Finlayson Newsletter

October 31, 2005

Greetings to all from warm Guyana! Trust and pray that all is well with you and your families.

Just wanted to catch up with you on some of the things going on at HOPE. The last time I wrote we were about to have our big Sports Day.

This is one of the highlights of the year for the children of HCH. Our English guys, Martin, Dan, Patrick and Jason did an outstanding job again this year. I am beyond amazed at how these four guys gave up their entire summer from University to work 3 days a week with our children. It is such a wonderful way for the children to learn team work and to build up each other. The actual Sports Day was a blast! We had the most gorgeous weather and a few spectators to cheer the children on. They were so excited and as you can see by the photos they were putting all they had into this day. We were honored to have with us Kayleigh Burgess, the wife of the Managing Director of COURTS. Dave and Kayleigh have been big supporters of HOPE in various ways and it was a privilege having Kayleigh and their two sons with us. Also, we had with us again this year Mrs. Hilda Cox-Bullen, the wife of the United States Ambassador. She too supports HOPE in various ways and because of her frequent visits to HOPE the children have become very attached to her. To them she is "Aunty Hilda". Both Kayleigh and Hilda shared the honor of placing a medal on each child. This to me was the best part of Sports Day. As opposed to last year where the winning team took home the trophy, this year each child was a winner and took home a medal. It was such a positive day!! A special thanks to Glenda Birse, Mother to one of the sports guys, for making this day a success. She worked very hard making sure that everything was taken care of as I was taken up with teams coming in and going out as well as VBS. Without Glenda, I'm not sure there would have been a Sports Day! Thanks Glenda!! Thanks Guys!!

Some important news that I failed to mention in my last newsletter was three guest from Melbourne, FL who came to work for HOPE getting appliances, PA system and other things up and running after the container arrived.

We are so grateful to Eulice, Don and Keith for taking the time to come help us in these areas. They did a fabulous job putting their heads together to improvise when they would run into a problem and did not have the right tools, etc.. to correct the problem. They got a taste first hand what it's like to try and get things accomplished in Guyana. It becomes very frustrating but getting frustrated doesn't help matters, so it pays to be patient. Sometimes that is very difficult when you are hot, sweaty, tired, hungry and to top it off....you can't understand why things around you are being done they way they are. I'm still learning!!! Two special things happened while these guys were here. First was the addition of little Stephan. He was 5 months old when I took him and weighed only 3 pounds. It took me 24 hours with no sleep to discover, along with a local Physician, that he had a sucking problem and did not know how to suck his bottle properly. After discovering this and working very patiently with him to correct it, he put on a pound the first week with us. He is now 8 months and weighs about 11 pounds. Sweet baby that is thriving well on our love and well...of course his baby milk!! The other thing that happened while our guest were here is the hospitalization of little Esther. While our guys were on their way back to Florida, Esther took her trip home to be with her Father. It was a very sad time but one that I knew was coming. What a sweet little girl she was. Now she is safe in the arms of Jesus! What a blessed thought. The most interesting thing about her funeral day is this. I, in my last words to Esther, wrote that she is now in Heaven with Jesus and I asked her to look over all the children and bring those children to us that need HOPE. Thirty minutes after arriving home from her funeral someone came calling at our gate. I was cooking so Kenneth went to answer. It was a lady with 3 very pitiful children who needed HOPE in a most desperate way. She was no relation to them. As a matter of fact, she was on her way back to New York when she learned of the children's plight. She vowed that she could not return to NY until these children had a place to live. Someone directed her to me and that is how we were blessed to have Lena, Navin and Deochand. What sweet and appreciative children they are. It is a pleasure having them at HOPE knowing that they will learn of God and of His Son Jesus. Because of this they have hope for their future.

Rebecca from Philadelphia came in August and stayed a month helping us in any way that we needed her. She was such a blessing and our children fell in love with her. Rebecca had been coming to Guyana for the past 8 years or so working with another home. It was that experience that made her so valuable to me the month she was with us at HOPE. We gained 3 new computers and 6 slightly used ones as well as 2 barrels of clothes, books, etc. because of her influence. We are grateful to all those who assisted Rebecca in getting those things donated, packed and shipped to Guyana. We know what an effort it takes to get things like this organized and processed. We are looking forward to her being back with us at HOPE next year.

Just after Rebecca left, two beautifully talented ladies from Melbourne, FL arrived to spend a week with us and offer their help at HOPE. Debby is no stranger to us as she is very involved in the lives of each child at HOPE. She has had a very positive effect in their lives and they love her dearly. "Aunty Debby" is always welcomed at HOPE. Dinah on the other hand was a new face to us all. Dinah is a school teacher who has come out of the school system to home school her children. It was wonderful having these two ladies with us for the week. Dinah used her knowledge and experience and was able to help guide the First Grade teacher and give her lots of great ideas on helping with behavioral problems we were experiencing in the class room. Debby was a God send for me as she took my role of conducting chapel and teaching the Bible class each day for the children. She also taught the 4th Grade Math class each morning. All of this took so much pressure off of me and allowed me to focus on other things that was badly needing my attention. I had told Debby and Dinah about half way through the week that I was not letting them go back to Florida until I found the teachers that I needed. My children heard me say this and couldn't understand why, at the end of the week, I was "letting them go" as I had not found teachers yet!!! What a wonderful team they made and the beautiful thing was that they put their hands to willingly do any and everything they were asked to do. There is talk of a Teachers Training Workshop for the year 2006. Can't wait! We will be praying towards this. What servants! Thanks ladies!

This leads us up to some very special days that we had in our new school last week as we exemplified Character in various ways for the week. I'm leaving that for another day as it will take me more than a "few words" to paint the picture of what is going on at Hope Christian Academy. Some exciting things are happening and I know you will want to be part of that!

Before closing I just want to let you know that today we found out Ministry of Housing has approved and passed our building plans!!!! It's been 8 months now that we had planned to get started constructing our new building for HOPE. We could not move an inch until these plans were passed. There is still one more stop that the plans have to make but that shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks. We are planning to break ground around your Thanksgiving Holiday. What a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving!!! Think of us on that day and please remember us in your prayers.

I would like to end this letter by saying how thankful we are for you. Without your prayers and financial help, there is no way that we could be able to do all that God has allowed for us to do. It is by His grace and mercy that we are able to care for and educate 45-50 children, bringing them up in His ways. Please pray for them daily. Please call them by name to our Father. They have come a long way....there is still a LONG way to go and we know that. We take it...not one day at a time...but minute by minute...as we face each day with it's new set of trials and obstacles to overcome. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am where God wants me to be, doing what He wants me to do. Having you to support us and the work we are doing means so much. As the new year approaches us, we ask for your continued support. God will bless you for helping the severely abused, abandoned and orphaned children of Guyana.

With Much Love,
Samantha Finlayson