Like you, I am tired of (me) being in the business of crisis aversion....but this seems to be our track for the time. Just when we think we are about to get ahead of the curve and course about a reasonable ebb and flow of receiving/giving....something bigger than us falls into the middle of the plate and shatters it into bits.
Here is the short nitty gritty. Our partner and orphanage director in Zimbabwe has been using 3 houses in Zim as orphanage homes for almost 6 years. In all of this time they have never had to pay rent. That's right....kind generous people who didn't need the houses (and couldn't really sell them for much)...just decided to let Fatima use them until further notice. Well.....further notice is now. Fatima CAN continue to use these 3 houses and the 4th house that she is using as a "transitional" home right now for some of the older kids.....BUT....she must start paying rent. And well, she was supposed to start paying rent in May. She hasn't. If she doesn't (and how can she?)..... then they have to all vacate and go....nowhere.
So, to add to the expenses of food, electricity, water, school fees, clothing, etc.....there is now the added monthly expense of rent. We (BFGO) would be honored to cover this for them (worthy, beautiful, precious, deserving children).... but we do not have the funds. We were aiming for being able to pay for food and school fees for the entire year....but obviously without a roof....we can do nothing. I am going to copy and paste the email exchange between Fatima and myself. I asked her what she needs right away....(if) there was anything at all...since the next round of school fees are not due until September).
In OTHER news....we have been communicating with the IRS and I think we are getting so so close to good news (and praying for it!)
We are so grateful for our monthly donors....and we do not want to ask you for more...so that is not what this is about. If you have never given to Beautiful Feet GO OR if you could help us spread the word we would be forever grateful. There are 55+ incredibly hopeful and loving children (orphans) on the other side of the world that we are praying will not lose the only home they know. You can be a blessing! Please help if you can. We are so humbly grateful!
{email from Fatima} -----I had specifically asked her in a previous email what their greatest needs are besides school fees.
Thank you for the exciting news that you want to visit the children once more. You are more than welcome. The best time to do this visit would be the 1st of December up to the time when you want to leave. This will give children a nice break especially after a hectic week of exams. Let me know about your schedule for the intended visits.
We desperately need GOD's intervention regarding finances to settle our rentals and water and electricity. we have gone for two months without paying rentals and if GOD does not intervene we can be evicted. The rentals payable for four properties are US$ 2300 per month and we would need about US$ 2 500 to settle our water and electricity bills[ these have gone unpaid for sometime now] but the normal for all our properties would be us$ 500.
we thank GOD for a gift from Larissa. she informed me and Phillip that she had collected a few laptops that she could give to someone coming to Zimbabwe. Please could you bring them for us? these will go a long way by assisting the various units to do a continous update of the children's bio data.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU OUR CHAMPION.
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
fatima for all
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Auntie M - I'm praying! Love you!
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