Friday, January 25, 2019

WHEN THE WORLD COMES CRASHING DOWN ON YOU

STAND UP AND BE BOLD...
REFUSE 
TO BE INTERMITTENT

LAST WEEK - I woke up to feelings that just overwhelmed me. So many needs, so much chaos, and a sense of being so inadequate to walk forward and fight the fight.  It really became about me for a short period of time - I am sorry to say:
I don't have the skills to help
People don't understand how hard this is
Most people don't understand the hurts out there
I am not able to communicate our needs
I cannot raise the needed funds as I am not a skilled fundraiser
On and on......

THEN I PRAYED EVEN HARDER - Lord, help me to be fully compassionately involved in what you have called us to do, what you have skilled us to do.  Take the worry, the stress, the moments of doubt and bury them forever.

THEN I BEGAN TO PONDER THE WORD - INTERMITTENT - and came to understand that many who are not in full-time ministry are "INTERMITTENT" in their involvement with those who are.  They sometimes pray for us, support us and remember to send us a word of encouragement. We need them!  We want them!  And we appreciate them.

AND THEN I RECALLED THOSE WE KNOW THAT ARE "COMMITTED" - who are prayer warriors, faithful in giving, regular in encouraging emails:  just dependable. I was reminded that how in those many dark moments in the mission field, that we would wake up feeling so alone and in those dark moments, our Heavenly Father reminded us of those who did care - remembered and were there daily praying, supporting the work and were encouraging.

YOU SEE - IT IS NOT REALLY ABOUT ME OR US - IT IS ABOUT THEM - THOSE WE SERVE, THEIR NEEDS, THEIR CRISIS AND CHAOS and it is about caring deeply enough  to become involved to care for those situations that breaks the heart of our Heavenly Father-  so -  many times we have prayed about each of these needs, etc - knowing the needs are great, the hurts beyond imagination and we have prayed - "Lord, break our hearts for what breaks yours."  Well the reality is we are not strong enough to handle this!  We cannot take on the HURTS OR THE CRASHING DOWN OF THE WORLD alone.   

We need YOU!  We can only intermittently experience such feelings of being overwhelmed by the needs - or we ourselves will crash.  It is each of you that gives us the courage to 

STAND UP AND BE BOLD - AND REFUSE TO BE INTERMITTENT!

Here are some ways to STAND WITH US:

1.  keep us on your prayer lists
2.  read our blogs, our FB and give us feedback, let us know you pray
3.  donate regularly or intermittently
4.  support one of our university students -$600 a year (we need support for 2)
5.  monthly support for our Kyrgyzstan University student outreach projects, the work with the graduating orphans, the ongoing humanitarian help for the youth and families we have helped return home
6.  help support one of our Dayspring girls into a special education program - $3000 a year
7.  mo.  support for the senior project in Maun, Botswana
8.  mo. support for the feeding program in Maun Botswana with the church - Tower of Refuge
9.  mo. support for the education program in Khwai, Botswana
10.  sponsor a training program materials - about $200 per training

Ask us what the present needs are - and pray for the provision to come forth.  Join us!

CHOOSING TO STAND UP AND BE BOLD

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

PROGESS - BOTSWANA EDUCATION CENTER ALMOST DONE

WHEN CHILDREN SUFFER
FROM LACK
OF
EDUCATION

We have been working in Khwai, Botswana for several years - a bush village of around 700 people.  We have noted their many struggles and have done what we could over the years to share His love.  
  • helped establish an education program for teen moms - education, parenting classes and relationship building - with the goal of helping little children stay with their mothers in the village
  • brought community activity resources - soccer uniforms, balls, to help the community play together and bring others out to support them
  • replaced their destroyed drums to bring back the cultural activities and music missed in their village
  • brought two teams from Samaritans Feet to deliver new shoes to everyone in the village, which involved in praying for each person while serving them directly
  • put doors on different houses/huts to help keep the animals out of the home - and keep children safe

Each intervention has been to bring the community together, help them strengthen their future, build partnership and collaboration and to open the door for those wanting to help - have a voice within the village .  
It is a reality that ...
"PEOPLE DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU KNOW, UNTIL THEY KNOW THAT YOU CARE."

The village suffered a serious flood and lost many huts/home to the flooding.  Progress once on the go - slowed and survival became the focus of all work.  Then once again there were needs additional issues and needs to be met.  

  • Children were being sent out of the village to a boarding school - coming back to the village only a couple of times a year.  There was little preparation for this and children were not finding education success
  • Girls were dropping out of the school when puberty surfaced
  • Young boys were not finding success and were dropping out as well coming back to the village 
THEN CHANGE CAME...a national funder stepped in and decided to build a school in the village - bringing education HOME! 

UPON WHICH A NEW NEED WAS IDENTIFIED - little children who are growing up in the village by the teen moms are not prepared for school -  the teen moms are those very girls who dropped out of school upon the advent of puberty.

CHILDREN NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR SCHOOL - TO LEARN THE BASICS AND 
this was not being done - not due to want - due to skill and knowledge.  

ENTER A NEW STRATEGY to renovate a vacant building in the village to start a pre-school and use for education for the children/youth who have not been able to complete their education from the boarding schools.
 

 

Then the PAINTING!  
NEXT?  INSIDE FURNISHINGS AND THEN THE CLASSES!

THANK YOU, SPONSORS!  
YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE BY INVESTING IN THIS VILLAGE.

Partnership Team:
LAMb INTERNATIONAL 
BUSHWAYS FOUNDATION
EARLY EDUCATION
NATURE ZONE 
NATLESANA CHARITY FUND AND 
ORPHAN'S PROMISE

We will be in Botswana in February and will witness the opening of the school - see the completed building, spend time with the children, the moms and bring Hope and Promise of His Blessing upon the village.  We praise Him for this progression of Hope and Promise so witnessed in the changes in the village.

Please pray for these moms, young boys and little children who will be coming together with their moms to prepare for success in their new village school!

THIS PROJECT IS FAR FROM COMPLETE AND YOU CAN STILL HELP - JUST INVEST BY USING THE DONATE BUTTONS HERE AND IDENTIFY THAT YOUR DESIRE IS TO INVEST IN THE ....Khwai Education Project!


THANK YOU! 






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