Celebration of Achievment

On August 14, the center of Hope hosted a party to celebrate the end of another term. Students from Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Eritria and Uganda to celebrate with one another of their achievement for having completed another term.

The party began with prayers of thanksgiving and blessing in several different languages. After the prayers, each attendee had the opportunity to try foods from all over eastern Africa, South Korea, United States and Canada. Over the meal people had the opportunity to laugh and share with one another. The relationships that have grown in classes were evident during the fellowship.

Each student who regularly attended classes during the term received a certificate commemorating their achievement. For many of the students, these certificates represented the hard work and accomplishments they have made over the term. There are a number of students at the center who have had little to no access to school in the past. The main reasons for this limited access to an education are poverty, little infrastructure and war. Thus, there are many students at the center who are older and work hard to speak, read and write in English. Their hard work and dedication is truly inspirational.

In the midst of prayers, fellowship, laughter and celebration, cultural and ethnic boundaries were crossed and superseded. The day's festivities were a beautiful picture of the depth of God's creation. Although the students speak a variety of languages, have different cultural practices and beliefs, unity is found in being a creation and child of God.