Wild Hope Stories

We've Moved to Our New Site!!

2010-11-29T01:37:00.000-08:00

Wild Hope has a beautiful new WEBSITE

The Wild Hope blog is now incorporated into our official site.
Big thanks to Steve Denler and Oliver Lo for all their hard work.

See you over THERE ...

Karibuni!

New Digs for Wild Hope!

2010-11-02T02:43:00.000-07:00

The Russells' dining room table was nice and all, but everyone is thankful for the pleasant work space/office/showroom that Wild Hope Tanzania has moved into!

Faith's wonderful smile reflects how thankful we are for a clean, spacious area to work on accounts and keep all aspects of Wild Hope TZ running smoothly. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Liz and Shannon Roddy, the place is shaping up into an attractive and effective area where productivity is enhanced. Between the day to day operations of administration and the monthly deliveries of carefully crafted beadwork to be inventoried and displayed, things remain colorful in our new abode.

All of us breathe a sigh of relief as we settle into the generous office quarters. It feels great to have a place to properly house our administrative work as well as store equipment, host our interns and even plant a garden. Join us in giving thanks!

Nyota Kids are Thankful

2010-09-06T04:16:00.000-07:00

We're so thankful for the contributions made by our interns, Steve Denler and Tom Shank. Steve and Tom were here with Wild Hope for 10 months, helping to coach the Nyota kids in football, English and life. During their time in Tanzania, growth was seen in all 3 of these areas as the Nyota kids benefited from focused attention and relational connection.

Steve and Tom brought encouragement to the inner city community of Unga by reaching out to the kids and believing in them. Steve gave much of his time to football training and took the U-13 team to the East Africa Cup in Moshi where they were recognized for their integrity and good play. Tom poured hours into Nyota's English Club, helping kids become more comfortable in this much needed language. Together, they built friendships in the community and hosted times of Bible study and deeper discussion with those who were interested. Steve, along with Oliver Lo, also spent countless hours designing and building our soon-to-be-launched fine new website.

The Nyota kids gathered to show their appreciation and send the guys off as their time with us came to a close. Their love and affection were very apparent :-)

Thanks so much, guys! God bless your next adventures!

What a Summer!

2010-07-31T19:03:00.001-07:00

We've had the most amazing summer (well, winter in the southern hemisphere) of visitors here in Tanzania!

We are SO thankful for the fantastic contribution made by each of the visiting teams. Young people in our inner city have been challenged by lessons on integrity and faithfulness. They've gone to new levels in their English classes and they've been blessed with new gear for their soccer team while watching the old dump they usually play on slowly transformed into a level playing field.

Maasai kids, so extremely underprivileged you wouldn't believe the condition of their lives or standard of education, have enjoyed stimulating games and lessons and celebrated the morale boost of a fresh paint job on their school. Their headmaster beamed at the results!

Rural women have gathered for honest and helpful teaching on health and HIV/AIDS. They've seen the care teams have taken to help them with their artisan business and been blessed by the commitment to their well-being.

Through it all, in direct and indirect ways, God's love has been expressed to many. What a privilege to participate in spreading the reality of his passion for people. What a joy to do it together with the amazing people who came our way in these last 3 months.

Photo at top: the last of the summer teams heads out of camp. More photos soon! :-)

Gifts to Soccer Program Make Big Difference!

2010-06-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Nyota Youth Sports and Community Service Center was recently gifted with $1,000 to buy fresh cleats for many of the kids on our teams. A big shout out of thanks to our friends at U2U for the gift that brought such big smiles. A thousand dollars makes a huge difference to a soccer club in the inner city of Arusha, Tanzania, and we are so thankful.

"Nyota" seeks to help kids succeed on the field and in life. Beyond the benefits of sports alone, we offer academic scholarships, sponsorships to vocational training courses, English lessons and other life-skills seminars. What a privilege to encourage the highest potential in the lives of youth-at-risk in our city. With your help, we're changing that term to youth-with-hope!

The BBC recently posted an article about the impact of football on African kids and how they dream of using it to find a way out of their desperate circumstances. If World Cup fever is affecting you and you believe in reaching out through sports opportunities, please consider hitting the DONATION button at top right and designating your gift for NYOTA SOCCER PROGRAM. Every gift makes a real difference for the young Africans in our academy.

INVITATION to Wild Hope's 1st Annual Golf Tournament in Glendale, CA!

2010-04-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

Wild Hope is putting on its 1st Annual Golf Tournament in Glendale, CA on Friday, May 14th to raise money for Nyota Youth Sports and Community Service Centre. Peter Russell and Byron Borden will be present from Tanzania, though they don't expect to impress you with their golfing! If you, or anyone you know, would like to participate in the golf tournament, download the registration pdf here (http://bit.ly/a0sZuH)!

Here is some more information on Nyota and the golf tournament from the pdf:

Unga is a ramshackled neighborhood in Tanzania, consisting of mud houses and trash-strewn streets. Poor education, high HIV rates, massive unemployment and lack of basic mentoring are rampant. In this community of 10,000 residents, the deck is stacked against young boys and girls succeeding, let alone making it safely to adulthood. This is where the Nyota Youth Sports and Community Service Center (NYSAC) is located and has become one of Wild Hope’s thriving ministries.

“Sports has the power to inspire, the power to unite people

in a way that little else can.” - Nelson Mandela

Nyota means, “star” in Swahili and it is NYSAC’s goal to prepare young people to be stars not only in “football” but also in life. Currently there are over 100 young men (8 to 20 years old) in the growing soccer academy. Sports-based character development, essential life skills training, community service projects, English language camps, scholarship funds and opportunities to discover Jesus inspires these kids to stay in school and most importantly provides hope for the next generation! All proceeds from this event will benefit Wild Hope International’s Nyota Youth Sports and Community Service Center. Thank you once again for your prayers and generosity!

FORMAT

Four Person Scramble

COURSE

Scholl Canyon Golf Course

3800 East Glenoaks Boulevard

Glendale, CA 91206

818-243-4100

“considered one of the top

mid-length golf courses…”

DATE

Friday, May 14, 2010

CHECK IN

11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

SHOTGUN START

12:30 PM

COST

$50 per player

(includes 18 holes of golf with cart,

practice range balls,

event contests & prizes)

To register for the golf tournament, download the PDF here (http://bit.ly/a0sZuH)

A Release of Hope and Joy

2010-03-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

James Ole Kukan is a gentle presence. A quiet demeanor belies the strength of character and resolve that are very much alive in his Maasai heart. Of the many things to admire, James’ love and concern for his people is one that sets him significantly apart from peers around him. This love, combined with a tenacious spirit and a living relationship with Christ, has worked to set the scene for a beautiful story of hope unfolding in the remote community James calls home.

“Home” is a valley called Engeua in the basin formed by the curve of the Meto Hills. In 1997, after a request for “the words of God” from local people in that area, James and a group of friends began to visit the region and just pray over it. This is a place full of the spiritual power of local diviners, yet there was a hunger for something more in the lives of many of the residents. The prayer walks led to teaching trips and, for several years, James and a handful of others traveled in regularly to bring God’s love in the form of lessons from the Bible. James looks back and says, “The response was slow in those years.”

By 2000, the local diviners had declared that “church work” would not go forward in this area. Instead, they said, they would use their spiritual power to hold it back. Yet in 2003, partnering with Christian Missionary Fellowship, James helped to bless the foundations of a permanent gathering place for the church. Though it had begun slowly, good news began to make an impact. “Many healings happened in the next years,” James says humbly. “Not many people heard about them, but a lot of people were prayed for when they were sick and they became well.”

In August of 2008, an event occurred that would significantly impact the entire region. The daughter of a well-known diviner was suffering terribly from what some might have thought of as a severe mental illness. Nothing that her father did could stop her from fits of agitation, incomprehensible screaming and running away when people tried to help her. In desperation, her father asked the people of the church to come and pray over his daughter.

The men and women of the church met in their normal Sunday gathering to worship and pray. Afterwards, a handful of them walked to the diviner’s village. Here, before they could even enter the village proper they met the young woman, herself. As they began to pray, she took off running.

Catching up with her about a kilometer later, the group surrounded her and continued to pray. By all accounts, it became quite a wild scene. The young woman alternately yelled in unknown languages, frothed at the mouth, flailed around or hit people. Her father, fearing that she would never be of sound mind again, kept saying that his daughter had died. Yet the group did not stop praying. At one point, quite an eerie voice issued forth from the young woman declaring, “We will not go!” Still, the group continued to pray, calling out in Jesus’ name for healing.
(The young woman and her baby with the group that prayed for her.)

Finally, a peace came. No more violence or voices. The young woman was totally still. She was taken home where she rested. Returning the next day to pray with and encourage her further, the group found her whole, in sound mind and totally free. She has remained so.

News quickly spread that there is hope and healing in Jesus Christ. In December of 2009, this same little church that prayed celebrated the baptisms of 54 new believers as they made their faith public, and James is regularly invited to come and share in locations all over Maasai-land. Hope travels fast ☺

James’ standing in the community has always been strong. His character speaks even when he is quiet. Yet since the healing of the diviner’s daughter, there is even more opportunity for James to make a lasting difference among his people. Continually asked to serve on local and regional boards and committees, James is sought out for his wisdom and influence. Transformation on many levels, from educational to agricultural, is happening in his community and we know the way has been opened by the power of the Spirit partnering with this humble man.

