Dear Cherished Interested’s,                                                                                           November 3rd 2022

I did not want to go up front.  I was waiting until the fund-raising was over to then quietly give what Hilda and I had agreed was what we could do at this time. 

There are two critical things in my view that keep The Children’s Village safe. 

Firstly is the community within which is exists.  Part of that are the people who work there.  And work there with the village at the center of all the works that come out from there.  That work is, at its heart, community support as the goal is to keep families together, find remnants of families and help them to stand up in this context of no safety nets beyond family and neighbor so children can return to family for life long nurture, rearing, and mutual support. 

Secondly is the Children’s Village more overt participation in the community.  A great way to see this is Saturday mornings while schools are in session.  Tutorial is available across multiple grade levels and topics as well as enrichment like dance, drumming, singing, and story-time.  This flurry of activity brings other children of the community to The Children’s village to participate.  Almost a hundred and a half children can be seen Saturday mornings climbing the steep hill up to take advantage of this weekly tutorial/educational support and enrichment which lasts the whole morning.

The community benefits from The Children’s Village.  The Children’s Village benefits from the community.  Community involvement in the work of The Children’s Village includes guidance from the community regarding improvements to The Children’s Village.  One such priority given The Children’s Village is the erection of a fence around the perimeter of the Children’s Village property, in significant part or whole. 

This last Saturday, the 29^th of October, was the first fundraising gathering at The Children’s Village for local folks to come together and give in support of building that fence.  Two of the largest giving groups at that gathering were the teachers of and the Mama’s of The Children’s Village.  Two groups of people who have engulfed Hilda and I with trust and acceptance, in spite of our limitations. 

After the honored guests being called forward to make their donations and then calling out others to support their donations and folks running forward to do just that, the young man acting as m-c indicated it was time for staff. 

He called Hilda and I forward as members of the local staff by the names we are known by here.  I handed the donation to Hilda so she could hand it to those documenting and counting.  No, I could not leave after that.  Some unbelievably gracious things were said and a call to support whatever Hilda and I had given was made.  Then these precious people of deep endemic need took time, effort, and joy to run forward themselves or put what shillings they could in the hands of the Village Children who ran forward to put those shillings in my hands.  They wanted to share in and support our giving.   

I was overwhelmed and I wept publically through a smile returned to each laughing, glowing one.  I still do not know all the names but with time each face now has gathered a story, one that grandparent eyes can collect, remember, and pray on. 

To be given Meru names by the Mama’s who worship with me as we study the scheduled readings for each Sunday together.  That and for community wide to have folks simply call us grandmother and grandfather in Swahili is precious.  We are theirs each time we are named.  And it brings our children and grandchildren at home in America into our hearts each time too, those precious capable littles who grew up, just yesterday, with us as their parents and the children they are so diligently parenting themselves.   

The fence project is a huge expense but one the greater community wants for its Children’s Village. 

Local folks for whom medical visits, medicine, travel any other way but by foot and at times even meals can be unimagined luxury, raised an amazing amount of hard cash.  They must have been planning, saving, and twisting arms for a while to be able to respond the way they did.  Hilda and I cannot describe the mountain moved by this laughing joyful gathering of local folks in this first of many fund-raisers necessary to fulfill the greater community’s directive for their Children’s Village.

Joyful givers giving not out of their surplus ..but their need.  The perimeter fence will be good but the real safety for this Children’s Village is the community that surrounds it, participates with it and wants good things for it and the work that grows from this place at its heart. 

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I’ve been accused of sounding like an old testament prophet and as an old farm-kid and logger I identify some with Amos.  Maybe.. more than some.  I am hard on my home culture of abundance even as I weep and indeed pray for trials in so many lives there as well.

Last night..  I get a text..  not an emergency..  someone else wants to participate..

Someone(s) have participated in what Hilda and I are currently giving our lives over to. 

There are a couple who do this regularly and you know who you are.. 

We know about these from last night because they chose to name us too. 

This naming done as part of that donation/participation.  It came to The Small Things of Nkoaranga Tanzania, the non-profit organization responsible for The Children’s Village.  Its timeliness says huge things about those who made that choice.  A choice from logging country and the American heart of the truest abundance of service to others.  A heart for service, and even self-sacrifice, big enough to reach around the globe and across culture to respond.  Respond to what God did and does and is doing in YOU!

You know who you are too, and if any of you ever read this know that I don’t care how old or limited you may have come to feel you are.  Like those children who live in The Children’s Village who ran forward with joyful smile and even laughter to put shillings in my hands to support Hilda and I, I know your smiles and I miss that laughter falling from you as God pokes and participates through each of you. 

Part of our blog-post from September the 7^th details an encounter at a diner in Longview WA and again later that same day across town from that diner.  God made those happen.  God does not need my plans to make stuff happen.  God wants to poke and surprise and participate through all of us. 

Gentlemen, please tell everyone involved that this Amos wept again at learning of your attentiveness to your hearts for what God can and is doing.  The timing was perfect.  It arrived but a few hours after three of us here gathered to pray for the urgent needs of tomorrow.  WOW!..  Thank You, blessings ever..

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Also please continue to Pray for:

Gratitude..

Gratitude for our time in the Pacific Northwest and over to Colorado for those dear children and grandchildren who miss us and whom we are overjoyed to have had our precious time with.

Makumira Secondary School, my brilliant helper Elisha’s school, is looking to share stories and partner in some way with a foreign school, Great leaders, teachers, students, programs, strong backs, minds, and hearts –

Hilda’s continued invisibility to those who can only see their own authority –

Visa situation..  Good now until after Christmas..  May we be able to learn and be lead into what is best for the benefit of what God would have us do, how God would have us do those things and stewardship of the resources God has put into us for Gods purposes -

Our armed forces families, our leadership, our people, whole world round, all of Gods kids -

All the tough and blessing expressed above –

The love of folks –

Whatever is on your hearts and minds for us –

I continue to be under much harsh spiritual attack concerning my sense of self-worth and those many things I have yet to get to, please, only as you are comfortable, remember me, indeed us.. the world doesn’t like what we are doing out of love we don’t own.. yet have none the less -

For our health to stay ahead of whatever is before us, for us to let our health fail so others can shine –

For a way for us to invest with our experience and even financially in support of local industrious people so we can afford to stay and continue to make a difference one face at a time –

For those who have braved the donate button to discover Kajun Crofton, our daughter who helps getting each one of your donations to us and every blogpost to where you can read it –

For you who find other ways to uplift and support us -

For each and every one of you –

Each and every one of your prayers, your precious conversations with God –

Prayers, Your Prayer, skipping stone and even groaning prayers make all the difference..

If we should ever cross your mind, even if we are strange and confusing, just grunt, crumple us up and throw us at God.  That is where we need to be.. 

Vern W

May life be as Music to your Heart – May Music be as Heart to your Life – May Heart be as Life to your Music