A change in our farming

 A change in our farming.

We started our farming to educate the children on how to care for and raise the animals but we also teach them how to do business and to make changes when necessary.  Originally we started with 2 pigs they began producing well enough we felt that should increase our stock above just training and into reducing our cost of the orphanage.  We did really well the first 2 years.

Then last year the free trade agreements with neighboring countries like Vietnam flooded the market with cheaper stock, drove down prices and increased the diseases with low birth rates for the year.  We took big loses while we hung on to produce our last litters before we sold everything.

 Our litters were great, high numbers with big healthy babies.

We recovered last years losses through our latest sales.

We also did a lot of thought and research into other things we could do.

The answer was chickens.

 With chickens the turn around is a month, cost less per animal and are easier to manage.

So we reduced our goat stock and housed the remaining goats in a empty pig pen.

 We also reduced our other fowl to reduce the risk of disease to the new chickens.

We turned the old goat house into the new chicken pen.

We found a buyer and a supplier.

We bought feeders, waters and 200 cute baby chickens.

 This was a fun day for us.

 In a couple week our chicks weighed two and a half pounds.

We sold out our first load of chickens, average chicken weighed 4.12 pounds and sold at $2.20 a pound.  All said and done we profited about $1.64 a bird in 34 days. 
So we are now looking into if we can increase our holding, by increasing our pen size.

The children are also involved not only in the work but in the investment as well.  41 of the chickens we raised this time belonged to the children.   Needless to say they where thrilled on payday.

Our hopes are that we will continue to produce good numbers with good profits.   Our prayer is that this project might be away to provide for the orphanage and other ideas we have. 

No matter the out comes God is blessing us in many ways through our efforts.  Our stock is always better and always draw a higher price.  We get a lot of compliments when we sell animals and many people say it is because we are Christians.


I'll work on getting more pictures out this month.

Also there is a young lady, her name is Alicia she will be staying with us long term.  She is home trying to tie up lose ends and raise support.  She was a lot of help to us in our efforts to start a school here and will be returning around June. 
If I could ask you all to keep her in Prayer that God would provide for her abundantly.  Bless the people (Family) that she will be leaving to be in the mission field. 

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Kit, Ream and Kids






 

A Little Tribute To Valued Guest,

A Little Tribute To Valued Guest,

who have become our friends.

Neal and Rachel Frederick

They came to Cambodia only having been married for 5 months.  They spent the next 4 months with us.  I think we learned a lot from each other as people, couples and as Christians.  Our children certainly grew from their short time here.       

From time to time Neal or Rachel would learn to do something new and I would mention that it is something they could add to their resume', like building a roof out of palm leaves or harvesting rice. 

I never said it to them but the same applied for our children.  Neal and Rachel added a lot to our children "resumes" as well, in how to do this or how to make that.  They added much to their life in love and time spent. 

Out of all the guest we've had over the years their departure drew the most tears from the kids and from children we did not expect to be saddened by it. 
I think with other guest their is some hope that they will return one day.  With Neal and Rachel they will return to the States and maybe start their own family, I think the kids knew it is the last time they would see them.      

I think Neal and Rachel are special people.  They were special to us in their time here and while they were here we could always see that they were special to the people they knew at home receiving mail, emails, packages, facebook messages and calls.

I don't think they could have had a more fulfilling trip.  They got to in a short time come into our world and experience everything we get to experience.  Children going and coming, staff coming and going, weddings, funerals, Christmas and Birthdays, work and holidays and for ever the daily cry of the village loudspeaker which became the "hey there is a party at Neal's house" joke.  They got to see God work in a babies life the dramatic miraculous effects.  They got to see God work in the daily lives of the kids changing.  When I think about it all I think they got more than they bargained for.

Rachel helped with classes, school, bible stories and creating fun.
Neal worked tirelessly around the house, taught the Word and played.
These are small little titles for what they did.  I have much respect for the things they did and the things they overcame as a newly married couple in a new environment.         

I hope they realize what they have done for us in our work.  I pray they will miss us as much as we will miss them.

I also hope their stories encourage others to come to give and receive of themselves as well, to see how God might use you.

How lucky the people they work with next.
 
     

Sponsorships

Sponsorships

Interested in sponsoring a child?

We could use your help.

Here is a link that will help you sign up to be a sponsor.

http://www.agreaterhopeorphanage.org/2partner.php

We currently do not have anyone on our waiting list, so what are you waiting for.

Trips?

