“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” – Mother Teresa

Hello HFLM family! My name is Amanda and I am an American living in Rwanda, serving Hope For Life. I come to you this month sharing a story that deeply impacted my life. 

Samuel on the streets

Last month, I was doing errands in town when I saw a homeless boy. He was sitting in front of me against the market wall, with a glue bottle in his mouth getting high. His face was downtrodden as he stared at his dirty, shoeless feet. He reeked so strongly of glue that I had a headache within a few minutes of being near him. However, I felt a nudge to stop and talk to him. Over dinner in a nearby restaurant, a friendship began forming that would shape both of our lives. Over the course of many more meals, Samuel’s story started to slowly unfold. This 14-year-old boy hadn’t seen his father in 12 years and his mother is mentally ill, struggles with alcoholism, and is homeless. Having no other immediate family willing to care for him, Samuel left his mom and began living alone on the streets.

Samuel and his best buddy, Patrick at HFLM

Getting to know Samuel has inevitably changed me forever. I haven’t felt so personally destroyed on the inside for someone ever before. After our dinner dates, I would leave him and all I could do was cry. His face was written on my heart. Before falling asleep, I would lay in my bed thinking of him outside in the dark. At meals, I would look at my food wondering if he was hungry. All I could do was pray for God to have a plan.

Samuel and I

I am happy to tell you that a few weeks ago, HFLM officially accepted Samuel into the HFLM family! If you saw him today, you truly wouldn’t recognize him. He has had a very easy transition into our home and has quickly befriended many of our boys. He is most excited about returning to school in January 2016. In anticipation, he wakes up every morning on his own initiative to study. During a recent devotion, our staff asked the boys what they wanted to pray for. Their requests ranged from doing well in school to not wetting the bed. Sam’s character shone through as he replied, “I want God to help me love more.”

Though there are still many boys sleeping outside near me tonight, this week we celebrate the victory that is Samuel. I’m grateful to have a God who not only sees, but adores and cherishes every drop in the ocean! 

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HFLM has a new “mama”! We are overjoyed to introduce you to our newest Residential Counselor, Jeannette. By the end of her first week, our staff stood in awe as we heard the boys already calling her “mama.” Since joining in April, she has made valuable changes in our home and in our hearts.

Given that our home is constantly filled with boys transitioning from the streets, it has always been a challenge to develop habits of good hygiene. In Jeanette’s first hour on the clock, this experienced mother of three quickly inspired a house cleaning party. After only three weeks, Jeanette’s encouragement has quickly turned our young men into the sharpest looking kids on the block.

In addition to the physical improvements Jeannette has brought us, we’ve also witnessed growth within our kids. A former teacher and counselor, Jeannette quickly developed a new mentorship program whereby the older boys take turns leading Bible studies and tutoring sessions for the smaller kids. As a result, we’ve seen seeds of maturity and self-confidence start to flourish in our older boys. 13-year-old Eric has especially thrived in his new responsibilities and even earned the nickname “Mayor” from the smaller boys.

Jeannette was quick to connect with our boys’ hearts. Her patient and nurturing disposition naturally draws people in, leading our youth to openly share their lives with her. 17-year-old Valence became part of the HFLM family last December. This shy and withdrawn young man has had much difficulty transitioning into our home, as he has resisted participating in activities or connecting with staff. However, in Jeanette’s first few weeks, she and Valence could be seen every evening talking on the porch until the moon shone down on them. Since then, Valence has opened up about his life on the streets and is making significant progress in his rehabilitation.

Please join us in welcoming Jeannette into our HFLM family! We may be a family scattered across the world but our hearts beat together to see God’s kingdom flourish on the streets of Rwanda.

Meet Fred, our six-year-old neighbor. Fred was born without a tibia in his right leg. Due to the complexity of surgery in Rwanda, his leg was removed from the knee down. His family’s poverty made it impossible to get a prosthetic. To add to Fred’s hardship, many Rwandans have a fear of those with disabilities. Fred has never had friends. He says of his community, “They call me names, run from me, beat me, and throw rocks at me.” 

Click here to watch Fred’s story

Upon sharing Fred’s story with our boys, they immediately resonated. They, too, have known loneliness and rejection. They decided to befriend Fred and “show him how to make cars, draw, and build legos.” Benjamin even suggested we fix our old wheelchair so Fred could use it.

Fred and his wheelchair.

On Fred’s first play date, our boys had so much fun they invited him to a sleepover! He has spent every weekend since playing with his new friends. Fred’s mom recently called and said, “Fred never used to talk before, but now when he comes home from HFLM, he is like a radio! He wants us all to stop what we are doing and sit around him. Then he tells us everything about his time at HFLM from the second he arrived to the second he left. He said returning home is hard because it feels like he’s leaving heaven.”

