Dr. Armiger brings a great deal of knowledge about, and passion for, World Hope International to his new role, having served previously as chair of its Board of Directors for seven years. Well-known and respected throughout his denomination, Armiger currently serves as one of three General Superintendents for The Wesleyan Church.

A graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and Nazarene Theological Seminary, he was ordained as a Wesleyan minister in 1979, later completing his Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. Armiger's career has included service as a local church pastor, denomination executive, and superintendent of the Virginia (now Shenandoah) district of The Wesleyan Church. In 1997, he was elected to his denomination's highest office as General Superintendent.

"We are very pleased and excited at the depth of knowledge and experience Dr. Thomas Armiger will bring to World Hope International," says Dr. Evvy Hay Campbell, chair of World Hope International Board of Directors. "He brings a great understanding of the needs of developing countries and a heart for World Hope International's global mission. Though we were saddened by the resignation of Dr. Eastlack and express our best wishes for his future service to Christ, we are confident in our subsequent decision of appointing Dr. Armiger as CEO."

World Hope International is a Christian relief and development organization working with vulnerable and exploited communities to alleviate poverty, suffering and injustice.

Haiti is slowly picking up the pieces from the January 2010 earthquake that took thousands of lives and homes.

Megan Nykyforchyn-Clark says World Hope International has been actively involved in education and healthcare in Haiti for years and has taken on various parts of the rebuild process. The ministry provides sponsorship for several children in Cite Soleil. World Hope is beginning the rebuild process in June for the kids' primary school, which was demolished in the quake.

The need for school rebuild is particularly great. "Nearly 80 percent of the schools in areas impacted by the earthquake were destroyed." Nykyforchyn-Clark notes, "Even prior to the earthquake, only 50% of children had the opportunity to go to school."

The school in Cite Soleil currently is still meeting under a tarp.

What most would consider basic shelter remains a luxury in the area. Because so many homes were destroyed in an already impoverished community, hundreds of families are still living in tents.

"Some have been able to move back inside, but many have not," explains Nykyforchyn-Clark. "So this will literally be the only permanent structure that many of the kids are in each day."

The building will provide hope to children as well as to the community, which will be able to use the earthquake-secure structure to meet safely. The area has a history of crime, but has calmed down over the last few years. World Hope wants that peace to continue.

Even more significant hope will come in the continued godly teaching of the Christian teachers at the school. "We make sure that children not only get a good formal education but also hear about who Jesus is and how He cares about them in their circumstance," says Nykyforchyn-Clark.

The new, eight-classroom school building–which will be located next to a church–will be built in three phases. World Hope has all they need for phases one and two, but phase three–which will ensure the project wraps up by the end of the summer–still needs funding. $60,000 more is needed to ensure the completion of the building in time for school to begin.

You can donate to this project here, or call World Hope for donor information at 888-466-4673. At worldhope.org, you can explore the ways World Hope has gotten involved in Haiti and donate to this project, which will provide hope and healing for kids and their families, but will also reassure them that they aren't forgotten.

"This construction will show the communities that Christians in North America are wanting to come alongside them, wanting to assist them and provide tangible support for some of their basic needs, including education and a place to worship," says Nykyforchyn-Clark.

"This project will be a real symbol for the community that they have not been forgotten and that we want to see them prosper again."

Then, when the earthquake struck, some 5,000 schools were damaged
or obliterated.

Haiti's education system has never been in greater need.

Seeing this need, World Hope International will be
rebuilding two primary schools they supported long before the earthquake.

The two schools are in Cite Soleil and Verger, and World
Hope has been supporting them since 1999 and 1997, respectively, through their
Hope for Children sponsorship program.

Between the two schools, almost 120 kids are enrolled.

Though the need in Haiti is still overwhelming, World Hope anticipates
the impact even two schools will have on the country overall. As they give
children a place to learn, they will break down barriers with these kids and
parents, which will give them a chance to form relationships and share Christ's
love when opportunity presents.

