I'm pleased to announce the launch of the website for the Village of Hope in Zimbabwe. Our church is partners with the work being done in Zimbabwe and Pastor Darren donated his skills as a web developer to design and host their website. This will provide a new tool for Gord and Anita Cooledge to promote the Village of Hope and communicate with current and potential supporters about what's happening at the Village. Check it out at vohzimbabwe.com!

[Here's the most recent newsletter from the Cooledges] God has proven his sovereignty once again and granted us our orphanage permit!!   All glory to God!   Isaiah 55:8-9 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts are your thoughts.' Dear friends and family, My heart aches for the many needs in Zimbabwe . But as we watch helplessly, and as Read rest of post...

CNN reports on the worsening economic crisis in Zimbabwe.  Inflation is officially pegged at 4500% by the Zimbabwe government but outside sources put it closer to double that.  After being in Zimbabwe I certainly believe it's the latter.  Keep praying for the country...things are getting worse every day.

Here's the latest newsletter update from Gord and Anita Cooledge:Dear friends,   A lot has happened in the last two and a half months since we have been gone from Zimbabwe, visiting Canada and sharing our hearts, our struggles and our hopes with others.  It would take pages to put it all down, so let us hit just the highlights….   PRIMARY SCHOOL ON THE VILLAGE OF HOPE GROUNDS IS OPEN! CHAPS ( Read rest of post...

We just received an email from Gord and Anita Cooledge with the following: We have some exciting news in that the Registration for Cornelius Hope Academy Primary School, on the grounds of Village of Hope, has been given a Registration Number and is officially allowed to open as of April 2nd! Thank God for this answered prayer!

Here's the latest Newsletter we've received from the Cooledges in Zimbabwe...We can hear all the statistics we want. We can be horrified by the number of AIDS cases that grow every day. And we can be horrified by the number of orphans the world wide, as a result of the early death of parents inflicted with AIDS. We can see pictures and turn the page or the channel, and carry on with our lives. You may even know someone carrying the HIV virus, or displaying symptoms of AIDS in your own western community. And if Read rest of post...

Yes, that's right! Gord and Anita Cooledge and family are back in Canada on furlough and we are blessed to have them join us for our worship service on Sunday April 29th, 2007. They are actually going to be arriving on the 28th and joining in with our "Walk for Hope" fundraiser for the Zimbabwe 2007 Project! It will be exciting having the directors of the Village of Hope which is where our team is going with us for that fundraiser :).

The following was received from a recent email from the Cooledges and is posted here as an update: One Thursday in January 2007... At 5:15am, Gord's alarm goes off on his cell phone, he has placed near his bed the night before. We have given up using the digital clock because ZESA (electricity) so frequently goes out and the clock is useless. After a year here, the routine of the morning has become so ingrained, Gord and I have been awake for almost half an hour already dreaming of sleeping but waiting for that fateful buzz to begin the morning. This Read rest of post...

In their words... Plane tickets have been booked for a family visit home, March 30th, 2007 to Toronto. We return to Harare June 5th. We have been blessed by a number of requests to come and share about the Village of Hope already to date and have confirmed dates in Dunnville, Burlington, Sarnia, and Edmonton, AB. God has been good to us this year and despite all the hiccups, we believe that God is not finished with the Village of Hope yet. We welcome the opportunity to tell you more in person! UPDATE: The Cooledge's will be visiting our church April Read rest of post...