This will be a quick info blog to keep you all in the loop. Basically, God is awesome. The plans for the orphanage are coming together one obstacle at a time, and the ways in which God is solving these obstacles is continually amazing each of us. For example, we haven´t been able to get out the funds for the orphanage due to limits on how much the ATMs will give us (think trying to take out $100, $1 at a time, and being limited to 3 times a day), and we are of course a full day drive from the nearest ATM. So here we are today bank hopping trying to withdraw enough funds for the materials to start the orphanage, and before we know it we´re arranging wire transfers into the bank account of a local missionary we randomly met because he was delayed 30 minutes at the bank (without that delay, we´d never have even seen him). Add to that the fact that we´re using the internet for free at the world vision office because we made friends with the world vision people stationed in Mutarara and you´ve got an idea of what every day seems to bring out here. The “random” encounters and friendships you make each day wind up being the solution to a problem the next and all the glory is God’s.
We’ve so far agreed on a plan, which the foreman agreed to make work for our budget despite his original quote being double what we have (and not because he was overcharging, simply because he wants to help), bought the 100m by 100m piece of land for the building (only $350), and have given out loads of food, medicine, and mosquito nets to the children and community. We are camping next to mud huts on the edge of a soccer field, in which helicopters are landing continually to bring supplies for the displacement camps extending from where we are to the Malawi border, a 4 hour bicycle ride away (a very uncomfortable ride on the back of a bike, let me tell you). Walking through those camps is indescribable, and has given me a huge appreciation for World Vision, Unicef, and World Food Program, who are all looking after something like 80 000 people right now.
And that’s the nutshell update! Keep praying!
