September 2010

HOPE for the Island September 2010
Fire victims
At approx. 9pm Saturday we received a call from one of our Youth who is studying in Surigao City on another island. With fear & shock she explained how a fire swept through the area destroying her boarding house, including all possessions. A total of 242 households were burned to the ground. This area is a very poor area. Old lumber & scraps are used for housing in an attempt to keep out the rain. Eight of our active young people, who previously attended HOPE Youth Ministry before going to Surigao to study, were affected. We immediately traveled to Surigao, gathered the youth & distributed donated items to help meet their basic needs. They were so thankful for the lives of the people used by God to donate all the supplies to Hope for the Island. Because of donations sent in boxes, we had on hand everything they needed! As I sat down with them tears welled up in their eyes. Between sobs they praised God for His protection, even though they lost all their belongings. God spared their lives & they were shaken with the realization that God indeed has a purpose for each of them. We prayed & thanked God for His goodness & thanked Him even more for His love. Despite our failures He is faithful. Our prayer is that the youth will carry with them the valuable lessons they learned & will seek to honour God even more with the life they have been given.

Organic Farm
With each passing week the progress being made at the farm is incredible. We are thankful for protection over workers & for answers to prayer as God provides for each need! In the last update I asked you to pray for God to provide TeeJay a partner to train & work alongside him. Alvin, a friend of the ministry, joined our Hope for the Island family last week! He is single,
hardworking, has a great attitude & loves to work with his hands. TeeJay loves working with someone he trusts & knows, especially with the big task of pioneering this project.

God answered prayer as well, by moving a partner of Hope for the Island to knock #8 off the list for outstanding expenses!! (See August Update) We have been able to start buying equipment, seeds & supplies because God moved in a man’s heart!! We are happy to have a grass trimmer after trying to clear 7 acres with a machete! HOPE was also blessed with the arrival of boxes from Canada. They were filled with supplies needed for the farm!! We are now looking for a Carabao (water buffalo) to purchase. It will be used for plowing & hauling heavy loads. A Carabao does the work of a small tractor. Additional start up supplies & equipment are next.

The overhead tank & storage shed is finished! Before we sent the work crew home, we had them start the septic tank & 2 rooms that are part of the Mission Compound ( See August Update #7-outstanding expenses) These two rooms are absolutely necessary for TeeJay & Alvin to move over to the farm full time. Presently they sleep side by side on the floor along with a local family & crying babies. This arrangement has been a blessing, but is temporary. Continue to keep in prayer all that will need to be done to pioneer this project & the outstanding financial needs (#7 & #9 August Update) God is good!

Friends of HOPE
The fall season brings many Mission teams to HOPE. This past weekend we had a team from Cebu City, Philippines & 5 Australians. This coming week we have a group of 5 from different churches in Hawaii. October will bring in our yearly mission group from Hope Chapel in Maui. There are 12 on this team, including twin 2 year olds & a 3 year old! Getting them started young! Please keep these teams in prayer & anticipate with us great things from the Lord!

Healing!
Another praise report! Many of you have blessed us by keeping Jenn in prayer. She has struggled
with pain from a cyst on her ovary for the last few months. After many delays in getting into the
doctor for a follow up ultrasound, she saw her doctor last week. She was thrilled to find that the
cyst is not there anymore!! We lift up & praise the name of the Lord!

Keep Mark Anthony in prayer. He has had to stop school because he continues to have seizures & is bed ridden for days after each one. It is not yet determined why the seizures have started. Doctors say it may be a side effect of the Schistosomiasis that he was re infected with or may be another problem altogether. During his last seizure he fell on his elbow. Since that time, his forearm & hand swelled up & he has no movement in his hand or fingers. When talking to him, his biggest concern is that he would not be able to play guitar for worship. Please commit to praying with us for Mark Anthony & declare God's Word over his life!

More donation options on our Website
Website: http://www.hopefortheisland.org Email: hopefortheisland@shaw.ca
Hope for the Island is a Canadian non-profit corporation.
We appreciate your Financial & Prayer support
All Financial Contributions will be receipted
Donations for Hope for the Island
Cheque or money order payable to
Hope for the Island Ministries
94 James Carleton Drive
Winnipeg, Mb R2P 0T4
204-694-6998
Receipted Donations for Derek & Jenn
Personal Financial Support for Derek & Jenn can be sent to
YWAM Donor Services
P.O. Box 57100
2480 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5K 5G6
Cheque or money order payable to YWAM with a separate note indicating it is for Derek Van Ryckeghem-Philippines

August 2010

August 2010 Farm Update
The work being done at the Organic Farm reminds me of when Jenn & I first started Hope for the Island in 2000. As in the past, we are now entering a new part of Siargao Island where we are not known to the locals & will need to earn trust & respect. When pioneering Hope for the Island, we embraced the vision that God had put on our hearts, yet so many obstacles stood in the way – similar to what we face now.

