Give Hope 2 Kids Blog

A Construction Update

We wanted to give everyone a little update on our current construction projects.  

We’re getting really close to finishing the Furrow house and we (the Furrow Family) may be able to move into it in the next few weeks.  For awhile now our Honduran crew has been finishing the final stucco coat and they've poured almost all the floors and countertops. 

During the past two weeks, we were blessed to have a few electricians and handymen come down and help further the progress of the house.  They were a tremendous help and did everything from spending time with the kids, to installing shelves, to finishing the electrical work in the house.  We want to say thanks to these guys who came and helped us out so much.

Our other main project right now has been putting an addition onto the Library.  We quickly found that our small building struggles to hold the 30-some kids that attend the Library Program.   Also, we've run into storage issues with all the chairs, instruments, and sound equipment we use for the Youth Nights.  So far we've got the walls up and the floors poured.  Once the roof and door are installed it will be ready to use.  We are excited to get our Library Program organized and all our new books in circulation for the local kids.

The 2011 "Cows Edition" Gift Catalog

Here it is:

The 2011 “Cows Edition” Gift Catalog

Just click on the link above to see what it's all about.  Why is it the “Cows Edition” you might be asking?  Good question.  That’s going to be our focus this year, because we’re rolling out two major projects that have to do with cows. 

The first cow-project is pretty obvious.  We are planning on raising our own cows both for milk and for meat.  Last year we bought 3 milk cows, and this year we are hoping to buy 3 more milk cows and 4 young males for meat. 

The other “Cows” are not as obvious.  It’s our new “Computers On Wheels” program (get it…COWS!).  This is going to be a mobile computer lab that will allow us to give computer classes to students from three local communities.  We received a donation of 15 laptops, which arrived on our container, and we want these machines to be used extensively in our library and our community schools.   Giving young people training in this practical skill can often make the difference between having a job and not.  We’re hoping to sponsor the computer carts we will have to build, the voltage regulators to protect the machines from the frequent power surges, the computer desks, and the teachers who will help us instruct the students.

There will be other projects available to sponsor too, but this year, it’s all about the cows.  

 

Celebrating Five Years of Ministry

We are celebrating five years of ministry!  God has blessed us with a very productive season and we are thrilled as we look back and see how far we've come in our quest to care for children who desperately need help.  

To celebrate these years we put together a memory book summarizing the time.  These pictures show how we prepared to, and now are caring for abadoned children, and how we've reached out to our community.  Click on this link, choose to make it full-screen from the bottom right hand corner, and enjoy watching a ministry be born!

http://www.blurb.com/books/2356454

Please feel free to share your comments with us

and share the link on your facebook page!

 

Wiring and Roofing

This past week we enjoyed having a group of eight come down and help us out. It was a mixed group of friends and family, all who had been down to volunteer on a previous trip or two. We so enjoyed having these "repeat visitors" down. They showed how much they value the work we're doing by their continued investment in us and we REALLY appreciate it.

During their week with us we were able to put roofs on the Volunteer House and the Furrow House. We also got a good chunk of the wiring done on the Furrow House.

We also want to say thanks to those who donated to help us buy materials for the roof on the Volunteer House.  This really helped us along with this big project.

As we look back at the past few years we feel so appreciative of everyone who has invested in our construction projects, either with time or finances.  We wouldn't be near so far along in our work without our generous supporters!

Help Roof the Volunteer House

As we’re getting closer to opening the Kid’s Home we need to free up the houses we’ve been using for other purposes.  Right now we (Jason & Sarah) live in one of the homes for kids and volunteers, groups, and other visitors also bunk up in the kid’s homes when they’re here.

In January, we began work on our personal home on the property and we’re continuing the work on the Volunteer House.  We hope to finish these houses in the next several months so we can free up houses for kids.

During the second week of May we have a group coming down that hopes to put a roof on the two new houses and wire them for electricity.  Our problem is that right now we lack the necessary funds to purchase the roof materials for the Volunteer House.  This is the only chance we have to get this house wired for a long time and we need the roof on first.  We want to offer you the opportunity to help.  The estimated cost of this roof is: $4000.  If this is a project you would like to donate towards, you can click on the donate button below.

