Hope For The Nations

The children of the Bethlehem's Children Home live in 'the Promised Land'.

The are loved, they love their school, they live in a comfortable home, they eat healthy food and they now have friends from around the world who have come to visit and encourage them.

They face a bright future.

Hard work and beautiful gardens provide fresh and healthy vegetables.

Chickens (see coop on side of picture) provide fresh eggs.

Fish ponds generate an ongoing supply of protein.

A GUEST HOUSE has been built to welcome donors, friends and future guests.

Big hearts, hard work, generous donors and lovely children have all contributed to making this a land of Milk & Honey for the children. We all thank you.

Water erupting from 50 meters below the surface of the Bethlehem property was celebrated with shouts of joy, dancing and tears.

At last, the dream of clean, safe water for the home and community had become a reality. The drilling crew were working in full sweat, the neighbors where watching with curiosity and the children were running around with excitement and anticipation.

The long awaited gush of water leaped from the ground and the celebration began.

The pump was installed, the water tested and the home and neighbors now have clean water!

Thanks to LOVE MERCY (drilling crew), ORGANICS 4 ORPHANS (sponsors of the well) and HOPE FOR THE NATIONS donors who purchased the land and pump.

A couple of months ago we received a distressing email from Joseph ... our faithful and hard-working house parent.

Bad News: Neighborhood dogs paid a visit to their property and killed over 100 chickens.

Solution: Build a GATE which opens to guests but closes to unwanted Cannines.

Provision: "THE CAN MAN" collected and sold 1,000's of pop cans to pay for this gate!

A retired couple, Edwin and Evelyn Henkel ... who live in Kelowna, Canada started CANS and BOTTLES FOR ORPHANS. This amazing couple have sold over 100,000 cans and bottles with the proceeds going to HFTN projects for children.

The parents and children at the Bethlehem Childnre's Home say "THANK YOU!!!"

It was a delight for the UK team to visit Joseph and Linet at the Bethlehem Children's Home in Katile, Kenya. We were so impressed with the way in which these special children have been cared for following the post-election violence which saw the loss of their parents.

We loved the "children's gardens". Each child is being taught in the art of bio-intensive gardening. Nutritious vegetables, composting techniques and preparation of the food are all skills being modeled and taught to the children.

Each chlld walks around their "heart" garden (seen in foreground of picture), picks one of each vegetable and brings the harvest to the kitchen for preparation. Extra vegetables are sold locally for a few Kenyan shillings which the child both spends and invests.

These children are indeed 'farmers of the future'.

Fish ponds are a great way to raise food for our children's home and also a way of generating Kenyan shillings to purchase food and clothing for the children.

Tilapiines are among the easiest and most profitable fish to farm due to their omnivorous diet, tolerance of high stocking density, and rapid growth. They are rich in protein.

Here's the 'math' on TILAPIA:

1 fingerling grows to edible size (15 -18 cm, 6 - 7 inches) in 3 months.

1 fingerling costs 10 cents to purchase

1 fingerling costs 10 cents to raise with 'feed' and 30 cents for all other costs

1 grown fish sells for ... $3.00 at the market (300 KSH)

Profit: .... $2.50 per fingerling

It is time to invest !

The Bethlehem Children's Home has just purchased another 1/2 acre of land.

Why? ... to begin a number of business enterprises that will both supply food for the home and in addition provide profits which will pay for school fees and clothing for the children.

One fish pond has been completed. It's simple - dig a hole, line it with plastic, fill it with water and add fish fingerlings ... in fact 2,000 of them!

We are looking for donors who love to invest in small enterprise. Total cost: $360

If you were to visit the Bethlehem Children's home, you would be greeted with the laughter of children and the robust activity of workers in the garden and Linet attending the chickens.

This is not a hobby... this is a necessity. The maize and vegetables both feed the children and the 'extras' are sold in the community. The 200 chickens will soon be laying eggs which will also be sold to offset the costs of running a home for 9 eager children.

Donors have invested in a chicken house and the equipment to get a small operation going. In addition, volunteers have come to this property to hold seminars on 'bio-intensive' gardening and have stayed to teach and model new techniques. Result = a great bounty of vegetables.

They say "hard work produces good results".

In the case of the Bethlehem CHildren's Home, this is certainly true. Scan this history list:

- We buy them land

- A children's home is built ... adding 9 children to Joseph & Linet's family

- Organics 4 Orphans trains in bio-intensive agriculture

- Joseph and Linet put in the hours of work following 'best practice' principles

- The rains come, the garden grows!

- The children eat high nutritious crops and the remainer of vegetables are sold.

Now that's success !!

Happy New Year!

We are fine and kicking hoping the same for you over there for the new year. We are very grateful for your continous support. We received the support and it was a blessing not only to us but to the kids too. It enabled us buy some of the books and uniforms. We are moving on Monday to our new house. It is a real blessing of the year.

May God bless you, your family, church and friends in abundance.

Your Son, Daughter and Grand children in Kenya,
Joseph, Linet & Kids
 

We are excited about the progress being made! Here is Joseph's recent letter:

Hallow to all , We thank God for the far he has brought us and the good plans he has for us.We have done the plastaring both inside and outside ,done wiring, inside plumbing and the contractors are busy on fecia boards and toilet and bathroom tilling.

For wirering we couldint manage to the celling because we had not done blandaring but paid for labor and all the accesories for it.
Section leftis:-1.Blandaring
2.Celling boards
3.Painting
4.Glasses

God willing we are planning to open the house between Jan. 28th to 30th .

We wish you a mary Christmas and a happy new year 2012 a year of more blessings.
Remeber we will be celebrating our wedding unvarsary on 18th Dec . let as enjoy together as you pray for us.
Joseph for Bethlehem home kitale.
Amen.
 

The Foundations have been laid!

The first phase of this exciting new home project has been completed.  As the funds continue to come in the walls will go up and soon Joseph & Linet with their precious children will be able to call this home their own!

The new well is in place, maize, beans and vegetables are growing and the children are getting excited as this project moves along at a good pace!

Real everyday hero's, Ed and Evelyn Henkel are making a difference each week by collecting pop cans and bottles for orphans and children at risk.

Currently, they are focusing their efforts on Kenya : Kitale - Bethlehem Children's Home. You can get involved by donating your cans/bottles.

Drop Off Locations: Saturday nights or Sunday's at Trinity Baptist Church, or 54680 Valley Road, Kelowna. Let's help them reach their target for this year of $8000.00, or 100,000 cans and bottles!