It’s our privilege to assist our long-time friend, James, in every way we can to see lasting hope and transformation in Maasai-land. What a joy to walk beside this quiet man who simply wants to see his people find every kind of freedom.

Dinner at Tom and Steve's!

2010-02-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

Hello all! This is Tom, writing on behalf of the Wild Hope team. Steve and I are the new, or not so new, interns who arrived last October and we're excited about growing with the team until our departure on the 29th of July 2010. Our focus is mainly with the Nyota Football and Leadership Academy, but we also get the opportunity to experience most of Wild Hope's facets. Its a real treat! : )

Recently, we decided to host what we dubbed a "Love Feast" for a few of our soccer academy members. There are currently about 100 young men participating in this sports program based in the slums of our city. The dinner was planned to be a time when some of the guys would be invited into our home as a free space to simply live together for an evening; no stress, no pressure, just the freedom to be open and be loved on. Steve and I invited them to the food we cooked, and we also encouraged the freedom to discuss life, particularly life with Christ. The mood we sought was community growth--the power in which we sought to bring it was the Holy Spirit's.

To say the least, Steve and I felt like it was a huge success in every aspect, except maybe the quality of food! I am not the best cook :-) As massive amounts of food were consumed, laughter filled the air and smiles were shot across our circular sitting formation. When our bellies were filled, we began to digest conversation on several topics: money, church, and prayer. It was such a blessing to see these young men who are often faced with a legalistic, polarizing version of Christianity (where it is commonly taught that your sole expression of faith is seen inside a Church building on Sundays) break open into the honest yet challenging ground of grace. Freedom of speech amongst the youth is not commonly received well in their community, so imagination and honest response is often stifled. But that evening, they dialogued back and forth, sharing opinions, and their struggles about Church, prayer, and their faith.

One of the most shocking, and heartbreaking moments that night for me was when one boy turned to me and said, "What about money? It can get you everything." It was hard for me to say to my friend, who struggles in poverty every day, while we sat on my lush, well-kept grass, "Money isn't everything. It can't buy you happiness. It can't buy you love."

Throughout the course of the evening we transitioned from conversation and spontaneous scripture reading (as we tested things together or struggled to make a point) into soccer and guitar playing. I think God might of had this life together in mind when he sent his Son... and when he sent Steve and I to Africa to join Wild Hope. Blessings!

We Celebrate!

2010-01-06T04:51:00.000-08:00

It's so good to stop and celebrate!

We threw a "Staff Appreciation, Christmas and Goodbye Danny" party not long ago :-)

New Wild Hope shirts were a hit :-)

Lovely Faith, our bookkeeper.

Some of the men took over the roasting of the goat.

Josephine and Lillian enjoy the stories.

Thanks, Danny, for all your help with everything! (And, yes, we'll get you another FANTA right away!)

Not long after our staff party, the Nyota Football and Leadership Academy took time to celebrate a good year together.

Future soccer stars?

Cool enough to be a star already!

The younger kids cheer the year.

Peter gives an overview and look ahead chat.

Chase helps give out awards.

Steve with Oscar and Mama Oscar. Steve lived with this Nyota family during his 6 week home stay.

All the festivities reminded us that we have so much to be thankful for!

A Motorcycle for James!

2009-12-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

What a great pleasure it was for Wild Hope to be able to partner with Reality church in Carpinteria and the Russell kids to provide much needed transport for our great friend, James Ole Kukan.

James is one of those golden people, a man of integrity who has lived his values with grace and consistency over all the years that we have known him. It is our great privilege to have him on our board of trustees here in Tanzania. His spiritual oversight of our Artisan Project participants is invaluable.

Caring for the needs of multiple congregations over many miles out in Maasai, James has a whole new freedom to get to these far flung places now that he has these snappy wheels.

Of the many things we appreciate about James, his wisdom and insight into how best to bring appropriate, effective, lasting assistance to Maasai communities is one that we call on again and again. James is a gift to Wild Hope and to his people. We love that we get to be a part of providing this gift for him.

Have You Seen our 5 Minute Video? Enjoy!

2009-11-18T22:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a video we've used to provide visuals to the stories Wild Hope is part of here in Tanzania. We are privileged to serve in these ways. Enjoy!

Wild Hope 2009 from Trevor Byron Borden on Vimeo.

Real Talk About HIV/AIDS

2009-10-31T01:59:00.000-07:00

(Photo: Students attending our Health and HIV/AIDS class.)

"Why are Tanzanians dead because of HIV/AIDS? Why are Americans not dead because of HIV/AIDS? Why?"

The questions left by students in the question box last week were nothing if not frank.

HIV awareness campaigns are not new to the gritty urban settlements of Africa. What is less common in these communities is an environment of freedom where every question can be asked. But can this subject of HIV/AIDS, taboo even after years of education, really be dealt with candidly?

Enter: a little team of folks from Trinity Presbyterian, Santa Ana, California, and a little team of Wild Hope staff here in Tanzania.

Now, give them five days with forty high school aged young people and let the learning begin!

To our great delight, the team from Trinity stepped up to the challenge with grace and boldness. The forty Tanzanian students who attended Wild Hope's Leadership Academy module, Health and HIV, were truly blessed.

Every evening, the questions/comments box was filled with slips of paper--

"What can I do when I know I have HIV/AIDS?"

"Most of the bosses they want sex with girls to give the job and the girls say yes because they don't have job, nothing to eat, so they agree."

"I know 20 people who have died from HIV."

Preparations each evening were sobering, yet God was faithful to grant wisdom and insight. By the end of the week, the comments reflected the thankfulness students felt for what they had learned and the environment in which they had been led.

Seasoned teachers from a local school affirmed that the permission to speak openly was a big step forward for all of them. The students already know, first hand, what HIV/AIDS is. Yet for many of them, this was the clearest information they had received on cause and prevention, not to mention the myriad of related issues that surround the disease.

This is the beauty of bridging cultures-- we can take each other to new places and be changed for the better as we journey together.

Our visitors from California might not be able to quantify exactly how their experience with forty kids in a severely challenged neighborhood within Arusha changed their lives. They'll just know that it truly did. The young Tanzanians who attended won't forget what they heard in honesty and freedom regarding topics of grave importance. From practical health tips to matters of hope and faith, they've been impacted and inspired.

And we are the lucky ones! What a joy it is to bring our friends from opposite corners of the globe together. What a pleasure it is for us to play matchmaker :-)

(Photo: Ashley Sparks of Trinity with one of the students.)

Sharing a Link...

2009-10-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

Read Lisa's blog entry, "Watching Africa Blow Away" at her BLOG

Reflections on Summer: What Others are Saying :-)

2009-09-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Joel Phillips)

We just wanted to share a couple of lovely comments we’ve received from students who participated in our summer adventures.

Liz Thaete, a recent graduate of Westmont College, says:

“I went into my trip to Africa knowing that it would be a series of unbelievable experiences, including teaching and playing with Maasai children, hiking along beautiful waterfalls, and getting up close to amazing animals.

What I didn't expect is what truly made the trip so rich, and is what I remember most fondly: the community that was built amongst everyone in the group, that emerged in the simple times of sitting around the fire or sharing tea on the front porch. I can't imagine a better opportunity than getting to go on a wild adventure that will stretch you, getting to do that alongside people who are your brothers and sisters in Christ, and being led by an amazing family who calls the area their home and knows how to make the most of the time spent adventuring.

I absolutely loved it and can't wait until I end up returning for a second visit....”

Sara Humes, beginning her second year at Westmont now, writes:

“The Safari With a Purpose was a wonderful, creative way of immersing us, in every aspect, in local culture. I loved working with the children and unconditionally loving on them. Teaching and interacting with them sparked my interest of teaching English and helping cultures that might not receive the essentials that they need. I liked that we were able to help with local villages in even the smallest ways, while still seeing the countryside and going on exciting adventures.

The pace of the trip was also very steady and was not too tiring. Every day brought new adventures, even when we relaxed in Arusha or at the campsite. I also loved talking to people and praying with others. I felt truly at peace with myself and joyful many times throughout the trip. I felt that our group grew very close while we were there and it was nice to relax and have time to reflect on the trip. Now that I have had a taste of Africa, I have a hunger for the place and am very confident that I will be returning in the near future.”

As for us, we loved having these amazing folks with us. Every blessing on each of them as they get back in to life on the other side of the pond ☺

Safari with a Purpose

2009-07-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

Our second team of the summer is off and away on their safari of service and adventure!

This particular team has been brought together by Jesse and Trevor and they are leading the crew of college friends. While this is their initiative, we can't help but be pretty involved. There's too much work in the preparation and too much fun in the journey for just 2 Borden Boys :-) And having older, (read "More years in Africa,") folks around is never a bad thing.

What a blessing it is for us to host people as they experience Tanzania. How awesome that we get to be a part of their service and growth. We love to see hearts and minds opened by God as friends engage new cultures, new landscapes, new issues, new joys and new relationships. Culture, the environment, hunger, justice, service, poverty, wealth, wildlife, responsibility, faith, values and fears are all things that a trip like this brings up in the hearts of the participants. Conversations around the campfire are good.

Challenges are always a part of it as well. This photo was taken on Saturday before the early Monday departure...

But they pulled out on time this morning, big grins on all their faces.

May this be a beautiful time for each one. May they be a blessing where they serve and may there be lasting benefit in each of their lives as well.

We Harvest the Beans :-)

2009-07-21T03:41:00.000-07:00

The April/May rains failed in parts of Kenya and Tanzania, leaving many of our friends struggling as the dust blows where grass should be growing for their weakening herds.