Click here to support World Hope in the construction
process.

The problem could be quickly reduced if only there were a way to access clean water.

World Hope International has built wells in Sierra Leone while working on a host of other projects in that area over the years, but they can only be built as funds allow. It costs $3,500 to build and install one well, which will typically provide clean water for about 700 to 1,000 people.

The Fishers Rotary Club of Fishers, Indiana took note of these facts and partnered with World Hope with the goal of helping them build 100 more wells in Sierra Leone by 2011. Recently, members of the club took a trip to Sierra Leone to see the impact of a single well in a community, with the intent of filming the experience.

"[The club] put together an incredible documentary as to the need and the hopes of the people, what they would do with clean water, and how it would benefit their country–especially their children," says World Hope CEO Karl Eastlack.

At the April 17 premier of the livingWELL documentary, $300,000 of the necessary $350,000 to build the 100 wells was raised. People were touched by the film and clearly moved to help as they could.

As World Hope teams build these wells to bring life to thousands in the poorest countries in the world, they will also have the chance to talk about the life Christ gives.

"We have a wonderful opportunity. In every village in which we dig these wells, we then present the Gospel using water as an understanding. It's amazing the lights that come on in people's eyes when they clearly understand what Jesus Christ offers them for eternity."

Although the Fishers Rotary Club has made spectacular headway in fundraising so far, more funding is needed to reach the goal of 100 wells for Sierra Leone. To contribute to the project, click here.

To view a trailer of livingWELL, click here. Several other clips of the documentary can be viewed at the Fishers Rotary Club Web site for the project, waterislife.org.

The work of World Hope is spread out in nine different communities in the Ntcheu District as they seek first to impact individuals, then households, and finally the whole community, according to their annual report.

Throughout these communities, they built and opened nine Community Orphan Trusts; trained hundreds of individuals in leadership, agricultural or marketing/financial skills; helped over 50 people become caregivers to assist with basic home care and nutrition; and established 11 Community-Based Child Care Centers. These centers support 825 children under the age of 5.

Additionally, World Hope trained 53 individuals in Community Health Education and assisted 230 ill or elderly patients. Because of the drought and lack of food that so often plagues the region, they also distributed over 3300 pounds of Vitameal Flour for the child care centers.

In an effort to counteract the severe droughts of recent years and lack of fresh water, World Hope has also installed and repaired wells throughout these communities.

So far, World Hope has drilled 25 new wells and rehabilitated 20 wells, providing clean drinking water for some 32,000 people.

While all of these projects are greatly improving the lives of individuals, World Hope also wants these people to be able to sustain themselves. Thus, they began eight income-generating livelihood projects to help individuals head in that direction.

Ultimately, through all of these projects, World Hope workers are showing the love of Christ by being His hands and feet, and they hope to see a holistic transformation.

Their goal is to see that "individuals and communities are transformed into dignity and wholeness when the redemptive power of Jesus works in and through the local faith community to bring spiritual, social, economic and physical change," as stated in their annual report.

Consider helping World Hope continue their outreach in Malawi. Click here to get started or to learn more about other ministries World Hope offers.

World Hope International says their diesel well-drilling
rigs and some of their other equipment is in need of repair. They're asking for
master mechanics who can give a couple of months to help.

Their water programs
play a key role in community development and evangelistic ministry. They're looking for a candidate who would
have experience in engine and equipment repair and maintenance. Prior experience drilling wells is not
necessarily required, but they do need someone with a working knowledge of the
equipment involved, namely diesel engines and hydraulics.

Primary tasks would be to diagnose current equipment
problems, identify the parts needed, and repair the problem; identify worn parts
and filters that need replacing; inspect safety systems and make sure they're
operating safely; assess maintenance practices and offer training to locals.

They're hoping, if possible, that this candidate would be
able to travel to Sierra Leone and/or Zambia for similar work on those water
programs.