As we step out in faith NOT by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), God is blessing our steps & preparing us for what lies ahead. The challenges & trials are always meant to grow us not to cripple us. It is our anticipation / joy & our response to trials (James 1:2) that allows us to go to new depths in our walk with God. Living by faith is truly remarkable, yet a seldom sought out avenue of life. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb 11:6). It is no wonder that for
so many years of my Christian walk I did not see God move & He felt so distant. Scripture is filled with amazing exploits & miracles experienced by God’s people & the common thread is faith; a genuine trust in God that moves us to walk into realms that defy logic & reasoning. When we walk by faith, all fear, doubt & worry get cast aside. Anticipation, peace & security resonate because our hope is in a God who is faithful & has proven Himself worthy of our trust. David is one man who knew the benefit of trials & went so far as to ask God for them (Ps 26:2). Despite his failures, I believe his humility before God & faith led response to trials was significant to David being identified as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) I am enjoying this new season where I find myself back in that place, excited to see what God will do next! Thank you for embarking on the journey with us at HOPE!

TeeJay is happy to be at the farm full time now! He is passionate about this project & is asking you to pray that God would provide at least 2 people he can train to work alongside
him. He helped organize & hire 3 local skilled workers & 6 labourers that are presently constructing the overhead water tank / storage shed. Beyond overseeing the work, TeeJay focuses on clearing land, composting & planting some fruit seedlings. He is temporarily staying with a local family. After the tank is finished, the next focus will need to be on the Mission Compound. The Mission Compound will include housing for TeeJay & fellow workers, as well as a kitchen, office & dry & cold storage for produce. We are trusting God to provide the outstanding funds to keep work moving forward.

PROPOSED PLAN & OUTSTANDING EXPENSES ($50,800)
1. Farm Land – $15,000 Pd
2. Transfer taxes fees & survey $1,175 Pd
3. Perimeter fence & storage shed $1,400 Pd & finished
4. Deep water well (material & labour) $1,800 Pd & finished
5. 630 meter electrical service wire & meter $2,000 Pd
6. Overhead water tank with shed – revised $5,700 Pd
7. Mission Compound (housing, office, dry & cold storage) $40,000
8. Farming equipment (inc. seed & supply) $9,000
9. Greenhouse $1,800

Praise report - God provided the finances & manpower for two more items on the
ist above. We look forward to #7, 8, & 9 being on a future praise report!!!! 630 meters Electrical service wiring & related expenses - $2000 (PAID!!!) Overhead Water tank with ground level storage shed – revised - $5700 (PAID & work in progress!!!) PLEASE see website for farm objectives & for the detailed prospective building plan for the mission compound. Please pray how you can be a part of seeing us continue to make progress toward our
vision!

Mission Compound
Praise report: DIWA IS HEALED AND AT HOME!!! It is great to see Diwa back to herself. She is a vibrant girl who loves life & her Lord! Makana & the girls were rightback to playing, climbing trees & surfing. Diwa wanted me to say to all, “Salamat karajaw sa tanan sa ijong pag ampo sa ako” -Thank you very much everyone for your prayers for me. Matthew 19:14

More donation options on our Website
Website: http://www.hopefortheisland.org Email: hopefortheisland@shaw.ca
Hope for the Island is a Canadian non-profit corporation.
We appreciate your Financial & Prayer support
All Financial Contributions will be receipted
Donations for Hope for the Island
Cheque or money order payable to
Hope for the Island Ministries
94 James Carleton Drive
Winnipeg, Mb R2P 0T4
204-694-6998
Receipted Donations for Derek & Jenn
Personal Financial Support for Derek & Jenn can be sent to
YWAM Donor Services
P.O. Box 57100
2480 East Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5K 5G6
Cheque or money order payable to YWAM with a separate note indicating it is for Derek Van Ryckeghem-Philippines
Jenn with Diwa in Hospital 4 days later Diwa home healthy &happy