As we enter the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, it is common for us to reflect on our families. Most of us would agree that family is one of our greatest gifts.
Years ago, our family began to understand that the greatest gift God has given any human is the opportunity to spend life and eternity in communion with Him. But, we also recognize that the greatest gifts we can physically see and touch are the people He places in our lives.
I am so grateful that the family I grew up in was safe and secure. My sister, Jessica, and I always knew that we were loved and cared for. To this day, we enjoy strong connections with our parents and it is impossible to measure the positive impact they have had on both of our lives for nearly 50 years.
As many of you know, at Hope Haven Rwanda, we have another special opportunity to expand our families. I’m so grateful to share that the Peters family now has three generations of Hope Angels sponsoring students in Rwanda. Some of us have been able to spend time in person with our Kugaba Kids. The rest have only met the students from afar, but hope to meet face to face soon.
A Hope Angel relationship does not require a face to face interaction, because the bond is strengthened by prayer. It is amazing how God works in our relationships when we commit to faithfully pray for someone else. Because of the commitment we’ve made, our family prays each day for these special students.
And, during my recent trip to Rwanda, I was reminded that they are praying for us. How special is that?
This week I pulled together a few clips from videos that I made for my family. I didn’t intend to share these publicly, but as I reflected on my trip, I was overwhelmed with love and joy for these kids, and I wanted to share how special these relationships are with you.
The clips have been randomly pieced together. I wish I had the time to share the full videos with you. Hopefully, these short clips will allow you to witness the love that exists between three generations of my family in the US, and these precious Hope Haven students and their families.
When I say that our family loves them, I’m not overstating the strong feelings of affection and concern we have for them. As Hope Angels, we remember, we write, we give, we pray and we are richly blessed in return!
Since that special day 26 years ago, when Kimberly and I began our married life together, our family has certainly expanded. We are learning more each day about the value of relationships. Whether it is our “son” Nankpak in Nigeria, or our Kugaba Kids, Joy, Promise and Diana in Rwanda, we celebrate God’s goodness to us through His gift of relationship!
If you are not a Hope Angel yet, I can’t think of a better way to bless your family during this holiday season than to introduce them to a special student at Hope Haven. Invite them into your family today and let the bonding begin!