Hujambo Rafiki,
Before composing this newsletter, I sat down and re-read the email correspondences between David Kipkorir and myself for the year of 2007. There are over 50 emails from David for 2007 alone. We are blessed to be able to have this connection through the technology of the Internet. In the past few months, we have also been corresponding with phone calls.

Being so far away from Kenya, sometimes I wish that the plans we have for Harvest Grove would progress faster. Then I remember that God's timing is not my timing and have to give up being anxious. David said this well in his last email to me,

"God is blessing us greatly that he has manage to guide us from the beginning of this year and now we end with joy.To where we have reached together, it is Gods hand."

As it takes time for plants to grow, it will take time for the Harvest Grove Project to grow... and the process is as important as the outcome. I am encouraged to see the progress from an annual perspective. This time last year David received a personal donation from a Cornerstone member of funds to purchase a dairy cow to provide milk for his family. With the purchase of the property complete, we revisited our goals with plans to build a lecture room. In the past year, we have not realized the funds for the lecture room, or for greenhouses which we decided would be practical after loosing a large crop of beans to a hail storm. But look at the progress we have made:.

We finished the fence and planted key apple and other trees along the perimeter of the property. We've collected stones for the floors and walls of the lecture room for when it is built.

Vincent Kibor Mutai joined Harvest Grove to work with Agnes in agricultural training and was able to take accounting at the Moi University campus. Members(35) who participated in the small plot intensive gardening project in 2006 planted home gardens this year and Harvest Grove trainers did field demonstrations. Four members were able to attend training at the Empowering Lives International training center in Kipkaren.

Of the one hundred and twenty trees planted in 2006, only thirty survived the dry season. Harvest Grove purchased water tanks, pressure taps and piping to combat this problem in the future. Community members also planted trees (Cypress, Grovelia Blue Gum and some indigenous) and passion fruit in their yards at their homes.

The Nyayo (red beans) planted in July did not survive a hail storm and incited David to research the cost of building a greenhouse. 350 passion fruit seedlings were planted. About half were lost during the heavy rainy season when the farm was flooded. But since David and his family had planted the seedlings deep, the other half managed to sprout back. David bartered with numerous neighborhood farmers for tree branches and, bundle by bundle, the branches were delivered and used as poles to support the vines which now are laiden with fruit.

A seed bed was prepared and planted with vegetable seed. Manure was purchased to mix with the Tithonia and used to fertilize the crops. David has begun to harvest seeds and will build a seed bank.

We renewed our CBO status in June and Faith had her first birthday on June 19.

The government water project that had only gone as far as the tarmac road began another phase and members of the community helped build trenches so that the water main could be laid. Now the water main is only 100 meters from the Harvest Grove Farm.