News to share

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Tammy

This was supposed to be the second part of Feeling Aged (you’ll have to wait for that, sorry) but we have good, no great, news to share. God has been and continues to be generous to us. Not only does He give us the strength each and every day to get up and do what He wants done but He uses people like you all to affirm in us His purpose.

Because of your generous help the last of the secondary kids were taken to school on Monday (a few still have issues with their report forms which we require before it is determined assistance can be given). Thank you, thank you, thank you! Our prayer is that each and every child attending school because of your help will thank God for this opportunity.

Another way in which God used you to affirm the direction He has us on was in a matching donation challenge for the Stack the Stones project. We have a $5000 matching donation happening right now…any donation you give towards Stack the Stones will be automatically doubled! What a blessing we received through God’s people! To find out more on this project or to donate and have your gift doubled please visit Stack the Stones.

There was also a move in the sponsorship of the children at C4KK! We are down to four children waiting for sponsors! The kids have been so excited for themselves and each other for having a sponsor….if you feel led to begin a relationship with one of these wonderful kids please visit our Child Sponsorship Gallery for more information.

Chuck sent out a recent update which has details about these events and more. This was certainly a more uplifting post than what was planned (the continuation of Feeling Aged involves an accident we were involved in) and I thank God for moving His people to help their neighbor. Thank you once again!

New look!

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Tammy

It was time for a change…hope you like the new blog layout!

I was a bit scared to change it what with the way the internet works around here, but it seemed to go alright!

Please forgive me if some features aren’t “pretty” yet, it is a work in progress

Which path?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Tammy

This is one of those posts that is necessary once in a while to do what God told us to do at the beginning of this ministry….tell people the needs…He would move who He wanted to assist us.

Saved By God’s Grace has several “paths” you can explore, walk down and pray about to see how you can be a part of what is happening in Kenya. Then, depending on where God is leading you, your passion, or both, we have a secure, online donation process for you. Or perhaps you are good at putting together events to raise funds for a specific need/project. We welcome any and all help you can give.

If you are interested or your curiosity is peaked…take a stroll with me down these paths…

Our first path is Child Sponsorship:

Caring For Kenya’s Kids (C4KK), our Kenyan NGO (non-governmental organization, similar to US’s non-profit organization), currently has 9 children remaining who are ready and eager to be sponsored. We have three which are secondary students ($70/month sponsorship) and six who are in primary ($40/month). Your sponsorship helps pay for the child’s food, shelter, clothing and educational fees (you may have heard Kenya has free primary education but it is far from free and you must pay to attend high school). Sponsorship of all the children would be a HUGE blessing for the ministry as the burden to provide the necessities would be covered and funds which come in beyond sponsorship could be used for projects around C4KK Children’s Home (like continuing to improve the facility, keeping the shamba going, getting a computer teacher to come in once or twice a week, giving the kids meat to eat a couple of times a week or a myriad of other such projects). Sponsoring a child is an on-going commitment and you will be receiving letters from your child often (which they love to write) and you can write them back at any time (which they love to receive).

If this seems to be your area of interest please visit our sponsorship gallery by clicking the above link or tell others who may share your passion for children and share a sponsorship to help lessen the expense (a secondary student sponsorship of $70 could be split into two $35 donations).

Our second path is building a mission home through our Stack the Stones fundraiser:

It is becoming more and more apparent Chuck and I are supposed to be with the children at C4KK Children’s Home. Currently we drive approximately 15 miles to and from C4KK on a daily basis (except Sunday) which takes its toll on using precious gas (we literally spend approximately40% of our personal funds we receive on driving to and from the Children’s Home) and limits the time we spend with the kids because they arrive home from school at the approximate time we leave to go home each day. There is much we would enjoy doing, and believe we are called to do, with the children (evening Bible study, help with homework, craft projects and simply being “Mom and Dad” to them all). We are building our permanent home on the property to allow us to be with the kids as long as God calls us to stay…which is looking like a life-time endeavor.

In addition, the second floor will be a mission home which would house groups who would like to come visit the kids at C4KK. They would have a safe, secure place to stay, assist with the project, and it would be convenient working with the kids as it will be only 50 yards from the Children’s Home. It will also serve as a revenue source as the mission groups will pay to stay in the home and local groups will use it as a weekend retreat house….still relying on God, but more self-sufficient instead of continually looking toward donors for everything.

If construction projects are your thing, please visit our website (by clicking the above link) for more details, or perhaps consider holding a fundraising event…we welcome your comments, ideas and help!

Our third path is a sustainable project for C4KK Children’s Home:

This is the ground breaking of a hand dug well, thanks to a generous donor who kick started this project. This well will water a commercial shamba (large garden) which will be planted (when funds are raised) on 1.5 acres of land…this land is part of the 3.25 acres owned by C4KK and currently houses the Children’s Home and a small shamba for the kids. This large shamba will allow the planting, harvest and sale of spinach, cabbage, sukuma (like kale), ho-ho (peppers) and tomatoes (all of which are in demand in this area) year round, even during the dry seasons when many people do not plant because they do not have access to water to keep the plants going.

