Dear Family & Friends,
As I type this letter, the Chicago Cubs are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the bottom of the 2nd inning, as the Cubs begin their 2007 march to the World Series Title. While I would love to share the good news of a Cubs win with you, there is much better news to share.
Just this last week they held a Vacation Bible School type outreach at The Pines. The Lord blessed in an awesome way, and we saw 8 children come to know Christ as their personal Savior, 7 from the orphanage, and 1 from the shanty-town down the road. What an encouragement! Please pray that these children would continue to grow in their spiritual walk, and that they would learn to faithfully love our Lord.
Another area of prayer pertains to our relationship with the local government authorities. Several weeks ago The Pines had applied for the license for an additional 6 children, bringing the total to 18. The government recently gave their approval, but we learned they have their own opinions regarding the exact role The Pines should fulfill. There are some that think the orphanage would better serve as a “House of Safety”, meaning in effect that they would like to use The Pines more as a foster home than a long term care facility. At this point, it has not been a problem, but we ask that you pray that those who are in positions to make these decisions would have wisdom. “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he desires.”
We just completed a very busy September, with meetings in Manning, Des Moines, Lakota, and Polk City. September 30th was our last meeting currently lined up, but we continue to work to set up additional opportunities to present our ministry. Thank you to all who have helped us make contacts and set up meetings so far. If you would like us to present in your church, or know a church or group that would be willing to have us, we’d love to hear from you.
Many of you know we had set our goal to be fully supported by October. October is now upon us, and we are currently at 57% of our necessary support level. We need to raise additional commitments of $1,720 per month to be at 100%. We would like to thank those who have committed to supporting the work already. It is truly a challenge to us when we see those who have taken such a tangible interest in our work, and it causes us to feel a great sense of accountability, knowing that you are investing in the Lord’s work, as we seek to serve Him. We are excited to see how He continues to direct and meet our needs in the coming months.
Attached to this letter you will find the latest update from Brian & Lois Niehoff, the missionaries currently serving at The Pines. As always, please feel free to forward this email to anyone who may be interested. If you would like to be removed from this list, or would like to have a different address used, please let us know.
Louis, Amber, & Meredith O'Tool
louisotool@gmail.com
PO Box 1083
Ankeny, IA 50021
515-371-8697
