22 Mar Filling Body & Soul at Path Of Hope
Spending time with our ministry partners and the Lahash kids is a highlight for everyone on the Lahash staff. Travel has been minimal for the past two years, and everyone is eager to reunite in person as opportunities arise. Edwin Angote is our Lahash East Africa Director, and he recently traveled from his home in Kenya to visit all the Lahash ministry partners in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. It was a major undertaking to navigate all the road travel, border crossings, and time away from his family, but we are all so thankful! The stories, updates, and photos he has been able to share with our staff and the global Lahash community give us all a sampling of what is happening in the lives of kids and families we love.
Edwin’s time at Path Of Hope in northern Tanzania was a perfect example of how Rice & Beans Month fits into the big picture of the Lahash vision for holistic care. We want to see kids thriving in every area of life – plates full of food, minds ready to learn, hearts full of hope in Christ! Path Of Hope covers a very rural area and serves children in three separate villages. Most of them have significant responsibilities to help with farm work at home in addition to attending school. Being part of the Lahash Sponsorship Program surrounds these children with a caring community of faith. They get to come together each week for worship, prayer, Bible teaching, practical teachings, games, and of course a delicious meal. The program connects them to the local church, the wonderful caring Path Of Hope staff members, and to each other for social time and friendship.
It was exciting for Edwin to see the new developments at the largest Path Of Hope location. They acquired a piece of land in town, and have been able to put up some buildings that now serve as a gathering place for the church and the Path Of Hope program. Because of recent donations to the Lahash Bible Fund, Edwin was able to help distribute many new Bibles to Path Of Hope children who have never had daily personal access to God’s Word in their own language.
He also got to partake in meals along with the kids and enjoy some Rice & Beans! In addition to providing meals on site for the kids each week, Path Of Hope uses Rice & Beans funds to sustain a nutrition program for children with chronic illnesses like HIV and sickle-cell anemia. Kids with these conditions rely on the extra calories and protein supplied by this program in order to stay healthy enough to attend school and enjoy being kids.
In traveling to Path Of Hope and the other partner locations, Edwin represented not only the Lahash staff but our whole global community. We don’t all get the opportunity to travel and see in person like he did, and yet even through these photos and stories we can picture ourselves there and envision the part we all play in providing holistic care for these precious kids. Thank you to everyone who has participated in Rice & Beans Month – you are making a difference at Path Of Hope and all across East Africa!