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 8th 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
ChildAriseKenya.com
Child Arise Kenya is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt ministry