Wedding is coming up!

Getting close. Garson Skelton will marry our baby Laura on July 16.

This Friday is Kevin's birthday-27!

This Saturday, Frank in Kenya officially marries his wife in a Christian ceremony. They were married by the African 3 cow method originally. I'm so happy that they are making vows before God! But there is no prescribed wedding instructions in the Bible, so the cow method works, too.
Garson hasn't given us any cows. I don't know where we would put them.
We are going to have a beautiful ceremony in Austin and I pray the Lord give us a miracle: a cool night in July with no rain for the wedding on the 16th. Pray we manage to complete all the details! We bless them with long life, good health, prosperity, good strong relationships and a whole life devoted to glorifying Jesus Christ!

TGD Kenya FRONTRUNNERS Program

Repha needs $1200 for a complete high school education. We disburse funds monthly across four years.

Vitalis is nearly finished! He needs $600 total to complete his education. He hasn't paid this year and is in danger of being kicked out, but his dedication allows him to attend. He has half of this year and all of next year to finish.We hope that God provides the funds so this young man can go the whole way! You can see his story in the June Newsletter.

Lydia sponsored a full year!

It is such a joy to see that Lydia has a new full sponsorship for the year! She's been given the gift of $600 for the year which pays for her uniform/school fees/school supplies plus a monthly allotment of goods such as water purification drops, toilet paper, rice, beans, oil, flour, oranges and more. Our Kenyan team stays on top of the current needs. One month they provided extra clothing and on another month each child received a jacket.

New children sponsored. Hallelujah!

You can read more about these two in the upcoming July Newsletter! These children do not have to pay school fees to Cornerstone Preschool due to their dire poverty, so their homes will see a larger amount of food and water treatment.

NEWSLETTERS: Review how God is blessing and comforting....

Here are the TGD links NEWSLETTERS!!!!
Seriously, these really work. My guys in Kenya got these on the TGD web server! Now they will be able to usdate the TGDonline web site remotely. THAT IS SO COOL. I am blessed to have such hard workers together with me for the Lord. All Thanks to Jesus for His Glorious Mercies! now check these out:


June Newsletter
http://www.tgdonline.com/newsletters/tgdjune2011.pdf

May Newsletter
http://www.tgdonline.com/newsletters/tgdmay2011.pdf

April Newsletter
http://www.tgdonline.com/newsletters/tgdapril2011.pdf

March Newsletter
http://www.tgdonline.com/newsletters/tgdmar2011.pdf

 To have the files download to the local computer then one needs to right click on the link and select Save As but if you are on a relatively fast connection then you can just click on the link and it will open in the browser.

Sharon Osimbo honored by all. God is glorified when we love one another

Beautiful lace purchased by her sponsor

TGD Kenya served her well

Thank you to Gail Reed for providing a glorious funeral

Titus honored her with his full robes and acquiring tents for the gatherers

Mama Anita and Team honored our precious child, one of our own

Frank shared his memories

Mama Florence, Sharon's guardian, and her brother and not sure who on the right

Surely her classmates could see how we loved her

and even in the end, Sharon blessed them with a good meal provided by her sponsor

The full Cornerstone choir memorialized brave and kind Sharon, she always prayed for a sponsor but waited many months patiently

another set of school children coming to pay respects

Please Donate today--it's not too hard to change a life right now

Watch our video:
http://www.youtube.com/user/stephanietexasrivers?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/Qfjyk5IuoSQ
Orphan Day Out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFBEAY6tn_Y

So proud of our girl, JANE!

Jane proudly poses in her offical Butere Girls School uniform. THANK YOU SPONSORS and thank you for her extra donor who made this happen!

A very real tragedy brings some blessing in the end.

Both girls were devasted by the loss of their precious grandfather who loved them and kept up with their schooling--he was so proud of them. When he passed, their situation turned bleak, but God had the Trinity Global Development team in place to watch over them. We added Grace to the sponsored children list and brought some hope back into their life!

Everline and Grace's new guardian

After the guardian/grandfather died, Frank and Team went to visit the extended family of Everline and Grace. There were four of the grandfather's children still alive, but all in such dire straits. Very sad situations and this woman's was among them. Still, she seemed the best suited to care for the children.

She was married with children when her son developed Cerebral Palsy (or muscular dystrophy! sorry I cannot remember.) The husband abandoned her for another woman and left her to care for their children alone. She did nto abandon her son but continues to work for his development.

The money that Everline's sponsor, Laura Stubbins, donated would help cover costs of bringing in Everline, but not Grace.. Frank suggested to me that we really work to sponsor Grace because this home was so needy and every single bit of aid would go a long way. It would be a hardship on this mom to bring in two girls, however, she could see that she was the best option for the girls and the whole family had gathered over concern for them.  We took on Grace as a general donation case and assigned Kevin Rivers, who gives a monthly general sponsorship which help covers those sponsors who are unable to pay at times or who forget. The good news is that a new donor has just offered to sponsor a child for a year, The Terhune's will take over and sponsor Grace this year. What a special blessing! When we all come together, then the needs get met and God is glorified. It is good to be in His service and to be His Hands and His Feet. It's GOOD NEWS when these families learn that someone far away has spotted them in the crowd and although we don't know each other, we share in our humanity before God and care for one another.