Summer is coming so what are you doing or where are you going?
Maybe you should go on a mission trip, or will you think about supporting someone else who does?

I'd like to invite you to come and make a difference here in Cambodia with us.
If your interested in a trip contact us and let us know how we can be of help.

We might be able to connect you with someone else that is coming so you can travel together.
Maybe we can get you the name of a person who could use help with their support.

We have teams lining up so you'll want to make sure you get on our calendar.

July 5-8 full
August 3-17 full

5 other teams are pending

People interested doing a medical clinics, a trip during August would be most helpful.  We have one lady already scheduled.

We have a lady wishing to travel with someone from L.A. California to here any time this summer if someone would like to join her.

We also we have a lady coming from Hawaii around June if you wish to make a trip with her.

Any questions or requests you can email us at,
kitandream@gmail.com

Plus your the cost of your flight, it only cost around $100 a week for a trip the orphanage.  Planning a more extensive trip will cost you more, but not much. 

kit

A little history

I hadn't planned on posting another blog about Martha but I think it is important to share what is going on in this little church and how Martha and we (you too) are being used here.

A little history.

In 2006 we were called out at night to pray for a woman that was demon possessed.  She lives right next to a very large temple.  Shortly after pastor Khon started a cell group there. 

In 2008 I think it was they built a church a couple hundred meters from there.  

 

Some time last year the teacher at this church decided to abandon his church.  He return to his former religious practice visiting and offering sacrifices at the local witch doctors house.  The teacher subsequently became very ill to where he is now nearly bed ridden.  

Since then the church has dwindled to nearly nothing.  A faithful lady has picked up and is carrying on as best she can.  This is where we were able come in last year helping their children church with our children from the orphanage.

It is not the church I would have chosen, it is a little far and quite often inconvenient to go to.  I like a closer nearby children church where the kids have been extremely receptive and loving towards us.  It is an easy work to do an more enjoyable for me.

But this is the church God has placed on Ream's heart and she felt lead to help so we did.  We were helping here a couple months before Courtney showed up and found Martha February of 2010.

Courtney had helped the family a lot with therapy and trying to figure out the root of Martha's problems.

Back then Martha was barely a year old and was breast feeding fine.  

Courtney returned home after three months of a life changing trip, we got busy, and soon with out the extra help we were unable to continue going to this little church out of our way.

Summer came and we found more time and willingness from our children to go and help this church. 

I had never met Martha before so it never occurred to me where she was or that I should visit her right next to the church property.

November had come around before Ream took our newest guest to visit Martha when they found out that the mother was not producing enough milk and was starving.  

The next trip we gathered all our baby supplies left from the CCF medical trip in September.  We took Pedia Sure, powered formula and some baby food and talked to her about feeding Martha.

Next trip we dropped by and the mother said the formula constipated the Martha so she stopped and went back to breast feeding.  So we told her to try the baby foods that we had given her.  

Then it was "the baby food gives her diarrhea" so they stopped and returned to the breast feeding.

The problem was that Martha was the families first baby, they didn't know how to care for her needs beyond the breast.  People in their village don't use formula and they don't really know the effects of changing new foods on the babies.

So Ream was rather frank with them about not stopping the foods and that their baby girl would soon die if she didn't kept adding to her diet.  We stopped and prayed with the team as I shared the first time.

We came home a little frustrated with the mom and her efforts and as we began making arrangements for her to go to a good hospital.  I sat and prayed about it because it felt a little over whelming for me to have what we felt was an easy thing to care for but was not working out.  I then felt lead to blog about it and ask you all for help and prayer.

We got wonderful responses from you all with prayers, concerns and offers to help.

We also had some of our prayers answered our biggest prayer was for her to eat.  That after noon she did.  Our request was for help with formula cost and we had a good response to this from you all.

We are quite sure with the timing of our prayer that day and Martha waking up that afternoon and reaching for the formula that it was a miracle.  In one month exactly she has gone from staving to a some what healthy little girl.

 Martha early January

  Martha this week, early February

A men right!!

This week we had another mother bring her little 10 month old girl to us for prayer.

The cool thing is that people in the village know.  They know what happened with Martha and the word is going out that God is working to rebuild this struggling little church.  

Though a man abandoned them God has not.

We also had a young pastor we like tell us he wishes to teach at this church that his heart hurts for them.  I am excited to see what happens here and am praying for their congregations return and a revival happens there.  Such wonderful things to be apart of.

Martha has her next appointment on the 22nd.