My dear friends,
As we look back on a turbulent year, we thank God we have survived, and survived well, and pray that you can say the same thing about your lives wherever you are.
If you read my Facebook page you will know that I was extremely ill for weeks here at home and when local doctors could no longer help me I was rushed by ambulance to a hospital in Sierra Leone.
I was operated on as soon as I arrived and a few weeks later returned to Guinea feeling very weak but very thankful to God to be alive.
I returned to the same uneasy feeling we have experienced here for most of the year because of the political unrest. We prayed for many days for God's protection as well as peace in our land in the run-up to the elections. Unfortunately, the level of violence after the election was bad. We struggled with no access to fresh food or the internet and the local community gathered in our compound looking to us to feed and shelter them during the worst of the unrest. It was a very difficult time.I thank God He sustained us during this time and, at the moment the country is relatively peaceful.
Our own children and those attending Hope Academies were allowed back to school for 4 weeks prior to the election and the children returned to school again on 1st December.
We have managed to get to two of the Hope Academies before the elections and were delighted to be able to cook lunch for them and to see their new, reconditioned desks that someone had kindly donated. Our initial vision was to use church buildings that were empty during the week as classrooms but so many children, unable to afford school fees for other schools, have arrived wanting to go to school, that we are now having to rent other buildings in the town to accommodate them all.
Donations to help us equip our students can be made here
https://stopfortheone.reachapp.co/sponsorships/guinea-hope-academies-class-a-guicr001
We are really looking forward to once again feeding and ministering to the one thousand children we were reaching before the Covid 19 lockdown. We have missed them and trust that God has looked after them whilst we have been apart. Hopefully, we will also be able to have our traditional Christmas lunch with the children.
(Donations to make this happy occasion happen can be made here https://stopfortheone.reachapp.co/sponsorships/guinea-village-feeding-program-guicp001)
We are praying for direction for the next year and hope to update you again before Christmas.
We thank you for your interest in our ministry and for the wonderful support so many of you give which makes much of what we do possible. We pray for peace, safety and good health for you as you prepare for Christmas
With love and blessings
Sia and the children