A Quarterly Look at the Work of Living out Agape Love to Street Children in Kenya. Six Years Later. from the main campus >>>

Transcription

1 Issue 14 Spring 2014 A Quarterly Look at the Work of Living out Agape Love to Street Children in Kenya living Agape Stories Of Hope >>> The work the Lord is doing through Agape is evident in amazing statistics like those we shared with you last quarter. Yet the heart of Agape can t possibly be seen through numbers alone. It s through the stories of transformed lives that you can begin to grasp the true measure of what the Lord is doing. It s through stories you can grasp the depth of trauma these children face and the amazing gift of hope that Jesus brings to desperately hurting lives. It s through stories you can realize why we are intentional about sharing the love of Christ with each child and working so hard to get them home. And so, in this year s quarterly newsletters, we offer you... stories. We pray that reading about what the Lord has done in each child s life will help you rejoice in God s goodness throughout the year. Thank you for your continued prayers and gifts that make these stories possible! Six Years Later from the main campus >>> As a ministry, Agape has two primary goals for the street children we rescue: introducing each of them to the redeeming love of Jesus and helping them get back home. Every child that comes through our gates knows that we are looking for their family. In most cases, we find a street child s family within a month of their rescue and begin working to reintegrate them as quickly as possible. But Meshack was different. When children began visiting their families, seeking forgiveness and restoration, Meshack had no one to go to. When kids would spend school holidays at home, learning slowly how to once again live as part of their families, Meshack would stay on campus, having no one to offer him a home. Meshack was just seven years old when he began leaving his family home in search of food. Begging at hotels and food shacks became a way of life, and eventually police arrested him, placing him in a home for street children where he lived for three years. Corruption caused the home to close, and Meshack, then 10, was brought to Agape. For three years our staff tried to find his family, even visiting a federal prison and a remote factory as we followed leads, looking for his father. Meshack was a delight on campus, soaking up all that our staff had to offer. He gave his life to Jesus, obeyed our staff joyfully, and worked hard in school. And then one day, Meshack decided he was ready to find his family. Jesus had worked in Meshack s life, and the trauma that had been holding him back was released. Meshack took Agape staff to his old home. His family had long moved, and it took months of investigative work to find acquaintances who could lead us to his family. Eventually, we found them. After six years of living in group homes, Meshack is finally back with his family! His Muslim relatives have agreed to respect Meshack s Christian faith, and it s our prayer that through the continued visits of our reintegration team, we might someday get to rejoice that they ve given their lives to Jesus, too! Rescuing street kids, introducing them to the redeeming love of Jesus, rehabilitating them through their trauma, and reintegrating them so families can be restored and come to serve the Lord together; this is Agape!

2 from the farm>>> God Whispered in His Ear I remember the first time I saw Silas. He was a small little boy who stood to give his testimony. Silas father was very abusive to him and he had run from the family compound. He spent time on the streets and finally came to Agape. Because of the abuse he suffered at the hand of his father, Silas had a difficult time learning. During his testimony, he was very excited that his father, while laying on his death bed, requested that Silas come to see him. The father asked Silas for forgiveness, then held Silas hand as he passed from this life to the next. Silas was so excited that his father had finally shown affection toward him. During the next few years Silas had a very difficult time learning in school. The decision was made to give him an opportunity to learn a trade at the vocational training center. When Silas first came to The Farm, his English vocabulary consisted of one word, Yah. No matter the question, the answer was always Yah. Betty spent three afternoons a week for months trying to teach Silas the alphabet. He just couldn t grasp it. We hired an English teacher to tutor the boys in English in preparation for the government exams. The tutor came to us and said Silas just can t grasp English. Silas was a wonderful young man who never gave anyone trouble. He was in the carpentry class and worked hard but could not grasp the concept of joints and measurements. To put it bluntly, Silas was beyond help. When we shared the gospel with the boys, Silas was ready to step into a life with Jesus. He was baptized and started his walk with his Savior. Betty and I had a video of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers in the Louisiana State Prison that the boys loved, and one day Silas came over to listen to the music. When the song I m Amazed with Jason Crabb came on, Silas laid his head on the table and sang every word in English. Betty and I were shocked. We would see him occasionally down by the lake singing, dancing, and clapping his hands. from Agape Girls >>> There Is Now Hope! Rachael s sweet smile and laughter are absolutely infectious. To look at this beautiful girl, you would have no way of knowing the incredibly difficult life she has had. It no longer shows on her face or weighs down