June News

Dear friends & family

Thank you for all being a big part of our lives. Each one of you plays a special role in God working through our lives. Thank you also for praying for my Grandmother. God answered prayer by pulling her through this last surgery though nobody expected it to happen. We continue to pray that God preserves her life long enough for her to embrace God and His gift of eternal life.

PRESCHOOL

Parade kicking off school June 10 was the start of a new school year at Hope For The Island Foundational Learning Center! God has entrusted us with the lives of 36 new students who
are all very excited to learn. Our teachers also share in the excitement and anticipation as they look ahead to what God has in store for this year. They have been busy this past month preparing new lesson plans, organizing all school materials, painting tables and shelves and attending refresher seminars to be better equipped and to make this an even better year! Please keep our teachers and students in prayer! The start of each new year brings many challenges.
How we respond to those challenges determines the course for the year. We temporarily renovated one of the rooms in the mission house to be used as our Nursery class. When funds for the preschool building fundraiser come in we will move forward with construction. Thank you for those who have already contributed to help support this need!

CHANGE IN PLANS
Two factors took place within the last month that caused us to postpone starting our Elementary school this year. We believe that God put this vision in our hearts but it seems as though the timing for it would not be as we thought. The teacher who committed to teach Grade 1 had family circumstances arise that forced her to return home. This took us by surprise but we continue to pray and press forward. The Dept of Education also introduced some additional requirements that would have made it very challenging to fulfill before the start of classes. In prayer we all felt God's peace to postpone plans and trust God to open the doors for next year. We will continue to fulfill requirements set out by Dept of Education and we ask you to join us in prayer for a teacher who has a calling to teach Grade 1 & 2.

We now have only one option to educate Makana this year. Jenn will start Grade 1 home schooling with plans to include her in our Elementary next year. Pray for Jenn as she researches what curriculum would work best for her. Brison on the other hand will be moving up to the next level (Kinder 1) in our preschool. They both enjoyed their summer break but are ready to jump back into classes!

SURPRISE OF MY LIFE!!!

For the very first time I experienced what it was liked to be shocked out of my socks (or should I say flip flops)! I was led to believe by my wife (whom I have found is very good at keeping secrets) that I was to be picking up some visitors from Cebu city.

While waiting for the plane to arrive I got a strategic phone call from my mom in Canada who was also in on the surprise. As I talked to her I was watching as the passengers disembarked. I got a glimpse of someone who really looked like a friend of mine from Canada. I brushed it off and continued talking to my mom. Then once again I saw the face beneath the hat and commented to my mom that I was looking at someone who looked just like my friend Dave
Cheetham. Then it hit me that it really was Dave and when I told my mom I was looking at Dave her excitement let go in a loud scream. I nearly dropped the phone because of the shock. As Dave approached me I had so many questions and was so confused yet so overwhelmed with joy. It was an experience I will never forget.

Dave is a long time friend and supporter of Hope For The Island. From day one Dave and his wife Tami rallied behind us and helped carry the vision from their end in Canada. He also helped me put together our Hope For The Island DVD that so many of you enjoy. I have been blessed by having him with us for this time. Dave will share a few words from his perspective and experiences at HIF.


From Dave:

Well what can I say, like most things here, when you volunteer, be ready to volunteer! Writing a letter or even a fewparagraphs that I know others are going to read isn't one of my strong "suits". This whole journey for me has been out of my comfort zone and it has been a huge eye opener about which I wouldn't change a thing. Derek and Jenn have asked me to write a short blurb on my travels here and what I've experienced, short, right… there is so much to write
and say, but I will start from the beginning and won't go into too much detail.

This whole trip started as a thought, vision, and then a phone call. The next thing I knew I was packing my bags to leave for the Philippines where Derek would get a huge surprise. Jenn secretly helped me with travel plans. The flights were long and the waiting between them even longer. It was all worth it when I got off the final flight and
saw Derek's face as he talked on the phone.

"Dave Cheetham is here?" "WHAT?" With that I walked up to him and gave him a huge hug. We laughed about the surprise and joked about how long it took me to actually get out here to the Philippines. We then packed my bags in the yellow "Tonka truck" (HIF small yellow truck) and off we went.

We arrived at Hope For The Island Foundation and by the way, no more complaining about streets in Winnipeg. I knewDerek was surprised at my visit, but I wasn't prepared for the spectacular views, the ocean sounds, sand, and palm trees. I just stood there staring at the Foundation buildings thinking, I'm here… I made it. Then… now what?

many villages doing Children's Ministry and participated in a day long Medical Mission in a neighboring village. I have painted the school interior walls and shelving and even picked up the doctor inWell, that was taken care of for me, thank you Jenn. I have gone to the Tonka Truck. It has been hard to see the ocean view one moment and then the poverty right beside you the next moment-kids without pants, dirt covering them head to toe. And who knows when they ate last?

I do know one thing though through all this, when the kids see you smile, the return smile is a wonderful feeling. Hearing about the work done here is one thing, but experiencing the work Derek and Jenn and all the staff have been doing out here is another. Being a part of it has been something I will have forever. A big thank you to all the staff here and to Derek and Jenn for being the support and small nudges to come here. I have witnessed and experienced the work of God's love and grace and the hope you bring to this island!!

Thank you
David Cheetham

Prayer requests

1) Protection, health and anointing for the Canadian Kilcona team joining HIF from June 20-July4!!! Beyond jumping in and serving alongside our staff in our existing ministries, they will be initiating some really great ministries that will help bring hope to many families within the surrounding communities on our island. Updates on the team arrival, ministries and prayer requests will be in the next newsletter!!


In His service,
Derek Van Ryckeghem