In July, I'll be going back to Gabon, Africa, for four months as an associate with the E4 Project, a non-profit organization working closely with the local church in Gabon and several of its key ministries. I'll be working specifically with Hope House, a home for abandoned children.
About Hope House
Hope House (or La Maison De L'Esperance in French) was started by a Gabonese pastor, Israel Ndoungou and his wife Nathalie. One by one, they took in children, and today there are 30 kids between the ages of 2 and 16. The work that the Ndoungous do is wonderful, but running a home like this is a full-time job (and this is on top of the full-time job Israel already has as a pastor). That's where I come in.
My first job will be to study the way that Hope House works now: How did each child come into Hope House? What are their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and how are those being met? How are finances managed? These are just a few of the questions we need to answer. Then, I'll help to develop new systems to manage all of these things and work with Pastor Israel to recommend the next steps for Hope House ministries.
About E4
E4 is dedicated to partnering with indigenous churches and faith-based communities in a holistic model of ministry. Which is really just a fancy way of saying that we want to connect people together (both Americans and local believers) and do ministry in a way that is healthy, that benefits everyone involved. You can read more about E4 on the organization's website: www.e4project.org.
How you can help
Prayer - This is what I need more than anything else - to know that there is a team of people here supporting me. I'll be posting regular updates, including prayer requests, on my blog at slidingdownthestairs.blogspot.com. You can even subscribe to receive updates right in your email inbox - use this link or enter your email address in the "email updates" section in the sidebar on the blog. Will you commit to praying with me while I prepare to go, while I'm there, and when I come home?
Finances - The total cost to do all of this is $9500. That will include my airfare, a translator, lodging, meals, and transportation for four months. I have some money saved up, but I still need to raise $5500. I'm looking for 55 people to commit to giving just $25 a month for four months to cover this amount - will you commit to being one of those? If so, please let me know by emailing me at onealk@hotmail.com. Maybe you can give more, or less - any gift at all would be appreciated! You can give in one of two ways:
1. Write a check payable to E4 Project with my name in the memo line, and mail it to:
E4 Project
6523 Bluebird Avenue
Longmont, CO 80503
6523 Bluebird Avenue
Longmont, CO 80503
2. Give online at www.e4project.org/give. There's no way to specify funds online, so if you donate there, could you please also email either me at onealk@hotmail.com or Brynn at brynn@e4project.org? That way, we can be sure the money goes toward my trip.
Thank you
Thank you. Thank you for your love and friendship, and for being so wonderfully supportive. And thank you for partnering with me in this adventure!
