Donate Online Here Donations may also be made through your local church Designate the gift as ‘Hope for The Children of Africa Jamaa Letu, Boys' Orphanage.' Send to PNWUMC, P.O. Box 13650, Des Moines, WA 98198. Every penny that is donated goes to the project identified. Watch us build an orphanage!

It was nearly two years ago that the decision was made to build a good facility for the boys’ orphanage in Lubumbashi, Congo at an estimated cost of $225,000. Churches and individuals were invited to bring funds to the 2008 session of the Annual Conference and by the end of June of that year roughly $20,000 was received. Many churches and individuals continued to be generous and the total in the conference treasury at the end of May, 2009 was roughly $120,000.

Then the Spirit moved during Annual Conference.

The offering received from individuals and local churches on Friday morning was very generous. Tom Wilson, director of the conference foundation, came to the microphone with two checks from the Foundation totaling nearly $41,000. He then reached into his pocket for a personal check of $1,000 and challenged the body to match it to $50,000 within the next day. Before the conference closed on Sunday twenty-nine churches and clusters of churches plus twelve families had pledged $52,000.

The buildings are under construction. The foundation was laid in May of 2009. The walls are constructed up to the roof line. They will be plastered inside and out later. The bricks are individually made on-site using a single mold with materials from ant hills.

This report was received on November 17 from Francine Tshisola, the director of the orphanages. "The walls are 2.15 meters (seven feet) high. We are at the level of the ceiling beams and since yesterday they've been putting the roofing supports on the three buildings."

We are ready for a victory lap. As of the end of October the goal of $225,000 was reached.

Additional funds received will be used for unanticipated costs. One known item is a security wall. If there is money remaining when all expenses are paid, it will be used for amenities such as new bunk beds and kitchen equipment. It would be wonderful to provide new beds, blankets and bedspreads.

Funds for the foundation were forwarded to the South Congo Conference through the Advance Special program in late 2008 and funds for the walls were forwarded mid-2009. Additional funds will be forwarded as the Congolese let the contract for each stage of construction begin.

The people of the Pacific Northwest Conference have been generous in the support of this project. The task force, churches and individuals in the conference and, most especially, the people of the South Congo Conference are grateful.

Your continued support of the orphanage and individual sponsorships is appreciated. Please make sure your local church treasurer has forwarded all funds to the Annual Conference Treasurer.

How can you help?  Spread the word, especially within your local church. Click here to see what two churches are doing now or have done! Make a personal donation. Take a special offering for the project.