Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Pines Kids - Girls
Puseletso "Gladys" (poo-seh-let-so)
Birthday: November 11, 2000
Joined The Pines: November 22, 2006
Kesentseng (case-ent-sang)
Birthday: September 1, 2003
Joined The Pines: March 13, 2008
Puseletso "Maria" (poo-seh-let-so)
Birthday: November 19, 2000
Joined The Pines: November 22, 2006
Nontembiso (nohn-tem-bee-so)
Birthday: February 28, 2003
Joined The Pines: February 19, 2007
Refiloe (ruh-feel-away)
Birthday: July 1, 1997
Joined The Pines: November 22, 2006
(Sister of Mpho)
Ntswaki (nts-wok-ee)
Birthday: March 13, 1998
Joined The Pines: February 22, 2007
Motshidisi (Mote-sih-dee-see)
Birthday: December 4, 1993
Joined The Pines: November 22, 2006
(Sister of Dieketseng)
Dieketseng (dee-eck-et-sang)
Birthday: December 14, 1995
Joined The Pines: November 22, 2006
(Sister of Motshidisi)
Okuhle (oo-koo-thlay)
Birthday: April 7, 1994
Joined The Pines: March 27, 2008
(Sister of Cebisile)
Cebisile (ay-bee-see-lay)
Birthday: December 22, 2004
Joined The Pines: March 30, 2007
(Sister of Okuhle)
The Pines Kids - Boys
Itumeleng (i-toom-eh-lang)
Birthday: December 7, 2006
Joined The Pines: January 29, 2008
(Brother of Tankiso & Tshidiso)
Mpho (M-po)
Birthday: September 16, 2000
Joined The Pines: November 22, 2006
(Brother of Rafiloe)
Mokhosi (mock-hose-ee)
Birthday: March 25, 2000
Joined The Pines: July 3, 2007
Tankiso (ton-kees-oh)
Birthday: October 29, 1997
Joined The Pines: January 29, 2008
(Brother of Tshidiso & Itumeleng)
Tshidiso (tsuh-dees-oh)
Birthday: July 19, 2003
Joined The Pines: January 29, 2008
(Brother of Itumeleng & Tankiso)
Pheello (Pee-ay-lo)
Birthday: March 18, 1999
Joined The Pines: July 17, 2007
Lehlohonolo (Leh-cleh-no-lo)
Birthday: October 6, 1996
Joined The Pines: February 12, 2007
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Stages of Culture Shock
We have now been in South Africa for almost two months. During this time, we have experienced a wide variety of emotions. Before we left, we received many requests to post as many photos as possible. Maybe it will help to show culture shock through the eyes of a two year old:
"Hey, isn't this exciting? We're going to have so much fun."
"Hmmm, I'm not totally sure this is how it was supposed to be."
"Mom, did you see that?".
"See how much fun we are having? Why didn't we move to Africa sooner?"
"See that? I want one."
"Fine, then I'll just pout over here."
"OK, I give up."
"I'm back. See, we're having fun again."
"Wow, no one told me to expect that..."
"Really? Are you sure you know what you're talking about?"
"I don't believe you. It can't be like that."
...(fading quickly)...
...(and I'm out)...
Now you have an idea of the roller-coaster ride of moving to a new country/culture. While Meredith was the model in all these pictures, these were emotions all three of us experienced (and are experiencing) on an almost daily basis. God has definitely used this experience to teach us flexibility, and we trust we will come out of it more like Him. All things considered, we have enjoyed the whole process, and couldn't ask for things to be better. God has truly provided. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Louis & Amber O'Tool
The Pines Christian Care Centre for Children
louisotool@gmail.com
(027) 079-289-9446
"Hey, isn't this exciting? We're going to have so much fun."
"Hmmm, I'm not totally sure this is how it was supposed to be."
"Mom, did you see that?".
"See how much fun we are having? Why didn't we move to Africa sooner?"
"See that? I want one."
"Fine, then I'll just pout over here."
"OK, I give up."
"I'm back. See, we're having fun again."
