2008 October » Jarretts Ministry

Dear Friends and Family:

Thanks so much for your prayers. Marty resumes chemotherapy on Friday, October 3 after a CAT scan the day before. Her tumor marker last month had fallen to 72.8, so we continue to be encouraged by her progress. We observe that it takes 18 days for her to really feel â€œnormalâ€ again after therapy, so a 3-week cycle doesn’t leave much time for many â€œoutside activities.â€ We’re hopeful that Dr. Milton will be receptive to a four or five week interval between treatments. Your prayers to that end would be appreciated.

Last week we enjoyed a family retreat to Bogg’s Lake near Loogootee, Indiana; we’ve rented a cabin there each fall for about 15 years. I ate enough food at the Amish restaurants to regain all weight lost over the past few months. C’est la vie. Next week, I’ll attend the Medical Missions CME course at World Medical Mission’s Prescription for Renewal conference; since Marty won’t feel well after chemo, we won’t stay for the weekend retreat but will continue on to Charlotte to visit for a week with Jon and Sharon and five of our grandchildren.

Tenwek Hospital was founded by World Gospel Mission whose international headquarters is located in Marion, Indiana. Since we’re just over an hour away, we occasionally enjoy visits from missionaries on home assignment. Next week, we’ll see Barbara Pinkley, a fellow missionary who teaches in the nurse’s training program at Tenwek. Two weeks ago, Chuck and Amy Bemm and their four children spent an evening with us. As always, our home is open to visitors, and we look forward to hearing from any friends coming to our area.

The Bemms are home in Pittsburg for a year after completing their first four-year term at Tenwek. Chuck is the only pediatrician, and Amy takes care of their young children; although trained as a nurse, she has held various positions at Tenwek helping the mission compound to function. Amy sees orphan ministry as her primary ministry outside of her home; she has been our partner in assisting the children’s homes to function and grow. They will be spending most of their time on home assignment raising money for orphans in addition to making contact with their current supporters to renew support for their next four-year term. Please pray for Jenny Roberts who will help administer the homes in Amy’s absence.

The Bemm’s home church has been actively involved over the past several years by sending work teams to help with building projects at Umoja and Kenduiwa children’s homes. Two supporters in their church north of Pittsburgh are committed to meeting the salary of a new community worker who will be a mentor to community-based, secondary school orphans and a liaison for four of the children’s homes [Umoja, Bosto, Kenduiwa, and Mosop].

This church’s Kenya team now plans on yearly work team visits. One volunteer, an instructor at Carnegie Mellon Business School, will be helping set up a website for the orphan project and may work on major grant proposals if she can take a grant writing course. I’ll pass along information on this website when it’s up and running.

As we pray and plan about ways to help the children, the idea of technical [or vocational] education has been on our hearts. A new mentorship program is an exciting option. In lieu of secondary school, a student without scholastic aptitude would be assigned a mentor in a local skill [e.g. sewing, carpentry] and furnished with materials. The mentor, who would be paid a stipend, would also provide spiritual education and guidance. This is opposed to a traditional polytechnic school where administration and materials would take up a good part of the budget. Please pray with us as we develop this ministry; some students have begun the program, but funding will need to be developed to expand it.

Amy Bemm has been praying about a major project for Kenduiwa â€“raising $38,000 to purchase 8 acres to plant crops and perhaps blue gum [Eucalyptus] trees; their principal use is firewood, the major source of energy for cooking and heating homes at night. Seedlings are 1 Kenya Shilling [less than 2 cents]. They can plant 3,000 trees per acre. In five years, each tree should sell for 2,000 KSh [abbreviated \=]. Problem: the trees are tall and may shade cropland of the home or neighbors, so careful selection of the location is important. She’s praying her home church will fund this project. Obviously, it might be a good project for the other homes; Bosto already has some of these trees planted.

Food is a major recurring need at all of the homes. The terrible political crisis delayed crop planting, and it was a bad year for rains. Fertilizer [petroleum based] is too expensive. Result: Food is very expensive. Even many families with living parents can’t buy bread. Before the Bemms left, women had been begging at her door for maize which Amy was providing regularly with the help of Peter [their Kenyan gardener] who has become more of a social worker. [Most missionaries employ two or three local people.]

Several cows for milk at each home would help with monthly expenses. The goat milk is delicious but insufficient in quantity to supply the needs at Bosto. They want two cows there. The goats are reproducing well. Typical cost for a pregnant cow is 25,000\= [$368] and 18,000\= [$265] for non-pregnant which may not have milk for awhile.

Blankets and mattresses are needed at all homes. Mattress prices have nearly doubled [now 900\=] and the vinyl coverings that can be made don’t cost quite that much again. [Estimate 600\=] Blankets wear out and get soiled. For example: Kenduiwa needs to replace 18 sets for their 29 children [17 boys, 12 girls]. Umoja has 27 children and Bosto 40.

All the children need clothes and shoes â€“2000/= per child. This is usually needed once a year. Kenduiwa was recently supplied with school uniforms through donations from one of their local supporting churches.

Leadership at the homes is excellent. Both Isaac Mutai at Bosto and David Koech at Kenduiwa are experienced in administration and have visionary gifts. They also have community support which is encouraging.

Joseph at Umoja is not a trained administrator but has a large heart for the children. Joseph has done well in getting support for the home from NGOs. His chicken project has been very successful â€“ he is selling his eggs in Bomet and Tenwek. Amy bought him new chickens recently.

Mosop School has a new, expensive zero-grazing facility for cows; Elijah, the director, wants to develop a dairy enterprise. His orphan facility, Laura Children’s Home with over 100 orphans, is nearly self-sufficient although the school relies on the missionaries’ support for its faculty and operation.

We anticipate many of the children in the homes coming of age for secondary education in the next several years. We [through Hope Ministries] will probably support fewer community-based orphans in the coming year to focus on the children from our homes. Amy Bemm [through WGM] says they personally are phasing out community-based [as opposed to children's homes] orphan school fee support to be completed by January 2010 as currently supported students graduate. Tenwek Community Health and Development hopes to be more active in this area but will need funds as well. Local community pastors and community health workers will help that organization select recipients.

Pastor Kilel will be retiring in the not too distant future. He has been our major link to the community-based orphans; please pray for wisdom for all of us as we face the challenges ahead. God has led us to this point over the past six years since we helped to found the first home; He won’t abandon us in the future. His Word emphasizes over and over again His special concern for widows and orphans.

Hope Ministries has about half of the funds needed for our January expenses thanks to your support and prayers. We would like to support more of the needs for the homes as God provides. Support for the orphans can be sent to Hope Ministries, Inc. at 9902 East 200 South, Zionsville, IN 46077. A receipt suitable for a tax deduction will be returned to the donor within four to six weeks. Because Hope Ministries has a volunteer staff, and operating expenses are covered by a donor, we are able to send 100% of all donated funds directly to Kenya.

Thank you so much for your support and prayers. The times ahead for all of us may look rocky and full of challenges, but God is in control. Those who rest in Him will be kept in His perfect peace.

In Christ,
Paul, for the Jarretts

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