Showing posts with label www.kenyamissionsofhope.org. Show all posts
Showing posts with label www.kenyamissionsofhope.org. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Now that I have seen....

I am responsible.


People often wonderful why I have thrown my heart and soul into Missions of Hope in Kenya. Though this video and song are about Rwanda, they express my heart for Kenya and my hopes for Kenyans. I have been to Kenya several times.  I have seen the poverty and the hardship with my own eyes, and now I am responsible.

Lyrics to "Albertine"

I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine
there in her eyes what I don't see with my own
Rwanda

now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda

I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine

Though I am not on a stage with a thousand eyes on me and my platform is small in the scheme of things;  the work(s) I do are what I can do  in my own circumstances, and I am willing.  I will tell the world.

Edwin

Since I last wrote about the missions, my friend Jonah, overseer of the Missions of Hope, contracted typhoid fever while in Uganda at his convocation and he has been in hospital.  Also Edwin, the young man in the photo above who is battling cancer, has been hospitalized. Please keep them in your prayers.




Orphans

If you have already started thinking about Christmas gifts for family and loved ones in 2012, you might want to consider giving of a different nature this year. Missions of Hope has some unique gift ideas for you. Click here.

I have also started to add items to my Etsy shop. You can see the items here. More will be added over the coming days.  All proceeds go to the Missions of Hope.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Congratulations, Jonah!

 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11


Hello friends, I am so pleased to announce that Jonah from the Missions of Hope has graduated with his Master's degree in International Development. He has been working very hard these past several years to study and gain his master's degree, at the same time he has been actively involved in his community and in the work of the Missions of Hope.

Through God's grace, Jonah managed to get from Kenya to Uganda for the graduation ceremony yesterday.

Jonah is second in from the right side of the photo with the green and yellow cloth around his neck.

Here Jonah points with his grad cap to the Bugema University logo on top the lovely fountain.

 
Well done, Jonah!!!
I am excited for what the Lord will do for you.
God bless and keep you.

If you have an encouraging word or message for Jonah, please click here and leave him a comment.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Prayer Request & Report: Missions of Hope



Hello friends, here is a word from Jonah in Kenya.  I'd be grateful if you could please take a few moments to read up.



When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57


PRAYER REQUEST Please pray for Jonah's mom. They have done tests at the hospital where she lives and don't know what is wrong with her.   She has been transferred to Eldoret Hospital. Healing and funds are needed so we ask for prayers. It is God who can provide the answers. Blessings.




Kenya Missions of Hope: A Life Well Lived: This week I lost my aunt. It was one of the hardest things to believe.  But I took time to believe that she has died.  I tho...

(Click highlighted link above for the rest of the story.)

Berets & Beanies


Wordless Wednesday here.







Monday, October 15, 2012

Tale of Three

 Be ye strong … for your work shall be rewarded 
 2 Chr. 15:7

My friend Jonah in Kenya has had a lot of highs and lows over this past month.

He finished his thesis and has now been able to have it bound and attend to all the administrative requirements they had him to at the main campus in Uganda. He is just waiting to get his official grades and graduation certificate later this month but he has done well.  However, he has not been able to move all his belongings from Nakuru to his home in the village. Please keep this need in prayer.

No sooner did Jonah complete his thesis then his aunt took ill and died.  Her funeral was just the other day and was very well attended. She was a good strong Christian example and she will be deeply missed.  You can read more here.


In other sad news, Jonah's mother is now ill and has been taken to the local hospital for medical tests and evaluation.  She will probably be sent to Eldoret for more testing because the local hospital really doesn't have much capacity. Jonah's mom just graduated last month with a Diploma in Theology.

Jonah's mom on the left of the photo.

Please keep all these needs and Jonah in much prayer.  Everything has a financial and personal or emotional cost and we all need help in times like this.

We are also still trying to raise funds for Little Linet's cleft palate surgery.


You can read more about that here. If you can help with any of the costs, please send your generous donation.


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Jonah & the Missions of Hope

I'm linking up with Internet Cafe Devotions today. I hope you will join me.



Hello dear friends,

How are you this fine day? Here where I live the skies have been gray since the weekend and we've been expecting rain. Our first rain for a long time. However the rain did not come and I see the forecast is for increasingly warmer temperatures and more sunshine for the rest of this week. That suits me just fine as I am already missing our Summer though it is now technically Fall/Autumn. The time just seems to pass so fast and where does it go?