"Wow, no one told me to expect that..."
"Really? Are you sure you know what you're talking about?"
"I don't believe you. It can't be like that."
...(fading quickly)...
...(and I'm out)...
Now you have an idea of the roller-coaster ride of moving to a new country/culture. While Meredith was the model in all these pictures, these were emotions all three of us experienced (and are experiencing) on an almost daily basis. God has definitely used this experience to teach us flexibility, and we trust we will come out of it more like Him. All things considered, we have enjoyed the whole process, and couldn't ask for things to be better. God has truly provided. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.
Louis & Amber O'Tool
The Pines Christian Care Centre for Children
louisotool@gmail.com
(027) 079-289-9446
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Flight from Atlanta
Dear Family & Friends,
A week ago you received an email from us regarding our travel to South Africa. I'm happy to report we have arrived safely, although a little behind schedule. After saying our goodbye's to family, we departed Des Moines. Our flight from Atlanta left on time, but when we reached the halfway point, a few technical difficulties arose.
Normally, when flying out of Atlanta, planes stop for fuel and a crew change at Dakar, Senegal. This past week, apparently there has been a large Islamic conference in Dakar, so their government decided it would be a good idea for no American planes to arrive during that time. Hence, our halfway stop occurred in the Sal Islands, Cape Verde to be exact.
While on the ground in Cape Verde, the flight crew discovered during pre-flight inspection, that the pilots emergency oxygen tanks had leaked and were quite low. Since we were on a tiny island consisting of only an airport, a few square kilometers of desert, and a couple European resorts, there wasn't much for spare airplane parts available. The crew had us de-plane and wait in the airport for a new oxygen tank to arrive from Dakar, and estimated wait time of about 3 hours.
At first, this seemed to be a little bit of a blessing, as airline seats are not as roomy as some would like you to believe. In fact, I'm quite sure they are not designed for gangly, overgrown Mid-western guys. Although the airport was very small, the passengers quickly spread out on the
marble floors for some overdue sleep. Every half hour or so, one of the airport employees would announce over the PA that there was nothing new to announce. Ironically, they would always repeat this announcement twice, in case you missed them announcing nothing the first time.After 4 hours had passed, we realized the layover would take longer than anticipated. There was one small café in the airport where we were served a little breakfast snack. You quickly learn that we Americans are often spoiled and take much for granted. There were no water fountains, little toilet paper, and no soap for those of us in the airport. We also found out after the fact that they had also locked all the outside doors, so that no one would be able to leave the building. I do not want to sound at all like I'm complaining, because God continuously provided and no serious problems arose. Looking back, there were aspects that were actually enjoyable.
After about 6 hours in the airport, we found out the new oxygen tank also leaked, so they now knew it was not the tanks but the plane itself. At this point the airline decided to fly a 2nd, empty plane from Atlanta. This would take about 10 hours or so. In the meantime, they announced that they would have vans to travel around the island to give tours. Fortunately, Amber & I decided to just stay in the airport with Meredith. As you can imagine, with Cape Verde being close to the Equator, the temperature outside was not the balmy 25 degrees Fahrenheit we had left in Des Moines. It took about an hour to load the tour vans, then once they were all filled to capacity, they sat in the airport parking lot for over an hour for no apparent reason. Thankfully, God spared us from joining the tour.
Please do not let the attached pictures deceive you. Meredith did not sleep nearly as much as the camera would lead you to believe. In fact, she was fighting sleep quite successfully for most of the trip. In the first 24 hours, she slept less than five, making for a pleasant little personality. While the others were on the "tour" (loosely called such, as Cape Verde is all desert with no natural growth over 4' tall), Amber & I took turns sleeping while the other kept an eye on Meredith. They also fed us a lunch snack during this time.
