Raymond Takes Flight

by David Langeland

Raymond at Liberty UniversityIn early December, Raymond completed his final semester at Liberty University and received the documentation needed to remain in the USA for one year of work experience. During his time at LU, Raymond also completed all the FAA requirements to be certified as an airplane mechanic. In his quest to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an aviation engineer, major milestones have now been completed.

Raymond in front of Flight MechanixTwo days after celebrating Christmas together, another chapter in Raymond’s story was about to begin. In the early morning of Dec. 27th, Raymond and I began the 1400+ mile journey from Lynchburg, Virginia to Amarillo, Texas with all his earthly possessions crammed into his compact car. We were driving to Amarillo because Raymond had been hired by Flight Mechanix, an aircraft maintenance company which services corporate jets, based in Amarillo, Texas. He was scheduled to begin his new career on January 2. Two long days of driving brought us to Raymond’s new hometown of Amarillo. There we secured his new apartment key, unloaded his belongings, made a trip to the big discount store, ate an amazing Mexican dinner, and started the process of setting up his new home.

The next day, I had Raymond drive me to see his new place of employment which is located at the Amarillo International Airport. It was the Friday before New Years Eve so there was little activity happening at the Flight Mechanix office and hangar facility, but it was impressive to see where Raymond would soon begin working. After a brief walk around the facility, it was time for Raymond to drop me off at the airport departure terminal so that I could return home to Lynchburg in time for New Years with the rest of the family. While I was the one boarding an airplane, I could only think that Raymond was the one who was truly taking flight - as he continues in God’s amazing plan for his life!

A more detailed video version of Raymond's story can be seen in the article below along with the stories of some of our other sponsored students. Click to watch Raymond's Story.

We are so proud of Ray’s achievements and excited to see what his future holds. We are also extremely thankful for all of the supporters of the Treasures of Africa KIDZ Education Fund who have made this financially possible. THANK YOU for believing with us that orphaned and abandoned children and young people can truly succeed.

2023 Christmas Banquet Title

This year’s TOA KIDZ Annual Christmas Reunion Dinner was full of joy and many surprises. Amidst the fellowship and of course some light moments here and there, two things stood out.

I watched as the children introduced themselves with confidence and told the crowd their school’s name and their grade, including our “Little Big Shots.” For most Glory at Christmas BanquetGlory Speaking at the Christmas Banquetof them (especially the youngest) it was their first time speaking in front of many people. I listened as child after child validated the support they have received by mentioning the grades they had attained in school. Most of them had attained grade A or B in most subjects. Sitting at my table, I thought about how they have taken their educational opportunity seriously. This pool of bright minds is being prepared for a future that would otherwise not have been attained without the support of our partners.

Then came the most striking moment of the event when our “guest speakers” stepped to the microphone to share advice with their fellow students. Each one was a former Treasures of Africa Children’s Home resident and is now in college. Their speeches were filled with scriptural counsel and divine reasoning which dispensed knowledge and understanding with clarity. Their words mirrored the many years of biblical teaching, mentorship and instruction received while at Treasures of Africa.

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Your Support is Changing Lives Forever!

It is so encouraging to see the fruit of the long term generosity of donors to Treasures of Africa. These two videos follow the stories of two of our TOA KIDZ - from the young ages of five and six until today (over 15 years). This is a testimony to the power of investing in the lives of orphaned and abandoned children in Tanzania through Hidden with Christ Ministries. Enjoy these priceless stories of transformed lives!

 

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More Stories About Our Treasures

  • A Baby Named HOPE

    By Rita Langeland A new baby joined the Treasures of Africa family. An abandoned two day old infant found in the bush went from unwanted to cherished in a single day. What a difference a day makes! One of the privileges we have at TOA is being able to choose a name for these precious treasures when they come to us without one. We take that responsibility quite seriously and we pray for God to reveal the identity He has for that child. We named this beautiful baby girl "HOPE" because we believe she will be a great encourager and "hope-giver" to other people during her lifetime. Please pray for Read More
  • From Sorrow to Blessing

    We can only imagine the anguish of a young mother in Africa who feels she cannot adequately care for her newborn son. Her desperation must have been overwhelming to do what she did on that day. Perhaps she was a single mother with no money and no extended family to help her. We don’t know for sure. All we do know, is that she bravely carried her bundled child to a local church in Moshi, Tanzania and stood in a prayer line. After waiting for a while, as a visiting Bishop prayed for those who patiently stood in line, she asked a nearby woman if she would hold her baby Read More
  • Lucy Created Her Own Video!

    Missionaries Vince and Vicki Welch work with our kids at Treasures of Africa doing tutoring each week. When 12 year old Lucy expressed a desire to learn how to make a video, Vince volunteered to teach her the ropes of working on the computer to put together a simple video. She made a video about her life at Treasures of Africa. We thought you would enjoy seeing TOA through Lucy's eyes!  
    Read More
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