Posts Tagged ‘Esther’s Hope’

The Children of Esther’s Hope in Monrovia, Liberia are as excited about Christmas as anyone.  However, they aren’t dreaming of a new, gleaming bicycle under the tree.  They won’t be hoping for a new iPod or video game system. The thirty orphaned and abandoned children are excited because Christmas means a special meal with extraordinary delicacies – like a little fruit and some candy. It might even mean new shoes or some needed item of clothing.

As simple as their Christmas hopes may seem, none of it is possible without your help.  Liberia is a country still recovering from years of civil war. Unemployment is remains around 80%.  The Liberian economy is a long, long way from recovery.

Our Christmas blessing usually allows Pastor Andrew to also stock up on food staples and provide a little Christmas gift for the Esther’s Hope caretakers.

As you prepare for your own family’s Christmas celebration, please consider how you might be a blessing to the less fortunate in Liberia.  The children have so little, they don’t expect much.  The little we send brings them great joy. Just look at the photo from last year.  No expensive gifts, but plenty of smiles.

Even a few dollars makes a huge difference in the lives of these precious children. Your donation is tax-deductible and every penny we receive for the children’s Christmas goes to them. We never deduct “administrative costs” for any Esther’s Hope donations.

Donations can easily be made online by clicking the “Donate” button. You could also send a check by mail to Esther’s Hope, 219 State Street, Algoma, WI, 54201.

If you’d like to be a part of the Esther’s Hope Christmas Blessing, act quickly because funds will be transferred to Liberia around December 15th. (Any contributions received after the 15th will be sent with our regular monthly support transfer around the 20th of the month.)

Please, help us spread the word and share this website with your friends.

Forgive me EH Friends for I have sinned. It has been more than a month since I last blogged. (I’ll explain  a bit at the end.)

Let me begin by assuring you that all is well with the children of Esther’s Hope. We recently sent $590 to Liberia for the refuge home and the school.

Pastor Andrew and I have not had as much contact over the last month as we usually do. He is still having a difficult time with securing a reliable internet connection. That leaves phone conversations our only option lately. I spoke with him just last week.

School is back in session for Esther’s Hope children. Just like in your home, when the school year starts, the kids need new school uniforms and shoes and school supplies, etc. Unlike your home, there are thirty children buy for.

Because the school is an outreach of Victorious Faith Ministries in Liberia, it also presents its own financial challenges. Pastor Andrew established the school for the benefit of Esther’s Hope children. The cost of education is not subsidized by the  government in Liberia. Every child has to pay tuition. Pastor Andrew couldn’t afford to pay the tuition for 30 children so he established Victorious Faith Academy and opened it up to other children in the community as well. And even though the government doesn’t support the schools, they are very meticulous in regulating them – greatly increasing the cost to the schools and their students.

Liberia is still struggling but there are signs it’s making headway.  A recent report known as the Annual Index on African Governance shows  Africa is making historic gains in health and economic growth. The report also notes that  progress is “being jeopardized by a dangerous erosion of democratic rights in many countries.” In this report, Liberia shows up as “the fastest-improving African country. Since the end of its latest civil war in 2003, Liberia has steadily improved its score from 28 to 44 on a scale where 100 is highest.

One of the reasons I’ve not been as active with our updates is because we were having problems with hackers corrupting the Esther’s Hope website. It took me awhile to resolve some of the issues and make the site safe again. I was reluctant to post items to the website when I wasn’t confident I could keep the hackers at bay. I’m glad to report, improvements have been made, security increased and I am now confident.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support for the children and staff of Esther’s Hope.

The children of Esther’s Hope are back to school. Anyone with children knows how much work it is to get ready for the start of a new school year.  Imagine trying to get 30 children ready and all you have to provide…clothing, school supplies, etc.  We wanted to help.

