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House of Wells Enrichment Centres
Quarterly Newsletter (July to September 2021)
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RESTORING HOPE, RELEASING POTENTIAL
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Dear H.O.W PARTNERS, thank you for your regular support, generous donations and prayers for the children at HOUSE OF WELLS. You are not only blessing children with your contributions, but nations; because each child goes home and in turn blesses his/her family. Thank you for partnering with us, as we plant the seeds, you are watering them and God brings the increase and growth in the lives of the children. May God mightily bless you.
     
H.O.W QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER – July to September 2021
This quarter was challenging because of the effect that the occasional lockdown restrictions had on our Centre activities. South Africa returned to a higher level of lockdown for most of July, which prohibited large gatherings. Zimbabwe and Uganda were under similar strict restrictions in July and August, so in these two Nations, our programmes and events were suspended for 2 months, and we had to find alternative means to support the children and check on their wellbeing. We thank God for the various ways that we were able to serve HIS children and meet their needs despite the limitations.
Our lessons this quarter were based on Colossians, chapters 1- 4. Amongst other things, the children learnt that they should focus their mind on the things above and they should not love the things of this world to the extent of making idols of them. They also understood that by keeping the word of God in their heart, they will live a life that is pleasing to God.
     
H.O.W 13th Anniversary
In August, we celebrated 13 years since House of Wells was founded in South Africa (S.A). In 2008, we travelled to South Africa, with lots of uncertainties ahead of us, but we knew that because God had sent us, all would be well eventually. We started with just seven children who we called off the street and ministered to at a Community Centre in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Today, about 2,400 children in 20 Centres are benefitting from the work that House of Wells is doing across 4 Nations in Africa – helping children and young people through education / vocational studies and feeding them (spiritually & physically).
**In Port Elizabeth (S.A.) – 1898 children in 10 Centres (during the week) & 4 Saturday Youth Centres (150 Teenagers) – 14 centres in total.
**In Cape Town (S.A.) – over 50 children and Youth attend our 2 Centres in Nyanga and Imbasa.
**In Kwekwe (Zimbabwe) – over 135 children and Youth benefit from the H. O. W Programmes, operating out of 2 Centres.
**In Lusaze, Kampala (Uganda) – 1 Centre, with 140 children attending
**In Lenana, Nairobi (Kenya) – 1 Centre, with 130 children.
**8 of our teenagers are currently in University. Many more doing better in their education through the House of Wells Tuition Centres.
**Many of the children that have benefited from House of Wells’ extra tuition Classes have excelled in their education, with many more on track to do the same.
**Our teenagers are embracing a life of purity through Christ, and turning away from gang culture
**The lives of many children have been transformed and as a result, their families have come to the knowledge of Christ
**Many communities continue to be transformed
It’s been a mixed bag of testimonies and challenges, yet a privilege and honour to serve in God’s vineyard. All the glory belongs to Him. We are truly grateful to all our partners, God can never forget your labour of love, your kindness and generosity to the children and young people at House of Wells.
     
2021 CHRISTMAS FOOD HAMPERS
As usual, we have started the preparations for this year’s FOOD HAMPERS. The food packs will be given to the children during the week Mon 29th Nov – Fri 3rd Dec 2021. This year, we are raising funds to buy food packs for over 2400 children across the 5 countries in which House of Wells Enrichment Centres are currently based, i.e. SOUTH AFRICA – 1948 children; ZIMBABWE – 135 children; UGANDA – 140; KENYA – 130 kids and in NIGERIA – 50 children.
PLEASE donate £5 or R100 towards each hamper, and kindly consider sponsoring as many children as you possibly can. Please spread the word among your family and friends. We would appreciate your support to bring the Christmas joy to these children again this year.
To Donate towards the food packs: –
U.K. – HSBC BANK PLC, Account Name – House of Wells Limited, Account No – 31817353, Sort code – 40-09-06.
Please use “XMAS PACKS+your SURNAME” as reference.
SOUTH AFRICA – Standard Bank (Walmer Park), account name – House of Wells Trust, account no – 201497581, branch code – 024310.
Please use “XMAS PACKS+your SURNAME” as reference.
YOU CAN ALSO DONATE via PAYPAL on our website – www.houseofwells.org/DONATION or use the link paypal.me/houseofwellsAfrica. Please use “XMAS PACKS+your SURNAME” as reference.
 