About 4:30pm that evening, after 12 hours in the airport, we learned the airline had arranged for a few hotel rooms in a nearby resort. Those with children were given first priority, and since we had Meredith and another 11 year old on this trip, our group of 13 (the O'Tool family, my two cousins, and the team from Point of Grace Church) was able to obtain two rooms where we all showered. We also shared our rooms/showers with a few strangers, as there were not nearly enough rooms to go around. That evening we were fed a fantastic buffet supper in the resort, and then about 10:00pm we loaded back into vans for transportation back to the airport. Our plane then arrived from Atlanta, and we took off from Cape Verde about 1:30am, exactly 21 hours after landing there.
Meredith chose to sleep on the 2nd leg of our journey, which allowed Amber & I to catch a few winks. We landed in South Africa without incident, although due to some turbulence late in the flight, I nearly had a personal incident myself. All our luggage arrived in Jo-burg with our airplane, so we were thankful for that. We then met Brian & Lois Niehoff, loaded into The Pines' van and our rental truck, and drove the 3 hours to Welkom. This was my first real opportunity to drive in traffic on the wrong side of the road, and I am happy to report no incidents, personal or otherwise.
We have kept quite busy since arriving, working on several projects for The Pines, teaching 3 classes in a local school, and starting a weekly Bible Club at a church in the area. On Friday, my cousins – Ellie & Zac Stangl – and I were able to hold the Bible Club, which we had announced at the school the previous Wednesday. We had about 50 kids show up, and after Ellie taught the Bible lesson, 15 kids went back to learn more about why Jesus, the Son of God, had to die on the cross. I was able to take 8 of those kids, and they seemed to understand the message of eternal life, so we are praying these are truly life-changing decisions. We are thanking God for providing opportunities such as these.
Thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers. We will continue to keep you posted as possible.
Louis, Amber & Meredith O'Tool
The Pines Christian Care Centre for Children
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Departure
Dear Family & Friends,
Amber & I wanted to say a quick thank you to all who have prayed for and supported our ministry to the orphans in Welkom, South Africa. We are amazed at God's faithfulness and provision for our family as we have looked toward spreading His fame in a new country. I can't begin to list all the many ways He has worked and blessed throughout the whole pre-field process, but I wanted to take a minute and lift up His name to you all.
We started fund-raising in February 2007, and while there were many peaks, valleys, and plateaus throughout those months, there was never a time when God did not provide. Even in these last few months as our focus turned from financial needs to more physical needs, such as packing, shipping our goods, and selling our house, things just seemed to fall into place. Here is a list of a few of the highlights over the last couple months:
-January 4th: My last day at Wells Fargo
-1st Two weeks of January: Finish up last minute projects to put our house on the market
-January 16th: Our house goes up for sale
-Two weeks later: We accept a bid on our house
-January 24th: We find out Amber is expecting our 2nd child, due to arrive in September
-February 4-14th: We visit Amber's family in Colorado
-February 14-19th: We finish packing our house and ship our container to South Africa, with much help from friends & family
-February 22nd: Amber & I depart on a cruise to the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, & Jamaica (generously provided by close friends), along with my brother & his wife, and another couple close to us
-March 1st: Arrive back in Iowa and get Meredith back from Amber's parents, where she stayed for about a month.
-March 3rd: Close on the sale of our house
-March 9th: Scheduled to depart for Jo-burg, South Africa
Again, this list cannot begin to describe how faithfully God provided for all our need during this time. We want to express our great appreciation to all who have lifted us up before our Almighty God. We firmly believe that a man can receive nothing except it is given him from heaven. As we praise God for what He has done for us, we want most of all to thank him for His provision of a Savior. Amber & I are both aware that we are sinners, and that according to the laws of God, sin must be paid for. What a blessing for us to know that God also gave the free gift of His perfect Son to pay for our sins against Him. That is why we are moving to Africa, to spread the message of eternal life and peace with the God of the Universe.
We will continue to keep you all updated with news (and pictures) from South Africa. Thank you for your love, prayers, and financial support.
Louis, Amber, & Meredith O'Tool
The Pines Christian Care Centre for Children
515-371-8697
Amber & I wanted to say a quick thank you to all who have prayed for and supported our ministry to the orphans in Welkom, South Africa. We are amazed at God's faithfulness and provision for our family as we have looked toward spreading His fame in a new country. I can't begin to list all the many ways He has worked and blessed throughout the whole pre-field process, but I wanted to take a minute and lift up His name to you all.
