Dennis' comments about the new children's home on Nias.

On a past trip to Nias, in a meeting with preachers and church leaders, we were talking about the good that had been done and the doors that had been opened by the benevolent work after the tsunami and earthquake. We were talking about what else we might do that was meaningful. One brother said “If you really want to do something that is needed, establish a children's home”. I was scared of the thought. What a responsibility, not just now but for years into the future. 

Since then, I have visited nine children's homes on Nias, visited with the head of the Welfare Department and done considerable research on children's homes in third world countries. I even drew a sketch of what a campus might look like. When I went in January I knew we were going to be giving this a lot of thought and that we would be visited by Dr. John Bailey who works with two humanitarian foundations. He has experience in many parts of the world and has been a part of establishing orphanages in at least the Philippines and China. 

I'd like to share with you one of the many reasons I know God is alive and well and working, as it relates to this specific situation. We asked God over and over for direction in serious matters and sometimes He works in providential ways. The answer isn't always on page 1154 in the Bible. 

While waiting for my luggage at the airport in Nias in January, a friend who works at the airport—not knowing we were giving any thought to starting a children's home—said, “if you are interested, I know where there is a piece of land with a very nice house for sale and it is priced right.” It turned out that it was on the road from the airport to the city. One look and I knew we might have the answer we'd been looking for during the previous months. We negotiated by phone with the owners who lived 1000 miles away in Jakarta and had an oral agreement to purchase the property. I was to leave on a Monday and they were to fly to Nias the following weekend to finalize the deal with Indonesian brethren. I was to be picked up by the airline shuttle at seven o'clock Monday morning. I had gone to the airport this way many times, never with a complication. By seven forty five, when the shuttle hadn't come I called a friend at the airline office. They had forgotten me. He had written my name in the log. The van driver didn't copy it onto his list. I hired a motorcycle with a side car and headed for the airport, 18 kilometers from the city. As we pulled into the airport my plane was pulling away from the terminal building. Not to worry. There was another plane in two hours and I could leave on it. 

I had two unscheduled hours at the airport. The friend who had put us in touch with the property we had negotiated to buy came to me and said he had learned the children of the owners were objecting to the sale and it probably wasn't going to happen. He had mentioned this to a friend at his church the day before and that friend said he was thinking about selling his large house and spacious yard. It was about the same price, also had six bedrooms and room to grow and it was three kilometers from the airport. He asked if I wanted to see it. I rode on the back of his motorcycle and we took a look. Except for being farther from the city this was a better place than the first. 

The conclusion of the matter is that in the weeks that followed, Ceri, who coordinates much of what we do in Nias, negotiated with the owners, the Caris Foundation and Body and Soul Ministries (BandS), on the recommendation of Dr. Bailey, provided the money for the purchase, renovation and opening of the children's home. We are so grateful for those involved with Caris and BandS. Foundations aren't just letterheads and offices. These are people. Thank you to Dr. Bailey and all with these organizations who have been involved in Nias since the tsunami. We know this is just a part of what you do in third world countries. 

Phase one of the children's home will include sixteen children ages 6-12. We hope to have children in place in May. They will need sponsors. You will be hearing more about this. For now I just want you to know we believe God answered our prayers. He pointed us to facilities at just the right time. Had it not been for the man at the airport mentioning the first place as I waited for luggage, the falling through of that transaction, being forgotten by the airline van, having time at the airport to go on a motorcycle when it wasn't raining and on, and on, and on, and on; Jochebed's Choice Children's Home probably would not be. There is so much more to tell but we'll save that for another day.