Vision for the future...

The Lord has made it possible for us to  soon start building a multipurpose pavilion with an office, storage area for harvested grain, and a kitchen. The plans have been drawn and final design and cost negotiations are taking place now. Our desire is to use the pavilion for a common gathering place. It will be used for prayer, eating, bible study, & conferences.

We also may start a nursery school this year...Lord willing. There is currently only one nursery school in the area and it is not very good. Our desire is to provide a solid education for the children in the orphanage and in Pajok. The pavilion will be the launching pad for the nursery school. As classes are added a school building will be necessary. If the pavilion is not completed by the end of January, we will improvise!

The Lord always provides what we need, right? Of course He does! In South Sudan the Lord has provided fertile land. Currently we are farming about 6-8 acres of David's land. The first harvest David yielded 2,500 lbs of corn (enough to feed the orphanage for about 5 months)! He also harvested small amounts of beans, pumpkin, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cassava, sorghum, & sweet potatoes. The harvest in July 2012 yielded about 3,000 lbs of corn, about 1,800 lbs of peanuts, and some other crops. The banana trees are now mature and are producing fruit. The mango and papaya trees will soon be producing as well. Our desire is to employ local people to help farm much more land. The harvested food will be able to provide food for the orphanage and the rest can be sold to provide income. The farm helpers & teachers can be paid and the remaining cash can maintain the orphanage's needs.

Orphanage's Corn Field

David (left) with Bananas!

Please pray the Holy Spirit would continue to provide wisdom and a clear path forward! Thank you!

Let the little children come to Me

Meet Gladys. She is a 10 year old orphan from the Congo. As soon as the new Tukle (mud hut) is completed she will come to live in God's Tender Mercy orphanage.

Please pray that she will be loved and accepted by the other children quickly. Also, pray that she will rejoice when she hears the gospel!

Out of the mouth of babes

This year I bought a drum for the children. It was used every day! They will sing to the Lord practically every night either during their time coloring or after dinner. This is not a scheduled time of praise to the Lord but totally spontaneous on their part. That makes it all the sweeter!

                                                   Children singing after dinner.

                               Children singing while coloring by solar lantern light!

Matthew 21:16b ..."Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"

The deaf will hear...

Onen John on the right

There are people in Pajok, South Sudan who are deaf and as a result cannot speak. They are trapped inside their bodies unable to communicate beyond simple hand motions. It is a lonely life. They are very excited at the opportunity to "talk" with someone no matter how limited it is. Therese from Kitgum, Uganda made a picture phonics book to teach the children how to read their native language Acholi. I made my own copy to use to teach our children how to read Acholi. But I realized it could also be used to teach those who are deaf to communicate more effectively by learning how to read!

I met Onen John last year and again saw him this year. I also met  Bilili Sam this year. Both are deaf and cannot speak. There are others in Pajok.

As I was sitting with some of the children and Onen John and teaching through the phonics book, it struck me that I could use this to teach Onen. He can write his name with a stick on the ground so he knows letters...at least some.

When I began showing the pictures to Onen and then pointing to the letters and then drawing then out on the ground, he began to understand that I was teaching him the words for each picture! He got very excited...and very thoughtful as he looked at each word very carefully.

The deaf can hear as they learn to read! They can begin to communicate!

Please pray for the deaf in Pajok...

Ministry Conference

Lucy

Pastor George & Therese

Some brothers and sisters traveled up to Pajok from Kitgum, Uganda for a two day ministry conference.

"Little" George

Pastor George and I taught the men. Pastor George taught on discipleship the first and second day and I taught 1 Timothy the second day. Pastor George is a powerful speaker! The women were very interested in his teaching from the first day of the conference. So he taught them for a short session the second day.

Pastor George teaching the men about discipleship

Therese and Lucy taught the women and children. They taught the women about different sacrifices in the bible such as: Isaac and the ultimate sacrifice - Jesus.



Therese, Lucy, and women praising the Lord after the teaching







They shared the gospel with the children from creation, fall of man, Jesus' birth/death/resurrection, the church, witnessing, & the return of Jesus Christ! They used a picture book from Global Recordings. http://globalrecordings.net/en/script/en/395

Then they played some games with them. The funniest was when they tied a balloon to each child's ankle. The goal was to pop the other person's balloon and to keep your balloon from being popped! It was hilarious and the kids loved it!



The children after playing the balloon game!

Therese's Blog: http://whereheleadsgo.blogspot.com/

It was a rich time in God's word for all of us. Many people told us they were truly blessed by the teaching. A leader in the community was present for the men's teaching. He was overjoyed that people traveled to Pajok to teach his community the Holy Scriptures! How wonderful it was to hear this from a man in the government!


Teaching God's Word

Visiting God's Tender Mercy in Pajok, South Sudan is a joy that cannot be easily conveyed to others. It is a joy that is best experienced in person! It was like a coming home celebration for someone who has been away from home for a long time.

I was in Pajok the first couple of weeks in December. Teaching God's word was a main focus during this trip. We taught a survey through the entire Old Testament, 1 Corinthians, and 1 Timothy. I took coloring books for the children that went through the Old Testament. Each evening we taught the book or books of the bible covered on the coloring book page. Every night they colored by the light of d.light solar lanterns!

The entire OT was covered in two weeks! So, some days we taught one book of the bible while other days we taught six books of the bible. The LORD deserves ALL the glory!

Solomon

My desire was for the children to understand the big picture of the bible. Most people do not understand how the individual stories of the bible tie together which means they don't understand the big picture of scripture and how it applies to us today.

Many times the children would clap their hands at the end of the teaching! They were excited to hear the amazing accounts of the people in the bible and how God poured out His love, mercy, long suffering, and punishment on them at different times.

Christine

Each morning we taught a chapter of 1 Corinthians before the children went to school. A study of spiritual wisdom, gifts, correction, the resurrection of the dead, and the consummation of all things was a great way to start each morning! Jesus is the Word and He is the Light of the world!

Lina Update

Thank you for praying for Lina! She is doing very well now. While she was recovering from Malaria, her younger sister Rachel was also waging battle with Malaria. Their mom Grace was struggling during this trying time. All of them were in the hospital in Kitgum, Uganda. The church in Kitgum was faithfully sending people to help her with the children. Rachel was not sleeping at night and Grace was exhausted. God always give us the grace to perservere during these times. He did indeed provide for Grace with grace. He is faithful!

Grace & Baby Rachel

Lina

Justin after Cleft Lip surgery!

Here is Justin 1 month after cleft lip surgery! This child will no longer be an outcast. He will be able to live a “normal” life. We praise God for His hand in helping this little boy! He was created to bring God glory…and he has indeed brought Him much glory! His father gave me a chicken as a gift of appreciation. It was a sacrifice to give a good hen away since they have very little. The Acholi people are quick to give to a stranger even the little they have. May we learn from their example.



Justin's Family