Getting Closer...

Here is a picture of the mason plastering the inside of one of the rooms in the main building! They used 15 backs of cement to plaster the inside walls. Now we are raising money for cement to finish the floors in the main building, wood for window and door frames and wires to finish running the electrical lines.

We will need nearly $3100 to complete the first building. This will include two truckloads of gravel, one truckload of sand, more cement, the electrical lines and the lumber for doors and windows.

Check back for updates - we are getting some fundraising events planned and will let you know as soon as they are set! Thanks for checking in! We are so excited for this summer and the work that is being done at the orphanage.

God Bless.

Construction Continues!

A lot of work has been done since the last post. This is a picture of the main building that will house George, his wife and the younger children. Originally, the plan was to finish this building then start the next one which will be a little bigger and house the older children. However, there have been few shipments of cement into Kpalime - the town closest to the home. There was a shipment earlier this month and George decided it was best to buy enough to do both buildings. The masons have nearly finished their work on the main building. Workers will next plaster the walls, inside and out, and pour the cement floor inside. Hopefully this building will be done in the next few weeks and the children will move into their new home!

We have been amazed at the generous donations the orphanage has received over the last two months. THANK YOU all so much. We are thankful to be working on so many "thank you" cards at the moment. We are hoping to soon post where, exactly, the money has been used. Thank you for checking in. We will keep you updated on construction, the needs and the children of Grace Orphanage.

God bless.

First Building Has Begun!

Hello! I just got back from Togo and things went really well. We had problems getting money out of the bank for the first couple weeks, but we eventually got things figured out. The day I was able to access money, we bought 1 1/2 tons of cement. We couldn't find a taxi, so we hired more than 12 men to take the bags of cement to the land on their motorcycles! Each man carried 150 kilograms of cement with them! I will try to upload a video soon.

That same day, the masons began making blocks out of sand and cement. Three days later they began the first building! This building will store supplies and house a watchman for the time being. In the future it will be a place where volunteers can stay. The building is now almost completed! This month the masons will begin constructing the main building that will house the orphans and George and Florence who will run the home! The masons thought they could finish construction on this building by the beginning of May. Once this is complete, the children will move in and we will begin to house the other 17 children on the waiting list. We are so excited to get this building finished! The well is now complete and George has started to grow some crops on the land. Thank you for checking in, and we will update more soon.

God bless.

Hello/Goodbye

Hello! and goodbye. I'm headed over to the orphanage and should be packing right now...but this is more fun! My flight leaves in 5 hours or so, so this will be a short update...

I'm going over to get final prices on materials, finalize our timeline for construction and, hopefully, begin building! In the near future, these children will have a building they can call their own and we are very, very thankful for that. I'm also planning on talking with the community near the orphanage to see what their needs are and if there is any way we can help them. We want to help more than the children behind the gates of the orphanage.

Okay, I should pack up. I will update this site with pictures from my trip in about 4 weeks, so please check back for that. In the meantime, please enjoy this picture George sent of the children.

God bless.

Progress!

It’s been a long time since an update...and a lot has happened. The crops were all harvested in December, which left the land ready to start construction! We bought one more plot of land so the home would have easy access to the main road. They started construction on the well which will be about 15 meters deep. Once the well is dug, we will test the water to see if we need a purification system. The water, however, will be much cleaner than the river water that many orphanages use for cooking, washing and drinking. The well should be completed next month and then we can start construction on the first building! I will try to keep the site updated better – especially now that things are beginning to happen.

The workers are beginning to make blocks that will line the top of the well. George, the man who is running the home, is in the white shirt on the right and a couple of the children from the home are on the left.

God bless,

Jonathan

New Children!

George’s wife, Florence, went to her home village of Wahala in central Togo last week where she knew there were some kids who needed a home. She returned three days later with 7 children. They have also taken in four additional children from the villages surrounding Kpalime. Word is quickly spreading in the area about the new orphanage and we are extremely excited to see it growing so quickly. We have rented out additional rooms in the building where George and Florence live so there is enough room for the new children. Including the young girl that was already living with George and his wife, there are now 12 children living at Grace Orphanage.

We are still waiting for the December harvest so the new land will be cleared and we can begin construction. We have hit several snags in trying to get our tax-exempt status filed. I am hopeful that we will have provisional status in a matter of weeks. Thank you for checking in!

Grace Orphanage Will Soon Have 7 More Orphans!!!

The Orphanage has already started!  George and his wife Florence have Marsala staying with them who is from Togo.  She is about 11 years old.  We just found out that the orphanage will be getting 7 more orphans next month - and before we have even laid one brick!  We have rented out the room next to George's and he and his wife will be caring for them.  It is amazing to see the need in the region for an orphanage - it is exciting to think that these children will soon have a home!  

Take care and God bless,

Jonathan

Oh, I almost forgot - T-shirts will be available soon.  Thank you!

We Have the Land!!!

We are back from our trip and all went well - we stayed healthy and our prayers were definitely answered!  The first weekend we were there we tried to get the money and get the land purchased, but it didn't work.  We were in Kpalime (near where the orphanage will be) and realized we would have to try another day.  We went to the station, waited over 3 hours for a van to fill up, and then traveled to Ghana.  We went to the orphanage where I stayed last year, and it was SO good to see all the children!  We kept trying to get the money through Western Union to purchase the land, but it never seemed to work.  Finally, 3 weeks later, the money came through and George had to try to get all the landowners and a surveyor together to make everything official.  It finally happened 3 days before our flight back to the states!  

I had not seen the land George picked out, and I was praying that there were no rivers near by.  If there were, the children would be drinking, cooking and bathing with river water.  Drinking this water makes the body much more immune to diseases, and many children get parasites from the water.  Thankfully, there is no river near the land so we will raise money to drill a well.  The water from the well will be much cleaner.  Also, there are power lines on the same side of the road as the land which will make it much cheaper to run electricity to the home.  

The land is in a village called Kpime-Seva about 3 hours north of the Atlantic.  Kpalime (or Palime) is the closest town, about 4 miles away, and can be found on many maps (inc. Google maps).  The land is near one of the few paved roads in the region.  Keep looking for updates, as we have many things planned for this summer!  

God Bless,

 

Jonathan  

Happy Easter!

We are heading over to Ghana and Togo in two days!  Our main goal is to purchase the land in Togo and get prices on bricks, cement, etc. 

We may be able to clear the land and begin planting crops – we will see what the schedule will be like. 

At the end of the trip, we will go to Ghana and visit the children at the orphanage where I stayed last year. 

If you feel led, we would love prayer for the following:

-   We would be aware of opportunities He presents

-   We would recognize and follow God’s perfect will

-   That our time would be spent honoring God and reflecting His love

-   We would be kept healthy and safe

Thank you so much!  We will update the site when we return.  Until then, God bless!

Welcome To GraceOrphanageAfrica.com:

Please read the sidebar for some background information. 

As I mentioned, money has already been donated to purchase the land. Hopefully, this will happen next month.  

Donations are now needed to begin construction on the buildings that will house Mr. Alu, his family and the orphans.  As I noted, however, our applications for tax-exempt status are still being reviewed so please wait to donate so your donations will be tax-deductible.  

We will have a better idea on the money needed to put up the buildings, purchase mosquito nets, sleeping mats, and ensure a clean water source after my trip to Togo next month.  

Thank you for your interest - if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me.  Thank you very much.

Jonathan 

pre818@aol.com