The Rescue Center in Kenya Is Open

This week the new Rescue Center — officially operating as a Technical School — opened its doors in Ol’Gululuie, Kenya. The nine girls we rescued in the middle of the night from M’Takooja were its first students. They arrived and brought four more girls with them.

The need is staggering. If we had room for a hundred, two hundred would show up with needs even greater.

A Fast Opening

We face the same government regulations we navigated in M’Takooja. We built the new dormitory large, planning to use half as a temporary workroom — but the government said no. For now we have put up a temporary wall anyway so we could open immediately. Even before we left for Africa last year, we felt a growing urgency to get this project done, and God honored that urgency.

We currently have a temporary kitchen, some staff housing, and a nearly finished toilet and shower block. Six bunk beds, sewing machines, tables, and chairs are in place. Funding has come in miraculously and kept building going. These temporary buildings are far better than anything these girls have ever known.

Government Requirements — and What’s Still Ahead

The government has a long list of requirements for running a certified vocational school: cutting tables, a dressing room, storage cabinets, adjustable dress forms, a computer lab, and more. We haven’t fully met all the requirements at M’Takooja yet either. The computer lab requirement is a particular challenge — until recently, we had one computer serving three hundred primary students, the Bible School, and the Technical School combined.

A Commercial Printer Changes Everything

We have been paying approximately $600 per term — across five terms of printing — for curriculum at the Bible Schools and Primary School. We were able to purchase a commercial printer, centrally located in our office in Namong, that will serve all of our schools. It will pay for itself quickly.

Esther Goes to Nairobi

One of the most exciting developments: we were able to send Esther to a certified Tailoring School in Nairobi. Years ago she received training, but her records were destroyed in a fire. She is now enrolled in a two-year program and will graduate with full certification. She was tired of being the only one on our team without a degree — and she deserves this.

Esther’s tuition is $250 per month. If you feel led to support her education, please reach out.

Six Satellite Schools on Fire

The six satellite schools are thriving and full of life. More updates on each of them are coming soon.

A New Baby

We received wonderful news this week: Gerad and Claire welcomed a new baby girl. They named her Esther. We wish we could be there to celebrate with them.

When the Wind Takes the Solar Panels

M’Takooja is famous for its relentless winds. This week the solar panels on the Multi-Purpose Building were ripped off the roof. There is always something to fix when you own property in East Africa — and we are grateful for every building that needs maintaining, because it means we are there.

A Note on Kathy

At seven weeks post-surgery from her knee replacement, Kathy’s body said enough. She discovered a medication her doctor had prescribed was causing the swelling, nerve pain, and stalled healing that had kept her sleeping upside down in a loveseat with her toes higher than her nose and an ice pump running. She has now stopped it and is catching up. Office work was on hold for several weeks but she is back at her desk. Thank you for your patience and prayers.

We are so excited to be part of what God is doing in East Africa.