because he had once been our pastor in our local Seventh-day
Adventist Church. He was so much loved by the people.
“The main reason of writing to you is to tell you that we
have a total of new orphans that Pastor and his committee
brought to Teresa’s home. These children are young and they
are so desperate. They were in another orphanage which got
closed for reasons that we can never enter into. All we want is
to assist these children under Teresa’s care.
“I am helping Teresa to care for these children. Probably
you know that Teresa had some children which she was caring
for. They were fifteen and now the total number in her home is
forty-six. First, I want to thank your people for the money that
Pat Kroeger sent. It was 1900 US dollars and the day Maurice
went to take it we were with him. Some of that money was
used to replace food at Hope Center that these children had
consumed.
“We are happy to take care of these children. In this area
alone, almost nineteen children died of starvation and we are
glad that you are taking care of many.
“We really need to buy beddings and blankets for these
children and also to buy for them some more clothing.
“I would also like to suggest that if money will be avail-
able, we can also construct a temporary place for them. The
building will just be for metal sheets… for the two buildings.
One will be for boys and one for girls.
“I have to thank Maurice very much for the love he has for the
children. He has helped so many. He is working tirelessly to make
sure the children get a good future. He is now in Nairobi working
to get colleges for others and we really like the way he works hard.
“The money which Pat sent was used in buying a lorry
and then it had to be divided… The price keeps on going
higher. We need to buy also beans and other food stuff.
“I will be doing all communication for Teresa and I will
be helping her just as much as I can.”
I don’t know what I would do with fifteen children, and
then to take in thirty-one more! Can we just stop a moment
and consider what God is doing here? He knows Pastor
Maurice, He knows Teresa and He knows you! All of us, in
cooperation with the Lord, made it possible for these children
to live. At this time we are unsure of how we will ultimately
resolve this situation, but one thing is for sure, these children
are ours. If at the time Glory Center is completed, Teresa will
give them up, they will come there to live. If she cannot part
with them, then God will assist us in maintaining our third or-
phanage in Kenya, that of Teresa’s.
Lord, each day grant us a love like yours.
David Livingstone once wrote: “I had rather be in the
heart of Africa in the will of God than on the throne of Eng-
land out of the will of God.” We agree.
?
-5-
Introducing Hope Center’s New Treasurer
As most of you know by now, big changes have taken
place in our staff for the Hope for Children Center. It is with
mixed emotions that we must say good-bye to our treasurer.
From the beginning, Sally Specht has given many long hours
of dedication for these children. She has truly put her heart
and soul into everything about the center, and the Lord
has blessed abundantly because of it. But the time
has come for Sally to dedicate more of herself to
her family, and while we will miss her as our
treasurer, we surely understand her reasons for
doing so. Still, she has been such a great asset to
this ministry that we are strongly resisting her
complete exit. (Don’t be surprised if you see her
show up elsewhere within the ministry!)
Without doubt, Hope is our biggest and most
involved project. The thought of losing the trea-
surer there would have been devastating had the
Lord not worked so wonderfully in finding someone
to fill the vacancy. It is not hard to imagine the work
that Sally had to put into keeping the treasury work in order,
so finding someone willing to do this work for the “salary” we
offer wasn’t going to be easy (all “pay stubs” are marked in
“showers of blessings”). But God is merciful and He found a
ready replacement, one very close to home, in fact. Vicki
Kritzell’s sister, Sarah Earl, has graciously accepted the trea-
surer’s position, and with much excitement and expectation, I
might add. Sarah’s training as an accountant, along with her
upbringing and her love to serve the Lord, have given her all
the qualifications she needs to jump in and continue where
Sally left off. I know the ministry will continue to be blessed
by her presence.
Thank you, Sarah, and welcome aboard!
Pat Kroeger, Director
Finance Department
Greetings!
My name is Sarah Earl, and I am the new
treasurer for Hope Center. I know that it will be
difficult to fill Sally’s shoes, but I am going to do
my best! I look forward to getting to know more
about each of you. As your checks trickle in, I
have enjoyed finding out where you are from,
and I appreciate your kind words of encourage-
ment and support. I will save every letter!
I live in a beautiful suburban area northwest of
Detroit. I am in the midst of raising two very active
kids as well as working full time. I think that the work I do for
Hope Center will be my endeavor to have my own activity.
Ultimately, it will allow me to do something very important
for all the right reasons. I have a son, Nolan, who is 15 and a
Freshman in high school. He plays competitive soccer during
the summer and fall, races slalom/giant slalom during the
(Continued on Page 9)
Sarah Earl
