I kept thinking about the words to that old hymn as we were winding our way down into and across the Great Rift Valley in October. We had just spent a week at the Immanuel Christian School for the Deaf in Ringa, KENYA. Those of you who know me, or who have followed this blog know that just over a year ago I visited the school where I have invested so much time (mine) and money (mine and others) to find that our trust had been betrayed, the children were not being properly cared for, and a great deal of money missing or unaccounted for.
The school has been relocated and under a new administration. I was so blessed to find 53 happy and very well cared for children in their brand new location. There is much work to be done, but we have a good foundation on which to build. Thanks to the generous donations of many people here in America and others in Australia (we met up with a team of Aussies) the children and staff received new shoes and socks, new clothes and underwear, new mattresses and blankets for their beds. Thanks to the generosity of the Austine School for the Deaf and Staples Office Supplies in Brattleboro, Vermont they also received an abundance of school supplies, teaching aids, and curriculum to assist them in their teaching tasks. We were also able to purchase additional notebooks, sports equipment, and toys for the small children, some medical and first aid supplies. While we were fitting the children for shoes we were able to examine for sores, etc. and Mark Hardy oversaw the installation of new window panes to replace many broken ones. Sheri Parker and Alexa Morrell sewed buttons and fixed hems and zippers on most of the school uniforms and I was able to make significant progress on re-establishing our economic development program in the school we began over a year ago. Over all, it was a very fruitful and productive trip.
Currently, they are cooking for 60 people over an open fire in a tin out building, but new stoves are on the way. A local donor was contacted to fund the fabrication the new stoves and I will be sending the funds to finish the job, transport the stoves from Nairobi (about a 6 hour trip) and install them in their kitchen which will be upgraded as well.
The children are safe, fed, clothed, and bedded securely. They are being taught by competent teachers and they are being cared for with compassion and mercy. It is not a perfect situation, but it is a situation in which the children have a chance - an opportunity to be happy and safe; and in a place where they are not being exploited for the selfish gain of others. A situation which was bad; very bad - has been redeemed. It has been redeemed by the great mercy of God who led us to get involved so that their exploitation could be exposed. It has been redeemed by the compassion of God to bring merciful and generous people into their lives. It has been redeemed because of hearts and pocketbooks which have overflowed with generosity to reach out to meet the desperate needs. I assure everyone that I am "proclaiming" this redemption to anyone who will listen. To those of you who have opened your hearts and your pocket books - I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
We will begin now to develop a new sponsorship program in which we hope to "double" sponsor each child. Each student is currently sponsored families in Australia. I have accepted the challenge of finding matching sponsors in the US. When each child is "double sponsored" (a monthly sponsorship is $37 USD) the school will be completely funded for its monthly operating budget. I haven't worked out the details of the sponsorship program and set up the sponsorship accounts yet, but hope to by the first of the year. If you have any interest in sponsoring one of these wonderful children, please contact me (twomichaels@verizon.net) and I'll notify you as soon as our sponsorship program is in place. Blessings to all.
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