Latest Visitors to Bethany:
Keith Pittson’s (RAF) and Frank Ewer’s return trip has been delayed due to aircraft failure. They hope to catch the midnight flight from Nairobi (Tuesday 4th) and be in the UK some time Wednesday (5th). Keith e-mails from Nairobi (during his enforced delay) and writes: ‘Thank you for agreeing to our visit to Bethany. It was very worthwhile and we have learnt a lot. Indeed our resolve to complete the task has been strengthened by our visit!’....’The children were great, we enjoyed their company and we were delighted to have met them. Hopefully, they will remember us when we go back.’
Keith is well on the way to organising a group of RAF students and friends (over 20 volunteers in all) to visit in August and to help build a kitchen and multi purpose dining room. They have already provided the project with a new steriliser and two new wheelbarrows.

CHILDREN
As well as the new children mentioned below, Rehema and Mwita are both now attending Bulima secondary school. All our other children are responding to the love and care which motivates the work at Bethany and we have very little illness at the present time.

NEW ADMISSIONS: We are pleased to be able to inform you from the latest email that we have two new boys joining the family. They are Bujimbo Zacharia and his brother Ntare. We don’t yet have their ages or photo’s but will publish them as soon as we have them.

Nuriyati and Jamari: Sadly Fares called for Nuriyati’s medical card since Nuriyati has become very ill and has temporarily left Bulima secondary school and Fares has taken her to a major hospital in Mwanza. (please pray for her). It is thought that Jamari is back with Fares at least for the moment. As far as we know no progress has been made with the adoption of either Nuriyati or Jamari by Fares (please pray for them).

Team News: The Tanzanian team seem to be coping well. They have recently had the company of Brian Bancroft (busy making beds for more children) who is still there and of course Keith and Frank (mentioned above)

Staff News: Martha our new care worker is settling down well.  She is keen and enthusiastic. She is teaching the children a form of net ball and is also helping painting the corridors etc. No other staff changes at the moment.

Development work:
Shambas: Brian will report on the state of the crops when he returns
Road: The team have got a quote for the building of the road which is now being considered

Water and Electricity provision: Both have given cause for concern over the last few weeks but fortunately the team are dealing with the problems and hope to resolve them soon.

Future Trips: Graham and Sheila Pountain intend to visit March through to April. We have several people who want to go out during the summer months although this will be difficult to organise since we have the RAF group going the first 3 weeks of August.
However we do have team members going out throughout the year so please let us know if you’re interested and we will try and work round dates you may have available.

Investigation by the Trust (NET): Dave Shore’s report has been delayed but will hopefully be ready by the end of March.

Problems at Bethany:
Whilst the new team are achieving much that would never have been thought possible 12 months ago we are still recovering from the management style of our previous Tanz volunteers. However the new management team have been motivating the staff and they are becoming an effective force that will we believe take Bethany forward into even greater things in the future. Our quote for the present time is ‘the old has gone, the new has come’.
Until Dave Shore’s report is made available very few details have been given concerning the recent problems suffered at Bethany. These include threats made against the project and personnel and the deliberate stated intention of destroying Bethany by disaffected persons. Others have, we believe unwittingly been mislead by a spirit of deception and false humility but still find it difficult to accept the ever growing evidence of the true purpose and intentions of those previously involved with Bethany.
However we are pleased to be able to include an e-mail from Tim Broughton who, along with Nicky Etherington set up a similar work in Kenya. The Bethany team first met with Tim and friends in August 2001 and we have kept in touch ever since. We have shared our experiences, our sorrows and joys. Please read the attached e-mail and pray for Tim especially who was on his own when he had the task of sorting out the problems the trust were experiencing out in Kenya.
Link to Tim’s email