Thank you for your prayers! We had a very productive visit with the Probation Officer/Social Worker on Tuesday, and we now have approval to start the Malnutrition Rehab Center! This was such a blessing because rarely are things ever this easy when it comes to the local government.

We got our first little boy to be enrolled in the new program yesterday. His name is Blair and he’s 6 years old. The poor little guy was very sad when his mom left, but he was soon having fun playing with the children outside.

After dinner, Blair began to cry out for his mom. I was on the phone, but when I came downstairs, Renee said he had been crying for 20 minutes and was very inconsolable. I can’t imagine being away from your mom, in a new place, and with white girls who don’t even speak your language!

I picked him up and sat him on my lap, but he continued to cry for a good 10 minutes until I began to sing to him. He stopped crying almost immediately, and anytime I stopped singing he would cry again, so I just sang him to sleep. It was very sweet. :)

Blair is a precious boy and I am very thankful that he is interacting more today, and getting comfortable with us.

It looks like we will be getting 2 more children within the next few days, and I ask for prayers that:
-These little ones would adjust well to living here.

-For Renee and I to be given the strength and patience needed every day to care for them well.

-And most importantly, that they would recover from their malnourishment and that their families would see Jesus through us as we love and care for their children.

SCH had three cribs made as well and a changing table and some baby blankets. Renee and I have been running around checking in on things as they were getting completed, and we were very blessed to get it all just in time for these children’s arrival. God is so very good.

One funny thing is that the cribs were too big to get through the hallway. Renee and I tried at many different angles, but we just couldn’t get them to fit. We finally broke down and called the man who made them. He came, and we watched him try the very same things we tried until he decided to just cut a portion of the feet off.

We now have shorter cribs, but they are in the room, and we're thankful!

The medical clinic yesterday went very well, and the nurse, Constance, was able to see 22 patients. The whole morning was incredibly....…peaceful. I don’t know how I could better describe it.

I’m so thankful this has gotten started, and I know it will be a blessing to many

Nusula playing after breakfast this morning.

Saleh hanging out in a basin while the ladies sort rice.

Here is a list of SHC’s staff:

Charles – Day guard. Charles is so nice to have around! One way in which he is a huge help is as an interpreter because he knows many languages. I know it was the Lord brought this man to Renee because he’s just perfect for the job.

Joseph – Night guard. Joseph and his children live in one of the rooms of the boys quarters behind our house in the compound. He is a very kind man and does his job well. His wife left him with their three children and he also cares for his deceased brothers 5 children.

Beatrice – house lady. Beatrice and her 2 little boys, along with her little sister (her husband left her about 2 years ago) live in the other side of the boys quarters. Beatrice was Renee’s first employee!

Silvia – house lady. Silvia is such a hard worker and a blessing to have around. She and Beatrice to things like laundry (done all by hand), mopping (done daily because of all the dirt around here), cook lunch, childcare when needed, and many other things around the house. Having these ladies is awesome because if Renee and I were to do even just the laundry, we wouldn’t get anything else done. Beatrice and Silvia can do everything in half the time Renee and I could.

Mamma Faith – Cooks for Feeding Program and sorts beans and rice. (This is Faith’s mom. Here you call all mothers by “Mamma” followed by the name of one of their children, often the youngest, so this is, “Mamma Faith”) Beans and rice come in big sacks that need to be sorted because there will be rocks, small sticks and bad beans mixed in. Mamma Faith is the primary sorter, but the other ladies help when they are finished with their other jobs. We need 50 kilos of bean and 50 kilos of rice for each feeding day, so as you can imagine, it’s a lot of sorting!

Joyce (Silvia’s mother) – Joyce had been the one to cook beans and rice for feeding program, but with this new program, SHC has decided to hire her to help with the children and over see the housework. The switch to Mamma Faith taking her cooking job was just made this week. Joyce it an amazing woman and I love having her here.

Joyce (a different Joyce) – is our other cook for feeding program. She helped Joyce, and now Mamma Faith, to cook all the food. These ladies also help during feeding program to keep us who are serving supplied with beans and rice, and they help to keep the children in line as they are waiting to be served.

Well, that’s it! I hope you found this interesting, and I will keep you posted as we get these next children.