Friday, December 28, 2012

Ruth & the Children She Cares For

Ruth and Children By Dawn Brown

Ruth has been a follower of Jesus and active in the church for many years. Her husband died of TB 8 years ago.

Ruth’s older brother and his wife had four children. Two were normal and two were seriously mentally handicapped. Four years ago, their mother died of typhoid and yellow fever. Shortly after that, their father, died of a lung problem, leaving the four children with no parents. Already widowed herself, Ruth took in her brother’s four orphaned children.

The girl is normal and in the 8^th grade. She’s in and out of school because Ruth doesn’t always have funds to pay the costs, but when we visited, she was in school, thanks to those of YOU who donate to Child Arise.

The oldest is about 20, mentally handicapped, and can’t even speak. They think the youngest boy is 11 but looks more like 8. He doesn’t speak either and didn’t appear to be able to walk on his own. The little guy had some type of black fungus growing in globs out of the edges of his fingernails.

I can’t figure out how people there take care of the basic needs of those who are unable to do for themselves. Neither of the handicapped boys can toilet themselves so they just go in their pants.

They have no diapers, no wash cloths or towels, no easily available water to wash them with, and soap is unaffordable for Ruth. They have to go to the stream to do laundry by hand and they don’t even have several changes of clothes.

It was such a struggle to sit there with this family; just heart breaking, and yet God loves them and sees their every need.

When Ruth goes to church she said she has to lock the youngest boy in the house to keep him safe. When I heard this, my head screamed, “Safe? That’s anything but safe? Not to mention, it looks dark and dungy in that tiny house. This little guy must be so scared in there alone.”

Then I thought about where I was and the reality of life around me. I guess she must do the same when she gets water, goes to the market, and does laundry at the stream. Things are different in Mbooni. They have to be, for the sake of survival.

If you are a Child Arise donor, YOU help Ruth. She gets help with a little food from time to time, sometimes we can pay for the girl’s school fees and she received a Child Arise blanket last Christmas. Elizabeth Mativo and Child Arise longs to do so much more for this family and for other families like them. We can with your help.

Mbooni Kenya, Now I’ve Been There by Dawn Brown

It was good for me to go to Mbooni to see the ministry with my own eyes. Seeing the logistics of everything has helped me. I can understand things better than before and hopefully, I can convey what I’ve learned to those of you here, who pray for and donate to this ministry.

I got a much better idea of how orphaned children are cared for without orphanages in this area and how Elizabeth’s ministry just naturally included both widows and orphans.

In Kenya, orphan refers to a child who has lost one or both parents. I wrongly assumed that most of the orphans in Child Arise have lost only one parent. This is true for some, but not the majority.

Both parents of many of the kids have died and they are taken care of by a widow who is a relative or someone in the community takes them in. Later, the husband dies, leaving the widow to take care of these children alone. Some of these women are in their 60s, 70s and even 80s.

When Elizabeth’s husband, Pastor Mativo died, she started organizing this group of widowed women and it just naturally included the orphans these women were taking care of.

Elizabeth and I have spent a lot of time over the years, communicating about some of the people in the ministry. While in Kenya, I got to meet many of the women that I’d heard about.

I’d already heard their stories, seen their pictures and prayed for them by name many times. It was so exciting for me to actually meet them in person and visit them in their houses.

The conditions these woman and children live in are unbelievable to say the least. Your donations are truly needed and helping. We have done so much and there is so much more to do.

Prayer Requests from missionary Elizabeth Mativo

UI thank God for my health & strength because without Him I am nothing. His grace has been sufficient & up to this far I can say Ebenezer.

UWe have 2 candidates, Mutiso Katei & Dennis Wambua who are sitting for the final national exams this year. Please pray for them to perform well. (Passing the national exams is required for entrance into high school.)

U Pray for our country as we are approaching the elections in March 2013. Pray for peace & that God will choose a good leader that will take the country forward. We have a lot of corruption in our country that is getting in our way for development.

UPlease continue to pray for electricity.

Donations can be made to

Child Arise Kenya

Widows & Orphans Ministry

827 5 Ave Dr W, Andalusia IL 61232

309-798-2596

dawn@childarisekenya.com

ChildAriseKenya.com

Child Arise Kenya is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt ministry

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Project Christmas Joy!

Project Christmas Joy

Celebrate the Birth of Christ

By Giving a Gift That Will Change a Life

(See the pictures below)

Here are some ways your dollars can provide:

One Lamb $37

(A sheep will likely give birth twice a year which can be sold for

income for a widow and the orphans she may be caring for.)

Primary School Tuition & expenses for 1 Orphan $98

High School Tuition & expenses for 1 Orphan $242

Blind School Tuition & expenses for 1 Orphan $249

(A 2^nd grade child has recently gone blind

and needs to go to a special school in Nairobi.)

