Hope Ignited’s Executive Director, Chuck Jamison reflects on a decade of work in Conakry, Guinea.

I’ve been traveling to Conakry, Guinea annually for nearly a decade now. We’ve hosted Pastor training conferences each year as a staple of the trip, but many times we have brought medicines, eyeglasses, bibles and other resources. We’ve shipped containers of clothing, kitchen equipment, cars, wheelchairs and yes…more bibles. We’ve also brought dozens of people from the U.S. that have experienced Guinea for the first time. Many of the people that have joined us were on their first mission trip ever!

So, I wonder…have we made an impact? Has a decade of focus made a difference in the lives of the people in Conakry?
I wanted to take a moment to just reflect on this question and just report what I’ve noticed…

As you know each trip has it’s own unique challenges and experiences and that was certainly true this time. This was a physically demanding trip for me. It may have to do with the amount of travel we did… or it just may be old age. Anyway, I came back tired. It was also a very rewarding trip and an opportunity to look back over 10 years in Guinea and to see the many remarkable things God has done in spite of our weaknesses.

Here are the positives:

Ismael, our original contact in Conakry, has become a “big shot” and is serving on a Presidential Board and is well respected in the business community. Imagine, Ishmael being a Christian and being able to have a meeting with the President of the country as well as leading an organization that connects all of the business leaders within the community in a country that is over 85% Muslim! Praise God! Ishmael’s lovely wife, Sarata was also so excited to show us pictures of their two daughters being publicly baptized. This is something that would have been unheard of doing just a few years ago. Ismael and Sarata’s tribe is 99% non-Christian and having them in such a high profile positions within the community is such a blessing, but we need to keep them both in prayer for continued strength and wisdom.

Praise God…

Joel, another one of our Conakry friends, continues to be the man of peace in the prisons. Because of him, we were able to freely proclaim the gospel to the prisoners in Kindia and to pray for them. Joel is a leader with the Prison Fellowship organization. This organization serves to support the needs of the inmates, the prison staff as well as their families. Several years ago, Prison Fellowship started a school for the children of the incarcerated and the employees of the prison. In just a few years, the school for children of prisoners has grown to 160 students and is located in a small building just outside the prison wall. Working with Joel and Prison Fellowship, Hope Ignited has created a library and reading program within the central prison in Conakry.

Praise God…

Finally, Karim, one of our Pastor friends is leading the effort in Conakry to have a huge outdoor evangelistic event in the park. They are expecting over a 100,000 people at this event and when we were there, we saw banners all around the city proclaiming the name of Jesus and inviting people to come. The event will be in March and is one of the things that could dramatically move Guinea in a more Christian direction. Let’s be praying for them.

So what are WE doing?

Here’s what we are working on going forward: Hope Ignited has applied for NGO status in Guinea. Once it is approved, we will enjoy a number of benefits which will allow us to ship goods, rent property, hold events under our name and will give us greater recognition by the government.

We were also asked by many of the Pastors to assist them with finding a way to provide Christian resources and materials that can support, educate and train those new believers growing in their faith. As a result, we need the ability to print large amounts of training materials and tracks in country versus having to ship them by container. I have asked Ismael to look into what options we may have to work with a local printer to produce materials for schools and outreaches.

Final thoughts:

The thing I am most excited about is simply this… I now have a sense that we are finally working with Joel, Karim and Ismael as “true partners”. Our conversations were frank and open. They seem free to be themselves and they are certainly taking ownership of their future. These three men tirelessly labor for the Lord from morning to night. They have held on to their vision of a Christian culture within their country and wake each day and work to that end. Their efforts in such a difficult country and circumstances humble me.

So have we made a difference? I believe so. But we need to be reminded that, “the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. “ – Ecclesiastes 9:11

I thank God for the opportunity I’ve had over the past decade to be a witness of what He is doing in the country of Guinea. It’s been great to see and be a part of…but I’m still tired…

In Christ,

Chuck

As I prepare to make my 5th trip to Africa in 6 years, I am experiencing all of the same thoughts I have experienced before each trip:

1. Should I really be going?
2. Can I afford to take off that much time from work?
3. Can I really afford to spend the money on such a trip?
4. What if I get hurt or sick?
5. What can I possibly contribute?