With this reality close to us, we don't take for granted the rains that we received on Wild Hope's acreage outside of Arusha. For whatever reason, this general area was blessed with quite a decent rainy season and we have been harvesting the first fruits off of the land.

What a precious thing to be involved in the rhythm of the earth as dry ground softens under the rain, nourishing the hidden seeds and encouraging them to sprout and grow. What a lot of fun to watch the plants mature and produce and then to finally bring in a harvest.

Our bean production (grown amongst the maize and replenishing what maize depletes) wasn't on a very large scale but we're pleased with it none-the-less. We celebrated the good gifts of our Creator as we enjoyed our first meal with home-grown beans in our burritos.

This is a beginning for us. We look forward to years of multiple types of harvests grown in sustainable, environmentally responsible ways. With hunger and the degradation of the land being ongoing concerns in sub-Saharan Africa, we hope to work together with our neighbors to see these issues decrease.

We sure wish you could stop by for a plate of beans and rice with us :-)

Bundles (and Bundles!) of Beads

2009-07-01T04:59:00.000-07:00

Every month bundles of beaded products are brought in to the Wild Hope team here in Arusha. But Wild Hope's artisan-made products begin to take shape miles and miles and miles from where they end up on display. Carefully threaded onto the stiff wire and bent by the strong, skilled hands of our Maasai friends, the products first take shape in the remote villages where our friends live.

From the village, the product is loaded onto the backs of donkeys and walked for half a day to connect with a friend who has a Land Rover. The Land Rover delivers the product along dirt trails to the closest "public transport vehicle" which travels along the paved road to Arusha. It can be a 2 day process just to bring the product in to town.

Each month, Peter Ole Kukan and 2 or 3 of the Artisan women deliver the wares to Tammy, Grace and Philemon. Together, they now begin the 3 day process of sorting, counting, scrutinizing for quality control, paying, making new orders, assisting the women as they supply with new stock, and sending the little party of Maasai friends back out. When the delegation gets home, the process begins again with 80+ women launching into the work to fill the new orders.

The lovely ornaments and decorations move along to buyers. Some of them end up in high end tourist shops in our town. Some of them end up in Europe, New Zealand, Australia and the U.S. All of them provide a fair trade for traditional artisans who would not necessarily find employment otherwise.

We love the story of how the product gets from village to town. Even more, we love the stories of families provided for by the faithful work of these skilled women. Proceeds go back into the project, building communities in far away places.

Dreaming Bigger :-)

2009-05-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

The Nyota Football Academy is dreaming bigger dreams. Why stop with just over 100 young men being coached in soccer AND life skills? Why not press out, expand boundaries around our ideas and reach for the stars?

Our stated purpose is to transform a community through sports-based character development and life-skills training. And that's been off to a great start. We believe that Whole Life Coaching can train Africa's next generation to be leaders of influence on a community and a national level. We want to see these young men live up to the name Nyota, ("star" in Swahili) and be just that on the field and, even more importantly, in life.

In order to implement the dream, we have qualified coaches teaching skill and strategy to our U-10, U-12, U-14 and U-16 teams. Along with the soccer skills, we provide after school training modules to insure that these young athletes have what they need to reach for all of their potential. The foundation of education is still not strong enough in Africa so we're also keeping kids in school with our scholarship program. The Nyota Scholarship Fund helps current students on track and gives assistance to those who are looking for further training after graduating.

But why stop here?

The Nyota guys and all of us at Wild Hope are excited about our friendship with the well-experienced leadership of MYSA in Kenya. As we've invited them down to get to know us, they are calling up bigger dreams in all of us. We'll be talking much more about this as plans get under way but here's a little taste of the ways our dreams are taking shape...

Let's build a real football pitch (soccer field) with level ground and drainage!
Let's start this September with 30 boys teams and 5 girls teams!
Let's get more intentional about HIV awareness training!
Let's up the ante on community service and get all the kids involved!
Let's have 50 boys teams and 10 girls teams by 2010!

We're excited :-)

If you want to know more, please write us at team@wildhopeinternational.org

A Delightful Light... A Kind Gift... A Changed Life

2009-04-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the biggest blessing for our recent visitor, Tehur, was the relationship she developed with Josephine and Eva. Jo and Eva are the ladies who produce all that lovely dry fruit in our kitchen. Earlier posts will have told you about how they are generating income through this small business venture. We are delighted for them!

Though Tehur doesn't speak Swahili and the ladies don't speak English, the 3 of them just hit it off across the language divide. Tehur was touched by the joy apparent in their lives, despite dramatically challenging circumstances. Their lives were one of the ways that God spoke to Te while she was with us.

As Tehur's time came to a close, she felt led to give a gift of a hundred dollars to Wild Hope. She could feel in her gut that this gift was hers to give, even though she knew she was returning to no job in Portugal and this literally was the last of her cash. We didn't say anything either way, knowing that sometimes people need to follow the promptings that God gives them, but also knowing that people need to weigh emotions against good sense.

A few short days before Tehur's departure, she arrived in Byron's office with her gift. "I really want to give this," she said.

Then Byron had a thought. Why not take this gift and get something really useful, a true blessing, for Josephine and Eva? They had been such a light to Tehur... How could she bless them?

Enter the D.Light. This wonderful little solar light was developed by a former Peace Corps volunteer who saw how dangerous, expensive and un-green kerosene lanterns are. With its own little solar panel to charge it up, this light has 3 brightness settings and can run for 20-200 hours, depending on which setting you use. It also has a little jack that can used to charge up a cell phone. How cool is that?

The ladies were overjoyed. They literally laughed and danced around with their neat new solar lanterns.

We love these little lights! They are safe and clean and efficient and cool :-) We're hoping to promote them in Tanzania through sales and strategic donations to raise awareness and profile these money-saving sources of light.

And PS 24 hours after Tehur and Byron decided on the lights, Te found out she had a job waiting for her back home in Portugal. A stretch of faith and a kind gift gave Tehur an experience of God's faithfulness.

Win! Win! Win!

Baby Steps toward a Better Earth

2009-03-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

In his helpful book, Serve God-Save the Planet, J. Matthew Sleeth makes the following comment:

"God's beautiful earth will not be saved by words or good intentions. It will be saved by humble, anonymous acts like turning off the lights..."

At Wild Hope, we’re taking steps in our attempts toward better stewardship of the earth. While we can’t stop the terrible environmental degradation going on in all corners of the globe, we can begin by taking baby steps of our own that lead to better Creation care.

In our household, some of our baby steps include the following...

We’ve changed several highly used light bulbs for energy saving ones. We plan to change more.

We turn off lights. If we’re going to be out of the room for more than 60 seconds, we hit the switch on our way out. We don’t light up rooms we aren’t in.

We turn off fans in the morning, and often turn the fans to a lower setting once the kids are asleep in their rooms at night.

We often do one load of laundry at night because there is less machinery running in these hours while businesses are closed and this reduces drain on the system.

We don’t have a dryer but hang our clothes in the African sun.

We’ve stopped buying liquid hand soap because we can’t justify all those plastic bottles any more. We’re back to old fashioned bar soap at our sinks ☺

We’ve stopped flushing the toilet every single time it is used. Closing the lid, we save all those liters of water for flushing after the second or third time.

We encourage our visitors to bring their own water bottles when they come to Africa and we fill them from our filters because we don’t want to add more plastic to the environment.

We carry our own bags to the shops and the market.

We reduce our meat consumption because we know that it takes more resources to raise meat than it does to raise vegetables, grain and legumes.

None of these things that we’ve listed require huge transition or dramatic lifestlye changes from us. They are not particularly impressive or noteworthy. They are baby steps and they remind us that we have a part to play in healing the earth. Romans 8 says that Creation is groaning and waiting for the sons of men. We are just taking steps to ease her pain.

How about you? What has your family found that you can do together to care for this wonderful world we share?

Caring for the Lovely Land

2009-02-20T00:27:00.000-08:00

Out on our Wild Hope land, large areas have been plowed improperly in the past. A big rant about the damage done all over Africa by poor plowing practices won't help here and the question remains as to why small farm owners plow up and down the slope? Don't they know that the topsoil is being stripped off their farms? Don't they realize it is eroded by wind and water, poured into the streams and eventually dumped into the ocean where it kills the coral reef and puts all other marine life at risk?

Possibly there is no concern for marine life so far away. Few local inland farmers would have had resources available to travel to the coast and be impressed by the warm Indian Ocean. Understandably then, there may be little regard for her, but aren't they driven sufficiently by their own desire for successful farming to keep their topsoil?

But it's just not always as simply as that.

Plowing properly requires that you move horizontally across hilly areas instead of creating furrows that run straight down. And while this seems obvious, the actual size and shape of your farm plays a big role in whether this is an easy task to accomplish. To plow along the contour and not up and down may seem like a simple task. But if your farm, like all your neighbors' farms, is a skinny strip of land that was divided out for you by family, it's quite possible that your skinny strip is short on horizontal and long on sloping hill.

To plow properly you will have to manuever the tractor in tight turns that are difficult to accomplish while pulling a plow. It's so difficult that the whole idea starts to feel way too complicated to be worth it.

"Topsoil shmopsoil. Reef? What's that? My kids need maize and beans NOW."

This weekend, Wild Hope is taking a few friends to a seminar that teaches biblical care for the earth as applied to farming. God's heart for the earth is big and passionate and we are thankful that we can begin planting the seeds of that heart among some of our friends here.

