Jambo from IAA! March Update.

We are so blessed to have such wonderful volunteers who come to help and serve at IAA. Here are some of the volunteers we have been blessed to have the past few months. We want to say thank you again to each and every one of you!

VOLUNTEERS:

Aaron Charbonnet and Josh Callender: Aaron and Josh volunteered at IAA from January to March and are from The Woodlands in Texas. Their biggest project was to scrap and paint our red container. They also helped the children with their homework every evening and were able to assist with teaching in our Chapel several Sunday Mornings. We were blessed that God called them to IAA. 

Here is an excerpt from one of Aaron's blogs: 

     “Every Sunday I get the privilege of hearing multiple kids come up and thank God for the blessings in their life. Without fail, the first thing they thank God for is that he ALLOWED them to see this day. These kids, no older then 12, have realized what most people in the world will never realize: that each time we wake up it is because the grace of God has allowed us to do so. We haven't earned it, and we don't deserve it. Yet, we so often think we have earned it or do deserve it. It is in this country's suffering that they have found their dependence on God. It is in their suffering and lack of worldly possessions that they found that Jesus is truly all they need. It is in their lacking that they found true joy, hope, peace and love that are only found in Christ.”

April Lingle: April is our US volunteer from The Missions Society and she has been with us since last October. She is such a blessing in helping Mum Jane (our Housemom) with the babies. She helps with the laundry and cooking for the babies and also cooks for visitors at IAA. April has been so willing, loving, and competent during her stay - she is loved by all. April has been sick with pneumonia, so please pray for her healing. 

Gordon: Gordon is IAA’s project manager, and he was at IAA from January to February. He spent many days overseeing projects and repairs needed at the site. He also had a team from Massachusetts that came to visit for a couple of weeks in February. This team consisted of Kathy Gideon, Kathie Greco, Pat Greco, and Phil Pryjma. They all have experience in transitioning children from residential schools into the community. To help prepare IAA for the future, the team with April and Gordon visited four other orphanages in Kenya to make observations and comparisons. Additionally, the team, with Rene and Steve, prepared gift bags for new  mothers at the local IDP camp. Gordon also had the blessing of getting to take Kennedy to his new High School since Kennedy, Frances, and Grace all passed their exams and headed off to their new boarding high schools this past January.

Rene Tyo: During her stay, Rene helped the children with their homework, played math games with them to reinforce their skills, worked on reorganizing the library, and did the Sunday Bible lesson for Children’s Chapel.  Sunday afternoons at IAA she spent time making cookies with the girls, making volcanoes with the boys, or watching them fly airplanes. Back in West Virginia, Rene continues to develop a supplemental educational plan for the children at IAA.

Steve Tyo: Steve is a huge help when visiting IAA because he brings practical, technical skills as well as experience with generators, appliances, electrical, plumbing, and automotive maintenance and repair. Steve loves sharing what he knows with the children. He taught them how a generator works from a model he built and he also helped the older girls learn to ride bicycles.

If you want to know more about Rene and Steve's time at IAA, check out the blog they kept at: www.mysecondtimeinkenya.blogspot.com.

Wimberley First Baptist Vacation Bible School Children: We want to thank these children for helping provide this new playground for the children at IAA. We are so excited to have our new playground for the children and they already love playing on it.

Wimberley First Baptist Team's Pastor's Conference: Wiatt Warren (Associate Pastor) reported their experience with their Pastor's Conference held at IAA:  "There is so much jealousy and mistrust amongst the pastors – several told me it was much more effective being hosted and promoted by IAA. There is no way to measure the impact this conference has and will have on these pastors and their flocks. There were several requests to extend our time with them. I told them. They were persistent in asking if and when we would return. The first day we had 24 pastors to attend. We approximately doubled the second day and the third day we had over 70 in attendance. Praise God!"

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

New Kitchen/Dining Hall: The drawings and planning for the new kitchen and dining hall are almost finished. We will be breaking ground to begin the building soon. The engineering students from Syracuse University are preparing to travel to Kenya for the beginning stages of the building process in August of this year. Although they have raised the majority of the cost for the building, IAA will be responsible for contributing to a portion of the construction as well as purchasing the appliances and equipment for the building.

Approximately $10,000.00 is needed.

Backpacks: Our children are in need of new backpacks for school. Jane can purchase them in Kenya. If you would like to help us buy a child a backpack, you can donate on our website at: Donate here! Or you can send a check to our address:

Into Abba's Arms PO Box 130846

Spring, TX 77393

Each backpack costs $15.00.

T-Shirts: We are now selling t-shirts to help raise funds for IAA. You can order them online at: Order here! 

T-shirts are $18.00 for adults and $12.00 for children, plus an additional $3.00 charge for shipping.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

We always want to ask you to pray for our children. Please pray for their health, safety, schooling, and spiritual relationship with Christ. Please continue to pray they will grow up to be faithful followers of Christ.

Donna (IAA US Volunteer): Donna is back in Texas for a couple of months furlough. She will be having knee surgery, so please pray for her.

Christine (IAA Kenya Administrator): Christine has surgery scheduled in mid-May to remove some fibroids. Please remember to pray for her.

Jane: Jane is headed to Kenya on April 8th and will be celebrating the annual King's Feast at IAA.

Summer Mission Trips: The mission trips for June and July of this summer are scheduled for: June 1-13 and July 24-August 6. Please be praying for these teams.


Thank you for your continual support!