These thoughts have become “familiar friends” to me over the years. They have entered my mind so often that I have used them as the proof and evidence that making such a commitment is exactly the thing I need to be doing. Here is why…all the questions I am asking myself…are all focused inwardly on “me”. Having such an inward focus is proof enough that I need to go. I need trips like these to focus my thoughts and energies outwardly. It is only then I begin to fully experience my life rather than just to live it.

Just this week, I was forced to return my computer to the Apple store so they could make some minor repairs on it. I was terrified to part with it! They basically had to pry it out of my clenched hands! I was petrified of the thought of losing all my data and files and being without it for even a day!

Do you see a problem here?

What I soon learned about myself was that I was not living my life as much as I was “reporting on it”.

Well, it has been almost a week now and while I look forward to their call for me to come pick it back up…I’m different in some ways. The “data” is no longer of prime importance. If I lost it all…life would go on. My time has not been reading, searching the internet or collecting “data”…instead I’ve been having lunches and dinners and interacting face to face with people. It’s been great!

What this week has reminded me is that computers and smartphone are not bad in themselves. However, life is not experienced from a keyboard, it’s experienced in the messiness of human interaction. It’s getting in front of someone new and making yourself vulnerable that makes a life worth living and then maybe writing about. This vulnerability is only experienced when you’re uncomfortable. Putting yourself in a position where someone is going to either accept you or not, appreciate who you are or render you insignificant, love you or dismiss you. It is scary? Yes. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. But is being vulnerable and open a worthy goal? Most definitely, yes. Is there risk? Absolutely…but regardless of the consequences…my life is worth it.

Like the saying goes, “the sweetest fruit is at the end of the branch”. In my case, the branch extends to Africa. Life in Africa is sweet. I can’t wait!

What are YOU doing for Summer Vacation?

For many Americans we are counting down the days until summer vacation. Final exams will soon be over, graduation ceremonies will be conducted and many young men and women will enter into the next exciting phase of their lives.

I look back on those times fondly. Thinking about both my High School and College graduation. I was so happy to be completed with my schoolwork; I didn’t want to begin to think about the future quite yet. I wanted to relax and just soak up the accomplishment of years of hard work.

While a brand new diploma in my hand certified that I had met all the requirements of my education at that time… it wasn’t until many years later that I learned I knew nothing about my world.

I didn’t know how privileged I was to have the opportunity to go to school and to learn. I didn’t know how wealthy I was relative to the rest of the world to be able to drive my car. I didn’t know how lucky I was to be able to buy food, eat in restaurants and sleep soundly and without worry. I knew nothing about the majority of the rest of the world.

I say this only to point out…had I known then…what I know now…

My life would be dramatically different. I would have approached my education with fervor because I “knew” how fortunate I was to have that opportunity. I would have been more interested in world events, because I would have known my place in the world is not one only to take from it…it is a place where I must give to it. My life would have been more focused on “we” rather than a constant search for “me”. I would have worried less about whom I was going to ask out on a date and more about planning a time I could get back out and see the friends I had met previously in these far off countries.

Yes, my life would have been quite different.

So, here we are…are you wondering what you’ll give that new graduate? Why don’t you give them a gift that could quite possibly change their life…send them on a Mission Trip so they can engage the rest of the world.

It just might be the greatest gift they ever receive.

Knowledge is Power…
In September of 2010 a seed was planted in Conakry, Guinea. That seed was a commitment of support to start a Christian school in Conakry, Guinea. Guinea ranks #156 out of 169 countries listed on the Human Development Index. This index compares a countries overall health, education and living conditions into a ranking. As you can see, life is difficult in Guinea.

However, with the generosity of the recycling ministry from the Rock Church in San Diego, a partnership was formed that would supply the necessary start up funding and salaries for teachers to begin a school for a period of time until the school was self supporting.

The new school is Perazim International School. Since September, materials for the school have been procured from as far away as Sierra Leone. Desks have been built, uniforms have been designed and purchased, teachers have been hired and school has officially opened. All of this took place in the midst of a very tense period of transition as the results of the National elections from September through November of 2010 were confirmed.

