African Hope Update | October 9, 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

I would like to thank everyone for your prayerful and financial support for my trip to Ghana. It was amazing and I couldn’t have done it without you!

I left on a Thursday from New York, and from there I had a direct flight to Accra. In New York I met most of the team of 30. We all come from many different countries and backgrounds. I was really happy to see some familiar faces. As I was boarding the plane, Delta gave me a new boarding pass. I hoped that was a good thing. I continued with some friends from previous years and looked for my seat number. I then realized that it was in first class! I got bumped up to first class! As you can imagine I was ecstatic. It was a huge blessing being able to lay out flat and sleep during the 11 hour plane ride that normally seems to go on forever. This all happened before I was in Africa. It was the first of many blessings.

As we arrived at the Village of Hope Orphanage I suddenly realized how truly happy I was to be home. We had the weekend to just relax and get acquainted with the kids and each other. Knowing most of the children already I was really excited seeing how the younger ones had grown. Along with some of the older kids at VOH, who over the past 5 years have become some of my closest friends. The first few days of art camp I assisted the preschool teacher. We did more craft like things, like making finger puppets, tambourines with beads and string, and a lot of picture coloring. The last few days, I assisted in art classes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. I had a blast learning with the kids! We did finger painting, worked with some clay, and also did some dancing! The team this year was amazing, not only were we able to teach the students many things about art, but also many aspects of the Creator of all beautiful things, our God.

During my trip I not only stayed at the Village of Hope, but I was also able to visit some other missionaries and friends in Accra. My last weekend in Ghana I spent doing worship ministry with my youth group and Elim International Family Church. That was a really encouraging time as well.

My trip home to Ghana was very busy, exciting and encouraging. I enjoyed every minute of it! I have a few ideas in mind for missions next year, but I am open to anywhere God would have me go. At the moment I’m thinking… Serbia? Malawi? Cambodia? We’ll see.

Thank you again!

Emily

African Hope Update | September 28, 2009

Wow! It’s time to go to Ghana and return David to his mother, Gertrude. Three year old David has had bilateral hip replacement surgery, two additional surgeries on shortening one of his legs and last week had a pin and screw removed. He is one tough child. You see he was born breech and they pulled his hips from the sockets at his birth. His life would have been miserable as he would have struggled with displaced hips and the pain associated with every movement. Now he is healed through surgeries and the love of foster parents who have been with him through his one year ordeal. It is my extreme honor and pleasure to return David home. He loves to run and ride his Big Wheel! I look forward to seeing him RUN to his mother at the airport. God is so good!

Operation Hope has assisted many children with extreme medical/surgical needs. This is just on of the ministries of African Hope that we pray will expand through out 2010. Wisdom is now the only child currently in the USA receiving medical care. Last week he received a much needed cardiac catheter procedure that repaired a leaky valve. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital donated everything needed for this procedure! Praise God! November 9th he will have a cataract removed and a corrective lens inserted in his other eye. These procedures are donated through a doctor in Ann Arbor. Wisdom is also in need of hearing aids and we are praying for the Lord to provide them prior to his return to Ghana in a few months.

This trip also has me in a:

* Three Day Revival Service
* Preaching at three different churches
* Delivering supplies and meeting with the pastors supported by African Hope
* Finalizing logistics for June Outreach Team
* Radio Interview
* Meeting at two orphanages supported by African Hope
* Meeting @ Schools supported by African Hope
* Paying School Fees for Several Children Supported by African Hope
* Beginning plans to do outreach to Liberia with Ghana Pastors
* Investigate a school building project for 2010
* Visiting many Moslem friends as they begin Ramadan

While away it is also very possible that my daughter, Jessica, will bless me with my first grandchild. Isaiah is due to arrive any time. God keeps blessing me abundantly!

Keep praying,

Pastor Charlie

African Hope Update | September 20, 2009

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Ghana

Emily is just back from Ghana after weeks of ministry at Village of Hope Orphanage, visiting friends, meeting with other missionaries, visiting church groups and making plans for her return in 2010. She is now planning on visiting other missionary friends in the field who live in Malawi, South Africa, Belgrade, and New Zealand.

