Prayer & Praise

Praise God for the long awaited registration of the school in Ringa, Kenya
Pray for phase two of Ugandan building project - the bible school
Give thanks for the birth of a healthy daughter to the leader and his wife, Uganda
Pray for safe travels as Neville and others visit the work in Myanmar, China & Thailand
Give thanks for new outreach among the deaf in Samar, Philippines

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Greetings for 2010. This is our first letter for the year, which is coming to you a bit late as I have been out of the country for most of January and part of December. To start with, a personal update; I have to show off our grand kids - please forgive me. We were able to have the whole family together in the mountains of Japan for Christmas and the New Year. David, our third son and his family, live in a fairly remote mountainous part of Japan where the snow falls heavily and stays for a long time. We had a white Christmas that will satisfy us forever. Another metre of snow fell the day we left to add to the metre already on the ground. It was 109°F or 43°C when we got back to Australia so rather a contrast.

Asher & Noelle-David & Ruthie with Elissa-Erik & Bec

Cabin where Lill & I stayed

The Philippines

Mindanao

Plantation workers.

Rubber Plantation.

Since then I have been in the Philippines. As a means of trying to make DMI a bit more sustainable and less reliant on fluctuating donations and exchange rates, we have been investing in a few projects made possible by some donations for that purpose. One such venture is a rubber plantation in northern Mindanao near the town of Cagayan de Oro. We are now the proud owners of about 9 acres of rubber trees, which will still require another 3 years to mature. Five people are employed currently, so not only are we hoping for an income that will help support the work in Mindanao, but also a means of employment for deaf people. We are praying that the trees will mature well, free from storms, disease and terrorists.

Riverside baptisimal service.

A new church has also been formed and I had the joy of baptizing two young men in a raging river, one of whom is one of the rubber plantation workers.

Davao

We are faced with another semi-disaster or, a way for God to work another miracle of provision. Next to our main building in Davao is a house which we have rented for some time now. It is used as a residence for some staff, kitchen for the school and dorm, vegetable garden, chicken pen, dining room and study hall for the kids. We have just been told that the owner is going to sell it so we either buy it or get out. We have no money to buy it nor anywhere to move to; $95,000 is the going price. We have just completed installing a reinforced roof over the dining and study area, after a storm blew off the temporary one. Please pray for another miracle of God’s grace and provision as we have nowhere else to turn but up.

Students & teachers at the Davao Dorm.

Samar

Rodel on his new bike.

Samar is a relatively undeveloped part of the Philippines. A 5-hour bumpy road journey from Tacloban in Leyte brings you to our dormitory for deaf kids in Bongonan. The work is lead by a wonderful, deaf young man by the name of Rodel Manila. He leads the church as well as running the dorm where about 20 needy deaf young people are living. Most are in their teens or early 20s but, due to poverty and lack of facilities, have only just commenced school. We were able to get a bicycle for Rodel so that he can reach the hundreds of deaf people out in the nearby barrios. He was thrilled to bits with the bicycle. He did not want a motor bike as he has night blindness and deteriorating eye sight (possibly Ushers syndrome) so a motor bike was a bit much for him to handle.

Samar students who require sponsorship.

Because support is so slim they have been thinking of ways to get some local income; they have been growing vegetables to help feed the residents, and thanks to the free use of some land owned by a deaf lady, the plan is to build a small piggery to raise some pigs for income as well as food. We need about $500 to build the styes, buy the piglets and feed them until they are able to breed and produce income. Compared to our Davao needs this one is quite small but, help is needed nevertheless. Pray for this struggling but vital ministry in Bongonan.

DMI is growing!

Congratulations to David and Rose Bulime, Uganda on the birth of a little girl, Anna. The much-awaited Anna arrived 14 years after their last son was born. I also learned while in the Philippines that 5 of our workers are pregnant - a baby boom is on the way.

Kenya

The students will be able to enjoy hot milk tea.

The impossible has happened again. After being told there was no hope of getting the school in Ringa, Kenya officially registered, Wesley was called to Nairobi and handed the registration papers!! We are now secure and no one can kick us out or close us down. God has also provided new deaf teaching staff, who are graduates, plus other new staff have joined the school. This is a marvellous provision as more kids keep arriving to join the school.

There are now 5 deaf & 4 hearing teachers.

'Temporary' classrooms at Ringa school.

A most unlikely plantation worker.

So join us in thanks and praise for what God is doing and please join us in prayer for the needs we also face.

God Bless, Neville and Lill