WHAT?

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

We finally get to meet with Hellen and Vicky today the lawyer and psychologist I am working with on the adoption work.  Very excited about that.   They picked us up.  Once in the car we headed right out to view a property for a possible site of the offices of Pilgrim’s Adoption Resource Center (PARC).  There was a building that was a little more than half built by a German man who appeared to be working with some kids here.  He was married to an Africian woman I believe.    He fell ill and had to return to German and has since died.  Now the house is sitting here half built and running into ill-repair because of it.  It has a great size plot that is already fenced in on all sides and with a gate in the front.  The bottom floor is an open conference room type area, one bedroom which would be an office and the kitchen in the back.  That would most likely be the floor for PARC's offices.   Then on the second floor there are 3 bedrooms, each one with a bathroom inside it.  The master bedroom even has a REAL shower in it like in the states.  Usually they don't have a surround thing on the floor or walls for the shower, it just falls on the tile floor and dries, where ever it goes.   But this one has that.  Then the upstairs is not finished.  It looks like there is room for at least 4 more bedrooms and bathrooms for each.  That could be worked out.  It has a well already dug and working and electricity.

I am so scared yet excited yet not sure what.  I want to make sure this is God's plan, though I have met everyone I have met here in Kenya through God's plan, surely not my own.  This is an amazing opportunity, we would be getting the building really at the price of what the land alone is worth right now which is a great start.   Can I do this, is this possible?   The purchase price would be somewhere around $140,000-$150,000 plus contractor expenses to finish.  We may be able to get a mortgage but we would have to put 20% down for sure plus pay for the contractor fees outside of the mortgage most likely.   I have been praying and praying all day and all I keep hearing is - My strength is enough for you.  I'm not sure what that means, but I would have to think it means God will take care of this one way or the other, just do what He says.  I've been relying on His strength physically since last week Tuesday when I got really sick, so I know that feeling and now it's time to continue that I guess.  

I was reading a book, The Shelter of God’s Promises by Shelia Walsch, when I got home and the chapter I was reading was about grace and strength.  It said God is glorified when in our weakness we lean on His strength… We bring all we have, and it is not enough and it leaves us feeling tripped up and sending us running into the night feeling abandoned and alone.  But if we will listen for a  moment, we will hear the music that pierces our shame and calls to the party all who are weak and find their strength in God alone. 

That is exactly what it means and it is very comforting.  

Well, for now, Pastor Allan is going to go look at the property tomorrow with us and tell us his thoughts.  Then we will see from there.   We are also setting up a meeting with a contractor to view the place and listen to our requests and see who much that would add to the cost.  From there, we will see what God decides to do.  I would like to run the other way right now but I will stand and let Him use me to be His vessel here in Kenya even if it scares me out of my mind.  

We spent the afternoon praying, walking, and looking at the ocean, swimming and relaxing.   It was my first few hours of being a tourist ever in Kenya. 

Then we were off to Wana wa Mola Boys Home.  This is place where Daniel, a Ugandan and Mimi, his wife from the Netherlands take in boys off the street and teach them about God and how to live off the streets.  They have to clean, they have tutors at the home if they are too far behind to be in school and some of them are in school full time.   It was a very very nice home.   It had about 13 boys ages 5 -14ish at this location.   They were working very hard on school homework and getting hair cuts when we arrived. They were hesitant but excited to see us.  We started with a tour.  They are raising funds to finish off a back space for a better tutoring room and hopefully an office for the home.  Right now they just do the office work in the dining room and living room of the boys.  They really only need a bathroom door and a little paint and some hands to move some things.  Better chairs for the boys for tutoring they have plastic high top tables and stools to sit on without backs on them.  We started off with the littler boys doing the craft project of using their finger prints to make pictures.   They were really really good drawers.   The older boys wrote out a few sentences about themselves for us to take home.  They had fun doing both the projects.  Then we had them sit and listen to the Gospel story.  They really seemed to enjoy the pictures especially.  Sue read while I showed the kids the pictures.  Then we talked about what it meant and the older English speaking kids seemed to really get it.  Then Paul talked to them in Swahili for a bit.  Daniel - the person that runs the home was excited to have people outside come in and the teach the boys the similar messages that they were trying to instill in them as well as giving them something fun to do for awhile.  Then Daniel invited us "across the street" to his other property for the older boys tomorrow at 10.  

Then we came home, made dinner and got caught up on journaling which takes quite awhile.   By then it was time to sleep. 

I have not been sleeping as well as I normally do this trip.