Mission Life Partners Shine His Light During Educational Challenges

Written by: Jill Jones

This year the quarantine has taken a toll on families all over the world, but perhaps one of the most devastating effects it is having is on children’s education. While most US schools have the resources to provide students with laptops and access to online schooling, developing countries haven’t been so lucky. Our partners in Colombia and Rwanda paint a grim picture—yet they hold on to hope as they perform heroic efforts in the name of Jesus.

In Kigali, Rwanda, the lock down has deprived children of the safety, social life, and structure of both school and the Child Hope Center, which has led to a high rate of depression and destructive behavior. Because churches are also closed, families are missing out on much of the spiritual input and Bible teaching that defined their weeks. Children struggle with feeling abandoned as the pastors that invested in them so deeply aren’t as accessible as they once were.

At Fundacion Formavida in Bogota, Colombia, kids don’t have access to many of the resources we take for granted in the US: reliable Internet, laptops, and online teaching platforms like Zoom. School teachers give homework, but without the ability to teach students, many students are falling further and further behind. For many, the lockdown will set them back a year.

Yet in the midst of these difficulties, there is hope shining in the darkness. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and supporters like you and the dedication of the staff at these two centers, all is not lost. If you were to stroll through the streets of Kigali on any given day, there’s a good chance you would see a pastor or other staffer from Child Hope Center stopping at the home of a family and delivering desperately needed food, homework, a word of encouragement, perhaps a short Bible lesson. If you were to step into the main room at Formavida you would see masked-up teachers working with groups of four or five students, stretching their own creativity and ingenuity to the limits to fill in the educational cracks, loving on the kids and empowering them to face their challenges.

We asked our partners to tell us how we can be praying for them and the families they serve. Here’s how they responded: pray for wisdom in knowing how to serve the children; that schools will reopen soon; that they will be able to continue their mission to reinforce the children’s education and give them a bright future; that God will strengthen them to share the love of Jesus and set a good example for the children.

Will you join us in supporting them in prayer? If your heart is moved to give a financial donation, the need for food for struggling families is still great. Click here to donate: https://missionlife.reachapp.co/donations/new?amount=100