September 2025 Ministry Update
Dear Friends,
We pray that this newsletter gives you a small picture and an invitation into the incredible work God is doing in Zambia. Every child we serve, every meal shared, and every life transformed is a testimony of God’s faithfulness through prayers and generosity.
This October we are launching a Child Sponsorship Campaign with the goal of seeing at least 75% of our boys and girls matched with sponsors who will walk alongside them in prayer, education, and hope for a future (We are currently at 50%). Sponsorship is at the heart of what we do because it connects people directly to a child’s story and future.
Sponsorship ensures our students are given a Christian, quality education, receive an introduction to the love of God, learn how to read the Bible, eat two meals a day, have access to clean water, and have their family invited into discipleship opportunities.
The relationship between a sponsor and a child is so special and is a wonderful way to show the love of Jesus all the way across the world!
If you are not yet sponsoring a child, we invite you to consider stepping into this beautiful opportunity! Already sponsoring a child? Would you consider asking a friend or your small group to consider sponsoring?
The stories that follow in this update are a glimpse of what your support can make possible every day.
*Note - none of the students nor care takers mentioned in this newsletter are pictured.
What does it mean to be vulnerable?
Our school in Lusaka, Zambia serves vulnerable children. What does that mean? I’d like to give you a picture with the example of our past month here at Hands of Hope Trust School.
We have year-round school with three one-month breaks, and during this past month our school was on a break. Students do not come to school during this time, which gives our teachers and staff time to train, plan, and re-center. It is also a time when many parents come hoping for a space for their child.
We don’t advertise our school or even have a sign outside. Word of mouth spreads quickly, and the great number of community members who hear about our ministry are hoping to get a chance to come.
This month, I met a child who had never been to school before. Our guidance counselor paid him a home visit and found no running water, little food, and a “family toilet” that was just a shallow hole in the backyard. We found space for him at our school, and the mother who is caring for him fell to her knees crying, thanking God.
The next day, a grandmother brought her grandchild, a little girl who is an orphan, born from the abuse of her mentally disabled mother who has since passed away. The grandmother had been praying that her granddaughter, who has never known her parents, could go to school.
The following week, another grandmother came with her two granddaughters. Both are orphans. One has physical disabilities and is HIV-positive. Neither girl had ever been to school, even though they are now fourteen and sixteen years old.
With every child like these, we counsel and minister to their caretakers as we try to find the space and resources to bring them into school. Many live with eight to twelve other family members in small houses with only a few rooms.
At the same time, we are preparing for the challenges of hot season. We have seen unclean water in our area, and we are trying to creatively and intentionally brace ourselves for possible sickness or outbreaks of disease.
As we opened for term three, we called around for missing students, praying they would return safe.
There are always a few who don’t, as families in poverty often face instability in housing.
This is what vulnerability looks like: children who are orphaned, children with disabilities, children who carry disease, children without their basic needs met.
This is just a small glimpse of the children we welcome into our school, praying God will continue to send sponsors so we can keep making ends meet and caring for them.
Staff Development and Technology Training
We are so thankful for the kickstart of some amazing professional development in the last term break and are continuing with that momentum! Our teachers and staff sat in workshops on differentiated learning, classroom management, and committing to our vision as a school.
They also were able to utilize the donated laptops to begin online typing lessons and practicing using online programs within their classrooms.
Pray For Our Grade 7 Learners!
Our seventh graders are taking their first big exams October 27-31. This exam is cumulative of their entire primary education and determines whether or not they can go to eight grade.
We are praying for them to remember all that they’ve learned, have determination and perseverance as they study, and that they would be empowered by God during exam time.
Please pray this with us!
We have also been talking for years about starting eighth grade at our school, but are still praying through the decision while we also wait for provision from God on the “how”. For now, we pray God opens up a spot for each and every passing student at another school so that when they graduate from our school, they can go to another nearby school, bringing with them the love of God that has been extended to them the past 9 years.
Classroom Evangelism Partnership Program
This past month we had an awesome time with Camp Chiyanjano “Champs” and their leadership team on a school day. They came to do classroom evangelism, answer our students’ questions about God , praise Him, and play fun games with our students. It was such a fun and special day for everyone!
Celebrating our Teachers
On October 5, we will be celebrating our teachers on Teacher’s Day in Zambia! There’s always a big celebration within Lusaka and we get to honor them with a day of fun and great food!
To highlight and love them well, please pray for each of them during this hot season - that they would “run the race with endurance that God has set before them.”
Praying for Partners
Currently, while we are so thankful for all God has done in and through Hands of Hope, we are praying for God to guide us in how to discern and be a part of the lives of our students and their families.
We have needs of trauma counseling, consistent health needs, spiritual discipleship needs, etc. Sometimes the needs are so great and can feel daunting.
Please pray with us as we consider partners that are doing great work for kids in Zambia. Pray that we would be able to link arms and find ways to unite to help all of these children that God has put before us. We can’t do it in our own power, but we can accomplish His calling through Christ in us!
Church-Planting and Evangelism in the Bush
We were able to be a part of a third church-plant out of the original church plant in Mutanya Village. The Hands of Hope team, in partnership with Mutanya Baptist Church, hosted a three-day Jesus-film crusade in a remote village a few miles away from our Mumbwa Transformation Center.
There was door-to-door evangelism during the day and watching the story of Jesus and preaching during the evening. People came to know Jesus Christ as Lord, and Jordan Baptist Church was commissioned with new members!
The team then moved to a village within Itezhi-Tezhi hours away, where they did a three-day church leadership training and another Jesus Film crusade during the evenings. They even got to be on local radio to talk about who Jesus is and invite community members to the Jesus Film program.
During this time, we saw miracles and healing from God, 200+ people give their life to Jesus, and a renewed passion and faith within the church. Praise God! To Him be the glory!
As for Luke and Savannah…
We have some new subscribers to our newsletter, so welcome everyone!
You may be wondering what our roles are here at Hands of Hope. Luke is the president of Hands of Hope ministry, leading both the Zambian and USA side. He handles project management, accounting, legality, boards on both sides, as well as doing ministry with church-planting and evangelism within the bush.
Savannah is the communications director for Hands of Hope Ministries and the school director of Hands of Hope Trust School. She does all things education, sponsorship, and child welfare! We both work together a lot as well, especially on trips and vision of the ministry.
We pray God would continue sustaining us and showing us His way. We pray that we would not lean on our own understanding, but commit our ways to Him so that He can make our path straight.
Our own children are growing so fast and it’s so fun to watch them grow here in Zambia! They are a beautiful light in our lives and we are thankful for the community God has been providing for us over the past year here in Zambia to sustain us and encourage us. We covet your prayers and pray for everyone who is reading this.