Pastor Joseph had a very successful 3 day event in which many joined his church and 4 were baptized. He is working with a school being built in the area and has big plans for additional outreach. He is working hard in Ashongman!

Pastor Sampson is preparing for us to visit Gomoa Fetteh in 2010.

USA

Florida

The June 2010 Outreach Team is developing and moving forward. Possibly 20 people will be on the June 2010 team. Will you be the 21st member of the team?

Ohio

Getting caught up on local ministry needs and preparing for the National Missionary Convention in Peoria. We have a few Sunday dates open for speaking in Ohio churches. Contact us and we will share the testimony of African Hope from the pulpit, in your adult classes or other group situations. As a family we are still doing much traveling as we share testimony minister in our supporting churches. Home school is in full swing and the children are excited about their new studies. They also enjoy the perks of having a library, the Internet and electricity all the time. Kim enjoys the encouragement and social aspects of the local home school organization. School will be disrupted sometime next month as we are moving from our current location, the “School House” in Bremen. Special thanks to mark and Valerie who have been gracious host and shared their home to the Budd family. It is my extreme pleasure to announce that 3 yr. old David Lartey is returning to Ghana with me on October 1st. He has successfully completed multiple surgeries to have his hips corrected and a leg bone shortened. Davis is now able to walk, run, ride a bike and function normally. He will be reunited with his mother October 2nd after a one year absence. It will be a wonderful re union. Thanks to all who have assisted with Operation Hope and helped change the lives of many Ghanaian children with extreme surgical needs.

Wisdom was blessed yesterday with a notification from The Children’s Hospital of Cincinnati that they will be performing and donating his much needed heart catheter surgery. He is also scheduled to have a cataract removed, additional dentistry and fitted for hearing aids. He has been a blessing to many, especially his USA parents, Jack and Betsy.

African Hope Update | August 26, 2009

Special thanks to every one of the partners of African Hope who have maintained your prayerful and financial support. We praise God for all of you who are sacrificing to maintain this Ministry of Hope. We are excited to announce that several new monthly financial partners have recently come on board during this tough economic time. Thank God for the ability to share the Hope of the nations, the love of God, through His son, Jesus Christ, whether it is across the street or across the ocean. God has been expanding this ministry over the years and we are eagerly seeking Him for what the future has in store. Pray with us this month as God continues to reveal how to manage the continued growth of this Ministry of Hope.

Prayer

Pastor Joseph’s outreach conference September 2-6

Pastor Sampson outreach/Bible study to Kroboykir (Moslem Village)

Larabanga leadership

Traveling and health mercies for Budd family

2 Florida ministry teams preparing for June 2010 Outreach to Ghana

Kim and Charlie’s parent’s health

Pastor Charlie scheduled trip to Ghana October 1st

Praise

Emily Budd successful ministry outreach to Village of Hope Orphanage

Emily Budd already planning her next ministry outreach

Pastor Joseph outreach conference

Larabanga Library has electric, Internet, 2 computers and an additional sponsor

USA doctors, dentist, medical specialist and pharmacies (we missed them in Ghana)

Home school has began with full time electric, public libraries and Internet (also missed)

This ministry of Hope has been busy in many states of the USA and several areas of Ghana. This is just a highlight of this week.

Ghana

Ashongman

Dear Pastor Charlie, we are making preparations for the next Life In The Spirit Conference coming on from the 2 of September to 6, with the theme ‘THE POWER OF INFLUENCE’ from ROMANS 8:14 with both water and HOLY GHOST baptism. Please kindly remember us with your prayers. We are praying for you and family and hoping to see you soon. The LORD richly reward you for all your services in HIS vineyard.

