Dear supporters of Ryan’s Rays,
In a recent interview with Nick Vujicic, an inspirational speaker born with no arms or legs, he discussed the appropriate response to unanswered prayer. Nick said one thing in particular that helped me put Ryan’s loss in perspective with the enormous global impact Ryan’s Rays has had over these last six years. To paraphrase, how dare we put God in a box and declare that our plans are better than his? Just last week, family and friends gathered to celebrate Ryan’s birthday. While we may not always appreciate it, it provides some comfort that God’s plan for the impact Ryan would have on this world is much bigger than ours.
Since we began this journey, we have raised over $400k to build 10 classrooms impacting over 4200 children across three continents. Beyond the numbers, many supporters of Ryan’s Rays have been blessed to witness this impact firsthand in Ethiopia, Guatemala, and here at home. And it’s all because of the gift of one beautiful young boy named Ryan. This year alone, we completed our largest fundraiser, raising $95k to construct an inclusive preschool within the Hope of Life campus in Zacapa, Guatemala. We are pleased to announce that construction has been completed, and the school is set to accept the first group of students this January! Thanks to your generous donations, children will attend a school where inclusiveness is “normal” in their educational journey.
Care Center
Recently, we started raising funds for our new project, a care center that will allow Hope of Life International to serve more children living with disabilities. This care center will provide short-term and long-term care, including daily medical support, specialized nutrition, physiotherapy, psychological care, and lots of love. So far, we have raised over $50k toward our target of $145k. For those looking to make a year-end contribution, we encourage you to learn more about this project and donate to this cause.
Looking forward to 2023, we are hopeful that we will once again be able to gather in person to raise funds for this and other projects. The need for inclusiveness both here and around the world remains large. Thank you for your continued prayers and contributions to this cause.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish you peace, health, and happiness in the coming year.
Edward de Groot
Vice-Chair
Ryan’s Rays