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Thank you so much for your donation. Your donation will help orphans and refugees in South Africa. God Bless PS: You do not need to have a Paypal account to use the Donate feature. After clicking on the Donate button you will be taken to the Paypal page. On the bottom left is an option to donate using a credit or debit card account.
As you read about the orphans and refugees in South Africa, we pray that God will touch your hearts and that you would join with us in prayer; not only for the physical needs of these precious ones but that they would come to know Jesus – their 1Hope.
The Team
Emmanuel - Program Manager
I was born in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I am the 2nd born of 12 kids. In 1994, Rwandan people fled their country into ours due to war. That same year I witnessed massive killings of refugees in a camp as they were attacked at night. It was such horror, all through the night. I would hear noises of gunshots and we were commanded in the morning with many others high school students by soldiers to carry dead bodies out of the roads on our way to school. I was 15.
As I started University I became involved in political debates as a leader and many died. After graduation I started working as a medical assistant and then was later sent to Rwanda where I had to administrate a hospital. God made me escape death and prison.
I soon returned to Goma, North Kivu. Devastation hit as my young sister died, robbers destroyed my home and I was left without shelter or job. In 2003, I returned to work in Bukavu my hometown and started two humanitarian non profit ngos. Soon I was hospitalized for some weeks. My office was robbed several times and was loosing terribly in everything. Some of my active members were killed by rebels; others displaced or enrolled in the army. I was depressed and in righteous anger. I knew I would be killed soon but I trusted the protective hand of God. I was obliged to flee my country at night on the 24th of August 2006, to an unknown place. It took me four months to arrive to South Africa … my family, friends and work colleagues back home thought I was dead as I did not say goodbye to anybody, not even my mother.
In 2008 by an opportune occasion I met the Macks at my workplace, by God’s grace and by the love of a family I met here, I got back something I had lost – My Smile!!! “Love Never Fails”, my nieces (Josh and Marda’s girls) sang it to me. In 2009 I took on the position of Program Manager for 1Hope Ministries and help in serving the hurting and hopeless here in Pretoria, South Africa.
Donovan and Heather Drew
Donovan and Heather Drew hope to join the 1Hope team towards the end of 2010. Their sending church is Bethel Grace Baptist Church, near Long Beach, California (www.bethelgrace.org).
Donovan was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. Heather was born in Bellevue, Washington, but she moved to Leon, Spain when she was 8 years old (her parents served as missionaries there for 13 years).
We met at our sending church, Bethel Grace Baptist. Donovan had come to America to study at The Master’s College (B.A. Biblical Studies), and became a youth pastor at Bethel Grace in January 2006. Heather began attending Bethel Grace when she returned to the U.S to be a student at Biola University (B.A. Liberal Studies – Elementary Education). She became the Children’s Ministry Director at the church after she graduated in June 2007. We were already good friends, and after serving together for a few months, things became pretty clear! We were married in June 2008.
God has given us both a love for the local church, a love for children, and a burden for the needy, especially orphans. We started dialoging with Josh and Marda at the suggestion of Dr. Mark Tatlock, a former professor and mentor of Donovan’s from The Master’s College. It’s been a huge encouragement getting to know them and brainstorming with them about ways to minister to the desperately needy in South Africa. We’re so blessed by the opportunity to learn from them and help them further their ministry!
We look forward to serving in whatever ways are helpful. Amongst other things, we hope to work on ways to help local churches minister to orphans, and to equip and encourage South African Christians to adopt. We will also be caring for orphans ourselves.
We’d greatly appreciate your prayers!
Thank-you very much!
Donovan and Heather Drew
E-mail:- Donovan: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- Heather: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- Donovan: www.facebook.com/donovan.drew
- Heather: www.facebook.com/heather.drew
- www.masimdumisene.wordpress.com – Life updates and recent pictures
- www.faithfuldiscipleship.wordpress.com – Miscellaneous posts on Christian life, philosophy of ministry, etc
Marda Mack - Director
My husband Josh and I have longed to minister to orphans in Africa since before we were married 13 years ago. I am married to an amazing man of God and I am
thankful every day for the love he has for the Lord, his family and for the lost and hurting. It is with this love that he is so gracious and patient with me as I seek to find ways to help those around us. He is also a wonderful encourager as I tend to get a bit emotional with the overwhelming sadness here. Here is a bit of how we got here…
Two years ago I joyfully packed 17 dufflebags as my husband, my 3 daughters and myself (5 months pregnant) moved across an ocean where we had so long waited to come!!! I am now a mother of 7, 4 daughters of our own and 3 abandoned children that now have become part of our family.
We love serving in Africa. God has put such a desire in my heart to do what I am doing here. I cannot imagine being any where else!!! I find great joy in caring for my home and loving the children He has put in my care. When I am tired, I remind myself that there will come a time that I will “find rest beyond the river”… but for now, I labor not in vain!!!
the orphan and vulnerable. Over the course of these past two years God has brought many people, both orphan and refugee into our lives. I often become so overwhelmed with the depth of need in each person’s life, physically and often spiritually as well.As a pastor’s wife and mother of 7 my resources and time can only go so far. I see the needs around and work to meet the needs where I am able and I desire for this website to be a place where you can meet a few people I have met and hear their stories and I would like to share about some projects I have started.
- My Little Helpers: McKenna, Cambria, Caitlyn, Muzi, Zanele, Bayley, Lincoln