Pastor Karim Koroma reported this most recent update on the progress to date:

1. We are also glad to say thanks for your support and to inform you that, the school is going on well. We are now in the second term of the school year 2010-2011.
2. Many parents promised to send their children after the elections but for now we are having 16 pupils with 5 class teachers and an administrator.
3. We have built 30 joint table/benches and dividers for 6 classrooms.
4. Some important school materials bought from Sierra Leone and some in Guinea.
5. It is indeed our joy to share the good news that a Muslim teacher amongst our staff, Mr Junisa Fofanah, is now a born again child of God and is faithfully following the Lord even as we do our best to disciple him. This is one of the objectives of the school, to serve as a bridge to reach the lost souls that want to know and have a personal relationship with their Saviour. PRAISE BE TO GOD!
6. Teachers are sacrificially giving their best to help the children both academically and morally.
7. Some Parents have already expressing their satisfaction of the progress they have started seeing with their children.

PRAYER REQUESTS

1. Please pray for God to heal Mr. Henry Tamba. He is one of our able teachers but seriously sick and is undergoing medical treatment.
2. Pray for the good health and protection of the staff and the pupils.
3. That God will grant the children wisdom and understanding and the value of education.
4. We are having challenges with some parents who have not yet paid fees for the children or buy their uniforms.
5. The demand of parents and staff for sufficient school materials and classroom equipments for proper learning atmosphere for the children is a concern of the administration, please pray.
6. The economical instability in the nation is seriously affecting the day-to-day administration of the school, because the gas price has been increased from 6500 GNF to 7500 GNF ($0.89 to $1.04). (Remember, this is half a day’s pay).

OUR GRATITUDE TO DUH RECYCLING AND DONORS FOR SUPPORTING PERAZIM INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL!

Our thoughts exactly…

If you would like more information on how you can assist Hope Ignited in supporting more initiatives like this, please contact us at:
info@hopeignited.org.

Posted in Guinea, Hope Ignited News

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Street kids in class!

I received the following letter from our representatives in Guatemala, Oscar and Amy Garcia. I hope it touches you as much as it did me.

Dear Bob,

As you remember, one of our Aldea dreams, were to be able to provide a place for the local kids to spend their time and to try to keep them off the streets. Well, we did. We set up a small school for tutoring with the help of some neighbors and the help of teams and financial support that has come from the U.S. and Hope Ignited.
The idea was to create a place for street kids to come for few hours a week and with the help of a teacher, they would hopefully gain back the desire of going back to school.

At first, we where not too happy to just see four (4) kids show up. However, after a few days went by, we saw more and more kids wanting to join our group. As you can imagine, this created a lot of excitement for those kids. Maybe for the first time, someone was actually investing time in them.

So why aren’t they in school? Why are they “on the street”?

Some of these kids end up on the street for different reasons. Some do because they just lose the desire of continuing in school and others because their parents do not care at all. We decided to do something about it because left on their own, these kids soon join gangs, get pregnant or worse…get killed.

So how have we done so far?

Excited over cereal!

By the end of the school year (Oct. 2010), we had forty-five (45) kids! This included street kids, pre-school kids, and kids that wanted to just find a place where they can get some help in doing their homework. But the most important thing out of this adventure, was that out of the 45 kids, four (4) street kids are going back to school on January 17th of 2011!

This we consider a great gain, and we are hoping that more help will be coming in the future from different donors so that we will be able to fund this program to pay for more tutors.

To add to this program, we feel the need to address the needs of older children as well. Those that are teenagers and young adults. These kids are the most critical because they have nothing to occupy their time and their minds. Our plan is to start an Iron Working Shop & Vocational Center.

We will teach and train older kids the skills needed to gain experience and to learn the basics of iron working. This will allow them to be part of the work force and equip them with the ability to gain self confidence. As we work with them, we will also also teach them with biblical principles and lead them to be the kind of men that God wants them to be.

We will keep you informed as the year progresses and how the Lord is helping us to develop this idea. We would love to see some of your short term mission teams take part in this work that we are doing either by coming down and helping us or by helping us financially or by prayer.

Regardless, we wanted to share with you our joy at our Aldea of Dreams at what God is doing with our ministry along with the help of so many others.

