Heading to Samagama, Sri Lanka

After a record winter of cold and snow in Fort Worth, we leave friends and family behind once again for Sri Lanka tomorrow. We ask for your prayers as we travel, as both of us are currently nursing head colds! We also ask for your prayers this month concerning the following agenda items that will require much wisdom and patience:

~ Vocational Training Center operations and oversight

~ Preparing for deed transfer for Samagama residents

~ Ongoing encouragement and training village leadership to assume complete responsibility

~ Encouraging house churches and local church leadership

We look forward to continue to share with you how God continues to bless our brothers and sisters on this tiny island!

Blessings,

David & Donna

¨Unless we become like little children....¨

Once again we are captured by the children! Although they have very little from a material standpoint, they have much to offer us. Their innocent smile and gentle hug around your leg will melt anyone´s heart, especially mine! We have been blessed this week to visit with many families and the word from each has been to thank you, their brothers and sisters for remembering them in your prayers and for sending us to help them overcome some of life´s struggles just to feed their family. We are the one´s coming home with the real blessing! Thank all of you for your prayers these past two weeks. We look forward to sharing more when we get home tomorrow! God Bless, David &Donna

Day Care Heros!

Veronica and Eva grew up in the orphanage here, before it was converted to a daycare. The last few years before they turned 18, they went to the neighboring Orphanage Emmanuel. After leaving there they came back to Campamento and have been working in the day care taking care of the 30 kids now attending. They work tirelessly five days a week from 7AM to 6PM. On the weekendends they attend college

Happy Families Receive Chickens

Today we visited every family that received the chickens and they happily reported that their chickens had alrready produced between 2-3 eggs per day. One lady has collected 15 eggs from her4 hens in just 5 days! Wow is God good!

Chicken Program

Chickens were given to 10 families over the weekend and they are already reporting of eggs being laid. Each family was required to build there own koops before they were given their 4 laying hens. With the egg production each family is required to give 2 eggs a month to the daycare facility to help feed the children. The goal is to have 50 families in the program over the next few months. The average for 4 hens is 3 eggs a day, therefore there should be excess for their own family as well as some to sell to neighbors, restaurant owners, and small shop vendors. The local TV station came out and filmed the training program conducted by Margaret Thompson and interviewed several of the local receipients. The Mayor met with our team and was very complementary of this program, as well as the other worksbeing undertaken by the church to help the people. We give all the glory to the great God we serve!

Medical Relief Photos

Medical Refief

Yesterday a medical team from Va. Tech came to Campamento and held a free clinic at the church. They brought 30 Drs, nurses, and medical students and attended over 150 in just over 5 hours. Many town residents showed up before 7AM waiting patiently for the Drs bus that finally arrived at 10AM from Tegusagalpa. The last patient was finally seen at 3PM. The class rooms were set up as exam stations and the santuary was used as the intake and holding area. Liz helped with intake, Phyllis helped translate, Margaret weighed them in and took their height measurements, Donna cleaned up the area and helped Pastor Marin keep the people moving, Bobby entertained the kids along with one of their volunteers, and I photographed the event. The local TV station showed up and also documented the event and turned it into a 30 minute news report on last nights news. God was given the glory for this event and we were told the TV station would come back on Sunday, because they wanted to let the community know what churches were helping their people. They also documented the chicken program and I'll talk about that later. Hope to get photos published later! Blessings, David

Sewing Class

For the past two days Susan has been instructing a class of about 24 students on the fine art of sewing. They have been learning on sewing machines generously donated by members from Richland Hills. Hopefully these women will be able to establish home businesses and sell their goods to the locals. There is a church member who has a store that has agreed to give them consignment space. Thank all of you who have been apart of helping these few make a difference in their lives and their family.

FUN IN THE PARK

Thanks to the generosity of a Bread donor family the day-care received bicycles and battery powered cars for Christmas this year! The rains subsided long enough for a fun time in the park. Of course all boys like to turn it into bumper cars and three-man vehicles. We might have some future NASCAR racers in the making also! We are really getting to see how little moments with these children are making a big difference in their daily lives. Most of these kids come from families with four or more brothers and sisters, so they get very little one-on-one time at home. Today we visited in several of these children´s homes and observed life at the basic level. At one home a 2 year old was washing clothes at the outside pilla. She was the youngest of five and was at home while her 2 older sisters were at the day-care. They live a mile up a steep dirt path from the village in a two room house with no electricity and no water. They walk half a mile down to the spring for their water. The father told us his children were always sick because of the water. We are hoping to help provide this family with a goat or two to get fresh milk for his family. Thanks again to those who are helping with the goat and chicken programs. It is making a difference in people´s lives. Blessings, David

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Yesterday was a big day for over 200 school kids as they were given new backpacks and supplies for the upcoming school year. The church was overflowing with anxious parents and kids. Pastor Marin passes the word through the village and signs up the most needy kids in advance . We were priviledged to take all of the school age kids from the day-care center last week to get their school uniforms and they received these items along with their backpacks and supplies. As you can see their were smiles everywhere when their name was called to come forward. Phyliss, Lisa, Margaret, Susan, and Donna enjoyed given out the materials as much as the kids enjoyed receiving them. Bobby had an opportunity to speak to the crowd and remind them that these were gifts from God and offered a prayer for them for the upcoming school year. We want to thank all of you who helped make this possible with your gifts. We pass on the thanks and hugs that we received on your behalf. God continues to shower His blessings on the least and we in turn are blessed to serve!