 

Fred with his new friends.

We knew our boys were special, but these last few weeks have left us in awe. They repeatedly put love into action and show us the kingdom of God growing in and through their hearts.

Update on Sandrine: The road ahead is long, as Sandrine has suffered severe brain damage. She is not expected to regain her eyesight or the motor skills she previously possessed. We hope to see small improvements over the next months and continue to work with her family to find the best long-term solution.

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We are thrilled to introduce the newest five members of the HFLM family! In the past two months, we’ve welcomed Gaetan, Ishimwe, Hassan, and two brothers, Patrick and Jean Paul. Coming from backgrounds of child labor, abuse, neglect, and immense poverty, their newfound excitement about life has brought freshness and energy into our home.

From left to right: Patrick (4), Jean Paul (12), Ishimwe (12), Gaetan (11), Hassan (12)

While we have experienced much joy with the addition of these new personalities, we have also experienced great pain. During four-year-old Patrick’s first few weeks at HFLM, he expressed continued concern for his two-year-old sister, Sandrine, who was still living with their mom. Their mom is deaf and mute, and struggles to find work because of her disability. Begging to survive, the family often went without eating. Little Patrick’s genuine fear for his sister moved us and we knew we had to learn more.

Patrick and Jean Paul’s sister, two-year-old Sandrine lays unconscious in the hospital.

Patrick and Sandrine days before she was hospitalized.

Please join us in praying for a miracle for little Sandrine, as well as peace for her family and our staff. If you are interested in partnering with us to become a sponsor of one of these new children, please visit our website.

Photo taken from BBC article referenced above

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Djuhudi’s Sponsors, the Lush family, are crazy about him!

Djuhudi wearing a new shirt he unwrapped from his sponsors.

While this act of kindness might seem small to you and I, it was a loud affirmation of self-worth to Djuhudi. Our boys didn’t grow up receiving words of love spoken into their lives. They didn’t often have loving arms wrapped around them. They didn’t have family figures bending over backwards to put them through school. And while Djuhudi receives affirmation and love from our staff on a daily basis, the message of self-worth was reinforced in a unique way coming from a family on the other side of the world. And that love has stuck with him to this day.

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In our sixth year of operation, we challenged ourselves to think big and set goals to ensure our organization will exist well into the future and bring long-term transformation to each of our children. We focused on organizational health, strengthening internal operations, and pursuing sustainability. We’re excited to celebrate our highlights with you!

The original boys on the streets in 2008

HFLM all grown up in 2014

Local street boys that attend HFLM’s outreach program: the boys wash their clothes, eat a warm meal, receive loving counsel, and learn about Jesus.

Joyeux was motivated to reconcile with his family after participating in HFLM’s outreach program.

Click here to watch the music video our boys and staff made.

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Paul, Djuhudi, & Emile’s goals: be closer to God, forgive enemies, and learn to read and write.

• “I want to be a good example in all that I am doing.”
• “I want to grow in love.”
• “I want to honor God in my youth and all the days of my life”

Claude’s goal: “I want to love people more than I do.” He also wants to work hard at school, respect his teachers, and become a better soccer player.

Jack (right) after being baptized.

This holiday school break has been a very special time for the boys at HFLM. After being apart for three-and-a-half years, the children were reunited with co-founder Megan Chao and her husband, Yao! It was a very joyous reunion full of basketball, games, and making new memories together.

The highlight for most children, however, was traveling to Rwanda’s national safari park to view wildlife for the first time. Squeals of delight and surprise filled the bus as zebras, giraffes, monkeys, and warthogs sprinted around us. With an enormous grin shining from his face, 16-year-old Olivier exclaimed, “This is my favorite trip of my whole life!” It was truly a special day that will always be remembered. Click here to view a glimpse of the safari.

Megan and Yao visiting HFLM and taking the boys on their first Safari!

Yao playing with Benjamin and Claude.

The boys’ vacations have also been enriched by a remarkable young woman, Amanda Good. Amanda is a volunteer from Colorado who has committed to living and serving in Rwanda for the next two years. She brings deep passion and talent to our team and has been busy assisting our Directors, developing sustainability projects, and leading weekly Bible studies for our children and staff, among many other responsibilities. She recently made prayer journals for each of the boys that have been an immensely powerful resource for them to record their prayers, thoughts, and emotions, while also developing their personal relationships with Jesus. One boy wrote, “I remember when You picked me from the street. I didn’t realize that I could stop that life but You showed me that You are able as God. You didn’t stop there. You helped my family. It is not easy for us as humans, but for You, it is simple. Thank You so much for that. I need You to put me among your servants forever and ever.”

Amanda spending time with Claude, who goes by his nickname “Littleman.”

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