Tag Archives: poverty

Breaking news from Kenya

Posted on by
Reply

The Wicked Witch of the East from Wizard of Oz says “Oh… what a world, what a world!”  I am in total agreement with her.  What is happening in this world?  Jesus said Satan is the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31) and we only have to look around us to know that is true and Satan’s aliases tell us what his character is like:

  • Abaddon, Hebrew meaning Destruction (Revelation 9:11)
  • Accuser (Revelation 12:10)
  • Adversary (1 Peter 5:8)
  • Deceiver (Revelation 12:9)
  • Evil one (John 17:15)
  • Liar (John 8:44)
  • Tempter (Matthew 4:3)

Recently two news articles were brought to my attention, as I mentioned before, Chuck reads Kenyan news almost daily.

The first article (Kenya’s ‘alarming’ hunger situation) mentions Ukambani land, where Nice View Academy is and according to Dr Suresh Babu of International Food Policy Research Institute -

“In areas like Ukambani, Kajiado and Northern Kenya, the situation has been extremely worse as most farmers have not had an harvest for the past three seasons” he said “some have also lost their animals due to loss of pasture and water”.

The article quotes Regional Director of Deutsche Welthungerhlife, Iris Krebber as saying (about the reported numbers from Global Hunger Index report) “While the numbers are alarming, they are likely worse than the data suggests“.  We hear from our friends and family in Tala and Eldama Ravine, Kenya how very difficult life is right now during the drought and famine.  Though just a few days ago Gideon was able to purchase food (with funds supplied by our supporters) for Mercy Child Foundation, enough to last through November and we just sent more funds to stock the food storage once again for Nice View Academy…we thank God for that!

The second article (Sex for food in Nyeri Slums) says -

They [residents of Witemere slums in Kenya] say theirs is a forgotten village, where hunger is the order of the day. Amidst that misery, predators prowl the dusty lanes, seeking desperate girls who are only too willing to give their bodies in exchange for a few coins to buy food.

Again I thank God for you, our supporters, who continually donate to Saved By God’s Grace.  As God continues to provide through our monthly and annual donors we will continue to purchase food, medical needs, water, educational supplies, etc. for the three orphanages.

Through your donations they are seeing God’s providence and everytime someone turns their face towards Him I can hear Satan repeating these words of the Wicked Witch…”Who would have thought [one person donating funds] could destroy my beautiful wickedness?!”

UPDATE:  after writing this blog I received an email (dated October 15th) from Pauline stating: 

I cant wait to announce the on set of rains in Tala.We woke up today only to step on wet ground.It felt too good to believe and so everybody is happy and feeling blessed.We are feeling like we have more than we need with the rains even before the seeds germinate.This tells you how much we were missing the rains.The dust has suddenly disappeared and temperatures gone down drastically. God really loves and cares for His creation

Please pray this is the beginning of a bountiful rainy season so families can plant and prepare for a wonderful harvest.

Letters

Posted on by
Reply

We received a few letters from kids at Nice View who had written their sponsors here in the US.   As we live our lives, life happens to all of us.  We go through tough times and good times, but part of these kids’ tough times are watching people around them starve.  You can see from the following excerpts (which I will copy verbatim, spelling mistakes and all) that this is real life for them:

From Tati (written to us personally):  “I thank God that you are struggling hard to assist us…I am looking forward to your favourable reply and seeing you back on God’s willingness.  I miss you guys and I hope you will be back soon.”

From Beatrice:  “I hope you are fine as I am.  Here in our school school we are doing well.  Apart from our country.  It is very dry and there is drought and most of the people and animals are dying because there is no food.  Since March it has not rained…My grandfather is working hard and trying to make both ends meet looking for food…Our manager Mr. Gideon is struggling to make both ends meet for us to read and eat.”

From Jackline:  “I take this opportunity dear beth and joe, to inform you that we are taken care of and I shall be celebrating my birthday on 1st November 2009.  Here in our country many people are starving because it is summer season…Our visitors Mr. and Mrs. Chuck I hope they are fine.  They did not come this year but we are all fed well.”

From Faith:  “Here in Kenya there is drought.  People are dying because of hunger and thirsty…In school we are feeding well.  The food which we are eating is well cooked.”