Until our next update, we hope you are enjoying your life as much as we are by serving Him.

In Christ.
Oscar & Amy Garcia

Pastor Karim, Chuck Jamison, Joel Loramou

I love Mission Trips.
But I am often plagued by the question of whether we are really making an impact or are we just providing a needed distraction from the challenges of daily life for those in the countries that we visit?

Chuck Jamision, the Executive Director of Hope Ignited has brought teams to Guinea for 12 years. Most of the world has never heard of the country. It is a country of sharp contrasts. It is one of the most mineral rich countries in the world and at the same time, one of the poorest. Guinea has been in the news recently regarding their first democratic election since their independence from France in 1958. It’s a difficult place to travel to…and for good reason. Life in Guinea is a day-to-day struggle.

So why go there? What impact can possibly be made?

In September 2010, Chuck and his team from Hope Ignited once again led a team of 20 young and energetic volunteers from the Rock Church in San Diego to Guinea. The purpose of the trip was primarily to continue to support the regional pastors by bringing them together under one roof for a week of intensive training, teaching, support and encouragement.

The initial conference was held in 2002 and has progressively grown in numbers ever since. This year, over 400 pastors attended the weeklong event that for the second year in a row has been centered on a theme of FORGIVENESS. Why forgiveness you might wonder? I did too. But after hearing the stories of decades of oppression and violence that has held this country captive, quickly answered my question. Many in the conference had personally experienced atrocities that we in the U.S. cannot possibly imagine. So, yes…forgiveness is a topic that they are definitely interested in learning more about.

This was evidenced by the means that the pastors took to attend the conference. Several drove in overcrowded vans through rural “roads”…if that’s what you can call them… for over 20 hours to attend. I also spoke to a couple of pastors that had walked on foot for 2 continuous days to attend! Like I said, life is hard in Guinea.

In addition to the conference, the team went out into the community and hosted free medical clinics as well as provided funding to start a school at a local church and a library for the local prison. The team also found time to do maintenance on several schools by rebuilding desks, tables and chairs as well took time to visit the central prison and pray for the prisoners.

The team didn’t arrive empty handed either! Each person on the trip brought with them several bags of supplies. Things like school supplies, toys, soccer balls, medicine, vitamins and food. In addition, the team brought 400 Bibles…that’s right! However, the most impactful gift was what we called the “talking Bible”. It is an electronic Bible that is used audibly in the African language and dialect. They even have a small solar panel attachment that can be used. Each one cost a little over $75.00. We only brought about a dozen of them, but they were BY FAR the most prized gift. More on that later…

That’s all sounds great. But is it really making a long lasting impact? What happens when the teams go home?

Here is a letter that we recently received from our in-country contact; Joel Loramou regarding what has taken place since we left the country in September:

“ECHOES” Conference

It is with full recognition to God for his work through your community.
480 to 500 pastors and leaders have benefited from your teachings. The echoes are coming from inside the country as well as from within Conakry.
Among other evidence we have results of this conference, we quote some:
• Pastors who attended the conference, have continuously preached about love and forgiveness.
• Some pastors, at least 6 that we know of, have been really touched because they were even in conflict with their own churches. But At the end of the conference, they went to stand in their respective congregations to ask for forgiveness with humility.
• Some leaders were also in conflict with their pastors about the management of the church, where there were also meetings of reconciliation.
• At the political crisis in our country, three Pastors and two leaders committed themselves to political leaders to sensitize them to dialogue and reconciliation. The team was received in turn by the political and administrative leaders and we thank God for the results obtained.
We are reassured about the impact of the conference at national level but also for our individual life.

Speaking Bible.

For the first time we find the Bible speaking, we can only thank you for this gift highly appreciated by the listeners.
The Guinean population is 60% illiterate; there are also 20% of the latter that can understand French without being able to write.
• Its use has increased since we had the Bible telling: It is used to house the cells that have no leaders who can correctly read.
• It is used for door-to-door evangelism.
• Some leaders use during the meditations of Family.
His achievement will help raise awareness and listen to the word of God.

