Evangelism Church Plant / House Repair Rebuild

Evangelism & Church Planting

By Dawn Brown

Elizabeth Mativo visited the US in 2009-2010. Her godly, kind, loving, church planter, missionary partner, pastor, beloved husband had died in 2008. It was during that visit when she told my husband, Jeff, and I about how the Lord was turning her mourning into a ministry. 

As she struggled to find peace and comfort from the Lord, she was inviting other widowed women to pray and search the scriptures with her. Many of them were raising orphaned children. We knew the Lord wanted us to be a part of what He was doing in her area of Mbooni, Kenya.

During her stay, she attended our church with us. She partnered in all the ministries we were involved in at our church and in our community. She learned a lot from all of us here, and we learned many lessons from her.

When she returned to Kenya, she decided to start a Sunday School for the children, like what she’d experienced here. Her local African Inland Church agreed and joined with Child Arise by renting a small building to hold the class. They provided the building and Child Arise provided a light breakfast. The building was quickly jammed full of kids, learning about the Lord!

The only problem was the building was quite far away from the church, especially for us American’s when we visited. Some of us were very tired after going up and down all those mountain trails. When Sunday School was over, it meant more trails in the opposite direction to get to the church for worship service!

Elizabeth, a trained and experienced church planter missionary and woman’s pastor with African Inland Church (AIC), was approached by AIC leadership about a church plant in the area of the Child Arise Sunday School Class. It had generated so much attention in that area, because of all the children who were trusting in the Lord and being baptized.

Elizabeth and the new pastor have been visiting the homes of these Sunday School kids and inviting families and neighbors to the new church plant. The new church is beginning to grow! If it had not been for the Child Arise Sunday School’s “inconvenient” location, who knows how long it would take for this area to be reached for the Lord! It’s so amazing to see how God works!

Child Arises, because of the efforts of children here in the United States, was able to provide a brand new Bible to every man, women and youth in this new budding church! 

I hope you are as encouraged and excited as I am, to be a part of such an important ministry in the lives of so many! We may not know them here, but we will worship together in Heaven!

House Repair/Rebuild

by Dawn Brown

“I call my house, “Miracle House!” When I came home from America, I found my house with no way to live in it, because it wasn’t safe. When it was collapsing I had no idea how to do anything to fix it. I thank God for all who have donated and I thank each of you too. God has provided for my house to be completed soon and all the children have been able to stay in school and we have kept up with the Bible lessons and the meals. It’s a miracle! Miracle House!” Elizabeth Mativo.

On Sat, Aug 6th, Elizabeth’s family and pastor friends joined together for a meal and a time of prayer and thanksgiving when they dedicated the house to the Lord.

Her house is so beautiful! It is in the same "footprint" of the house that was destroyed; same rooms, etc. Maybe as much as 75% of the house had to be rebuilt because of the structural damage to the roof, walls and floor, along with deep water flowing through her house for so long. It's basically the same house, but because so much of it is new construction, it is so much more beautiful! She is so thankful and feeling so blessed. 

Elizabeth has been living in the temporary shelter set up for her by the builder. She had a roof over her head, but the wind, cold and mosquitoes couldn’t be kept out. It's winter over there so she's pretty cold. Winter nights can get down into the 40s.

Another praise in the midst of all the trials, with the giving hearts of our donors, we have been able to keep every child in school and the Bible lessons with the feeding program have continued too! It has been SO AMAZING! Once again, God has shown me that this is HIS ministry, not Dawn's and that HE will provide.

He is Jehovah Jireh The Lord Provides! El Roi God Who Sees! Jehovah Shammah The Lord is There! El Shaddai Almighty God Our All-Sufficient Supply!

“God is good and when we look back I can only testify of His faithfulness. The reconstruction of my damaged house could not have happened by our own strength but only by God. Life is full of challenges, but it is only then that we get to experience Gods love for us.”~Elizabeth Mativo 

PRAYER REQUESTS

The children have missed some school this year, due to teacher’s strikes and schools not open.  They are on trimester break now.  Pray that school will start in September, as scheduled.

Pray for my daughter, my mom & some of the widows who are struggling with their health.

Pray for new believers to be strong in their faith & more to follow the Lord.

 

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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

dawn@ChildAriseKenya.com

ChildAriseKenya.com

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