We're also thankful that we can be a blessing to the Wild Hope property.

Last week, Byron sat on a tractor with a local neighbor and corrected past damage that was done through improper plowing of land on the land we now oversee. He just didn't want to watch another rainy season come and channel any more of the topsoil away. So Byron and our Tanzanian neighbor worked together to re-shape the land, restoring her natural lines as best they could.

They were pretty satisfied with the result.

And here's a little secret: when the job was done and the land was returned to her naturally protective shape, Byron says he thinks he heard the earth that he was standing on let out a soft sigh of relief.

It's just a small start, but it feels good to bless the very ground of Africa.

Sometimes it's the Little Things

2009-02-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

Eva is one of the lovely ladies in our fruit drying project. We've told you about her before. She's the one with 2 young children and husband who walked out on them.

Eva is a pleasant presence in our house as she carries in baskets of heavy mangos, bananas or pineapples. She washes, slices, dries, packages and sells fruit with the energy and commitment of a mom who knows she's making a big difference in the way the future will play out for those 2 little ones she loves so much. Eva also makes us laugh, which is a nice plus since we share kitchen space at this point in the project's life.

At Christmas we decided that Eva needed a simple mobile phone. For work, you know? Also, for life outside of work. The project could afford to buy her one so we bought one and then started her off with the gift of a phone card to get her going with minutes.

Eva's parents live far from our town. I'm not exactly sure how she did it but Eva got a number for a neighbor at home who had a phone and arranged to call her Mother and Father on Christmas Day.

It was the first time Eva had spoken to her parents in over 5 years.

I almost fell over when I heard that.

Byron asked her if she cried.

She smiled really big, nodded her head, and said, "Yes."

A $35 mobile phone and a little bit of credit? That's all it took to be a blessing? This tiny gift made the most precious difference to Eva.

Sometimes it's the little things.

Little Rays of Hope

2009-01-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

Mr. Ndetu is our night guard. I like him a whole lot.

I like him a whole lot and wish, for his sake, that he had a better job than guarding our house at night.

That's how security works in many parts of Africa. There is no 911 or 999 to call and security is the responsibility of the private citizen. We hire Mr. Ndetu. He arrives on his bicycle to our house at about 5:30 p.m. and he leaves again next morning some time between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m.

During the hours between, he hangs out. He visits with Byron if Byron is puttering in the veggie garden or in the work-shop. He helps us feed the dogs and rabbits and is generally a pleasant, if very subtle, presence. He brings his pack dinner and every night, before I go to bed, I make him a thermos of chai. I'm sure he dozes off from time to time. He also tells the dogs to stop harassing hedgehogs.

Ndetu takes his work seriously. When Byron and the kids were away and I was home alone, I got a bad flu that knocked me out. He knew I was sick and so he didn't leave in the morning till he saw that I was up, even though that was about 3 hours later than when he would have normally headed for home. "Just wanted to know that you were alright," he told me.

Ndetu's daughter just passed her exams and has been admitted to secondary school. Surprised, he went to see her teachers. A pass is, truly, no small accomplishment and her teachers shocked him further with the news that she passed easily. She's a strong student. He just didn't know it.

Secondary school will cost him. There are all manner of hidden fees that seem small to us, but are overwhelming to a family like Ndetu's.

Byron asked Ndetu if he wanted this for his daughter. We know that Ndetu's own father had not sent him to school because someone needed to herd the cattle. He has told Byron that, sadly, herding didn't take him very far in life. The cows are gone now and here he is, staying up all night to make a living.

"I'm a good worker, " he said.

"People like me. I could have a much better job in life if I could read and write. Yes, I want this for her."

Together, they worked out a way to make it happen.

"You're giving your daughter what your father couldn't give you," Byron told him.

"You're a good dad."

So much struggle in Africa.

One young girl I know is taking a step forward.

Little rays of hope for tomorrow.

-lisa

Advent in Africa

2008-12-04T00:29:00.000-08:00

Wednesday mornings are precious to our team as we pray and share life. Recently, we were talking about how challenging it is to quiet our spirits and allow Christmas to permeate our busy worlds.

We’re pretty sure that all of you are just as busy as the four of us and you might be finding this internal preparation for celebration difficult as well.

Mulling this over as I drove home from the shops, the answer came in the words of one of my favorite hymns—an advent hymn, no less.

“Come, though long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free!
From our sins and fears release us, let us find our rest in thee.”

It’s an invitation, isn’t it? And an expectation.

Jesus, come. We long for you. We expect you. We rest in you.

As we move toward Christmas, we wish you blessings of His close company as you celebrate this season.

Dry Fruit Goodness

2008-11-26T04:07:00.000-08:00

A couple of posts ago we mentioned Wild Hope's new income-generating project for women.

Safari Snacks is the new initiative that employs 2 local women in need. The ladies are busy drying fresh local fruit (mango, banana and pineapple) and selling it in our neighborhood grocery store. It’s a very popular product with tourists and locals alike and, at this point, we can't always keep up with the demand. We are being approached to expand and grow this project into a larger industry.

We would love for you to be praying for this project. We need wisdom as to HOW and WHEN to expand so as to benefit more women through training and employment. We need wisdom regarding our role-- when we stay with something and when we let it become its own thing alongside of Wild Hope. We want to see the project include some level of spiritual nourishment as the number of involved women grows. We already know that these 2 lovely ladies share their hearts and lives and encouragement with each other as they work and laugh and pray together.

We are so pleased to be a practical help to women in need. Thanks for your prayers.

Ibrahim Speaks Up

2008-10-21T05:14:00.001-07:00

Liz Roddy (bottom right of photo), shared with us one of the highlights of her time here with the Christian Assembly team that helped us launch our on-going English classes with the young men in our football/soccer club.

Above, she and some of the others on the team are seen with the trainers they trained to carry the classes on. Below, you'll find her highlight story. Enjoy!

"We started the English club on a Monday and some of the students were very timid and afraid to speak up in front of the class. A lot of them had not had much opportunity to practice their speaking, so I think they were a little intimidated. One of the boys, Ibrahim, was particularly shy. He had a hard time understanding, and whenever we would ask him a question, we could barely hear his response...everything came out as a whisper.

Then on Thursday, our second to last day of class, we were teaching about "CAN and CAN'T." The boys had to do an activity where they walked around the clubhouse and asked each other what they can and can't do. They were to write their classmates answers down, so they could share with the class. Then, as we went around asking each person to share, we slowly made our way around to Ibrahim.

We were expecting another quiet response, when all of a sudden, Ibrahim, shouted in a loud, clear voice,

"I talked to David, and he can play football, but he can't swim."

We were shocked! And so was everyone else. All the other boys began applauding for him; they knew this was a big moment for Ibrahim. We gave him a prize for a job well done.

When Ibrahim spoke up, my heart was overjoyed. I could feel God in that moment, I knew English club was making a difference and that it would mean a long term change for these kids. I was so excited because of how much Ibrahim and the other boys had improved over just 4 days. Think of what we could have done in a month!"

Great Teachers/Eager Learners

2008-10-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

Our first 10 week session of English Club is under way in the tiny little club house of our Nyota Football Club!

The wonderful team from Christian Assembly (who were with us at the end of August) poured their hearts into a full week of classes that included the training of trainers to take the English lessons on.

Wow! You've never seen such eager learners :-) Those Nyota guys hardly let us pause after the team left before they were insisting that they were ready to get the 10 weeks of follow-on classes under way.

We really could not have gotten this lasting effort off the ground without the preparation, training and materials that our friends from Christian Assembly brought with them. Thank you, CA!!

Team member, Christine Kim, reflected on the photo above, which she took when she arrived to teach one morning.

"When I arrived on the second day of English Club, I saw our students sitting on the grass reviewing and studying their books. It was such a blessing to see their eagerness to learn and acquire English. I remember sharing with the team that in all my years of teaching, I have never seen kids treasure education and the opportunity to learn so much. It gave me excitement each day to teach."

The team filled our 40 students with encouragement and the excitement to learn. Their impact carries on as these young men, aged from about 8-18, continue to come in with a hunger to improve their language skills.

Visiting Team

2008-08-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

We have a wonderful team from Christian Assembly in LA visiting with us right now. They are here to work hard during their 2 week stay and we're excited about the ESL type training they'll be doing so that English Club can carry on even when we don't have volunteers around.

If you're interested in what types of adventures they're up to while here, check out their
BLOG

We're thankful for their great hearts and willing hands :-)

Endless Thanks

2008-08-02T03:27:00.000-07:00

Recent news said that 22,000 state employees in California are to be laid off. Another 200,000 are to have their salaries reduced. Pretty sobering news and we know it reflects the challenging times so many of our friends all over the globe are facing.

In these days of financial uncertainty, we want you to know how much we appreciate the gifts of support that keep Wild Hope in operation. We don't take it for granted that people partner with us in these efforts here and we count each and every gift as a blessing.

Our 2 families, the Russells and the Bordens, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

75 Maasai women and their families thank you for the opportunity they have to participate in a fair trade project that provides so much for them.

The ladies of our new venture, the dry fruit project, thank you. Eva's husband left her with 2 kids and nothing besides. She was holding down a full time job to pay for rent and groceries and everything else--but it only paid $25 a month. It's no wonder she sings hymns while she slices fruit as she earns her first decent paycheck.