Library

The library project for the vast central prison of Conakry is and remains a concern. A building was given to us by the prison authorities that you visited during your last visit. We’ve already done some preliminary work (i.e. – cleaning and repair of the door to the building to maintain our security level). We sometimes send some literature that we put on the table. Readers are many and we are encouraged. We need shelves for books, tables, chairs, and storage lockers. Our library project provides for an opportunity for the service to prisoners. This will allow us to listen and be sharing …
We would appreciate help to obtain the equipment necessary to help us equip the library.

Prayer Topics:

Please Pray for:
• God saves us from a civil war.
• For our ministry to the prison program of the angel tree.
• For schooling for children whose parents are in prison.

Wow. What a letter.

When I think about how difficult life must be for many people around the world it sometimes overwhelms me. I’m learning…by my association with Chuck, that being overwhelmed is ok. That’s the first step of being “stirred” by God. It’s that critical “next” step that makes all the difference. That is…what do you do about it?

If you are overwhelmed and do nothing but “feel bad”…then everyone loses. But if you are overwhelmed and do something…anything…then you never know what can actually be accomplished. We will usually never know the real impact we have on others. But that should never stop us from making the effort.

So…is it time for you?

by Aaron Blumenkranz

I was pretty nervous about going on my first short-term missions trip. I had no idea what to expect and felt totally under qualified for “real” global outreach. I am neither a pastor, a doctor, nor terribly handy. I was filled with doubt, “How would I be able to contribute? How would I be able to change lives?” I was leaning towards just writing a check and letting the professional missionaries handle the “heavy lifting”, but somehow I mustered the courage to go… and was totally blown away.

I had an amazing time, enjoyed a lot of laughs, shed some tears, and made some great friends. I am still not a pastor, and still not very handy, but I did learn that I had some skills that were needed “in-country”- the talent of just showing up! Encouragement in the countries that Hope Ignited visits is a valuable commodity and can inspire people to change the lives of many. Maybe I have made a difference “over there”… Certainly there is a difference in me.

Over 30 volunteers came together in a herculean effort to fill a 40-foot container bound for Conakry, Guinea in West Africa on Friday, August 13th. How did they do it? Well, the group used the “old fashioned way” of technology and just picked up the telephone and asked for donations. The result was nothing short of amazing. The list below is just a sampling of what they received:

246 cases of textbooks for grades K thru 12. These textbooks were donated by Sweetwater Union High School District in Chula Vista, CA as well as Horizon School in San Diego. The textbooks will be used to supply the 4 new schools that will become a reality thanks to a generous financial commitment from the recycling ministry at the Rock Church in San Diego.

213 cases of medical supplies. Sharp Hospital donated a wide variety of medical supplies as well. They included everything from nutritional packets, syringes, IV cases and solution to wheelchairs and walkers. These types of donations make a HUGE impact on the people in Guinea. They are terribly underserved in the medical supply arena and many products that get thrown away here in the U.S. can be fully utilized in Guinea. Thank you Sharp Hospital.

Shoes, Clothing and Toys. We received over 4000 pairs of shoes as well as 180 – 55-gallon trash bags full of clothing and toys from the Rock Share Ministry. This ministry at the Rock Church collects gently used clothing and then distributes it to people in need. In this case, the benefactors of such a windfall were the people in Guinea. What a blessing.

The container will leave San Diego within the next few days and is expected to be in Guinea in about six weeks. The generosity of the donors as well as the hearts and efforts of the volunteers have once again proven to myself and others the quote that Margaret Mead made famous has never been more relevant.

With all that is wrong with the world…it’s nice to witness something that is so very right.

Way to go gang!

First of all, the Men of the Rock Church in San Diego spent an amazing week of building. They built a home for a local pastor as well as three new stoves for local widows and widowers. The team of Mike Church, Perry Schacht, Rick Brennan, Ronnie DeLaCruz and Travis Wiley came to work. They brought suitcases filled with tools and supplies, but more importantly they each brought a huge heart and love for the people of Guatemala.

They arrived on July 3rd at about midnight and after a very long day of travel. However, they were up early the next day and ready to attend services at a local church. Then after church and seeing that it was the 4th of July…well…let me just say that large quantities of fireworks were purchased and everyone in the village knew we were in town.

