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

Happy New Year!

Another year has gone by.  I hope it was fruitful and brought great joy to you and your families.  We know 2008 will be one of joy as we wait upon God to see what He will accomplish through His people!  I pray for a year of peace for you and your relationship with God will continue to grow throughout the year as you serve Him as He calls.

In light of the violence in Kenya, many of you have called and/or e-mailed about the status of Nice View Junior Academy, the school and orphanage in Tala.  I am pleased to let you know that since Tala is a village of orphans no violence has come to the village.  Gideon told me since transportation of goods has been halted from Nairobi they are having a difficult time procuring food, but no physical harm has come to them.  Please continue to hold them in your prayers, as well as the country of Kenya, that peace will once again reign in this young democracy.

You will note a new look to the website.  We have placed the needs of Nice View Junior Academy on the home page.  We placed them there so you could see what God has called us to do, the progress on those items and the funds which are needed to complete the tasks.  I would ask that you prayerfully consider these needs and see where you are lead by God to assist His impoverished children in Tala.

Tammy and I continue to ready ourselves to serve God in Tala.  We are leaving March 3 and will be in Kenya for approximately two months.  We have received a series of shots which are necessary to prevent against diseases such as malaria, hepatitis, tetanus, etc. which the Center For Disease Control in Atlanta, GA says are issues in Kenya.  We continue to present the cause which God has laid before us to His people for consideration of help and we continue to pray for His will to be done in this endeavor. We pray that the violence that has taken over the country since the presidential elections will cease and unity will once again come to Kenya. 

Projects Completed in Tala, Kenya 

Providing Ample Supply of High Quality Food:  The children are rejoicing that they are eating better and we are thanking God and you for this providence (see past newsletters for detail).  While this has been interrupted because of the violence, Gideon now has funds to continue to procure enough quality food for the children thanks to our committed monthly supporters. 

Providing a Uniform for Each Child:  Click here to see pictures of the children expressing joy for the new set of clothes.  We will continue to provide the children that are brought into the Academy this government-mandated piece of clothing as long as God allows.

Book Drive:  The first set of books sent have arrived.  The teachers were amazed over the books that were sent and held a special meeting to review them and give thanks to all who participated.  Since we now know that they will arrive safely, we have sent a second shipment to them and will be sending another 300 pounds of donated books once we receive the funds to do so.

A Christmas Gift:  All children at the orphanage received a gift of a backpack for Christmas.  Many had never received a gift and the joy of this gift will be with them the entire year (click here to see the children with their backpacks).

Bringing Water to the Academy:  Running water is now at the Academy!  The last week in December the well was tested for pressure and found to be adequate.  Praise God for this completed project and thank you to the donors who made it possible.  The children no longer wonder if this life-giving gift will be available each day. 

Projects in Progress in Tala, Kenya 

Bringing Scripture to the Academy:  We will be bringing Scripture with us when we go to Kenya in March.  We presented this request to Kevin Saunders of Logos Ministries and he is taking up this cause with his students.  The cost of obtaining and shipping Scripture will be about $2,000.  We would appreciate any assistance in obtaining the Bibles and the shipping costs.

Furnishings/Repair of Existing Structure:  The current building and its contents are in need of repair and more desks and beds are necessary.  We have outlined the costs of these items on our website for your consideration.

New Structure:  The first floor shell of the new structure (allowing another 150 children to be taken care of) is complete.  The engineer, Joseph Mutuku of Nairobi, says with the funds paid he will be able to prepare the slab for the second floor by the second week of January (the timing may change due to the political unrest in Nairobi).  To date we have funded $9,000 of this $64,000 project.  Joseph has performed above what we have been able to pay for and has completed 1/3 of the project...thank God for this man.  We are looking to obtain funds to enable Joseph to continue working on this structure which will literally allow us to bring the necessities of life to another 150 children who are currently living in poverty and not being taken care of.  Please consider this in your giving as God convicts you.

