“The Africa Hope Center is a grass-roots response to the AIDS crisis by a local church in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2005, the Christian Missions Fellowship began caring for 5 children who lost both of their parents to AIDS. In the last two years, they have grown their ministry to provide a new family and holistic care for 90 orphans.”
Africa Hope Center (AHC) continues to grow; so does the need to "work side-by-side to meet the needs of these children." When Kyle and Anna learned about AHC’s need from their church - Visio Dei in Raleigh, NC - they felt the pull on their heartstrings to serve. They decided to discover a way they could volunteer their time and talent for a month.
As newlyweds, they soon discovered that combining two small apartments into one would require some consolidation of belongings. Enter the notion of a yard sale to begin to overcome the obvious obstacle of the trip’s expense. As word spread amongst friends, this soon became a “loaves and fish” story; people offered up items of their own to help raise more funds.
The church community of Visio Dei has many talented people who regularly see the World as a sea of possibilities. This talent carried over into a support group that pulled together the “Benefit Show for Africa Hope Center”; this became a benefit concert with two local bands – Dakota Darling and A Clerestory – that exceeded the description of “Good Music, Good Cause.”
The poster for the evening’s performance – shown here- was yet another example of the talent from within this burgeoning church community. The poster was designed by Brent Francese, a musician (drummer), architect and designer. Along with Brent, and the bands, many others reached out to Kyle and Anna to help them reach their goal.
Fast forward to today – Having completed their first two weeks, which is reflected in their aspiring blog called, “From Mountain to Sea, and living to love”, they will soon return home. But I gather that their trip will live-on for some time to come, as will the need at AHC. Visio Dei is committed to the long run for AHC. I suspect others will soon follow in Anna and Kyle’s footsteps, much like they followed those who led the way.
There are many areas for all of us to reach out and help others, both near and far. In this economy, the need only grows – not just close to home, but throughout the World. When a “Good Cause” tugs at your heartstrings, will you find a way to serve?
Sidebar: If you are looking for a vibrant church community, located Inside the Beltline of Raleigh, please visit Visio Dei. To learn more about their commitment to Africa Hope Center, please contact the church for more information.
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