The Pitcher that fills

Hello All,
It is Easter week-end!  Can't believe we are near the end of April.  School will begin again a week from Monday, then it will be 12 more weeks, about 5 days to pack and we leave from this place.  But, this is not the end, it is really only the beginning.  The beginning of Bethany Kids in their new building, the beginning of Trevor in college life, the beginning of us again in Reed City.  John 10:10b "...I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly."  We are looking forward to the change as we have so many times in the past with dread and also with joy.  But, we try and remember that it is a beginning and not an end!
We are burnt out with the work here as so many missionaries get.  The life and work all melt together and the needs are so many that we get so engrossed in getting the task done and forget to take care of ourselves.  This is where Jim is now in particular.  He says his brain has already traveled home!  Not sure how you function without a brain?  Imagine a pitcher filled with water; fresh, clean, life-giving.  But, this water is nothing unless it is poured into a cup and drunk = life!  God is the pitcher of life giving water.  We are the cup.  We need to be filled so that we can overflow onto the saucer and spread His love.  If we are not filled, we can not give to others.  It is time to listen to His voice and head home.  We have moved so many times, but this one is anticipated the most.  I think because the life here is so tasking.  There is little time to "fill the cup" and pretty soon it is empty and there is nothing left.  This week end is a holiday (Friday through Monday) and we are taking it off!  It is time to fill the cup a bit and not do anything.  There are books to read and good food to make and napping to be done!  Hope I can accomplish these 3 things on my "list!"

We went to the Giraffe Center and the Elephant orphanage this past week.  It was fun to be kissed (actually he was just getting fed) by a giraffe and to watch the baby elephants.  There are about 30 baby elephants at this Sheldrick Orphanage.  They are brought here when they are found in the wild without a mother.  They need mother's milk for 2-3 years!  There were many found trapped in wells that were dug by nomads and not covered up when they moved on.  They have a program where they keep them and feed them for about 5 years.  Then they move them down to Tsavo National park to slowly integrate into a herd.  This process takes another 5-10 years!  It takes that long for the elephants to be accepted into a group.  The handlers are patient and seem to enjoy their job.  Here are a few pictures:

We had a great day and continued on into Nairobi to do some shopping and buy glasses.  I could really tell that the kids had not been shopping with us in a long time as every other step was, "Mom, can we get this. Mom can we get that!"  They did get some pringles and a few other items but it was not a journey without pain!

The Bethany Kids wing is making one step forward and 2 back right now it seems.  They have a May 9th date for completion, but looks more like Nov 9th!  It will be sad not to be here for the opening and if our architect had it his way we would be staying another 6 months, but we can not.  There is an EMI construction manager that is in Kampala that was displaced by the violence in a nearby country, and it looks like he and his wife are going to come to help oversee the rest of the building.  This is a huge blessing to us and Bethany.  EMI has been such a good resource for us.  They have helped in so many aspects of our mission.  

The Art Center at RVA - not too much to report here except that we now have bids from 2 contractors to finish the job.  These bids though put us exactly right back to the beginning as far as money and time go!  It is amazing!  Actually, one of them is about $60K higher than the original bid and it is for work going forward, not the whole thing.  Hopefully, we can sit down this coming week and sort out the details of it all and get moving again.

Trevor was accepted into Michigan Tech this past week.  We are waiting to hear from 3 other schools and then waiting on the financial packages to come in.  I sure thought that by now we would have sorted it all out, but there goes that change in the path of life that you never expect!

Please pray that:
1. The contractor for BK would not loose steam and get the building done.
2. The RVA Art Center will find a new contractor at a reasonable price.
3. That Trevor's school acceptances come in with good financial offerings.

Hope Easter is a good time for you as we all remember what was done for us:  1 John 4:9 By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him."

In His Hands,
Jullie T.