klugezone: October 2006

Yes it is true. The Kitchen is open and hungry children are being fed. I know that a lot of people have been praying for this ministry to get up and running for a while now. Thank you.

I guess that I had better start with a quick review.

*Joe suggested a feeding center for children.

*Randy and I began to think and pray about this.

*God began to open doors for this ministry.

*Friends and family began to pray.

*Construction began.

*Jennifer Arnold decided to become part of the team.

*Paperwork on the children began.

*Blogs went up asking for help.

*Help began to come in. Shopping for needed supplies.

*A container sent from Florida loaded with supplies.

*Paperwork continues.

*May Torch group paints kitchen.

*Terry comes up with a name “The Manna Project”

*Paperwork.

*Working with another feeding center to learn how to run the kitchen.

*Paperwork.

*Meeting venders and shopping for the kitchen.

*Setting up gas, water, employees.

*Paperwork.

*Open house.

It is not an easy road.

But I know that it is a road we are blessed to

follow.

October 9, 2006 the first meal is served to a hungry child.

Feelings were running high Monday morning. We have to leave the house at about 7am every morning. We get to the kitchen, all the ladies were waiting and ready to get started. We are blessed to have three really great women working for us as well as Aldo and Bryan. More about

them in the near future. Alora has helped in the kitchen but has threatened me with bodily harm in I post a single picture of her in a hairnet. Katrina ia amazing with the little ones. She watches all of the workers and volenteers children in the classroom all day. Playing, coloring, feeding them, nap time and the constant trips to the potty. Without her we would be lost.

You could feel the excitement in the air as well as a bit of nervous tension. We had been working for so long and it was now time.

We were going to serve chicken with rice, bananas and tortillas. We start cooking. Well we tried to start cooking. We began to realize that we have some stove issues. The main problems being that only two burners were working and not very well. We soon realize that there is no way that the chicken will cook in time.

What a way to start. What were we going to do? We have hundreds of hungry children that will be showing up in an hour for lunch.

Do not worry . Spaghetti to the rescue.

We began to whip out the pasta.

The first group arrives at 10:30 and it continues until the last group at 1:30.
The children line up against the wall. They wash their little hands and show their little cards. You could see them peeking in the windows and jumping up and down. The little voices were giggling and the excitement was building. Jennifer gets them all to be quite and then leads the prayer. All those little heads bowed in prayer. Thanking God for the food that would soon fill their little bellies. It was a sight that I will never forget. Children that have been asking me for food, telling me to please hurry that they were hungry now thanking God for food that will take away their physical hunger.

The kids slurped up their spaghetti noodles. Slurping noodles is not a cultural or social thing, it’s a spaghetti thing. Come on you know that you have slurped a time or two in your life.

It was a good day. We ended the day in a circle, arms around each other thanking God for all that he has done.

I am so tired. It has been so much work. I am hoping and praying that it will get easier in the future. We really need more help, more support and more prayers. I know that with all we have been doing this last week if it were not for all the prayers and the Lord's strength that I would not still be on my very tired feet.

The week was awesome. I will share more with you as soon as I can. But as they say a picture is worth a thousand words so here are a few priceless images to share with you

all.

Remember that we are planting the seeds and you are helping to water them and that God will make them grow.

We were all pooped after the first day.

Wow. How can I put into words the feelings that are overflowing my heart?

Yes this is Randy in a hairnet.

Katrina loves the little ones and the feelings are returned.

Jen and Bryan ----AKA ----Sis and Herm.

Chef Aldo.

The children all line up, wash their hands and pray for their food before they come in to eat.

These happy faces are brought to you today by the Grace of our Father, many prayers, donations and many hours of labor. Thank you for each face that you have helped put a smile on.