Follow a young woman off the plane, down winding dusty paths, and through the doors of an orphanage where children are waiting to teach you the most important lessons in life. Travel past the orphanage to the surrounding villages, and stoop inside darkened huts to greet men, women, and children whose stories of amazing faith give you strength and courage to go forth and fight the everyday battles. See the AIDS epidemic spread from household to household, yet watch as each one rises from the ashes and keeps going. Return in the evening to the quiet cement house enveloped in darkness, the only light a small glow from your candle. Look around the room at your new friends, a people willing to trust God and find joy in the midst of these devastating circumstances. You will come to realize that no matter what a person faces, the pain of grief and hardship is greatly diminished in the presence of lavish love. Come experience true love Janine Roberts grew up in Vienna, West Virginia. She graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1999 and Asbury Theological Seminary in 2004. Janine traveled to Zimbabwe in 1998 and 2002 before moving to Fairfield Children's Homes from 2004 to 2007. During her time there, she worked with Zimbabwean volunteers to expand a program called HOPE. This program provides nutrition, education, and medical support to orphans so that they can continue living with relatives in their communities. She plans to return to live in Zimbabwe in 2009. For her current updates from Zimbabwe, please visit www.hopeofzim.blogspot.com.
