Shantel Kanyandu, age 14(ish)
Shantel is loving, passionate about life, and a little crazy! :) She does not remember her mother or father, as they both died when she was a toddler. She and her brother Rodney, who also lives at Peniel Centre, were taken in by their grandmother, but she died soon after Shantel and Rodney moved in with her. They were then sent to their uncle's home. He was extremely abusive and took advantage of his niece and nephew, prompting them to escape into the bush. At this time they were about 9 and 11, living on their own with no shelter, food, clean water, or money. Often they only had locusts to eat. Luckily, Fountain of Hope heard about them and went out searching for them. They had no idea where in the bush they might be, especially since they were attempting to hide from their uncle. But God's hand led them along and they found them within an hour! So awesome.
After adapting to life at Peniel Centre and going to school again, Shantel "blossomed," as cheesy as that sounds. She is at the top of her class in athletics and attends one of the best girls' high schools in Bulawayo. She gave us all giant hugs every day and, as you can tell from the picture, is very excited about everything! She and Sisa (blog about her coming soon) are the best of friends and spend every waking moment together. It is so encouraging to see Shantel's hope and joy. She wants to be a nurse, and she would be great at that. This girl has passion and will achieve her goals if she is given the chance.
Pray for Shantel. Pray that she will channel her passion to the right areas. Pray that she will listen for the still, small voice of God. Pray that her enthusiasm for God and his Word will never cease. Pray that she would be given opportunities to do the things that she loves. Pray that she would know, without doubt, how many people love her and support her.
After adapting to life at Peniel Centre and going to school again, Shantel "blossomed," as cheesy as that sounds. She is at the top of her class in athletics and attends one of the best girls' high schools in Bulawayo. She gave us all giant hugs every day and, as you can tell from the picture, is very excited about everything! She and Sisa (blog about her coming soon) are the best of friends and spend every waking moment together. It is so encouraging to see Shantel's hope and joy. She wants to be a nurse, and she would be great at that. This girl has passion and will achieve her goals if she is given the chance.
Pray for Shantel. Pray that she will channel her passion to the right areas. Pray that she will listen for the still, small voice of God. Pray that her enthusiasm for God and his Word will never cease. Pray that she would be given opportunities to do the things that she loves. Pray that she would know, without doubt, how many people love her and support her.
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