We started fund-raising in February 2007, and while there were many peaks, valleys, and plateaus throughout those months, there was never a time when God did not provide. Even in these last few months as our focus turned from financial needs to more physical needs, such as packing, shipping our goods, and selling our house, things just seemed to fall into place. Here is a list of a few of the highlights over the last couple months:
-January 4th: My last day at Wells Fargo
-1st Two weeks of January: Finish up last minute projects to put our house on the market
-January 16th: Our house goes up for sale
-Two weeks later: We accept a bid on our house
-January 24th: We find out Amber is expecting our 2nd child, due to arrive in September
-February 4-14th: We visit Amber's family in Colorado
-February 14-19th: We finish packing our house and ship our container to South Africa, with much help from friends & family
-February 22nd: Amber & I depart on a cruise to the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, & Jamaica (generously provided by close friends), along with my brother & his wife, and another couple close to us
-March 1st: Arrive back in Iowa and get Meredith back from Amber's parents, where she stayed for about a month.
-March 3rd: Close on the sale of our house
-March 9th: Scheduled to depart for Jo-burg, South Africa
Again, this list cannot begin to describe how faithfully God provided for all our need during this time. We want to express our great appreciation to all who have lifted us up before our Almighty God. We firmly believe that a man can receive nothing except it is given him from heaven. As we praise God for what He has done for us, we want most of all to thank him for His provision of a Savior. Amber & I are both aware that we are sinners, and that according to the laws of God, sin must be paid for. What a blessing for us to know that God also gave the free gift of His perfect Son to pay for our sins against Him. That is why we are moving to Africa, to spread the message of eternal life and peace with the God of the Universe.
We will continue to keep you all updated with news (and pictures) from South Africa. Thank you for your love, prayers, and financial support.
Louis, Amber, & Meredith O'Tool
The Pines Christian Care Centre for Children
515-371-8697
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Deputation Update - December 2007
Dear Family & Friends,
Christmas seems to get more and more hectic each year, often for the wrong reasons. We wanted to take some time out to let everyone know what God is doing in South Africa at The Pines Christian Care Centre.
First, our lives are seem like a roller coaster, and we’re getting towed up the big hill right now. On the one hand, you’re wondering why you ever allowed yourself to be strapped in, and on the other you can’t wait to get to the top and enjoy the ride. It definitely seems that we currently have as much control over the speed of our lives as the riders would on a coaster. Of course, to take this analogy to its logical conclusion, all we can do is hold up our hands in the spirit of I Tim 2:8, and trust that The Architect knows what He is doing.
My last day at Wells Fargo is January 4, 2008. We hope to put our house on the market the next week. If anyone is looking for a ranch-style house in the Ankeny area, let us know☺. Several other things need to be done in January, including removal of 2 wisdom teeth for Louis, application for our residence VISA with the SA government, making shipping arrangements for our container, and several other things. Pray that things will go smoothly, and mostly that God will bless the sale of our house.
Just the other day, Amber sat down and calculated our exact support level. Currently, we are at 91.87% committed, meaning we would need approximately $400 per month in addition to what we already have. However, we are praising the Lord, as the last few months several donors have given above what they had actually committed, so we have been receiving just over 100% of our necessary support level. Again, thank you to all who have demonstrated their faithfulness to God in this area. We ask that you would send us a photo of yourself, so we can know you better, and so we can be reminded to lift you up on prayer as well. Our address is listed below, or you can email a digital picture to louisotool@gmail.com.
It appears February will primarily be spent packing and moving, as well as spending time with family and friends. Our weekends are filling up quickly. We booked our tickets, and we are scheduled to fly out on March 9th. Amber was able to contact a travel agent, who arranged a discount for our airline tickets. We were able to obtain them for a couple thousand dollars less than we had expected, and we give God the glory for how He has operated in our behalf so far.
