.Qwetu Hope.

I know I don't get personal on this blog very often (tho it's been known to happen), but I wanted to share something pretty fantastic that happened recently.


If you've been following my blog for a while, or if you know me at all, you know that my dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1988.  On November 14, 2011 his 20+ year battle came to an end and he went home to heaven.  I have contemplated on writing more in-depth about my dad, my family, and our journey on this blog, but I'm not quite ready for that just yet.


I did want to share one thing though. After he passed, a number of people asked us where they could send donations on my dad's behalf.  We really thought about what he would want; he was active in ministry and we wanted to make sure wherever the money went was a cause that he would support.


My brother's father-in-law is really involved in a ministry that supports community development in Africa called Hearts for the World International.  In his life, my dad had the opportunity to visit China, Israel and Mexico, but he always regretted not being able to go to Africa.  After I went to Uganda in 1997, it just made him want to go all the more.  Taking that into consideration, we thought giving to Hearts for the World would be a really cool way to give a piece of my dad's heart to the people there.


One of the projects that Hearts for the World is supporting is the Qwetu Hope Community Development Group.  The project was started in late 2010 with the sole purpose of transforming their community, specifically by helping those less fortunate (children and elderly).  They opened a school in January 2011 (with 250+ students) and are working to help the members in the community be self-sustaining. 


Recently, we received a letter from Peter Okwe, the coordinator of the project.  He was explaining to us the difficulty that they had been having in getting people to support the school.  This caused a lot of problems, including not being able to pay their teacher's salaries.  He let us know that with the donations they were able to catch up on their teachers' payments as well as buy new desks, text books, a black board, and numerous other essential supplies.  It also enabled them to complete one of the classroom buildings.


I wanted to share a little bit of the letter from Peter:
It should be noted here that this fund from Brother Stephen through Hearts for the World, has given Qwetu new energy, face and confidence to move on.  At some point the chairman, Mr. Raphael, and I almost gave up due to a lot of challenges.  In December 2011 we were under intese pressure since we had promised to start class one in 2012.  Nothing was going on at the project site to indicate that class one was going to begin.


Some parents even took their children to other schools due to the rumour that was going around that we were between a hard place and a rock.  And honestly speaking, that is where we were.  I told the chairman to join me in prayers so that God can work a miracle to us before the end of 2011.  And indeed God came in the 11th hour when our faith was almost dying off.  Jan, the president for the Hearts for the World International, called me on my way to church and told me he was going to send some money for the project.  I stopped and on the way told God thank you.  That was a miracle that I will never forget, I was so thrilled that I did not know how to express myself to Jan.


I would like to give special thanks to everybody who contributed financially towards this project.  You are real friends, friends I have not found even in Kenya; people who have not even visited gave us a surprise.  May God expand the territory of those who gave, may he bless them and protect them always.  To our beloved brother who God called home after a good work, let his spirit rest in peace; one day upon winning the race here on earth, I pray that I will meet him.  To the family I pray that one day we shall meet and shake hands.


Peter is requesting to name the school after my dad; the plan is to call it Stephen Romine Academy Rusinga Island.  My family is already talking about taking the time to visit.


**If you are interested, they are still taking donations in my dad's name.  Just send checks or money orders payable to Hearts for the World International to PO Box 140728, Edgewater, CO 80214 and indicate that you are giving to the Qwetu Hope Community Development Group on behalf of Stephen Romine.**