Recently I was able to visit Chad (Aug 10th - Aug 31st) and had an incredible experience meeting with Kolpele (the pastor and leader of the church) and seeing the orphanage. Before that, let me backtrack to the start of my visit. It is so exciting to see what type of support can be generated in such a short amount of time! Although I was late in sending my request for donations and prayers, God came through in a big way, providing generous financial means for the orphanage projects, and with many item donations to help the children and other villages. I left for Chad on August 10th and met Kolpele at the airport in N'Djamena to deliver these items that were donated. Some of these included school supplies, vitamins, toothbrushes and toothpastes which are extremely scarce in the region. One discussion that Kolpele and I had is that toothpaste is not typically available, so they must use hand soap to brush their teeth. I cannot imagine doing that on a regular basis - it used to be a form of punishment when I was a kid.
Over the course of my stay in Chad, I was blessed to have daily phone conversations with Kolpele and he even visited me at my base camp while I was there. Through our conversations, I gained a greater understanding of his realities and it improved our relationship in a way that emails can never acheive. The real blessing is how Kolpele, Peace Gospel Int'l. and I are of one mind when it comes to the projects mentioned in earlier updates. Not only do we have the same plans, but his desire for transparency is encouraging. Kolpele has a heart to setup self-sustaining businesses to employ the church members - this money in turn will be used to meet the needs of his family, the orphanage and the church that he leads. The members who work at these businesses will also develop skills to enable them to raise money outside of the church. It will also enable his ministry to evangelize to smaller communities throughout Chad. There are several pastors that were raised, taught, and funded by Kolpele to bring the gospel around the country. These amazing projects and missions need funding, however, which is the reason we strive to setup the goat farm, hen house, carpentry shop, and sewing shop. Through our discussions, it was identified that the goat farm is likely to turn profit quickest, followed by the hen house, then the carpentry and sewing shops. While Kolpele visited me, I was also able to provide him with the money that was raised which made his face shine like the sun. Truly, I was given a greater gift as I fully realized how it is better to give than to receive.
On my return home, as mentioned earlier, I visited the orphanage for an afternoon. It was inspiring and intimidating to walk into the orphanage with 40 people waiting for our arrival. Words are difficult to capture the compound so I have included a link to the pictures I took. The compound houses Kolpele and his family (his wife and 6 children), the 12-14 orphans, several street children (with prostitute mothers or abusive fathers), elders of the church, and 2-3 widows. I have ranges here because of the in/outflux of people. In the compund there are 5 rooms to house orphans but 2 are still under construction. There is a WC (a hole in the ground), a shower room (a drain in the ground), a kitchen, a worship room, and a missionary room (the room that houses those who evangelize around the country when they return to N'Djamena). Because of the discussions Kolpele and I had over the previous weeks, there was much new construction as the old church room was being converted to a hen house, and a goat pen was being constructed for the goat farm. The money donated has gone 100% to building these areas, and I must stress the thankfulness we have for the generosity of others. In addition, several walls are being replaced since the originals were built of mud, straw, and sticks. The new walls are being built of brick and sealed with cement. We decided that this construction, while not part of the main projects, is an immediate need since walls collapsing would endanger the inhabitants. Power is intermittently provided through a small generator, however, the cost of fuel is prohibitive to running it consistently. The generator is typically used 1-2 times per week to run a small TV for biblical shows, which brings in the entire neighborhood.
Seeing the children, and the greatfulness of the others touched me deeply. The items I brought in during my last visit (June) have been thoroughly used and enjoyed. I saw shoes, clothes, toothbrushes, toys, and vitamins all from that trip and made me realize just how important these items are. The reality of life is such that no matter what these people have, they have true greatfulness and smiles that brighten the darkness. It was amazing to take photos of everyone - the kids kept jumping in my pictures and I was happy to oblige with snapping the shots. At one point Kolpele celebrated my arrival with the purchase of Cokes and Fantas for everyone. I, being the oblivious American that I am, passed my drink away to give to those who had none. It was only later that Kolpele shared that this is considered rude in the culture. I am happy to know that now, even if I am a bonehead sometimes.
Thank you to all who have been praying for the orphanage and to those who have donated. This is the root of charity - actually meeting needs of people and enabling them to grow. Please continue to keep Kolpele, PGI, and the orphanage in your thoughts and prayers. If you wish to donate with financial means or with items, let me know or visit the website for Peace Gospel International. Checks can be made out to Peace Gospel International (don't write on the memo line) and I will take care off them for you. As always, please forward this to anyone who may be interested in it.
