2023: A Year of Blessings
The approaching end of a calendar year often encourages a sense of contemplation and a feeling of gratitude. Though usually filled with the busyness of holiday preparations and excitement for family get-togethers, the closing of another 12 months provides a natural opportunity to look back on God’s grace at work over the course of the year. At the VCF, we too would like to reflect on the amazing blessings the Lord bestowed on us and on the schools of the Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA) in 2023.
Two school campuses remain in operation, brimming with just over 600 students who received a meaningful education in a Christ-centered setting. The excellent leadership of the LCCA Board of Education and school principals provided consistency and stability. By facilitating an education in the truths of God’s Word along with the skills necessary for a productive life on earth, children received hope for a future.
The most impactful blessing of this year was the expansion of the VCF-sponsored food program. Students are now served a nutritional meal five days a week. All are very grateful this daily meal is a reality, as many students in Lusaka—the capital of Zambia, where the two schools are located—have inconsistent meals at home. Teachers have noted the helpful impact of the food program, with positive effects on school culture and on students’ behavior and learning.
Your acts of kindness make these schools possible, and we are so grateful for each of the generous donations received in the past 12 months. The LCCA educates and feed these students on an annual basis for about $125 per student, which equates to about $80,000 annually in U.S. funds. As always, full amounts of all donations are sent to the schools, as operations of the VCF are funded by the VCF Board.
Monetary gifts to the VCF truly provided solidity and sustainability for this educational ministry. The need remains: the members of the LCCA and the students served by these schools simply do not have the financial means to operate. Above all, however, we ask for support of the VCF’s work with prayer—for continued blessings on the administrators, teachers, and students, and for the hearts of many to be moved to support this work with their gifts.
For Zambian schools, December marks summer vacation—perhaps you are remembering the blissful anticipation from youthful summers, looking forward to vacations or the next school year. So while we recall the events of the past year, we also adopt such eagerness for the future and joyfully anticipate all God will accomplish through you and the VCF in 2024 and beyond.
