Dear Family and Friends, 30 August, 2008This is the rainy season and we are thankful that the Lord has been sending abundant rains this year. Here is a picture of Ange, Steven, Abraham, and Michel standing before a small field of millet planted in our courtyard.
Our children planted every square inch of our courtyard with millet, corn, and okra. Plus, they planted about an acre of millet and beans in a field about 4 kilometers from the orphanage. I’m proud of the way that our children have worked this summer both in our fields and in their studies. They have been studying hard and they have also worked in Pastor Salou’s fields and the fields of several of our workers.
School News
We have already started planning for the 2008-2009 school year. We will have 5 classes in our school this year and already each class is full. Our primary school children will wear uniforms this year so parents have already started having these made for their children. We have also started making uniforms for all of the orphanage children.
In total, with our primary school, the orphanage children and the sponsored children, Sheltering Wings will be sending 261 children to school this year.
The unrest at the university in Ouagadougou has diminished a bit in that the school will be opened again on September 1st. The students will be given one week in class for review and then there will be one week of final exams. After the exams the school will be closed until classes start again on January 5th. Etienne has continued to study all summer and feels that he is as prepared as possible to take exams. Due to the unrest, the university students missed 50% of their classes this year. Only time will tell how many students will pass and how many will have to re-do their whole year of study.
Josué, placed 4th in all of Yako
Josué is 12 years old. His mother and father have both died. Josué and his sister, Irene, both live in the orphanage.
Josué completed sixth grade this year in our primary school and was second in his class. When the standardized test was given to all the sixth graders of Yako, Josué placed 4th among all of the students in our region. Because the classrooms are so overcrowded here, this year even if a student passes this test, there will be an entrance exam given for 7th graders and only a certain percentage of them will have a place in school. Josué does not have to take this test but is already guaranteed a place in 7th grade this year.
We are very proud of Josué and the accomplishment that his hard work has brought to him.
Therese is sick.
Therese is our little 8 year old who is suffering from an enlarged heart. We took her to see the
heart specialist yesterday because she is again having trouble breathing. The breathing problems this time were a result of malaria and a cold which she is recovering from. The doctor changed some of her heart medicine and with rest and a complete recovery from the malaria, her breathing should improve.Please pray for Therese. Without saying so in so many words, the doctor told us that there is really nothing that he can do for her. But, Jesus is the great physician who can give Therese a new heart.
Prayer Requests
Ø Please pray for the funds to purchase a new vehicle. Our truck has faithfully served us for 5 years but it has entered a ‘fix or repair daily’ phase and is becoming less and less roadworthy. We will keep the truck for hauling needs in and around Yako but are in need of another vehicle for travel outside of Yako.
Ø Pray for the health and safety of our children and our workers. This is the malaria season and although we use insecticide and mosquito nets, we have 3 or 4 children and workers sick with malaria at any given time.
Ø Please pray with us for funds to equip a small lab in our clinic. We have a professional microscope which has given us a good start but we are in need of other lab equipment.
Ø Please pray for Matthew and for Ascencion, two of our boys who still need to surrender their hearts to Jesus.
Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma
