Agriculture Student at MITS

Although we have a nice farm at Kamulu, it has not been easy getting our street students interested in farming. They grew up in the slum, often without seeing a farm or knowing the sources of food. For that matter, it isn't easy getting Team members interested in farming!!

So Willys Odhiambo has been a source of joy. Willys came from the streets in 2007 and very soon displayed interest in the animals and in growing crops. He has done his skills training with Ben Mwami on the farm and shown real aptitude in agriculture.

This note is from Francis Mbuvi, our administrator:

"Willis has started his attachment at the Brookside Dairy Company farm yesterday and he seemed happy about it. He will be staying in Eastleigh and commuting to Ruiru."

Willys is sponsored by Kim and Peter D'Costa of Palo Alto, CA, and we are all very proud of him and his achievements. This attachment will last less than a year, after which Willys will be seeking employment. He would probably be a good addition to the MITS staff; please be in prayer for his future.

SUNDAY AND MONDAY AT MITS

FRANCIS MBUVI REPORTS:

We had a blast at Church yesterday. I had 32 in my morning class and the sharing was just nice. Lucy Wambui shared that sometimes she is like the seed that fell on the path because she hears the word and

knows it is right but a few minutes after church she will have forgotten. Others shared too and it was a blessed time. In Church we looked at Mark 4, and it was mostly focusing on how we should be attentive to God's word. BFTS and the girls and the praise team all sang for the church - very encouraging.

Titus Mutiso did a small talk and said for me to greet you.

This morning we were led in choruses and the whole chapel was on fire. I wished Darlene was there coz I know how much she loves those. Katera and Andrew are here from China and they are loving it.

We did have a wonderful time on Monday with the street mothers. They were 35 with their children. It started with games and they really like one that is called “Kabuti” - the leader will call a name and they all respond then all of a sudden will be asked to turn. If you are facing the wrong side then you’ll be asked to go out of

the game until we find the winner. We have been getting winners in all types of games and reward them with different kind of gifts such as toothpaste and soap.

This Monday’s lesson was about learning the names of God, with the introduction of God’s names in Hebrew. It’s exciting to say the names and pray to God with those names. We started with ADONAY which means Lord, Master. We read about Moses who was a servant of God and we too are his servants and we pray to him like Moses did. We also learned that we should fully trust him, and we saw how God asked Moses to go to Egypt and rescue his people and even as he calls him ADONAY he still did have doubts. God told him to use the rod he has in his hands, but Moses continued to say he did not know how to speak. So God gave him someone to speak for him.

We asked God for forgiveness for the times in our lives we call him ADONAY but still don’t trust that he is able and he is our LORD and MASTER.

One of the mothers came later and asked me to give her a Hebrew name of God as a healer so that she would go and pray for her son to the God of healing.

The mothers in this program are growing spiritually which is so encouraging as they are learning that God is great and they are putting their trust in Him.

Next week we’ll learn about another name.

Exiting Students

Joel Njue has provided a short update on students who are in process of exiting Made in the Streets for their own lives "in the world and in Christ." These are great young people whom we love very much; we feel like parents watching their kids leave home.

Moses Kung’u - finished his attachment at end of 2009 and was able to get a good job in a restaurant in town as a waiter. Currently he is living in Baba Ndogo (a suburb located within Nairobi city).

Mary Wanjiku: - finished her attachment in 2009 too and got a job in a small bakery in Mwiki; it did not work out for her permanently. She opted to open a small business with some of the savings she had from selling second hand clothing. Recently we learned that she was re-called to her previous place of employment, the bakery in Mwiki.

Susan Wambui - graduated in November 2009 from L'oreal College and ready to hit the job market this year. She is on an attachment (internship) basis with MITS waiting for a job offer. We continue support.

Joseph Mburu - got a job downtown in a shop called Ibrahim’s Electronics. He is dealing in computers sales and other electronic devices. He is ready to move out and look for a place this month. Currently we provide his fare which ends soon, but we will provide his housing for 3 months.

Francis Cugia - just finished his attachment in woodworking in a company called Rosewood Furniture and has a job offer in the sister company of Rosewood. He is however having problems getting an identity card which means he has to wait before he can enjoy having a job until he gets the card. Today I went to see the Registrar of IDs; she said I should forward all the documents I have so that she can help with getting IDs in Kayole. Cugia is in that group.

