Well, we have great news! The Bethany Kids Children's Center (official name) is a go! We got the word late last Saturday night and were very excited. There are some financial constraints, but we can certainly work with those. God is Good! His timing is amazing. These last few weeks, Jim has been feeling like the hospital wants us out of their knickers, so now we will have a full time new focus. We are scheduling talks with the architect and administrators to chart the way forward. There are many things to do to prep for the ground breaking. For one, we need to move a building that we call the Quonset Hut. It looks like an airplane hanger and is about 40 meters long. We think we can move it piece by piece to its new location, but that adventure is still waiting for us! At this point, the architect will get the construction documents ready for tender, which means, he will get them ready to go to contractors for bidding. Once they come back, we will be able to pick contractors and move forward. The building should take about 18 - 24 months once it gets started. But for now, we are just happy that the board has chosen to continue and we would ask for your prayers that Jim and I will be able to manage the project for them with patience and wisdom.
We finally received the truss material for the MCH building! The engineer should be here in a few minutes (it is Friday morning here) to train our guys how to put them together. There are only 17 trusses so we should have them together and up on the building by the end of next week. Jim is taking some pictures and maybe I will get time to add them later.
I am heading off to a ladies retreat this week end. I am looking forward to getting away for a few days and enjoying the company of other ladies. My birthday is tomorrow (Saturday), but Jim has promised me a nice meal on Sunday when I return! There will be chocolate goodness in the form of brownies with frosting (I hope)! Jim and the kids (the little ones) are heading out to the Suswa Caves to go camping for the night with our friends the Sorleys. Craig Sorley has hired a Masi man to guard the cave for the night and help them explore and not get lost! I hope they have a great time. Trevor will be here because he has to take the SAT exam tomorrow. Not fun! It is his first time taking the exam. He doesn't appear outwardly to be nervous, but he could use your prayers I am sure.
In our ladies bible study we have been talking about missions and the importance of going out to unreached peoples. Here we are a little different. People come to us. We are a hub for the people that go out, to come and rest and find comfort and healing, if necessary. So, that has put some doubt into some people's minds that we are not "real missionaries." It is comfortable living here, not like in the bush where many missionaries serve. But, being able to provide for the missionaries and all the Kenyan peoples that come here for various reasons is a true blessing - for them to be healed and for us to serve. Each person's role is different. God has called our family to be here to help this building become real in order that the children of East Africa can be helped. We felt that strongly and will continue to do the best we can. I believe that missions can be carried out anywhere in the world. There are always people everywhere that need the love that God can provide and He accomplishes this through Christians that can feel His grace everyday.
Thank you all so much for being there for us. You don't know what it means!
In His Hands,
Jullie T.
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