nationals who are adding their skills and energy to creating a second chance for these children. Some are in-the-home caregivers. We call them Moms and Aunties. The children do too. Others are farm workers and managers, while some contribute as school teachers, as well as those in government departments of health, agriculture, and social welfare who take a special interest.
The photo above was taken in December 2012. Four of our New Life Homes children missed the photo. Two little ones were napping. The two oldest were away at boarding school and at work.
“The farm” as we all refer to it was a no-longer-commercially-viable property, standing idle for 20 years when we found it in 2003. Several generous donors made it possible for us to purchase. Now there are four homes caring for 40 vulnerable children, and 85% supported by the food and marketed produce. Fifteen permanent jobs have been created for members of the community (plus seasonal hires), extending the economic benefit to those households. There’s space too for education, pre-school through Grade 7. Government salaried teachers, plus some mission-supported teachers, labor alongside support-staff hired from the community (Yeah!!, more jobs). 70 children are enrolled this year, with more than half being from the surrounding community, paying fees that support the local hires (two of whom are also enrolled in teacher education programs on the side). Self-sustainability has been one of our primary core values from the beginning.
Please pray for the nine youngsters who are writing extensive exams during this month. One is finishing high school. Another is finishing Form 3 (mid-point of secondary school). At New Life Primary School there will seven writing exams spread over two weeks.
Thanks for your part in making this a good story, through your interest, generosity, and prayers,
– Peter and Mary Jean Kopp