When Pastor Andrew was visiting us in Wisconsin, we took up a collection of items for the children to send back with him. We purchased an over-sized suitcase to fill and send back with him.  Not only did we fill it, but there was quite a bit that wouldn’t fit. So, knowing that the school year would begin soon, we decided to ship the rest and, since we had a little time, add more to it – mainly school supplies. These were all donations picked up individually by church members. We ended up with two large boxes to send.  Each one weighed just under 50-pounds.

I browsed the pages of the US Postal Service website to get an idea of how much it would cost to ship the boxes.  The cost to send a 50-lb box to Monrovia, Liberia would be around $750…each!  I checked with FedEx and their website’s estimated cost per box was around $800!  No way we could justify that. Thankfully, a local company that ships their products all over the world were able to help us with their corporate discount and ship the boxes – both of them – for under $200. (I don’t understand how it could be so different, but ever so thankful it was.)

The story doesn’t end there. The boxes made it to Liberia but were held up at the airport. There were being held until a Customs charge of $106 dollars could be paid.  When we learned about the additional charge, we wired money to Pastor Andrew so he could claim the boxes.  And, as you can see by the photo, the children were delighted to receive them just in time for the beginning of the school year.

This was a stark reminder of why we don’t send materials from the US to Liberia.  It is much more efficient to send money that can be used to purchase what may be needed in Liberia.  Even though costs are higher in Liberia, it’s considerably less expensive and less hassle in the long run.

The children of Esther’s Hope have ongoing needs.  We send financial support every month to cover some of their most basic needs.  If you would like to help, please visit our Sponsor A Child page and consider becoming a sponsor for $30 a month.  One time donations are also a great help and easily done from our Donate page.

Pastor Andrew Gombay is the founder and director of Victorious Faith Refuge Home (VFRH). You could say VFRH is Esther’s Hope.  It is the home where the children live and are cared for. All support raised by Esther’s Hope goes directly to VFRH.

Since he is the leader at the center of Esther’s Hope, I thought it might be worthwhile to share more about Pastor Andrew.

Pastor Andrew is originally from another area of Liberia.  He felt the call of ministry early in his life and moved to the Liberian capitol, Monrovia, to pursue the Lord’s will.

Pastor Andrew is the founder and leader of Victorious Faith Ministries – a growing Spirit-filled, Christian church in the Battery Factory community of Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. He is a respected spiritual leader, active in leadership positions of the Monrovia ministerial community.  He is a teacher and mentor to young pastors and church leaders.

Before there was an Esther’s Hope, or any other outside help, Pastor Andrew, being moved by compassion for orphans left in the wake of Liberia’s brutal civil war, took on the challenge of starting Victorious Faith Refuge Home.  From the home’s beginning, Pastor Andrew has proven to be an gifted, resourceful administrator and caring leader/father figure to the children and staff.  He is a faithful man of integrity who has endured personal hardship and sacrifice for the children of Esther’s Hope.

Pastor Andrew’s academic achievements include a Bachelor of Arts degree in Divinity from St. Paul Seminary in Monrovia.  He also received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theology from Vision University, Monrovia.  Pastor Andrew’s Masters degrees in Biblical studies and Christian education were earned at Monrovia University.

Rev. Gombay serves as Senior Lecturer at the Awesome International Bible School, Director and Lecturer at Victorious Faith school of Ministerial studies and the Principal of Victorious Faith Academy.

A dedicated family man, Pastor Andrew is 37 years old and married to Swehna (34 ), his wife of eleven years. Together they have four children; Divine (7), Andrew JR (3) , Jonathan Bill “J.B” (1) and an adopted son, Charles (14).  (When asked about his marriage he will tell you, “I’m married to one beautiful wife by the name of Mrs. Swehna Gombay,” with an emphasis on the word “one.”  In Liberia, it is not uncommon for a man, even pastors, to have more than one wife.)

Pastor Andrew is a relatively young man who, through hard work, personal sacrifice, faith and the ever-present  grace of God, has accomplished extraordinary things under extremely difficult circumstances.  He is an example of faithful servanthood.  He is a leader among leaders.  He is an inspiration.

