July 1 Updates

• Coats for Kids is going to do a Meal with a Mission after the church service on Sunday July 1, 2009, coinciding with the Blessing of the Bikes that Pete will be holding. We are expecting about 250 people and will be queing up hot dogs and hamburgers. We could use donations of Lettuce (8), Tomatoes (25), Red Onion (8), Watermelon 8, and Corn on the cob (250), macaroni salad, and the use of a soft-serve ice cream machine. So, stick around after the service have a fun summer time meal and help put warm coats on the kids this fall.

• Furaha Community Center, Nairobi, Kenya: Ray and Deedee just got back from the most amazing trip to visit Furaha and the wonderful people who live and work in Nairobi. It is painful and disturbing to see the depth and massiveness of the poverty and disease there. Our brothers and sisters are living with devastation and disease in literal garbage dumps with open sewage running down the middle of the streets. It’s so hard to believe that the world can so easily ignore their plight. However, our visit that brought us right into the heart of these peoples lives allowed us to see the hope and the change that Furaha is providing within their own community. They are educating and feeding (thanks to CrossWalk and CRUSH Inc.) 550 children, most of whom are orphans and more than half of whom are H.I.V. positive. Their Guardians are provided a health clinic and support group for those that are H.I.V. positive and the future dream is to train many of them with vocational skills to empower them to provide for themselves and the children. This trip was a powerful mix of pain, sorrow, hope, and joy. (Furaha in Swahili means JOY.) We have so much to share with you all and as soon as we can get a presentation together we will. The joy and hope belongs to you all as well for the good that all of our efforts are bringing to Furaha! David, Kerry, Chris, and Dan all thank you and send their love.