Of all the fears we have, and there can be many of them that try to plague us daily, the fear of God being far from us feeds into all the rest of our fears. If we really believed that God was near to us, fear would not even be a word in our vocabulary.

Philippians 4:5b, 6a AMP “…The Lord is near. Do not be anxious or worried about anything…”  

In recent history, like you, we have faced great disappointment. Those disappointments can be harsh enough to make us fear, or be anxious, about facing tomorrow. We become conditioned to fear the worst instead of having faith to get through and perhaps even see the best.

At the cusp of the New Year, we breathe in hope for better times, but the disappointments of the past whisper “be careful, it will likely hurt you” in our ears. What will make 2023 different? 2023 will be different by understanding that indeed, the Lord is near. If He is near, we can face anything and not just face it – but overcome it!

Blessings in Burundi

A great need all of those at our Hope Center in Gatumba, Burundi have is clothing. Next month (February) will mark our second year feeding the intensely poor of the surrounding community. Many of our attendees have worn the same clothes every day for two years. We have prayed to be able to distribute clothing to the people for many months and God sent great provision through one of our partner churches,Grace Chapel led by Pastors Bryan and Cynthia Rosenbarger. Every one of our 500 people received a full outfit – many told us they have never received such a gift. Thank you, Grace Chapel!

Cholera in Malawi

There has been a severe outbreak of cholera in Malawi in recent months. It is not uncommon for some cases of cholera to arise during the rainy season but this year, the disease has become widespread. The most recent reports state more than 700 have died due to the outbreak. The government of Malawi has closed all schools in Lilongwe (the capital) and Blantyre (the economic capital). The Hope Center in Lilongwe has been advised to curb activities during the outbreak. We have received permission to operate by handing out dry rations to the children until the epidemic subsides. Please pray for Malawi, our team working the project, and the children to remain free from disease.

2023 is already full of challenges and opportunities to worry, to be anxious. But the Lord is near to us, so we don’t have to fear. The troubles may lead us into deep and dark places this year but God is with us. Without Him we surely wouldn’t make it, but with Him we surely will.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and partnership.

Jamie, Lea, and Andreya

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