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Go and Do Likewise
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January 25, 2010
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Unlike so many of those who left messages for Tim on the Memorial site we set up, I knew him only as he was in his last few years. Even in that I was so very blessed to spend many days sitting and talking with Tim. As so many said, we loved to laugh and we did, until our sides ached. We also talked for hours just the two of us, I had many many opportunities to get to know Tim and so maybe most blessed. I first met Tim because I had read Holy Sweat and one day I just called him. Who is this guy who knows so much of what I was going through. Someday, maybe, I will be able to relate the BONK story, which is the story of the day we met. To say Tim was a very good friend does not begin to relate our connection. On most occasions when I would visit with Tim we talked about the current efforts in Kenya encouraging and supporting a group of local leaders who have a vision and a passion to see the rural culture expand to give new hope and future for the villagers. This is our latest newsletter, I hope you can see some of Tim in the heart that touches lives in the village of Rionchogu, Ogembo, Kenya. It is a passion we shared.
Bud Potter
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Greetings!
A new year comes to the village of Rionchogu. We have high hopes as we enter into 2010. There will be over 50 young adults attending Secondary School and Vocational Studies. These students are very important for the future of the village. There are more requests for concrete latrine floors. We hope to provide a concrete building, not mud and sticks, for use as a library to facilitate the eagerness to learn. We look forward to providing low cost solar light fixtures and 'clip' lights that will open doors for economic opportunity, help with better lighting for study, reduce the cost of family lighting for their homes and reduce the health risk of currently used fuels. What we need is your help. A simple support of $10 or $20 a month will help greatly in our quest towards our goal. You can easily do that by going to our web site www.goanddolikewise.org use the donation page.
Bud Potter
Go and Do Likewise
PS please send this to a few of your friends
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The Goal for Rionchogu; become a self sustaining village working together for a better future.
You have heard the saying, "you can't see the forest for the trees" well, there are times when that is a truth for our efforts in the village. It seems there is an endless line of issues which at the time seem to be a deterant. The Goal for the village is to become self sustaining. As we go through the days and weeks of interaction with the culture it becomes so very apparent that the idea of community and self sustaining of each other is totally foreign. On the one hand you might say, it is outside our ability to affect, on the other hand we say, if God is for us who can be against us. We also say, history has documented the extreme difficulty for persons from outside the culture having any real potential to change that culture and those traditions formed there. This leads us right to the catalyst of our efforts. Local, that is, indigenous leadership. If you will, leadership born and raised right there in the village. A foundation of our expectation is that people from a local area have an exponential increase in potential to affect real change. We are about change, change that brings hope but that also requires the recipient to become the owner of his/her future.
Real change does not come from charity or from institutional aid, it comes from empowered leadership and empowered citizens who will work for a good greater than themselves. This alone is our goal. The road is paved with education, economic opportunity and improvements to basic health support, in each of these there are successes and setbacks, but do not be confused. The goal is on track and the people are embracing their opportunity and they are learning.
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| Each time we share our hopes with you, we want all of you who already support the work of GADL In Kenya to know how much we and the villagers appreciate and are dependent on such support |
You can chose from three ways to invest in village education, a one time donation of $360.00 will provide for a year of high school. You can chose to invest in the student for $30.00 a month if you chose student education for a cause or you can participate in the general fund for any amount. The later will not allow for us to assign you a particular student of your own, but you will still help educate the youth of Rionchogu
Our Web Site |
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Select a Student to Sponsor
You can now select a specific student to support in their efforts to accom- plish their new hope. On our web page you will find an album of students. (coming by January 23, 2010) There you will find pictures, family information, personal thought and personal goals for education. When you have made a commitment for the edu- cation this year you will receive the students picture, a letter and the path to connect via letters and internet. You can send you own family pictures and establish the personal connection so important to a mutual blessing through your gift. You will be able to follow this student throughout their education and further. You might make a very good and thankful friend for life.
This is a very special way to make a huge difference in the life of one not so fortunate as yourself.    These three are among the poorest and brightest, provide an education for Philia, Eric or Doreen. They are, as are all the students accepted by GAD Kenya, worth the sacrifice it may take. |
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