Day 20 – Life Centres

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
– John 10:10

Hands at Work dreams of transforming each of our Care Points across Africa into Life Centres – places where children can come, knowing that they are loved and accepted. Our prayer is that the Life Centres won’t simply be physical places but will be places where Care Workers, children and their families can experience the hope and healing of Christ. Join us in praying for transformation in the life of each person who comes to a Life Centre. Pray that people will, through Christ, receive healing from their brokenness and experience life in abundance.

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Day 19 - Basic Health Care and Security

Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. – Jeremiah 33:6

Within the most vulnerable communities across Africa, there is limited access to basic healthcare services. A lack of local clinics that are equipped with the necessary treatment makes accessing healthcare difficult. In some situations, this means that easily treatable illnesses progress into serious problems. One of Hands at Work’s three essential services is basic healthcare and security. Ask God to protect our children and their families. Pray that God will give Hands at Work the wisdom and courage needed to advocate for the healthcare needs of our children.

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In our communities across Africa, the Community Based Organisations are equipped with basic first aid items like wound dressings , antiseptic cream, and treatments for basic ailments like ringworm.

Regularly, each of our children are given deworming medication, which ensures that they are receiving the proper nutrients from their daily meal.

A part of holistically caring for the most vulnerable children is ensuring that they have a safe place to live. Through regular Holy Home Visits, the Care Workers are able to assess our children’s homes and bring home repair needs to the attention of the local Hands at Work teams across Africa. 

Regularly, blankets and mosquito nets are distributed to our children who are most in need. Having these basic necessities helps to ensure a good night’s sleep and prevent diseases and illnesses. 

The Care Workers are committed to ensuring that the most vulnerable children have access to medical care. When our children are sick, they are taken to the clinic for treatment and to receive the necessary medication.

Day 18 - Education

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. – Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Hands at Work’s dream for our children is not just to help them survive today, but to equip them for their futures. One of Hands at Work’s three essential services is access to education. We seek to encourage and advocate for the education of our children both formally – in school settings – and informally. Pray for each child going to school to study well and be treated with grace and kindness by their teachers. Pray for Hands at Work as we seek to continually grow in our understanding of how we can invest into the lives of our children, helping them to develop into healthy and whole adults who love Jesus.

"We know our children can grow up to be healthy adults who love the Lord and can provide for themselves and their families and can make a positive impact in their communities. That's our dream for them! Imagine what an impact our children can make as they grow up healed of such a past of brokenness and start to model a new way in their community! But it is demanding a change in the way we think about education and learning." - Busie Sityatha-Jones, Hands at Work leader (South Africa)

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Day 17 - Food Insecurity

“The crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ He answered, ‘Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.’” Luke 3:10-11

Food security remains a serious issue in many of the most vulnerable communities in the countries that Hands at Work is serving. Between November and February, many people face a season of extreme hunger as their food supplies have run out and they await the next harvest. Ensuring food security is one of Hands at Work’s three essential services. Today, pray for God’s peace, comfort and provision. Pray for Hands at Work as we continue to learn how to help communities eradicate the hunger season.

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The Third Sunday

On Sundays, we pause to anticipate the coming of Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. – Matthew 16:21

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Day 16 – Teams

While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. - Acts 13: 2-3

In 2021, the majority of teams from around the world were unable to come to Africa. Pray for teams that are hoping to come this year, that they will experience God’s peace in this season of uncertainty.

After several years with no teams in Zambia because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a team from North America was able to visit. It was a blessing to have the team come and be willing to serve with and learn from the Care Workers and Hands at Work volunteers. They walked with the Care Workers on Holy Home Visits, played with the children and gained a deeper understanding of the vulnerability faced by thousands across Africa. Their time in Africa also impacts their perspective when returning to their home countries. Here is a reflection from Melissa Jantz, one of the team members that came to Africa in 2021:

“Last June, Christ Church San Francisco was able to send a team of eight to Malawi to visit the Mcheneka and Mphunzi communities that we have supported for close to a decade. I had the privilege of joining, along with my 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. As I reflect on our time in Africa last summer, the word resilience comes to mind. Resilience is the ability to withstand and recover from adversity. It is a gift that God has built into the fabric of His creation. The devastation, need, and brokenness that is commonplace to the people there is unfathomable as a way of life for those of us from western, affluent societies where "need" is used more figuratively than literally. But day after day, as we met with the Care Workers, children, and families on the Holy Home Visits, we were struck by how much they have weathered - physically, emotionally, and spiritually - in their harsh environment, and yet what capacity they had for joy and hopefulness. This was frequently the topic of conversation when we met as a team to debrief about the day after dinner. It reminds me that, though we would desire to be insulated from harm and difficulty, we are most often powerless to avoid it. Yet God in His grace gives us the strength to withstand and recover. And His offer is not just for survival, but for flourishing; a flourishing that stands in the face of adversity and attests to His great power to work in and through us through the hope we have in Christ." – Melissa Jantz, Team Member from the US

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