Posts Tagged ‘Monrovia’

Every child looks forward to Christmas morning. Even those living in extreme poverty. Like your children and grandchildren, the orphans and abandoned children at Victorious Faith Refuge Home, find it hard to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. The kind of Christmas morning they have depends on us…on a “Christmas Blessing” from Esther’s Hope.  That’s why, each year we take up a special “Christmas Blessing” offering.

Unless you’ve been there, it’s difficult to comprehend the unending struggle of life in the west African nation of Liberia. Unemployment and illiteracy top 80%. The lingering effects of past corrupt dictators and devastating civil war make Liberia a very somber place. And, yet, the children are hopeful.

The thirty children of Esther’s Hope are looking forward to Christmas. Our Christmas Blessing (above and beyond our normal, monthly support) enables Bishop Gombay to stock up on food staples, provide a special Christmas meal with extraordinary delicacies – like a little fruit and some candy. It might even mean new shoes or some needed item of clothing for the children and, if funds allow, Bishop Gombay likes to give a small gift to the caregivers, as well.

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 their Christmas celebration 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 Blessing 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 20th.

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

If you’d like to be a blessing year round, an Esther’s Hope Child Sponsorship is only $30 a month. Check out our Sponsor A Child page. All contributions to Esther’s Hope are tax-deductible. Giving is very easy – simply click on our Donate button.

The children of Esther’s Hope and our friends and partners in Liberia could use your prayers.

I spoke with Bishop Andrew Gombay a week ago and he mentioned the atmosphere in Liberia was tense.  The Liberian voters will head to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday, November 8, 2011) to cast their ballots in the presidential runoff election.

Bishop Gombay told me there were several reported, election related incidents in the last few weeks. Today a bloody riot broke out in Monrovia at the headquarters of current President’s political rival.

Here’s a report I found on YouTube.

The school year is about to begin for the children of Esther’s Hope.  Many of the children will be attending a different school this year, since Bishop Gombay is scaling back Victorious Faith Academy to only teach up to second grade.  (See the previous post for details.)

As Bishop Gombay made us aware of the need for the upcoming tuition expenses, I shared it with the church and Esther’s Hope friends and supporters.  Last week we were delighted to send more than $1300.  That included our normal monthly support and a considerable amount to help with the needed tuition.

It’s a wonderful start, but still short of the total needed so please join us as we continue to pray for God’s provision. If you know if someone who has a heart for children and understands the critical need for education, please share the Esther’s Hope story with them.  Donations can easily be made using the “Donate” button in the right hand column of our website.

Communication with Liberia has been a real challenge lately.  I’ve not been able to speak with Bishop Gombay by phone for weeks.  We have communicated by email and he mentioned something about the phone companies going through some sort of transition and that’s making communications unreliable.

After receiving our last financial transfer, Bishop Andrew Gombay sent this short email…

God bless you Rev. Pevlor,

I received the money you sent today in its full sum but I had a hard time e-mailing you till now.

By the grace of God, I will start the process, come Monday, of registering the Kids first and foremost. And the remaining funds needed, I commit to the able hands of God who is the Great Provider.  The money might be insufficient but our God is All sufficient.

Please extend our gratitude to all who contributed to the ongoing education of these Kids, though you are the second person, after God, who deserves our gratitude at this moment.

Again, I say thank you and God bless your family and the church.

Bishop Andrew

Thank you for your prayer support and generous financial gifts.  Remember, every penny we receive for Esther’s Hope is sent directly to Liberia for their care and education. In most cases, your donations are tax deductible. (Consult with your tax professional for details.)

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.