MISSION FOR JUNE 2023

Living Beyond Hope

The June mission focus is Living Beyond Hope. LBH was started in 2014 to improve the living and education conditions of Arnoldine Mission, a small village in Zimbabwe, Africa, and the home village of one of our members, Farai Rakunda. LBH started when Farai returned to Arnoldine mission to visit family and friends. Farai came back and started a partnership with SUMC to raise money to repair and paint the church in Arnoldine. SUMC raised the funds to restore the church and the community of Arnoldine provided the labor for the work to be done.

The next project was to improve the education conditions. Arnoldine Mission High School started with seven students in 2013 and two buildings. The students walked three miles round trip every morning to collect water from a river to take to school. SUMC and the community raised the money needed to get a clean water system in place for the school. That project was completed in June of 2015.

Today, the student population of Arnoldine Mission High School has grown to around 300 students. Over the last several years, LBH has helped supply text books, student furniture, two new classroom buildings (one just opening in September 2021), teacher housing, and scholarships so students whose families can’t afford it can still attend school.

Through our donations to LBH and the willingness of the people of Arnoldine Mission to contribute the labor for projects, we are able to greatly impact and improve the lives of the children and whole community of Arnoldine Mission.

 

MISSION TEAM MEMBERS
Mindi Logan, Wanda Barclay, Co-Chairs
Barb Clark, Kathleen Deforest, Wayne Koebel, Judy Kuhlman, Dick Lukey, Sally Mcwhirter, Kellie Meyer,
Leanne Nitz, Nancy Poelker, Barb Pries, Melissa Rescoe, Kathy Sankey, Myra Thompson,
Lona Vogie, Paul Westmaas, Rachel Wade, Robin Weingart, Elise Low Edwardson