Some Tears But Understanding The Need

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” Acts 17:30 

Hello beloved! 

This is the scripture, among others, which Pastor Zulu, our Zambian friend of many years shared in our church on Sunday when he participated in the service where we informed our children, the caregivers and other staff that we will be soon transitioning into Kenya to expand our ministry of rescuing more children and introducing them to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Kamau shared how he experienced daily struggle to survive in the grinding poverty of the slums of Nairobi and how trapped and hopeless he felt without any hope of ever coming out.  This all changed when at 17 years old, somebody cared enough to introduce him to the Lord Jesus Christ. Though he continued living in the slums for another eight years, he now had a hope that God the Father, who created him, loved him and had a plan and purpose for his life. 

It truly has been an adventure in the Lord. Kamau can truly testify of the truth of God’s word as found in  Hannah’s prayer of praise “ He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of Glory” 1 Samuel 2:8

There were some tears and of course questions from the children, but considering the difficult announcement, we were really encouraged by the responses of the children and staff.  Thank you for your prayers on our behalf and those of Villages of Hope. 

As our time in Zambia draws to an end, our family is so grateful to God and to you, our dear friends, for partnering with us in this journey of faith. 

Kamau in Mukuru Kayaba Slum, Nairobi, Kenya

 From Kamau:  Two weeks ago, I returned from Kenya where I spent a month;

the objective of this trip was to:

1. Register the Hope Anew Ministries with the registrar of society as well as obtain other relevant documents needed.  I was able to do this and receive a provisional document.
2.Assess the cost of land and building materials for the children center.  We are still working on determining what the cost will be, hopefully on the next trip in March, there will be more information.
3.  House search as my family begins the process of transitioning from Zambia to Kenya.  I was encouraged to learn that apartments are available near the area where we will be ministering within our price range. 

Of course while I was Nairobi, I visited the slum where I lived. I was surprised to find people who still remembered me 22 years later but it was very distressing to see that it has gotten much bigger, worse and even more congested. But the hand of the Lord is not short that it cannot save, I recall that he literally lifted me out of the gutter and sent me to the world as a messenger of hope.  For this reason, I know that behind that runny nose and dirt soiled face, playing near the open smelly sewage is a boy or girl who just needs to hear about the hope in Christ and the forgiveness He provides which literary, may transform his/her life for eternity.

 

My country is presently at war in Somalia, this is after Al-shabaab, a terrorist offshoot of Al-Qaida who have being in control of Somalia for many years, made several incursions into Kenya.  Things came to a head in October 2011 after a group of Al-shabaab crossed into Kenya from Somalia, killed and kidnapped some tourists who they then took into Somalia from where they would then demand colossal amount of money before their release. This has been an ongoing thing and the Kenyan government decided they have had enough and pursued the terrorists inside Somalia in an attempt to stamp out this menace once and for all. It was hoped that this military campaign would end quickly but our soldiers are still mired in the rigors of war and there is no telling when it will be over.   Another reason which gravely concerned the Kenyan government was that the Al-shabaab agents operating from a mosque in the city of Nairobi were recruiting young unemployed and dissatisfied youths from the slums with promises of instant wealth from ill-gotten gains from ransom money paid for the release of hijacked merchant ships on the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia.  Here is a link to a BBC news article that mentions some of what I have been sharing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/world-africa-17152158 

While the war is going on, Kenya is also preparing to hold presidential elections this year. Normally, this should be a routine thing which happens every 5 years, but five years ago when elections were held, what followed the announcement of the winning candidate was anything but routine; chaos, mayhem and violence erupted in different parts of the country pitting different tribes against each other, about 1,300 people died in the melee that ensued.  Among those who died was a group of children, women and men who had sought refuge in a church which was burnt down.  Part of me has been wondering if it is prudent to move my family during this election season, but then, I remember that safety is being at the center of God’s will.

As we prepare to transition to Kenya to begin the work of reaching the children through the gospel, Please pray for us, pray for the children in Kayaba Mukuru slum, pray for peace to prevail in the country and that we will see the salvation of the Lord at work. We know there will be challenges but our hope is in the knowledge that the Lord is and will be with us.

Here is how you can be praying for some immediate needs:

• For travel mercies as Kimberly and I and a friend of ours travel into Zimbabwe in order to attend a Foundations for Farming Conference for training.  Pray that the Lord would allow us to retain the information that we will learn in order to implement these principles into our ministry.
• Pray that we will find a way to transport our belongings from Zambia to Dar es Salaam.  Kamau has already made arrangements from Dar es Salaam to Nairobi.
• Pray that the Villages of Hope will continue to thrive and God will send the right people that are needed for this time.
• Pray that God will provide the appropriate housing for our needs in Nairobi.

Shalom!!!