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In this newsletter:

PLANTING MILLET
YWAM DANCE CAMP
DRIVING SCHOOL
CAR REPAIRS
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
BACK TO SCHOOL
QUICK NEWS

PLANTING MILLET

Our children have a 4-month summer break which is very long. We had talked before about buying a field so we could plant millet for our own use AND keep the kids occupied in the summer. Well, it takes about $1,500 to buy a field - hopefully something we can do next year before rainy season.

As for this year, somebody gave us a piece of their field to use, and the boys have started to work on there and plant millet. We had to buy seeds, equipment, and borrow a tractor for a day which totaled $340 (250€). Our goal is to harvest enough millet to cover our needs for a year, which would save us about $280 per month.

Who would like to cover the expenses of $340 (250€) for this undertaking and save us $3,360 (2500€) over the next year?

YWAM DANCE CAMP

Every summer we would send our older boys on a YWAM outreach in another city that would last a few weeks, which was a great time of growth and using their giftings for them. Unfortunately this year there is no such outreach. However, the YWAM dance team that we've had kids be a part of has a two-week camp in Bamako. They then do weekend camps and performances throughout the year.

So even though our financial situation said no, we felt like we should allow our kids this amazing opportunity, and Jérémie (17) and Youssouf (12) went. If you would like to sponsor this opportunity for them, it's $60 per child.

DRIVING SCHOOL

Our grown-up kid and driver Saloum (24) has just finished his 9 years at (evening) school. He would now like to do a 2-year trade school which requires him to go to school in the morning, so he cannot be our driver any more.

The only other person who could take on that role now is our pastor-in-training Joseph who has just returned from his 5-month YWAM discipleship school. We had other plans for him really.

So we're sending our faithful day guard and ex-street kid Adama to driving school now so he could be our next driver. And then we'll take in one of the "adult street kids" we've known for a long time and who have given their lives to the Lord as our new day guard. Please pray we make the right choice who that should be.

If you would like to sponsor Adama's driving school, it costs about $400 (300€).

CAR REPAIRS

As I've mentioned before, our two pick-up trucks are very old (one over 20) and give us more and more trouble. They alternate going to the shop to be repaired, and the first half of this year we spent nearly $1000 (700€) per month on maintenance. Just now one of the cars returned from the shop with a $310 repair bill.

Could you help us pay that last bill?
Who would like to help us buy a much-needed new pick-up truck for $40,000?

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

We haven't continued with construction in 2.5 years. However, at the time we had to get the third building to the point that I could move in since Paul was getting married and his wife moving in with us. What I did not know at the time was that our builder went a few thousand dollars into debt with suppliers to make that happen. We still need $2,000 (1500€) to pay off that debt, and then another $7,000 (5200€) to finish that third building.

The next phase will then include flattening the ground and putting up the business/workshop section. Those big rooms will actually allow us to get our own school up and running which would be a great relief financially, as well as concerning quality of education and respecting the children's dignity which is not the case in most Malian schools.

Who would help us pay off the $2,000 (1500€), and then get the third building finished for another $7,000 (5200€)?

BACK TO SCHOOL

Every September we face our biggest financial challenge of the year when nearly 40 children go back to school, and suddenly we have all those extra expenses - first installment of tuition, school uniforms, school books and materials. Last year we had the unexpected school change which brought our expenses up to unusually high $8,000 (6000€)- money we didn't have and caused us debts we never totally recovered from.

We are already a few thousand dollars in debt and really need your help to get through the upcoming season of our children returning back to school. We calculated the average amount needed per child to be $200 (150€). Who would like help us cover those needs for our 34 children returning to school this fall?

Look at the pictures plus info on each child here: Resident Children or Non-Resident Children.

QUICK NEWS

•        New US Secretary - I'm excited to present Becky to you, our new US secretary. We thank God for her coming on board to take care of things on the ground in the US. She is located in Wichita, and therefore our office has moved to Wichita. Please take note of our new address in the column on the left.

•        Time Out - I'm currently traveling in the US. Please pray for rest for body, soul and spirit as well as restoration and new envisioning for my return to Mali.

•        Board Members - Our 6 board members serve for 3 years each, and every summer two finish their term and we need to find two new ones. Please pray we find the ones God wants to add this year.

•        Free for Ministry - I have a free weekend Sep 5-7 to accept a ministry invitation within Europe.

•       Volunteers - We always need volunteers in Mali who can stay a few months or more. If you'd like to come help us, please contact me.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] (Matt 11:28, AMP)

Resting in HIM,

Claudia