Celebrating God's Plan For Family

Well, I am officially a father in law for the first time. Our family is rejoicing over the marriage of our son, Jeremy, to our new daughter, Lauren. Besides showing off my good looking family, this event has a significant relationship to the focus, vision, and burden for our ministry together through Heart of the Bride.  

I spent February, the month prior to Jeremy's wedding, in Africa and had many opportunities to share our burden and vision for hundreds of the orphans that we are now helping to grow up and plant NEW family trees and even to adopt orphaned children. 

I shared this vision with the boys at the Nehemiah Ranch in Zambia as I talked about Jeremy's wedding and the upcoming 50th wedding anniversary of my parents in May. We talked about how fast the branches can grow when trees are planted by "streams of living water" and become "oaks of righteousness." I shared that no matter what their vocation, this was part of God's plan for them. Every one of these former street boys gave a resounding "YES" and clapped saying this is what they desire for their lives.

We all want family! God has built that desire within us. You will see another testimony of this reality in the article about Ukraine. The hope for that future is growing among the many children that we are helping (in places and in lives where it did not exist before). Let's continue to work, give, and pray together for the day that will come very soon (just like it did in my family) where we will see an enormous grove of new family trees planted by streams of living water.

Tony Gibson
Heart of the Bride Ministries

 by Clint Sibbitt, Director of Development and Tony Gibson, HOB Ministry Director

Just six months ago, Heart of the Bride announced The NOW Campaign as
we began asking God to do the seemingly impossible -- touch the hearts of many to raise $365,000 for the immediate facility and resource needs of our growing ministry to orphans. Since that step of faith, we've watched God move many people to give generously and sacrificially at a time when the economy was struggling and many non-profits were reporting decreased giving...

WOW!

We are thankful that so many of you responded to the NOW Campaign and helped meet these needs! HOB has already begun dispersing funds for urgent projects and continues to make plans to meet the remaining NOW objectives in a timely manner.

Here are a few of the projects underway because of NOW Campaign funding:

Girls Maternity Home Completion: Zambia   

Additional Space: Ukraine

In addition to these projects, construction will begin next month on the new missionary cottage in  Zambia where at least three new missionaries are joining the team this year. 

NOW has already provided for Spring retreats and ministry to our children in Ukraine, Uganda, and Kenya. The funds also provided for a much needed retreat for our International partners and missionaries in Zambia. NOW has also allowed us to secure the facilities and begin preparations for a camp to 150 orphans and vulnerable children at a new ministry site in Kenya.

More progress updates to come.....

Beyond NOW: Additional projects not included in the NOW campaign are also moving toward completion

• Construction begins for a new orphan home in Haiti: Grade School kids from Midland, Texas have been raising funds to build a home for orphans in Haiti. This month, they will surpass the halfway point and the house will begin to go up. More funds will be needed for completion, BUT what an amazing accomplishment for these children!

• Digging Two Wells: We have experienced unbelievable setbacks and complications related to much needed wells at House of Hope in Kenya and at our school for orphans in Haiti. After much prayer and generous giving, the rig is actually at work in Kenya, and drilling is expected to begin in Haiti very soon. Pray that the well in Haiti is completed within the next month so that the greatly needed agriculture project can begin this summer.

The next Newsletter will feature exciting progress and plans for business development and training in Africa. We will also highlight our expanding work in Ukraine where countless thousands of orphans are still without hope.

For more information on current and pending vital project needs contact Clint at 850-678-9008 or clint@heartofthebride.org. We are happy to provide information or help in leading your church, school, or group to sponsor a specific project.

by Carol Boykin, Director of Child Development

I am so excited to be able to share my recent trip to HOB's home in the Ukraine with you.  This is a great home!   Tanya and Alexi Zurhovlovs, who have two grown children of their own, have adopted these ten precious children out of a government run orphanage.  The children range from 8-16 years old and have truly become a family.

It was a great delight to see firsthand how this house of twelve operates on a daily basis.  There is a lot of cooking, homework and chores to do each day!  The Zurhovlovs grown daughter, Alena (standing behind Alexi), lives a short distance from the home and comes every day by 1:30 to begin homework with the children as they arrive home from school.  Alena and Alexi work one on one with the children until all their assignments are completed for the next day.  Alena stays until 8 or 9 pm depending on how long it takes for all of them to complete their work.  This dedication to the children is precious to see!  Alena has a two year old daughter named Alice and a wonderful husband named Sasha and she told me that Alice loves to spend time with her ten aunts and uncles and Sasha loves investing in the lives of his brothers and sisters in law.

Alexi and Tanya both spend time sharing the Word of God with the children and praying for their specific needs. Alexi has Bible study with the two girls one night and the 8 boys the following night each week.  They spend Sunday evening asking the children what they learned in Sunday school and how they can apply that lesson to their lives. It was sweet to see the excitement in some of them as they shared what they had learned that day.  I was happy to see Alexi and Tanya both discipline the children when needed.  They are firm and loving in their correction and let the children know that when they messe up, they are still deeply loved.  It is so wonderful to see how these children are now treated with such gentle firmness, knowing that they come from abusive homes where, for the most part, their parents were drunk and often beat them.  Alexi is truly reflecting Jesus in the way he loves these children and is giving them a wonderful picture of what their Heavenly Father is like.

by Carol Boykin, Director of Child Development   

Child Sponsorship is going really well!   