Recently, I've seen a theme in the blogs I read; people blogging about time and making the best of the time we have, not wasting it, and being grateful for the ability to just live and grow each day. For life goes in cycles

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Right now it is my time to update you about Jonah and the Missions of Hope, and it is Jonah's time to finalize his thesis and see what next steps God would prepare for his future. Normally Jonah would update you but he is having to conserve money and totally reduce expenses. It costs money to use the internet cafe or to pay for airtime.

 I only have a short report because as I mentioned last time, Jonah was in the middle of his master's thesis and facing a very challenging time financially.  If you are a regular reader of this blog and Jonah's blog, you will know that Jonah never asks for funds for his own personal use. He relies on a faithful donor for his own school needs but recently the financial burden has become too much for the donor.  It is very unfortunate because Jonah is just sooooo close to finishing.

 Jonah's Needs

Jonah has already successfully made it as far as defending his thesis! 
Isn't that a wonderful achievement?!

What needs to be done for Jonah to finish is to go to Uganda (he lives and studies in Kenya through a satellite university) to complete the administrative work for his thesis requirements.

This sounds simple enough but it takes funds he doesn't currently have. He has been working very hard to solicit funds in Kenya to get to Uganda and he is there now but he needs your help to make sure he can complete his task.

If you can help him, please don't delay in sending your donation.  He doesn't have much time to fulfill his requirements.  He also needs to return to Kenya before the end of this month to move from his temporary home where he has been living during his studies.

He needs funds for that too but the main focus is on finalizing the thesis.

Here is a breakdown of the needs for Uganda:
English editor needs : about $50
formatting needs: $30
statistics needs: $50
binding:  $90
travel: $100
lodging: $20
food: $10 per day
miscellaneous: $100


Little Linet's Needs




I cannot forget to update you about Little Linet and I think you will remember that she was to undergo a medical evaluation on August 28, 2012. The evaluation was for the purpose of determining whether she is a candidate for surgery. You might also remember that Little Linet had been having various issues with her mouth causing pain, wounds, odour and inability to eat properly.  The doctors decided to remove some front teeth to help stabilize the situation. 

The real answer to Little Linet's problems is to help Little Linet undergo cleft palate surgery and the first step toward that was an evaluation about whether she is a suitable candidate for cleft palate surgery.
I am so happy to report that Little Linet is indeed a candidate for surgery.
We would like to help her but we need your help to do it.

Can you help this little one? It will take at least $500 for her to have surgery and so I'm starting now to raise the funds. So far, we have raised $60 for the surgery.
The need is really quite easy to be met if we all pull together.

All it takes is 10 people in the whole wide world to give 
$50.00  (Canadian)
Or, 20 people in the whole wide world to give 
$25.00  (Canadian)

Please know that although I do ask for funds on this blog from time to time, there are actually very, very few people who give toward most of the needs we write about .  The exception was little Kigen because one kind hearted singer in Nashville, publicized his need on Facebook.

I don't share this information to whine or complain but only to make it clear what the situation is. I know from time to time you may have questions and though this isn't my ministry as such, I do support it in whatever ways I can and I desire to have others support it too.

God knows in advance who will help at any given time.  He knows who the donors will be or whether there will be no donors at all.  He also knows that he gives every single person out there reading this, countless opportunities to do good each day.  What you read here is only a part of the opportunities that God opens for you but they are important.  God does care about these ones In Kenya who most people don't care about at all. If you are a follower of Christ and his love abides in you, would you be touched to help and care for them too?

Sometimes a giver stre-e-e-e-e-tches to help meet a need. 
That is another simple fact. 
Sometimes needs are not met at all because there is no one willing to reach out and touch.  It is as simple as that. 
God knows our hearts.

I just know that if this little girl were in your living room sitting beside you, it would be hard to turn your head and heart from her because she is a real life person, with real needs and she depends on us to help her mother meet her needs. I know many people get uncomfortable with being confronted by the needs of others or they grow weary but the Bible says

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.
Galatians 6:9

I know we do grow weary from time to time but God encourages us through his word. He tells us not to grow weary and he tells us how we can avoid it.


But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint
.
 Isaiah 40:31

If  today, you are feeling the love of God and the freedom that God gives to be a cheerful giver, please join hands with the Missions of Hope. Please be as generous as you can so Jonah can finish his thesis requirements and so we can make arrangements for Little Linet's surgery that much faster.  Of course, you don't have to be a Christian to be a giver. So if you are not a Christian, you may want to lend a hand to these dear ones anyway.






There are two people in East Africa, waiting for your help.  Will you be one to help answer their needs?



