Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Christmas Street Memories
Thursday, December 3, 2009
TEA PARTY by Darlene
It's December and I love giving parties. So on Friend Sunday, I asked Mbuvi to announce that all the church ladies were invited to our house Thursday at 4 for a Christmas Tea. OK, that was today. First, I was at the school, and Moses came to tell me there were women at the gate for me... for a tea party. In Swahili, hour 4 is our 10 am whereas our 4 pm is hour 10 -- confused? They were too. So I go home, make two big cakes, cut them into 15 pieces, and then, the rain started. Only if you've been here in Kenya during a rain will you appreciate how hard it is to walk in our particular kind of mud. I thought, "Oh, no. There won't be anyone for tea! Well, maybe 5 or 6." It continued to rain -- a lovely sound on our tin roof, and we really do need the rain. But my party..... Around 3 pm, I started making chai. I arranged chairs, etc. and I was ready, but not expecting many.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
A STORY THAT MAKES ME STAY
Thursday, November 26, 2009
HONOR TO GIRLS
WELL DONE, GREAT WOMEN OF MITS
While the writer of Proverbs has much to say about the foolishness of men, his experience also teaches him that some women are hard to live with. In 19:13 he writes of a wife's words that are like "continual dripping of rain." We presume that the rainy season was not a favorite time of his.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
A CHAPEL TO REMEMBER
Thursday, November 12, 2009
New People in Kamulu
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Climbing Mountains
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.
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
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
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
NEW BABY AT MITS!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Multiple Assemblies at Kamulu
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.
Monday, October 26, 2009
PRAYER FOR ENEMIES
Friday, October 23, 2009
TEAM RETREAT
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
SINGLE MOMS PROJECT
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Life at Kamulu with Street Kids
This report was recently written by Moses Okoth, who instructs skills students in computers and maintains our network and internet access.
The electricity rationing is not all that bad. I have stuff to do with the skills students on these days...Monday. Wednesday and Friday. Mostly we go through the theory part, or just chat about successful people in the computer industry and make wishful stories of upcoming days. I have to say this group that are in computer skills training were really meant to be here. Imagine thay even want to know how animations are done, like in the movies Transformers and Ice Age. This makes me have to do more research and have something to tell them when they ask such questions. But all in all I am always enjoying it. As long as it’s computer related, that is me...
We used Coulston's little generator some during VBS, when there was no electricity. I must say that is one economical generator. We put in petrol on a Monday and it served us the whole week. If I could get something like that for the computers it really would be nice. So should I go ahead and enquire how much a generator costs? (note: anyone want to help with this, to serve the computer kids?)
We had a break-in at the café, losing plates and cups and utensils and sufurias (big cooking pots). It really make me feel like getting hold of the guys ad plucking their toe nails one at a time to represent the pain in all our hearts here at MITS. But better to suffer loss than to harm another.
I had a chance to visit Joseph Mburu at his place of work yesterday. I was in town with Hollye trying to network and get placements for our kids at different areas. Mburu is doing great; he now has a passion of going for further computer studies and wants to be doing that from next month. Joel and Francis will organise and maybe we can come up with something? What do you think about this? Now that he is earning, he can also take some responsibility in paying for things like his transport as he works and goes to school. Joel says he can start finding an apartment next year as funds are available. (note: does anyone want to help Joseph into further studies in computers? His job doesn’t provide enough to cover his expenses at this point, so his sponsor continues to care for his housing and food and transport needs, but he will need about $30 a month to go to school).
We have a volunteer called Victorine. She will be with us on the weekdays till Friday, then attends college in social work on Saturdays. After her classes she will head back here for the weekend with the girls. (note: since Moses wrote this, Victorine has become a regular with MITS at Kamulu, while continuing school in social work. She is with the girls and is teaching a literacy class on days she is available. Would anyone like to cover her salary while she is on probation with us, and afterwards assuming she stays? Cost is $100 a month)
Three of the single mothers are here at Kamulu now. We have tested them and put them in classes, after which they will do skills training. In the meantime Irene Mbithe and Victorine have been looking after the babies when they are not teaching. Jane Njeri, supervisor at Eastleigh, tells me she got another single mother.
Our boys’ dorm has been painted, for which we are grateful; now it looks nice. The gate has been expanded so the bus can pass through easily. We are planting more trees at the boys. We want it to look nice and be cool."
