Baptism and boys (and girls too)
We have lots to celebrate! We were so privileged to watch so many people accept Christ on Sunday August 7th. We were up to our shins in water with all the rains, and Ty has finished the toilet houses. The ceiling in the second home just got placed in 3 bedrooms, and in a matter of days our Children’s Home will grow by 6 more kids. We are really enjoying this season of life right now!
To jump right in, we had baptisms on Sunday the 7th of August. Twelve Lifegate members publicly declared their choice to follow Christ fully. Included in that were our two oldest sons, Connor and Finn. You can not imagine our joy and pride I felt standing with them while Tyler baptized them. To add to the blessing, we watched our 7 oldest kids in the Lifegate Children’s Home make that same decision, as well as one of our caregivers, Bondu. Everyone at church walked from the church down to the beach. The congregation waiting on the shore sang worship songs. Everyone being baptized came up with the biggest smiles. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever been part of. After their baptisms, they got to take their first communion.
Almost everyone wanted a new Christian name after their baptism so I was really blessed to help come up with a list of choices for them. I think the names they had were already great but I understood their desire to identify themselves even more with their faith. They will still go by their birth names, but now they have another name that is from The Bible. One of our caregivers, Bondu, has really blossomed since becoming part of Lifegate. I have only known her for 9 months, but Rick and Paula have been blessed to watch her transform over the last couple of years. She doesn’t often speak about her past but I know she has been deeply hurt by old relationships. She asked me to help choose a new name for her and while I was compiling a list of names and meanings I stumbled upon Abigail. It means The Fathers Joy. I felt it was what God had chosen for her to show her His unconditional love for her. She was delighted with her new name. Moments like that are what makes this all matter so much.
Beautiful Bondu!
Another great blessing is that the toilet houses are complete! They officially opened them with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on the same baptism Sunday. I think everyone is super excited to have a toilet. One of the caregivers, Auntie Marie, said she wanted to have her photo taken in the toilet houses. She was serious! Its nice having everyone so excited and proud of their church. We see new people coming all the time, the registration in the schools is huge, and we give God all the glory. This ministry is taking off by Gods grace!
As I mentioned,Ty and Musa got the ceilings in the bedrooms placed and they will be complete soon. For the moment, Ty is welding new bunk beds for the boys house. The new kiddos arrive Sunday, August 28th. School begins on September 7th so we are praying for smooth transitions and lots of blessings in the lives of all these kids! We already love them and can not wait to show them!
A family that paints together stays together. Or something 🙂
We are in rainy season now. We actually haven’t been hit too hard for the time of year it is. The rains were much needed for our family as our well ran dry in June. God is so faithful though. The rains started earlier than usual this year and the heavy August rains are not the constant down pour thats typical for now. Little waterfalls and streams seem to pop up overnight all over the place. Its beautiful but also hard for so many people here who already struggle to survive. The rains can keep fisherman out of their boats, and taxi drivers who use motorcycles off the roads. Houses and businesses built in valley areas will flood and  of course this can cause lots of damage. We give thanks for the rain but also pray for protection and provision of these people. For the moment the rains have really slowed down and it seems it will end uneventfully.
Lastly, we have a huge need as a ministry. We desperately need donors for the new kids. We need to have money for their daily food, schooling, medical care and to pay the salaries of their amazing caregivers. This need comes to $90/ month per kid, however you can give ANY amount and it will be a blessing. We currently lack a total of $310 per month in sponsorship. These kids will be here in less than a week,and were trusting that God will fill that need. Please consider helping. Im including pictures of the final 5 kids who need support. If you feel like you can give a dollar a day, or $10 a month, or maybe the full $3 a day to sponsor one child entirely, contact me via facebook or my email- millersinafrica@gmail.com – and I will walk you through it all. I won’t beg you for much but for these kids, I am begging you to consider helping. You cant fathom how much they appreciate you as their sponsors. They pray for you, ask about you, and love you. Truly, any amount is a blessing.
This is Eddie. He is 6 and super sweet. He lost both of his parents but he still has that amazing smile. We cant wait to love on him at the home. He needs $20 more in monthly support
This is Mabinty and shes 14. She is very shy but very sweet. When her mom passed she was left without care. We look forward to her joining our family. She needs $90 a month in support.
This is Musa. He is 12 years old. He lost both of his parents. He currently needs $40 to a month. We know he will be especially loved by his new brothers in the home.
This is Fatmata. She is 13 years old. Both of her parents have passed. She is very bright and we know a good education and a loving home will help her go far. She currently needs $90 a month in giving.
Lastly, this is Alfred. He is 12 years old. When their parents passed there was nobody to care for them. I say they because he has a little brother coming with him who is already sponsored. He needs $70 more in monthly support.
Please consider helping these amazing kids. Whats unique about Lifegate Childrens Home is this is a personal relationship. I can send you photos and updates, and you have an opportunity to travel with a yearly team to visit your sponsored child personally if you are able. Maybe your small group or church is willing to sponsor a child. Please contact me for any information or with any questions. God Bless you all!
Here are a few other things to join us in prayer over, please.
- We pray for the new kids and the current kids to bond together well and for our family to be blessed as it grows.
- We are looking for a house for us in Brigitte so we can be close to the orphanage.In July the lease is up on our current home and the owner wants to sell it instead of renting it yearly. Please pray for a perfect place and for financial blessings to move our container from our current house to our new one.
- We give God glory for the baptism of our loved ones. We ask that He guide them and help them as they walk in their faith every day.
Thanks for your love and support over our family and all the on goings happening here in Sierra Leone. Its an amazing life we are blessed to live.
Millers In Africa 