Just One More

A long time ago I heard a Tennessee preacher named Ira North talk about evangelism. He asked how many we should try to reach, and the answer was "just one more." And why that one? Because of the value of every life. He went on to say that he would swim the Cumberland River, he would climb Outlook Mountain to reach her, if that one more were his little daughter.

We have one more girl at Kamulu, a treasure from the streets. And she has come in time for the December Holidays -- that's a smart move on her part. Of course she doesn't know what a good time we have planned for the kids who live with us, to make them feel special, to give them new experiences!

Anastacia is 15. She seems glad to be at Kamulu. She speaks some English already and the other kids like her. She started out right away singing in chapel, and she is in the beginning literacy class for now. She also arrived in time to be in the class hearing the reading and retelling of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. We will have more info about her later. If there is someone who wants to sponsor her, she is available. So we have another one to call our own, and we will go to great lengths to find kids like Anastacia, like brave the Mathare River and climb Mt. Longonot.

Climbing Mountains

My family and I recently climbed Mt. Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa. It was difficult and challenging to make it to the top. We needed encouragement, assistance and advice to help us succeed in reaching the top of point Lenana. There were times when it was painful, exhausting and joyful. I fell down several times and then got back up again to strive towards the goal of reaching Lenana. We hired a guide to keep us on the right path. We hired porters to help us carry our heavy bags. People have attempted to climb the mountain only to fail, get injured or even die on Mt. Kenya. It is a risky adventure. We could not do this alone.
We needed the right equipment. We needed warm clothes due to the freezing temperatures experienced at the high elevation. We needed flashlights to light our path because the final ascent is done at night. The guide offered advice and feedback so that we could succeed. He offered his walking stick so I wouldn’t fall so often. His experience and skill helped him to help us to succeed. He has walked the path numerous times helping others to succeed in reaching the top. I experienced a lot of pain in my ankles as I climbed. Hollye got some very painful blisters on her feet. Micah’s hip was painful during the trek. Andrew was fighting malaria. Andrew and Micah encouraged Hollye and I not to give up although we wondered at timesif the trip was worth the pain.

We succeeded in reaching our goal. It was an exciting time when we reached the top. There were others who had reached the peak as well and we all rejoiced with one another. There were times when we needed lots of help from others. There were times we needed to hear someone say to us that we can make it. There were times I had to turn and ask the guide if I was on the right path or not. Reaching the summit wasn’t easy, there were lots of challenges but we rejoiced together when we all made it to the top.

A few years ago a climber attempted to climb Mt. Kenya

alone. He got lost along the way and eventually died somewhere on Mt. Kenya. His body was never found. Just imagine the desperation, fear and despair he must have experienced realizing he was all alone and perishing.

Now, imagine yourself a teenager, all alone on the frightening streets of Nairobi. There is no place to sleep safely or eat healthily. The streets are scary with violence and danger all around. Just imagine the fear, desperation and despair these youngsters must feel as they wonder if they are perishing.
At Made in the Streets we encourage kids living on the streets to reach their goals. They need help. The teenagers sometimes fall down and need encouragement to get up. Charles (or “Chizi” – crazy) was living in a broken down truck and going down the wrong path. He spent his days begging and collecting scrap metal in order to buy marijuana and glue to sniff to ease his discomfort. In his high states he was hit by motorist and another time bitten by police dogs. The path he was on was leading to destruction and despair. He needed our help to get him back on the right path. All of the kids living on the streets have experienced terrible pain in their lives. Many have buried

both of their parents. All have been abused. All have been misled by others. There are times when they don’t eat for long periods of time. What they do eat comes out of the trash heap or someone may offer them small amounts of leftovers. It is a very painful existence.

Anastacia was not equipped to succeed. She had dropped out of school and was living in poverty. After the death of her mother, she spent her days in the streets. She needed training and skills to reach her goals.

Made in the Streets equips children with a normal education,
skills to be employed, and the gospel of Jesus. She has completed her education and is now in journalism school studying to become a reporter. She has given her life to Jesus and has been baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of her sins.
Thank you for your part in helping to lead these precious children to the Guide, who will show them the path of righteousness
and truth and encourage them

on their journey to the Mountain of the Lord.

by Larry Conway

NEW BABY AT MITS!

Very exciting, and scary! Paulyne Adhiambo was taken to hospital Saturday night, and the doctors thought she would give birth before morning. But there was a problem, an finally the doctors asked her about surgically bringing the baby. She didn't really want to and was scared of surgery (a lot of these kids have never even been to a doctor and are frightened of everything connected with them).

The doctors told her, "The baby is getting tired," so she finally consented. They performed the surgery yesterday, and we have another baby girl. We don't know yet whether there was fetal stress or any complications, but both seem okay. A few minutes ago Augustina (who works at the Eastleigh Center as a cook and a sort of grandmother to the girls) was going to get water and take it to her. Even the water at the hospital isn't safe to drink! But in spite of the problems, the staff there does a good job.

So rejoice with us. And please ask God to bring life and joy to this baby, who will never have to live on the streets.

Multiple Assemblies at Kamulu

It's a peaceful and quiet rainy Sunday afternoon; I think I need a nap. After church we invited our MITS intern over for lunch, with burritos and raw veggies and apples with peanut butter. Then it started to rain again.

This morning when I went down to the MITS Learning Center to make coffee and set up my classroom, Brian Ochieng was already there setting up chairs and putting out song books for the worship. Later when it was time for class to begin, rain had come, so we undid Brian's work and put the chairs back in the Bible room. Then class met in the chapel room. We had a great class of 36 people, even 3 babies; with rain drumming on the roof, we had group discussions on 2 Timothy 2.