Emmanuel, Elizabeth, Fredrick, Mary and Paul

My New Favorite Picture! Frida from the May distribution. C. Horst sponsors her

More links. REALLY, there ARE photos on here! you gotta scroll down and check archives

Here is a great link for a fabulous radio show about "NO MORE MR CHRISTIAN NICE GUY"
https://www.homeword.com/dangers-being-christian-nice-rb-a-1553-t-4_40.html
God calls us to be GOOD not NICE. Seems the world is all about "nice" and anything they don't like they call "not nice" but good people have to stand for what is RIGHT and take the criticism from the world. Let God judge our actions because He is the only one that judges rightly.

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/unique.html
I seriously want to take a few of these to Kenya and ship over some Jerry Cans. No American can really understand the need for safe water unless you GO THERE and see how everyone suffers from Diarrhea robbing their strength and nutrients because the water is NASTY. Here we can drink out of any public water faucet and no one gets sick! Here they argue about unsafe trace elements ---THERE is human waste (POOP!) contaminating the waters there! Sickness just goes around and around and around:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/Publications/Country%20Notes/CN6.2%20Kenya.htm
Oh if you are reading and you are not below the poverty line--would you please consider donating so others can drink freely as you do?? Please help my team: Frank, Joseph, Henry and Catherine. Please help Bishop Titus and his family. Please help the preschool children of Cornerstone and the Pastors. Please help the Trinity Global Development sponsored orphans! I pray God put it on your heart over and over and that He give you the grace to follow through on your excellent intentions, in Jesus name!

Refresh VIDEO LINK

Just in case.....have you seen THIS video? oh I watched it afresh and I gotta say.....You can make a difference! You can take people from sad to glad by helping them in their desperate circumstances!!! When we see the people in the flooding here in the USA, we see them lose everything they have. Well, Americans can rebuild. Our Kenyan orphan children???? They NEVER had any of that to begin with---they are going through life in desperate circumstances and it is a flood of poverty. There is no neighbor there to help them---they need someone from across the ocean to come lend them a hand. Through TGD, we have had so many donors bring so much joy to children like Cynthia and Gladys, pictured in this video. It has been my personal joy to get to fellowship with my friends in Kenya, worship the Lord with them, dance before Him and praise God among the nations. Come with me to Kenya so they can see your beautiful face and you can see what joy you are bringing to people--the treasure of God's eternal Kingdom is people and you have purchased an eternal treasure....watch and see....
http://www.youtube.com/user/stephanietexasrivers?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/Qfjyk5IuoSQ

Check out how Trinity Global Development celebrated World Orphan Day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFBEAY6tn_Y

Here is a great short video (2 minutes!) with our children, students, staff, and some guardians celebrating a day of togetherness for the sake of the children.
Paul, Daisy, Elizabeth, Everline, Grace, Brenda, Emmanuel, Benjamin, Ben, Noel, and others all spent the day in various activities finishing up at the grocery store. The children had never been inside the grocery store and enjoyed the fountain and the carts and all the stuff everywhere. They rode in the carts and bought items for themselves through the guidance of the staff. They are so well dressed, who would know they are orphans??? Next they will be getting coats. Our Trinity Global Development Director, Frank Adungosi, is purchasing coats for the children to stay warm during to cooler months and current rainy season. Thank You Frank! Thank You Donors! Thank You Jesus!

God has provided a well to a thirsty community.

Nothing is more basic to life than air and water. God has provided for the needs of about 200 people to give them access to clean water. How generous is the Lord through the hearts of His Children! We rejoice with this giver who feels the joy of the Lord in sharing from their blessings!!

Well, well well!

Letter from Joseph in Kenya....

Today all our students spent the day at Catherine's home splitting firewood, fetching water and doing other chores. That's the solidarity within the TGD family. As from tomorrow, it will be in turns; We are splitting them into two groups. One in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Spending the night at the funeral is on voluntary basis, at least for today, tomorrow and Thursday. Friday will see the whole team spend the night at the funeral for the evening service and night vigil. Burial is of course on Saturday ( as usual, infront of the house next to the late Mr. Lihanda. Cemeteries are considered 'sites for the rejects' here in the rural. You've been in Kenya and I guess you know this.)


Catherine looks strong and composed. I thought it's because of the sizable presence of mourners who seem to give her and her siblings a feeling of , but just remembered that Catherine has always been strong. The sting of losing a mother is such a painful one, especially at such a tender age when Catherine is hardly 22 yet the eldest of the three. We pray that the hollowness, that ugly lonely spirit, will not rear its head once the morners have gone back to their homes leaving the family to face the future alone, without any parental love.



