Highlights from Brazil

My wife and I were recently able to visit our middle son who is teaching English in Divinopolis, Brazil.  In addition to spending time in Divinopolis, we spent a few days in Sao Paulo, a day Sao Joao Del Rei, Tiradentze, and a beautiful lake that I cannot remember the name of. We  had an amazing week seeing our son again after many months, and meeting the people in his life during this adventure.  Following are some photos of the trip.

Village of Living Hope

A couple years ago I met, through internet, Pastor Jack Grubbs, who knows our mutual friend, Musa Njagamba.  Through Facebook I have come to find out that Jack's daughter, Claire, is in the early stages of developing an orphanage for albino children near Shinyanga, Tanzania, named Village of Living Hope. Following is an encouraging message from Claire when she found out that I provide architectural design services through Helps Ministries.



Wow, architectural design! Would you be willing to provide services or advice to our ministry? We are currently purchasing a 25-acre piece of land (as I'm sure you've seen posts about). It is going to be surveyed some time in the next few months (Lord willing!), and then we will have a map of the plot. Would you be able to take that, and with our wishes, design a plan for the property? I am not familiar with what is involved with your job and architectural design, so let me know if this is in line with your expertise!

Thanks so much!
Claire

Check out Village of Living Hope on Facebook.  You WILL be blessed.  Lord willing, I will be able to visit Claire and the Village of Living Hope land, with schematic drawings in hand this coming June.

LEA Ministry Update

Following is an year end summary note from Martin Tango, the founder of LEA orphanage and primary school in Dongobesh. Seeing first hand what the Lord has, and is doing at this orphanage/primary school has touched my heart.  Lord willing, I will return in June, 2015, to help others with providing a well for LEA.







It is thanksgiving morning .

At this Christmas season Jesus also calls us his friends and for that I am thankful. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lightly, who does not change like shifting shadow, ( James 1:17) we are thankful for many  things.

I would like to thank God the father , Son , and holy spirit for another year of Grace beauty and provision bringing those near my care safely  till we have started our ministry of helping the children who  are  real’s need  support .

The project targeting in children living in hardship life orphanage, street children and poor family children, also with these children from hardship life we have provide the service to capable parents to providing education for their children to paid school fees for them in our school as the way of sharing the cost of running school program me of all children to providing a services for their future life.

I am love to see the hand of God  going before us, making  movies and setting up effective partnerships. LEA has started conducting to provide the service to the children when we have started with 20 children, up now we have 310 and from hardship life we helps 151 all of these children are sponsors and there are numbers of children need support are many please pray for these children to get sponsors . Also there is an increase in demand for more parents wish to enroll their pupils. Now our numbers of children’s are 310 in school. 228 students are staying in the hostel (147 boys and 81 girls). Now the buildings for hostel are rented by school.

The school  fee per year $ 500. And we have divide in three semester. so semester one 166.You are welcome  For those who like to share this blessing for support children those who wait, The number of children not  sponsor are  50 please  think yourself what you can do for them.

Please remember this project in your pray in order to have the good people who can help these hostel construction because the children they can get good accommodation, Also help them to have school fees which can help them to get  good school have a good quality of education this it can help them to liberate from hardship life and poor life , nurturing in good moral of life and help them spiritually in order to maintain for their future life of children in Tanzania, Why  I am doing this? I am doing this because I have got  calling  from my God to help these children, because I am not hearing the one who make voice  about their future so please me and you God provide chance to speak and support  them about these children to prepare for their future life. please I am asking you to stand with us in this good ministry for the Glory of God, I am not rich person, when I am doing this ministry of helping these children but I have got the heart of help each other’s  especial those who are in need real  because my history it was pass same like their  history when I have been in child age from ten up 13 year  I have been  suffered like them, this why  I am very touch with their life .