TESTIMONIES
The Maree twins (H.O.W. Bloemendal) – Armed robbers tried to gain access into our house during the night, but the criminals fled when they heard us praying in tongues. We are grateful to God for His protection over our family.
Roliesha – My Mum was an alcoholic, but since I joined H.O.W, I have learnt how to pray and speak the word of God over different situations. So, I started to pray for my Mum and trusted God that He would deliver her. God answered my prayers. She no longer drinks alcohol. Praise God!
Zavier M – Before I joined H.O.W I was bad-mannered. I loved to pick fights with everyone and used foul language. However, since I started attending H.O.W the Lord has transformed me. I have learnt to honour and respect people. The leaders at H.O.W have shown me so much love and kindness.
Luwayne N – I thank God for H.O.W! During the last Home Visit, House of Wells leaders asked if my family had any prayer requests. At that time, my mother was unemployed, so we asked that God would give her a job. God answered that prayer, and today my mother has a job. At H.O.W, I have learnt to believe in Jesus and in the power of prayer.
A Mother said she loved what we are doing because the children are getting a firm biblical foundation from what we teach them, and that they are gaining a sense of right and wrong at a very young age. She also said she appreciated the roles we are playing in the lives of the children, and she prayed that God will bless H.O.W and its leaders.
Another parent said that she was grateful for H.O.W, because when her kids get home from school, most of the time there is no food to eat, but thanks to H.O.W, she is relieved that her children do not come home on an empty stomach.
     
Teenagers’ quarterly TALENT COMPETITION
The quarterly teenagers’ talent competition continued to have an encouraging impact on the young people in various ways, such as confidence-building and the honing of creative skills. The competition is aimed at stirring their creative abilities and the prizes available also help to meet certain needs for their families. Last quarter some teenagers used their prizes to pay for their haircuts and also bought special treats for their family. Their parents were very thankful for the money, and for the fact that H.O.W. is not only giving children spiritual food, but ensuring that they also have fun.
This quarter, the teenagers were asked to write a book, based on any three scriptures from Colossians chapters 1 to 4. They received points for the content of the book, the design and creativity. It was amazing to see the effort they put into this task and the different writing styles they employed.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes were equivalent to $15, $10 and $5 in local currency respectively. Three teenagers won prizes in Uganda and one in Kenya. In one Centre in South Africa, there were joint 1st place winners (they were that good), and five additional winners from other Centres.
One of the winners in South Africa is a teenager with quite traumatic childhood experiences. S.B. lost both her parents when she was very young, she escaped being raped by a family member, was rejected by her own family and had to be fostered by one distant relative after another. Last term, one of our leaders noticed S.B was quite withdrawn. The leader supported her with prayer and counselling. This support was helpful, as S.B was then able to fully concentrate on studying for her exams and then took part in the competition.
          
UPDATE FROM EACH REGION
HOUSE OF WELLS South Africa
It was wonderful to meet with the kids again after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. As usual, they came with such a hunger for the Word of God, and to be in His presence. We thank God that they are all well and healthy. Not one is missing. No one got sick. Their faith in the word of God and the power of prayer is increasing.
The weather in South Africa has begun to get cooler, wetter and windier, but that did not stop the kids from attending the House of Wells Centres.
We have started to use School premises again, while we also continue to use fields and other open spaces that are large enough for the children to spread out and maintain social distancing. We also have other necessary precautions in place. A House of Wells leader checks the children’s temperatures as they arrive, ensures that hands are sanitised and that everyone is seated at least 2 meters apart. Increasingly, children are attending wearing masks.
Throughout this quarter, at the end of all of our sessions, we prayed Psalm 91 over the children and and their families.
         
HOUSE OF WELLS UGANDA
We continue to see God impacting the H.O.W teenagers in Uganda through our weekly programme. In August, we completed a teaching on prayer, and as a result, the teenagers spent time in prayer and waiting on God. This stirred up a visible passion for the things of God. Our lessons this quarter were focused on the book of Colossians and given the challenges that many teenagers are experiencing due to the lockdown, we focused on Colossians Chapter 3, to point them to Christ. The teenagers also participated in fun activities such as Netball, Football, and other sports.
As large gatherings are still banned in Uganda, due to the pandemic, we continue to reach out to the younger children through welfare calls. However, in addition to the home visits, we have made plans to meet with the younger children in small groups of 5-10 on different days.
We bless God for the impact that H.O.W is having on the community in Lusaze. A recent example was a single mother who sent her son and daughter to the home of our Centre leader to request for food, because they had not had supper for two nights. Through the generosity of our donors, we were able to provide the family with some food.
Glory be to God for the incorruptible seed of the word of God that has been sown into the lives of the young people at H.O.W. Nicholas, a young man who had been with H.O.W. Uganda in the first two years, started an apprenticeship at a Mechanics garage, and as a result, he could no longer attend H.O.W programmes. Nicholas recently contacted our leaders and told them that he had been having dreams about coming back to the place of prayer and fellowship with God.
      
