Mercy Ministries Minute No. 3
We have been crazy busy, but I’m trying hard to be consistent with updates, so here’s a quick, less than I’d like update! Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
Praises:
General
Kijiji Garden, our amazing permaculture garden, has been producing lots of vegetables. The kitchen has been able to use the vegetables to help feed the home and school. We've also been able to extended the main permaculture garden area and started new smaller gardens in available spaces around the primary (pre-k-6th grade) school campus.
Jeff and I were so blessed by our time away. The Lord used so many to help provide an amazing time for us. We hadn't been on a date, laughed so hard together, or finished a conversation uninterrupted in so, so long. This is a trip that we will remember forever. This trip will get its own blog because it was so amazing!
Church
Church attendance has been steady, so many children and adults are hearing the Gospel on a weekly basis. This is such a blessing to our small
Home
Liam Zion is gaining weight! He was 4kgs when he came home and now weighs 6kgs! The Lord has been so gracious to help Liam have a smooth transition. He is such a calm baby and we are loving seeing him be a baby. He smiles all the time and has started babbling to us.
We have mostly been HEALTHY! After our long battle with the stomach issues earlier this year it feels so good to not have major health issues going on.
School
The students’ attendance has improved, which means they are getting a better education and learning more about Jesus!
Prayer Points:
General
We have a few visitors scheduled between now and the end of the year, please pray that their trips would be a blessing to them. I think when going on a mission trip you are focused on how you can bless others, but as we share our home with friends and family we hope that they are blessed as well.
For God to put together and send us a few trips who can help us get “ahead”. We have SO many projects (building, repair/maintenance, animal structures) that really need to be done, but not enough skilled hands to get it all done. It feels like we are constantly eating an elephant in this area, partly due to growth, but also because Karson just doesn't have enough hours in the day or enough skilled help available.
Inflation is still hitting us hard. Food cost and transportation are way up compared to 6 months ago. Just for example the price of potatoes has doubled for us. Previously we were paying about $120 a week for potatoes and now we are paying about $240 a week. We are seeing this with many food items, not only are we feeling the burden of this, but many, many in our area are as well.
Church
We are planning our 4th annual Bible conference which will be held in November. The theme this year will be "The Glory of Christ." Please pray for Jeff as he prepares his portion of the conference. He has a pretty full schedule with preaching chapel each school day, prayer meetings on Wednesday, Sunday service, seminary school, overseeing the daily happenings at the Mercy Ministry campus, nightly Bible study at home, plus he has to play a few games of volleyball with the kids each day.
That the hearts of our church attendees would be softened. Jeff faithfully proclaims the Gospel each week.
Home
True salvation of our children, they are hearing the Gospel and learning about God daily, multiple times a day.
God would bring faithful workers who love children and are eager to learn a new way of doing things. We really need to add to our staff.
School
Lillian, our 3rd grade teacher, is getting ready to go on a 3 month leave to have her baby boy. Please pray that delivery would go smoothly and that Mama and baby boy would be healthy through it all.
Funding for the high school. To get the 2 needed classrooms (by January) we need to raise $30,000. However we really also need to build a dining hall, kitchen, and more toilets for that campus as well. As each week passes this need is more and more pressing.
Happenings:
General
The kitchen is now solely using gas stoves! That took way too long, but we have finally switched over. This has enabled us to fix the floor in the kitchen and soon we will be able to paint and make it look pretty instead of a big black box!
Home
Daily life here is busy and joyful! In a lot of ways is seems crazy to live with over 100 children, but it just feels like home to us. I’m sure for visitors it is a bit overwhelming, but on normal days it really isn’t overwhelming.
School
Because we were able to extend the permaculture gardens to the school each grade now has their own area they are responsible for. This is so exciting because permaculture is very different from the normal type of farming done here. It is exciting to know that our students are learning this useful tool at such a young age.
I am not sure who is happier that I am home!