With great honor we hereby  submitting to you the immediate assistance request to you on following areas; please as you known that our school of LEA help the children come from hardship areas orphans, street children and poor family life we have lot of things needed in order to help the future of this children, we have tried found some of the people who can help support for their education future, because the real needs of these children is to provide them good quality of education which it can liberate them  from the hardship life and poor life.

So please our request is support of  school fees, basic needs clothes, food, the place for them to stay  dormitory and the place for them to study mean (classroom). Among of the children they have got sponsor and others they not succeed to get sponsor we continue pray for them to get sponsors.

In this time we have hostel which we have rent, and some of the classroom we built  but  the need of building our hostel it is needed and add some classroom is needed. please this is why I have feel to give you this information when your feel the hearth of help us, to known little bit our history.

Our plan for future of next year is to start  build new building of hostel for 260 students. The reason of this plan is to improve the accommodation conditions for kids and to provide better services for them and society (every kid will have his own bed). Plans include structure of new dining room which can be used as a hall for meeting and studying. Two classrooms for workshops for people from Dongobesh. Better situation of toilets, kitchen and laundry. Guest rooms for parents to improve relationships between students and parents from far distances and Improve the connection between school workers and hostel workers

Thank you too for being a blessing person  in this year, because some have prayed , some have donated, some have help, some have led and some have advice. Thanks again for standing with us this year and God  blessings on you in 2015 Please pray with us for strength clear vision for the future of next year.

Have a blessed Christmas and new year.

Martin Tango.

In the mission of God.

News from Michael in Sierra Leone

Following is a personal response to my email to Michael Turay regarding how he was doing in the midst of this Ebola plague impacting his country:

Michael and Georgina Turay and children

My Dear Brother Ed,

I want you to know that we understand your situation on our behalf. We continue to pray for you that you guys will have time and wisdom to finish the plan for our structure. Our good God is going to give you all the grace you need to help us. This is what is going on in our nation right now:

The situation with the Ebola outbreak in our country is sadly getting worse. The number of cases, especially in the capital city is increasing consistently, and not getting better. Again, it’s as a result of people’s attitude toward the epidemic. So many families are being wiped out, and the common story is, that one of them refused to do what is advised to avoid contacting the virus, especially the fact that they should not attend funerals, and not wash dead bodies. Because our culture is full of so much superstition, like washing the dead body of your relative or loved one, people would rather risk their lives, than not do that. They believe those dead persons will give them “good-luck”, and open doors of blessing for them in this life. In fact, a woman with about 7 children, a practicing muslim, had her children learn the quran. The imam who was teaching her kids died of Ebola. The woman went and washed the dead body of the imam, took the water from the dead body and washed all her kids with it. All of those kids will definitely die. The latest finding about this epidemic is that most of those infected with the virus, got it as a result of contacting dead people with the virus. The situation is so bad that schools continue to be closed, and the prediction is that it will re-open in March, 2015, which would mean that they only have 2 months in the school year to cover all their work. This is a real disaster for our educational system. The prize of basic commodities keeps increasing. So many businesses have closed down, and it really looks like we are losing control on the situation. The population is losing confidence in our government, which is also bad news. A hand full of people in authority in our nation do not want this crisis to come to an end, because they are getting rich. This is how some of our people are selfish. The hope for us right now is God’s mercy and deliverance for our nation.

My family and I are well. God continues to be gracious to us, in keeping us safe and free from the virus. Our heavenly Father continues to add to our church number, and I am very excited about teaching His word to His people in our church family. I will by God’s grace finish the book of Daniel this year, and start teaching the book of Revelation. God is good indeed!

Bye for now sir.

In Him Alone,

Michael

William Henry Luebben II; my dad

Dad and me on January 20, 2011

On September 23, 2014, around 12:30 P.M., my dad left his life on this earth and began his life with our Savior in heaven.  My mom went to be with the Lord on March 4, 2010; so the two of them have been able to embrace again for the first time in 4-1/2 years. My dad experienced a series of hospitalizations (mostly with pneumonia) for a couple years after mom passed away; actually beginning with the day before she passed away. However, the past two years have been virtually hospital free and dad, who was four months shy of 90, was able to live in his three level home, drive, and was blessed with a strong mind up to his last breath on earth this past Tuesday.

