Building Hope in Gabon

By Steve Straw, serving in Gabon, West Africa

wp-images21An Alliance pastor and former commercial pilot, Steve started Gabon’s first-ever, dedicated medical air transport program. The following article includes adapted excerpts from his blog that refer to Hope House, a home in Libreville for at-risk youth.

We had the privilege of spending time during the Christmas season with 30 wonderful kids at Hope House—a home for at-risk youth.

An outreach of Alliance churches in Gabon, Hope House is a safety net for young people whose parents are disabled, missing, or dead, and whose extended family members can’t be found or are unable to help. 

Cards and Gifts

We arrived at Hope House bearing gifts! Children from our home church—York (Pa.) Alliance Church—had written a Christmas card to each Hope House child—by name! Our children had fun translating the messages to each child. Some of the cards had “scratch-and-sniff” stickers—a new concept to them!

“Aunt Lisa,” a good friend and nurse at Bongolo Hospital, shared with the kids the story of the candy cane; they were very attentive! She also took time to evaluate one of the kids who was bed-ridden with a fever.

Prayer Needed

Please continue to pray for Hope House. Recently, their landlord hiked up the rent to about $1,200 a month! And they are short on funding and food.

Thankfully, there is land available upon which they can build their own, rent-free home. So now we need work teams to assist local believers to make the house a reality.

What You Can Do

“Do you have a church team that would like to help build a new residence for Hope House?” Steve asks. “Zap an e-mail to [email protected]  and let us know. Our new Envision director in Gabon, Leanne Bernard, would LOVE to hear back from those who would like to get involved with Hope House.”

Learn More

Read another of Steve’s blog entries, describing how Vacation Bible School students in a rural Pennsylvania church made blankets to send to the kids at Hope House.  

View more pictures of the Christmas party at Hope House.

Note: Clicking on this link will take you off of the C&MA Web site.

Check out our work in Gabon.

Share

Get Involved...

Pray.

We cannot “Live the Call Together” unless prayer is central to all we do.
Pray with us »

Serve.

Is God calling you to service? We’re here to help you connect your passion with God’s purpose.
Serve with The Alliance »

Give.

Help build Christ’s Church by supporting the ministry and workers of The Alliance.
Give today »