Greetings from Zimbabwe!
We trust that the Lord has been good to you. It is indeed a privilege and honor to report to you on the work of the Ministry of Themba (Hope4theOrphan) in Zimbabwe.
The year 2024 has proved to be very difficult as all crops have been declared a write-off due to a terrible drought that has affected the whole nation. Thousands of livestock have died, and more are expected. In some locations families have been without water in their homes for 2 or 3 weeks at a time.
Pray with us about the food shortage during this difficult time.
Education
It is with great joy to report that of the four students who graduated from university at the end of 2023, three of them are now employed. God has been good to all our children, and we give him all the praise. Let us pray for Jeremiah to get employment as well.
When the O and A level results came out in the month of February, we celebrated with a number of our students who qualified to move on to different institutions of higher learning. Ayanda is now training as a teacher and Sanele is at a trade school doing catering. Once again, we are so grateful to God for the lives that are being transformed through the ministry of Themba.
Bible Clubs
The Friday Bible Club attendance continues to be good. We are continuing our lessons from the Book of Hope. Other topics of learning are hygiene as we face the cholera pandemic. We have also taken time to discuss adolescent issues as young people struggle with many issues.
We have reinforced our theme for this year (Isaiah 45:2) in all our programs so that the children learn to allow the Lord to walk before them and level the mountains they face as young people. We have started to prepare for the annual Bible Quiz competition that will take place in April.
The Saturday Bible Club has started back up with a great response and is following the same teachings. May you pray for all of our programs and that Christ will be known and experienced.
Home Visit
We continue to visit the caregivers at home for prayer and encouragement. Most are well.
May you pray for Patricia who had a second minor stroke last year and is not feeling well.
It is with sadness we announce the passing of Anna, Silence, Gracious and Jane’s mother, after a long battle with cancer. We had the opportunity to pray with her in her final days and reminded her of Psalm 23. She lifted her hand during prayer in acknowledgement and she is now safe in the hands of the Almighty God. May you pray for her family to find comfort in God during their time of grief.
School Reports
The month of February has been busy visiting schools for the payment of fees and consultative visits with school authorities. The children have settled into their new school year. Registration will begin in April for the exams to be taken in November.
Once again, it is disheartening that schools and universities continue to raise fees, even though they are now paid in United States Dollars. This has adversely affected our operations as a ministry. We have started to help our children raise their own supplementary funds to cover expenses outside school fees. l pray many will see the value of working hard in life.
Volunteer
At the end of the month, we had to bid farewell to one of our intern volunteers who has completed a year with Themba. Elsie has been a good young lady to work with and she will be sadly missed by both the staff and children at Themba. We wish her all the best as she goes back to complete her university studies.
We would like to thank all the Friends and sponsors of Themba for their sacrificial giving to the work of Themba. May the Lord richly bless you all.
Please pray for Zimbabwe, that the Lord will provide all our needs according to His riches in glory. Also, please pray that we will learn to fix our eyes to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.