Monday, October 5, 2009
MITS Library and News
"Today we had a slow day because it was declared a public holiday.
We had Chapel at 10 AM and it was heavenly singing. Ken Owino shared with us and said we should take care of things as if they were ours. We had one hour in Library -- here are two pics of Jackline, Margaret and
Mwanahawa reading during that time.
(note: The Library is a special part of MITS. Each year when visitors come to work with us, we always ask them to bring some more books that are good for teenagers - to help them grow spiritually, to help them with English, to deepen their skills studies, and so on. We have almost 3,000 books now that the Coulstons have returned with a suitcase full.)
We also had our classes early. I talked with Akinyi and she said that the 4:30 classes were very nice. She said the students enjoyed them and that they learned much. She too said she learned a lot from the things she taught.
(note: Irene Akinyi is teaching the current Bible offering of the 4:30 Classes, which is Personal Counseling. We are teaching the kids how to recognize emotional and spiritual problems and how to develop themselves, with God's help, into secure and stable people. The 4:30 Classes are designed to help the students prepare themselves for life outside of MITS, in a job, in their own housing, in a new church)
We had some time in the afternoon to work in the farm. There was power
today so we had water."
(note: There is severe power rationing in Kenya because of the serious long-term drought the country has been facing. Many rivers can no longer support hydro-electric plants. When we have electricity, we have water, since we have a well that is 300 feet deep and has plenty of water for our purposes. We are grateful to friends in the USA who provided funds and expertise for our water supply.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Church at Kamulu
"We had such a good time in Church today. Joel and
Jackton were on leave, so they were not available to lead singing and translate. It gives opportunity for us to use other church members and the students. Titus translated for the Golf Course Road group of four that is here. I think that was nice and bold of him to do. Earlier Larry Conway had asked Evans, who works at the farm, to do it, and he said he was afraid.
Titus was nearby (the first pic is of Titus when he was still on the streets; he is in the middle with the big smile), and Larry told him to sit in between the visitors and translate what I said. Even though some of the Swahili words are hard, Titus did well. The visitors told me they enjoyed the sermon. What a great gift we have in the students.
The morning adult and teen class was nice too, and today it was extra full. I had to bring in some more extra seats. All the discussion questions were the same things I was to preach about -- things to remove or kill in our lives and those to put on (from Colossians 3). We were blessed.
This picture is a recent one of Titus with an Aggies for Christ visitor to Kamulu. They formed a special bond, as Alex has prayed for Titus since Titus was on the streets, and this year Titus was praying for Alex after he became ill with mono. Our ministry is truly mutual, and we believe that street kids have the ear of God.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Seeing the Glory
Meet Agnes. She grew up in the slums of Nairobi in the home of a mother who cared for 17 children and a father who was a thief and who eventually was killed after a huge bank robbery. Her mother did not have money for food and school fees and so Agnes helped her family by sleeping with men to bring in some income. She eventually married and was very happy with her little family, having a successful husband in the advertising industry and two sons. Then her mother-in-law brought a second wife into the home. Agnes endured one very horrible year and left.
Agnes’ next lover lived in a back alley of Nairobi, amidst towering piles of trash. Agnes joined Patrick there and conceived his child. One day as Patrick was drinking, he got into a fight and was stabbed in the neck three times, loosing his life. Agnes continued to live on the base until she was taken advantage of by other men. She gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Marilyn. But Marilyn was born with cancer and a huge tumor. She endured 3 difficult surgeries, managed to wrap herself tightly around our hearts and passed away at 10 months
Agnes' life was so empty and she decided that she desperately needed and wanted the Lord in her life. A few weeks after Marilyn’s death she wanted to give her life to Jesus. She wanted to “be close to God, wanted to be cleansed from her sin and wanted God to be glorified thru her life, as her life is a true testimony.” She will tell you, “The day I was baptized, I changed”. And she has and it has been beautiful to witness. I like to tell people that one of my favorite parts of our ministry is having a front row seat on God’s miracles!
Barbie Jones contacted me and told me of an orphan with cancer from one of their orphanages on the coast that was brought to a hospital in Nairobi. He is here and does not know anyone. I went and met precious Nyale and God put it on my heart to introduce him to Agnes. She is now Nyale’s friend, who visits him, loves on him and meets his needs. Agnes’s heart is ready to bless others for God’s glory. We have more plans and dreams for Agnes’s life, as does God!
