Helping Hands Healing Ministries, Inc.

Can I Get A Witness?

I have a dream ....

I have a dream that I can help those less fortunate than myself. It is a big dream but one that has already begun to be realized. You see, this dream that I have had since childhood started taking shape when I went to East Africa in 2001. I went to East Africa to follow a dormant dream that I had in college to help those in poverty in distant lands. Little did I realize how that dream would unfold! I landed in Nairobi, Kenya on 9/11 and had a very blessed trip!

When I returned home from this awesome trip, I had a lot to think about. How were the experiences of my trip to be used so that my childhood and college dreams could become a reality? I prayed long and hard about this. Over the ensuing months the vision of founding a charity organization started to form and Helping Hands Healing Ministries, Inc. (HHHM) is now in the fifth year of helping the poorest of the poor. In this short period of time, we have raised over $55,000 and completed more than a dozen projects or services, all of this at a grassroots level! We do not have a marketing budget because we aim to keep costs low so that donated monies go to the intended projects. Your prayers and generosity have made all of this possible!

I have a dream that HHHM will complete projects that are low cost and will have a high impact on those that are served. It is my dream that these projects will be self-sustaining and will help people become self-sufficient so that they feel empowered to help others as well. An excellent example of this dream is our very first project in 2003! With $516.68 we were able to provide electrical hookup for St. Francis Community School in Itimpi, Zambia in Central Africa which serves over 900 students from grade school through high school. This school can now also provide evening classes for adults in the community. It is incredible how such a small amount of money can go such a long way. Thousands have been helped to get an education which is so vital to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Another example of low cost, high impact projects is the dairy farm established at Mgeta Parish in the Uruguru Mountains in Morogoro, Tanzania in East Africa in 2004. This community of 6,000 impoverished persons including those who are malnourished, the elderly, and those with AIDS is receiving nutritional support from 5 cows and one bull purchased with $4,242. This grant from HHHM to this community also provided for enough fencing material to house a total of 30 animals in the future as this farm becomes populated. A side benefit of this farm, is the biogas for heating that will be generated from the manure of these animals making this an environmentally friendly project as well.

The school electrical hookup and dairy farm project are just two examples of how this dream to provide low cost, high impact assistance to the poorest of the poor is becoming a reality!

I have a dream that HHHM will be able to provide for the needs of the impoverished on a shoestring budget. This dream is already being materialized in part by your generous response to this newsletter. Because our printing costs are being taken care of by Publishers Printing Company, we are able to raise funds through this newsletter at a minimal cost. We are also able to raise some funds through online donations at http://hhhm.net which also helps keep costs down. We also have our Trash for Cash Campaign in which HHHM earns money by recycling aluminum cans, used printer cartridges, and old cell phones, so please keep those items coming in! As you spread the word about the work of this ministry to your family, friends, coworkers, and congregations, additional no cost publicity is provided helping us to be good stewards of the donations received. We thank you for your part in this dream!

I have a dream that others will be as passionate about my dream to help our brothers and sisters in need as I am. To this end, I have been blessed with a board of directors that agrees that this is a ‘love of neighbor endeavor’ and agree that we are providing direction to this charity on a volunteer basis. We have additionally had other volunteers at various times to assist with administrative duties and community awareness events for HHHM.

I have a dream that my family will be able to understand and share my passion with me. My daughter, Kelly has visited Tanzania with me in 2005 and Liberia in 2006. My son, Patrick has visited Liberia with me in 2006. Kelly has experienced Easter and Christmas in Africa and Patrick has experienced Christmas in Africa. Through these trips their lives have been enriched. My husband, Mike has been financially supportive of our trips so he has not been able to travel with us, but I dream that some day he will be able to take time away from his busy work schedule to join me. In the meantime, he shares my passion through my stories and pictures.

I have a dream that HHHM will expand beyond the borders of Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, and Zambia in Central Africa to serve others as well. A leap of faith was all that was needed for this dream. In 2006, that dream became a reality as we raised $25,000 to build a medical clinic for Our Lady of Fatima Rehab Center in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. It took us 18 months to raise this money but I am amazed at the size of project that we were able to complete in the fourth year of this ministry! An additional blessing to this leap of faith — I was able to afford to travel to Liberia in December with my two children, Patrick and Kelly, to visit and learn first-hand the needs of the residents of the rehab center. It was a Christmas we will not soon forget! When you say yes, God’s providence knows no bounds! The foundation was being laid during the week of our visit and plans were to have the clinic completed and ready for use within a few months.

I have a dream that besides the financial assistance that HHHM provides, we will also be able to provide spiritual assistance. This dream has been realized in answered prayers and assistance with providing spiritual materials, items for a retreat center, and a healing service in 2005. While HHHM is not a religious organization, part of the human condition needs spiritual nurturing and we offer direction in this capacity when it is requested.

I have a dream that all people will have an equal opportunity for education and quality of life consistent with the dignity that is theirs. Toward this end, we have provided electrical hookup for St. Francis Community School in Zambia, tuition for various students in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia, school desks for St. Monica School in Tanzania, and we are currently raising funds to repair school buildings for Tawa Primary School in Tanzania. We are currently in the discussion stages of forming a scholarship fund within the framework of HHHM to meet additional educational needs. For this dream to become a reality, we will need an ongoing funding source.

I have a dream that you will join me in prayer, passion, and provision as we experience God’s providence and enter into His promised land!