Good News!

Sorry I have not kept up with this blog. Today I write with good news! A provisory sale contract has been signed! As of January 2010 the House of Hope no longer pays rent! There is still $8000 left to complete the sale (due mostly to what we lost in the exchange rate and partly to $2000 that they kept back to use for completing the paperwork...deeds are expensive to obtain), but there are local partners willing to complete this sum now that they see that the bulk of the payment has been made.

This is a great start to the New Year for the House of Hope! I'm so proud to say that the orphanage has its own home and so thankful to all of you who made this possible! They already have plans to expand the second floor and we know God has wonderful plans to continue to use this ministry to bless young people in this city.

May 1st

Good news! The money for rent was pulled together from a few generous friends of the orphanage, so they've got 7 months paid and will move there on May 1st. They can stay in their old house for another few weeks, so there's no danger they'll be on the streets any time soon. It's great that they will be living in their new house, but we still need upwards of $60,000 (depending on the exchange rate). By the end of the year this house should be their very own. Woohoo!

Moving Day looms

News flash: The owner of the orphanage's current property came back...and said they need to be out by Sunday the 22nd! They're facing the prospects of going out on the street because they have no place to go. They've scoured the city but cannot find an adequate place to rent at an affordable price.

The one solution that has presented itself: the owner of the place we want to buy will allow them to rent for 7 months before making a payment. The 7 months must be paid up front, however, which is $2800. This would be great because they could move directly into their new house and we'd have another 7 months to continue fundraising for the purchase of the house.

If you'd like to contribute to this $2800 sum to keep the orphans off the streets, please send your check with the memo: "House of Hope 7 months rent". And please contact us to let us know the check is on its way. Thank you!!!

New house in sight

Sorry it's been awhile since an update. The original house we were looking at has now sold to someone else since we weren't able to make a down payment in time. Thankfully, this led the orphanage staff to discover an even better location. The new house is 2 stories tall and corresponds very well to their needs.

We now need to raise a total of $70,000 to purchase the house. It's more expensive than the other house, but it is better than the other one and will not require any renovations. And this is still a good price, given the high cost of property within the capital city.

I don't know right now the current total, but I know we need at least another $55,000, so let's keep at it! Nothing's too big for God and if we all come together it's an attainable goal. What keeps me encouraged is knowing that once we achieve the goal it's going to be a lasting contribution to a very worthy cause. It's something that will continue to make a difference for many years to come!

Pray for wisdom and provision for the House of Hope in the meantime, because they still need to move out of their old location but don't have a place to go yet. We either need to raise the last of the funds very soon or they need to make a temporary move into another rentable house.

Financial Housekeeping

Just a little notice to all who have generously given or who plan to give:

The tax deductible receipts will be issued as soon as the money is sent off to purchase the house OR at the end of the year, whichever comes first, so do not expect to receive an immediate acknowledgement of your gift. It's a small church with a small staff helping with the financial side of things, so this is the easiest way for them to shoulder the extra work of this project.

All the money is waiting in an account here in the States until we are able to send the full amount to purchase the house or to make a hefty down-payment. No funds will be used for any other purpose (rent, food, etc.). We don't want to send only part of the total sum and then not have enough to complete the sale and end up losing the house. So until we raise the total amount, the orphanage remains in a precarious position. Please keep praying and spreading the word!

It's looking good!

Good news, folks! A couple of generous donations have recently been pledged so we're up to about $12,000. Praise our faithful God and let's give thanks for the compassionate people making this dream come true! We need $20,000 to secure the house and they need to move out of the current location in the next two weeks. That means this week we're looking for about $8,000 more to come in so that by the end of January we can send off the first installment.

We're putting profiles together on each of the children so that a sponshorship organization can find school sponsors for them. It's amazing to read where each child came from. The stories of abuse and sickness and family deaths make what's happening at the House of Hope shine even brighter. Won't it be a great day when they have a house of their own?!!

Now is the time

Hi folks! Thanks to all who have contributed to the project so far! I don't have a current total handy, but I think we're at about $5000. February is soon now and that means the orphanage needs to move out of their current location in the next few weeks!

The sellers are asking for $20,000 in order to secure the new house. Know anyone who would like to make a contribution NOW? Please continue to pray for the funds to come in and for the orphans and workers to have peace and wisdom in this tumultuous time.