Pastor Joseph

Gomoa Fetteh

Emily Budd is ministering at Village of Hope orphanage. During her stay she will be assisting with grades 5, 6, and 7 teaching several art classes. Her update will be posted when she returns later this month. She has been involved with this project for 4 years and more info can be found at www.childrensartvillage.org

Larabanga

God has truly blessed this ministry with answering prayers, many times with answers we did not expect. Another organization has brought electric, Internet and computers to Larabanga. This long range goal has been accomplished through others who are also promising a water supply to Larabanga. Praise God!! Our dear friends in this area are now able to access unlimited information through the internet. No amount of books could have supplied this resource for seeing how wonderful and vast is the universe created by God Almighty! With World Vision drilling additional wells in this area and other small NGOs assisting in providing educational materials, it is clear that this very rural area no longer needs the support from African Hope. What were 10 year goals for this area of ministry has been completed in less than three years. God is so good!

USA

Ohio

Tuesday was jammed packed!

Youth Pastor Brett from Naples Christian Church visited Howell Park in Bremen Ohio.

Here we were joined by Wisdom and his foster family, the Schumachers. After enjoying the playground and the beautiful day we returned to our home to play Rock Band and enjoy a time of fellowship. Much of the discussion concerned the June 2010 Ghana Outreach Trip to the Central Region of Ghana.

Home Front

It has been a busy summer with doctors and dentist. Natalie was the only one with no cavities. The dental work done in Ghana on Charlie had to be redone and has been a painful/expensive ordeal. He has one more root canal and an inlay to be replaced over the next month… ouch.

Florida

Titusville

Youth Pastor Kevin is gearing up for the African Hope 2010 Outreach meeting. He has 12 ready to GO! He is excited because his wife is in Ghana right now and has been given the OK from Ghana for the adoption of their 11 yr old Ghanaian daughter. Yep, they have adopted a beautiful orphan girl and now await processing from Homeland Security to finalize the transfer to USA.

Naples

Naples Christian Church has been a vital partner of African Hope for many years. Now they are sending another Ghana Outreach Team in 2010. Kim and I are returning to Naples later this month for a long weekend of talks on how the affiliation with African Hope will be growing in the future.

African Hope Update | A Request from Emily

Dear Family and Friends,

This summer, I will be traveling back to Ghana to do ministry at the Village of Hope Orphanage (VOH). As some of you may already know, The Village of Hope is very near and dear to my heart. VOH consist of over two hundred children that live among 8 houses with their “families”. On campus they have a medical clinic that services the surrounding village. Also on campus, Hope Academy, with over 500 students, teaches preschool through high school, and is acclaimed as one of the best schools in Ghana. In recent years their 9th grade students have taken their proficiency test for high school and nearly half have scored 100%! The Academy has just starting up a high school that is the only one presently in the surrounding villages. The house parents and staff teach that with a good education, high hopes, and a firm foundation in Christ, they will be the future leaders Of Ghana and the world. I completely and totally agree with this teaching; knowing that God has already brought each and every one of these children so far.

Over the past few years, I’ve had multiple opportunities to become, as they say, one of them. As often as I can, I go to assist with the multiple different ministries I enjoy

* assisting the house mothers making clothing for the children
* helping the kids with their homework
* tutoring a child that is behind in school
* doing office work for the clinic and the Academy
* I take every opportunity to spend time with these beautiful children

As orphans, feelings such as abandonment and loneliness are very common. One of the biggest things I can do for them is just spend time with them.

This August I have the chance to travel back to my beloved Village! August 7th thru 12th, Children’s Art Village (www.childrensartvillage.net) will be holding an art camp for these wonderful children. CAV will have art teachers from all professions that volunteer, and have many different types of arts classes at VOH. This summer will be the 3rd art camp that I have attended, and I absolutely love it! The children don’t have the same type of opportunities as children in the USA to learn to be creative and to express themselves artistically. I feel that Children’s Art Village has given them an amazing chance to do discover and learn many new talents. In previous years I’ve been completely sponsored by Children’s Art Village. This year, they are providing my room, board, and transportation while in Ghana. This year they have asked me to supply $2,000.00 for my plane ticket and to put towards the fund for art supplies.
Right now I would ask that you would consider supporting me financially, and also supporting me with your prayers. For me, 2000 seems pretty big. But I know that I have a big God! And with your help, I can do it. So please prayerfully consider what you may be able to do to help me accomplish this goal. Thank you for your time and support.

