Furniture for our classrooms in Burundi at New Hope Academy has arrived! Opening the school has been a process, but God has been faithful.

If you have ever tried to buy a car or a house or even connect a cell phone, you know there’s a process to follow. The bigger the purchase, the longer the process. If you want to live overseas, you have to secure a special visa that allows you to serve or work (depending on your reason for going). This process can take months or even more than a year. Processing takes time.

We left to serve in Africa in June 1987. That’s a while ago and the process has been long. I have sometimes wondered “what if we had given up?” It has been tempting from time to time to quit because life happens and things are difficult. We have been guilty at times of focusing on the end result instead of what God has been wanting to do in the process. When God brought Israel into the Promised Land, He had them take the land bit by bit (see Ex. 23:29,30). There was a process to their possessing the land.

One of our schools in Malawi collected relief supplies for those affected by recent cyclones in the nation.

It Has Taken Time

While we have had a heart to see schools open in Africa for many years, we didn’t see any schools opened until 2014 at the Hope Center in Lilongwe, Malawi. This school has 39 students from preschool (age 2) through what is called standard 2 (grade 1 USA age 6). While the school supports itself, not requiring support to pay staff and upkeep, expanding the school has been difficult. It has long been our desire to expand the school at the feeding site in order to have a greater impact on the children. Last month, you may remember our mentioning this in the newsletter, we had the opportunity to purchase a piece of property large enough for four additional classrooms. God has blessed and we now own the land! Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. If we hadn’t been patient and waited for the process, we wouldn’t have seen a school established at the feeding site.

The Process Continues

As you also may remember, we have three more schools in Africa, two more in Malawi besides the one at the Hope Center, and one that is just about to open at the Hope Center in Burundi.  These schools represent nearly 200 students and as we expand, who knows how many more will be added to that number? At the schools connected to the Hope Centers especially, we are focusing on including the neediest of our children into the school programs. Marrying the schools together with the Hope Centers will bring hope to children for a future – their hope will come alive as they learn about Jesus and learn literacy and numeracy. Please pray with us for the provision for building expansion needed at all of our properties in order for us to do our part to reach the children for the future of their countries and continent. We’re steady, not giving up on the process.

Upcoming

·       June/July – travel to Burundi for another module of leadership training for 150 pastors and church leaders together with another seminar with 550 pastors and church leaders in attendance. We are partnering with Paul and Debbie Troquille again (great colleagues) and receiving for the first time Pastor Keith Pettus from Truth Center Church in New York who will minister for us during the seminar.

·       July – exciting news about expansion…pray for us as we breakthrough into a new country in Africa.

·       October – return to Malawi for another free clinic sponsored by Hand of Hope. The clinic will take place in the same village where our Hope Center is located.

Thank you all for your partnership and prayerful support. We’re in this process together.

Jamie, Lea, and Andreya

For a more detailed video report on what’s going on this month, please click on the link below.

Email: JLPeters@africa-and-beyond.net

Online: www.africa-and-beyond.net

Find us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@1000churchesafr)

For books by Jamie & Lea, click on the link below.