The renovation of our simple kitchen (cooking over a well vented, open fire) included the installation of two commercial wood fired cook stoves which will make life much easier for our cook! Previously, hours were spent each day keeping a fire going and under sometimes very smokey circumstances. Not to mention sweat occasionally dripping into the open pot! Also, the food was often tainted with a smoke flavor. This stove addition is huge. Now serving up to 80 servings per day during weekdays and the ability to heat water for cleaning and bathing during meal preparation. We are thankful for those who helped during the fundraising for these cook stoves in April.
We succeeded in finding a tractor operator to plow our field in order to get the crops in before rains came in mid April. Thus, we have a corn maze and beans that should be ready to harvest a few weeks from now (7/15). We will possibly replant another crop of onions this time around. These crops are beginning to supplement our groceries to a larger degree. Other things that grow in TPL are: papaya, mango, sweet potatoes, and regular potatoes. The children each have charge over at least two trees that they water and tend. They enjoy gardening and it teaches responsibility.
Lastly, our Form 1 (9th graders) who are in Western Kenya (Victory Academy, Kamburi) are on a midterm break and doing well with grades. The school they are attending is overseen by Pastor Justus Amunga who was instrumental in getting the orphanage started almost 8 yrs ago in Nairobi. He and wife, Jane, have been working with us to add needy children to TPL. We were able to rescue about 13 children from that area alone last February. It is a blessing to see children in a learning center under the watchful eye of Justus and Jane. Their school sets on the same campus as their orphanage for older children. The Academy is about 10-11 hrs from The Promise Land and our children there (4) return 1-2 times per year during major breaks at Christmas and Spring break.
Thank you all for reading and for your support of this ministry.
Arlan Mendell