Hello Friends and Partners of Saved By God's Grace,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It is amazing how much can occur in just a month.  When our November newsletter was published we were just beginning to support Nice View Junior Academy/Orphanage in Tala, Kenya.  We had begun to ask people to consider supporting this ministry God brought to us.  You have blessed us with your support which has allowed many things to commence.  We will use this month's newsletter to update you on how your generosity has begun to show hope and love to the children of the Academy.

Projects completed 

Providing Ample Supply of High Quality Food:  I was moved when Gideon (Director of the Academy) wrote me and said, "My Brother, the children are eating well!"  Your on-going donations are keeping the children fed.  He has been able to procure better quality food and more of it.  Please keep your monthly contributions coming to enable this to continue.  The children are rejoicing that they are eating better and we are thanking God and you for this providence.

Providing A Uniform for Each Child:  The uniform that the children wear is the only set of clothing many of them have.  The uniform is required by the Kenyan Government for them to remain in school.  With your support, the children all have a new uniform to wear.  Click here to see pictures of the children expressing great joy for having someone care enough to provide another set of clothes.  I don't think I have ever seen children so happy to receive clothing.

Book Drive:  Thanks to many who gave children's books, we have shipped over 170 books to the Orphanage (Children's literature books appear to be the only item that must be sent from the US as they are not available in Nairobi).  We are currently waiting to ensure they are received before we send more.  Our US Post Office ensures they make it to Kenya, but after that it is the responsibility of the Kenyan postal service to get them to the Academy.  We were advised to wait until the children receive the books before sending any more.

A Christmas Gift:  Many of the children at the Orphanage had never received a gift.  My family decided to celebrate Christmas a bit different this year.  My eldest daughter told me that they (her and her siblings) were giving all the money they would have spent on Christmas gifts for each other, Tammy, and me to the ministry to buy a gift for each of the children at the Academy.  They also told me to call my parents and Tammy's mom and sister and tell them they would rather have them send the money they would have spent on Christmas gifts for us to the ministry.  A total of $1,300 was collected and the children at the Academy received a gift (click here to see the children with their backpacks).  Their joy comes through the pictures and Gideon told me that he has never seen the children so happy.  They were told this was a gift to celebrate Christmas!

Projects in progress

Bringing Scripture to the Academy:  Gideon asked if we could obtain Bibles for the children and bring them when we arrive in March.  We presented this request to Kevin Saunders of Logos Ministries and he is taking up this cause with his students.  Kevin educates over 1,000 people a week in his Bible classes held throughout Arizona.  He will present this need to his students each week until we leave for Tala.  He is confident the students will generously provide funds for the Bibles.  Thank you Kevin and all your students.  Click here to read more about Logos Ministries.

Bringing Water to the Academy:  For years Gideon has had to carry water to the Academy on a daily basis for the children and staff to use.  This task takes about 4 hours each day.  We have arranged to have the water piped from a local neighbor directly to the Academy.  The pipe is being laid and the water storage tanks are being built to work with the new supply of water.  This process should be complete by December 31.  You have made this possible with your generous donations.

New Structure:  We have received the help of Joseph Mutuku of Nairobi.  Joseph is an engineer and friend of Gideon.  Joseph has worked on the construction of many schools around Nairobi.  He agreed to work on the foundation of a new building to enable us to bring in another 150 children into the Academy.  He is such a strong believer in what we are doing that he began and completed the foundation of the new structure without receiving a penny from us (click here to see pictures of the new foundation).  We have now sent a payment of $3,000 to Joseph and he is continuing the process of framing the building.  As long as we are able to send funds, Joseph is able to continue work on the building.  Please continue to support this effort to bring in an additional 150 children from the streets of poverty and show them love.

More Children:  An air of excitement has come to the village of Tala.  They know that an organization and people from the United States are working to help the village's children.  Gideon has had over 300 orphans brought to him to see if he could take them in.  He is overwhelmed by the need, but is bringing organization to this process.  I told him that we will work at the speed of God through His people.  As funds become available to take these children in we will do so.  This is only possible if our supporters commit to the $20 or more per month that is necessary to do this.  I hope that by the time Tammy and I head to Tala we can commit to a certain number of children that we can bring into the facility and care for.  Through God and you we will bring hope where it did not exist. 