If self-sustaining projects are your passion please click on the link above and you will be directed to our secure, online donation site. There you can choose “Children’s Home (C4KK) and Farm Project” from the allocation drop down box and write “well” in the comment section to donate to this sustainable project.

Our fourth path is school fees:

As I mentioned earlier education is not free and unfortunately many of the secondary (high) schools have raised their fees this year by as much as double for Term 2 and Term 3. Before the Children’s Home was occupied we were able to use the on-going funds which came in to cover school fees. However, with the rise in school fees and the Home now sustaining 27 children (and all the expenses involved with feeding, clothing, medical care, etc. for them) the “regular” funds are no longer able to cover the fees (of both the children living at C4KK and those outside the Home which Saved By God’s Grace has been assisting since 2008). Chuck’s recent newsletter stated “We anticipate needing around $3,700 by the end of April in addition to the regular funds we receive to run the home.” We are still short approximately $1,000 as of this blog and need your help. If we don’t receive the funds over the next 1 1/2 weeks the children will have to be told we can not assist to keep them in school…what they will do we do not know…I am not looking forward to those conversations.

If education is a hot button for you, perhaps you can help with a one-time donation for this cause. Simply click on the above link (this will take you to our secure, online donation site) and choose “Children’s Home (C4KK) and Farm Project” from the allocation drop down box and write “school fees” in the comment section.

As we approach the end of our second year living here in Kenya (May 5) we have learned to trust in the Lord for His providence. We simply move forward with His strength at the speed He brings provision. Is it easy living day to day, not knowing if the funds will be here to send kids to school or move closer to the kids? Absolutely not, but we (as Christians) were never told life would be easy…but with God’s strength we continue on day by day.

We are so grateful to you for listening to these requests for help. If you are unable to financially help, please consider lifting this ministry up in prayer for God’s will to be done. We would also ask that you tell others about our kids in Kenya and direct them to this blog where you will usually see our daily life with the kids. It isn’t easy asking for help from friends, family and even strangers, but I’m thankful God hears our pleas and will move hearts for His glory and purpose.

Easter

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Tammy

In case I don’t see you before Sunday….have a blessed Easter holiday!

Hello

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Tammy

Just wanted to get out a quick blog post….I’m working on another post but needed a bit more time to mull over my wording. Guess what I mean is pray over my wording to make sure it comes across as truthful but not misunderstood.

I probably won’t ever have the perfect blog post where everyone understands my meaning, but at least I can ask God to help me with what He wants me to say.

I ask for your prayers for this ministry’s direction and that we continue to seek His will and purpose for it.

What to do?

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Tammy

I woke up this morning asking God (ok, first I thanked Him for the day and whatever comes from it) to use me however He needs me to work today. Yes I am called, as we all are, to show God’s love to those around us. But the place and way in which we do that will be different for each person. Not only do I pray that I show God’s love to the kids at C4KK, but also that I am showing God’s love through my words on the blog. Yea I know sometimes my blog posts are “menial” issues but even through the day to day menial issues that come up I can still pursue His will for each and every decision, thought and action.

By no means have I perfected this. Each day, for me, calls for a repentant heart for those times I don’t show His love and fail at being a Christ-like example to those around me. Some days are better than others and only when I’m in Heaven will I be perfected. So until that day I will continue to thank God for today, ask for His guidance and forgiveness, lean on the Holy Spirit for strength, and seek Him.

Answer me this….

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Tammy

How would you respond to the following questions/scenarios:

You hire someone to paint your building/home. They show up late on the day they are to start painting and then proceed to tell you they need to go into town to purchase paint and tools (paintbrushes, cleaner, etc.)…and they need money to purchase those items.

You hire a guy to finish digging a well. You’ve talked about what needs to be done a week prior. The night before he is to start you receive a message, he needs money in order to sharpen his tools, otherwise he can’t come.

You pay someone monthly for water (and you assume you will get said water, good assumption but not one you should have while living in Kenya!). When a part breaks on the pump he says he doesn’t have the money to fix it and eludes to the idea of you paying for it.

Yes these are real situations we have been/are faced with. Living in Kenya you must learn how to work with people of this culture. Yes we still love them but we have had to show tough love….not paying anymore money until the job is completed, telling them to come to the job prepared, not paying for their problem just because they haven’t budgeted their money correctly. I would love to tell some of them to go jump in a lake, but then what? You have to go through the entire negotiation process all over again, fighting the “white” mentality of we ALWAYS have more than enough money so sure I can cheat you, what’s the issue? We’ve even had people use the money we’ve paid them for a job on other jobs, then come to us and say they don’t have enough to finish OUR job!?

