FGM - Really in these day?

Hello All,
We have had a good week and hope yours was too.  Things have been moving too quickly for all involved.

Patrick our Masai friend showed up again this week.  He graduated from Moffat Bible College here in Kijabe and has now returned to his tribe, the Masai, to minister to them. He has a heart for his people and really has a calling.  We enjoy having him around.  He comes back to Kijabe from up north to get some technical work done (computer issues) and also be refreshed by his Moffat Bible College friends.  He had several stories to tell this time.  One was about 2 young girls coming to him for help.  They are 15 and 16 and their families wanted them to undergo female circumcision (or what we call FGM - female genital mutilation).  They refused so are now on their own.  Patrick spoke with the families but they will not budge.  He has gotten a school to accept them (it is a boarding school) and they started Form 1 (Freshman year) this past January.  He had no money, but the administrators gave him the first term (this was amazing)!  He now has to raise about 15,000 Kenyan shillings (about $170) per term per girl.  There are 2 terms left for this year (till Jan 2015).  So that is about $680 for the rest of their freshman year.  This will pay for their tuition, room and board and possibly books and uniforms.  If you think you can help with this, please get in touch with me and we can make it happen.  Even if it just a small portion of the total, it will add up fast!  jimjulliet@AHC123.com  Patrick is going to try and get a crowd funding project going for other needs that he has and this one too.  He always comes back with stories of so many needs.  He is having trouble setting up a paypal account because the national bank that can do this is having issues.  Once he gets that account, he can get rolling, but the needs are so immediate and pressing.  You can please pray for this to happen.

RVA Art Center:  We poured the second floor this week!  But since then, things have been slow as molasses!  There was a total of 4 men on the project yesterday and another showed up later.  Something about this contractor - just not sure.  Looks like our new schedule puts us finishing in June.  And if my partner in crime (Darrell) has anything to say about it, it will be done then!  So, we will wait and see, but we are going to try our best to hand it over before both of us leave in July.

The BK Wing is going pretty well also.  They are plastering walls inside, have ordered the roofing, selected the flooring products and are continuing with the second floor.  Maybe they will be done in June too?  This could be too much to hope for, but we can pray!  The grand opening is already scheduled for July something (because so many coming from so far) whether it is ready or not.  It will be close enough at that point to have a ceremony.

TB Clinic:  I mentioned last week that they handed over the TB clinic and the ENT building.  Not sure that they are 100% ready for use, but they are close enough so that when an important person comes (the Governor in this case), they can have the ceremony.  Here is a picture of the TB clinic:

Jim thinks it looks like a cheap up-north Michigan Hotel!

Trevor had a friend up at school take his senior photos.  They turned out great!  Love it that it was done and I didn't have to do anything because getting that boy in front of a camera for me is like pulling teeth!

We had our last Senior Store today.  It has gotten very easy since the first days, but I am glad it is over.  Next term the junior class will do it so that we are still here if they need help.  I will be heading up there later with buckets and bleach to clean some corners!

Me and the glazing crew

We have had an abundance of raspberries lately.  I think I have told you about it before, but we are still getting them!  I made a raspberry danish type braid the other day and it was a big hit.

I have mentioned before about how the moon lays down here near the equator.  It is a waning crescent and Venus was right up against it the other morning.  Here is a picture that Jim took at about 6am:

So interesting!

We are continually amazed at the way our things are selling here 5 months before we leave.  People know you are leaving and start asking.  We have a list, although it is not complete, but just about everything on it is gone.  We hope that means that it will be a fairly smooth transition.  We have had a few of those (transitions) in our lives so hopefully we will not be to phased by this one!

Here are a few more pictures.  Please pray for us as we continue to work towards project completions (3), Trevor's graduations (and waiting on college application responses!), getting ready to transition from here (for Timothy and Sallie too).  

Great hornbill in the yard

Giant moth on the car!

Sallie and her friend

If you would like to help Patrick and these young girls with their schooling, please just email me.  You can donate by putting money in my account by sending a check to my mother in law.  I will give you the address when you email.  Also, you could just put it in my paypal account and I can get it from there too.

In His Hands,
Jullie T