Life Is A Precious Gift

Life Is A Precious Gift

By Dawn Brown

Mueni, in the red sweater, was always helpful

Mueni was one of the first people we met in Mbooni when we arrived at Elizabeth Mativo’s house.  As we drove up, out came Elizabeth to greet us, along with Mueni and another teenage girl.  They had been helping Elizabeth to prepare for our arrival.  Hosting American’s takes a lot of work, you know.

 

This February, Elizabeth called to tell me that Mueni died.  She was an unwed teen mother of a little toddler. 

Mueni

 

Mueni comes from a large family who do not follow Christ.  Unbeknownst to them, Mueni found herself pregnant again with no husband.  Although this is becoming more common in Kenya, it isn’t as common or glamorized as it is here in the United States.

 

I imagine that she was feeling shame and fear.  She secretly sought out an abortion at a city hospital and started the abortion procedure, funded by the married father.  At home the next day, she became extremely sick.  Still, nobody knew about the pregnancy and she didn’t tell her mother and grandmother why she was so sick or what she had done.

 

Finally, that evening, she couldn’t bare the pain any longer and she told her family.  They live close to Elizabeth, who is always helpful and has one of the few cars in the area.

 

Elizabeth immediately took action and rushed the young girl to the hospital.  It was too late.  Mueni and her unborn baby died before they ever made it inside.

 

As you can imagine, her family is very distraught over her death.  Her mother and grandmother told Elizabeth that Mueni said this was her second abortion.  They were devastated by this news too and said that if they had only known, they would have told her to have the babies and they would have cared for them.  They would have told her they didn’t want her to abort her babies. 

Mueni's mother and grandmother

 

It saddens me to think that in recent years, our government has advocated, and our tax dollars have been spent on promoting the evils of abortion to the people of Kenya.

 

Now, her little boy Joel, about 4 years old, is the newest orphan in Child Arise.

Joel is now orphaned

 

Mueni dropped out of school after completing the 8^th grade.  I have seen her in many pictures helping with the feeding program and I’ve even seen her in pictures working with the men as they were placing the water tank on top of the tower during Phase II of The Well For Life.

Mueni helping with the tank

 

 

Elizabeth and her late husband, Pastor Mativo, have been very close to Mueni since she was a very little girl.  She always enjoyed being around the Mativo house when they were on furlough from the mission field. 

 

I’ve talked to Elizabeth several times about Mueni’s death and found out that we met a lot of Mueni’s family members when we were in Kenya, but I just didn’t realize they were all connected.  We met Mueni, her mother, her grandmother, many of her siblings and cousins, plus her little boy.

Joel when we met him in Kenya 2012

 

The Mativos have witnessed to this family so much over the years, both with words and with their acts of kindness and compassion.  I think the reason so many people from this family are often with Eizabeth is because they are drawn to Jesus in her. 

Elizabeth asks that we pray for this entire family, that because of this tragic death of Mueni and her unborn babies, they will come to a saving faith in Jesus. 

 

Mueni never professed faith in Jesus Christ, but my hope is that in her final hours or minutes, she accepted Christ as her Savior.  She surly had the knowledge.

 

 

Prayer Requests From Missionary Elizabeth Mativo

Pray for the family that just lost the young single mother, due to abortion.  Pray that the Lord will comfort them & bring people who will encourage them, not tear them down with mean words or despise them.  They are not a believing family.

 

Continue to pray for the ministry.  The needs are there & we are not able to cater for all needy orphan students.  Pray that the Lord opens ways.

 

 

Pray for God’s wisdom & guidance for the board of Directors in America & our Board of Directors here in Kenya.  There are so many widows & orphans that truly need help.

 

Pray for peace in our country & for improvement of economy.  Life is too expensive here but we thank God for everything.

 

*LIKE* and GET NOTIFICATIONS on our facebook page

 

 

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

309-798-259

dawn@childarisekenya.com

ChildAriseKenya.com

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