 From Elizabeth:  “In Kenya the weather is hot and dry.  There is hunger in our country…In class I’m doing very good.  The last exam I was number eleven with three hundred and twenty marks.”

From the mouths of babes-life is not easy for them or their families, but through God’s Grace they are eating at school two meals (three for the orphans/borders who live at the Academy).

Please remember that just like us they would like to eat everyday.  We are struggling to purchase food for over 300 kids at Nice View Academy, Mercy Child and Eldama Ravine and food prices are 120% higher than long-term averages across the region. 

If you feel led to help please visit our donate page  or The Change Campaign.  If you are interested in sponsoring a child please visit our sponsorship gallery and see the children who are waiting for sponsorship.

Please join us in praying for rain in Kenya and that the children will continue to know it is through God’s providence they are eating.  Thank you to all who are helping to support our kids in Kenya.

Walks to the Academy

Posted on by
Reply

Our cows!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never noticed this before but it looks like the cow is talking to Chuck!  These cows (unfortunately one has died) would stay at the Academy just wandering around and giving what little milk they could.  During school break they would be brought back to Gideon’s compound for safe keeping.  Sometimes when they were at school they would wander away and we’d find them “home” at Gideon’s. 

One time I was sitting in our home with the door open and in wanders one of the cows!  He just looked around, didn’t find anything interesting I guess, and left.  I wish I would have had my camera next to me for that picture!

Walking to Nice View

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We would walk to the Academy several times during the week.  Wonderful weather, fresh air and just walking was nice!  Our walks would take us on the back roads and through some beautiful shamba’s (gardens).  It was on one of these walks I was blessed!

Pre-unit class

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then upon our arrival at school we’d find happy kids!  We usually created a stir in the classes as we walked by, especially with the youngest ones.  They would run out of class, reach out their hand or run up to us for a hug.  Our usual greeting was “sasa” which  means how are you or what’s up?  And their response is “feet” or “poa” which means ok or fine.  We had one little guy that whenever we would say “sasa” he would answer “feety poa” – I guess he wanted to make sure we knew he was doing well!

I worry about them during this time of struggle for their families (many are returning to homes where there is no food or water), but I thank God they have food and water at the Academy (and Mercy and Eldama Ravine) and Gideon recently sent us an email with his thanks - “I thank God that we have water that has became a  problem  in the country to a point of affecting electricity generation.”  and “I thank God for His provisions and all our donors for their great support.May God bless them all!”

We continue to emphasize to the orphanages that as God provides funds here those funds will be used to sustain them there.  Thank you, again, for your support and help for our kids in Kenya.

Face lift!

Posted on by
2

Hi everyone!  Sorry it’s been a few days since my last post.  I have been giving our blog a “face lift”.  What do you think?  Still a few tweaks to make and I’ll be adding items to the sidebar as we go along, but wanted to get a post in! 

I talked with Anastacia (house mom from Mercy Child in Kenya) this morning.  She was very happy to hear from us and the kids were all yelling in the background – “hi mum”, “how are you?”, “we are fine!”  I really do miss those kids :(

I was reminded of how fast kids grow up.  Anastacia said they were in need of school shoes, sport shoes (tennis shoes) and school fees.  Remember that while our kids here need food each day, grow out of shoes/clothes, need school supplies, soap, shampoo etc. our kids in Kenya need the same things.  With the water and food situation it is tough because the provision we have isn’t even enough to cover the food per month for the three orphanages.  And the government has put a burden on Nice View Academy in that they (Nice View) must build another dorm area.  The boys and girls were already separated and in two separate buildings, but that wasn’t good enough.  And the government isn’t going to help us with funding for this building project.

Things sometimes seem overwhelming but I trust God to provide and move hearts.  And through that I pray many come to a deeper relationship with Him. 

“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.”  John 15:13-15 The Message

A message from Gideon

Posted on by
Reply

We received the following email from Gideon a few days ago. I thought it would be nice for you to hear how well the children are doing in school at Nice View Academy/Orphanage from the Executive Director (Gideon).

