We have had a good week but can't believe how short we are getting. Tony and his wife Judith came this week to relieve both Jim and I on the projects. We have started the turn over part and pray that he won't be overwhelmed.
Bethany Kids: The senior management has pretty much changed over in the past week. There is basically a new contractor's project team. Hopefully, they will add some new life to the project and this thing will finish up in the next 6 months or so. BK has delayed the official opening ceremony till later in 2015 so that they can have an operational facility (with patients). It is disappointing to not see it operational now, but we are over it and just happy to see it still moving forward! Expectations are a funny thing!
RVA Art Center: Things are moving now that we have a new contractor. We are happy to see things happening in parallel and not in series! We finished pouring the upper ground floor walkway and are heading on to the columns on the third level (that will support the roof). Tony is taking over for this one too and spent some time reviewing all the paperwork. He is also helping me finish up the water project there. We are in the throws of writing lots of paper to capture the findings. It all starts to swim in my head after a while and I have to step away for a bit. I am really ready to leave it and start looking towards the transition, but just have to finish it first (hopefully this coming week will see the end product).
The new water tank for Kijabe Hospital is almost on line. We are very excited to see it up and even painted!
Hopefully this week, it will be filled with water and flushed and soon will be operational.
Kijabe Station is also putting up a tank. It will supply the community. It won't be as big as this one for the hospital but it will do a great job at keeping a supply of water available so that they don't run out.
Yesterday was the fourth of July. I love this holiday - but have missed it for 4 years now! It is usually a bit cold here and school is still going on, so not many fireworks and BBQs happening. Sallie's class did a history study on America so they had a bit of a celebration yesterday to show the kids what it is like. They had hot dogs for lunch, a softball game, apple pie (some had never eaten apple pie!) and a hike. It was a little taste of a 4th celebration:
Looking down on Kijabe hospital
In a place where some have spotted an owl family.
We will certainly enjoy tubing down the Muskegon River next year with our church!
Below is an excerpt from the Oasis for Orphans Newsletter. It is about being a "fan" for an orphaned child. The Smiths are friends of ours that live here in Kijabe and work for Moffat Bible college and also Oasis for Orphans. In our bible study, we were talking about grace and how God is our Fan! He is the one cheering us on and encouraging us. Phil 2:13 says, "for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort - for the sake of his good pleasure - is God." He is our biggest fan. In the book of Ruth, her story is one of despair at the beginning, but as she follows the plan laid out for her (in faith at every step), her tragedy turns to hope and blessings. And, it leads to the birth of King David down the line. It shows that God has far reaching plans that can be worked even through what we see as pain and suffering at the moment, but latter are turned into the fulfilling of His plan.
Looking
for Fans
Who
is your biggest fan? We all have people in our lives who believe in us, who
think we can do almost anything. Maybe your parents have always been your
greatest devotees, cheering you on since your days in little league? Maybe
it's your spouse who has supported you, encouraging you to go after your
dreams? Perhaps your kids are the ones who look at you like a hero, building
you up with respect and admiration? Most of us have at least one, if not many
fans in our lives to encourage us, love us for who we uniquely are, and
remind us of our worth.
Sadly,
there are millions of orphaned children in Kenya with no fans at all...not
even one. They never hear the words, "I believe in you." No one
cheers their names. No one sacrifices comfort or time to ensure they have
opportunity. No one tells them how precious they are. How can these children
hold onto hope when there is no one to tell them what hope is?
In
contrast, our Oasis kids have fans we like to call "sponsors." Our
sponsors are our Kenyan kids' biggest fans. It is our sponsors who pray,
cheer, encourage and enthusiastically support the children who God has
entrusted to the Oasis family. Children's lives are changed and eternally
impacted by the special relationship that forms between a child and his or
her sponsor. Our sponsors make it possible for us as an organization to
implement the holistic development plan that is protecting, educating, developing
and preparing these children for their future.
As
Oasis turns the page from being a single site to opening a second site, we
are looking for fans to join us on our exciting journey. We need new sponsors
who will enthusiastically commit their hearts, minds and resources to help us
love and cheer on 30 more children in southwest Kenya.
Would
you consider being one of our newest fans?
For
more information about sponsorship, please take a look at our website under
sponsorship and/or contact Diane@oasisfororphans.org
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I love how being a fan for a child is expounded on here! This is where it starts and as they grow and know the love of their fan, they can come to know the love of God who is their biggest fan!
Please pray for us as we close out this week of turn overs. Trevor's graduation will be on the 17th (a week from Thursday), then we can concentrate on moving all of this stuff!
In His Hands,
Jullie T
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