her shoulders. Rachael s story is a difficult one, full of heartache. She has been through more in her young twelve years than anyone should. But now, incredibly, she has hope. God watched over and protected this girl throughout her childhood and brought her out of a terrible situation. Rachael was one of the first girls to come into Agape Girls Center after it opened. Rachael came to us from Remand, the Kenyan Juvenile Detention Center. Children can stay at Remand for years waiting to find a way back home. That is what happened to Rachael. When we found Rachael in 2012 at Remand, she had been there over two and a half years; longer than any other girl. At that point in her life, Rachael was full of hate and anger. Her face seemed to be permanently etched in a scowl. The Remand staff said Rachael had been this way throughout her years there. Rachael would not share any of her life story. No one knew her history before Remand because she refused to share with anyone. Through Friday Bible studies with the girls in Remand, Hellen, the manager of Agape Girls, got to know Rachael. After the Agape Girls Center opened in September 2012, we brought Rachael to stay with us. Hellen poured so much love into Rachael s life, daily encouraging her, sharing with her, and talking with her. Eventually Rachael started to open up and share some of her story with Hellen. Hellen discovered that Rachael s history was very traumatic. Rachael s parents both died when she was very young. After they died, a man abducted Rachael from her home when she was just seven years old and began abusing her. This person even changed Rachael s second name to make it appear that she was from a different tribe and area. Rachael was held by this person for a year until she got a chance to run away. She was eventually rescued from the streets and taken to the Kisi Remand. She spent over a year at that Remand before being transferred to the Kisumu Remand, where she became very closed off and withdrawn, refusing to share where she came from or anything about her history. It took Hellen s love to help Rachael open up. After sharing her story, Rachael told Hellen that she remembered just one word from her old school s name. Hellen believed she knew where this was and they traveled there together. After hours in a crowded van and more hours on a motorcycle, they found the school. Old women from the village were brought in to help when the school heard Rachael s story, and one of the

3 Silas became a very faithful helper with our livestock. He kept the cows and trained a first-year student to take his place when he finished the program. Our main concern with Silas was the testing center where the boys took the government exams to receive their certificate. The final exam was written in English and consisted of very complicated joints. Our teacher had an idea how the final would look, so he coached Silas in the project. Mr. Martin, our carpentry teacher, worked with Silas for days on the expected project. In our staff meeting, he told us that Silas just could not grasp the measurements and the angles. We decided that he should not go to the state exam to save him the embarrassment of being the first Agape graduate to not pass the exam. Silas insisted that he wanted to take the exam. We had kept him for a third year in a two-year program, thinking that maturity might help him to learn the skills necessary to be a carpenter. George Bala, the local pastor and our house parent, received a phone call from Silas one month after graduation. On his way to work one day, Silas was approached by a drunk lady for something small, a donation to help her. He saw that she was drunk and began to witness to her about Jesus and how God could help her with her alcohol problem. They then prayed together and Silas went on to work. A few days later Silas met her again; she was sober and carrying a Bible. He asked her where she was going. Her response was, I no longer need alcohol and I am on my way to church. Praise the Lord, what a thrill to see God s handiwork in one of our students who seemed to have no hope. Silas is now working with a master carpenter who likes him and is continuing his training as a carpenter in his village. We took Silas to the exam with no hope for him to complete the project in the 8-hour time limit. Wow, were we surprised! It was as if God opened up his mind and whispered in his ear. He completed the project perfectly and within the allotted time frame. Mr. Martin was very excited to see his long term-project (Silas) be successful. Steve Bishop, Director, Agape Vocational Training Center women recognized her! Quickly they were taken to the home of Rachael s stepsister, who still lived in the area. The stepsister wasn t capable of caring for Rachael, but she did later provide directions to the area where Rachael s father s family was living and where both of her parents were buried. Hellen and Rachael traveled to the paternal home area. There, they found a half-brother of Rachael s, who also was not able to allow Rachael to come and stay with him. Hellen asked about any other relatives who might be willing to let the child come and live with them. Although no one was able to provide help immediately, Hellen left her phone number with the family before returning to Agape Girls with Rachael. Months later, the half-brother called Hellen and gave her the phone numbers of Rachael s biological brother. Hellen followed up immediately, and soon other family members were calling, delighted to learn that Rachael was alive! An uncle and aunt were especially excited and insisted that Rachael come live with them! When the uncle and aunt came to Agape Girls to meet Rachael, it was a very happy reunion. Rachael now had a family, one that loved her and cared for her and wanted her to live with them. After such a long list of tragic events, Rachael finally had some security. She was taken to live with her aunt and uncle. Even now, over a year later, Agape staff are still visiting Rachael once a month to check in on her family. She continues to do well now that she is more stable, and she is happily in school. When the Agape staff visits, the family shares how grateful they are for Agape bringing them together. Even after such a traumatic beginning, Rachael now has hope. Her permanent scowl has been replaced with her sweet smile. God did some amazing work in Rachael s life. Out of a hopeless situation, there is now hope. Andrea Dowell Director, Agape Girls Center

