I spoke with Pastor Andrew Gombay by phone last week. He is our partner in Monrovia, Liberia and the founder of Victorious Faith Refuge Home – the place of Esther’s Hope.  I had called him to pass on the information of our latest monthly support transfer. We didn’t have much time to talk, but he told me they were currently facing great challenges – a result of government regulations.

Liberia’s government is slowly pulling itself together. Recently they’ve focused on the regulation and oversight of orphanages. Their efforts are imposing some dramatic requirements for all orphanages.

Because our phone conversation was brief, Pastor Andrew sent me details in an email. Here’s the bulk of that message…

This is the place for a beginning

Pastor Andrew Gombay

Dear Rev. Pevlor

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness towards us.

I received the funds sent last week and bought some food stuff for the Kids, the part of the money that had to do with me doing what ever I think best, went towards the current project at hand.

Rev. Pevlor as I was saying on phone, we just ended an intensive workshop with all the government ministries last week. This workshop marked the final leg of arrangements for accreditation of Child welfare Institutions operating in the Country. After that meeting, we were asked to pick up the original copy of accreditation application form from the ministry of health not later than this week Wednesday (21st /4/2010).

As soon you pick up the form, you are given two weeks from that very day to return the form with all the requirements attached to the copy, and that same week you deliver the documents, a task force which includes all government agencies will reach your center for final inspection.

The most important accreditation requirements:

> A bank account statement totaling $1.2 million, LD. (Though this also includes property values.)

> One Caregiver for every 3 children; meaning between now to next week, I should employ an additional 6 Caregivers and one Security guard in the home.

> A concrete fence around the building to ensure the security and safety of the children.  (This project is started and it’s ongoing now as you can see from the photos.)

>The building should be renovated on a one hundred percent bases, and the environment well sanitized.

> The Store should be with not less than 25 bags of rice including other food stuff upon the visit of the task force.

All this excluding the paper requirements of registration, bank statement, qualification of staff etc. are to be met within two weeks.

The Wall Project

Rev. Pevlor, I have taken the challenge relying on the grace of God to get the work done because all of our effort will go in vain at this particular time if the venture is not taken seriously. Another reason why I am making the sacrifice and calling on you to join me at this crucial point is because, I was wondering what the few donors that have been supporting the home feel if the hear that all their effort has been aborted, what will become of the Esther’s Hope website were people are browsing and desiring to make contributions, as was the case of the sister that works with the American Embassy in Liberia that contacted you online who came over yesterday to give all the children teddy bears, and those two girls who sent that cartoon of assorted items for the Kids.

The Wall Project

More importantly Rev. Pevlor as a person and the Victorious Faith family USA who started the entire process and are still upholds the vision of helping with the care of these children.

These and many more factors are the very reason why I am sleepless these weeks trusting the Lord to raise funds for the abrupt and undue pressure from the government.

Should we allow the government to close the Institution and all my years of labor and your effort go down the drain?

Please join me to make the sacrifice at this moment. As for the $1.2 million issue, we battled it with them and that was how they included asset. So if I calculate our assets value it will amount to $ 9,000.00 USD plus, so I need only a thousand dollars saved in the VFRH account to round up this figure to their required $1.2 million (Liberian Dollars) because it is a little above ten thousand United States dollars.

Rev. Pevlor to tell that the Lord is not willing for this home to be closed down and the children becoming more sorrowful, A sister in the African Mercy Ship, heard about the government’s stand to close down homes so she wrote me last week to tell me that she has learned of treats to close down the home. As soon as I responded all the needs to her and the news papper issue, she decided to explain it to her crew members on the Ship which is now in Togo, according to her, an offering was raised that evening for the Victorious Faith Refuge Home children. And she told me that it was the highest offering ever raised in any of their meetings for a single project.

She sent that money to me late this week. She decided to take only the fence project since that was the highest amongst all other projects. The budget for the fence totaled $4,660.00 USD, and amazingly to the glory of God, all of the amount is what she was able to raise for the fence project which is almost nearing completion now since the funds arrived. Her name is Ines Kronester a German Crew on the Ship.

She told that, that was all she can do for me since in fact her own son also lay ill at the ICU on the Ship which may cause them to leave the Ship if nothing changes.  Please Sir join me to pray for her son’ health.

Rev. Pevlor, indeed God is great, even this lady is surprised at the level of heart that people gave to the home.

The Children of Esther's Hope

Please Sir the remaining half of the project that has to do with changing all the ceilings in the rooms, re-conditioning the floors, painting, changing the roof, buying more utensils in the home, adding the bed spreads, changing some of the door frames that were eaten up by bugs, re-conditioning the beds in the rooms, adding more furniture’s and paying of workers etc, will cost me $3,815.00 USD. This is the emergency fund that I need now to get along.

When I explained this to my local church, regardless their financial condition, for the first time, the members raised up to $430.00 USD between Wednesday this week to this morning as their own “widows mite” towards this project.  According to their testimonies, a particular sister in the church sold her mattress she sleeps on at $25.00 USD as part of her contribution to get the work done.

Meaning that we have left the amount of $3385.00 USD as a major emergency final challenge to get the work completed before next week end when I shall return the forms.

Rev. Pevlor please help me out here at the moment to save these children and the Victorious Faith Refuge Home at last.

You have always been there for these children; this is the time we need you most. I will stop here for the moment as I desire to hear from you because we are in this together by the grace of God.

Remain blessed Sir,

Pastor Andrew.

There is not much more that I can add, other than to state the obvious. We need your help. Please join us in prayer for Pastor Andrew and the children of Esther’s Hope. If you’ve ever thought about helping with a financial gift – now would be the time. Also, share this story with others. These children are worth our best effort.

On one hand, $3,385 doesn’t seem like much. On the other hand, it’s a mountain if you don’t have it in hand. Right now, we don’t have it in hand so every contribution of any amount is important.

Giving is easy. You can contribute online using your credit/debit card by clicking on the Donate link on this page.  Donations are processed by PayPal, but a PayPal account is not necessary.

If you prefer, you can also send a check to Victorious Faith Ministries, 219 State Street, Algoma, WI 54201.  Note on the memo line: “Esther’s Hope.”

As always, 100% of funds we receive for Esther’s Hope are sent directly to Liberia.