World Hope International believes that communities can be
transformed when the redemptive power of Jesus works in and through the local
faith community to bring about spiritual, social, economic and physical change. 

Click here for details.

Hope Corp coordinator Debbie Hoover says, "In 2007 we sent 39 teams abroad. And, right now scheduled for 2008 we have 55 teams on the books. So we're really not seeing that the economy has affected people's interest in serving, which is really impressive to me."

While the economy has hit many Americans, Hoover says not even the economy can hurt God's work. "No matter what our economy is, God's economy is greater, and He's still challenging people to step out of their comfort zones and take a cup of cold water to the needy," says Hoover. "So I really think the church is the church, and no matter what happens to our pocketbook, we're called to do God's work. And I think we're seeing that through short-term missions."

Many need food, and medical attention, and everyone needs the Gospel.

According to Hoover ,the most immediate need is for teachers for one of their teams. "We have teams that are serving overseas. They are made up of U.S. teachers who give a week or two to go overseas, pay their way, and share their teaching expertise with teachers in developing countries. And I do have some vacancies to go to Azerbaijan, Guyana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone."

World Hope also is offering trips for youth and adults that would include agriculture, community health, orphan outreach, human trafficking and more.

Hoover believes short-term missions is a key to every church mission program. "Once two or three people go, and they report back to their church on this experience of working overseas, it does really enthuse congregations. It gets more people involved."

If you'd like information on how to join World Hope on a trip, click here.

World Hope International's Director of Hope for Children, Ann O'Dell, says Christians are constantly on alert. "Some of the churches that we work with have guards who are at the doors now. And their Sunday services are kept to a shorter period of time to keep the extremists from entering and causing problems."

Since Pakistan is predominately Islamic, Christians are discriminated against, especially in school. "Children from Christian families are often denied the right to attend a government-sponsored school. Often they're forced to sit at the back of the classroom, if they're even admitted to the school. They're not allowed to drink from the same water sources that the Muslim children are allowed to drink from," says O'Dell.

To remedy that, O'Dell says World Hope International has started Christian schools and sponsorships to support the students. They have a boys' hostel in place, and they're raising money to complete a girls hostel. 

Since persecution is such a risk, O'Dell says, "Many families just don't try to send their children to school because they want to protect their children."

Your sponsorship of a student not only provides an education for the child, it protects them. O'Dell says, "Thirty dollars per month covers the cost of tuition, school uniforms, books, and supplies, plus it also helps to cover medical needs and provide some food."

While your financial help is needed, something more important is also needed. "Our people there remind us every time we speak with them that they depend on our prayers for their continued safety and for God to continue to help them be a light in a very dark corner of the world."

If you'd like to support World Hope's ministry in Pakistan, click here.

World Hope International's Richard Schroeder says they're doing
just that as part of their mercy ministry. 
He says, "There is tremendous poverty around the world and this is
really a Christian response to seeking to help people pull themselves up by
their own boot straps. It's very much a way of creating income."

World Hope helps the local church establish stand alone
financial institutions. Schroeder says these financial institutions only work
with the poor who have identifiable skills that will allow them to start small
businesses. The loans consist of only $50 or $60, but it's transformative.

According to Schroeder they have these financial
institutions in seven countries, but none more successful than their work in
Sierra Leone. "This bank for the poor has become the largest lender in the
whole country. It has over 16,000 clients that it works with and that's larger
than all of the commercial banks in the country combined."

While these programs aren't intended to be evangelistic
outreaches, lives are changed spiritually as well. "The staff are all believers and they incorporate their spiritual mission to
spread the Good News of Christ in their daily lives and that's incorporated
into what they do in their work."

As World Hope works side-by-side with the World Bank and the
United Nations, Schroeder says their success, "has given the church some
real credibility in these secular circles," which is giving local
believers even more opportunities to share the Gospel.

Pray that this work will cause many who are connected to the
program to begin asking questions and that many will eventually turn to Christ.