The young men on our soccer team thank you. As they help host the teams visiting from other countries for the tournament during August, they are thankful that Wild Hope was able to sponsor this event. As they look forward to the skill enhancing English Club coming their way later this month, they are thankful that Wild Hope wants to see them grow in all areas of life.

Mr. Edward, who just finished paying off his first micro-loan (never missing a payment!) thanks you for the chance to open a little shop that supplements his meager income at the wonderful children's center where he teaches. He is excited to have a new, larger loan out now to expand his business.

There are other stories too. Lives have been impacted by the redeeming and persistent love of God and, as a team, we get to watch all of this in awe.

So thank you, thank you, thank you.

We appreciate you.

(We really do!)

Wild Hope and Wild Romance (!)

2008-07-07T00:54:00.000-07:00

This post is just to celebrate LOVE :-)

We mentioned last time that the Russells and Bordens would be making a quick trip to Zanzibar to share in the wedding of Jeremy Stephenson and Kendra Woods.

It was such a nice celebration and we wanted to say how honored our team felt to play a special role in their lives. Peter has really enjoyed his mentoring relationship with Jeremy and he did a wonderful job officiating the ceremony. Byron and Lisa enjoyed the many dates they had with J&K in the months leading up to the wedding. It was fun to share in their journey of growth as they prepared to join their lives. Tammy assisted with many wedding details that day, and made sure the ladies entered to the processional at just the right time. It was all so beautiful!

Congratulations, Jeremy and Kendra! We love you!

(Heather Borden and Sianna Russell with the lovely bride.)

Summer Days

2008-06-19T20:51:00.001-07:00

Well, it's summer in other parts of the world but it's our cold time here in Tanzania. Still, we can't help but refer to June, July and August as "summer."

So what's up these days for the Wild Hope family?

Val James arrived in early May and has earned the name Val the Valiant Visitor. She is volunteering with us for the "summer" and has proven to be a hard-working, multi-talented relief person for our over-worked Tammy Russell. Val's particular passion is kids and she has stepped in to cover the end of the home school year for the Russell twins and provide a lot of neat extra activities from kick-boxing to sewing class for the twins plus Heather Borden. Taking this major work-load off of Tammy for the final six weeks of the school year freed Tammy to concentrate on many other growing projects.

The development of Wild Hope's property has begun. It may not sound like a lot but we have started the process of fencing the acreage and we're excited to see little trees making a start now that they are protected from goats and cows.

We have a lot of visitors coming and going. Making guest beds and welcoming people into our homes is a weekly thing right now. We are currently 10 at the table in the Borden house and it's fun, (if a little loud and messy.)

We're working to expand the Artisan Project and this means experimenting with new products and doing test runs with new women. It's a pleasure to see traditional Maasai art done so beautifully as we look at ideas for new product lines.

The friendship and support between local pastors in the Matale area of Maasai north of Arusha has been neat to see developing. Peter and some of his close Maasai friends have been instrumental in encouraging this gathering for growth and mutual encouragement.

On the family front our kids are happy that the school year is over and we are all pumped for Skyler Russell who has done a good job on his SAT and is now beginning that whole college application stage of life. The Borden and Russell boys (and Jonny Pollard) are leaving today on a long trek to cover some major ground along the Kenya/Tanzania border. We expect them home on the 4th of July. Those of us who remain behind are preparing for a quick trip to Zanzibar (how fun is that??) to share in the wedding ceremony of Kendra Woods and Jeremy Stephenson. The Woods were our teammates during our years in Kenya and the Stephensons have been good friends to Wild Hope in these first few years here. We delighted to share in this special time.

As I look at these weeks we're in, I'm struck that while we might be piling on the jackets and cranking up the fires, our summer is probably still pretty similar to yours. We have friends and visitors and work and play and days out of school and weddings and trips and barbeques and camp-outs, (though you may not be expecting elephants around your camp!)

Fullness and joy seem to be the order of the day :-)

(Photo by Jesse Borden)

Artisans Make Designs on Christmas

2008-05-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

The artisans of our Wild Hope Artisan Project have been working hard on new products to release for Christmas 2008. Gathering for a design seminar is always a great event. Some of the women travel for 2 days just to get to Arusha! During our recent days together, the artisan leaders worked with Tammy Russell and Byron Borden to perfect new ideas. It was 3 days of beads, beads and more beads, not to mention inspiration, fun and friendship.

There are now 65+ Maasai women earning a fair trade through our project. It is always wonderful to hear the stories of the difference their income is making for their children, extended families and the communities they live in.

The photographs below capture some of the collaborative effort of the Artisan team.

Tournament Joys

2008-03-28T02:27:00.000-07:00

At a recent small tournament, Wild Hope's Nyota FC took first place for both the U17 and U12 teams. We were very proud of them! The photo above shows the U12 team (in blue) waiting to collect their trophy :-)

The longer we know these young men, the more we learn about their lives. The more we learn about their lives, the more we want to see them succeed in both football AND life. Their community is a challenging place in which to find joy and hope, but we know it's not impossible.

Please join us in prayers of blessings for these guys, and for our efforts to do increasingly more than sports alone for them.

The crowd of impressionable young ones looks on.

The goals we made for the pitch come apart and get carried home so that they don't get stolen.

The team enjoys a little post-game chat.

Let's Do Lunch (AKA We Have the Neighbors In)

2008-03-11T03:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday the 8th of March was a fun day for the team at Wild Hope. With no kitchen or permanent structure of any kind out at the new property, we managed to throw a lunch party and serve about 150 neighbors a big, hot meal of pilau rice and stew. We took the opportunity to buy a nice fat ox and make it into the main dish.

Under the shade of our tented pavilion, we told the neighbors how happy we were to be among them and we shared a little about who we are and what we do. Later, when a heavy afternoon shower broke over our heads, we squeezed together under the tented roof and danced and sang.

It was a lovely day, made extra special by the fact that Peter's sister, Alice, and her husband, Mark, were with us from the U.S.

We could not have pulled it off without Philemon and his crew of willing and able volunteers. They gathered all the utensils we needed and did the cooking over open fire pits on site. It was tremendous.

Celebrate with us the joy of building relationship with our new neighbors!

Proud Graduates :-)

2008-03-04T07:06:00.001-08:00

Education is such a luxury! In developed nations we hardly ever realize the privilege it is to have easy access to learning.

The team here at Wild Hope is extra proud of our adult-learners who have been gathering faithfully to study in Torosei, Kenya. In the photo above you see the 7 recent graduates of the first phase certificate level of the International School of Ministry. These men, leaders in local churches, have worked hard because they know how important it is to be trained in solid foundations if they are going to encourage others in their growing faith.

To set the scene, imagine that you live hours from a power line, a paved road, a bookstore or a library. Imagine that donkeys had to carry large solar batteries out to your location in order to get the one solar powered VCR and television set in the area up and running so that you could watch classes taught in your 3rd language, English. Imagine that the motivation to learn, to keep up with the reading and to take the tests, was to know that you were better prepared to serve others in your remote church community.

Completing 19 trimester-long classes to earn their certificates, these men deserve to be very proud of their accomplishment. Throughout this season they have studied a wide variety of topics from surveys of the Old and New Testaments to the integrity of a leader. Drawing together to encourage each other took on a whole new level of meaning in this small group. When one classmate did not pass the final exam of the final course, the guys agreed to all repeat the course together to help ensure that this colleague finishes successfully. Now that’s school spirit!

At Wild Hope, we believe in the development of local leaders and that takes many forms. Our thanks to Christian Assembly in Eagle Rock, California, for the financial gift that secured this college level course as well as the DVD player and television set. Thanks, also, to Jeff James for accompanying Peter Russell on a wild motorcycle trip out to Torosei to get the solar power up and running again.

As the fruit of this course is felt throughout the network of churches in that region and 10 new students sign up to take the course, we are blessed to be able to facilitate training and maturation among indigenous leaders.

Photo: Peter and Tammy Russell with the graduates on location at Torosei where the Russells lived for many years during the 90’s.

"The Rain in Spain Stays Mainly in the Plain" OR English Lessons in Sokon

2008-02-17T01:21:00.000-08:00

One of the beautiful things about Tanzania is that they have honored their own heritage and valued the local language, Swahili. This has been a blessing in many ways.

Simultaneously, one of the greatest needs in Tanzania is for children to learn English as well. With most of the wide world of the web being in English, this generation cannot afford to miss out on all the vast learning resources that the web provides.

One of the things that the Diamond Canyon team did while they were here with us was to engage the kids in Sokon in morning sessions of what we called "English Club." Those mornings were so appreciated! Kids have a wonderful capability to learn language and we were delighted that they responded so positively to the invitation to learn. Many of the kids stayed on into the afternoon to hear more from the team about their lives and faith and a great time was had by all :-)

Serah's Story (A Chance to Respond to Kenya)

2008-02-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

"Pray for us," the text message on my phone read. "My parents and my husband's parents have lost everything and we are hosting many family members who have become refugees overnight."

I sat staring at the tiny screen on my phone trying to comprehend what was going on in Kenya. The message had come in just days after December's disputed election results were announced and the news we had been reading on the internet was not good. Breaking down along tribal/political lines, the country had pockets of shocking violence springing up which would eventually take at least 850 lives in the ensuing weeks.

My mind raced back over the years. Byron and I arrived in Kenya in 1984. (Yes, we were very young.) We spent most of that initial 2 year commitment to Kenya in the lovely little town of Nakuru where we worked with a group of high school students who were hungry to grow closer to God. One of the students that I was closest to was Serah Njeri.

