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Bridges of Hope Newsletter
Many of you have wondered how we are doing financially and if and how you may be intentional about your contribution. The major stress point of course is our general operation fund which funds our orphan care programs and relief interventions, as well as bridging our operational need. Our project funding stream has been constant, and we have had to find creative ways of meeting the shortfalls on the operational level. Should this speak to your heart, this would be the area where we ache more deeply. We are using as much volunteer labor as we can, but as for any business, there are just those two or three areas where only a trained, qualified and professional staff is required and we are forever gratefull for all of you that are deciding to help us achieve these goals.
I appreciate your continued faith to journey together in promoting poverty relief and community empowerment.
Daniel Zopoula
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Malnutrition Center in Burkina Faso
By Tina Wiebe, LPN
International Health Programs Coordinator
I am taking a team of 9 people to Burkina Faso, 6 nurses, a teacher, HIV/AIDS Social worker, and a student. Our focus will be the malnutrition clinic in Boura, where most of the nurses will be spending their time. We will also be working in hospitals and clinics in Ouaga, Leo and Boura with the local medical staff. We will assess the needs and functioning of the malnutrition clinic in conjunction with the local nurses. I am looking forward to yet another trip with a wonderful team. I hope the little we can provide will set the beginning of immeasurable change and contribution to our global communities in reaching the unreached. |
Child Sponsorship - Making a Difference
By Mary Gail Leitch
Staying Connected through Child Sponsorship: Signs of the Christmas season are beginning to appear and it won't be long until we are singing our favourite Christmas carols. Our thoughts turn to the joy of giving and many of you have been asking how you can share this special season with your sponsored child. We are pleased again this year to offer our 2009 Christmas Gift List catalogue. There are many opportunities for you to make a lasting impact on your child's family, classmates and community. Check out our catalogue on our website at www.bridgesofhope.ca.
Also, our Bridges of Hope sponsorship partners in Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Congo and Ethiopia usually plan a small Christmas celebration for your sponsored children each year with the help of your regular donations and support. However, some of you may still be thinking that you would like to send a little something personally to your child. That is also possible. We suggest a simple gift such as a Christmas card, stickers, pencil crayons and sharpener, colouring books, puzzles, hair ribbons, or photograph, etc. that can easily be mailed in a regular envelope. Please do not include items that will break or melt or are disallowed by Canada post or airline travel. Do not include your last name, address or telephone number in your correspondence to your child. These small packages can be sent to our main office and we will happily forward them to your child. If it is more efficient, we may send small packages with teams that are travelling to your sponsored child's country as well.
Thank you for your generosity over this past year! Your sponsorship continues to bring hope, joy and life-giving support to needy children. |
| Interning with Bridges of Hope
by Kurt Langerud
Kurt Langerud was interning with Bridges of Hope in Lethbridge this past fall.
The way I came to know Daniel Zopoula was through my family. We were missionaries to Burkina Faso from 1989-1991, I was 2-4 years old. I've known Daniel my whole life on a casual basis, but working with Bridges of Hope (BOH) has opened up great opportunities for me to get to know him better and become part of the many who are learning about what BOH is about and what difference we can make as individuals coming together for the cause of the poor and the voiceless widow.
What interested me about interning with BOH was the work that they do in Africa pertaining to serving the world's greatest need. I wanted to become more on board with what was happening in this vast field of service and learn more about my role to play as a fellow servant in this refracted and destitute world ruled by man. Yet since the problem of global poverty is larger than you and I, I also want to learn about the causes of poverty in the world, who the main players are in this unfortunate story of over-consumption, governmental bullying and broken promises. I wish to not remain ignorant of the issues at hand happening in the present in our global community involving our brothers and sisters all over the world.
I have been privileged with the opportunity to grow up fully bi-lingual in French and English as a missionary child traveling around the world; these unique opportunities have given me an intimate understanding of the West African culture and way of life as well as an advantage in the language sector. So, being directly involved with Bridge of Hope has allowed me to learn about what BOH really is, how it is run and what factors I have to play in learning from the teams well as seeing the potential small amount that I can contribute to the work and ministry of hope, love, mercy and justice.
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Christmas season provides opportunity to transform lives
Just days after Halloween, stores become filled with Christmas decorations, cards, presents and wrappings. As I walk through the aisles, I hear the cheery sounds of Christmas carols. People walk happily down the aisles, picking things off shelves to support their own comfort in their homes for a wonderful Christmas season.
Even though Christmas is almost two months away, people are preparing for a time of the year where hope and light shine through during one of the darkest and coldest times of the year; this is a very special time for Westerners to get together and enjoy the warmth and love of their family. However, so often we forget that this time of year is a privilege for Westerners to have and that billions of people are still trying to have their basic needs met like food, clean water, basic health care and education. Think about this for a second as an example: spending less than $40 for a bag of rice could feed a whole family in a developing country for an entire month.
This Christmas season give the gift that gives back. Give the gift that will give hope to those who most need it.
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