I know that it has taken a while for you to hear from me about any updates on the orphan ministry.
The monthly visitation in the homes of 23 orphans and the food assistance are continuing as well as give food to other 3 churches for their needy orphan children. To explain in case of misunderstanding, the children who have finalized their documentation to prove in every way by birth certificates and death certificates of both parents are those 23 are visited in their homes. Other names and partial information of children are nearly 150. These children are being help now as we bring the food to the church and then the local church divides it among them. These children are receiving about half of what the 23 are getting. Part of the problem of getting the information from the guardians of the children is coming from the local governmental offices because many times they ask for bribes to do little things like writing these letters. I will probably need to visit these offices myself to see how I can expedite the process, when I can get to those areas to visit them, mostly the hindrances are time and rains that block some of the road ways.
We are building the first orphanage and I have attached the plans for its compound for you to see. A group of 11 with CLAIM at BIMI is coming under the leadership of missionary Philip Smith next Wednesday to be with us for ten days in order to help us build the basic structures. Each of the buildings are 15 ft. by 30 ft. Please pray for their trip as they will leave the states and Canada on Tuesday the 14th and leave Nairobi on the 26th of this month. The site is five hours from our home in Kisii so we have booked an entire guest house and my family also will be staying there for those days as well. Tonya will be doing the cooking for the team and helping the ladies who come to plant trees and other things.
The orphanage compound size of the drawing is about 130 ft. by 150 ft. and it is inside a 5 acre plot that we have ben given by the local community for the church and any project that we can do to assist people in the community. The land is where they use to have their local bull-fighting and wrestling with bulls and other sports activities. It is all open land and not owned by any individual. The church has just finished building a building next to the road and they are planning their first meeting in the church on the 18th of this month. We are inviting community leaders to come to the service and many from the surrounding areas to attend this special occasion. The church was started as a Bible Study in 2009 and then we opened it as a church with the first baptism in March of 2010. We fenced the property in May of this year and the orphanage compound is in the back of the property behind the church. When we finish the basic structures then we will fence the orphanage part by itself for better security for the children.
I was there yesterday and we put up markers for where the buildings would be and they are beginning today to dig the foundation so that it will be ready for the team to build when they arrive on the site on Thursday next week. We are praying that the foundations, walls and roofing will all be done in this short time. Please pray that rain will not be a hindrance to getting these things finished.
This orphanage will hold up to 40 children at capacity so the expenses are increased because of the availability of land and the need in this area. We already have names of 26 children who will be able to benefit from this project. Please pray that all of the beds, tables and chairs, kitchen utensils, caretakers, a good water supply, and other things will be able to be put into place by January of 2012 so that we can open the doors to these children.
Also please pray for wisdom in choosing the right caretakers for these children, and the monthly financial support to care for them.
Thank you for your continued support for this project.
After finishing what we can do here we will be looking at the town of Kuresoi with Glory Bible Baptist Church to see how we can get started with that project there. The land is in good condition and there are 15 orphans who we are visiting monthly. The number may raise to 20 once we open the doors, but the area is a hot place for political violence that we saw in 2008 where many of these children's parents died. The government is beefing up the security in the area so that it does not happen again. Elections will take place again next year. Please pray that God will give us direction on the way forward.
Please forgive us for the laxity in communication with you. Due to a tight schedule, low internet access, and electricity outages, we have not been able to keep everything up to date on our website about the orphan ministry and the children.
May God bless you and as you pray for these children in Kenya.
