“He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy.”             Psalm 72:4

Phase I (living quarters for the orphans) of the new Betikara home will soon be complete.  Thanks to your love and concern for the lambs, we have enough money to complete Phase I and we anticipate completion in June of 2003. 

For the last month or so, we have been corresponding with a person who wishes to remain anonymous.  He has asked lots of good questions and we have answered to the best of our ability considering the instability of the economy here in Madagascar.  Just today we received this letter from the anonymous party with whom we have been corresponding.

Dear Mr. Rosie. 

Here is what I will do for you and the Lord in your work together: 

I will provide 100% matching funds for your Phase II work to a maximum of Twenty Eight Thousand US Dollars ($28,000.00, my maximum contribution.) This is a one-time, dollar for dollar grant. 

I will pay no money for any funds you raise from other sources after May 31, 2003. This means that you have to provide me with the amount you've raised on or before that date. (If you wish, partial payments may be made incrementally, if you wish but I prefer to do this no more than 2 or 3 times.) 

This means that if you raise $100.00, I'll give $100.00. Total: $200.00. Thus, you can potentially raise $56,000.00 for your Phase II program with this offer. 

No strings other than the following: The money should (not must) be used for Phase II work. You may retain any left over amounts for projects beyond Phase II. However, should you terminate your work in Madagascar prior to all of my contribution being expended on work there, I desire that you return all such unexpended contribution to the Elders of any of your sponsoring USA congregations for use on other such Orphan or Believing Widow Benevolence. Once given, you, not I are the steward of monies I give. 

Again, please keep me anonymous but of course, you will have to disclose that there is some unnamed source for this money. 

I realize that you do not know me just as I do not know you. You may wish to see my bona fides. When I return sometime in February, I will, if requested, send you a letter of credit or some other suitable instrument.

Phase II of Betikara will be an all purpose room for the children which will double as a place of worship for the congregation that will meet at the orphanage.  It will also contain ten classrooms which will house a private school for the lambs and neighboring children, providing a better quality of education than they have received to date.  Currently, we do not have any funds earmarked to begin Phase II other than its foundation which has already been laid.  Several times in the last months, we have looked at that foundation with a sigh, wondering if we would be able to move right on from Phase I and raise the walls of Phase II, or if Phase II would be only a dream, but we have not worried overly much about Phase II.  Betikara has been God’s work from it’s conception and He has always provided just when we had a need.  To date we have concentrated all of our energies and funds on getting the children out of city center, into a home more suitable for their needs and where they can run and play. 

Here is our chance to assure not only raising walls of Phase II, but also completing Phase II.  Any donations (up to U.S. $28,000.00) made between January and May 31st of 2003 will be matched dollar for dollar by this anonymous donor.  If you are interested in helping the lambs to have an all purpose room, helping to increase the quality of their education, and helping the church to have a place to meet, you may want to make a donation which will be matched dollar for dollar. 

Send your check, written out to Betikara, before mid-May of 2003, to:

 Indiana Church of Christ
 225 East Pike
 Indiana, PA  15701
 USA 

In the Memo portion of your check, please write “matching grant for Phase II”.  A report of all funds collected before May 31st will be forwarded on to the anonymous donor and together, we (God, you, a caring anonymous donor, and those of us on sight at Betikara) can make a school, an all purpose room, and a meeting room for the church a reality for the lambs and the community at Betikara. 

Daily, we thank God for you as you love and serve, and especially as you reach out to children half way around the world.  We ask Him to pour His richest blessings upon you as you continue to serve Him with loving and caring hearts, and with willing hands. 

For the Savior,

Barry and Stacy Rosie, John and Esther Ratovohery, and all the Betikara folks