| Dear Friends, Hearing stories about some schools in Kenya breaking pencils into three pieces, so that each child has something to write with is heartbreaking. That is why we get excited about the August back-to school sales where a box of pencils, rulers, and spiral notebooks costs only 25¢. We, as do many of our friends, buy in large quantities, and we rejoice when we see pictures throughout the year of children intently coloring or holding up a few pencils as if they were a great treasure (Proverbs 11:24-25). We are excited that our fall container will include over 7,000 books and tens of thousands school supplies. |
We thought we had distributed in June the last of the treasures from the July 2021 container,
but apparently the storehouse is not yet empty. Immaculate has saved enough to take on her visits, so she does not have to go empty-handed. This makes us think of the widow at Zaraphath, who after sharing the last of her flour and oil with the prophet Elijah, was rewarded for her faith and obedience. God miraculously did not allow her flour and oil to run out until the famine in the land ended (1 Kings 17:7-16).
In July, we completed a 5-stall latrine project at Testimony Primary School, and another project
is underway at Sango Primary School. With the two water catchment systems also completed last
month, we have finished eleven of the twenty projects scheduled for 2022. While the water projects are a huge blessing to those in orphanages and schools who must walk long distances to carry back drinking water, the latrines are even more critical. In one home to 75 children, raw sewage was seeping out onto the ground and in another home a child fell into a latrine. Our latrine projects have enabled some facilities to remain open since the government had threatened to close them down if they could not provide functioning latrines. This would have been a tragedy since the children would have had nowhere else to receive an education.
Other Activities in July
- Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Glen Allen donated over 500 Bible study books and a local thrift store donated over 800 books.
- Our friend, Mercy Roberto, snagged 20 study children’s cots from a neighborhood message board. They even came with custom sheets!! Praise the Lord that twenty less children will be sleeping on the ground somewhere in the cold northern region of Kenyan this winter.
- We are zeroing in on a date for our fall shipment to Kenya. We have reached out to our master packers, Kyle and Bob, for their availability. Although recent reports show 9+% inflation, projections from our US shipper and Kenyan agents indicate our costs should remain about the same as last year. The strength of the US dollar against the Kenya pound is working in our favor; however, this is devastating for the Kenyan people.
We are grateful that our work goes on, and we send our thanks to each of you who prays for our
ministry, donates items, provides financial support, and gives time to help with our work. We are grateful for all those who enable us to continue sowing seeds of life in 2022 (1 Corinthians 3:6).
Blessings,
Kathy Carlin, Executive Director
