Rehoboth School update

Greetings from Mali,

It's been awhile since our last update on this African Christian school project, and since we currently have progress:

Kayes Christian School UPDATE early 2014 

Louis teaching on our former house veranda

 From my recent letter to David N., a friend serving in Burkina Faso who has trained under Arnold P. on how to make the compressed-dirt-bricks with the PBM machine and build with them:

“I think we're ready for you, David, finally!  The Lord has provided in His faithfulness a few gifts, and we have enuf in to start making bricks and build, even, at least one classroom; maybe all three.  Do pray with us for more funds, we have about $4,500 of the estimated $18,000 needed for this phase.

“We had a meeting last nite here in Kayes of our school committee to talk about construction with the PBM compressed-dirt-brick machine.  We would like you, David, to come over in March to help lead the training in brick making and maybe stay long enuf to lead the building training by doing a model classroom.  Possible?  If you are tied up till April that would work, but it's hotter!  It might take two visits to accomplish things in order and time wise.

“The training will involve three different teams:
a/ the school project to eventually build a block three 9m x 7m classrooms in the city on the property I used to live on.
b/ Then another mission/group wants to build a small chapel in a small village 20 km away, and then:
c /my colleagues, Andrew and Mary, want the training so they can maybe build a school in another village yet. 
Once we all have understanding of the processes and differences from local building these projects can proceed using the PBM machine.”

We're hoping to build some Christian school classrooms in Kayes, Mali this year.  We have mentioned before that we have a special machine to turn out compressed-dirt-bricks from a ministry called PBM.  We had one training session in early 2012 and made a test chicken coop, so now we want to go further.  A friend currently in Burkina, David, will come and help train the team again.  He agreed just this past week!  Then once about 8,000 bricks are made another friend, Mr. Arnold P. of the P in PBM will come from Virginia and help us build!  We'll try to train in March, make bricks in April and May and maybe build in June/July.  Hopefully Rehoboth Christian School can have place to add a 5th grade in October.  If any from your church want to come help build with mud-bricks and tin roofs in Mali, welcome!  Just ask for details.  
See   http://pbmin.org/   for info on the machine and Arnold's ministry.   

Paul giving an address at the school conference

In the past six months the teachers of the Rehoboth Christian School, and even Luc Kodjo, the Director, have attended and learned about Christian education from the Association of Evangelical Christian Schools in Mali.  Able teachers from France, Mali, & South Africa have indeed helped our staff and we have seen improvements in quality and passion for the kids.  One of the meetings was right in Kayes in February and many in the churches participated and learned together.  We thank those who have enabled us to fund some of this and for your prayers.
Websites of interest concerning the Association of Christian Schools Intl:   http://www.acsi.org/   and  http://acsieurope.org/home/Partnerships/44/en/1  

Points for Praise -- Both ministries actually work out of the same building!

·         Greenville College, IL, (where our son Ben studies) is giving the UWM-Mali field and the Radio Espoir Africa FM97.7 Kayes a 16 channel mixing board & a needed computer as they replace equipment.  Should arrive in March!
·         Operation Mobilization Special Projects has given UWM-MALI and the Sower Association’s Rehoboth Christian Elementary School in Kayes $2,000 to help build a new classroom.  With new classrooms the school will be able to add 5^th grade in the fall.  

A final note previously mentioned in these Kayes school updates: 

Arnold & Jean making bricks in Kayes 

The school is being built on land the Mali government conceded to the UWM in the 1970s.  The churches are strongly counseling us to gain a complete title to this property so that it could not be taken and used for other development purposes of the city.  It is used now for a Christian radio station, a church, the Rehoboth School, and one missionary family home.  I had worked on this process starting in 2008, and found the fees for this would come to about 7 million francs, around $14,000, for our 7.04 acres.  This seemed pretty high, but actually reasonable as land prices are rising, even here.  Delays in receiving gifts prevented us from paying this fee, and when in March ’11 I finally offered the new land office boss ½ of that payment, he informed us that we were ‘late’ and that the fee schedule has risen, too!  Now we owe ~14 million cfa, or $28,000!  I followed the calculation, had it double checked by a friend in that office, & it is justifiable (unfortunately).  We know the Lord has the funds we need; please pray with us that all will come when needed.  Having 3 ¼ million cfa on hand we paid this as a down payment in faith in 2012.  Construction funds are above this, but we believe the brick machine will enable large economies here.  UWM School & Training Facility fund Project Number:  63-627

God bless,

Jim & Jenn