SHADE

Over the past few years I have been privileged to work with Clare & Mike Fedele on a master plan for a community for children with albinism in Tanzania; who are "rejected, forgotten, and hunted" within this country. A few years ago they had a piece of land that we developed a master plan for. The purchase for that land fell through; but as is often the case with the Lord; a much better property became available, which they have purchased, have installed a well, and are in the process of constructing a large shade pagoda and a guard / caretaker house. Eventually, through phased construction, they intend to have a nursery, primary, and secondary school; five to ten houses with a half dozen children and house parents per house; a business development center; visiting missionary quarters; prayer room; pool; soccer field; and large agricultural area. They are working with Bill Hebner of Hebner Innovative Solutions to develop plans using shipping container structures. Phase 1 will be a five container, two level building which will have administration, educational, and guest quarters. The first draft of this land's master plan is below; followed by a few more images of the well, shade structure, caretaker home, the children, and staff.

Life School near Madrid

In mid-October 2018 my wife and I met with two amazing missionary couples, and plenty of more missionary teachers who are operating (or on the board) of the ONLY evangelical Christian school for Spanish children in the Madrid, Spain area (in Tres Cantos) name Life School (Life). Life is an English immersion school. Scot and Carol Musser were led to start this school after a couple of decades serving at and running a Christian school in the area that primarily serves missionary children. Scot felt an increasing draw for developing a high quality school that would help Spanish children, and help lead Spanish families into personal relationships with our Lord. The school is in it's second year and has a modest student population; but has more than doubled than last year. The storefront property that they rent to educate the preschool and primary aged children will soon be insufficient to house the growing student population With the Lord's help, and in working with Spanish architects Carlos and Audrey, we hope to prepare drawings that will allow for a larger and phased growth plan to educate hundreds of preschool through secondary age students. Recently, Scot has been challenged to dream beyond just one such school building; but to see if the Lord might not grow this vision into several such schools throughout the Madrid area and perhaps beyond. Following are some photos of the children, the missionaries, the Spanish architectural team, and the property.

Life School student

Teacher and engaged students

Design team

Audrey, me, Sally, and Carlos

Audrey, Scot, and Carlos

Scale model of Alcala, Spain, where Carlos & Audrey work

Scot & Carol Musser and us

Missionaries Tim & Marilyn Westergren (and guest Anna)

The property they hope to secure for the expanded Life School

San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico

Church Mexico Community Center construction progress, initially designed in 2013, the final of three buildings is under construction. Future Church Mexico projects include security wall, school, and halfway house

David & Irecela Powers (& grandkids)-founder of Church Mexico

building 1 complete-community restrooms & showers

building 2-mostly complete: Community Center & church building 

building 3 underway and being used for classes, will also have dorms

after school program in building 3

BAM!

Puebla & Cholula, Mexico

Design 5-story mixed use building for Business as Missions (BAM) to serve as housing for visiting business teams and also pay for itself with rented mercantile and apartments.

Tom & Sandy Basile - directors of BAM

Carol & Ray Williams

Amilcingo, Mexico

Inspected earthquake damage at church plant from Ray and Carol Williams of ICare Minitries of Yuma, Ray (who is with the Lord) was Rene’s Mentor.

Cuernavaca, Mexico

My wife and I spent a few days in Cuernavaca with Rene Bustamante. Measured up the existing house owned by Rene and his mom, which is he is expanding, and wants additional design assistance for additional expansion to house medical, dental, optometry, and veterinary clinic teams to serve villages in central Mexico for the ministry that Rene runs named Yuma Free Clinic.

LEA SCHOOL & ORPHANAGE HOSTEL UPDATE

LEA SCHOOL & ORPHANAGE HOSTEL UPDATE
Martin Tango and his wonderful family (above) run an amazing school and orphanage in the small town of Dongobesh, Tanzania. I've touched on LEA in past blogs...but a brief summary of their beginnings and where they are presently at are as follows:

• Martin was an orphan by age 13; made his way from the bush villages to the town of Dongobesh and was taken in by Pastor Zakayo (another amazing story that I need to share about some day). Pastor Zak and his wife, still take in "stray" children and have something like 20 to 30 living in their humble home.
• Zakayo mentored Martin, brought him in as part of his evangelical ministry called Maasheti (spelling might not be quite right).
• Martin was touched by the plight of the street kids, and the lack of education or housing for them, as he was once in this situation himself.
• With the encouragement of Zakyo and some of his supporters; LEA preschool and primary school began in 2005 with 20 children.
• When I first visited in 2013 LEA had about 300 students, about 280 living in very rough housing (but better than living on the streets, see past blogs for images).
• In 2015 a local friend, Mark Croskrey, his son, and friend David Slater, along with other donors raised funds and had a well installed in this parched part of the earth, to help the school, and town. At that time the school had a little over 400 students.
• LEA now has over 600 students, is adding a secondary school is achieving some of the best academic test results in this part of the country; mostly orphaned or single parent children...all because of a vision the Lord gave Martin, encouraged by pastor Zak 12 years ago.
  
• Housing is still a problem; the government made the students move from the substandard living conditions, but the cost to rent the new housing is high. 
• I was blessed to help design a hostel (dorm) for the children; and in 2015, towards the end of our visit to Tanzania, a landowner next to the school agreed to sale LEA his land for this dorm and more educational buildings in exchange for other property LEA owned not quite a close to the campus.
• Please pray that the Lord provides the funds to help build the housing and improved kitchen facilities for these amazing students and this amazing program.