Let me close by saying a prayer that in n this season of your life, whatever your needs are, whatever you are going through and dealing with, may you too find the comfort and blessings you need, and a hand or two to help you on your way.  For when you are are strong again, you can help another on their journey.  I leave you with a song that seems appropriate. It isn't a Christian song as such but it's sentiments are the same.



 

 God richly bless you.

At the bottom of this post, there are buttons you can use to help spread awareness of the Missions of Hope through this post.  It only takes a moment.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Report from Jonah at Missions of Hope Kenya

Hello friends, it has been awhile since you've heard from my friend Jonah in Kenya. Please click on the link below and read what he is up to. It would be wonderful if you could leave him a comment to encourage him at this time. Thanks and see you soon!



Kenya Missions of Hope: Graduation Is Upon Us: Things have been challenging and hectic for me here as we prepared for my mother's graduation in one city and to present my thesis in anothe...

Monday, September 10, 2012

Quilting for Kenya

I finished my lap blanket/quilt. It took a bit longer than I was planning but it is done! It took longer because I didn't have enough of my desired fabric and had to try different colour combinations with fabrics I had on hand.

I have a lot of fabric in my stash but not quite enough of the colours I need.  Originally I was going to use only the turquoise and gold colours predominantly but didn't have quite enough of the gold toned fabrics.  Despite that,  I am pleased with how it turned out. The black now becomes the high contrast colour.

I've laid the quilt on the floor to get a good look at it. The fabrics are all pre-washed cotton.  The turquoise binding around the edges is made of batik  which is machine stitched to the top and hand stitched to the bottom. All fabrics are new, not recycled.  The batting inside the quilt is needled cotton batting by Warm & Natural.

This is the backside made of muslin. It is machine quilted to secure the top to the back.
Folded in half it sits nicely on the ottoman.

Stretched full length, the blanket is long enough to cover my torso and legs.
I was in a hurry to post it (so I can go to sleep) that I didn't take time to brush off all the stray threads and fuzz but that will be done soon, as will the pressing.

I'm not sure whether I will gift this little blanket or try to sell it.  I'm hoping to make more quilts for sale to raise funds for the mission field in Kenya.  Once I use up my yardage, I'm also hoping to buy some quilting pre-cuts. It will help to streamline some of the decisions about colour and appropriate yardage.

Let me know if you are interested in this little blanket and and I can send the details as to size.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Guerilla Garden

We are blessed in my city to have a lot of guerilla gardens.  In case you haven't heard of guerilla gardening yet, it is gardening on land that the gardeners do not have legal right to use, often an abandoned site or area not cared for by anyone.  We get a lot of guerilla gardening happening on the sides of city streets.  A lot of them are small little gardens planted around trees.

Guerilla gardeners certainly add a lot of beauty to the city and brighten up all kinds of neglected areas of land where people pass by.  These little gardens bring a smile to my lips and joy to my heart. I like to take photos of these gardens whenever I can.

Here is one guerilla garden.





And here is a  pretty pink clouds...just because ... it's Skywatch Friday.



Click here to join Floral Friday Photos and here for Skywatch Friday. 

AND

If you are new to my blog and you haven't yet read about Little Linet and her cleft palate challenges, please read here. We'd love to have your support. Thank you.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Little Linet ~ Update August 2012

The last time I wrote about Little Linet she had recently had her front teeth removed and she was having problems eating. She is now undergoing testing in preparation for cleft palate surgery.


All photo credits:  Jonah of Missions of Hope
Here is little Linet with her mother in their home.

Here Little Linet looks cautiously into the camera. I wonder if she knows what is really in store for her?  Probably not as she is still very young.

This is the environment in which Little Linet and her younger sibling live.   As you can see they are very poor and there is trash all around the neighbourhood because there is no garbage pick up.  There is no way the family could manage to give the little girl surgery without outside help.


Little Linet's next medical test will be on August 28, 2012. Shortly after that, we hope that she will be pronounced a candidate for cleft palate surgery. Then she can be free to run around and play like other children.  Her mother can also be free of the worries about her little girl's future because of the cleft palate disfigurement and the related health issues. Please join us in praying for this little girl and her family.

If you can help Little Linet to get surgery and perhaps give the family some assistance with food needs afterward, I would love to hear from you. We accept donations via Pay Pal. Donations can be sent to kerichojoy[at]gmail[dot]com  No amount is too small.

Please feel free to share this word with your friends or in your church or social circles with a link back to this blog or to Jonah's at Missions of Hope. Thank you so much for your help. 

