The family of God is generous
Well… we are expecting US$44,000 to appear in our bank account any day now. It has been an incredible month. Several couples and two churches have donated bringing the total received to US$55,000 – enough to buy the building and do renovations towards making the building something more than just “utilitarian-useful”.
We had agreed with the owner to sign over the building on Monday at the latest. So knowing the money is in Kiev is a big relief. As it turns out, I can’t withdraw it until Monday anyway, (the banks need 24 hours warning of large-sum withdrawals). So we couldn’t have cut it any finer.
The vision for this place is still coming together. This week, I want to gather several people together and sit in different rooms praying and listening to ideas.
It is definitely in my heart to start a Christian day-care and, in a couple of years, a Christian school in the building. We need to decide whether to put the ladies rehab centre in one end, or build a second floor on the end and put the ladies there… or keep them in the village. Do we develop so that the youth use the building as a hang-out joint? Do we plan to build a separate building on the property for children of addicted ladies to stay in, (quasi-orphanage)? We will have an opportunity to put in a good kitchen/dining room. Should they be in the one room? Carpet squares in the main area? Wooden floors in the day-care area? Should we take out a column and put in heavy duty beam in its place? There are lots more questions needing wisdom to decide. May God guide!
We won’t do any repairs before the first meeting. I want for us to have photos of our first meeting in the untouched hall so that we can have the comparison. So it is looking as if we’ll be meeting there as a church in 9 days!!! People will be so excited!
The lads have been doing repairs out at the men’s rehab centre. (To tell you the truth, there was something to be said for the rustic look that existed before the repairs, but hey! It is definitely cleaner.) As I consider all the building work we’ll be doing over the next couple of years, I realize that it will bring us even closer together than we are as we spend time hammering, drilling, digging, painting, etc. Good.
No picture in this post. The next one will hopefully have one of our church family in our new hall.
God is generous… as are His people. It shouldn’t be surprising, really.