HOUSE OF WELLS ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe was under strict lockdown restrictions in July and August, so we had to suspend some of our Centre activities, but we are thankful to God that we were still able to provide for the needs of the children in H.O.W Kwekwe, via other channels. The restrictions were lifted in mid-September, schools have now re-opened and H.O.W Centres activities have also resumed.
Once again, we want to say THANK YOU to one of our Donors who supported two orphans in Zimbabwe – Tatenda (9) and Ngirozi (8). Their outstanding school fees, fees for the current year and their school uniforms, have been fully-funded. We have also been able to buy mattresses, groceries, clothes and other items that they desperately needed for the current winter season. Tatenda and Ngirozi have now started school (see photos below), praise God! We pray that the Lord will greatly reward this donor, may God register this seed concerning her, and may it stand eternally before the throne of the living God as a memorial.
Please pray along with us concerning a legislation that the Zimbabwean government is planning against community-based organisations like H.O.W.
      
  
HOUSE OF WELLS KENYA
During our Teenagers’ session, one of the attendees gave a testimony of how God gave him favour with his school teacher. Cyprian did not have a geometrical set, which was required for him to be able to sit for a mathematics test. He said that he prayed for favour and told his friends that he was going to take the test, but they laughed at him. When it was his turn to show his set and enter the classroom, he asked his teacher politely to let him do the test even though he did not have the geometrical set and the teacher agreed. Cyprian found favour!! We bless the Lord that all the prayers that we pray for our children are yielding fruit.
We bless the Lord that three of our children who sat for their Primary school exams, passed and have gained admission into Secondary schools.
On a Saturday in September, we organised a FUN DAY for the teenagers, during which they enjoyed various activities, such as dance sessions, football games and many more.
One of our teenagers that we have been praying for, has finally had her surgery, which was a successful procedure. Praise God! Kaselina was discharged from hospital on 21 August 2021, and she is recuperating well. Not only did God send a sponsor to pay the hospital bill in full, but God also gave Kaselina another testimony: A sponsor has come forward and promised to pay her school fees for the entirety of her high school education. We give God all the glory for Kaselina’s double miracle!
     
THANK YOU PARTNERS
On behalf of our Trustees, Staff and the children at our Enrichment Centres , we would like to express our gratitude to each and every one of you – every Individual, Organisation, Business and Church that partner with House of Wells (monthly or occasionally). You are a key part of the lives of numerous children that are being transformed by God, through House of Wells, across South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya.
We appreciate every individual, church or organisation that sends donations for the children’s daily meals and monthly groceries, for the purchase of school uniforms, for extra tuition classes for our Teenagers; for staff salaries; and for our flight tickets to and from the Mission stations – THANK YOU! May heaven bless and record your sacrifices and seeds sown into the lives of these children, in Jesus’ name.
Churches partnering with HOUSE OF WELLS:– The Liberty Church London (UK); City Chapel London, The King’s Family Centre (TKFC) U.K, RCCG Living Water Parish (UK), Trinity Chapel (UK), RCCG Bethel Parish, Chapel of Life (UK), Worship Tabernacle (UK), Charis Christian Centre (UK), Beacon Life Church, (Kenya) and HARVEST Christian Church, (Port Elizabeth) – we are grateful for your assistance and support in various ways.
Organisations supporting HOUSE OF WELLS:– Rest Assured Property (UK); LPS Estates (UK); ShopFit Group (SA), VITAE London, Ambience Consult LTD (UK), Systemxnet Limited (UK), Vision Excel Ltd (UK) and Panacom Ltd (UK) – thank you so much for your consistent financial support, may God continue to bless your businesses.
Many blessings,
Richard and Kemi OYIN-ADENIJI
House of Wells Enrichment Centres
www.houseofwells.org
FACEBOOK/house of wells enrichment centres – http://goo.gl/Gw792H
UK Charity Commission Reg no. – 1133474
SA Charity Reg no. – 074732NPO
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