Often there are many in rural areas who stay home from church when it rains, and sometimes with us, especially since we meet outside. We kept our class and a few others in chapel, and Joel and others started worship in the Bible room. So, all of a sudden Kamulu had multiple services, and ours were simultaneous. Francis Wahome, one of our older students, led songs in the chapel room, while Joel Njue led in the Bible room. Francis Mbuvi preached his sermon after a couple of songs in the chapel room, while they sang in the Bible room. Then the children went out to Sunday school, and Jackton led the communion in the Bible room. After the

sermon, Francis went across the courtyard, and Jackton came to the chapel room for the Lord's Supper.

It worked out really well, so now we have a plan on rainy mornings. And we had 123 people, only about 10 fewer than usual. Besides that, we had 9 babies and 7 toddlers in church today. Since we have a single moms program, and our Team members have married and have children, 11 of them are our own. But that means 5 are from the community.

We honored one of our older students today for his service in the church. Francis Cugia has led in worship in prayer and the Lord's Supper for several years and has been a spiritual encouragement to younger kids. Here is his latest school picture. He is now in an internship in carpentry in the city.

New Life, New Experience

It's a relaxed day...Saturday...MITS students are washing clothes, cleaning the property, looking forward to playing soccer in the afternoon. It rained all night. We've washed the car and cleaned it, and we're not expecting to drive it in the mud. At least, not today.

The phone rings, and it is Moses, our IT man and computer teacher. He wants to borrow the car - after all, I am like Dad to the Team. But it's not for himself. One of the girls needs to go to the hospital. She's in labor, or something, he says. He is the only driver around, and the other vehicles are being used. In a few minutes Moses is at the house, and this is a new experience for him. I make him nervous by asking what he will do if baby is born in the car.

It's Paulyne Adhiambo, admitted to the single moms' program in late September. So Moses and Irene take her to Pumwani Maternity Hospital and check her in. The doctor says she will have the baby by morning, so she should stay. Now Moses gets another new experience. He goes to the store to buy all the things a baby needs -- blanket and oil and shampoo and diapers, none of which the hospital has.

So in a few hours MITS will have another new life among us, someone to love and teach so that he/she will never be "on the streets." And Moses knows what to do next time.

PRAYER FOR ENEMIES

We accept Jesus as Lord, but we have some problems doing all that He says. Many years ago Darlene invited Curt Cloninger to come to Redwood City where I preached to do his presentation of the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. Darlene invited the community women whom she taught who were mothers of kids from the Preschool Bible Classes, several of whom were not involved in church life. The next day in their class Darlene asked what they thought of the drama. One of them said, "I liked the program, but I don't agree with everything he said." When Darlene told her he was quoting Jesus, she became very thoughtful.

If we are honest, there are times when we would want to say, "I don't agree with Jesus." One of those is when he says "Love your enemies...pray for your enemies." Because he meaning of that is deep and far-reaching. Love is for family and closeness...prayer is for God to use His power to bring benefit and joy and new hope. Give that to enemies?

In business it means that we pray that God will bless our competitors, giving them both profit and joy. In a community it means that we pray that God will bless our neighbors, even the one who builds a fence across the road and blocks access. In politics it means that we ask God to give long life and leadership ability to politicians who use their position to steal land and businesses.

We were treated to a great prayer at church in Kamulu Sunday. It was the prayer for the sadaka (the collection), and the young man praying was Titus Kioko. Anyone who has seen one of our MITS brochures has seen Titu

s, sitting on an old tire in front of our Eastleigh Center, under the influence of glue and drugs. He was that way all the time on the streets, and both Team members and visitors loved him and prayed for him.

So Sunday he prayed for the children of the church, that they might grow strong and be with God, and he prayed for the preacher, that his sermon might help us, and he prayed for the

leaders of Kenya, that

they might make Kenya a good place for people, and he prayed that God would bless

Waititu, the MP who led people to seize a portion of MITS land, and he prayed for Sudan and Somalia and America.

Here are two pics of Titus, the one when on the streets in 2007, and this year's school picture at MITS. And there are many who are glad to know him.

TEAM RETREAT

The Team of leaders of Made in the Streets enjoyed a retreat at Mountain Lodge near Mount Kenya. The weekend retreat was organized by Hollye and Larry Conway and led by Dan Spann of Knoxville, Tennessee. Here they are pictured having tea in the great outdoors, which they enjoyed very much, along with Dan's teaching and encouragement. The Team divided into two groups, with one going the first two nights. Then they were joined for one day by the second group, who stayed two nights also. They do this because MITS has the street kids in boarding 24/7/365, and there can never be time off for everyone. Darlene and Charles Coulston stayed with the kids for the day the Team groups overlapped.

The single moms from Eastleigh came out to Kamulu during the retreat so that all Eastleigh Team members could go on the retreat. One of the moms had her baby two days before the retreat, and little Yvonne (since renamed Hollye Wanjiru) did very well.

Milly and Kehl are shown here on the retreat in their matching T-shirts, which were given by South MacArthur Church during their "Camp Mtume" week with the students. The Coulstons have noted remarkable growth in Kehl in the past 2 months. Sue Dansby of Denton, Texas, is visiting with us now, and her expertise is child growth and nursery school. She is working with Kehl, with Milly and Jackton and with our kids in what we can do to help Kehl develop. We are so pleased that God blesses us with the people we need at the right time. Sue is also working with our single moms to teach them both child care and child development.