by Tony Gibson, HOB Ministry Director

Hannah Walker is home in Zambia with her family and dialysis free!! It has been a long journey, and we are all rejoicing that this day has finally come.

Karen (TK) van de Voorde has been released from the hospital and is scheduled to return to the U.S. by the end of June to complete her dialysis and recovery!! This is such a miracle for Karen to have come this far in the last few days.

So many have prayed and sent encouragement over the last six weeks, now it is time to thank God and rejoice together.

Karen is still very weak and is asking for prayer that her appetite will be restored.  

She is finding it very difficult to eat and to move around at this point. She needs more strength. Still, she is "back" with us and giving glory to the Lord for the way that He has brought her through. I thought that it would be great for all of us to hear from Karen directly, so she has sent a few words to encourage us. Be encouraged!

FROM KAREN:

Dear friends and family,

This has been the most amazing experience in my life - ever!!! Every day testimonies and praises are coming forth of what the LORD has done and is doing.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. "

Isaiah 55:8-9

In fact, I would say sometimes God's ways are just unexplainable but never the less amazing.  We forget that He exists in the thick darkness (Exodus 20:21) as well as the light.

Three weeks I was "asleep," clueless to the predicament I was in. Each day after I "woke" up, as testimonies from a variety of places and people came in, it was clear that God had not been asleep or inactive.  Not only had He sustained me and brought me through the valley of the shadow death, He had united His Bride all over the world to cry out to Him, showed her great and mighty things she did not know and had stirred the hearts of men who did not know Him to draw near and consider the reality of His existence.  

I am also once again reminded that God does not need me to bring glory to His name.   He is very capable of doing that for Himself using whatever situation or circumstance He deems fit. Yes, even illnesses.

"This illness does not lead to death.   It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."John 11:4b

Lastly, in the last 6 weeks, I have experienced the LORD's favor and outpouring of His love through His Bride in a magnitude that is not able to be put in words other than "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Psalm 103:1 KJV 

Thank you so much for your expressions of love and support in so many ways.  May we all press on in knowing and trusting Him, may His Kingdom come and His will be done. To Him be all the glory! 

Grateful for you,

Karen

 by Tony Gibson, HOB Ministry Director

I just returned from Haiti, and I leave for Africa in a few hours. I cannot express how thrilling it is to witness the work that God is doing in the lives of those we are helping. In this newsletter, we are sharing great news about the healing of our missionaries; we also have some encouraging personal updates about ministry to the kids....AND we are so excited to announce the launch of a new website on Friday, July 1 that we cannot wait to unveil.

In this issue, I am dedicating my space and a short video clip to share about a big need that is before us right now. Please take a few minutes to learn about this need so that you can pray with us and consider the ways that God might want you to participate.

Basically, the funding reserve for our ongoing commitments to the children is low right now. We were so blessed to receive some incredible gifts for expansion projects at the end of last year, and it has already been exciting to see the progress that is taking place because of those gifts. Even in this year, people are continuing to ask about ways that they can help provide for projects that will help expand our ministry to orphans. We are also encouraged by the number of people that are taking short term trips and those who are faithfully supporting a growing missionary staff.

The current need relates to the ongoing budget requirements that provide the monthly support to the hundreds of children in our care. Those budget needs are met in two ways: 1. Monthly commitments and sponsorships from contributors. 2. Gifts and offerings that come throughout the year without our foreknowledge.

We are so thankful that our sponsorships and monthly commitments continue to grow, but currently we send out thousands of dollars each month for ongoing needs that those monthly commitments do not cover. Staff support from a very small, but vital support team is also critical in meeting the needs of the children, missionaries, and ministry standards. It is the gifts and offerings that make up the difference and they have been lower than usual this year.

What are we asking?  We are asking God to provide at least $180,000 by the end of September for the CORE needs of our ongoing ministry. This amount represents the projected needs for our monthly commitments through the spring or 2012. If we work toward reaching this goal together by the end of September, then we will be free to focus end of year giving toward expansion for deserving partners and children that are waiting for our help.

This appeal is the launch of an approach that we hope to follow in the years to come, whereby we communicate and then work together toward two funding goals each year: The CORE Fund goal (that we are describing here) will be communicated in February each year with a September goal date. From October through December, we will then be able to enter a GROW campaign dedicated to expansion. Through this approach, the HOB family would be able to know exactly what our needs are at any given time.

Although, this CORE goal will cover the basic needs for many months to come, we will experience the impact of this shortfall very soon. Would you pray with us, consider sharing this need, and consider participating in any way if God leads. God has never failed to meet our needs. I look forward to seeing the ways that He begins to move in the hearts of people during these months that I am ministering in Africa.

The video clip does offer a more personal explanation. If you can, please take a few minutes to watch. We want everyone to fully understand this request, but we also want everyone to understand the heart behind the request.

It is so inspiring to see those who are sacrificing on the ground for this calling, and it is always encouraging to see the response of our ministry family here that shares in that calling. Thanks to all who continue to sacrifice here so that this beautiful work can continue in places of greatest need.

Blessings, 

 Report from Mission Team Members - Ryan Carter & Ashley Lindsay

On May 27th, a group of 13 men supported by Emmanuel Baptist Church in Crestview, Flroida teamed up with Heart of the Bride and headed out on an amazing adventure to Northwest Haiti.   We spent 6 days working with the young men at the HumanCare school in the rural community of Mare Rouge.  

