My dear friends, and family,
Here is an update on what God has been doing in Iris Guinea since my last Journal entry last year.
Christmas Celebrations
We had a very busy time over Christmas as schools only closed the week before Christmas, and we had to fit in Christmas celebratory lunches with children in five different communities. By the grace of God, when we didn't have enough food for the many children that arrived for lunch, we prayed and God miraculously multiplied the food so that there was always enough for everyone and we often had food left over. After lunch our own children performed a Nativity play then told the very attentive young visitors about Jesus and what He has done for them. We then did an altar call and many came forward to give their lives to Jesus.
In that one very busy week we cooked over 3000 meals and led many hundreds of children and the adults that accompanied them, to the Lord.
We also discovered communities we don't normally go to and found children that don't have enough food to eat so we hope to soon be visiting them on a regular basis to talk to them, pray with them, and feed them.
(Needless to say, we are so grateful to those that sponsor our community feeding scheme on the Stop for the One website their generosity makes this kind of feeding scheme possible).
2021 Begins
Our local Hope Academies all started again at the beginning of January and not only are we trusting God to be able to buy over 700 sets of books and stationery for the children, but we have started, by faith, to supply each child with at least one healthy meal a day.
(Once again, thanks to our generous sponsors who support our education program on the Stop for the One website. We couldn't run these schools and feed these children without you!)
Looking to the future
Now that Christmas is over, the Covid 19 lockdown has been lifted and the children are all back at school I feel it is time to go further afield.
After a really traumatic year in 2020, where so many were sick or died of Covid 19, I need to take some of my local senior pastors out into the country to visit, strengthen and encourage both our pastors and their rapidly expanding congregations.
We also need to start new Hope Academies where these churches are established as we need to concentrate on getting children who can't afford school fees, either because they are orphans or their families are too poor to pay school fees, into schools
Unfortunately, roads to these rural churches are often untarred with many potholes in them so are totally unsuitable for the bus, our only means of transport, to drive on. We are now trusting God for a really strong, reliable 4 X 4 vehicle suitable for carrying 6 people plus luggage, teaching materials and provisions. Having this vehicle will help us to accomplish our mission to regularly visit all our churches we are not able to reach at the moment (Three churches are more than 750 kms/466 miles away) This 4X4 vehicle will also be used to visit the existing Hope Academies as they are also spread across the country, and are often accessible only along roads which are little more than rough farm tracks.
If you would like to help us purchase this much-needed vehicle to use in our ministry, donations can be made at https://www.irisglobal.org/give , scroll down to Base Locations, then to Conakry(Guinea) and fill out your details..and we will be VERY grateful.
We trust you and your loved ones will keep praising God as He sees us all safely through these difficult and challenging times.
With love from all of us at the Irs Village of Hope in Guinea
Sia