New Hope ... at last

The picture is a fabulous testimony of faith and perseverance.

NEW HOPE VILLAGES is a long-standing ministry under covering of Northside Community Church, in Harare. It’s aim is to reach out to the homeless, identify potential farmers amongst them, teach them how to farm, disciple them to also be strong Christian witnesses, and then resettle them to begin productive lives working the land and living for Christ. Another picture here (Thanks Emily)

The programme has been beset with problems for several years, but the team led wonderfully well by Bryony Pichanick, have been outstanding in faithfulness and commitment to the task. This month, after a delay of 7 years in resettling the second group of graduates, it finally happened.

Here is a note from Bryony herself ...

Greetings! What is this interesting picture of house building? It is the long awaited RESETTLEMENT ! 7 years of waiting, and the door has finally opened for us to resettle our second group of Graduate Trainees from our New Hope Villages agricultural training programme in self sufficiency. Why so long ... God knows His answer to this.

However, it has given the land it’s sabbatical rest, brought about through the Land Invasions which started in 1998 through to 2005. Also brought about by the droughts during this period.

Now it is again time to resettle the homeless and landless. Our first group was resettle in 1998, on the very first farm allocated for this purpose in the Government allocations. We did not know then that a 7 year wait lay ahead. It has been 7 years to the month and to the week. However, through various struggles and setbacks, we arrived at this point in time, and the future seems clear for further resettlements.

It is a long story ... of God’s faithfulness to the poor, and to His promises. There will be much news about this ahead, as we are fully occupied with the building and resettlement work, now begun. It is a time of great rejoicing for our people.

Yesterday, I was at the village, and handed the new padlocks and keys to each family ... the keys to their first real homes, bearing in mind they all came from plastic shacks in the open places
of the city, where they have lived mostly all their lives. What a moment ... at first they were in a state of shock and surprise ... but then the dancing and singing began ... and the women sang like Miriam when they came out of the Red Sea from Egypt ...

“Tichapinda, tichapinda ... kuCanane ...”
“We shall enter, we shall enter the Promised Land ...”

And rightly so ... it is the Promised Land for them ... promised by God Himself, to those who would keep the faith and make the journey through the village programme to a better life. So we call it Canaan 2.

THANK YOU JESUS ... we are entering at last! Blessings to you All, and thank you for
our wonderful support. Amai (Mother) and Team

What a great testimony of faith, hard work, and love for people. Well done, makorokoto. For more information about New Hope Villages, and excellent project to help, email Gary Cross.