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Update on Fundraising for Little Linet's Surgery

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

This is a quick update to let you know that we still need $80 60 (eighty sixty dollars) Canadian to get the medical evaluation as to whether cleft palate surgery can be performed on Little Linet. See story in my last post (click "Older Post" at bottom of this post if you do not see the story on this page).  We also need $70 (seventy dollars) Canadian for the return travels for 3 people (Little Linet, Mama Linet and Jonah to assist them). Altogether we need $130 dollars  (Canadian) for Little Linet.

I had a couple people contact me about the DONATE feature on Jonah's website which is acting up. This has been a long standing issue for us. Please send your donation via Pay Pal to kerichojoy[at]gmail.com if you have any problems with the DONATE button.

If you are following Edwin's progress for cancer treatment, please know that there is an upcoming trip on August 8th to Nairobi. At that time Edwin will have follow up check up and require more medicine to continue his treatment. If you would like to help Edwin, you can donate in the same way. He will need about $100 (one hundred) Canadian to cover travel, medical treatment and one month's food needs for Edwin and his family.

Thank you so much in advance on behalf of Jonah, Linet and Edwin. Blessings. xx

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Little Linet

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

The last time I wrote you about little Linet she had been taken to hospital.  You might remember Little Linet is the girl with a cleft palate. Her family is not able to afford hospital care.

This photo shows Linet as a toddler when Jonah first started helping her with doctor visits and food.

My friend Jonah, in Kenya, first helped this little one because she couldn't eat. Somehow by the grace of God, the baby was able to start eating after medical attention and she gained weight. However she has been having  many problems and is now malnourished.

She went to hospital again a few weeks ago and the doctors took out her long front teeth, administered oral hygiene and tended to her  mouth wounds.  She is now on a strict diet which the mother cannot afford to purchase for her little girl. She needs our help.

This is Linet (standing) with her mother on her way to see doctor at mission hospital.

We still need to cover some nominal costs of Linet's oral surgery from a few weeks ago.   At the same time, we are trying to help with special food needs and raising the funds for the cleft palate surgery. The mission hospital is not close to where Little Linet lives with her family so there are additional costs like transport, food and lodgings.

You can see the little girl's long teeth in front. These were removed.

This girl is supposed to go to the missions hospital for an evaluation as to whether she can have surgery to repair her cleft palate.  Repairing it is the only way to resolve the different medical issues she has been suffering for a few years now.  It will cost us a few hundred dollars for the medical costs, transportation (Linet, her mother and Jonah to assist them), food and follow up costs.  If we can't raise the money for her surgery, she will continue to lose weight.

The surgery we are doing is NOT through Operation Smile. I did look into that program some time ago but learned that not everyone who can get to screening will be selected for surgery.  I also learned that Operation Smile collects a donation of $240 US even though surgeon and nursing care are donated to the surgery efforts.  The $240 doesn't cover the cost of a family's transportation to get to the medical center, lodging or food costs.  I've posted this information about Operation Smile just so you have something similar with which to compare Little Linet's need.

If you can help Little Linet get the medical evaluation and the surgery she so desperately requires, you can send your donation

via Pay Pal to kerichojoy[at]gmail.com

or link here at Kenya Missions of Hope for the DONATE button.

My apologies, but the links to Kenya Missions of Hope don't always work consistently.  If you have any problems at all please let me know.

Thank you so much for your understanding.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Kenya Missions of Hope: Linet Goes to Hospital

(Please click on the link below, to read an update from Jonah about little Linet.  It would be great if you could help to spread the word. Blessings. xx).




Kenya Missions of Hope: Linet Goes to Hospital: Hello friends, I have finally taken the gal who is sick in the mouth to the hospital ( read more here).  Please continue to pray for the...

Friday, June 8, 2012

It's a Beautiful Friday

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~ Claude Monet

No ray of sunlight is ever lost, but the green it wakes into existence needs time to sprout, and it is not always granted to the sower to live to see the harvest. All work that is worth anything is done in faith. ~ Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, 1952

This was my sky for a short time today. It was a break in the otherwise gray and wet weather we've had all week.

The rest of the photos are from  my garden which is now growing. The container plants look especially nice.  They were planted before my little garden was planted but I keep adding more plants to containers. The most recent acquisitions were the red blooming geraniums because the big pot of geraniums in the blue pot are not yet in bloom and I just love red geraniums.  I also added two blue poppies. This time I planted them in a pot and if they do well I will add them to the garden plot later.  This year I finally got a community allotment (community garden plot) but I gave it up because it was just a little out of my walking distance. I'm hoping to get one of two plots closer to my home but was told I have a long wait. In the meantime I'll see if I can get my little garden more productive.

