September 2012 Update

RATS, BATS, AND INSECTS 

I must admit that I was disturbed to recently discover that some of our children had been bitten by rats. If you are anything like me, it is hard to wrap my mind around the thought of going to bed and wondering what might be “nibbling” on your feet while you sleep. Rats, bats, and insects are realities that people just live with in Kenya – they are part of the “way of life” and therefore acceptable. While we have strict policies in place to protect against these intruders, changing the way of thinking is a very slow, pains taking process. Preventative measures as simple as routine placements of rat poisons (non toxic to humans), keeping the grass cut, and making sure that mosquito nets are in place will take care of the majority of the problems. Please pray with us that our staff will begin to change their way of thinking and understand that there are effective methods of fighting these unnecessary intruders.

BOOTS ON THE GROUND 

A SAD FAREWELL

Many of you may remember the story of “Rooftop Salvations” back in a previous update where William gave his heart to the Lord while we were working on the roof of the new Boys Dorm. Moments like these that take place while we are just sharing our lives together are priceless. Last week I received a text message from Kenya informing me that William had been fatally struck by lightning. My heart was saddened, yet at the same time encouraged. We will miss his smile, but because of the Hope purchased for us by Jesus Christ, we will see him again. Please pray for his family in this trying time.

OUR NEW ADDITION!

It’s a boy!  We are so blessed to have a healthy new black and white calf whom we (on the American side) have affectionately named Oreo.   With his arrival, we now have fresh milk aplenty!

 Dear Friends,

RENO TEAM

I wanted to share a great testimony of one of our team members and a precious lady named Elizabeth. As we were preparing to go out and share the Gospel hut to hut one day, the Holy Spirit impressed on me that we would come across someone who had prayed for something and we would be the messengers that would bring the answer. The second hut that we entered that day was dark and dismal, and barren except for the makeshift bed which was nothing more than a blanket stretched out on the dirt floor. The walls were all but bare, and there were a couple of chairs. My heart was moved with compassion as my eyes fixed on Elizabeth, bedridden due to a problem in her swollen feet. The pain was evidenced by the pitiful look on her face.

Through an interpreter, I called her by name and asked if she had asked God for something. She told me that she had asked God to heal her feet. I then asked her when she had prayed and she told me it was about a week ago. When she said that, it was all I could do to keep from shouting, as the Lord revealed to me that it was about a week ago that we had left America, and that we indeed were carrying the answer to her prayers! The Lord also told me that He wanted to increase the faith of one of our team members. I told her to lay her hands on Elizabeth’s feet while I prayed. After a simple prayer, I asked Elizabeth if the pain was gone and with a surprised smile, she said YES! She stood to her feet and began jumping around as her smile widened! God had indeed touched her. Needless to say, our team member was also very excited as God had moved in her life as well.

This story excites me as God reassures us that He hears our prayers and sends the answer on the way. We, as the body of Christ are literally carrying the answer to someone’s prayers! Whose answer are you carrying today?

PREACHING, TEACHING, AND EVANGELISM

 

Pastors were encouraged and challenged to continue fighting the good fight. This came in an opportune time as the Ministry we were working with (New Wine Emmanuel Shalom Ministries) had recently lost their Bishop due to a sudden and unexplained illness, and “wolves from within” had tried to tear and divide the Ministry. 1 Corinthians 16:9 says “a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me”. I believe that this is an exciting time for NEWS Ministry, as they have experienced a divine “pruning” and now their opportunity for growth is ahead. Please keep Bishop Mary Orao in your prayers as she fills the shoes of her late husband in moving this Ministry on.

Carry the Light Christian Academy

Left Wing

Right Wing

Among all the other accomplishments on this past trip, we were able to finish the right wing of the new Carry The Light Christian Academy and build the left wing to the point where it is ready for the trusses and roof. A few more courses will see the center building at the same stage. The school will have 10 classrooms, 4 offices, and a library / multi purpose room. Our capacity will be 250 students, and plans are in the works for big announcements ahead!

We also began construction on the church building for Pastor Joshua. It is also ready now for the trusses and the roof.  Our missionaries, Craig and Cherie LaBarbera, are there now and have held the first service in the new building. Even though it doesn’t have a roof yet, it is a major improvement on the stick framed “lean-to” with a plastic tarp roof they have been meeting in for the past couple of years. The church members are very excited about having a permanent place of worship, and I have already had reports that the congregation is growing!

 

Groundbreaking

First brick

Security gril ls and doors were installed on the Pavillion securing it in preparation for opening the Home. Our biggest delay right now is the government paperwork we must have in order to proceed. Changes in the current administration have

Finished!

caused our registration papers to sit some where on a desk

in the government offices. Please pray with us that our documents will be approved before my return to Honduras in November. To my understanding, after these papers are approved, our Ministry will officially be registered in Honduras, and we will proceed to get our inspection of the facility. When we pass inspection, I am told that the process will move rapidly, and we will be able to receive children in as little as a month or so. This means that we need to begin preparing by furnishing the dorm rooms with beds, etc., as well as the kitchen and all of the other necessities to begin operations. The construction can be completed in a very short time (probably a couple of weeks or so) but I have not placed a high priority on this at the moment due to the delay of the papers. We will also be structuring a sponsorship program for these at risk children in the near future. This will give opportunities for Sponsors to touch the lives of these precious children.