Updates from Africa

Hello everyone!  We would like to share some of the updates we have been getting from leaders at Lance's Deaf Orphans (LDO) in Kenya.  It is very encouraging to us that the children have adults who will take care of them and ensure that their needs are met.  

We also met Lance McWilliams, the founder of Lance's Deaf Orphans!  We had a great weekend together in Iowa and talked and prayed about the future of LDO and how ODO can be a big part of it.  

Enjoy the pictures!

The older water tank at LDO broke after a heavy rainfall caused the tank to collapse on the wooden foundation and it cracked under the weight.  ODO, through LDO, sent money for them to get a new tank and re-build the foundation!

We miss that road!

Our trusty partner, Winston.  You should remember him from our blogs while we were in Kenya.  He is the main man and the one where all financial transactions and reports go through.

That's Joseph on the right, one of the kids of Mary, the headmistress.  The door on the left is where we stayed in June.

The man on the left is Elphas, a deaf teacher.  

Notice the torn water tank behind the new one?  Compare the size!

Wood for the foundation.

We built those gutters on the right!  It is sad to see the tarp still torn.  That's something that we have to fix next year!

It is harder than you think to make holes.  Very rocky soil and sparks fly when you pound with that metal stick.  These two men are hired workers.  

The panga (machete) is the knife of choice in Kenya! 

Preparing the concrete.

Mixing it.

And the new tank is put on the new foundation!  It seems to be angled so there will always be water pressure.

Secure!  The concrete is still wet, but it will be very strong when it dries up.  We are very happy to see that this project has been accomplished - because it develops trust - we know that when we send money to them, that they will complete projects and "do what they say they will do."  

When we were in Kenya, we met Stephen Greek, a hearing missionary who loves the Deaf and has his own organization.  His organization donates money for local Africans who are doing ministry for them to buy dairy cows, so they  can have milk and maybe develop a business from selling milk.  Stephen Greek and his organization donated money for LDO to have two new baby cows!  On the left is Daniel Ogembo, the acting director of LDO, and on the right is good ol' Winston.  

Welcome to LDO!  

When the ODO team was in Kenya in June, we had many projects.  We finished most of them, but one of the projects that we did not get to finish was building a new rabbit cage.  The have a rabbit cage but it was too small for the ever-growing rabbit family.  We started with the frame, but time ran out and we left them with wood.  LDO sent them money for them to hire workers to finish the job!

Adding walls.  Wood is a great insulator.

Who needs shoes?

Looking great!  

The bottom part is finished with six separate compartments.  

Pauline and Felix posing with the working water tank!  We miss you both a LOT.  

The two new cows and Mary's cow.  

Another day of workin' on the rabbit cage.  The older cage is on the right, and that is the one you saw in our blogs.

Building the doors.  

No power saws or buffers!  Everything is done by hand.

The beloved children are always curious!  

Making the screens.  

The kids with a deflated ball.  The terrain is so rocky and with barb wires, balls deflate so fast.  Next year, we will bring SUPER TOUGH balls so they won't deflate!  From left, here is Evans, Sarah, Pauline, Larwance, Frederick, Kevin, and Japheth.  

Using a plane to smooth out the tops of the doors.  

It's looking good!

Now the roofs are being installed.  

FINISHED!  Check out the awesome double-cabinet design.  That way the rabbits can stay cool during the day and stay warm overnight.

We love you, Elphas, John, and Larwance!

Thanks, Winston, for making sure that this project is completed!  What's up with that Vols t-shirt?  

What a big structure that is!  Elphas is very tall, so the cage must be almost 7 feet tall.  It looks very strong and should serve the orphans' needs for many years to come.  

Brand-new homes for you.

Now, the rabbits can multiply and there will be more food and opportunities to sell them for extra money for the children.

We met Lance McWilliams.  All the ODO team is here except for Kat, who lives in Utah.  We had a great time talking with him and discussing about the experiences we had in Kenya and the future of LDO and ODO.  Right now we are working very closely and Lance has expressed that he hopes that ODO will be able to take over what LDO has been doing for four years and be the official sponsor for the children at LDO.

We have also decided to go ahead and invite six more orphans into the orphanage, and that will be blogged later when we get pictures of them!

We need your support more than ever!  Now, it is not about supporting a specific project or sending us to Africa - we are asking you to make a monthly commitment to ODO so we can continue to send money to the orphanage and for them to continue to feed the orphans, educate them, clothe them, and add more orphans as there are MANY more who don't have a home or a family.

To donate, please go here: www.odeafo.com/donate.  Thank YOU so much for your support and prayers!