Thank you all for your prayers, and again, feel free to contact us at any time. I have attached the latest update from The Pines, so you will have a better idea of what is going on there.
Loving Jesus,
Louis & Amber O'Tool
louisotool@gmail.com
PO Box 1083
Ankeny, IA 50021
515-371-8697
Christmas seems to get more and more hectic each year, often for the wrong reasons. We wanted to take some time out to let everyone know what God is doing in South Africa at The Pines Christian Care Centre.
First, our lives are seem like a roller coaster, and we’re getting towed up the big hill right now. On the one hand, you’re wondering why you ever allowed yourself to be strapped in, and on the other you can’t wait to get to the top and enjoy the ride. It definitely seems that we currently have as much control over the speed of our lives as the riders would on a coaster. Of course, to take this analogy to its logical conclusion, all we can do is hold up our hands in the spirit of I Tim 2:8, and trust that The Architect knows what He is doing.
My last day at Wells Fargo is January 4, 2008. We hope to put our house on the market the next week. If anyone is looking for a ranch-style house in the Ankeny area, let us know☺. Several other things need to be done in January, including removal of 2 wisdom teeth for Louis, application for our residence VISA with the SA government, making shipping arrangements for our container, and several other things. Pray that things will go smoothly, and mostly that God will bless the sale of our house.
Just the other day, Amber sat down and calculated our exact support level. Currently, we are at 91.87% committed, meaning we would need approximately $400 per month in addition to what we already have. However, we are praising the Lord, as the last few months several donors have given above what they had actually committed, so we have been receiving just over 100% of our necessary support level. Again, thank you to all who have demonstrated their faithfulness to God in this area. We ask that you would send us a photo of yourself, so we can know you better, and so we can be reminded to lift you up on prayer as well. Our address is listed below, or you can email a digital picture to louisotool@gmail.com.
It appears February will primarily be spent packing and moving, as well as spending time with family and friends. Our weekends are filling up quickly. We booked our tickets, and we are scheduled to fly out on March 9th. Amber was able to contact a travel agent, who arranged a discount for our airline tickets. We were able to obtain them for a couple thousand dollars less than we had expected, and we give God the glory for how He has operated in our behalf so far.
Thank you all for your prayers, and again, feel free to contact us at any time. I have attached the latest update from The Pines, so you will have a better idea of what is going on there.
Loving Jesus,
Louis & Amber O'Tool
louisotool@gmail.com
PO Box 1083
Ankeny, IA 50021
515-371-8697
Monday, November 5, 2007
Deputation Update - November 5, 2007
Dear Friends and Family,
As you know from our last update, we are a Chicago Cubs family. Unfortunately, the season didn’t go quite as well as hoped, although there’s always next year. Speaking of next year, I am happy to report that we anticipate moving to South Africa on March 9, 2008.
To fill you in on the details, I’d better start at the beginning. We started the fund-raising process in February 2007. At the time, we set as our goal to be fully supported by the end of October 2007. We knew this was an aggressive goal, but as we looked at the tremendous needs in South Africa, we decided we would pray in faith that God would work toward that end.
At the beginning of October, we were about 55% of our necessary support level, with an $1800 per month still to be raised. We had several individuals/groups contact us with their intent to support us on a monthly basis, most notably within the last 2 weeks. Our support level now stands at about 85%, with approximately $600 per month yet to be raised.
We have decided to start making firm plans regarding our move. We received Meredith’s passport just this last week, and we are looking into all the details required, including shipping a container of our belongings, obtaining international health insurance, applying for a VISA, etc… We also have a house to sell, and we have kicked the final preparations for that into high gear; just this week I dropped to part time at Wells Fargo, and as it now stands, January 4th will be my last day. I wanted to mention that both Amber’s and my employers have been extremely helpful and cooperative to accommodate us.
While we still have a portion of our support to be raised, we are trusting the Lord that He will provide for that before March 9th rolls around. Our minds have been running about 120 mph since we made this decision, and we alternate from excited, to overwhelmed, to scared to death. We appreciate all the faithful prayer support and assistance that so many have provided to us.