,
Thank you for praying for us and this ministry. We send our love, Hollye
Monday, August 31, 2009
News and Coulston Address
*a new mother and baby at Eastleigh Center -- Lucy and Collins -
*4 new boys at Kamulu Center
*received funds to send Willys (who loves farming and animals) to school in agriculture
*a new Team member -- Jane Njeri -- working in Eastleigh and serving street girls beautifully
The Coulstons have a new address to receive mail. The family is now based in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. We are less than 20 minutes from DFW, so our flights to visit people on behalf of Made in the Streets will be easy to catch and centrally located.
Continue to donate online (see www.made-in-the-streets.org or www.madeinthestreets.blogspot.com for the online)
or send checks to Made in the Streets, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027. But for mail about the ministry, or for sponsors to send mail for us to take to students, please send to
Charles/Darlene Coulston
P. O. Box 93165
Southlake, TX 76092
We look forward to hearing from you.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Email from Laurent Mogambi
About Christ Jesus - I can't say anything less than to confess that He is still working in our liv
About the 20 acres - everything is going well though we don't have much time to be there the whole day, since I am still working at the University part-time. The kids are learning to cook.
About the shops and Jackton plans. I don't know much about Jack's plans. But about the shops, everything is doing fine, including the tea house.
Linda (nb: Benthall, intern from Otter Creek church) is doing fine and she came to our house and I shared a little about my life story.
About my catering students - Grace Wahu started her attachment last week at my boss' Restaurant. Brenda Adhiambo and Mercy Wanja are going for an interview this coming Tuesday at Carnivore Restaurant.
Ryan (nb: Matthews, intern from New Mexico) is already gone to USA.
Finally I don't have much to add apart from saying that the LORD is good all the time GOD is always great for me and the MITS people. Praise His Name.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Streets are Alive
The streets are alive with the sounds of kindness, with words of comfort and encouragement, because Made in the Streets is there. These kids sleep against a wall, or scrounge for edible throwaways, or seek entertainment where it can be found.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
CAMP MTUME
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Same Yet Different
Day Two at Camp Mtume
We broke up the kids into eight groups and each group has a camp counselor. My group is the blue team. We have different colored bandanas to denote people in a group. This morning, after giving each child a new bible with their name engraved on it,we learned about the apostle James, son of Zebedee, and his brother the apostle John. How they both had changed so much from the point when Jesus called them to be diciples to greater maturity in Christ. The children in my group talked about how James and John were excellent examples for being a good disciple, and related stories about their past on the streets and the differences in their lives now that they are at MITS. They are so thankful for what they now have. The kids related their individual stories of how Jackton and Francis and others came to the streets and told them the good news about Jesus Christ. I was humbled to hear these stories and greatful that I could help teach them in my own small way. However, I think I'm learning much more from them then they are learning from me. This is such an eye opening experience for me and is helping me in my own struggle to walk with Christ by turning everything over the Him.
What a blessing from God this experience is for me! I pray that He will turn me into a better servant for these wonderful kids.
(written by Benjamin Copeland - visiting from South MacArthur Church of Christ)
Monday, July 13, 2009
First day of Camp Mtume and teaching moms in Eastleigh
The children started out the day with chapel and then a movie (yes, Transformers 2 is the hot movie here in Kenya as well :)
While the counselors and kids watched their movie, Ben and I went to Eastleigh to work with the mother/baby program they have there every Monday. With the help of our most excellent translator, Mama Angel, I was able to teach the moms more about nutrition and several other health topics. The mothers were full of interesting and tough questions. Our conversations revealed that the usual necessities we take for granted, like formula, diapers, and multivitamins, are extremely expensive relative to the resources these moms have. Just day to day living is a struggle. I was also able to examine two of the children who have been having health troubles and they were so beautiful. The staff in Eastleigh is so hardworking and amazing in the work they do with limited facility and materials.
Afterward, we all returned to the Learning Center and continued the Camp Mtume activities. There were weaving crafts, group games/sports, and small group time.