Our trip focused on Discipleship and more specifically on Becoming a Man of God in our character, our calling, and our community.  Throughout our short time with the 80 students at HumanCare school, we had the privilege of worshiping and praying together, painting the classrooms, building an outside cookhouse, painting a mural, teaching Bible studies, playing soccer and American football, passing out food and Bibles, and more!  All of these experiences were part of our effort to disciple these young men.  Instead of just painting for them, we encouraged them to pick up a paint brush and paint alongside of us.  As we played sports, we taught about teamwork and brotherhood and walking together in Christ.  As a significant part of our teaching efforts, we challenged them to serve one another as Christ served his disciples.  And finally, as an example of what Christ has done for us, we washed their feet as a visual demonstration of our love for them.  

Ender Veus, the school administrator, and his teachers are doing an amazing job and the fruits of their efforts are evident in the life of these godly young men. Even in our brief time together, we connected with these young men in a way that we will never forget.  Fresnet, Woosney, Boss, Francine, Diamond, and all of the others -- these are not just faces in a brochure to us -- they are our friends and our brothers, and we are forever changed for having met them.  We went on this trip so that we could be a blessing to others, but in the end it was they who were a blessing to us. 

CHECK OUT THIS MOVING VIDEO PUT TOGETHER BY THE TEAM

Haiti Mission Trip 2011

by Clint Sibbitt, Director of Development

After many years of faithful service we are thrilled to tell you that a NEW Heart of the Bride website (HOB 2.0) will be launching Friday, July 1st!

Why a New Site?

• Photos of HOB Kids take center stage on HOB 2.0. We have so many great photos we want to share of our kids and the new site allows for that. See the image below.


• The site design is cleaner (the current design trend thanks to Apple) and the navigation has been simplified. The site will also mark the launch of our new Heart of the Bride logo (you can see a sneak preview at the top of this newsletter).


• HOB 2.0 will bring our Missions effort into greater focus. One click will give you access to short term mission trips, long term mission opportunities, and expanded space to highlight the work of our growing list of missionaries.

• An "HOB at a glance" page will make it easier to visualize the scope of our work.

• There are additional exciting features but you'll have to wait for next Friday to see for yourself.

 We look forward to your feedback on our new website:

Just in case you missed it -- The contest will not begin until HOB 2.0 is launched July 1st!

by Clint Sibbitt, Director of Development  

This Friday friends of HOB living in the Niceville, Florida area have a chance to raise money for our ministry simply by eating a delicious meal! Chef Dan Pettis, the owner of One 20 Bistro has graciously offered to donate 20% of all lunch and dinner purchases to HOB. 

Mark your calendars and join us Friday, July 1st at One 20 Bistro! 

by Carol Boykin, Director of Child Development 

In March I traveled to Kenya to spend several weeks at House of Hope and to lead a retreat with the older children.

What a rich blessing!  At the retreat, we spent two days in God's word and played games, ate s'mores, worked on scrapbooks and loved on each other. We learned to take scripture and ask the questions, "who, what, when, where, why and how," to see what God was doing and is doing still today.  We learned how to journal our discoveries and asked God to show us more.

When the retreat ended, I went back to the orphanage to stay with the children. The girls spent time in my room and we talked and laughed and cried; they shared some of their struggles and hurts with me.  It is often very hard for me; I want so much to fix things for them, but I can't.  But I do know who can, and they are learning to trust Him to heal their broken hearts.

These kids are hungry for His word!  They asked me if we were going to finish the study we started during the retreat, and I said we would try.  Every time we had some down time or the house was quiet, they asked if we were going to do Bible study!  We were having Bible study sometimes three times a day!  We finished all I had prepared for the month and they still wanted more!

Because it was Easter I was able to take them through Jesus' last days on earth.  We looked at His death with new eyes; I looked at it through the eyes and faces of the precious children before me.  When we got to the crown of thorns their eyes became horrified with the realization of the pain He endured on their behalf.  In Kenya they have thorns everywhere-not tiny little thorns, but two to four inches long!  They have all had a thorn in their hands and feet and know firsthand how much one thorn hurts and to think of them going all the way around Jesus' head brought one of the girls, Julia, to tears.  She is now filled with a hunger to know what kind of love Jesus has that He would endure the cross for her.

HOB missionary, Lisa Hovingh, meets with the children and the mothers in the home weekly to study the Bible with them.  I can't wait to return and see how they have grown spiritually!  May we all have the kind of hunger for the Word that these children have!

Editor's Note:

Discipleship is a focus for the children in all of our homes. We are continuing to see an increase in ongoing Bible Study, and we continue to be encouraged by short term and long term missionaries who go are willing to go and help "make disciples."

Sponsorship:

Currently all of the children at House of Hope are blessed to have sponsors who support and encourage them. However, children in Zambia and Haiti are currently in need of sponsors. Contact Carol by email if you want to know how you can participate in a meaningful relationship with one of our kids: carol@heartofthebride.org. 

This September Host a Back to Africa Home Show to Benefit Orphans

by Faith Gibson, Director of Back to Africa   

September is CORE Fund Month at Back to Africa!  For the first fifteen home shows booked for the month of September, Back to Africa will donate 90% of the sales directly to the CORE Fund to support HOB's ongoing monthly needs.

Having a home show is easy and fun...no matter where you are located in the US, we can send you a box of jewelry to sell and a DVD to show about the ministry, you invite your friends and let them buy.  It is a great way to introduce people to Heart of the Bride, as well as give them an opportunity to purchase items that help our cause.

To participate in CORE Fund Month at Back to Africa, book your home party today by emailing Faith (faith@heartofthebride.org) or Caryn ( caryn@heartofthebride.org), or give us a call at 850-678-9008.  Some slots are already filled, so don't delay!