NEPAL: Congratulations to Sagar Mahatara, a humble boy born into a poor family living near the Indian border. He came to us back in 2011 when he was about 12 years of age. He has since graduated with a law degree,and was recently appointed as one of the two main advisors to the new Minister of Commerce and Industry for the Nepali government. Sagar works on amending laws, drafting policies and building an online system.

So well done to our young man, who is a genuine, humble, soft-spoken person who, on his recent wedding day, went out with his wife to give food away to the poor.                                           It is difficult to imagine Sagar in the world of cut-and-thrust politics. He is certainly not the sort to be taking bribes or be involved in corruption – probably just the sort of person that Nepal needs. We wish him all the best in his important role.

Sagar is an example of the sort of leaders that we have worked so hard over the years to develop.

HONDURAS: In San Pedro Sula, the school reports have come out for the first of four terms. We have a couple of new boys who are still adjusting to a new private school regime, which is considerably tougher than that of government schools. Overall, their scores are good with a total average of 86%. Pleasingly, three boys averaged in the 90’s.       One of the older boys averaged 98% over 11 subjects, having scored 100% in physics and 98% in chemistry. How do you get grades like that? If I got 70%, I would have been over the moon!

We view their exam results as a strong indication of their willingness to work hard, to try and to seek improvement in their lives. Our greatest desire is to see kids who might initially struggle in their studies, progress and improve continuously. For us, this displays character.

And, as you know, in so many ways, leadership is all about character. So, if we have boys who are not very smart, yet they work and try hard, then that is a success as far as we are concerned.

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MYANAMR: When the rain – soon to be Monsoon rain - starts dropping through the palm leaf roof onto the boys’ schoolbooks and clothes , then leaks over the food and rice in the kitchen, you then know it’s getting to be that time to replace the roof. And you really know it’s time to replace the pressed-mud floor when the surrounding water rises through it, making gumboots mandatory footwear. So, our lads in Yangon, Myanmar, have taken down the palm leaves and the bamboo roof joists and are gratefully replacing them with steel joists and zinc roofing iron. Plus, they have dug the foundations and are pouring a concrete floor. All just in time for the Monsoon. For when it rains in Myanmar, it really-really-non-stop rains.

This year we have 16 boys staying, three of whom are studying at the adjacent Bible College. Recently, we farewelled one of our Bible College graduates, who has returned home to commence ministry among his people.

Thanks so much for your support in mentoring vulnerable and at-risk youth.

Yangon, Myanmar: New floor, new roof and presumably new walls in between.