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Dear Friends,
We have so much to praise and
thank God for in this issue...In view of difficulties and trials, it is
sometimes easy to take our focus off God, but when we look to Him, He
remains faithful.
We praise the Lord that we have
been able to accept the first children into the Child Care Center in the new
building project. The new CCC started on January 1, 2000, and runs from 8:30
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily except for Friday and Sunday. The children come from
the Garbage and Earthquake areas.
When the children arrive at the
CCC, they are washed and change into their school uniforms. The uniforms
were made by two women from the Earthquake Area, who have been learning how
to sew. Each day the children have devotions, Bible stories, songs and they
learn more about God's love for them.
The Evangelical Good Samaritan
Society (EGSS) plans to train the children so that they can take care of
themselves. This includes education in reading and writing, but also things
like personal hygiene and how to eat properly. The children are given a meal
each day so that they can stay healthy. Check-ups are made by medical staff.
Like all kids, they need to have
fun. At the CCC the children can play in the freedom of the open space and
enjoy a much cleaner, healthier environment. If they did not have this
chance, many of the children would be sitting in the rubbish, helping their
mothers sort through it.
We have 8 teachers for four
classes. There are now over 40 people working full time at the EGSS. Each
Sunday is now set aside for quiet time. All the staff meet together for a
time of worship and prayer for the work of the EGSS. It has been wonderful
to spend time with the staff, sharing our faith and vision and deepening our
friendship together.
We are making progress daily
with the building. Our project is no longer just a building, but it is alive
as we now have children in the CCC. The wood workshop, sewing project and
the weaving project are all operational in the new building and each day we
have 15 girls from the garbage area coming to work.
The meeting hall has been a real
answer to prayer. We started off with nothing. We have been working on the
basement and have now started work on the ground floor.
Due to changes in the law, we
have had to resubmit an application to the government so that the EGSS is
once again recognized as a charity organization. This has meant a lot of
paperwork, time and effort, but thanks to God, the work of the EGSS can
continue as before with some added opportunities.
Our God is faithful and He
continues to meet our daily needs. Dear friends, your prayers, support and
encouragement help us greatly to keep on trusting the Lord for all our
needs.
Yours in Christ,
"Our Egyptian Friend" and wife
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