We want to communicate especially to all those individuals and groups who have taken us on for monthly support how encouraging and challenging your faithfulness is to us. As Paul tells us, we are ambassasdors for Christ, bringing His message to Welkom, SA. In addition to that, we feel strongly that we are your ambassadors as well. You have invested in God’s work through us, and we take that responsibility seriously. We trust that through God’s blessing in our lives, He will cause fruit to abound to your accounts. We sincerely thank you.
Amber just recently found that we could get our tickets each for about $1000 less than we had anticipated, and we should be arriving in Johannesburg on March 10th, the same day a team from Point of Grace church is scheduled to arrive. We will jump right into ministry, as the day we arrive, another team will be in the area focusing directly on a church-planting outreach. We are excited to see what God has in store, and we will attempt to communicate it to you all in a timely fashion. And of course, as we settle in to life in Africa, the Cubs will be just beginning their 2008 curse-breaking championship run.
As you know from our last update, we are a Chicago Cubs family. Unfortunately, the season didn’t go quite as well as hoped, although there’s always next year. Speaking of next year, I am happy to report that we anticipate moving to South Africa on March 9, 2008.
To fill you in on the details, I’d better start at the beginning. We started the fund-raising process in February 2007. At the time, we set as our goal to be fully supported by the end of October 2007. We knew this was an aggressive goal, but as we looked at the tremendous needs in South Africa, we decided we would pray in faith that God would work toward that end.
At the beginning of October, we were about 55% of our necessary support level, with an $1800 per month still to be raised. We had several individuals/groups contact us with their intent to support us on a monthly basis, most notably within the last 2 weeks. Our support level now stands at about 85%, with approximately $600 per month yet to be raised.
We have decided to start making firm plans regarding our move. We received Meredith’s passport just this last week, and we are looking into all the details required, including shipping a container of our belongings, obtaining international health insurance, applying for a VISA, etc… We also have a house to sell, and we have kicked the final preparations for that into high gear; just this week I dropped to part time at Wells Fargo, and as it now stands, January 4th will be my last day. I wanted to mention that both Amber’s and my employers have been extremely helpful and cooperative to accommodate us.
While we still have a portion of our support to be raised, we are trusting the Lord that He will provide for that before March 9th rolls around. Our minds have been running about 120 mph since we made this decision, and we alternate from excited, to overwhelmed, to scared to death. We appreciate all the faithful prayer support and assistance that so many have provided to us.
We want to communicate especially to all those individuals and groups who have taken us on for monthly support how encouraging and challenging your faithfulness is to us. As Paul tells us, we are ambassasdors for Christ, bringing His message to Welkom, SA. In addition to that, we feel strongly that we are your ambassadors as well. You have invested in God’s work through us, and we take that responsibility seriously. We trust that through God’s blessing in our lives, He will cause fruit to abound to your accounts. We sincerely thank you.
Amber just recently found that we could get our tickets each for about $1000 less than we had anticipated, and we should be arriving in Johannesburg on March 10th, the same day a team from Point of Grace church is scheduled to arrive. We will jump right into ministry, as the day we arrive, another team will be in the area focusing directly on a church-planting outreach. We are excited to see what God has in store, and we will attempt to communicate it to you all in a timely fashion. And of course, as we settle in to life in Africa, the Cubs will be just beginning their 2008 curse-breaking championship run.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Deputation Update - October 3, 2007
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
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
Friday, August 31, 2007
Deputation Update-August 31, 2007
Dear Friends & Family,
Greetings from Ankeny (hopefully soon that will change). I wanted to send a quick update of our last month and a half. I know our last update came out at the beginning of July, but hopefully you’ll be able to understand the delay better in a minute.
July 16-20th was a whirlwind for us, as we participated as the featured missions work for the Point of Grace Church VBS. I would leave for work at 6:30am, go straight to the church after work, and get home around 9:30pm. Needless to say, the week went by very quickly. The program at POG was amazing. They had over 600 different kids throughout the week, and averaged about 460 per night. The final # is a little fuzzy, and I may be wrong here, but I think there were a total of 50 professions of salvation. The Gospel message was clearly presented on a number of occasions and we praise the Lord for the fruit He gave.
