Canada Newsletter, October 6
Welcome to our first week of 12 Weeks of Hope!
For this first week, we are sharing an update we received from Sandra Stephenson from Impact Ministries! This was a project trip from back in 2015, and a lot has happened since then!
We hope you enjoy this update, including the photos and videos, and pray that you feel inspired by the work God is inviting us into around the world.
To learn more about Impact Ministries, visit their website.
➡️ Subscribe to EMI Canada to receive updates about past, current, and upcoming projects!
Greetings from Impact Ministries!
It’s hard to believe that over a decade has passed by since EMI's trip to Guatemala for the Vida Children’s Home. I remember it well, and am thankful that I was able to join you on that trip. I could see your dedication through your hard work, sometimes late into the evening. Seeing the synergy between your team and the "Orphanage Committee” was such a blessing, culminating in your final presentation to the staff of Impact Ministries. What a moving time that was with the room full of excitement and gratitude as you shared the plan.
Here is an EMI video from YouTube. It brings back great memories of the trip!
The Vida Children’s Home officially opened and welcomed the first baby in July of 2019. It was a long awaited time of celebration and excitement, and since then, many babies and children have been cared for in the children’s home. Here’s an Impact Ministries video about the Vida Children’s Home from five years ago when Braden and Jorge visited from EMI. They graciously created this video.
As you likely recall, your team designed the “baby home” to accommodate up to 20 babies and children. The original idea was that they would live in the baby home until a certain preschool age when they would move to their home on the property with house parents.
Things have turned out to be different than we planned, and we have adjusted along the way, with over a hundred children coming through the Vida Children’s Home. Currently there are four. This is because the government and social workers are doing all they can to reunite children with a family member as much as possible. This has given lots of opportunities to meet the families and share Jesus’ love with them.
During the time that the babies and children are in the Vida Children’s Home, they are generously showered with love and care. I have visited a few times since the home opened, and I have been able to see firsthand what excellent care they are providing. During my most recent visit last October, I had the opportunity to chat with the staff in the home, and as they shared their hearts, I heard of their love for each one and that a part of them aches every time a baby or child leaves the home. Even in the best of circumstances, it is hard to say goodbye, but they are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these precious little ones for however long their stay is. It is truly remarkable to witness the dedication of the children's home staff!
Blessings,
Sandra Stephenson
Children's Home Donor Relations
Impact Ministries Canada