 

 

Construction Update

In January we started construction again up at our place.  Our current project is building the long-term home for us the directors, Jason & Sarah.  For the last couple of years we have been living in one of the homes for kids.  Now that we're about to take in kids, we want to free up that home and move into our own.

Our construction crew has been working at an amazing speed the last couple months.  The walls are already up and the guys are applying the stucco and putting together the roof structure. 

In the next few of months we will be finishing up this house and the volunteer house.  Both need stucco, a roof, and then the floors poured.  We hope to have these houses finished this summer so we can free up the kid's homes for kids.

 

REWIND 2010: Our Year in Review

Each year we like to put together a visual summary of what we've accomplished.  This year we decided to try and put it online so that it's accessible to more people.  

2010 was incredible for us.  We finally are a Honduran nonprofit and are working directly with the Honduran Social Services to take in kids.  Most homes only have to wait a few months once they're at this stage. 

Also this year, we finished our Activity Center, bought cows, bought sheep, and bought beehives.  In our REWIND we also talk about our plans to start a Children's ministry for young people in surrounding villages.  We've got lots going on.  Thanks for helping us be here and make a difference in the lives of vulnerable young people.  Click below to visit the site. 

 REWIND 2010: Our Year in Review 

 

Thanks to the Group from Life Church

 
We just enjoyed having a group come from Life Church with Jason's Dad, Paul Furrow.  The big project for their trip was to get the new roofs up on two buildings at our elementary school.  In preparation, men from our village pulled off the old roof and took down a few trees.  Then our Honduran work crew built the rafters and prepared the buildings for the new roofs.  When the group arrived we were amazed that they got both roofs up in just over a day of work.  With another few days of work they put in all new wiring into the assembly hall and the kindergarten, both for lights and for a little computer lab (that we hope to put in as an upcoming project).

Then the group came back to our place to do some finishing work on our Activity Center.  They wired the building and put the lights up.  Then much to the kid's delight, they built soccer goals for our little indoor field.

  
 
We really appreciated the time we got to spend with this group and the friendships we formed.  Thanks for all your hard work group!

 

Roofs Needed at the Urraco Elementary School

Several months ago when Jason's Father, Paul Furrow, came to visit, he spent time up at the elementary school while Jason was teaching English classes.  He got it in his heart to help put new roofs on two of the buildings there. 

We teach our English classes in the assembly hall of the school and the roof on that building was getting dangerous.  Many of the wood rafters had termite damage or were rotted and part of the roof actually had several inches of plant life growing on it.  It was time for it to be fixed.

Up a little hill from the rest of the elementary school is the old kindergarten.  Several years back there was a big storm that knocked over a tree onto the building.  Ever since then the kindergarten has been without a roof and kindergarten classes take place on the teacher's front porch.  The building was in rough shape after being without a roof all these years and the kindergartners still need a classroom.  This building needs a new roof.

The past few months we've gotten excited about this project.  It is a great way that we can give to our community.  We feel that the effort we put into making the school a better place will pay off in the kid's lives.  Through our example we hope they will learn to value their education highly and take their learning seriously.

Thank You to the Cloverhill Group!

 
Well, we've just finished another week with a group here helping us get construction projects done.  This time we hosted a group from Virginia.  Some of this group were here on their 3rd trip to work with Give Hope 2 Kids.  We enjoyed spending time with these old friends in the group, as well as making new friends.

The group worked diligently to help us fill in the porch for our volunteer house so it's ready for the floor.  They helped finish pouring in the final squares of our activity center floor, cleaned out a lot of stumps and brush by our playground area, and put a fresh coat of paint on a village church.

We enjoy when our groups get to participate in our English classes and library time as they did.  This time really connects them with the kids here and gives people a glimpse into life in our village.

Thanks team for all your hard work!  We hope to see you down here again.