Rehoboth Children's Home Rehoboth Clinic
Rehoboth Early Learning Center
God has made a place for us. Genesis 26:22
February/March 2017 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
Rehoboth has kicked off the year with some wonderful news.
Adoptions
We are so excited to let you know that John Ward met and went home with his forever family in January this year ! He now has 2 brothers, 2 sisters and a loving mum and dad and he lives in the USA. Look at that grin.
Please pray for the King family as they get to know each other and settle in to being a family of 7.
I recently realised that I missed including Joseph's adoption in a previous newsletter ! My apologies. Joseph is now happily living with his Mum and Dad and brother. Please pray for smooth transitions and wonderful family times of bonding and attachment.
New Additions
Just a few days old, little baby D was welcomed at Rehoboth. She is a tiny 1.3kg (less than 3 pounds) baby girl. Please pray for her as she gains strength. Thank you to the donor who heard about her and gave to support her initial formula needs. Premature babies need a special and very expensive formula and are likely to be on it for almost a year.
Kids Updates
At the moment Rehoboth is serving 32 children. With roof repairs done on the Reufer House (House 2) and in process on the Morriss House (House 1), we are hoping to re-open the Morris House and shelter capacity to 48 as soon as we can appoint another social worker. It's important that Rehoboth kids are not only housed and fed and amazingly cared for, but also that their cases are being processed as thoroughly and quickly as possible... which means fantastic social workers. We are grateful to Mama Weng who has stepped in as social work assistant to the phenomenal Pauline. We've got some plans for a another social worker in the pipeline, so stay tuned for info in a coming newsletter !
School is back on after the new year break and the kids are in routine.
Have you ever wondered what a day looks like at Rehoboth for the kids?
Here's the schedule for the older kids...
I'm impressed with the 5:30am wake up time and totally understand that in the heat of the day, outside play is not ideal, so 6:30am and 3pm are sensible times.
Recently Mama Fe has been back at Rehoboth, and the other day she visited the baby home and bravely bought nail polish to do a fun activity with the kids. I had envisaged kids nails painted, but it went a little further and Mama Fe got a toddler paint job and they didn't stay in the lines so well. Here are some photos of the fun !
Medical Clinic Update
The medical clinic is getting so close to PhilHealth accreditation. We are hoping this will be within 2 weeks ! This means that the Clinic will not only become self sustaining but even Rehoboth supporting. Payments from PhilHealth take 2- 3 months to receive, so it will be a little while until this is the case - but not long ! We need to get signs made to increase awareness of the clinic in the Sampaloc area and we are also aiming to set up a lab for basic testing and employ a nurse. These things will hopefully attract a doctor to start regularly at Rehoboth Clinic.
On February 23rd there was a Medical Mission serving the community at the clinic. This is a great start, but we really need a doctor. At the moment the clinic is providing maternity services and basic medical care. The other day a little girl was admitted for stomach flu with significant dehydration.
Please pray for a doctor and also the equipment for a Lab. These would greatly enhance the functionality of the clinic. If you have contact with anyone who might be able to donate Lab equipment or fund for them, please contact Ken.
One key goal for the Clinic is to encourage the Indigent people of the nearby mountain areas to have access to medical care. We are hoping to partner with local authorities who travel to the mountain regions and facilitate community members signing up to PhilHealth. This will open the door for Rehoboth Clinic to care for them.
Agriculture update
The agricultural plot is thriving. Huge cabbages and broccoli are blooming and there are chilis galore! The Pogi boys also harvested the ginger, carrots and pumpkin ready for Rehoboth kids dinners and leftovers to the market. Lettuce and broccoli can be picked straight from the garden for salad and it tastes delicious. All the produce at Rehoboth is grown organically, which means at least once every day the caterpillars need to be hand removed from the plants (cabbages especially). The Pogi boys do a fantastic job of maintaining this wonderful resource for Rehoboth.
Van Need - Update
The van is still falling apart. We have some funds set aside to seed this need. If you would like to add to the funds please go to the website to the general funds donation page , and add a note that you would like your donation directed toward a van. If you would like to gather your friends, family or community to run a fundraiser for this, we'd love to hear from you. Please email me.
AGM and Strategic Planning
On February 15 and 16, Board members, onsite leadership staff and some RSM members met for a 2 day strategic planning session for RSM. It was a wonderful time of praying for Rehoboth, taking a look at the ways RSM is fulfilling its vision and mission, where there are gaps, and planning for the future. We made plans for Rehoboth Children's Home, Rehoboth Clinic, Agriculture, and Livelihood & Education Programs for Rehoboth and the local community. We also examined resource generation and brainstormed both local and international possibilities for supporting Rehoboth
On February 18th the AGM was held and also an extended meeting of the members. This was a great time to present and reorganise the ideas of the strategic planning session and begin the implementation of important changes. Many thanks to Reynald Tibben who traveled from Australia to facilitate this session. It was a blessing to have his thoughts, input and ideas. Many thanks to the Pogi boys who insisted on cooking the meal for the staff, kids and Board dinner.
Finance and Funding
With the imminent addition of a new social worker and with increasing costs for medical and psychological support for our little ones, Rehoboth's budget is growing ! At the strategic planning meeting we discussed ways that Rehoboth can continue to work toward being self-sustaining and at the same time enhance the local community. This is still some time away. This year we are planning the Work One Day for Rehoboth fundraiser for which we ask you, your friends, family and colleagues to give one of your day's wages to the work of Rehoboth. Also, there is the ongoing opportunity to sponsor a child living at Rehoboth.
