Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Prayer Requests & Elections in Kenya

 
Prayer Requests from Elizabeth Mativo in Kenya-see below.
 

I just spoke with Elizabeth Mativo in Kenya and she has some prayer requests for us.
Monday, March 4th are the presidential elections in Kenya. Please pray that the best candidate for the people will be elected. Pray for peace and safety for everyone in Kenya during the elections and transition. (FYI-It was the last presidential elections when Pastor Onesimus Mativo and Elizabeth Mativo were ministering in the slums and had to flee for their lives. Many people, I believe apx 800, were killed during those riots that election period.)

The government has closed all schools for a week for the elections and ordered that all children are to return to their homes. Elizabeth has just picked up Mueni in Nairobi at the school for blind children and will be taking her back to Mbooni for the week. Please pray for safe travel for the two of them on the long trip.

Elizabeth's health is much better, but she is still struggling with her blood pressure and headaches. Please pray that her blood pressure will lower and the headaches will go away.

Elizabeth's mother is not feeling well and is in a lot of pain in her legs and back. She can no longer walk well. Please pray for her.

Elizabeth sends her thanks for your prayers.

In Christ's love,

Dawn Brown

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Hooray for Mutheu & Save A Child From Sex Trafficking


A Child Arise First~Hooray for Mutheu

By Elizabeth Mativo

Mutheu, June 2012
Mutheu has seen the hand of God since her mother passed away giving birth to her sister when Mutheu was only 2 years old.  She and her siblings were left with their father, which was a struggle for the entire family because he just couldn’t care for them all.  The elder children, about 6 and 10 took care of the younger ones and the new infant was very handicapped.  Later, the father died too and the children continued to care for each other. 

Pastor Mativo and I helped the children as best we could.  When Child Arise was formed, this family was the first of the orphaned children to be helped.
The Jackson Family, June 2012
Mutheu’s life is a testimony through and through.  Child Arise has played a major role in paying for Mutheu’s school fees and computer college.  It is also through Child Arise that Mutheu has grown to be a God-fearing lady through Bible studies and encouragement from peers.
 
Our team visited Mutheu's Computer Technical College, June 2012


The classroom at the Computer Technical College
The other young girls in the ministry have a testimony to give because of her.  They have seen the Lord come through for Mutheu, despite the circumstances over and over.  She has suffered a lot of emotional distress over the years to the point of threatening her school teachers that she would throw herself into a dam.  Through encouragement and prayers, she has overcome this.

After achieving her high school graduation, Mutheu headed off to computer school.  When I told her she would be going to Computer Technical College, Mutheu was excited and she looked forward to it.  She put in a lot of effort in classes and passed well.  When she was there, she faced additional challenges.
 
The death of Musenya, her younger, handicapped sister, a few months ago, struck her very hard, as she was the closest to her.  This caused her a medical breakdown and she had to drop out of computer training.  I had to take her to live with me for three weeks, observing and taking care of her after her hospitalization.  The first week she would barely eat. 
 
Part of the congregation at the funeral

Musenya's funeral
Musenya's burial


Little by little she started accepting life as it is.  She was thankful for the second chance to go back to Computer Technical College so that she could finish.  She received her certificate in December!

Her challenge now is that she needs to find a job and she is looking in the city.  From where I stand, I have heard Mutheu testify and personalize God’s faithfulness with her own mouth, using Philippians 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of mine according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

God bless all that have made it happen for this young lady and pray that she gets a job soonest.  We hope to see many more like her through Child Arise. 
 
Love in Christ, Elizabeth
(Mutheu Mutinda Jackson’s family story was told in Dec 2010 newsletter.  Read it again, republished on this blog on 2/9/13.)
 
 

Save A Child From Sex Trafficking

 

by Dawn Brown

Both boys and girls benefit from the Bible lessons and feeding programs of Child Arise Kenya Widows and Orphans Ministry.  However, most of the orphaned children in the ministry who receive school fees are girls.  There are difficulties growing up in poverty that are exclusive to girls. 
 
Elizabeth Mativo explains that culturally, if a family can’t afford to send all of their children to school, they will not send their girls.  It is considered a better choice to educate your sons, who will hopefully grow up and help you financially. 
 
A common problem with those living in poverty is that they will send their very young girls far away to the city in hopes that they will be able to find work to feed themselves.  Many times these children will end up in child slavery or sex trafficking.
Another problem is that girls are often “given” to other families for a “bride price” and married off way to young.  Basically, they sell their little daughters.
 
Elizabeth encourages the widowed women in the ministry to make better choices for the orphaned girls they care for.  By providing food and school fees for the poorest, it will ease the financial burden and she hopes they will not make these poor choices for the children in their care.
 
The cost to send one girl to grade school for a year is $140 which includes tuition, fees and supplies plus the required school uniform.  To send a girl to high school runs about $284-$1,500 depending on the high school for which she qualifies.
 
If you are concerned about child slavery and sex trafficking, a donation to this ministry can help save a child from sex trafficking BEFORE she gets there.
 
YOU make a difference in the lives of these orphaned children when you donate to Child Arise.
 
100% of your donation goes to Kenya.
 

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



The Mutina Children~Orphaned

The Mutheu Mutinda Jackson’s Family Story

As told in the Dec 2010 Newsletter

(Watch for the updated SUCCESS STORY in the Child Arise Feb/Mar 2013 Newsletter & Blog Post in a few weeks.)


In 1999, Ruth Mutinda died after giving birth under circumstances that most in the U.S can’t even imagine.  The infant girl, Masenya, partially born and partially inside her mother for well over 24 hours, was born severely handicapped.  She can’t talk, dress, clean or feed herself.
 


When Ruth could not deliver the baby on her own at home, she was carried on a board, through the area trying to find someone who had a car to take her to the hospital which was in a distant city.
 
Once they reached the hospital, Ruth was turned away because the hospital didn’t have the equipment nor skills to take care of her.  They continued on to a hospital even farther away, where the birth was completed.  Ruth, the mother, died a few days later.

Ruth’s husband, Jackson Mutinda, a pastor in Kiinyuni, Kenya, thought it best that he not remarry so that he could be fully committed to raising their children.

Then in 2007, when Elizabeth  and her husband, Pastor Onesimus Mativo, were still church planting in unreached Muslim areas of Kenya, Jackson, the children’s father, died of  water borne diseases, leaving his 5 children with no parents.

Because of their love for this family, Mativo & Elizabeth began to provide financially for these children as best they could.


Muthina, because of a teenage pregnancy, was too ashamed to be in this picture.  Ruth, her baby girl, was born in 2009, before Elizabeth began Child Arise.  This family became the 1st to be a part of this ministry.  Now Elizabeth checks on them 2 times per week & provides for them as she can.

Elizabeth has Mutheu (pictured), also a teen, in boarding school in hopes that she will be more able to concentrate on her studies.  Two older sons no longer attend school.

It is the culture in Elizabeth’s area, to keep orphaned children in their own home or they will lose their property, which is all they have.
 
(I can't wait to tell you the exciting update of Mutheu, in the above picture.  Watch for the newsletter/blog post coming soon!)

100% of your donation goes to Kenya!

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