We were able to share a little about our work in South Africa, and tell some of the stories of the challenges those children face. The kids (and I imagine some of the adults) raised over $6,000 for the ministry! We heard stories of children who would set up lemonade stands to raise money for the offering, kids who would dip into birthday & Christmas money and many other means, so that they could be a part of what God is doing in South Africa. Of course, we did hear there was a little miscommunication as to what the money would be used for. One little boy, after being asked what the money was going to do, was overheard saying “Duh, to buy Tools” (because we are the O’Tools). Another girl, when we were introduced in front of the group, raised her hand and asked “What is an O’Tool?” Apparently we need to do a better marketing job on the name.
The next weekend we were in Washington, IA and we had a wonderful time meeting new people, and seeing some that we haven’t seen in awhile. The following week was de-tasseling time in Carroll and was great fun, as you can imagine. On the 29th, we were able to meet with the Berean Fellowship in Carroll, and present our ministry. These are people that watched me grow up, so it is both exciting, embarrassing, and challenging to be in front of them all. The next Sunday, we were in Springfield, CO, presenting to Amber’s home church, so many of the same feelings were felt there. As intimidating as Deputation seemed from the outside, we are definitely seeing that there can be a lot of fun in it as well. It is such a joy to be able to travel and see so many old friends and make many new ones. The reception we have received in every church has been a blessing to us. Of course, since it’s not our work, but God’s, it takes so much of the pressure off us.
On August 10th, Brian & Lois Niehoff arrived home from South Africa for a quick 4 week trip. They have been going non-stop since they arrived, and we have been fortunate enough to tag along with them to several meetings. We were able to attend POG again one week, as well as our home church of Slater. It is a strange feeling to be somewhere so familiar, yet still feel like a visitor. We also had a meeting of our own in Adrian, MO. This is the second time we have visited that church, so I had to write a new sermon. Just kidding, actually, I already have two, but if we ever go there again, I’m in troubleJ.
We also had the opportunity to be on the Steve Deace Radio show on 1040 WHO. I grew up listening to every show on WHO, and never, ever thought I would be a guest at some point. I need to preface that by saying that Brian & Lois were the stars of the show, but I did get about 7 seconds of air time (on my third try. On the first two, my mic wasn’t on). I now have 14 minutes, 53 seconds of fame remaining. I guess I’ll have to try to get on the Jan Mickelson show.
We now have a brief lull in our schedule. Our next group of meetings start September 16th, when we’ll be at Calvary Baptist in Manning for the AM service, then Willow Creek Baptist in Des Moines for the PM service. On September 23rd we are in Lakota, IA for both the morning & evening services, and then on the 30th we will be at Lakeside Fellowship in Polk City, IA.
Inexplicably, for some reason we have not been able to line up any meeting beyond September 30th. When we started fundraising in February, we set October as our goal to be fully supported. It seems that after the end of September we have run into a brick wall, and couldn’t get more meetings lined up. We are praying that is because God knows we don’t need anymore. We are currently at about 50% support, but there are also some promising leads where people or churches have indicated a possible desire to commit to monthly support as well. We trust that God will provide in His time.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support. We are greatly encouraged by the response we have received. Attached you will find the most recent update from The Pines Christian Care Center in Welkom, South Africa. This will give you a greater understanding of the needs there, and the ministry we will be entering soon. As always, feel free to contact us, as we love to share God’s work with anyone who will listen.
LOUIS, Amber, & Meredith O'TOOL
louisotool@gmail.com
PO Box 1083
Ankeny, IA 50021
515-371-8697
Greetings from Ankeny (hopefully soon that will change). I wanted to send a quick update of our last month and a half. I know our last update came out at the beginning of July, but hopefully you’ll be able to understand the delay better in a minute.