Our partner organisation in the USA, Sacred Portion manages the child sponsorship program. You'll receive at least 3 updates a year on your sponsored child. We are so grateful to the child sponsors who are signed up. Thank you for your support. It is one of the foundational funding sources for Rehoboth.
A HUGE thanks to Siloam our UK partner organisation who provided the funds for the roofing of the original Morriss and Reufer Houses. This enables Rehoboth to keep the houses safely open. Siloam has been a constant supporter of Rehoboth since it's inception and we are so very grateful. If you are in the UK, consider giving via Siloam to Rehoboth as they offer tax concessions for your donation.
This grant from Siloam was combined with a donation from Stiftung Titus (The Titus Foundation) in Switzerland. We thank our friends Gudu and Judith for making the connection for this to be possible.
If you have been to Rehoboth recently and would like to share your experience in our newsletter, please contact us.
Thanks for keeping up to date with everything Rehoboth,
Elisa
Volunteers and Visitors Update
If you have been a volunteer or visitor at Rehoboth - Thank you ! - AND we would love to hear your story and see some photos in this newsletter ! Please contact us about writing a short piece about your visit and service in this newsletter.
Thank you to the Lexis Nexis staff who visited recently. We appreciate your time on site and the food and goods donation you gave.
If you're close by to Rehoboth, planning a visit or sending a Balikbayan box to Rehoboth, here is a list of the most urgent in-kind needs of Rehoboth. Food Items:
Pre-mature baby formula (Pre-Nan)
Nestogen Milk Formula 1-3
Fresh milk
Oats (Rolled and Quick cooking)
Powdered Milk
Non-Food Items:
Diapers all children's sizes
cleaning and disinfecting agents
detergent powder
dish-washing liquids and other toiletries.
Please contact Ailyn to make arrangements or Elisa for questions.
Do you have or know anyone with skills that might be able to help Rehoboth? Do you have the resources to get onsite?
newly adopted children and their families - for strong new connections and great family times establishing attachment
for all adoptive parents - that they would have wisdom in parenting and guidance in nurturing each of their children's needs.
for the children at Rehoboth who are waiting for a forever family. Pray that the paperwork process for upcoming matching and adoptions goes as quickly as possible, knowing that the best outcome for each child may take time. Pray for patience and hope.
Pray for the kids at Rehoboth who are more difficult to match due to developmental delay, illness or significant individual need. Pray for families for them as their cases go via the Special Home Findings path
Pray for the social worker Pauline who takes on the responsibility of working with families in the community, as well as the local and international adoption processes. Pray for Weng as she supports Pauline.
the staff at Rehoboth - that they will know the valuable work they undertake every day and how much they are appreciated by the children, their forever families and the volunteers.
For Ailyn the Officer In Charge and the House supervisors Mama Dith and Mama Rita - thanking God for their commitment to the children of Rehoboth, their love for them and the staff they supervise.
Pray for Eric and the Pogi boys. Thank God for their service in maintenance, driving, agriculture, building,and the role model they provide for the kids at Rehoboth along with the care they show the children
the board and administrators - that they will have wisdom in decision making.
the medical clinic - continue to thank God for his provision of the midwives and prayers for more staff, a Lab and pharmacy and a permanent doctor and nurse to fully develop all services as needed by the local community.
Thankfulness for the support of Rehoboth from volunteers and donors. Prayer for the yearly needs to be met so Rehoboth can faithfully and responsibly continue to serve children in need from the Rizal province.
the local Sampaloc community - for family unity and stability and that one day, the resources and services of Rehoboth are no longer needed.
For the plans made at the strategic planning session - for ways forward and resources to undertake them.
Rehoboth Sampaloc Ministries Mission Statement
Transforming families and providing alternative futures for children in crisis, based on God's model of love and care, through child and family-oriented programs, projects and services.
At the moment Rehoboth is serving 32 children. With roof repairs done on the Reufer House (House 2) and in process on the Morriss House (House 1), we are hoping to re-open the Morris House and shelter capacity to 48 as soon as we can appoint another social worker. It's important that Rehoboth kids are not only housed and fed and amazingly cared for, but also that their cases are being processed as thoroughly and quickly as possible... which means fantastic social workers. We are grateful to Mama Weng who has stepped in as social work assistant to the phenomenal Pauline. We've got some plans for a another social worker in the pipeline, so stay tuned for info in a coming newsletter !
School is back on after the new year break and the kids are in routine.
The medical clinic is getting so close to PhilHealth accreditation. We are hoping this will be within 2 weeks ! This means that the Clinic will not only become self sustaining but even Rehoboth supporting. Payments from PhilHealth take 2- 3 months to receive, so it will be a little while until this is the case - but not long ! We need to get signs made to increase awareness of the clinic in the Sampaloc area and we are also aiming to set up a lab for basic testing and employ a nurse. These things will hopefully attract a doctor to start regularly at Rehoboth Clinic.
On February 23rd there was a Medical Mission serving the community at the clinic. This is a great start, but we really need a doctor. At the moment the clinic is providing maternity services and basic medical care. The other day a little girl was admitted for stomach flu with significant dehydration.
