This update is an excerpt from Tim's August 2008 newsletter...

I recently returned from facilitating a team of 95 people from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in St Louis, MO. Their Senior Pastor not only encourages his congregation to serve on mission experiences, he himself came with the group along with his wife and sons. It makes such a difference when the Senior Pastor participates and encourages his congregation to be involved in missions.

We were able to build the dining hall and kitchen for Suvia Children’s Home, as well as dig a half mile trench to lay the piping which will allow safe water to be brought into the compound. Diane Solmonson, who has served as an intern with World Servants this last year, submitted a grant which was approved for a water system. This grant will allow clean water to be available right on the property. Without this system the water would have had to be carried from a spring three quarters of a mile away. As Pastor Kisua saw the truck arrive with the two huge water tanks and piping he began to cry. He said, "With the arrival of the water system, the dream of the Suvia Children’s Home became a reality". He was overcome with tears of joy. Pray for those people who will be making the decisions about which of the many orphans will be accepted for the first dormitory.

The pictures below show the dormitory, dining hall, kitchen and the arrival of the water tanks. Each day we also visited primary schools, played games, shared Bible stories, and did crafts with almost two thousand children in Kid’s Club.