Hello friends and family :) This is a long overdue thank you letter for your support and/or prayers over the last years (since 2002). Thank you for doing your part, or expressing interest in this project (for some it is simply an update for what is going on in Guatemala with our mission trips). Sorry if this is a repeat of information, just wanted to get everyone set up on a mailing list for future Newsletters and everyone on the same page!
Leah's Kids Newsletter, Volume 2
April 2010
Well, it has been an exciting few months! We have some great news to report. Last year we had 3 goals. 1) get 100 families involved to give sacrificially, 2) to raise $45,000 by February, 2010 and then 3) leave room for God to do a miracle to get us up to the $65,000 needed to fund Leah's House. By the beginning of February 103 families were involved and God had brought in $41,000. We were so close. And then mid-February we received a check in the mail for $25,000 (by an anonymous awesome family!!), barely surpassing our $65,000 goal! We are so thankful for each person who helped, whether big or small, and prayed with us. The other good news is we got a lot accomplished on Leah's House in February.
We have witnessed many miracles. One big miracle was that we needed a plumber in Guatemala to lay the plumbing so we could pour the 1800 sq ft floor of the house plus the footers with 3 courses of block to make it earthquake proof. Monday morning we were getting ready to go to the orphanage and a guy was at the hotel by himself- he said God told him, 10 days before our trip, to buy a ticket to Guatemala. He used all of his money to purchase a plane ticket- and he was a plumber! So we were able to get the plumbing done, pour footers, and the whole floor in 5 days while we were there!
Now what? Once Leah's House is completed and kids are living there, it will cost about $3,000/month to fund the needs of the orphans. This includes food for everyone living in the house, salaries for the house parents, tutors, helpers, electricity, schooling costs for the kids, etc. We also hope to build another home for orphans at the Casa Angelina complex sometime in the next year or two.
We took a team of 25 people down to Guatemala Feb. 12-20th. Please check out our blogsite for updates and pictures of how things progressed during this week. It's www.leahskidsguat.wordpress.com. There is also a video on You Tube, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9sCF8Xk8S8 that shows what we accomplished on our trip. We are also on Facebook, just search “Leah's Kids” and become a fan! Again, we are so thankful for each one who helped in this project. And please know- 100% of your donations will go toward building materials to build the home. No monies were taken for expenses of the website, travel to Guatemala, not even paper! So thank you for allowing us to use your money to directly go toward Leah's House.
Thank you again for your part in this awesome miracle on a mountain, that could not have happened without you doing your part! God will bless you richly for taking care of orphans!
Praying God's richest blessings for you and your family-
Lot for Leah's House Dec. 2009
Early Feb. the locals dug the footers and placed rebar
Whole floor poured the week we were there :)
Our team praying over the foundations before we left
Handprints of all 5 Larsons who worked on Leah's House (Leah's relatives)
Early March, the locals started the walls
Early April, they have gotten a lot done!
Early April, interior walls started
Team-members passed out Gideon bibles in the school in the near-by village
Madi (our oldest daughter) and Pastor Nathan working hard on the cement line!
