In Sorrow and Hope

Dear Friends of Hope,

Early last week I was writing a 2-part email to you about, Hope International night school teacher, Moses (who we first introduced you to in January 2020) and his magical classroom of K-1 adult students who attend school each night at Hope International. 

It is with the deepest sadness that we share Moses unexpectedly passed away on Thursday, April 6th.  He lost consciousness while teaching Wednesday and was taken to a hospital where he died the next morning. 
 
Words are hard to come by here. During our recent trip to Liberia, we spent a full evening attending his class. He was full of joy and vigor, and it seemed he had aged in reverse over the last few years.

We were mesmerized at his teaching and the student’s obvious love for and connection to him. They hung on to his every word. Even the evening security guard stood in the window each night hoping to learn. Moses was that kind of teacher. 

Many of you shared money and we were able to send Moses to Ghana (his first airplane trip), to replace his broken hearing aid (there were none available in Liberia). I fully believe that this gift that you, the Hope community, collectively made possible, reinvigorated him, and made his passion for teaching adult learners even stronger. 

Moses’s impact over the last 10 years at Hope International cannot be easily communicated. His devotion to and celebration of students, who found themselves learning to read as adults, was such a beautiful and hope-filled thing to witness.   

May we all create a life that expresses the generosity of spirit that Moses’s did. We will love and miss you forever Moses. 

Together in Grief, 
Jackie

Making a Way for The Kweh Family

The Kweh Family

On our journey home from Liberia with our heads and hearts so full, we received a photo of a letter written by Samuel Kweh on behalf of himself and his two siblings, Sarah, and Daniel. It was delivered to the school after we had already left.

In the letter from Samuel, he shared the deeply hard situation that he and his siblings find themselves in. Their parents passed away leaving them without support or family. 

Samuel has been selling goods on the street to attempt to feed and house all of them. They all attended Hope International together, but their situation has made school attendance not possible. We want Samuel, Sarah, and Daniel in school. We want them to graduate. They do too. 

There are many stories of hardship in Liberia. Long-term suffering and needs that feel like (and are) emergencies. It is clear that we cannot help in every situation, but this one, this one feels possible. 

Our Hope

We have decided to share with you, our partners in HOPE, this need. With input from the Liberian staff we have come up with a plan. We will be taking the generosity you share and dividing it up into $150.00 monthly increments to be distributed through the school. 

This amount will provide:

1.      Housing – a more adequate home for Samuel, Sarah, and Daniel to rent.

2.      Food – supplies for daily meals they can cook in home each month.

3.      Education - re-enroll them in school and support them through graduation.

Together, we are The Hope Project.

We would welcome your partnership in making this happen for the Kweh siblings.

As Samuel said, “he can’t make it on his own”…Together, we can ensure he doesn’t have to. 

Together With the Kweh Family,
Jackie

Drumroll Please...

Dear Friends of Hope,

The Quilt of Hope recipient has been selected, and we are so happy to announce that…Sorry you’ll have to scroll down and watch the announcement. 

Hope Project partner and quilt creator Peggy Frazier draws the winning number and Sew Much Hope students announce the Quilt of Hope recipient!

Through the generosity received, over $2,000 has been raised to support Sew Much Hope. 

Thank you all for the enthusiastic participation and supporting vocational training for the students of Hope International. 

Congratulations Kristine Engels! Together, we are The Hope Project!