On Monday morning we started the work effort. We divided up into two teams. One team would work on the house-building project; the other team would work on building stoves. Oscar Garcia had done a great job in preparing the site beforehand and also building wall panels, so the immediate job was to spray paint the wall panels prior to them being installed. The problem was the weather. It had rained constantly prior to our arrival. The weather forecast called for rain for the entire week as well.

We needed extended periods of sun to allow the paint to dry and that became God’s job. He immediately saw to it that we had all the sun we needed. Soon, paint started spraying and panels started drying. Guys were moving and grooving all over the place. By the end of the first day, we had 4 walls painted and standing in place on top of an existing 3-story building. Each panel had to be physically hoisted up by hand. We also had one stove completed.

The remaining days were similar. God would part the clouds in the sky. The sun would come out and we would paint, build and laugh among ourselves and the throngs of local children that followed our every step.
By Thursday, we had completed the house exterior complete with roofing, doors and windows. We had also completed two additional stoves.

At the end of the long workweek, the Men of the Rock still had energy to spare and took it upon themselves to grab trash bags and walk up and down the streets of the village picking up trash! People were staring and wondering why a group of Americans would do something like that. The local children also took part and loved every minute of it! What a great group.

In addition to the building project, Oscar Garcia and the local pastor have taken it upon themselves to create a small library and begin teaching the local “street kids”. These children otherwise don’t go to school. Many of the children don’t have parents that tell them to…and many schools won’t let them come. So the children roam the streets and grow up to be early mothers or fall into gangs or crime. So with limited or no resources, Oscar and the pastor found a building, some desks and somehow got two full bookshelves of brand new textbooks for the children.

We were fortunate to be there on the first day of class. On that day there were 3 children in attendance. The pastor teaches the children currently 2-3 days a week and requires only two things of the children. First, that they show up on time and secondly, that they are clean and dressed for school.

Seeing the children in this “make-shift” school just about ripped my heart out. They want to learn so very badly and have never had anyone to really invest in them or in their education. By the end of the week the class had grown to almost 10 students. Oscar tells me now that there are up to 18 students coming on a regular basis. Way to go!

One of the most impactful moments of our trip was on the last day. All of the Men of the Rock, together with the children of the village just sat down on the ground and talked. Thanks to Ronnie DeLaCruz our interpreter, we just traded questions. We could ask the kids anything…and then they could ask us anything. When we asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up…it became silent. Their heads all looked down. Silence. They had never thought about it. They had never thought about their future and what they could become. Silence. My heart broke.

We traded other questions like, “why don’t you speak Spanish”? That really cut to my core. There is really no reason I don’t speak the language better than I do and I’m committed to fixing that. But after about 30 minutes after we had all broken up, two of the young girls sought us out and were so proud to tell us something. One girl proudly said she wanted to become a Medical Doctor. The other girl said she wanted to become a Teacher. They were so proud. We were as well. A seed had been planted.

So yes…it was an amazing week. One filled with change. New homes, new cooking stoves. Small things to us, but it will ultimately change the lives of these families. It was a week where we changed as well. We had wonderful, deep and insightful discussions that I am certain will produce future “fruit” in all of these men. We also experienced change in how street children spend their day. They now have a place to go and with future support, who knows? And we also got to experience the change in how two young girls view their futures and what is possible for them.

Can a week change a life? What do you think?

It’s been exactly one year since San Diego’s Men of the Rock joined Hope Ignited on a home building mission trip to Guatemala. During the 2009 trip, two new homes were constructed for local widows in the village of Aldea Los Anonas.

This year the Men of the Rock from San Diego’s Rock Church have stepped up once again and are poised to continue their investment in the people of this small Guatemalan village. The group is scheduled to build a new home for a local pastor as well as several indoor smokeless stoves for local villagers.

The team this year will consist of: Jeremy Frazier, Michael Church, Perry Schacht, Rick Brennan, Ronnie DeLaCruz and Travis Wiley. The team will be led by Hope Ignited’s Bob Cloyd and Oscar Garcia.

Please keep the team in prayer as well as the people and country of Guatemala. The team departs on July 3rd and returns on July 10th.

Stay tuned for photos and an update!