July 16-20th was a whirlwind for us, as we participated as the featured missions work for the Point of Grace Church VBS. I would leave for work at 6:30am, go straight to the church after work, and get home around 9:30pm. Needless to say, the week went by very quickly. The program at POG was amazing. They had over 600 different kids throughout the week, and averaged about 460 per night. The final # is a little fuzzy, and I may be wrong here, but I think there were a total of 50 professions of salvation. The Gospel message was clearly presented on a number of occasions and we praise the Lord for the fruit He gave.
We were able to share a little about our work in South Africa, and tell some of the stories of the challenges those children face. The kids (and I imagine some of the adults) raised over $6,000 for the ministry! We heard stories of children who would set up lemonade stands to raise money for the offering, kids who would dip into birthday & Christmas money and many other means, so that they could be a part of what God is doing in South Africa. Of course, we did hear there was a little miscommunication as to what the money would be used for. One little boy, after being asked what the money was going to do, was overheard saying “Duh, to buy Tools” (because we are the O’Tools). Another girl, when we were introduced in front of the group, raised her hand and asked “What is an O’Tool?” Apparently we need to do a better marketing job on the name.
The next weekend we were in Washington, IA and we had a wonderful time meeting new people, and seeing some that we haven’t seen in awhile. The following week was de-tasseling time in Carroll and was great fun, as you can imagine. On the 29th, we were able to meet with the Berean Fellowship in Carroll, and present our ministry. These are people that watched me grow up, so it is both exciting, embarrassing, and challenging to be in front of them all. The next Sunday, we were in Springfield, CO, presenting to Amber’s home church, so many of the same feelings were felt there. As intimidating as Deputation seemed from the outside, we are definitely seeing that there can be a lot of fun in it as well. It is such a joy to be able to travel and see so many old friends and make many new ones. The reception we have received in every church has been a blessing to us. Of course, since it’s not our work, but God’s, it takes so much of the pressure off us.
On August 10th, Brian & Lois Niehoff arrived home from South Africa for a quick 4 week trip. They have been going non-stop since they arrived, and we have been fortunate enough to tag along with them to several meetings. We were able to attend POG again one week, as well as our home church of Slater. It is a strange feeling to be somewhere so familiar, yet still feel like a visitor. We also had a meeting of our own in Adrian, MO. This is the second time we have visited that church, so I had to write a new sermon. Just kidding, actually, I already have two, but if we ever go there again, I’m in troubleJ.
We also had the opportunity to be on the Steve Deace Radio show on 1040 WHO. I grew up listening to every show on WHO, and never, ever thought I would be a guest at some point. I need to preface that by saying that Brian & Lois were the stars of the show, but I did get about 7 seconds of air time (on my third try. On the first two, my mic wasn’t on). I now have 14 minutes, 53 seconds of fame remaining. I guess I’ll have to try to get on the Jan Mickelson show.
We now have a brief lull in our schedule. Our next group of meetings start September 16th, when we’ll be at Calvary Baptist in Manning for the AM service, then Willow Creek Baptist in Des Moines for the PM service. On September 23rd we are in Lakota, IA for both the morning & evening services, and then on the 30th we will be at Lakeside Fellowship in Polk City, IA.
Inexplicably, for some reason we have not been able to line up any meeting beyond September 30th. When we started fundraising in February, we set October as our goal to be fully supported. It seems that after the end of September we have run into a brick wall, and couldn’t get more meetings lined up. We are praying that is because God knows we don’t need anymore. We are currently at about 50% support, but there are also some promising leads where people or churches have indicated a possible desire to commit to monthly support as well. We trust that God will provide in His time.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and support. We are greatly encouraged by the response we have received. Attached you will find the most recent update from The Pines Christian Care Center in Welkom, South Africa. This will give you a greater understanding of the needs there, and the ministry we will be entering soon. As always, feel free to contact us, as we love to share God’s work with anyone who will listen.
LOUIS, Amber, & Meredith O'TOOL
louisotool@gmail.com
PO Box 1083
Ankeny, IA 50021
515-371-8697
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