When the students were on leave from the boarding school in town, Byron and I would pack up our blue Landrover and travel out to different areas of the country so that we could visit some of them in their rural homes. We stayed in their villages and experienced the hospitality of many different cultures within the culture of Kenya. What I remember so clearly about Serah's home village was the happy relationship she had with the neighbors who all shared a forested highland area of fertile land.

Ten years later, in 1994, the tension at election time took a serious toll on Serah's community. We got the shocking news that her family home had been burnt down and Serah's relatives were left with nothing.

Oddly, this loss came shortly after our own home had burnt to the ground. Generous friends in the U.S. helped us rebuild quite quickly. We also had a small (in U.S. terms) insurance payment that we received from the company through which our organization had insured our far away home. My memory is that it was a couple of thousand dollars, meant to help replace personal items, not to cover the cost of a new building.

We saw the insurance as a gift that we could share. Because of the quick generosity of donors in the U.S. we already had what we needed to build again in Loita. Blessed with the insurance money that came after we were already in the re-building process, we saw Serah's family as a perfect place to pay it forward. Our Kenyan insurance went to their re-build and all of us were blessed.

We didn't see much of Serah over the years and we eventually left East Africa. In the fall of 2007, still quite newly back to Africa, I got an email asking if this was the correct email address for Byron and Lisa who used to live in Nakuru. Serah had found us and we were so happy to re-connect.

Serah and I passed sporadic email or text notes. I was concerned when things began to fall apart after Kenya's elections because I knew that her family came from one of the main ethnic groups that was targeted by angry demonstrators.

Soon we heard about her parents and husband's parents losing their homes (again to fire) and being chased out of their long-time communities. I tried to imagine how Serah, a teacher of teachers, and her pastor husband were managing to care for the extended family that was in so much need. But I never expected to hear the news we got next.

A couple of weeks ago I heard my phone go off at 6am. Squinting with my blurry morning eyes at the message, I tried to wrap my mind around what Serah was saying. "My husband Moses has gone to be with Jesus." This was all it said.

Moses contracted a fast moving, hard pneumonia that took his life and left Serah a young widow with 3 children and a large, extended family that still needs her.

This post has been quite long but the point of it is to give you an opportunity to respond to a needy family that is deeply affected by the turbulence in Kenya. At Wild Hope, we are not equipped to do mass refugee relief, but we can follow this relational line and make a difference for an extended family with shattered lives.

If you would like to give, please hit the donate button on the right of this blog and designate your gift for Serah Mburu. 100% of your donation will be passed along to Serah.

Thanks for joining us in this.

Lisa, for the Team at Wild Hope

Wonderful Water!

2008-01-30T01:29:00.000-08:00

The Sinon School in the Sokon area of our city, Arusha, is a school that Wild Hope has built a lasting relationship with. Because we strongly believe in education as one of the most effective tools in the war against poverty and HIV/AIDS, we are blessed when we are able to bless them!

Just recently, the Sinon School was able to turn on the water faucet and celebrate with us the working well on the school campus. Imagine the joy of that simple luxury, running water :-)

Big thanks to our friends at Diamond Canyon Christian Church who have partnered with us in our efforts to provide a better school for the kids of Sokon. The photo above shows some of the team from California enjoying the water with some of the kids.

The kids at the school are thankful that they no longer have to haul buckets. We are thankful that we could come alongside to provide wonderful water!

Mark's Double Duty Trip to Tanzania

2008-01-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

If you've ever sent a gift to Wild Hope then you'll have received a receipt prepared and posted by our own Mark Harris in his office in Pasadena. Mark faithfully keeps our books straight and makes sure that donations are allocated properly and receipted in good time. We would NOT like to face this task without him!

But Mark is far more than an accountant! With cross-cultural mission experience of his own (in Russia) and an advanced degree in the subject, Mark brings to our team a depth and knowledge that we truly appreciate.

Not too long ago, Mark had an article published in a missions magazine. His topic was Cross-Cultural Leadership Training. Though he was citing experiences from Russia, his article caught the eye of a local pastor here in Tanzania. Sergi tracked Mark down and invited him to come out to Tanzania and lead a seminar in Moshi, a city not too far from our Wild Hope team.

"Hmmmm," we thought. "This could be a nice double blessing for Wild Hope and the indigenous pastors and leaders who are gathering." With books to keep straight in the United States and East Africa, and with several different systems already underway and trying to converge into one, we knew that we could really use Mark's expertise on this side of the ocean. Peter and Byron and Mark just needed time in one place together to set up a good, workable system that would allow for flex and growth and multiple currencies! Meanwhile, local church friends in Moshi were looking with expectation for input from his other areas of expertise. How could we pass up such a great opportunity to launch a double blessing?

Peter teamed up with Mark to teach and they greatly enjoyed their days with the men in Moshi. Their time and input was deeply appreciated and they were happy to be able to help bring further training to these dedicated leaders. During the rest of his trip, Mark, Byron and Peter huddled around computers with ledgers and receipts and multiple cups of coffee and tea. A nicely workable system emerged and we are thankful!

What a great blessing all around. Thanks, Mark, for your help on so many different levels.

"The Boundary Lines Have Fallen for Us in Pleasant Places" (or God's Gift of Land)

2007-11-29T04:19:00.000-08:00

The line from Psalm 16 captures how the team here at Wild Hope is feeling about a beautiful open 20 acre piece of land outside the city of Arusha. As we signed off on the purchase, our (almost disbelieving) minds were rocked by the fact that God has provided a piece of earth for our dreams to grow on.

(Staking the boundaries)

Let me go back...

Many of you will know that, from the beginning, Wild Hope has dreamed of a base called home where the fullness of life would flourish. Hardly daring to put words to it, we have hoped for a place to plant ourselves; a place where work, ministry, hospitality, training, demonstration projects and experiments can flow together to be a blessing here in Africa. In short, we dreamed of a retreat and training center with working gardens. In biblical terms, we have wondered if there was a little corner of Africa where we might live in Shalom with the land, each other, the community and our Creator.

Big dreams for a little team!

God must be a big dreamer too :-)

Somewhere along the way during this last year, He has sent us a small group of amazing partners who decided that they would like to see this thing go forward. To our own great shock and amazement, God allowed Wild Hope to recently pay cash for 20 acres of African soil.

This land is surrendered to our Maker. He is the one who provided the finances, led us to the plot and walked us through the weeks of dialogue and discovery with the local community.

We at Wild Hope are willing tenants, hoping to honor Him in the way we care for this piece of earth and the neighbors He has given us around it. Smile with us about this: all our neighbors are Maasai :-) They are quite surprised to find two families from the United States who speak their language (!) coming to join them in their community. As for us, we are happy to oblige.

Obviously, there is much to be done. First up on the to-do-list is to drill for water. We are praying we find good water and soon!

In time, as funds are adequate, we will begin to build. We will build our homes, a gathering place where we can teach and train, hospitable quarters for future teams, and gardens that utilize the earth in a Creation-honoring way. These are our initial dreams, but we know that more will unfold as we begin.

Please join us in celebrating this gift of land. And pray with us that it truly will be a place from which life springs forth.

The Wild Hope Team on the land

Looking out toward some of our neighbors

We Are Thankful (and Our Hats Are Off To...)

2007-11-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

There is much to be thankful for this year!

We have some very special news about "the land" but that will have to wait till next week.

Today we just want to say a heartfelt thank you to Byron's dad, Oscar Borden. Oscar worked for 12 years in East Africa. Though he moved away many years ago, his heart and mind still carry a love and concern for this place.

Recently, Byron was telling his father about the lending base we want to raise so that we can increase the number of micro-loans to our African friends. Wild Hope wants to start with a dedicated $30,000 for this express purpose.

Oscar lives on very little at his home in Florida. He cares for others, tends to his work, and visits Byron's Mom in the full-time care unit where she lives.

Not long ago, Oscar wrote us to say that he had a CD coming due and he wanted to cash it in and send the whole sum to our lending-base fund.

This little note is just to say "Thank you, Oscar!" We wanted to honor you for giving the very first $1,000 to what we fondly call The OCB--or Oscar Clarence Borden-- Fund :-)

We are inspired by you!

A BIG Thank You!

2007-10-31T03:42:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to our wonderful friends at 24-7 Prayer!!

Every year at the global gathering of the 24-7 family, there is a raucous auction, done with great celebration and hilarity, that raises funds for someone who is close to the movement and in financial need. This year it was decided that half of whatever was raised would be sent to Africa via Byron and Lisa so that we can assist an old Maasai woman who is like family to Wild Hope.

Ngoto Milai sold most of her cows to educate her children. Sadly, the local school was so under average that her children never scored well enough to go on and complete their high school education and they have never been able to find paying jobs. Her last couple of cows died in the drought a few years back. When Byron was in her area some months ago, his Maasai Mom asked him if there was any way we could help her begin some sort of small business so she could provide for her children and grandchildren.

Everyone was shocked and delighted when the auction raised $2,000! You would have been shocked too, given that the items sold were things like a spiral notebook decorated with photographs and jar of home made jam :-)

With the $1,000 that we have for this dear Maasai mother, we will be able to help in two significant ways. First off, a gift of goats or a couple of cows will be a huge blessing. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, we have enough in hand to set up a small business co-operative with this lady and a few of her friends who are in similar circumstances.

We are absolutely thrilled we can bring two forms of assistance with this one wonderful gift!