Ken Wambugu - finished his attachment downtown last year. He is ready to go to driving school and then a job. Currently he is the assistant to Charles Odonyi in teaching auto mechanics at MITS. Mbuvi tells me we will take him for driving school next month - February 2010.

Joseph Wambua and Joseph Wahome - they both have just finished their attachments at 4 Wheel Drive and downtown respectively. This month we started them on looking for a house. By the end of Janury they will be living outside the ministry and ready to starting looking for jobs. We will continue support until they are settled.

Anastacia Njoki - she is very excited that she has finished her first year in college; she told me that it was tough for her but she is tougher. She still has half a year to go before she finishes her studies. This month we will look for an attachment place for her so that she can have a three month internship at a media place in town.

Grace Wahu, Brenda Odhiambo and Mercy Wanja - they all just finished their attachments. Grace is going to a restaurant downtown that she has high hopes that she will get a job, but her problem is getting IDs. Currently we are sponsoring the house where she stays near her relatives. For Brenda, we are planning for her to go and live near relatives as we get her ID and help find a job for her. Mercy Wanja has already started working at the MITS cafeteria, and we planned that this will help her get more experience. She will be turning 18 this year November 2010.

Morris Gitonga - is to finish his studies in computers in February 2010. Currently he is staying with his aunt in Mwiki, which is located 30 minutes from our Kamulu farm. From December he has not returned to MITS, and we don’t know his status exactly for finishing his studies. I intend to do a follow-up once I finish with the work load this month. We sponsor his education and fare.

Halima Nguvu: She was able to get a job at Nargis and still works there. We are not supporting her in any way.

Patricia Wanjiru - she got a job downtown in a salon called Tender Care. She stays in Dandora near her aunt’s place. We are not supporting her currently.

Stephen Omondi: He got another jot in a garage near Wilson airport and the last time I talked with him he was doing fine.

Millicent Adhiambo - Millicent (mama Brian) finished her training last year. Currently she is in the list of those students having problems with her ID. One of my friends has a job offer that she wants to organize for us and I was thinking of having Millie get that job. We will see how it works out/ she will be living by herself around Huruma, and we will support her as she gets started.

Sarah Aono - she just turned 18. She has completed work at our Catering school with Laurent. I am working on her ID too, and then we will see how we can help her.

Sunday Report from Francis Mbuvi

"We had a blessed time in church today. It rained through the night and was still drizzling some in the morning. Class started late since by 9:00 only Anto, Kennedy and their friend had arrived, but we still covered much. I told Joel we can have two services, meeting inside in two of our classrooms instead of the courtyard, but he said people may not come due to the rains. Jackton led the Lord's table and offering and I did the sermon from Mark 3. Today's message was that we should not forget Jesus like some of the Pharisees had, and we looked at what we can do not to forget. We had over 120 people, even with the rain.

We have a date for the 15th Celebration Anniversary of Made in the Streets, the 26th of June. We will start giving out invitations to government people and others by the end of the month. We will work to get all of our former students at the Celebration -- a MITS Family Reunion.

Tomorrow is our first day in classes for the new term. We have met as a Team, looked at how well we did in our 2009 Goals, set new goals for 2010, and set up a timetable and schedule of classes and events for 2010. We hope all goes well -- there is lots to do."

THANKS FOR A HOLIDAY

The unexpected gift is a great delight. It is good for us to think about how the earliest Christians felt. The earliest were Jews in Jerusalem. Some Jews expected the Old Testament prophetic promises to be fulfilled in a real way, in their daily lives. So they were ready when it came. But what a great delight it must have been for them to know that forgiveness had really arrived, that in their own time and in their own lives the Holy Spirit came to bear witness to God's full entrance into human life in Jesus. It was the most unexpected gift.

Street children have often had almost nothing in their lives. We have met some who have never been out of Mathare Valley and Eastleigh slums. Lucy Muthoni had never slept on a mattress at 13. One girl wrote, "Anywhere else besides Made in the Streets if you get a gift or a trip, you have to pay it back with work or something." Think of being a young teenager who has never eaten a piece of meat, or never held a pencil in your hand, or never heard anyone say, "Good job."

So on Christmas morning 64 teens at Made in the Streets - Kamulu awoke to a new gift -- a stocking hanging on the wall of the Learning Center courtyard filled with candy and nuts and fruit and even a little envelope with 50 shillings (71 cents). And they were delighted.

Thanks!