True Religion, Helping Widows and Orphans

It has been a really wonderful week. I have the Rosetta Stone Language program and I am so encouraged by it. I have no problem studying with it for four hours a day and I am progressing at a much faster rate because every minute put into the program counts. Cris Ann has started school with Jr, the orphan boy and he is really enjoying learning. She works with him every day on his English and he works on his homework in the evening. I really am starting to see the Lord move in the direction of an orphanage for future ministry here. I have heard about the difficulties in starting an orphanage witch make it nearly impossible to do. The government requires several nurse's on staff, 50 thousand dollars in the bank and many other requirements that detour the opening of orphanages here. I guess this is why there are almost no orphanages in a place that really needs them; I don't know of any on this island. I figured I would just start moving in that direction and if the Lord willed it He would take care of any requirements. I got some good news today from a knowledgeable man who said it should be much easier opening an orphanage because I am married to a Filipina. That was really good news and further conformation on our new direction. It has been hard but a really amazing experience to observe the love of the Lord change the life of a boy with no one in this world. Jr used to cover his face with ashes and run around the streets like a crazy person. I used to think he was on drugs when I would see him dancing wildly in the street with his face covered in white ashes. It really looked like someone possessed or lost on LSD. Everyone knows Jr because everyone has to go to town to get supplies and food. Being a very small city Jr is infamous to thousands of people in every direction. What an amazing testimony he has when people see a changed boy. People here in our village are all amazed at the crazy kid living at our house, playing with the other kids and learning English. This morning I ask Jr when his birthday is and he had no idea. We will give him a special date and give him his first birthday party with the other kids. He is becoming part of the family, helping with chores, eating together and hanging out. As I write I can hear him laughing and joking with one of the high school boys, Fernando. As we begin to move in this new direction I want to ask for prayer. Surely there will be many obstacles that will need to be prayed away.