4 Finding An Agent That s Right For You director s thoughts... We are excited you will be able to read a few stories of some of our Agape kids in this Quarterly Newsletter. The way in which the Lord reaches these children and then transforms their lives is truly a miracle. A whole bunch of miracles, really! While our ministry is best described by our 4 R s --- Rescue, Redeem, Rehabilitate, and Reintegrate---it is definitely not routine. Each day is different; each child unique, new challenges arise practically moment by moment. Keep praying for the children at Agape and on the streets. Keep praying for our Kenyan staff. Keep praying for our missionaries. Your prayers and support are what make it all work. Thank you! Blessings to you. founder s thoughts... As you get to read these sweet stories of our Agape children, I thought I d share a favorite story of my own. One of my first exposures to street children was in Nairobi with a Catholic priest named Father Grol. He was a friend to street children, and you only had to watch them run to greet him to see the trust he had built with them. As we neared our destination that day, we could smell the acrid odor of a tire burning. When our vehicle stopped, we were immediately surrounded by several dirty, smelly little boys eager to grab our hands and show us their campsite. They had built a fire in the middle of a tire trying to stay warm. One boy took me to a white rectangular box and motioned for me to sit down with him. A few minutes later he asked me a question that sounded like, Do you want to see our puppy? I was puzzled by that but nodded yes and smiled, wondering what would happen next. He got up and went to the end of the box. Then he opened a little door, and to my complete surprise, pulled out a little roly-poly puppy. As I reached for it, I was impressed how healthy the puppy looked. Then I noticed something unusual. This puppy had only three legs! Later the priest explained how the boys had seen the starving mother start to eat her puppy. They were able to rescue it and built this box to keep it in. Then they spent their precious shillings to buy milk and shared it with the puppy. They were loving their little friend and proudly watching him thrive. Tears were stinging my eyes as I realized these neglected street boys were taking better care of a little three-legged dog, than their families were taking care of them. As you can imagine, that experience made a big impact! It gave me a lot to think about as I climbed back into the van smelling like a smoldering tire myself. With love, Darla Each month we send Partners a Story of Hope highlighting one of the children we re helping along with a photo sticker to place on their Stories of Hope poster. This is a great way for children to become involved in sharing their resources with the kids the Lord is rescuing from the streets. See details at: agapechildren.org/getinvolved-2/partners/ beds on our main Kisumu campus have been sponsored! The boys safely sleeping in these beds have someone who is answering a former street boy s plea to, Pray Me Home! Will you help us find additional sponsors? See details at: get-involved-2/kitanda/ Vacation Bible School with Agape! We ve made it easy for you to share about Agape with the kids who come to your VBS. The Agape component is easy to add to any VBS curriculum and comes with a detailed schedule, decorating ideas, handouts, and daily stickers for the kids! This is a fun way to help get the word out about Agape, and kids from the first church to use it, loved it! See the download at: Agape Children s Ministry PO Box 5062 Modesto, CA Local: Toll Free: agapekids@agapechildren.org

5 Spring 2014 Blake and Esther Gibbs Greetings from Kenya! We are seeing God at work in the midst of challenges, as we seek to love on the least of these here in Kisumu. Some of the things we faced this week will give you an idea of how complex ministering to street children can be and how challenging it is to know what to do and how best to do it. We are continuing to encourage and love on Brian as he recuperates from amputation of his left leg. He has been a real trooper and has maintained a wonderful attitude. Please pray with us that the healing process will move forward quickly. Leslie and Jeremy Hamilton are already looking into options for a new prosthetic leg for Brian. We need the Lord s wisdom to know how best to help him prepare for his future. Two days ago, our staff at the Agape Girls campus learned of three children, two sisters age 11 and 6, and their little brother age 4, who had been taken to Remand (Juvenile Hall). Knowing Remand was no place for these little ones, our staff brought them to Agape Girls. The next night, an 11 year old girl was found wandering the streets alone, tired, dirty, and hungry. One of our Agape Girls staff spotted her and asked if we could take her in. The answer for all four of these children was yes