Away from the funeral. Yesterday we visited Truphosa in her school. She is at Lunza Secondary School, a high school with a population of approximately 500 students. I hadn't taken keen interest in Truphosa's academic progress ealier won. Yesterday's case was an eye-opener. To begin with, Truphosa actually received a calling letter from Butere Girls High School (where Jane is studying). Since she didn't have a sponsor by then, we had little to do about her, let alone enquiring about her academic nitty-gritty. Plus the confusion that was sorrounding her grade (remember the conflicting information about whether she was in Grade 6, 7 or 8?) So the truth is, on realizing that she couldn't raise the enormous Butere Girls' High School fees, her guardian resorted to taking her to Lunza Secondary School, which is a day school. She commutes from Imanga to Lunza (cant tell how many miles those are, but it's a long journey). In that condition, she managed to be position 15 out of 106. The most interesting bit is that she isn't alone. There is this student in the same class with Truphosa who scored very high marks - Jane had 333 and this particular girl scored 349 marks, all out of 500 - in her Kenya Certificate for Primary Education. She was also supposed to join Butere Girls High School but fate landed her in Lunza Seondary, a mixed high school of boys and girls, all because of the state of her family (well, she's never known who her father is and her mother has been remarried FIVE TIMES!) Ok. There she was, in the same class with Truphosa. She beat Truphosa by one position. She was position 14. The most encouraging thing is that fees in such a school is very affordable. They pay approximately US$150 for the whole year in fees alone. Other expenses like uniform and school shoes are to be bought separately. Tht's where our Truphosa goes to school. Oh! Her class teacher, Mr. Songa. A very sober, level-headed and rational man. He explained to us in details about life in Lunza Secondary School.

I have my computer up!!

No more living off my phone--hallelujah! It's been difficult, but I am SO thankful for the Iphone, which has made moving to another state more of a blessed experience. I can type something into the MAP application using my "current location" and it will give me directions to nearly anything. I can access my EMAIL and facebook. I can get texts and calls from friends. I have music and sermons by the pastors at Austin Stone, by John Piper, by puritan John Owens and weekly scripture memorization from FIGHTER VERSE (although I have not memorized this week's---I mostly know it: Set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your heart on things above and not on earthly things for your life is hidden with Christ.----------------see? that was close. Col 3:1-3) and that has helped me because earthly things could dominate my thoughts. Or physical pain. My hands and wrists are killing me. My knee is not too fond of how many times I am going up and down these stairs.
But yay! I even have my bank address stuff turned over to my new home and today we fedexed the papers and faxed them. They will go by the fax since they have a tracking number for the official documents and our buyers---with TEN CHILDREN will get to move in since all their stuff comes TODAY!  That will be one happy family! God bless them!

Made the move

Ok, so we are really not in Texas anymore. I still have no computer set up - so I am texting on steves iPad. Tap tap tap with my pointer finger.
Penelope pooped on the rug again. I try to tell myself that God wants to mold my character yet I have a very hard time with poop in the house. At least the weather is nice and she can go out many times a day. We have a giant yard-- like an acre of lush grass , but no fence and dogs all around! They have the "invisible fence" system here but Penelope is rude. I cant trust her to stay in boundaries! This little dog has very poor character-- but she is so cute. She is just openly greedy or manipulative. We can't tell her that she is not fooling anyone. She does obey, though--- mostly. Not with the poop.

Anyway, my house in Texas sells tomorrow and I am so happy for the new owners getting such an awesome house!! I have a pretty cool new house here. All the interior doors are wood! they used flat paint on the walls though and I am not a fan. I like semi-gloss. I don't want to paint after painting all of the Texas house, but....my bedroom walls are slate and my bedroom rug is light blue and caramel. Paint is cheaper to change!

A big thank you to the Godwins and Pilands for getting me out of a bind with extra stuff in the house. Muchas gracious! Asante sana! Thank you so much!

Today I went to the Barrington village municipal building to set up trash removal. One woman dismissed me with a wave-- that's LAKE Barrington! End of conversation. Thankfully, another woman saw my bewilderment and told me I needed to go elsewhere. She gave me an address which I put into my IPhone. I drove there and it said "village of North Barrington." an ominous sign, but I sheepishly inquired. Nope. Still needed LAKE Barrington....just down the road. Um...ok. So I drove there nearly missing it.
Well....this had to be it. What? No? The nice lady tells me I am in the Cuba township.
Hmmm. Cuba? Is that in our country? Do you have the number?
I called.
Oh...I am in the unincorporated part. This one asks me, "Who do your neighbors sue for trash?"
I am new. My neighbors have not come near me (wisely.) so then she gives me the number to Waste Management. I call them to see if they service my street. No. "is there anything else I can help you with today?" ( I could give her a list if she means it.) "No, thank you." My stomach starts to hurt a bit .... because I am so kind although it's not true Holy Spirit fruit. Rather, I am faking it to spare others from the effects of my weakness and sin. So I called Steve. It was difficult to believe I did all that work and accomplished zero. Death to flesh perhaps. Steve emailed the seller who gave us the info. Grout. That's who picks up our trash. Tomorrow I contact grout. I want to be ready to overcome anything..... Tomorrow.