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Dear God.
I could sure use a miracle -
if you have one to spare.
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September 1996
Dear Saints and Aints.
Peace to you and those that are yours!
A gentle but heavy rain washes trees and shrubs. The playground gets a good scrubbing, which doesn’t improve it at all. But the pavement around the dorm certainly benefits from the cascading water. God is washing the world and I feel like standing in line too for a good scrubbing …
A bunch of yellow roses that made their domicile just in front of my window don’t seem too enthused about the evening shower ... They move back and forth like a child when mother gets serious about the ring around the neck - which ain’t gold. They do not realize how beautiful they look in the light flowing from my window, a light that makes the rain drops appear like a cluster of precious stones reflecting the light in a myriad of brilliant colors.
This is one of the miracles that God offers to his weary saints - a sense of joy and wonder when there, at times, seems little joy but a lot of wonder -- wonder how to make ends meet and how to meet the exigencies of the next day. But for tonight - it’s peace and joy and wonder - wonder at the glory of God’s creation.
The “restful noise” of several hundred little and not so little boys getting ready for bed, drifts over from the dormitory. It sounds like the chatter of so many sparrows settling down for the night in a tree. Their tummies full, their bones and muscles weary from running about playing and having fun, should make for good sleep.
Against our own desires, Yohan did reduce the number of kids to about nine hundred. But as he is in charge I do not interfere. He knows what he is doing. Though I am sad about the kids. Our present budget, which we were given to understand would not see an increase, and the latest hike in cooking gas - 30% and petrol 25% (which will increase everything else), simply makes it impossible to enlarge at this stage. We probably will next year ...
Things are running smooth with everybody doing their job - and doing it well. I look after any building project that might come up. Right now we are putting the finishing touches on the new kitchen and dining hall. After that we hope to put some money aside to get our office built. Yohan looks after the administration side of things. It is thrill to see him looking after things. While I plan to be around for a number of years, it is nice to know the future of this place is in good hands.
Dave and Lorraine Dickson are still with us. They have stick-to-ity. David helps with the computerization of things for Yohan and the office while Lorraine looks after the Childcare Plus i.e. the sponsorship program. We are dreaming of enough sponsorships to cover all the kids. Both also work on the “Ink Pot”.
This year we have a good mixture of kids age wise. Though we do have some awful small ones. Some of them have to look up to see my belly button. Not that anybody would want to ...This morning I watched some of the big boys, with varying degrees of skill, practice hair cutting on the little fellows. As most of those have lice - the hair left is negligible - a fate, hopefully, shared by the lice ...
I am often overwhelmed with an incredible sense of joy as I “wade” through the kids with little hands reaching out to say hello. After a while that can become troublesome and you will need prussic acid to clean your hands ... But nevertheless their radiant faces make up for the smell and dirt ...
Frequently I stand in the dining hall helping to supervise their lunch or dinner. The amount of food these little fellows can put away is amazing. I have come to agree with my mother that gluttons aren’t born - they are made ... But for many of them it is the first time in their life that they can eat their fill - three times a day ... The saying: “He who indulges bulges.” is true. Some of them do!
As I watch the kids in their various activities I am reminded of something that Saint Augustine said: “What man can build man can destroy”. This holds true only for organizations and structures. The things accomplished in the lives of these kids, nobody can ever destroy! The education that was given, the knowledge that was imparted, the encouragement that was offered, the help that was proffered -- to countless -- will never disappear as if it were it never done. The laughter caused, the joy produced, the happiness created will never be annulled. Those who heard the Gospel will still have heard it. Those who were saved will still have been saved. The many we helped through Bible College still went through Bible College and those who are out preaching the Gospel will still continue to do so. Furthermore, the Bible translated into Mawchi will still have been translated. Nobody can ever undo these results of our labor of love. It is thrilling -- God permits us to do things that last for eternity ...
We are not wasting our - sorry your - money or our time. That investment, Saints, is not being squandered, is not being wasted - but is safe! Safe from the hands of the spoiler, safe in a place where no human greed can touch it. The dividends that will accrue to us will be beyond our wildest hopes and dreams.
Recently a visitor asked me something along the lines of: How long does one walk in the dark claiming that the light we see is the end of the tunnel and -- not a train ...Where does faith end and presumption begin? How long can you continue trying to take three bags of rice out of the store room that holds only two? A good question.
My experiences with God over the years make me say boldly that God will show Himself faithful to me. Once, after receiving bad news, God asked me: “In whom now do you trust?” Tears running down my cheeks I confessed: “Only in you, Lord! Only in you!” I admit waiting for God to act is at times difficult. But Abraham too had to lift the knife before God intervened ...
This is not whistling in the dark or trying to be brave nor turning a blind eye to the “realities” surrounding me. Neither is it chasing after the “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”, nor a confidence in any organization or institution - but based on a faith that is solidly anchored in God.
Surely we must believe that the God of Elijah, as of old, is still in the business of sending His ravens to provide meat and His angels to provide bread to His hungry servant - and that as of old He still makes the waters part and, in a still small voice, instructs, encourages and directs.
Some of my friends suggest that the visions I see will disappear after I get corrective eye surgery and the still small voice will be stilled after a small ball of wax, rattling against my ear drum, is removed ...Remember Job? He also had friends …
One staff member asked me: “Is that verse true that says we should not worry because God feeds the sparrows?” I looked at him. “Are you still alive? Do you have three meals a day? Does your family have clothes and all they need?” My questions were his answer.
As for us - We shall continue to help and care. We shall continue to put a happy smile on the face of a hapless waif. We shall continue to put a sparkle in dull eyes. We shall continue to offer him a chance of meeting His Savior. We shall continue to offer him a chance to go to heaven. This is not because I am stubborn, though there is a great deal of that in me - I would not have survived till now if it weren’t - but because somebody has to let them know God loves them. And so -- We shall continue trying to take three bags of rice out of the store room that holds only two. May be the miracle we need -- is just around the corner …
Thank you, Saints, for standing by us. Thank you for helping us to have happy kids. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for being our friends.
In His great love.
Saint Francis, Saint Yohan, and Assorted Saintlets …
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