Sincerely,

Emily Budd

For those who desire to support me financially, please send your donation to

African Hope
PO Box 1123
Lancaster, Ohio 43130

Please place a small note in the envelope to say it is for Emily, and it will go towards this trip. If I receive any extra, it will go towards a trip to Belgrade that I am planning for October/November. I’m hoping to minister to the High School on a message of abstinence. Also, I plan to volunteer in one of the only Christian churches in the area.

African Hope Update | July 22, 2009

Florida

Preston and I are in SW Florida this week, returning from a week at Lake Aurora Camp. Lots of fun and lots of decisions! Total of 18 baptisms makes for a good week, as many rededications make it an awesome week. Several of the counselors had a personal breakthrough; three churches want us to come and share testimony. Tomorrow we will be at Naples Christian Church for Ghana Food Night, a fund raiser that will introduce the June 2010 outreach trip to Ghana. Just Sunday night we were in Titusville, FL where many began their preparation for coming to Ghana next year.

Ohio

Kim, Emily, Natalie, and Daniel are doing a VBS on the Ohio River at Middleport. Pastor Al has many of his people wanting to come to Ghana in 2010. We are praying for great things to happen this week on the river!

Wisdom has been to the Dentist and had 4 teeth pulled, ouch! He is now awaiting a heart procedure; Wisdom has large patent ductus arteriosus. This is a congenital heart defect where the vessel (ductus arteriosus) fails to close after birth causing abnormal blood circulation between the heart and lungs. We are praying for a cardiologist for this procedure.

Ghana

Pastor Joseph reports attendance over 100 each week and outreach plans to Afienya, the next church plant in 2010. He is now raising funds to purchase land for his church ($10,000). Just a few weeks ago he had a Baptism Celebration for 18 new believers.

In the Northern Region the village of Larabanga is preparing for my return October 3rd. I have a need for 2 laptop computers for placement in the African Hope Library Larabanga. They have completed the electric installation and I have promised computers.

Where you are!

God is alive and wants to have a relationship with you!

Keep Praying

Pastor Charlie

African Hope Update | June 19, 2009

Ephesians 6:18

Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people. — Contemporary English Version

Just before leaving Ghana I traveled to the Northern Region to one of my favorite villages, Larabanga. Much time was invested into future plans for expansion of the African Hope Library and multiple projects in this area. Sadik, the Imam’s son, has partnered with this ministry of hope and has been coordinating these projects. Larabanga has been a ministry focus area for several years and many long term relationships have been developed. Just yesterday I received a text message from my friend Sadik… technology is our friend.

After a week in Larabanga I had contracted a fast growing fungus and I was suffering from heat rash on 50% of my body. It was a pleasure to get into my vehicle and crank up the windows and turn the air conditioner on high. The 15 hour ride home quickly became a bit more complicated than previous trips when the power steering belt broke. Controlling the 4 wheel drive vehicle became quite difficult over the rough dirt roads. The repairs were only at the end of the trip and even with the AC on high I was sweating. This had happened before and I knew that it was going to be a long trip. Half way through the trip my severe heat rash was growing, itching and burning, further irritating the growth of the fungus. I was miserable! Additional complications occurred half way through the trip, the other two belts on the engine broke. I was without electrical system and my A/C was gone. The front windows are electric so they remained closed and the rear widows were rolled down; boy was I sweating and covered in dust. My brake lights did not work, the head lights were dead and there was no horn; gladly only 3 hours of the trip was in the dark. As I reached my front gate I was at the end of my endurance. As Kim opened the gate she laughed; knowing the car had just barely made it home. All I could do was laugh! The trip had been full of spiritual battles with many victories.

The text message yesterday from Sadik reminded me of the last trip from his village. Now I am getting excited about my October trip to Ghana to visit Larabanga. Much is planned for this trip and I hopefully will be able to report the progress being made on many fronts after my return. I am truly missing my friends in this area also… maybe you want to come with me to meet them.

