It was such a joy getting to see the Abby’s Garden kids again. Spending time with them is my favorite part of what I do. I also loved seeing how Divina, Tania, and our two new workers care for the children. I hadn’t met Sherline or Leidy yet, so it was wonderful to meet them.
While I was there we gathered all the Abby’s Garden mamas for a little time of community building and encouragement. We had a gift for each mom and child, and I shared some thoughts on the blessing and responsibility of motherhood. We plan to do this more regularly, as one way of discipling the young moms who already know Jesus, and sharing Him with those who don’t yet know Him.
We had a good meeting with our financial director, during which the importance of paying taxes and insurance for our employees was brought up. This will cost us an additional $262 per month to cover, but it is very important to us that we operate legally and treat our employees well. We need monthly supporters who can help us meet these costs. Also, this month we gave each woman a typical Dominican Christmas bonus, which is double their normal salary. If you’d like to give a one-time gift to help cover these costs, we would be so grateful.
I also met with the architect who prepared a very thorough estimate of what it would cost to complete the upstairs unit for the use of Abby’s Garden. We realized supplies and labor will cost more than we want to spend on a place we do not own. The plan was always to be able to rent free for as many months as equaled the amount we spent. But it would end up being about 7 years, and that’s a big commitment for us to make on a place that is not ours.
With 12 kids and 4 women, we are pretty maxed out in the space we’re currently in, so we have begun looking for somewhere we can move that is bigger. We have been so thankful for the space we’ve had this last year and a half, and didn’t expect to outgrow it so soon! But praise God for the growth! Thank you to all who donated towards this project. The money will help with moving costs, and will be put towards rent on the new place, which we assume will cost more than our current rent. We will also use it toward any future projects which may arise. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please feel free to reach out and ask. We always welcome your engagement.
Rejoice with us that Tania got baptized on Sunday! At Divina’s invitation she’d been attending church since she got hired. Making the decision to publicly declare her faith was so encouraging to all of us! Thank you so much for your prayers for all of the women and children of Abby’s Garden. They are making a difference!
Merry Christmas to all of you, from all of us at Abby’s Garden.
With love,
Tonya