Zucchini squash

Tomatoes

You can see they are already coming out so I will need to put some supports around these soon to support the weight.

I have  more than enough parsley here in the container. I need to transplant the rosemary you see on the lower right.

The lettuce is ready to be harvested for salad.

Corn is growing well. I only have a few stalks. These are usually feed for the birds.

Pansies are still my favourite.


I have white and pink petunias. These ones have a sheen due to the rain.

 
The dogwood tree is also in bloom but there doesn't seem to be as many flowers as there usually are. My neighbour's tree has many more blooms.

I can see the buds are starting to come up on this big pot of geraniums. I can't remember what colour they are but they may be pink and red.

This is a recent acquisition. I love red geraniums.

Oops, I caught my foot in the photo, lol. You can see more buds ready to bloom in this pot.

I've had a very busy week and a fruitful one also. It is nice to sit back and enjoy the beauty around me at the close of the week.

I'm sending you all good wishes for a wonderful weekend. I'm also sending prayers for Edwin who continues to have need of sponsorship to receive outpatient medical treatment in Nairobi and for Kipngeno who desperately needs a sponsor to continue attending medical school. He is in the last semester for year 1 which finishes in August.

For more sky photos please join Sky Watch Friday here.
For more flower photos, please join in Floral Friday here.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Kenya Missions of Hope Needs Your Prayers

Hello friends,

Edwin getting blood work.
We begin a new week and I hope you are all having a good one. My nephew was to arrive was his girlfriend yesterday for a small birthday dinner for him but due to unforeseen circumstances this had to be rescheduled to today.

My main news today is that my friends in Kenya need our collective prayers to meet some big needs in the next short while. I hope you will take a moment to read the short report at the link below and to offer your prayers and good wishes. Please note that there have been bombings and deaths in Nairobi City over the past few weeks and the city has been on the alert so not only do my friends need prayers to meet their material needs but they need prayers of protection.  God bless and have a great week.

Kenya Missions of Hope: Short Update on Missions: Hello, Edwin and I will be going to Nairobi in about two days for further cancer treatment.  Last Friday we went for some check up and ...

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

A True Missionary Heart: Eva Tonui

Mrs. Eva Tonui (click on the link below to read her story)
Kenya Missions of Hope: Missionary Eva: Hello friends, I have some words to encourage you this week. At 59 years of age, Mrs Eva Tonui is a self-sponsored missionary to an ...

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Urgent Needs


Friends,

In my last post I wrote about the floods and how they affected the people of Rhoda Slums near Nakuru, Kenya.  I just got word that Jonah has been called home because his own mama has also been affected by torrential rains. Where she lives in a village near Kericho in the highlands it has been raining much more than usual.  Her kitchen hut has been badly affected (totally damaged by the rains and floods).  She has been cooking outside in the rain.  As you can imagine, this makes it not only difficult to cook but makes her prone to sickness.  Jonah has been called home from university studies and is trying to build a new cooking hut.

(Sorry for the lack of good photos but Jonah has lost his camera.  A new camera is another ministry need).


This is Jonah's mother's cooking area.

If you look closely you can see that the ran has gouged out the land where the corn is planted.

There are also other needs of the Missions of Hope at this time. We have been helping Elvis go to medical school in Kisii town but we cannot help to enroll him in his second year.

If you can pray and help with any of the missions needs, I'd love to hear from you.

Lord's Prayer in Swahili

Baba yetu, Yetu uliye
Mbinguni yetu, Yetu amina!
Baba yetu Yetu uliye
jina lako litukuzwe.
Utupe leo chakula chetu
Tunachohitaji utusamehe
Makosa yetu, hey!
Kama nasi tunavyowasamehe
Waliotukosea usitutie
Katika majaribu, lakini
Utuokoe, na yule, muovu e milele!
Ufalme wako ufike utakalo
Lifanyike duniani kama mbinguni. (Amina)

Our Father, Jesus who art
in Heaven. Amen!
Our Father, Jesus
Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Forgive us of
our trespasses
As we forgive others
Who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one forever.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven. (Amen)

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It Was a Spectacular Day! ~ Skywatch

Hello friends and fellow bloggers, It was a spectacular, sunny day where I live. It's still rather chilly from my point of view but the ...