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





Saturday, January 26, 2013

Christmas~Meals, Animals, Food and Fun

Christmas In Kenya for Child Arise


Did you donate to Child Arise last year through regular giving or Project Christmas Joy?  I hope these pictures will give you a little glimpse of what God is doing for these poorest widowed women and orphaned children in Mbooni, Kenya.  I can't get over the amazement that God loves us so much that He lets us be a part of what He is doing!  Praise God with me as you look at these pictures!

Animals!

These sheep, goats and chickens will help these ladies to have some food or income for themselves and any orphaned children they may be caring for.  Thanks to YOU, each widowed woman received an animal!


I like to see the pastor, smiling in the background.  Finding enough animals to purchase in the area proved to be a bit of a challenge for Elizabeth.  The pastor stepped up and traveled with her to other areas until all purchases were made.


 

 Christmas Eve Day Meal and Bible Study for the Children!




 
 

 
 
 



 
A special Christmas treat, everybody gets a cookie.

 Always a Bible lesson and singing to the Lord when the children gather to eat.

 

School Supplies for the Orphaned Children

Before Christmas, Elizabeth traveled to Nairobi to get the best prices on school supplies.



Some of the school supplies were passed out on Christmas Eve Day.





Food for the Women to Take Home.

The widowed women were given food to take home.  This distribution was at the church.  We are so happy to see the pastor's involvement here too.



That's all for now!  Many more pictures to post in the future.


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
 

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Mueni Goes to Her New School For Blind Children

Mueni Goes to Her New School 

 


Thanks to donations from YOU, Elizabeth Mativo has taken little Mueni to Nairobi to begins school at Salvation Army’s school for the blind.
 
 
 
 
Before traveling to Nairobi, Child Arise purchased Mueni's new dress for the city, church and new school.
 
 
 Her widowed mother, widowed grandmother and siblings were all very excited for her.

Mueni feels so special and is very excited to begin class at her new school.  Pray for Mueni as she adjusts to being far away from home and the love of her mother and grandmother.  Pray that she will make new friends and feel the love of Jesus as a new world is opened up to her.
 
Thank you so much for your donations to Child Arise!  There are many more orphaned children who need to be in school.  Please pray about how you can help!
 

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

 

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