And by the way, Lisa put one of our Christmas stars, made by Wild Hope Artisans, in the auction and it sold for 50 euros. That's $70 and that's a record for a Wild Hope Artisan star!

Oh and PS... If you hear a rumor that Lisa was called upon during the auction to enter a Flamenco Dance-Off (the crowd pooled their resources and paid 100 euros to see the contest) then we thought we'd better let you know that, yes, it's true. She danced her little heart out :-)

October Hurries On By

2007-10-19T15:29:00.001-07:00

Family...

The Wild Hope Moms (Lisa and Tammy) have been in full-on home school gear around here. The kidlets (aged 17 down to 8) are faithful and (almost always) sweet students. Of course, no one is perfect! And we moms admit that it can just as easily be one of us who is feeling cranky and less than inspiring.

Still, we are thankful for a good start to the school year and we celebrate with a welcome break. Chase turned 15 at the beginning of the month and this weekend sees most all the crew off on a camping trip to Lake Natron. Poor Sianna had to stay home with a fever :-( At least she's with her excellent mom, Tammy. Tammy was staying home anyway because the Russell family are raising four puppies that lost their mama! Phew! It's a lot of work but, oh my, those puppies are cute (and healthy!)

A place to settle...

Byron and Peter have spent hours and hours and days and weeks, scouting out land, leads to land, rumors of land and plots of land. Wild Hope is dreaming of a place to do demonstration gardens, house teams, do training, build residences etc. There has been much activity around this dream in the last few weeks but no official news quite yet. Please pray! We'll let you know as soon as there is something to know :-)

Sales up for the Artisans...

The cool of July and August has pretty much faded and we are into warm October days. There is a buzz of activity toward the Christmas rush on our Wild Hope Artisan products. Warm weather and Christmas go together for us and Christmas means a lot of sales for the project. It's very exciting to see eager shop owners making orders these days. We are thrilled to see the hard work of the women Artisans being appreciated and valued and purchased.

New ideas and plans bubble along and we take steps toward making things happen. These are good days. So much hope!

PS: The latest on Sianna is that she has Scarlet Fever. Goodness! We're praying for good recovery and that it doesn't move through all the kids...

A Little Dinner Party

2007-09-27T12:12:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday night we threw a little dinner for the Nyota Football Club boys. Out of respect for Ramadan, we ate late and had a nicely reserved kind of gathering.

Still, there were plenty of smiles as Coach Toby passed out prize shirts to different players who shone at the tournament a few weeks ago.

How blessed are we to get to come alongside these young men in an effort to face and overcome the challenges of their situations?

Hint: Very Blessed!

Artisans on the Silver Screen :-)

2007-09-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

The Wild Hope Artisan Project

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Wild Hope's good friend, Jenelle, has been visiting here in Tanzania for the last three weeks. One of her helpful projects has been to edit together this 2 min video about The Wild Hope Artisans. The idea was to have a brief visual to tell people who purchase these products in the U.S. a little more about the partnership we have with these Maasai women.

We are blessed indeed to be a part of empowering these friends.

Enjoy! (And thank you so much, Jenelle!)

Chickens and Champions

2007-09-10T02:57:00.000-07:00

Wild Hope's adopted football team (soccer to those of you who live in N. America) is all about chickens and champions at the moment :-)

As you know, we are partnering with these young men from an economically challenged area of Arusha because we are so impressed with their determination and self discipline in sports as they seek a way to rise above the challenges of the circumstances they live in.

The latest with Nyota FC is that they have launched a chicken rearing project with a micro-loan from Wild Hope. Byron and Peter have helped them with their plans, looked at all the angles with them and generally been there to advise and encourage. Now the first batch of chickens have been raised and sold and the second batch are housed in the hen room where they cluck their way to chubbiness.

Profit from the project will help with team costs for things like new cleats, transport etc etc. The team here at Wild Hope is proud of the guys for their creativity and hard work in this.

We're also proud to say that the team just won the cup in a local tournament sponsored by our friends at Young Life. Yesterday afternoon we watched the Nyota boys pull off a 3-0 victory in the final match. What a rush! The guys danced after every goal and the crowds of kids who were there to watch went wild!

Later, as we crammed into the tiny passage way outside the hen room, (this area has become the club house!) we told them what great examples they are to the young kids growing up around them. Holding their big trophy cup up high and singing their victory songs, the team looked to us like the champions of the world :-)

A Safari for the Heart

2007-08-03T01:51:00.000-07:00

The entire Borden Family, the entire Russell Family and the entire Summer Team went away for 8 days together! There were 18 of us on the road through dust and ditches, forests and mountains, volcanoes and rivers, plains and lakes, friendships, studies, prayers, sharing, service, times of great adventure and times of quiet awe.

The combination of learning, giving, working, serving and adventuring combined with the beauty of Creation, turned our hearts toward the Creator in new and deeper ways.

This really was a journey for our hearts!

Thanks for prayers!

Photos: Jesse Borden

Sore Hands and Good Times

2007-08-03T01:39:00.001-07:00

Our summer team spent the day at the home and farm of Alfonse and Rose and sons. We worked until our hands were covered in blisters in an effort to bless their farm, bless their lives, and serve in a practical way some of those God has given us friendship with.

Rose cooked up a hot lunch and sharing food together in the shade of their garden was filling in more ways than one.

When we pulled away the sun was pushing low toward evening and we were tired but exhillerated. Mount Meru looked stunning in the golden shades of the late afternoon and we felt the joy of serving, even in our weary muscles.

Wild Hope's Newest Wheels (or Boys Love Cars!)

2007-07-17T12:59:00.000-07:00

Wild Hope's second vehicle has (finally) cleared customs and is sitting (happily) in the driveway at Byron and Lisa's house.

We are all extremely thankful that we were recognized as a non-profit and granted duty-free status to clear this 4x4! Had we not been, the duty would have been about $25,000. Yikes!

Millions of hugs in thanks to all who gave to buy this vehicle so that the Bordens can get around and do their job here in Tanzania. Millions!

The Borden Boys have been getting the roof rack attached and generally giving the car the once over in order to prepare her for her first safari beginning this Thursday. We're taking our Summer Team and our Deep Level Discipleship on the road!

Every prayer for safety is well appreciated.

We go out in joy, being led forth in peace.

The Latest Around Wild Hope

2007-07-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! Everyone around Wild Hope has been on the move in a big way!

Peter and Tammy and their crew (AKA The Russell Family) were in the States for two months. They were in and around LA and up to Canada, over to Colorado and back again before landing in Nairobi last Saturday night. After such a wonderful season in Tanzania, they had much to share and they had a great time connecting with people and telling them Wild Hope stories in person ☺. God so blew them away with the supportive enthusiastic response that greeted them everywhere they went. They were blessed up one side and down the other as they racked up the miles.

Byron and Lisa and their crew (AKA The Borden Family) finally left the States and arrived here in Tanzania mid-May. These first weeks have been absolutely packed full of the details of immigrating, house-hunting and general settling. Phew! They are totally relieved to be here and to have found a house to move into. Life is starting to feel sort of normal to them as they unpack those boxes of familiar household things shipped from Portugal months ago.

We have a summer team that just arrived! Six young people from Portugal and/or Santa Barbara are with us to experience God in new ways, grow, get their heads and hearts challenged and their hands dirty as they help out. We are really looking forward to this time together seeking God, volunteering in different service oriented ways and experiencing the fullness of what the Lord has in store for this summer.

We’ll catch up again soon. I hesitate to say, “When things settle down,” but I think you know what I mean ☺

Photo taken by Jesse when the summer team hiked the gorge.

Introducing... Our Site!

2007-06-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Tadaaaaaaaaa!

Wild Hope has a Brand New Website.

A million thanks to Trevor Borden for designing and building our simple and lovely site.

And hats off to Skyler Russell, the young man behind the camera for almost every photo. Beautiful pics!

Nets to the Rescue!

2007-05-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

Wild Hope was given a generous donation that allowed us to purchase 250 very special mosquito nets.

These nets are actually infused with a mosquito repellant so that they physically protect the area they cover while also driving other mosquitoes from the room.

Malaria is still the number one killer disease in Africa. Recent studies show a deadly link between malaria and HIV/AIDS because each disease weakens the body, making it easier to contract the other.

We were so pleased to distribute these gifts. It's always a joy to make an immediate difference :-)

Artisan Project Grows!

2007-04-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

The lovely ladies brought their lovely work by the donkey load!

Tammy and Wild Hope's dear friend, Julia Veenstra, spent the weekend together working on new product ideas, quality control, and other areas of training.

Remember back in December when we were projecting that the project would soon be helping more than these six original ladies? Well there are now 32 additional Maasai women benefiting from our Artisan Project.

God is good! Hurray!

Chase's Perspective

2007-04-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Just to refer you to Chase Russell's blog Superman Digital Movement. With such a great title you might get the clue that Chase is a creative and fun 8th grader and his take on what's going on in Tanzania is fresh. Having just read his three most recent posts, we thought you might enjoy hearing from one of the younger members of the Wild Hope community.

Enjoy!

Lots of Gear!

2007-03-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

Wild Hope was just given 250 nice soccer jerseys, plus LOTS of shorts, socks, warm-up outfits and goalie gear!

The lovely Lynzi Blacker of u2u donated what she had collected from the AYSO league in Santa Ynez Valley so that we can outfit future teams!

The photos above show our Small Nyotas before uniforms and after :-) These uniforms were brought over in a separate donation by another group. Now we have matching sets for an additional 8 teams, and many more in mixed batches.

