GRACE HOME - latest news June 2012

                                                                                                   

Regina with Pastor Ezzr

Latest news about Grace Home - June 2012

The new intake at Grace Home took place last week.  Almost all the children who went home to family for the 4 week holiday break have returned, & a whole lot of new children have also arrived, all of whom Ezra has accepted, so we now have 37 children to begin the new school year. Two of them are still on the way after their mother was severely beaten by their father & hospitalised with head injuries & a damaged eardrum. She's out of hospital & they're all staying with her Mum in Pidiguralla until someone can bring the children down to Grace. One other boy has yet to return, so if those three come back we shall have a full house with 40 beautiful children.

Please join us to pray for a new influx of sponsors to provide for the influx of so many new children!

All the children started school this week, & seven started High School, so Ezra has been very busy organising all of that, whilst Vani takes care of organising suitable clothes for everyone, as well as overseeing all the food, ablutions, etc. It's a huge task for them to settle all the children into routines, etc. 

Some of the new children will be a bit emotional & missing the family at home also, so will be given extra attention & loving kindness.

Thankfully Keziah is at home all the time now, as her exams are all finished & she's waiting for her results - she will graduate in August with a Pharmacology degree.  She hopes to go to Bible College for a year, & is rather keen to go to UK or NZ to study there.  Meantime, she'll be able to help with the children & the Church work.  She preaches at Ponnur Church every Sunday before Ezra brings his message. 

Tabitha, younger daughter of Ezra & Vani

Tabitha is also home now, preparing for internal final exams for her first year at Medical College which begin on July 22.  Please pray for great success for her.

The two young women, sisters Susanna & Johanna, who spent much of their childhood & youth at Grace Home have now taken the next steps forward in their lives after graduating from Bible College. Ezra & Vani have made a great investment into their lives over the past 13 years. 

Johanna was head-hunted by a ministry in Hyderabad & is serving the Lord there. Susanna went to work at the handicapped children's hostel where Ruth is serving God with her husband, but she didn't like it there, so has gone home to stay with her grandfather while he seeks a suitable husband for her.

Some of the children have had boils lately - it is quite common during the months of extreme heat in May & June. Currently two children, a boy & a girl are suffering with boils all over their trunks & some on the face. The infection is very contagious so I'm hoping the outbreak will end there. I've asked for Tabitha to apply crushed garlic to some of the sores, as garlic is systemic & goes into the blood & kills the staphylococcal bugs there & can stop the infection in it's tracks. Susmitha has been on antibiotics, but too often nowadays the bacteria are resistant to the drugs, whereas garlic is still effective & knocks em out!!

Ezra has been building another floor on the rooftop at Grace. Unfortunately costs have skyrocketed, & he keeps running out of materials to finish it. So far we've provided more than 100,000 Rupees, & got the walls & roof on. He still asks for more for flooring, doors, power & water connection, but the work will continue as the money becomes available. The quote in the beginning was much less than what it's ending up to be, so it's become a bit of an ongoing saga. At least Ezra & the senior children are doing a lot of the work themselves to save on labour costs, which have also escalated. 

Initially I didn't think the building was necessary, as we had only about 22 kids, but now with increasing numbers, I can see the need. When it's finished Ezra & Vani will move up to the new rooms & that'll leave the whole downstairs to accommodate all the children. 

I am looking forward to meet all the children when I visit India next - probably in October.