A new ministry of OBOH

One of the most devastating consequences of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia has been the increasing number of children left orphaned. Many of these kids are ostracized by their communities because of fear about the disease. Some have lived through the virus themselves, and some have merely been innocent bystanders as Ebola took parents and family members from them. Whatever the reason these kids are orphaned, the need is great--and growing.

One of the branches of AVDC is in Foya, a town in Lofa County near where the Ebola outbreak began. Lofa is one of the hardest hit communities, and the AVDC Lofa church branch is not immune to the ramifications of so many fatalities.

Abraham Howard, the pastor of AVDC Lofa recently approached Emmanuel with a desperate need. Eighteen orphans in their small community were living on the streets, and Abraham felt compelled to care for them. With no promise of support and no means to care for these kids, Abraham and his wife took them into their home-- much like Emmanuel and Fatu did at the end of the civil war over a decade ago.

When Emmanuel approached OBOH with this need, it seemed as if God had been preparing us for such a time as this. We’ve been partnering with Christ Our Hope orphanage for nearly eight years now, and though our ministry is far from perfect, we have learned many things during this time and feel that we would have much to offer.

It is with great joy and excitement we announce that OBOH will once again partner with our Liberian brothers and sisters to create Christ Our Hope North, an orphanage in Lofa county for Ebola orphans. This project is still in its infancy, but Emmanuel has already catalogued the orphans and they are ready for sponsors. The Dordt college community has raised over $17,000 for the construction of the orphanage home, and we are thrilled to see what else God has in store.

We covet your prayers in this new endeavor! And we are actively looking for sponsors. If you know somehow who might be interested in sponsoring a child at Christ Our Hope North for $40 a month, please encourage them to go to our child sponsorship page.