Dana Neevel in Ghana

Teaching at Haven Academy

         Dana arrived in Ghana to teach at Haven Academy in August of 2009 after she had spent the previous year teaching in Hong Kong.  With a background in math she began helping the teachers at Haven Academy learn better ways to teach the students math.  She was a quick fit with the children living at Haven of Hope.  They enjoy going on runs with her, hearing her read to them, cooking with her and so much more.  Dana has worked hard to put together a new library for the kids to enjoy.  It was a major undertaking as it required lots of cleaning, assembling, sorting and resorting books, but the outcome has been great and the children are really enjoying it.  Dana has been such an asset to Haven Academy. 

Praise the Lord!  Dana was set to finish her time at Haven Academy in June 2010 but has felt God leading her to stay longer.  She has extended her service term and will now remain at Haven of Hope/Haven Academy at least until December.  She will return home in June for a short visit with family and friends and then return back to Ghana.  Please join us in praying that her time home would be refreshing and full of blessings. 

Dana has just recently been joined by Tawnee Martin who will be staying at Haven of Hope and living with her for the next year.  Together they have begun a new specialized tutoring program for some of the older children who need extra help.  These children are older and had never had the opportunity to be schooled before coming to Haven of Hope and therefore had to be placed in classes with much younger children.  With this new program they are hoping to help these children excel and be able to move up in more quickly in grade.  Please pray that their efforts would be blessed and fruitful.  The initial reports sound great, they say the smaller number of children and one-on-one work is going great.

We are so grateful for all the hard work Dana has put in at both the home and the school and for the love she is showing our "African Jewels."