School Uniform, Cardigan, Socks for 1 Orphan $42

Meal for 30 Orphans in Feeding Program $127

Paper, Math Set, School Book for 1 Orphan $16

Sugar, Flour, Rice, Oil for 1 Widow to take home $19

1 Sewing Machine (Used) $64

(Older orphans will participate in a sewing class, learn a skill and

eventually be able to sell their products at the local market for income.)

Fabric, threads, pins, chalk, ruler, tapes etc $98

(Supplies needed for 1 Orphan to start sewing class)

Donations of ANY amount are much needed and greatly appreciated!

Mueni recently lost her vision

and needs to go to a special school

for the blind in Nairobi, operated

by Salvation Army.

The women are very thankful for the food they are given. Many of them are older and have taken in orphaned children they did not give birth to.

The widows who care for these children can’t afford the school fees, uniforms & supplies.

The children don’ have enough to eat.

Your donations will help to provide a meal at the Bible study.

Some teen orphans would like to learn to sew & eventually sell their goods at the market, but we need more non-electric sewing machines. Many girls are interested in learning this skill, which someday, may provide them with an income.

Donations can be made to

Child Arise Kenya

Widows & Orphans Ministry

827 5 Ave Dr W, Andalusia IL 61232

309-798-2596

dawn@childarisekenya.com

ChildAriseKenya.com

Child Arise Kenya is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt ministry

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Thanks from Elizabeth Mativo

Subject:	Thank you Letter
Date:	Mon, Oct 1, 2012 2:30 pm

Dear Dawn and all Donors,

How are you? I hope you are well in Christ.

This mail is to appreciate all the people who made contributions /
donations to the people of Mbooni. It has been good just walking
around the neighborhood and seeing children wearing John Deere
t-shirts, the cute dresses for girls, T-shirts, blankets, skirts,
Pans, spoons, Bicycles, glasses e.t.c I don’t even know how to start
thanking all of you for giving us all these gifts and most of all for
sharing your precious possessions with the love of Christ with us.

I know there are some gifts that didn’t get to us but we are so
grateful for all that we got. Through these gifts you obeyed Gods
word; Deuteronomy 15:7, you did not harden your hearts or shut your
hands from us. You opened your hands wide to us and willingly lend us
clothes, food and the word of God remains, as Proverbs 19:17 says, “He
who has pity on the poor LENDS to the Lord, And He will PAY BACK what
he has given”. That is our prayer for you that the Lord will pay you
back because He owes you for every help you extend to us in Mbooni,
Kenya.

I was so surprised to be surrounded with more than 150 children and
women excited to get clothes and food. Through this, many have come to
know the Lord because they have seen the Love of Jesus through you. I
praise the Lord for this.

I on behalf of the people, I also wish to thank you for making our
dream of having a well with clean water come true.

God has been good to us, and we know we are yet to see more of His goodness.
I also want to thank the team that came to Kenya. (Dawn Brown, Bonnie
Herrick, Dave Anderson, Hannah Diaz and Emily Herrick). Thanks for the
courage to step out of your comfort zones and come to experience
Africa and witness the love of Christ. The people of Mbooni remember
all of you by names and they love you so much. We hope to host a
bigger team next time.

Continue to pray for the ministry in Kenya. We need your support and
prayers. We praise God for you and cannot thank you enough for your
love for us.

God’s  blessings to you and your families. May you never lack.

In Him,
Elizabeth Mativo

PICTURES!

Container Pictures

This is the container that stored donations from many who contributed items to be shipped
to the people of Mbooni.  No, it was not full, but there were a lot!  Contributions were made in

the Illinois/Iowa Quad Cities and taken to the Chicago area by various individuals to be placed in the container. The container was picked up in Chicago, traveled to the coast, shipped by sea to Africa, picked up at port in Mombasa and taken as close to Mbooni as the semi could get, then taken by Elizabeth Mativo’s pick-up truck, load after load, to her house for distribution to those in her area of Mbooni. Many thanks to Joseph Onesimus for funding the shipping costs. Unfortunately, some things were stolen in the port of Mombasa, but most of the donations made it to those who needed them.

Donations

Did you donate items for the container? Did you give clothing? Toys? Shoes? Maybe you will spot them in these pictures! The distribution was done over several days, starting with the poorest orphans and widows and then to others in the community, all whom are poor.

Dresses

Did you make dresses?

Medical

Medical supplies were taken to a clinic in Mbooni, run by the African Inland Church, which lacks the most basic necessities.

Bikes

Bikes were given to pastors and a seminary student.

Well

People are drinking clean water in Mbooni! The borehole was drilled in 2011 and the pump, generator, mechanicals, piping and tower completed this year, 2012.