We are so excited to share with you what God has been doing in our lives! This past October we were approached with the need for a family to move to Nyeri, Kenya to serve at an orphanage, the Belwop Rescue Centre. With much prayer and discussion we have proceeded with interviews, applications, immunizations, and have committed to serving there for one year. In fact, this month we are embarking on a weeklong exploratory trip to see the needs of the Belwop orphanage with our own eyes and to begin planning for our move. This brings a mixed bag of emotions: great anticipation and excitement along with an increasing awareness of our frailty and dependence upon God’s provision and sovereign care.

In 2005 the Lord began to impress on our hearts that we would one day leave our jobs in Alaska and go into full-time ministry work. Since then God has been challenging us, helping us grow deeper in our faith and devotion to Him and has now made it clear that this is the next step in the journey He has for us. You can read more details about our decision to move to Africa on our blog www.schemanski.com

Our primary focus in Kenya will center on the renovation of a large building that will become the new Belwop Rescue Centre, home to about 100 orphans. They currently have 22 children in a tiny three-room building with no kitchen or bathroom and are turning others away because of space limitations. This is heart breaking since many of those turned away will remain orphaned, scavenging for food, and possibly even dying from illness or starvation. In response to this desperate need we desire to serve Belwop through:

• managing the building project
• completing as much of the construction as we can ourselves
• purchasing and delivering supplies on site
• hosting mission teams that come to work at the orphanage
• discipling and evangelizing those at Belwop and in the community
• loving on the children of Belwop and incorporating them into much of what we do 

The wonderful organization we are now on staff with is Extreme Response (ER), a non-profit humanitarian organization serving in 13 countries around the world (www.extremereponse.org). The leadership of ER has expressed their desire to have us in Kenya ASAP, so we are making progress as quickly as possible. However, the timing will greatly depend on how soon we can raise the support needed to live overseas for a year.

To be honest raising financial support is completely new to us. Up to this point God has given us the privilege of financially supporting others, partnering with them in their ministry on the mission field. But now He is asking us to step out in faith and onto the field, while enlisting partners to help accomplish the mission together!

As foreigners we are not permitted to work in Kenya to provide an income for ourselves; in addition, we will be busy working full-time on the orphanage. Therefore ER has estimated that we will need $3,000/month of pledged support to cover our living expenses such as food, lodging, transportation, medical expenses etc. Before we can go we will need an additional $12,000 to cover our flights to and from Kenya, vaccines, household supplies, etc. When we return from our brief visit to Kenya we will be able to communicate with you the exact amount we will need. For accountability and integrity purposes as well as your own peace of mind, ER requires us to keep a detailed account of expenses and submit them for review by ER staff each month.

We are excited about what God is doing through Belwop and we want to give you the opportunity to partner with us in this great work of God! We cannot do this without a team of committed supporters joining with us; so we joyfully appeal to you in the same way the apostle Paul did saying:

when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers… will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you (2 Corinthians 9:11-14).

In closing we ask you to prayerfully consider partnering with us in this great work of God! Online giving is easy at support.schemanski.com or attached is a slip for mail-in options.
To God be the Glory!
Ty & Niki Schemanski