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Upcoming Hopes and Dreams

Grocery shopping by motorcycle.
Grocery Shopping

Jackets Day was a success, but in order to have enough funds to provide jackets, Principal Amin sold his motorcycle. In Pakistan, that’s your main (only) vehicle… or you might use a donkey cart, etc.  This motorcycle was what he used for transporting school supplies and food for the children the long distance home from the markets.

Now Christmas is coming, and the annual Gifts Day is scheduled for 22 December. The children have told Amin that they don’t need any traditional Christmas presents this year, they just want to receive new books, notebooks or school diaries along with a school bag.

boy with school books

The children are telling Amin “This is our Christmas gift. If we study hard, one day we will be good Christian and preacher of Jesus Christ. Hope after gotten education, we shall too supports many other children like us in the world.”

These kids understand the value of an education! Amin is inviting people to join them in purchasing books for the children because books are “their bright future”.

They need to purchase 250 sets of books, notebooks or daily homework diaries and school bags. It is only around $10 per child for all these supplies (very reasonable compared to in the U.S.).

Other needs are also projected for the remainder of the school year, including a much-hoped-for educational field trip (described in a separate post). Here is Amin’s detailed breakdown of the projected funds required:

projected budget for Christ Public School

As always, you can click the Paypal button on this site to give any amount, either a one-time donation or a recurring amount that will be charged automatically every month.

And whether you can give or not, Amin and the kids always appreciate your prayers.  Thanks, and God bless!

Arline

Cooler Weather is Here, Jackets are Needed

Weather in Pakistan is similar to what we have here in Phoenix, Arizona: very hot in the summer, cooler and nice right now (late September to early October), and then it quickly becomes really chilly – especially at night – by mid to late October.

In Pakistan, only the rich people have air conditioning, so everyone else does the best they can with just fans.  Then winter comes, and jackets are needed – even indoors.

Little kids raise hands for needing a jacket.

Amin posted this cute photo of the “Play Group Class”  (preschool children) raising their hands to indicate they are without jackets.

On September 17, Amin reported on his  Facebook page that the weather is changing very fast due to rains, and the kids are feeling cool.

He is planning to present all 150 kids with jackets on Jackets Day, October 15th.

Here is a picture of Amin praying over the jackets last year before presenting them to the children.

Principal Amin prays over jackets.

The price of each jacket is $8.00, so Amin requested people to pray, and to donate enough for 5 or 10 jackets (or more) if it is possible. “Please share your love for the school’s orphans and poor kids.”

On September 30, Amin reported that one sister in the Lord had promised to supply money for 5 jackets – so now only 145 still need to be funded.

On October 2, this report was posted: “5 more Jackets received. Total 10 jackets received. Still need 140 more jackets. Please pray and donate if you can.”

Amin’s 150 students at Christ Public School range from preschool through 8th grade. Here is an assembly with all the students.

students in outdoor assembly

Notice that they meet outdoors for assemblies, whether it is hot or cold weather.

All of these kids are eagerly expecting to be blessed with jackets on October 15th.

Please pray and also do whatever God lays on your heart and makes possible…

….. as soon as possible…

…. so that Amin will have time to go into town and purchase the jackets that match the school uniforms.

Thanks so much for your prayers and your help! God bless!

How Roofs Are Made In Pakistan

As you probably know, most roofs in Pakistan are flat.  This makes them easily susceptible to leaking.

This brief video shows roof construction of a typical Pakistani roof.  Concrete is later mixed and poured over the roof, which is the final step after the base of the roof has been constructed of other materials.

The base of Christ Public School’s roof is constructed of steel girders and bricks. Then the concrete “mason work” goes over that base.

You can see photos of the existing base being constructed in this post from October 2013. But now the rain is already leaking through that roof, built a little less than 3 years ago.

Roof Repairs Needed Again

The school’s roof is leaking, and the rainy season is here.  Principal Amin Issac gives us a tour to show us the rain damage in this video.

[masterylabs_dropbox_video file=”go_fund_me.mov”]

The audio is a little hard to understand, so here is a transcript/paraphrase of Amin’s narration in the video:

“The classroom walls are broken. The water flowed from the roof, and water is collecting inside the door. The walls are broken, and the floors are also dingy. We are requesting to all… please pray for that roof, that we can quickly make the changes. Pray that Jesus will bless us concerning the needs for the roof.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Prayer for Peshawar Army School Kids

Today in School assembly we had a special time of prayer for the Army school kids who were killed in school by terrorists, and for those who are injured and in Hospital,and also for their families, that God Lord Jesus Christ will bless them and comfort them.

Christ Public School Pakistan
PRINCIPAL: AMIN ISSAC

No Classes Today Due To Peshawar’s School Attack

Principal Amin Issac reports…

TODAY SCHOOL IS OFF, no classes in school today. We have all classes papers but cancelled the exam for one day, and praying for the Children’s parents and family.

Now the exam results will be announced on 22 December 2014 instead of on 20 December as originally planned.

When I heard news of the Army School Attacked by terrorists on Television, I came to the school office computer to see news on the Internet. When I saw, I fainted. My family took me to the village Doctor. He advised me to stay away from the Internet, but thanks Lord now I am feeling better.

May God comfort all the families in Jesus name Amen.
May the departed souls of those children and staff rest in Heaven, and the injured get well soon in Jesus name Amen.

Christ Public School Pakistan
PRINCIPAL: AMIN ISSAC

The Students Helped With Roof Repairs

Roof repair materials were purchased.
Roof repair materials were purchased.

Thanks to $200 from a generous private donor, materials were purchased for repairing the roof and the broken gate.  There was no money left for hiring a mason, so everyone (staff and students) pitched in to do the actual work.  The kids were very excited that they could help.  Rain and hail over the weekend delayed the project.   But the repair team was able able to start and complete all the work on Monday, just in time before the Eid holiday began on Tuesday, 15 October.

Painting the girders.
Painting the girders.

All the kids and teachers were saying thank you for the roof!

Painted girders are ready.
Painted girders are ready.

The  materials needed were girders, bricks, cement and sand.

This was the process.  First, the girders needed to be painted. Then the roof materials were put into place.  Bricks were fitted into the girders, and then mason work went onto the top of all this structure.  Many hands worked hard all day, and the new roof was completed.

Placing bricks into girders.
Placing bricks into girders.
View from inside, looking up.
View from inside, looking up.
Kids are so proud they can help!
Kids are so proud they can help!

 

Video – Kids Request a New Building

The students of Christ Public School recently made a video and asked Principal Amin Issac’s Facebook Friends for help in getting them a new school building.

“You can see that the school building is so bad, if rain comes, how will we study in class?  And if it fell down, what would happen with us? Also, as you will see in the video, the hot sun comes in through the roof and the children are perspiring.  (Even now in October, the temperature in Pakistan reaches 100 degrees.)  But soon the cold weather will begin, which will be another challenge.  The roof needs to be fixed before then.  Facebook Friends, Please save $5 or $10 for us and contact us. God bless you all.”

by: all school kids of CHRIST PUBLIC SCHOOL
A RAY OF HOPE FOR ORPHANS AND POOR

The new school year began on schedule in late August, even though heavy rains had  damaged the roof just days before.  God is faithful, we are confident the needs will be met.  Already, a generous donor has made it possible for the roof to be patched, and a broken gate to be repaired.  The mason is being hired, and the work will be done within the next 8 days.  However, the true dream remains… for a whole new building in the near future.