Covenant Kids

The generous offering given by CHIC 2012 is impacting lives in India, Colombia, DR Congo and South Sudan. We continue to receive stories about how these funds are directly affecting children through on-going ministry. The Casa de Paz (Peace House) in Medellin, Colombia is a safe home for a small group of boys. Each of these boys comes to the Peace House in need of care, consistent adult presence, and a nurturing environment. By living here they are rescued from a life in the streets of the big city where gang activity, drugs, and crime threaten their future. Funds from CHIC have helped them to extend the garden where they grow beans, cabbage, lettuce, peas and broccoli. They have also been able to fix up the house, repair the washing machine, buy an irrigation pump, and paint. They send their thanks for helping them provide a caring home. The boys continue to learn about Christ’s love and his Word. Through them their mothers and grandmothers are seeing what it means to be loved by Christ and are making changes in their lives too. *Pictured: students from California who attended CHIC recently visited Casa de Paz and spent time hanging out with the boys.

If you haven’t watched this video yet we invite you to check it out! Designed to help children understand the community development process in Congo, this video has fast become a favorite among Covenant congregations – for adults and children alike!

Jadhav is in Standard 6 (6th Grade) at the Hindustani Covenant Church (HCC) school.

His mother teaches at a private school. His father is paralyzed. Due to the unfavorable financial situation at home his mother is totally burdened. She has to pay for her husband’s hospital charges as well as look after her children and the home as well as work too.

Jadhav receives a scholarship from Covenant Kids through HCC. This is a great relief to his mother and allows her to best care for her children. Jadhav and his family are so very thankful for the generous scholarship that allows him to continue at the school .

Luz Mariana is a preschool teacher at the Colegio El Pacto (Covenant School) in the Potosí barrio (neighborhood) of Bogotá, Colombia. The school hosts 250 students in preschool through 8th grade. Luz Mariana has 30 little ones in her classroom whom she loves and holds in her heart. This is her first year teaching at the Potosí school and she is very happy to be there. She says, “I am thankful for the loving way that Marlly, the Director, treats the students and staff.”

“I am also thankful,” she continues, “for the scholarships that are sent for children because indeed the parents do not have resources to provide education or adequate food.” Currently, eighteen students receive scholarships through Covenant Kids and Vidas Cambiadas (Changed Lives) the children’s outreach program of the Covenant Church of Colombia.

The Equateur Province of DR Congo is close to 7,000 miles away. 7,079 miles to be exact. That’s a big distance no matter how you calculate it.

And right now there are 12,000 children living in poverty who are signed up and ready to be sponsored by individuals and families. That’s about 30 elementary schools worth of children who are in need of education, clean water and nutrition basics. That’s a lot of children with a lot of need.

But this fall you have the opportunity to sponsor just one child. Your on-going sponsorship of one child will change their life completely. With your connection to this special young one an entire community will receive nutrition, clean water, economic growth, education and a hopeful future.

Today, where you are, will you consider sponsoring one child who is 7,000 miles away?

Janhvi Merwade is in Standard 3 (3rd Grade) at the Hindustani Covenant Church (HCC) School.

Her mother is divorced and she is working in a Private Office earning only 2000 Indian Rupees a month ($36 US dollars).

Janhvi has a brother too. There are a lot of financial problems in their family as her mother is the only person earning a living.

Janhvi’s mother has a very keen desire to have her children educated. She takes personal interest in her children’s studies and meets the class teachers to inquire about their progress.

Janhvi’s mother is thankful that the HCC school has supported her with scholarships from Covenant Kids. Because of this she has been able to take good care of her children even without their father.

Last week over 5,000 Covenant high school students, volunteers and leaders attended the energetic, Christ-centered conference called CHIC. The Covenant World Relief offering for CHIC2012 focused on Covenant Kids around the world. Students had various opportunities throughout the week to learn more about ministries to children in Colombia, DR Congo, India and South Sudan.

Representatives from Covenant Kids countries shared with CHIC students each day.

Representatives from each of these countries shared with students each morning and were featured in an introduction video called Change the World. During worship on the last night of CHIC students gave an overwhelmingly generous offering to Covenant Kids. The largest offering in CHIC history; this $127,555 will change many lives of children in great need. Thank you CHIC students for your outpouring of compassion and love!

Please receive a big hug from me! My name is Maria Jose Areiza. I am 9 years old and I was born in Santa Fe de Antioquia. I have been at CEIP (Covenant Integral Educational Center in Medellin, Colombia) since kindergarten and now I am in 4th grade. I am very content here in my school.

This year, my family did not have the economic resources for me to continue studying at CEIP. The truth is, I needed a miracle to stay in school here and it happened! Thanks to resources donated by friends (Covenant Kids), the director said that this year I would be able to study for free.

I arrive each day ready to study. We start at 7 in the morning and with my classmates we start to talk about the past weekend. We get in line and wait for the greeting from our director, and he prays to bless our week.

This year we celebrated Children’s Day with many things. There was ice cream, hamburgers, “arepa” with cheese, soda, and a small gift. One classmate sang very beautifully, one classmate’s father made us laugh a lot with his jokes, and some of the children performed a skit. We had a really good time.

Thank you for the help you give us. All of us here appreciate it very much.