More Children:  God has begun the process of bringing regular supporters to this project.  We have 15 committed monthly donors allowing these children to know His love through our actions.  We need approximately 200 to ensure the current children are supported and the additional 150 to be brought in with the completion of the new structure will find adequate food, shelter and clothing and most importantly know they are loved.  Please prayerfully consider this request.  The amount is only $20/month (more if you can) and it will lend itself to the glory of God being shown to children that believe they have simply been forgotten.  What God has started He will be faithful to complete through His people...Thank You!

Financial Information

Just as a reminder, we are officially approved as a tax exempt entity.  All donations are tax deductible on your federal income tax return.  Not only will you be helping saves children's lives, you will be receiving a tax deduction for your generosity.  When you give through the website you will immediately receive a contribution receipt sent to your e-mail account.  If you prefer to send a check to our address in Glendale, AZ, your receipt will be mailed out to you immediately. 

We have used most of our funds to get water to the orphanage and bring hope and God's love through food, clothing and the preparation of the new building.  We have approximately $7,000 in the bank account which we will be sending to the orphanage over the first few weeks in January.   Please help us continue to consistently support the children of the Academy. 

We hope to obtain $50,000 over the next two months to allow the building construction to continue, repairs and furnishings to be obtained and a used bus to be purchased.  Tammy and I will be overseeing these items when we are physically on site in Tala.  In addition, we continue to look toward obtaining an additional 180 regular donors to allow the monthly expenses of the children to be met.  We work at the hand of God as He moves hearts to help us.  Please remember that God uses His people to accomplish His will and blesses their lives along with the ones who are being helped...we cannot out give God.  Prayerfully consider how you can help these little ones.  As we have mentioned before, 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.

FYI, the raffle of the Michael Jordan jersey was a success and we thank you for your participation.  We raised around $900 and the winner, Matt Rife of Hapeville, GA, actually gave the jersey to his brother for a Christmas gift.  We hope to have more raffles in the future as items are donated for this cause.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please know that prayer is the one thing that does not cost monetarily and is the most important aspect of this ministry...lifting it up to God for providence.  Please hold these items up to our Father: 

• For the safety of all those in Kenya during this violent period, especially the children of Tala
• For health, both physically and spiritually, for the children of Tala
• 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 He has given them
• For this ministry that God will be the guiding light and we will follow faithfully as He calls
• For the lost that they may seek the salvation of Christ
• 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!  

Two Months to Go! 

We have approximately 60 days until we leave for Kenya.  We look forward to presenting God's love to the children and adults of Tala.  We will be monitoring and assisting in the continuation of the projects mentioned above and assessing needs in the local area through Pastors we have been in contact with.  We will also be meeting with an economic development company from Australia.  We will work with them to use their expertise in assisting the people of the village of Tala to become self-sufficient.  Tammy will be preparing an "information sheet" on the children at the Academy.  We will be putting a face to those you support when we arrive back in the US.  We ask all supporters of this ministry to continue to pray that God's will be done in this endeavor and His people be moved to help.  We have always recognized His sovereignty in this ministry and that He was the one who called us to start it...He will be the one to provide what is needed to accomplish what He wants done.  We also recognize that God usually works through His people to accomplish His will.  We have been challenged to bring the plight of the children of Tala, Kenya to God's people.  He will move the hearts of those He wants to be part of this.  Please be sensitive to the Gospel message of "loving your neighbor as yourself" and seek His will for you in this area.  If He calls you to help these children in Kenya, please do so.

Please let your friends know about this ministry and direct them to our website at www.SavedByGodsGrace.org.  God will convict them if they are being led to help.  Have them contact me if they want more information or have questions.  Let businesses you are in contact with know about this cause.  We welcome any assistance to this ministry through the grace of God.

I sincerely thank you for what you have done so far.  This plight will never end as Jesus told us the poor will always be with us.  I believe this is for our sake also.  It gives us the opportunity not only to tell others about the Gospel, but to show it in action in their lives and let them see how much God loves them.  We also learn from these children simple dependence on God for our provision and salvation...the simple faith He calls us to. 

As Mother Teresa said, "When a poor person dies of hunger it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her.  It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed."  Let us be the hands of God and give them what they need.  In doing so we please the Father and become closer to Him.

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" (Galatians 6:2)

In His Grace and His Grace alone,

Chuck McDonald

Executive Director