Please, keep Pastor Andrew Gombay, his family, the children and care givers of Esther’s Hope and the Church in Liberia in your prayers.

Not every Esther’s Hope child is an orphan.  Some are merely victims of the extremely difficult, family-ravaging conditions of post-war Liberia.

Today I transferred our monthly support to Pastor Andrew and learned of Mohamed Kaide, a new child who has been added to the safe and loving fold of Esther’s Hope at the Victorious Faith Refuge Home in Monrovia, Liberia.

Mohamed’s story is tragic, heartbreaking and not as rare as we might wish.  The particular details of his plight might be somewhat unique, but every Esther’s Hope child has a heartbreaking story of their own.

Pastor Andrew sent me an update by email and included the story of Mohamed along with a photo…

Dear Rev. Bill Pevlor

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness.

Please Sir, we are always grateful to God for you, your family, and the church; our desire is for you to please extend our thanks and gratitude to all those who are making this monthly sacrifice in their own way to bless the hearts of these Kids. Though it is not a fixed amount, the truth is that it is always solving problems to the glory of God.

This afternoon I ran in town after you called me up because the rains caused some problems, so I bought two bundles of zinc with what was sent including nails for the carpenters to start work on the boys dorm especially over the bed of the Kids; I know that the same God the have started to provide for this renovation will provide all that needed to finish this renovation work.

Mohamed Kaide - "His flesh was cut out from his thigh to the ankle so he may not walk upright again."

I also want to inform you of one 6 year old boy that was rushed in the home last month, his name is Mohamed Kaide. This boy’s mother was crossing the road along with two of them – the only children she ever had – at the Dualla Market area in January this year, when a taxi cab hit them killing one of her children instantly, breaking Mohamed’s foot, smashing two of his toes and breaking the back of the mother instantly.

They were rushed at the JFK hospital. The mother is still hospitalized because of a fractured spine. Mohamed’s only brother died from the accident.  While Mohamed and his mother were in the hospital, the father of the children took sick and also died. As Mohamed was fast recovering, the friends decided to look for a child care center to take Mohamed to because the mother was traumatized any time she notices her two children – one dead and the other badly wounded with her in the hospital.

That is how they brought Mohamed to our center. His wounds are fast healed up and he is recovering especially because the other children keep him alive and happy. Please keep us in your prayers and how the Lord can provide us funds to continue his treatment. His photo is attached to this mail, and he has added to our Kids in the home.

Remain blessed,

Rev. Andrew Gombay.

I’m struck by Pastor Andrew’s comment, “…he is recovering especially because the other children keep him alive and happy.”  We’ve heard comments, from other outside observers, of the care and concern the children have for one another.  It’s more evidence of the wonderful work of Pastor Andrew and the caregivers of Esther’s Hope.  They are able to take children in the most desperate of situations and help them move beyond their own tragic circumstances and become a blessing to others.  Remarkable.

For all that the caregivers of Esther’s Hope can do, they still need our help.  It’s obvious, Mohamed is going to need considerable medical and therapeutic care.  There are still many Esther’s Hope children who need monthly sponsors.  For just $30 a month, you can help provide for the physical needs of Mohamed or one of the other children.  To learn more about monthly sponsorship, visit our Sponsor A Child and Sponsorship FAQ pages.

One-time gifts are also needed to help complete the renovations necessary to comply with the government’s ever-increasing orphanage standards.  We still have a few thousand dollars to raise toward that effort.  To give a one-time gift, simply click on the Donate button.

All donations are tax deductible and a printed receipt will be sent by mail at the end of the year.

Every penny we receive ($100%) is sent to Pastor Andrew and used for the care of the children of the Victorious Faith Refuge Home in Liberia.  Esther’s Hope is an organization of unpaid volunteers.  We don’t keep or use any of the funds given to Esther’s Hope.  Any administrative costs are covered by the church.

If you have any questions concerning Esther’s Hope, child sponsorship or donations, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us.

Please remember to pray for Mohamed and the other children, as well as the selfless, loving caregivers at Esther’s Hope.