7 days and counting...

Hey friends!

Lauren Cray here writing... So I'm in Chicago with my awesome friends the Wallaces, finishing up a documentary job, getting mentally prepared to make the flight to Kenya next Sunday! Done a lot of flying these last two weeks but I am PUMPED out of my mind. BONUS: I learned my yellow fever shot is good for 10 years, (winning!).

So much has happened this summer, I can't wait to get started.
First up, Veronica finally gets to go on her first vacation in years as a guest of the Catholic Church in Spain for a short retreat. She deserves it!! She takes off the day after I arrive, so looks like kids and I are going to start things of with a big party (while the farmer's away...)

 Been in contact with a few people in Nairobi, friends, but also people of influence I have yet to personally meet. I can't wait to see Pelagie and the Adam's while I'm there, it will be good to have familiar faces so far from home.

We still have a ways to go with fundraising to complete the  entire project, but it seems like pieces are really starting to fall into place. Please pray they continue to do so!! And as V always says, "God will do it." She has faith that moves mountains... and orphanages.

Kate's church, Coast Hills, raised a whopping $7,500, and by her church, I mean a bunch of elementary and jr. highers!! Dang. My Indiegogo site is almost up and has raised almost $5,200, which puts our grand total of just over $27,500 which means we reached our first goal for "Phase 1" of building!!! We can dig that water line, hire a project manager, get that 10 foot wall going. Maaaayyybe we can start looking at those 15 passenger vans?? I hope. That would be nice for transporting teams. I'll keep you updated on that.

The wall? Yes, unplanned original expense.
Necessary? Absolutely.
The Prez of Extreme Response (the other Non–prof with whom we are partnering) was told recently a very large cat (Simba= lion in Swahili) was seen roaming around the Belwop 2.0 property, so um... aside from protecting all our gear from being stolen, nobody wants to be eaten by a lion, so a wall it is!

Other cool news, teams are beginning to formed to start building. Joshua Henry, med student/ future doctor extraordinaire (and my oldest friend since we were 6 months old) is coming out to help. Team Belwop is sending a media team in October (when we hope to start putting up that wall). Coast Hills may send a team, maybe a few other churches. Also, David Martinez (this rad guy I know ;) is coming out to help for 10 days and maybe start the garden/ make a short video to be  shown at the fundraiser dinner October 1st in Anaheim at the "White House Restaurant"-- more details on the dinner coming soon!

If you or someone you know would like to get involved with building the orphanage-- scratch that-- building this HOME-- please contact one of us.  My email is laurencray4@gmail.com and I will have access to it from across the pond. Til then, hasta luego!

With God all things are possible.
His Kingdom come!!

Nakupenda,
Lauren

the results are in, people!

what a week it has been!

the children from coast hills community church have been working every afternoon to bring in money for the building of the new home in kenya for the past four days, doing everything from
                          chores
              to lemonade stands
                                          to bake sales
                                to making & selling art and bookmarks
                                                        to cleaning toilets
  to seeing if their parents would actually pay for them to be quiet for 30 minutes... (it worked. she got twenty bucks!)

i am thrilled to finally announce the final count on the fundraising for coast hills community church's svbs/flood camp week...
                                            {drum roll please...}

$7,453.73

which translates to 

672,731.73 Kenya Shillings!

it is such a beautiful thing when the Church comes together to accomplish something that is so close to the heart of God. thanks to all who participated prayerfully and financially, and to those who have just recently joined us in the journey of building a new home for the children at Belwop Children's Home in Nyeri, Kenya.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, 

   with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry 

   and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, 

then your light will rise in the darkness, 

   and your night will become like the noonday.

The LORD will guide you always... 

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins 

   and will raise up the age-old foundations; 

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, 

   Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58:9b-10, 12

    

the movement of summer and momentum of fall

as i write this, the BP team and i are in a new phase of what we will be doing in the next several months.
two very important things are coming up:


1. we are currently in the middle of coast hills' svbs/flood camp week, where Belwop is the focal point of all the fundraising for missions. the kids from both svbs and flood camp have raised already several hundred dollars, and it's only day two! updates coming on totals at the end of the week.

2. lauren leaves for nyeri, kenya, in two short weeks! i had the privilege of spending several hours with her during the day today, and her incredible heart for the Lord and for these children is so apparent as she has prepared to spend the next four months with them, and will return home on december 24. she also has access to this blog, and you will be hearing from her often as she updates us on what is going on over there.

3. we are having a fundraising dinner on october 1, 2011, at the white house in anaheim to raise funds for the building of this new home. it will be a beautiful night with speakers, pictures, and of course some fabulous music with a scrumptious meal. if you are interested in attending, tickets are $100/person and the invite is open to all. for more information, email us at thebelwopproject@yahoo.com and we will be in contact with you.


that's all for now... thanks for your support and for showing your love to "orphans and widows in their distress..."


james 1.27


kate johnson & the BP team