The kids enjoyed learning about the meaning of their names and started bonding with their group leaders. Overall it was an amazing day and I know that all of us who are visiting Made in the Streets have been blessed already by the the children and staff. Keep praying for this great ministry!
(this entry blogged by Stephanie Copeland visiting Made in the Streets from South MacArthur Church or Christ)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
We Arrived
The welcome was overwhelming last night as we arrived at the girl's dorm. While we were sitting in the bus waiting for the gate to open we were greeted with loud chants from the girls. Then once we got out of the bus we were literally mobbed with hugs. I don't remember who all I hugged because girls were hanging from each limb of my body. We felted truly loved.
This morning we had the pleasure of attending church here at the learning center. To really understand the voices, the songs, the smiles, the hand shakes, and the wonder of God there is only one thing I can say....you must come visit! It does not matter if we understood the language or not we all found ourselves singing the beautiful words of God, in swahili. A group of the girls got up and sang a tribal song that spoke of heaven. While being surrounded in their precious voices all I could think of was "wow, these are my beautiful sisters and one day we will be in heaven together." I feel at home here.
Molly
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Love It When They Get a Job
We have many goals for students at Made in the Streets. We want them to walk with Jesus and trust God with the whole heart. We want them to have good friendships and become good husbands and wives. We also want them to get a job. And we are thrilled, we feel a sense of victory when it happens.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Of Losses and Gains
Saturday, June 27, 2009
4.30 at MITS
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Children of MITS
Monday, June 8, 2009
FOREVER CHANGED by Alex Jackson
There are few places in the world where one can directly see the changing power of our Lord. Made In the Streets is one of those places, it has forever changed my life as it has forever changed the lives of its students. The street children of Nairobi are perhaps the most lost souls I have ever encountered. Their countenance is one of despair and their stories full of injustice. The first time I visited MITS during the summer of 2006, I left with a bitter taste in my mouth. How could God put his children through such an upbringing? If he loves all his little children how can he introduce them to drugs at such a young age and how can he let them starve in these cold, dirty slums?
Upon my second visit to MITS (summer of 2009) my eyes were opened and my opinions changed. I witnessed the grace and mercy of God first hand. I still don't know why God puts children through street life but I do know now that there stories are not full of despair but rather hope. Seeing children in Kamulu whom I first met on the streets showed me how much God loves these little children and how much the power of our Lord can change their lives. Kamulu lets children robbed of their childhood be children again. The smiling faces, laughter, jokes and games has shown me that the Lord has a purpose for every one of them and, through their experience in the slums, is preparing them for amazing lives of service. These kids are the light of the Lord and I am forever changed by my time with them.
Perhaps no story is as powerful as Titus Kioko's. When I met Titus in 2006 he was skinny, high, disrespectful, angry and mischevious. One afternoon we decided to buy some sandals for the street kids at one of our relief camps as none of them had shoes, we couldn't imagine climbing through the trash piles and walking among broken glass barefoot. We were handing out sandals through the gate at the Eastleigh center, but when Titus stepped up to get his sandals, we ran out. Titus looked at me with furious eyes and spit in my face. I was livid, and while we bought him a pair of sandals, I wanted nothing to do with him. However, Titus has a personality that draws you in, and I couldn't resist forming a friendship with him. When I left Nairobi, I prayed that God would work in Titus' life and he most certainly did.
My trip this summer was full of hills and valleys as my health really hindered my ability to serve. When I got out of the Aga Kahn Hospital, the first thing I wanted to do was see the kids. I was sitting in a chair in the Learning Center and I heard someone say, "man Alex, you're alot weaker than the last time I saw you." I turned around and saw Titus just laughing histerically. It was such a joy to see him taller, well dressed and in good spirits. He then said, "I have been praying for> you ever since I heard you were ill." It stopped me dead in my tracks, Titus Kioko is praying for me? This last sunday Titus served communion, led a prayer, and sang with the praise team, I am so proud of who he has become. The Titus I spent time with in Kamulu is a true servant of the Lord and his story will be a blessing to anyone who hears it, he resembles the Titus I met in the streets only in appearance and humor. If God can change Titus he can change anyone. Saying goodbye was hard, but I am so excited to hear where the Lord takes him, I have no doubt that Titus will do great things with his life.
Titus' story is just one of the hundreds of stories of reformation among Made in the Streets students. The world could use more programs like MITS.