Tati is doing very well in school and looks happy.He was position 3 with 382 marks.I hope he will score good marks in KCPE.Generally all the kids are trying to work hard in their school work . We rewarded the good performers and the rest felt challenged and so i expect a lot of competition next term.The class eight did a district exam and they managed position 2 out of 82 schools. So you can see that the academy is doing well and i thank God for this performance.Its also because of your efforts with Tammy that you have made our pupils comfortable and have been learning while their needs are being met translating this to good results.Thank you

Here is another part of Gideon’s email to show how the country is doing right now during the drought:

The dry season is still going on and you can imagine how it is now without water for many Kenyan. I thank God that we have water that has became a problem in the country to a point of affecting electricity generation.From tomorrow the country will be having power rationing for the next two months until we receive the expected short rains in october.I thank God for His provisions and all our donors for their great support.May God bless them all!

And I wish to also thank you. Thank you for your continuing support and if you’d like to join us in helping the kids in Kenya please visit our website where you can donate securely online.

New school update

Posted on by
Reply

This photo shows where construction was of the new school building when we left Kenya in October 2008.

The second floor roof had just been poured and the supports had to stay up a few more days.
All the students at Nice View were so excited about being able to use the one room that was completed even if the desks had not been painted yet (they are painted now)! The Class 8 students were joking with their lower classmates that they (Class 8) would have the new room.

 

I’m not good with heights so just watching this guy from the ground made me dizzy! As you can see from the next photo, the windows are in this section but they aren’t complete.

This is where the building sits as of today. A third floor is planned and after its completion it will be one of the largest buildings in Tala! While we were in Tala last year many people were coming to the school looking for employment and wanting to enroll their children in the school. We had to remind everyone that the building wasn’t finished so no work and no enrollment. Gideon (Executive Director at Nice View Academy/Orphanage) is handling the enrollment of the existing school very carefully. He does not want to bring in more children than can be handled with the funds available at the present time. As more support is given he, along with Saved By God’s Grace, will move to bring in more children to the orphanage.

But like any construction project, funds are needed to proceed. Right now we only have funds available to buy food for the three orphanages (Mercy, Eldama Ravine and Nice View) and even those funds do not completely cover the costs. Please prayerfully consider if you can help. If you are already supporting Saved By God’s Grace, thank you!

Chuck and I look forward to the time we can serve our friends and family in Kenya for an extended period of time, but until then we are called to tell of the needs in Kenya.

Drought and famine continue

Posted on by
Reply

Let me first say that Timmy is me (Tammy)! For some reason the “a” in Tammy is very hard for the kids to say or maybe it’s my accent (everyone tells me I have a mid-western accent- whatever that means)! Anyway I thought this was a neat picture sent to us by Pauline from the kids at Nice View- thanks dada (sister in Swahili)!For those of you who are supporting Saved By God’s Grace know that you are remembered by the kids at Nice View, Mercy and Eldama Ravine. Your help is greatly appreciated and you can see from the following email that it is greatly needed.

Our friend, Nathan, is a Kenyan we met during our trip in 2008. He and his wife are raising their baby boy during difficult times. He tells us how things are in Kenya at this time:

Kenya is currently undergoing a severe drought,there has been no food in our farms and people are scared,many people including children in the worst hit regions are feared dead,a big no of people are going without food.The biggest problem is however lack of sufficient water!

This is real life for our friends and family in Kenya. I pray that when you read this you will say a prayer for them and their country. My heart and prayers and energy go towards loving our God and trusting Him to bring providence to Saved By God’s Grace.

I wish I could fix it all, but God has placed these specific children in our path for us to reach out to. I have always loved the story of a man who was asking God why there was poverty in the world and why He didn’t take care of it. Then God asks him why the man wasn’t doing anything about it with the resources God gave him.

God will be faithful and I trust Him to move people’s hearts to also reach out and help. I pray we are all listening to God’s voice and stepping out to help those He puts in our path.

Water please!

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday Chuck and our son Mark picked up approximately 700 cases of water from the Phoenix Rescue Mission here in Arizona. It was a blessing to us and the people who are on the streets who will receive this water over the next couple of months.

I’m thankful to the organizations who donated the water to the Mission and to the Mission for then passing their abundance onto us who in turn will pass it on to the people on the streets of downtown Phoenix.

And it is a bold reminder of our friends and family in Kenya who have been experiencing drought for the past year. There is no Mission to go to for donated water and families are left to find water wherever they can. If they do find water then they have to have firewood or some other means of making fire to boil it in order to drink it. Otherwise there is a high probability of contracting typhoid.

