Jesus’ kids!
May 2005 Volume 8, Number 5
"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with
the poor." Proverbs
22:9
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Jesus’ kids! May 2005 Volume 8, Number 5 "A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with
the poor." Proverbs
22:9
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Phase II (the school) of Betikara is progressing well despite recent difficulties purchasing wood and roofing tin, which are both in short supply. The outer walls are ready for the ring beam to be poured and the metal window shutters are set in place. The inner walls are almost as high. We literally stand in awe as we consider the size and possibilities of this huge addition to Betikara with it’s all-purpose room which will seat more than 400 and it’s ten classrooms, all built of the same solid field stones which were used to construct the children’s home. It looks once again as if God has provided just enough funds for us to complete Phase II. It’s time to dream again. Have you been to our website lately? Have you noticed that we have a huge red flashing sign on the Betikara page that says, “Betikara is presently not accepting volunteers”? The sign has been posted for more than a year now. Even before moving the children we realized how difficult it was for our family to house volunteers to Betikara because we already have more work to do than we can handle. Since the Betikara move, housing volunteers has even become more difficult. We live fourteen kilometers from the new home and city buses stop their routes four kilometers from the Betikara land. Even if our family could house volunteers, they would have to walk 8 kilometers (approx. 5.5 miles a day) getting to and from the bus stops. We have accepted one returning volunteer this past year, Angela Schellenberg, who asked if she could spend Christmas with the lambs. Angela agreed to stay right with the lambs. She had a bed in the girls dormitory room and very little else. She shared the same bathroom with the girls. She ate the exact same food as the children did (rice, rice and more rice every single day). She gave up all of her privacy and gave herself totally to the lambs. Angela did a wonderful job and we take our hats off to her. She truly sacrificed for the children. But, Angela stayed only three weeks and in that three weeks we saw Angela wearing down, though she carried on like a trooper. It would be difficult for anyone in our family to live in such circumstances even though we have been on the third world mission field for twenty years now and this is the only life our children have known. Asking a volunteer fresh from Europe or America to do such a thing is asking too much. A volunteer needs a private place, some private time, and a chance to eat familiar food once in a while. It’s time to dream again. Betikara does have a Phase III and a Phase IV. Phase III is all about housing for volunteers. We get requests daily from folks who want to come and give a month, three months, even a year to working with the lambs. We have deeply appreciated every volunteer who has come in the past. We want to be able to accept new volunteers. We have seen how volunteers bless the lives of the children as well as giving daily care givers a bit of a break from the 24 hour a day, 7 day a week service they give. Betikara NEEDS to be able to house volunteers. It’s time to dream again. Recently, we found a company in Madagascar who will construct within a three month time period, a neat, little, well-built cottage. They do everything from the foundation to the roof. They bring in the supplies, they do the construction, they do the finish work and supply all the bathroom and kitchen plumbing features. We would only be responsible for installing the electricity and running water and that would be a natural extension of the electric and water system we already have at the Betikara. We’ve seen the little cottages this company produces and they are just the thing for Betikara volunteer housing. Each cottage contains two very small bedrooms, an even smaller common room, a teeny kitchen, and a combined shower and toilet room. The floor size of the entire cottage is 22 feet by 22 feet. They are raw brick inside and out. We are dreaming again. One cottage would house two Betikara volunteers comfortably and four volunteers in a pinch. We are dreaming about putting up 4 of these little cottages on the Betikara land. We’ve already begun asking the Father for His guidance and help. Two cottages would become Betikara Volunteer Housing and house a maximum of eight volunteers. A third cottage would be perfect for the little medical clinic that is Phase IV of the Betikara project, and the fourth cottage would provide for a need that many of you have already asked about. A fourth cottage would very nicely house a director of the whole Betikara project. The director could live right on the premises and oversee the orphanage, the farm, the medical clinic, and the volunteer workers. We are dreaming again and we are not forgetting to pray. Phase I of Betikara is complete. Phase II will be completed soon. If we start right away, Phases III, IV, and V could be completed within three months to a year. It’s been a long project and a ton of work to complete what we have already completed. Finishing three more phases in one more year seems heaven sent. The cost of each cottage is $16,000.00 at the current exchange rate. Four cottages and the completion of the entire Betikara project would be $64,000.00. We are dreaming again and praying. Please pray with us. Congratulations to Miss Elisa
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If you would like to help with a monetary donation, write your check out to BETIKARA and send it to: Indiana Church of Christ
“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him
for what he has done.”
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She’s
been at Betikara since November of 1998. She’s a wonderful girl and
she placed first in her class rankings this last report card period.
Congratulations, Sweetie! Elisa takes the grueling qualifying test
for Junior High School in less than one month’s time. We have five
lambs this year, in all, who are taking qualifying tests for a higher education.
Robert and Sedera are trying to qualify for High School, and Elisa, Princy
and Elimine are trying to qualify for Junior High. Please keep all
the lambs in your prayers, but especially these five. Most Malagasy children
fret over these exams and many of them become sick with worry. Please pray
that our lambs will be well prepared and face the test with peaceful hearts
and confident spirits. Thanks!