Computers for inner-city students and their families: This year has again been dominated by our effort to provide computers with Internet access to inner-city students and their families. We have phased out of using 486 computers and now are rebuilding and giving Pentium computers with faster modems that work better on the Internet. We continue to install 1995 vintage software for the operating system (Windows 95) and programs that allow the student to do their work on programs used at their school. We continually monitor Internet performance and upgrade the programs used for the Internet.  The programs that we install on computers is the same or compatible with the programs used by students in their schools.

Our computer assembly shop is still in our home with storage in our garage and in a trailer that was donated to us almost two years ago. The trailer is being parked on property owned by Jim Gray of Gray’s Maintenance. Thanks, Jim! We continue to obtain used computer systems, upgrade hardware, and software from people in Grand Rapids and especially from a great supporter in the Lincoln, Nebraska area. We have continued this year to provide good computers  to students and their families which included an hour of training given in our living room to each family.

This year the Public Schools have actively assisted students to fill out the applications and find volunteer opportunities in the community. We also have the Kent Intermediate School District office for home schooling (serving students expelled from school) refer parents to our program when they do not have a computer in their home. Many students continue to apply for computer systems, and businesses, organizations, and individuals continue to make contributions of equipment.

With each computer, we give an advisory brochure to parents to help them protect their family from Internet predators and a tract explaining the dangers of pornography. We also give each family a brochure for the Alpha Christian evangelism program conducted at First Christian Reformed Church and a Four Spiritual Laws tract.

We continue to offer support to Christian youth groups doing several day field trips that are focused on education, service to others, and Christian devotional training. We provided support through driving someone else’s bus or using our own. During the past season we had some physical/mechanical problems with the bus/motor home but none that caused any interruption in the completion of our mission. Among other smaller things, replaced a front tire in Cleveland Ohio, and on our last outing with Saint Frances Xavior Church/School our 6000 watt electric generator broke down for the final time. We have bought a good used newer 7000 watt generator that will need to be installed to replace the older one before we start a new season. The bus/motor home is parked next to the computer storage trailer at Gray’s maintenance in the 1500 block of Buchanan SW.

March 31 - April 6

We, along with two other drivers, drove an older Greyhound bus, filled with students and leaders, for a 23 hour trip for the Saint Frances Church youth group of Grand Rapids and Holland. We went to a small evangelistic Roman Catholic parish in the western part of Louisiana. During the week LaVerne worked in the church kitchen where some other youth groups worked along with the group we supported. We supported a total of 125 people who divided into work groups of 10 people painting, repairing, cleaning, and constructing. While the groups were working and LaVerne was helping prepare meals, Bill rebuilt 10 computers and advised the parish priest regarding the organizational structure of a computer rebuilding program that he wanted to start in the parish.

We supported The North East Christian Academy senior class and their adult advisors on a trip to the sea coast of North Carolina with our youth group motor home/ bus. The class spent time on an island giving cleanup support to national park rangers and doing educational and devotional activities. We camped at some national parks, a church and, at the home of one of the teachers parents while on the trip

June 23 - June 29

As in the past several years, we supported Camp Tall Turf this year on a field trip to Cleveland, Ohio where the group cleaned, painted, and rebuilt a garden at a Christian Reformed Church that also had a daily preschool Head Start program using the facilities. During this trip the students slept in the school building where there was air conditioning and ate their meals in the bus/motor home. During the evenings we transported the group to recreational and educational sites.

For the past six years we have supported the Oakdale Park Christian Reformed Church outing at the Cornerstone Music festival and Bible Conference outside Bushnell, Ill. This year we supported a group of eight students and their leaders with sleeping space on the bus and cooking facilities on our outside kitchen trailer.

In the past Camp Tall Turf used our services one week in the summer. This summer the camp asked us to support them for an additional week. We drove the group to Nashville, Tennessee. While there we accompanied the students to construction projects building handicap ramps for disabled people. We met with a supervisor carpenter who had all the material and tools ready on a work site and the students provided the ready hands and willing spirits to complete the work. Besides transporting the group to the work site, we provided cold drinks and meals. During the evenings we transported the group to recreational and educational sites. This group also cleaned up a neglected community garden site.

We organized and supported a Somalian refugee mother and father with their eight children for a trip to Lake Michigan, an overnight at a White Cloud farm, and a trip to Ferris State College where their son Ali was admitted for the beginning of his classes.

Saint Frances Church/School organized a retreat at "Woody’s Place" near Cadillac. There the group studied the Bible, performed Christian dramas, played sports, cleaned the grounds and helped winterize the facilities.