Financial Information

We are officially approved as a tax exempt entity.  All donations are tax deductible on your federal income tax return...praise God.  We were notified of this as we returned from a speaking engagement in Michigan about the children in Tala.  What a gift to return to.  Click here to review the Internal Revenue Service determination letter.

In other matters, you may know we had a woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, pledge to match up to $20,000 in donations through Thanksgiving Day.  We had approximately $5,000 in donations given during that time period and she matched it for a total of approximately $10,000.  In addition, once I told her of the projects that were in progress, she agreed to give the other $15,000 so these projects could continue.  Praise God for such generosity of all of our friends and partners and this woman.

We are working diligently to spread the word of this ministry to the public to gain support for not only the Academy, but for all the orphaned children in the village of Tala.  Our goal is to care for and support as many orphans as we can by the Grace of God.  For us to accomplish this we need your support.  One time gifts for major structural items along with re-occurring donations to support the additional children are necessary to bring hope and love to these forgotten kids.  No child is a throw-away, but that is what these children feel...please help with your support of this ministry...click here to make a donation.

Remember also that until December 15 we have a donated signed Michael Jordan jersey which is being raffled off.  Click here to see it on our website and obtain directions to donate for a chance to win.  All of these proceeds as well as your one-time and on-going donations go toward the mission of bringing hope to the children at the Academy.

PRAYER REQUESTS

• For health, both physically and spiritually, of the children of Tala, Kenya
• For continued renewal of spirit for Gideon and Pauline Malinda
• For all the poor and orphaned children of the world, that God's love will be shown to them and hope will be restored
• For our partners that God will bless them as they give of their abundance that He has given them
• For this ministry that God will be the guiding light and we will follow faithfully as He calls
• For many to be moved this Christmas season to seek its true meaning and turn toward Him who brings eternal life
• For those that are sick who call upon the Lord for health and peace
• For those that seek their calling that they might listen for God's guidance and He may speak clearly to them

Please let us know of any prayer requests you may have and we can place them in our newsletter for our partners to lift up to God!

Where to from here

We are heading into the season of Christmas...appropriately called the "Season of Giving" since Jesus' birth was our gift from God to enable us to be reconciled back to Him.  In this season it is said that we in the United States will spend $28 Billion (with a "B") on gifts leading up to Christmas Day.  Please look outward this season and contemplate on what He calls you to do.  If you are called to help the impoverished child and show them someone does care, please consider Saved By God's Grace.

I am available for speaking engagements to present our ministry to help the children of Tala.  From small groups, civic organizations, businesses and faith-based organizations and churches...I invite any opportunity to promote the needs of the children of Tala, Kenya.  I welcome any and all questions and can make posters and flyers available for you or your group for distribution.

Also, I would welcome anyone who believes that God is calling them to work in this area to volunteer with us in spreading the purpose of this ministry.  As the ministry continues to grow we need people to physically work with us in this endeavor.  You can contact me at cmcdonald@SavedByGodsGrace.org.   

Again, thank you for your partnership in this ministry.  I pray you have a Merry Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior.  Please remember the children of Tala as well as all those who have heard hope preached to them, but have never seen it in action.  Through God's Grace may we bring the joy of Jesus to them in a physical and concrete way and may they then see hope in His everlasting love.

I know this has been a long newsletter, but so much has occurred and is occurring.  Please click here to visit our website for on-going information and pictures of the Academy.  We will also be starting a "blog" which will be up by the time we go to Kenya to keep everyone informed on what is happening while we are there.

Until our next newsletter, peace to you and your families.

May we all "Bear one another's burdens and therefore fulfill the law of Christ" (Galations 6:2)

In His Grace and His Grace alone,

Chuck McDonald

Executive Director