RELC received a donation of 5 small guitars, 2 microphones and a speaker and guitar lessons are underway. These are bringing a new burst of energy to the music lessons in RELC.

Staff
The Staff have undertaken Professional Development in Empower to Connect and Infant and Toddler development. The team was also treated to some team building activities from the volunteer team from Casino Presbyterian Church. This was such a blessing and great time of bonding for the staff. We are ever thankful for Jan Druckenmiller from Sacred Portion, who shares her deep knowledge of child development with the staff. 

Agriculture
The sustainable agriculture plot continues to thrive. Pastor Romy went to some extra training for the aquaponics system. After a new filtration system, tilapia have begun to thrive are they Pogi boys are considering adding shrimp too ! The tomatoes have begun to grow in abundance. The crops grown at Rehoboth are organic - meaning no pesticides. This is labor intensive work but great for the kids diet and also a great point of difference when selling at the market. 


Finance and Funding
Rehoboth ended 2017 with $1000 US in the bank. Needless to say, Rehoboth has run on a tight budget this year. This is not unusual and we have seen some miracles in terms of last minute and emergency funds being provided. 
Along with our faithful child sponsors, individual donors, church partner and gifts from visitors, there were incredible fundraising efforts in both Australia, and the USA along with our USA and UK Partner organisations (Sacred Portion Children's Outreach and Siloam Christian Ministries) to get to this point.

At the moment we are looking for people to join the fundraising effort for 2018. Our projected deficit is approximately US$40,000/AU$50,00/UK£27,000. This seems like a LOT but many hands make light work ! 

We (Rehoboth) are planning to run Work One Day for Rehoboth as our annual fundraiser. Could you be an ambassador for that in your workplace or church? or help out behind the scenes? Could you run a fundraising event for Rehoboth (anything from a small gathering of friends over dinner to a major event? - we have a list of ideas!) or are you bold to approach a church, organisation or company for their help?
If you can help out, simply fill in this quick interest form or email me elisa@rsm.com.ph to join in. 

If you're looking for a first step, sponsoring a child for $35 a month is a great way to learn about one child at Rehoboth, receive updates about that child, and support the work Rehoboth is doing. For more information and to sign up, click on the circle.

Rehoboth 15th Anniversary Celebration
On March 18th Rehoboth celebrated it's 15th year in operation. In that time more than 175 children have been cared for at Rehoboth. 96 have been adopted into adoptive families and 47 returned to birth families after social work intervention. We are so thankful to God for the staff at Rehoboth, the leaders who have emerged and the international and local partners and many donors who have given so much, so that the lives of the children are transformed. The last 5 years have seen the opening of the clinic, expansion of the agriculture program and the opening of Bonnie's Heart Baby Home. It was wonderful to see updated photos of some of the children who have been adopted internationally. It was so wonderful for the staff to see the photos of the little ones they cared for, growing up. If you didn't get a chance to send in a photo, please email it to me and I will pass it on to the staff elisa@rsm.com.ph

Volunteers and Visitors
As mentioned previously, Rehoboth was so blessed to have had the team from Casino, NSW Australia visit. There have also been visitors from Montana, USA, and a team from Suburban Baptist Church in Victoria, Australia and San Jose, California, USA. Thank you or the time you spent enriching the lives of the kids, taking them on outings and showing your appreciation for the staff who work so hard to provide a safe and stable environment for the children. We have also had Joel a dentist from Montana, with his family, stay and work in the clinic and do some much needed dental work on Rehoboth kids, staff and their families. In 2 weeks he pulled more than 100 teeth ! If you've visited Rehoboth, recently or in the past, I'd love to share some photos of your trip and even some of your story here in the newsletter. Let's chat !


Thanks for keeping up with everything Rehoboth.
Elisa

PS Please see below a list of ways you can pray for Rehoboth.

• the kids. Each precious one is living at Rehoboth due to circumstances outside their control. Pray they embrace the safety and comfort that Rehoboth provides, and that they will readily acceptance of the love and care the Mamas provide.
• the care giving staff. Please pray for the caregivers (Mamas) and teachers Neg and Edison, and Ate Beth managing the kitchen and laundry as they nurture these little ones. Pray for patience, wisdom and insight in to how best to care for the children.
• the social work team. Please pray for Pauline, Mae, Fe and Weng as they process paperwork, follow up families and work our the best family environment for each child - reunification or adoption
• The administration staff. Pray for wisdom in guiding and leading the team, allocating finances and caring for the staff. For Ailyn, Loida, and Joy. Pray for continued unity in the team and eyes to see clearly the work they do each day and how it changes the lives of the children under their care.
• the Pogi boys - the staff who manage the agriculture plot, car and maintenance. Pray for Eric and his team. They play a vital role onsite, not only in the gardens and buildings, but also with the children as they build confidence in father figures who care for them.
• The Clinic staff - the clinic is struggling to find a permanent doctor and despite best efforts, the number of patients has not increased as anticipated. Please pray for wise solutions for the clinic.  
• adoptive parents and families as they wait for children or settle and raise their children. Pray for patience, trust, strong bonds, wisdom, perseverance and support. Pray for good friends and healthy community. Pray for healing in hearts and minds where it is present. Pray for good communication and fast language learning.
• the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare) workers, ICAB (Inter-Country Adoption Board) staff and local judges who hear the cases for the kids at Rehoboth. 
• the RSM Annual General Meeting for Rehoboth was on March 17th. Please pray for wise decision making of the members and the Board. Please pray for increased local interest in RSM governance ad support.

• our child sponsors, Sacred Portion Children's Outreach (USA), Siloam Christian Ministries (UK), our church partner Werribee Church of Christ, the RSM Board, volunteers, visitors, and individuals who give their time, talents and funds to support Rehoboth. This is a joint effort on the ground and across the world. 
• adoptive families and birth families reunited with their children who care for the kids beyond the walls of Rehoboth.
• concerned neighbors, family, friends and citizens who report children and parents in crisis to the DSWD, so that they can get the help they need.