Oh yea, just two weeks ago my rashes and fungus finally subsided. Praise God!

Keep praying,

Pastor Charlie

African Hope Update | June 9, 2009

As we travel to a different church each week we are excited to meet up with our dear friends. Some we have known for decades, others we have only met recently. Each church has its own personality and we are blessed to share our testimony in many diverse congregations. So far this furlough we been at a Church of Christ, a Four Square Church, a Church of God and a Baptist Church; all are very special, all have people that have traveled to Ghana and all love Jesus. June 7th was a very special day as we traveled to The First Baptist Church of Waynesville, Ohio.

Our relationship with this church is through Margie and Bob. Two years ago they agreed to be a foster parent to Rebecca, a Ghanaian orphan needing surgery to her left leg to enable her to walk correctly. Rebecca is a beautiful 8 year old who has been through multiple surgeries, and now is the adopted daughter of Margie and Bob. This real life story is one of those that are exceedingly, abundantly more than we could have thought or imagined. Margie and Bob fell in love with Rebecca as she was going through her first surgery. As they prayed about adopting her they were prompted by the Holy Spirit to consider adopting a Ghanaian boy from the same orphanage. This did happen and 8 year old Timothy was adopted also. Timothy has an eleven year old sister, Esther, who also now is the adopted daughter of Margie and Bob. That’s right; three orphans from Ghana have been adopted and now live with their seven (7) other brothers and sisters. This is a very special family that has three biological children and 7 adopted children. Praise God!

Sunday, after preaching the second service, an invitation was given and several responded, but one came forward to make a first time decision to accept Christ as their personal Savior. It was Esther! This beautiful eleven year old Ghanaian girl wanted to dedicate her life to Christ. Praise God!

Each week of travel holds blessings as the Budds share testimony concerning the blessings of how God is working through this ministry of Hope to change lives here in the USA, in Africa and all over the world. Please take today to show someone God’s love. Share your Hope with someone who needs to know God loves them.

Keep Praying

Pastor Charlie

African Hope Update | May 28, 2009

Do you remember Wisdom? The 10 year old boy from Ghana who was miraculously healed from being deaf and mute is in the USA for multiple health issues. He requires speech therapy as he has only had the ability to hear and speak for one year. Wisdom also has a cataract that needs removed, serious dental needs and proper nutrition; he is only 38 pounds and 46.5 inches tall. He has met with several doctors during his short time here in USA for all the medical needs mentioned, what was also discovered was an abnormality with his heart. The condition is called large patent ductus arteriosus; it is where a vessel fails to close after birth and allows abnormal blood circulation between the heart and lungs. This surgery can be done with a heart catheter and children have been able to return to school three days after the procedure.

God has been prompting us for over a year to get Wisdom to the USA for medical treatment. We were aware of many needs, but not the heart issue. This was hidden from us and now being discovered it can be corrected. Praise God! Please pray for Wisdom as he receives his needed care, also pray for his foster parents, Jack and Betsy.

Another small boy, three year old, David, now awaits his final surgery in September to remove a pin and a screw from his successful hip surgeries. This final step to recovery will allow him to return to his mother in Ghana. He and I have tentative plans to return to Ghana on October 1, 2009. The tickets are purchased and we believe that he will be ready for the journey home. While in Ghana I will be traveling to several of our ministry locations, speaking in several churches and being honored by the chieftaincy of Larabanga in the Northern Region. Why don’t you make plans to come with me on this two week whirlwind tour of Ghana and the ministries of Hope?

For any that are interested please reply ASAP! Airline tickets must be purchased by the first of July and other logistics must be set in motion. Another all men’s team is forming for January 2010. Info will be available soon. For those interested in the June 2010 short-term outreach please contact Kim to schedule a time to meet with us within the next 60 days. We are now scheduling churches for Sunday Services. Let us come to share testimony on what God is doing all over the world and in your neighborhood.

Keep praying

Pastor Charlie

kim@africanhope.com