bring them to Agape. The challenging part is that we have very cramped space for just 16 beds. These four new children bring our count to 19. We are praying the Lord will provide land and a building just down the street from our main Agape campus for a new, larger Agape Girls facility. Third challenge for the week: we have an increase of about 30 percent in the number of boys we have at The Farm, our Vocational Training Center. The challenge is that we are already exceeding our budget and aren t sure how to juggle it all. In the midst of every challenge, we are grateful to know the Lord is our strength. He is our provider. Each child we endeavor to help is in His loving, caring hands. We are thankful to the Lord for the challenges we face because they provide the opportunity for us to see Him at work: meeting every need, overcoming every obstacle, and doing His will. The Page Family Greetings in the name of our Savior, Jesus! 39 weeks pregnant, and we re still on the lookout for Page Baby #5! We re hoping that by the time you read this, our new addition will have arrived with us in Kisumu. Tammy is doing really well minus the normal aches and pains that go with being 9 months pregnant. We are certain that delivering a baby in Kenya will be a big adventure by itself, and all of us are anxiously awaiting our new arrival! The work at Agape Boys, Girls, and Vocational Training Campuses continues to hum along as we minister to the boys and girls God has placed in our care. Please keep these children in your prayers that their hearts will be open to the Gospel! Thank you all for your continued prayers and support; we couldn t be serving here in Kenya without you!!! Kwaheri (Goodbye)!!! God Bless, The Pages, Chris, Tammy, Sutton, Connor, Seth, and Lyla Check our blog: Jonathan and Andrea Dowell During the week, Andrea and I spend a lot of time doing administrative work. On any given day, you can find us pouring over spreadsheets, taking inventory, or attending a meeting with staff members. Although we love this work, weekends have become a special time of more interaction with the children. During the weekdays, the boys are in school or in class while we are in the office. But during weekends, there is some free time for all of us, and we take full advantage of it. This is the time when we get to play, teach, and just hang out with the boys and get to know them. It has been incredibly rewarding. On Saturdays afternoons, the boys break up into three groups and rotate between three different activities. In the past weeks, these have included riding bikes, doing crafts, watching a movie, cleaning their feet/shoes, and playing with toys. One Saturday, Andrea and I had the unique pleasure of helping out with a musical instrument activity. For two hours, we helped small groups of ex-street boys work out their complex emotional problems on a full drum set, tambourines, and some high pitched recorders. I mean, two hours of these instruments simultaneously at full volume. In a small space. Although our hearing will never fully recover, we can truly say that the boys had a great time. Sundays always begin with our on campus kid s church and ends with an epic soccer match. Although we ve been spectators more than participants, we have been roped into a few games. When we aren t about to pass out on the field from pure exhaustion, we get to hang out on the sidelines with the boys, just talking and playing checkers. We cherish this time with the boys. During the work week we read their stories, talk about their cases, meet with their counselors and teachers, but we truly enjoy the time we get to spend with them directly. It s an amazing gift, and one we will continue to treasure for a long time. Jonathan and Andrea

6 Steve and Betty Bishop Reflecting on what God has allowed in our lives causes me to think about getting old. What age is considered old? I don t think old ; I don t dream old ; I don t slow down like old. I am reminded of Betty s grandfather who died at the ripe old age of 92, He once said, in his 80 s, Life goes by very quickly and yet my mind is still that of a young man. My body just can t keep up. Betty and I married at the age of eighteen, were blessed with two beautiful daughters who gave us eleven wonderful grandchildren and two precious greatgrandchildren. I retired at fifty-five, and we spent ten years with our grandchildren and helping our parents through their final years. At sixty-five we thought, We aren t that old, but we don t seem needed. What now, God? That question has given us new energy, excitement, and fulfillment. God opened a door for us in Africa, of all places. We now spend our days working in a small fishing village on the shores of Lake Victoria. Each week, we teach several hundred children about the love of God and how He sent Jesus to show them how to become a member of His family. What do we get out of life today? Our last three years have been very fruitful. Two grandsons have spent months in Africa working with us, learning about God s world. A high number of the vocation students have turned lives of hopelessness into productive lives focused on God; some have even become associate pastors. Many projects have been started and completed because God has given insight and wisdom in areas where we have no expertise. Forty-nine years of marriage have taken us into many adventures, and I would have to say it s been a wonderful life. Steve and Dianne Warn Steve and Betty We ve been with Agape for 8 ½ years, and we have never been more excited about what God Himself is doing in our midst! Our God is incredible. He delights in pulling off the impossible, just in case we ve forgotten whose idea this was in the