God has provided and continues to provide water (through your support) for the three orphanages (Nice View, Mercy, Eldama Ravine). But we heard from Mercy Child Foundation that the well is low (they need rains) and the water is getting quite “dirty”. A couple of the kids have gotten sick (we did get them medical attention) and we emphasized that they boil the water before consuming any of it.

Next time you take a drink of water, please say a prayer for rains in Kenya. And if you feel led to help Saved By God’s Grace in continuing to provide food, water, etc. please join The Change Campaign. For those already supporting – thank you!

They are not forgotten

Posted on by
Reply

We have been encouraging Anastacia in her work in taking care of the kids at Mercy Child Foundation. She is by herself with over 30 children to care for. Recently we sent her a note, this is her reading it with Pauline, giving her encouragement and reminding her she is not forgotten.

I also talked with her last night, she was getting the kids ready for school (from Arizona they are 10 hours ahead of us). Every time I talk with her I remind her of God’s love for her and the children and how He has brought us together. Many times she expresses fear of being left alone. I tell her we think of her and the children daily and are praying for them. We will not leave them, they are our family.

The children are told that God is providing for them because people are willing to give sacrificially. I am here to pass on their thanks to you for not forgetting them. God is giving these kids hope through your support and they are learning how very much God loves them. What an eternal impact you are having in the lives of these children – thank you and may God bless you.

We are praying and spreading the word about our kids in Kenya not only for support for food, clothing etc., but also to get Chuck and I back to Kenya on a more permanent basis. If you would like to help us bring the Gospel to Kenya please join The Change Campaign today.

Seems we’re always saying goodbye…

Posted on by
Reply

We left Greg and Joyce’s this morning from Indiana and made it to Illinois around 12:30 this afternoon. We had to keep reminding ourselves which state we were in! It’s always difficult saying goodbye to our new friends, but on this trip we know more new friends are just around the corner (or state in our travels!)

Jason and Stephanie are wonderful people and we had a great conversation before the presentation tonight. Thanks guys for opening up your home and allowing us to be a part of your family if even for just a few hours. Here is a picture of their beautiful daughter Grace! Yup, she’s a feisty one but love her compassion and passion for life.

Before we left their home she gave me 70¢ and said it was for the kids in Kenya. She listened to us talk about the kids’ needs and she gave what she had. I explained to her that what she gave was two days’ wages for some people in Tala, Kenya and it would help feed a child at the orphanage. And her attitude was – well I had it and they need it, no big deal, then she ran off to play. “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (NIV Matthew 18:3)

You ask if that’s all it takes? How about 40¢/day which comes to $12/month? You can help Saved By God’s Grace continue to feed, educate and provide shelter for three orphanages in Kenya at The Change Campaign.

Jason’s church had graciously invited us to speak at their Sunday evening service. Most of the church was there and they had some good questions. We were able to continue answering questions and at dinner afterwards (along with a few stories about our travels to Kenya). Thank you to everyone involved with feeding us, the hospitality was great and we felt very much at home with our new brothers and sisters in Christ.

Many of the young people were very interested in coming to Kenya by themselves, but the parents said “I want to go too!” So maybe during our next trip to Kenya we’ll have a lot of visitors. I know that how ever many people come, God will be glorified in it!

Speaking to people about our kids in Kenya is our passion and calling. The situation there has not been good for quite awhile. The rains have not come and crops are continuing to fail. Here is a short excerpt from an email received today from Gideon (director at Nice View Academy/Orphanage)


“Things are not very good since the rains failed and the future does not look promising but we trust God who Has assured us of prenty even in times of famine. Our help comes from Him

My brother if the cost of food was reasonable things would be easy but its unfortunate food has became costly and our children use one bag of beans for 3 days , one bag of muthokoi for 3 days ,maize flour of 90kgs for 4 days and so food is taking everything but i thank God for He has been with us and He Has continued to provide

I wish to ensure you brother that despite the hard times i will remain faithful to the call of God knowing that He is there for us”

Please prayerfully consider becoming a monthly donor either through Saved By God’s Grace or The Change Campaign. Your support will help us show God’s love to them through providing for their basic needs.