We are so thankful to Jez and Lynzi at u2u!

God is With the Poor

2007-03-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

Just to share this clip of Bono accepting his award from the NAACP a few days ago.

Wild Hope won't be getting an award or an ovation. Still, we are proud to take our place among those who have committed their lives to bring hope in Africa.

Why? Because we believe in the call of Isaiah 58 to spend ourselves on behalf of others. This is OUR calling. Insignificant as we might seem in the face of the crisis in Africa, we respond.

We know that God is in this because, as Bono says in his speech, "God, my friends, is with the poor and God is with us if we are with them."

That's where we want to be.

Work Permits and a Red Moon!

2007-03-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

Peter's email yesterday said "I've got your work permits in my hand!"

This was definitely the best news of the day :-) We Bordens (still in the States preparing to move to Tanzania) hooped and hollered and then sighed one big sigh of relief.

Wild Hope had been notified that our work permits were approved some time ago but then there were a few little complications. I will not elaborate except to say they were par for the course. They were enough to make us hold our breath and pray quite a lot.

And the red moon?

Many of you will already know that a strong part of the vision of Wild Hope is to receive teams of young people into our community and allow them to participate with us in what God has led us to be involved in there in East Africa. We know that Africa has so much to give and we are thrilled to be a part of bridging Africa with Europe and the States. We are very pumped to be able to pour into these teams during the short time that we have them with us.

One of the networks God has tied us into is the 24-7prayer movement. With 24-7's emphasis on prayer, mission and justice, we have like hearts and minds. If you are not familiar with this wild and wonderful movement, please check them out and please read Pete Greig's book, Red Moon Rising, about what God is doing in this generation. (And while we're at it, let us also recommend Pete's new book, God on Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer. It's really good!)

Well, all of this is to say that we're excited to be on our way to join the rest of the Wild Hope family in Tanzania soon.

Peter and Tammy said that on the night of the day that he recieved our work permits they looked out and noticed a big red moon rising. A lunar eclipse has painted the moon and while we're not saying it MEANS anything, maybe we shouldn't say it was just a coincidence either. Whatever it was, it certainly made us smile :-)

Oh Lord, thank you for letting us be a small part of your big plans to bless Africa!

(Photo by Jeremy)

ABC

2007-02-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

The young shepherd boy's face broke into a brilliant smile as he handed Peter his crooked herding stick. Peter had jokingly asked him to give the stick to him in exchange for something that he might like from the big city, Arusha.

Holding the stick, Peter now asked him what it was that he wanted from the city. "A book," he said immediately. Surprised, Peter asked him if he knew how to read. "No," he replied, "but I want to learn". Peter promised him that he would bring him a book.

As the boy ran off to attend his now wandering goats (with his single piece of worn cloth tied neatly over his right shoulder) Peter couldn't help but smile. That small boy on the dusty plains (with a huge desire to learn) is the future of Africa. Wild Hope is now talking with the elders of his village about just how the close to 200 children there can get the education they need. Our prayer is that that little boy's trade of a herding stick for a book will be the beginning of the equipping of a whole new generation in that area.

Education is key for transformation in Africa!

Recently, when we asked a high level government official how Wild Hope could best serve the community, we were told that thousands of elementary school graduates are not able to attend high school simply because there is not enough room in existing classrooms. "Anything you can do to help with this problem will be a greatly appreciated help."

In Wild Hope's first short year in Tanzania, we've had the pleasure of providing 3-Phase electricity to a local high school and a protective building for their water pump so that they could pump water to the school. We have led several weeks of after school programs in local schools, provided math curriculum to the Engewua Primary School, built on-going partnerships for development with several schools and donated sports equiptment to two others. Additionally, we have assisted the Joshua Teacher's Training College with teaching and the provision of electrical back-up systems to ensure internet connection for the teachers and students at their colleges.

We are delighted to see educational initiatives going forward and greatly blessed to be a part of them!

Big Party for Small Stars

2007-01-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

Wild Hope proudly sponsors the Small Nyotas (Small Stars) soccer team of Arusha.

These guys from the struggling neighborhood of Unga play on an under-17's league team coached by a dedicated and very-young-himself local.

We love that involvement on the team is giving these young men a sense of self respect and self worth, a new level of personal discipline and something to look forward to and be proud about. We love the way we see this team being used to raise the standard of hope in the community. We love that we helped to sponsor the East Africa Youth Football Tournament and our Small Nyotas came in 3rd place!

Picture it: one day you're on a rag-tag team in mismatched t-shirts playing in one of the worst areas of town. Not too long after coming into relationship with Wild Hope, you have uniforms and you're playing in a beautiful and impressive stadium, taking third in a major tournament!

Most games are still played on the haphazard field down in Unga, but we're seeing good stuff happen on this team.

A few weeks ago Wild Hope celebrated with them by throwing them a Soccer Banquet at a local restaurant. Peter wrote that they had a blast! Skyler printed team and individual photos for everyone and there were t-shirts for prizes.

Keep the Small Nyotas in your prayers. They live in a community ravished by HIV/AIDS. We want to see their whole lives transformed and there's only one way to go.... Up!

A Thousand Words

2006-12-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words than this photo needs no story.
Suffice to say that sometimes just getting out to the places where Wild Hope is involved is a story in itself! (That's the Russell family plowing water with their car.)

Christmas Angels!

2006-12-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

The Team here at Wild Hope is very excited about angels!

Allow us to tell you why...

These 6" angels, (plus a slightly larger version and some Christmas stars) are made by a group of financially struggling Maasai ladies that are friends of ours. Over the years we have helped them market some of their traditional bead work and provide a little income for themselves. But during this last year we've encouraged them to a new level!

Julia Veenstra, an American artist living in East Africa, is a friend of Wild Hope. Julia has a passion for the work of local artisans and for creativity to be released and used. She has a passion for women to be helped and for local women to find ways to support their families.

In September Wild Hope hosted our six Maasai artisans friends and Julia for a weekend of training and fellowship. As mentioned, Wild Hope has been able to facilitate different opportunities for these ladies to sell their work, but this was the first time we planned a seminar for them to improve and market their wares.

With Julia's artist eye and knowledge of western markets to guide them, the ladies designed this Christmas Angel. Isn't' she beautiful? You can click on the photo for a larger view.

We wish we could offer these to you for sale (and hopefully we will one day) but our production levels are not up to exporting yet. However, these pretty little ornaments have been selling like hotcakes in Kenya this season. And guess what! A brand new little gift and coffee shop in Arusha, Tanzania is opening and planning to stock them immediately as well.

We are so pleased to have just sent $1,000 of profit to this small group of artisans. Do you have any idea how much money that is to women who live on about $1 a day? Even divided between the six of them, this is a huge blessing of provision. For those of us who have stayed in Maasai villages and experienced life among them, there is a tremendous sense of joy as we think of how this income will help.

What is it we've heard Bono say?

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Give a woman micro-credit, she, her husband, her children and her extended family will eat for a lifetime."

The Wild Hope Artisans project is in a seed stage. We are praying and working toward training more women and expanding the work. We're looking down the road to Christmas 2007 and wondering how many more this project will be blessing by then.

Praise God with us for the assistance this job-producing micro-enterprise has already brought... And for what it will do in the future!

Sarah's Glasses

2006-12-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

Sarah was excited to get her new glasses but when Tammy arrived to take her to the optometrist she was scared to leave the confines of her small mud and wattle home next to the dirty river in Arusha.

Sarah's old glasses were insufficient to give her the sight needed to visit her neighbors or get out to any other location and so, over the years, Sarah’s world had become smaller and smaller.

Finally, Sarah’s glasses with the one missing arm were lost totally.

Despite her nervousness about leaving her familiar quarters, Sarah knew her need was too great to ignore. Tammy had been to visit Sarah several times and Sarah had come to trust her. And so, at last, they set off!

After a challenging and sometimes comical journey of getting fragile little Sarah down the narrow lanes, into Wild Hope’s big white vehicle and through the busy streets of the city, the doctor was able to quickly prescribe the needed lenses. It wasn’t long before Sarah was trying on her new glasses. As she put on the new pair, she looked up at Tammy and exclaimed "Your eyes are blue!"

Tammy drove Sarah to have a celebratory lunch and Sarah began seeing and greeting old friends on Arusha's main street, a place she had not visited for some 10 years though she lives only a mile away!

The widows living in the broken-down quarters of Arusha have so many needs. Thank you for helping us help them!

There We Were and Here We Are

2006-11-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

Well, this is us! This is the Russell and the Borden families. But this was a really long time ago :-)

I think this photo was taken in 1991. There are eight kids between our two families now and these three boys are in high school and college today.

I guess dreams take years to shape. Our two families have been loving Africa for a very long time. We have spent many years serving on that beautiful continent. And during those years God was preparing our hearts for the Africa of today.

Africa today is looking at 40 million AIDS orphans by the year 2010. 40 million!

Wild Hope is in Africa to respond to this and to other serious issues of poverty, poor education, lack of resource, and spiritual hunger.

Do we think we are the answer to Africa's troubles?
We're not that presumptuous!

But we know that God is crazy in love with the people of Africa. Their issues are on His mind. So we proudly take our place among the hundreds of organizations, the thousands of individuals who want to give their lives to make a difference.

That's what we're up to.

It's a Wild Hope.
But He's a Wild God.

Launching...

2006-10-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ok so we're going to start a stories blog to give public record to the cool things we get to be involved in in Africa.
How fun is that?