Dad was raised in a church attending home; but it wasn't until listening to Billy Graham in 1960 that he responded to the Call of the Lord, and gave his heart to Jesus.  I was born in 1959; so my life was blessed with two Christ loving parents. Christ, our Rock, has seen us through plenty of difficult challenges, yet challenges common to man in this fallen world.  My dad and mom built a household on the solid Rock; a life of hope and purpose. 

I was privileged to have an especially close bond with dad that not all people have with their fathers; we are both architects, Ohio State grads, love long road trips and exploring new places, enjoyed audio books during our drives, playing card and board games, and just hanging out with each other.  My heart breaks at loosing (for awhile at least) my lunch mate, and all around best friend.  Dad, I know you are basking in the presence of our Lord, embracing mom, Cliff, your three miscarried unnamed children, Lindsey, Kelsey, and four additional unnamed grandchildren, and your great grandchild Ethan.  I trust that your parents and siblings are with you as well.  I truly miss you, and will cling to our Rock until we see each other face to face again. 

Following are a series of photos of this gentle, and kind man who was my dad.

Centro De Communidad Banos

The public restrooms building shell has been completed as part 1 of the Community Center project in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico. The center is located in one of the poorest parts of this town; near the landfill, which is where the Church at San Luis has been planted by David Power.  This little church, consisting of, perhaps 60 attenders who themselves are very poor, are (with God's help) building not just a church building, but a center for the entire Reforma community where there will be public restrooms with showers (many do not have showers), an large meeting room for community and private activities, and a building with classrooms and dorms for visiting short term missions groups.  The design was completed in 2013; and enough donations and funds have allowed for construction to begin for the restroom facility.

The following image is a rendering of what the completed complex will look like.  The images that follow show construction progress photos of the Banos.  Be sure to read David Power's note following the pictures.

 

 

 

NOTE FROM DAVID POWER

Dear Friends, we need your help. We've been holding services outside under a shade structure for three years, we've been meeting from house to house teaching the Word of God and praying and worshiping Jesus; we've been providing food, clothing and shelter to many needy people in Jesus' name; we've seen people set free, people healed, people saved, and people's lives completely changed. It's been amazing. Now, we need you to help us build... Worship Center, Training Center, Community Center, and much more!

We need your Financial Support, and/or we need you to come down and Work along aside us. Please consider supporting our efforts as we continue to Proclaim and Demonstrate Jesus' Love, Word and Power so that Multitudes of People's Lives are Changed Now, Continually and Forever!!!

We are accepting financial gifts via our website at:churchmexico.webs.com/givingtothework.htm and we are scheduling individuals and teams to come down in October, November, December, January and February to help build and to help with community outreach projects.

If you are interested in giving or coming or bringing a group of friends or family or group from your Church, please let me know at: David@ChurchMexico.com THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT as we continue to do the work of the ministry in this part of the world...

 



 

Visit from Rene & Gloria Bustamante

We had a wonderful visit from Rene & Gloria Bustamante in early August.  Rene is the man who linked me with David Power and Church Mexico, where we did drawings for the Community Center for the Church at San Luis, Mexico.  Rene also connected us with Ray and Carol Williams, who we stayed with while serving in Mexico last year.  Rene and Gloria also connected with our two youngest sons, Josiah & Micah, when they traveled to Mexico last summer during their musical ministry, tour, adventure thingie.  They visited for about one week, and we sure had a lot of fun.  They sure are a great young couple who I am so grateful the Lord connected us with.  Following are a few photos of our week together.


Rene & Gloria at Mt. Rainier National Park



Mt. Rainier

contemplating cliff diving into the Columbia River

Off we go!

Rene with son's daughter, Galadriel

Visiting the Market in Seattle