 | A Letter From Bradley's Dad, the Reverend Jim Wilson
Dear Friends,
It is with great joy that I send you the very first picture of Bradley's House of Hope in Nicaragua. The picture just arrived, and it is the first glimpse of a dream becoming a reality. You helped make it happen. You have been a vessel through which God has done a mighty work. (Pictures)
For 25 weeks, gifts have been received for Bradley's House of Hope. More than 200 families have contributed to the project. Almost $28,000.00 has been received so far. The project is estimated to cost $30,000.00. I personally delivered the first segment of gifts to Nicaragua in May of 2005. Recently received gifts will be hand-delivered in the coming months. One hundred percent of your gift has been used for construction. All administrative costs have been donated.
The scope of the project has greatly expanded. The existing grass hut had 300 square feet. The blueprints of Bradley's House showed 1800 square feet. Once ground was broken, the final square footage turned out to be 3200 square feet. Bradley's House of Hope will be TEN TIMES LARGER than the existing hut. And this is just the first floor! The House is being built with the potential of adding a second floor for a school, making it TWENTY TIMES LARGER than the hut. People for many years will talk about this miracle that God has done through you.
As the building plans increased, so did the number of handicapped children being served through this ministry. In May of 2005, there were approximately 40 children being helped. Now the number of children being assisted surpasses 75. The grass hut is no longer being used. Therapy is being done in temporary housing until the completion of Bradley's House of Hope.
The dedication is scheduled for December 27, 2005. A delegation of 22 people from the First United Methodist Church in Troy, Ohio, is travelling to Nacaragua to take part in the dedication ceremony. It will be a grand day in the life of the "weakest of the poor" in Nicaragua.
I wish I could write to each of you individually and thank you for your gift. For some of you the gift was made in memory of loved ones. For others your gift was made because of your friendship with Bradley over these past 16 years. Yet others gave because God moved their hearts in a special way to bring hope to a hurting community several thousands of miles away. All of these gifts to Bradley's House of Hope are greatly appreciated. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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