first place. He is the God that makes waters flow from hard rock, gives bread in a desert, touches the untouchable, makes something out of nothing, gives life to the dead, and calls those things which do not exist as though they did! If we ve learned anything about Kenyan culture over this time, it s been that you can be a liar, a murderer, a wife/child beater, a cheat, a drunk, but never a thief! A thief is the worst kind of social outcast; within minutes of someone yelling thief, they can be beaten to death by a mob or doused with gasoline and lit on fire. It s not uncommon for desperate parents to tie their child s hands and light them on fire so that they might learn not to steal. A common belief is that the spirit of a thief within a family is passed on to the next generation so that they are doomed to die a thief as well. Well, we are seeing God change that. Should we be surprised when He causes a family to make room for a child that is a known thief in their community? That s what is happening! Through the redemptive love of Christ and patient counseling and teaching of the Word of God by our staff, we are seeing transformation take place before our very eyes! It truly is a miracle. How great an awesome is our God! A special thanks to all of you who are part of the team. Steve and Dianne The Kjeldgaard Family I've written before about how white people visiting Agape often seem to have their hearts most closely tied to the kids with the biggest problems. My visit to Kenya in the fall of 2013 has proven this to be true once again. In October, I met Mary Ann. An 11 year old girl who has faced unbelievable abuse, Mary Ann was often the girl leading worship in the weeks I was there. I loved her passionate singing and her earnest prayers, and yet there was also a toughness and fighting spirit that sometimes made her relationships with other girls difficult. When I said goodbye to the girls at the end of my trip, it was down Mary Ann's cheeks that the largest tears fell. Huge, salty tears covered her face, and she wouldn't make eye contact as I knelt to kiss her. I whispered in her ear that I was so thankful I'd had a chance to meet her and that she must never forget that she s a child of The One True King. Since my return to the States, the staff have tried to reintegrate Mary Ann twice. She ran back to the Girls Center once and was taken to Remand once. As I read the reports coming in from Kenya, I asked if we might bring Mary Ann back to the Girls' Center. She seemed unstable and in need of counseling. When space opened up, Mary Ann was welcomed back, and everyone was hopeful that the love of our staff and some counseling sessions might help. Yesterday, as I signed onto a Skype conference call with missionaries in Kenya, I was met with the news that it had been a horrible day. Mary Ann had become violent and uncontrollable at the girls' home. After she attacked numerous staff members with vicious slapping, biting, and kicking, the staff and missionaries made an incredibly difficult decision. Mary Ann had to be restrained and transported to Remand. The very place that we have fought so hard to rescue kids from was the only viable option for Mary Ann. My heart is broken for the staff, for the missionaries, and for Mary Ann. They all desperately need your prayers. Will you join me? Pray that the Lord will comfort Mary Ann even in that dark place. Pray that she would gain emotional stability. Pray for the Agape staff and missionaries, especially Andrea, the new Director of Agape Girls. I'm so incredibly thankful for Andrea's presence, and my heart hurts for all that she's facing. Enjoy the pictures of a happy day I got to spend with Mary Ann. Please pray that the Lord would restore her joy and become the source of her strength. For the kids, Lisa, for the Kj family

7 Ministry Support for: General Fund Agape Girls Kitanda Project Partners for Hope Steve & Betty Bishop Jonathan & Andrea Dowell Blake & Esther Gibbs Jeremy & Leslie Hamilton Eric & Lisa Kjeldgaard Chris & Tammy Page Steve & Dianne Warn Total Payment Type: Check Money Order Please make payable to: Agape Children s Ministry PO Box 5062 Modesto, CA Credit Card Visa Mastercard See reverse for Credit Card Information or to set up Automatic Payments. Mailing Address: Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Address: Yes! I would like to receive newsletters by . Save a stamp. Donate online: Automatic Bank Debit (ACH) Bank Name: Branch: City: State: Zip: Transit/ABA No. Account No. Please deduct monthly on 5th / 20th (circle one) Effective date: **Please include a check marked VOID with this completed form** I/we hereby authorize Agape Children s Ministry to initiate charges and to initiate, if necessary, adjustment entries for any errors to my/our bank account listed here. This authority will remain in force and effect until Agape Children s Ministry has received written notification from me/or either of us, of its termination in such time and in such manner as to afford Agape Children s Ministry a reasonable opportunity to act on it. (Authorized Signature) It is Agape Children s Ministry s policy to endeavor to abide by Donor intent or designated preference as to how a contribution will be utilized. In accordance with IRS Regulations, Agape Board of Directors has final control and discretion in how all non-restricted funds are used in pursuit of Agape s established tax exempt purpose. (Date) Debit/Credit Card Authorization Visa Mastercard Name on Card: Number: Exp. Date: / V Code: Billing Zip Code: Please deduct a one time gift of Please deduct: monthly Monthly on the 5th or 20th (circle one) For months Until I contact you to discontinue Effective date: Signature: