July Praise and Prayer Requests
July 28, 2010 by Jillian
Filed under Blog, Praises and Prayer Requests
Please join us in praying for the work in Eburru and in praising God for the mighty ways in which He answers our prayers!
Praises:
- Lots of rain should lead to a good harvest – 2 acres are ready for new cabbage seedlings to be planted
- Purchase of 2 pregnant female goats and 1 male goat and for the nutrient rich milk this will provide to the children
- The new classroom and dining hall foundations are completed
- Eva, a third teacher, has been hired and the school is operating at capacity
- Recent increase in numbers of patients served at the medical clinic
- Over $26,000 has been raised by DHI in the first seven months of 2010
Prayer Requests:
- Katie & Kari as they spend time in Eburru July 25 – August 9
- Brandon as he spends time in Eburru July 31 – August 28
- For preparations that are underway for a winter DHI trip to Kenya and for Phil & Cindy, the trip leaders
- For the Camp Brethren leadership team in Eburru as they coordinate all the activities, programs and new growth in Eburru
- For the DHI leadership team to have wisdom in how to direct funds and best support the work in Eburru
Katie & Kari in Eburru: School Days
“We have had many teams visit Eburru but your team that started David’s Hope International was the only one that caught the vision.”
These last three days working at the school have been so good. It is hard to believe that it only started 6 months ago. Currently, the school has three teachers and three full classrooms but every day people come wanting to know if we have room for their child. They like our school better than the other primary school in the area because they can tell quality education is being offered. Not only that but they are being taught the word of God daily. The pastor and teachers want the children that are the most destitute to be the ones that are accepted into the school….the children that would never have a chance of education otherwise because they would not be able to afford it (education is not free in Kenya). One of the best things about the school is its feeding programing. Many of the students that go to the school were extremely malnourished before but because they get a cup of porridge in the morning and a bowl of beans, vegetables, and grains for lunch many of these children are now at a healthy weight. In fact, most Kenyan schools would be on break for the next three weeks but the David’s Hope School has decided to stay open because if the school is closed, the children do not get to eat. Because of the funds raised through David’s Hope the school now has a garden and three goats (two are already pregnant ) in order to have self-sustainability as these will provide vegetables, fruit, grains, and milk for the feeding program. In fact some one already asked if they could buy the offspring of the goats which will also help bring financial sustainability.
Pastor Steve says that Kari and I will be “pioneers” since we are the first American teachers to visit the school. In addition to helping the teachers and leading chapel hour, the pastor also wants us to develop a “training guide” on how the school runs so that other education teams that come to work in the school will have an idea before hand of what is being taught.
Katie & Kari in Eburru: Eburru Needs You
Our trio is now a duet. Becca is flying back home today and Kari and I arrived in Eburru last night. It is so nice to be back. So much has been done here since I left 18 months ago. We stopped by the David’s Hope school on our way to camp yesterday and it brought tears to my eyes. Since 15 Americans decided to start David’s Hope International and we have had so many gracious donators, 93 students now are getting an education for the first time and that is just the beginning of the good work that is being done here.
We had a nice long talk with Pastor Steve last night and this is what he had to say: “It is so hard for you to paint a picture of what the situation is here for the Americans. They are still living in the comfortable homes and you are here. They don’t know that many of us have gone without food today.” Several times a week the pastor and his wife Mary will drive 55 km (but it is a 2 ½ hour drive due to the horrible road conditions) to the remote village up in the mountains of Northern Kenya so that they can work at the clinic and school they started here. Mary is a nurse and works in a hospital during the week and here at the clinic in Eburru on the weekends. Although she would sometimes like a day off she knows that there are children waiting to be fed, taught, and treated here.
Luke 12:48 tells us “From everyone who has give much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” As Americans we have been blessed and given much. How are you using what God has given you?
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. – Proverbs 28:27