We currently have all the children sponsored in House of Hope Children's home in Kenya and in the Ukraine!  We have a few boys available at Nehemiah Boys Ranch and about 10 children available Sara Rose Children's home in Zambia.  Our boys' school in Haiti called Hope for Haiti is wide open!  There are about 48 boys available there for a monthly sponsorship of $40.   

Please contact Carol at carol@heartofthebride.org or 850.678.9008 if you are interested in sponsoring a child.

To learn more about child sponsorship visit: http://heartofthebride.org/kids   

 by Tony Gibson, HOB Ministry Director  

GIVING 

Continued and growing financial investment is always needed to meet the ongoing ministry and the valid requests for help in new areas of ministry. This year is no exception. Always know that your giving really counts and your advocacy in engaging others to give continues to be more and more important as we grow. HOB is a relational ministry. We continue to add new partnerships through existing relationships, and we continue to expand our donor base through the efforts and relationships of our existing donors. Don't underestimate your part!

In 2011, we will continue to distribute NOW project funding specifically for those projects, and we have many new projects that  we will begin building funding for this year.

At this time, the most vital need is simply undesignated giving to our general ministry fund. Our ongoing pledged commitments never fully meet the basics and the unexpected extras for all of the miistry programs that we support around the world. We need basic operational funds to manage these important works as well.  Many exciting project funding opportunities will be unveiled throughout this year, but for this season,  those "unexpected" gifts to our general fund are the provisions that we are praying for the most.  If someone wants to contribute, feel free to encourage to give first in that way.

GOING 

Spring and Summer 2011 Mission Trips

UGANDA:  Mar 10-21 (CLOSED)

HAITI: May 27- Jun 4 (CLOSED)

ZAMBIA: Jun 4-18 OPEN TRIP - contact Caryn

KENYA: Jun 12-25 (CLOSED)

KENYA: Jun 26- Jul 25 (CLOSED)

KENYA: Jul 23 - Aug 7 (Camp for 150 Vulnerable Kenyan Youth) One spot open for an experienced, passionate student ministry worker. Contact Tony

HAITI: Jul 29 - Aug 6 (CLOSED)

If you are a leader interested in scheduling a group trip for Fall 2011 through Summer 2012 contact Caryn at caryn@heartofthebride.org or 850.678.9008 to start planning your trip.

CONNECTING 

Have you seen our latest HOB video All Because of Jesus?  Watch it here and share it with your friends on Facebook or via email.

Join the Connection Team

Would you like to help effectively engage others in our ministry to orphans? 

We are looking for passionate friends to join the Connection Team and commit to making a difference in the lives of orphans in 2011. HOB will provide you with ministry information, related materials; and personal guidance- then you provide the manpower. Depending on location, we can even send an HOB staff member to speak at an advocacy or awareness event.

Here are a few things we're looking for. If you have the desire to help in one of these ways, let us know:

-- People willing to share their passion for HOB with churches, small groups, businesses, friends, and others in their social circle with our help.

-- Sharing or implementing ideas for missional fundraising -- they don't have to be big, but they do need to be effective.

-- Friends willing to use their Facebook, Twitter, blog or email to spread the word about HOB.  Just this week we started an awareness campaign with our Back to Africa Facebook page and tripled our "Facebook Fans" in just 4 days! 

Let us help equip you to serve as an advocate and raise awareness of the needs of HOB kids. 

Make a difference in the lives of orphans THIS YEAR! Contact Clint at 850-678-9008 or clint@heartofthebride.org.

   by Tony Gibson, Ministry Director  

 A HIGHER STANDARD. A HIGHER PURPOSE.

As an approved member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), Heart of the Bride can display the ECFA seal. The ECFA seal is tangible evidence to donors that our ministry is complying with the highest standards of Christian ethics in its governance, fundraising and financial accounting and reporting. 

ECFA is an alliance of over 1,400 evangelical ministries committed to responsible stewardship, financial integrity, and God-honoring practices... and dedicated to demonstrating that commitment.

Heart of the Bride has met the criteria for ECFA membership for quite some time, but since so many new friends are being introduced to this ministry, we recently made a commitment to pursue their application process and make this investment so that anyone who is recommended to HOB would immediately know that we comply with the highest standards of financial and ethical accountability. In addition to our annual audit conducted by an independent accounting firm, ECFA will also conduct audits.

I am so thankful for our outstanding financial department and Board of Directors who have helped develop an environment that reflects such good stewardship and practice as the foundation for the most important investment that any of us can make: Rescuing orphans and leading them to Christ. Keep leading others to invest in this ministry. Hopefully this will encourage more and more confidence in those recommendations.

To learn more about ECFA, visit www.ecfa.org  

The first few months of our automatic bank debit program have gone extremely well!  If you are a regular monthly contributor we encourage you to consider this hassle-free way to make your monthly contribution. All you will need to do is complete a simple form to get started.

heartofthebride.org