It’s certainly a delicate balance between helping and loving someone and teaching a good work ethic. I’m not saying I am perfect in this area but I would love to be treated in a kind, honest and fair manner instead of continually wondering “am I being taken advantage of?” or “when are they going to cheat me?”

Plus, I guess doing is better than just saying, so as long as we treat others in a kind, honest and fair manner perhaps others will begin to treat us in the same way. I’m not holding my breath nor making that a condition of my helping, but simply asking the Holy Spirit to help me while working with others.

Change of plans

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Tammy

One attribute I tell anyone looking to go on a missionary trip is to be flexible. We’ve worked on the mission field in Phoenix, LA, NYC, Mexico, Kenya and places in between and each of those experiences needed flexibility. Yesterday I left you with the “plan” which we would be heading up to C4KK today to fix the water pump….stay flexible here….as soon as I hit the “publish” button on the blog I found out the repairman didn’t want to meet until Monday. Then it was time to figure out what the kids would do for water today. Normally Roman isn’t around on Sundays but he said he would stick around and help get the kids’ water supply for today. God bless you Roman!

I also remember telling you in yesterday’s blog that our Sabbath’s were mainly “moments” not full days. I’m not telling you this next part for sympathy, just an explanation. Last night I had one doozy of a migraine…throwing up, head pounding, unable, or I should say unwilling, to move my head. Thankfully Chuck was there to hold my hair (ladies you get me, right!?) and help me finally settle down. But the reason I tell you that is because God worked it out for us to have a full day of rest today and after last night I needed it.

Back to the flexible part, making plans isn’t necessarily a bad thing it’s just making sure the people involved, especially those accustomed to making plans and having them go through smoothly, understand many times on the mission field plans do not go as planned! Be sure to allow yourself to stay open to the directing of the Holy Spirit and let God work out the details, whether they are in the plan or not!

Another aspect

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Tammy

You’ve read here before about Caring For Kenya’s Kids (C4KK) and C4KK Children’s Shelter. Helping to supply basic needs for orphaned children, widows and employing workers so they in turn can afford their families needs. Today I’m going to show you another aspect of C4KK’s ministry. We work with a friend, Ben, a local Kenyan and Executive Director of My Brother’s Keeper, who works with HIV/AIDS victims and those living in the slums. We help support Ben on a case by case basis in which Chuck gets more detail on the situation, prays about it, asks God’s guidance and then proceeds with support if called to do so. Here are a few stories of recent situations C4KK has supported. Photos and captions are Ben’s:

This family had no water to use because there money to buy the precious commodity. I bought them soap and enough water to cook with, drink, wash their clothes and utensils, and most importantly to bathe with. Water is life.

The widow could not believe her eyes. She later told me she never even dreamt of getting good things like the items and food we brought her.

Today during our daily home visits i came across this woman and her baby. She is floorridden, pregnant (5 months), hiv+, has TB, vomiting, with a relentless diarrhea. She told me she had not eaten for many days.

When we arrived at Petronilla's house this morning.

Ben’s team cleaned the one-room home, cleaned mother and child, prepared food for them and the doctor came to check on her. They brought the love of Christ directly into this mom and baby’s life. ”She was so hungry and desperately ill even to talk. She murmered something like petronilla or something as her name. Today i get to go bathe them, clean the house and buy them anti diarhea and anti vomit medicines.”

Then bathed her for she had not fellowshiped with water for a very long time and badly needed one.

Feeding baby Mike whom we found eating her mother's feaces as there was nothing to eat.

There is no handshake or pat on the back which can reward Ben this side of Heaven for his love, care and concern for the “least of these” but you can help Ben continue this work by donating at our secure donation site, marking “other” in the Allocation drop-down box and writing “Ben” in the comment section. Those donations will be used on a case by case basis for helping these precious children of God.

Chuck will keep you informed on the cases which are supported by reposting Ben’s updates through Facebook. Thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration in helping bring the love of Christ to so many.

He is back at school!!!

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Tammy

This fiasco is finally over! That’s all I have to say about that!

Actually it’s been a learning lesson, not only in regards to the school system here in Kenya and dealing with people but also my sanity level

The student went back to school with an adult (who also has had run-ins with this school) and was allowed back to school. He did, however, have to sign an apology note and it was put in his student file. Remember, this was for forgetfulness….guess I’d have to write a lot of apology letters!

Once the student was in school he immediately went to classes then preps (study time) and wasn’t able to call me to confirm he was in school until 10:30pm last night. But I was expecting his call so I was just happy he called!

Thank you everyone for the prayers in this time of great stress for both me and the student. We are grateful for the prayers.

Saved By God's Grace:

Our journey in following God in Kenya

Category Archives: Ministry