Always Going Home Inside

Many years ago in Redwood City, CA, we learned a song called "I'm Always Going Home Inside." It expresses trust in Christ and a deep feeling of oneness with God, and we are always heading toward the real Home. When my mother lay dying, I sang at least a hundred songs to her, and this was one of them. She had not moved a muscle for more than an hour at the time. At the end of the song, which closes with "Take hold of my hand," I said, "God, I don't think she can, I think you need to take hold of her hand." I had my hand lying on top of mom's hand at the time, and all of a sudden I felt her hand close under mine. So I guess she could still hear me, and she was still able to make the effort. Either that, or God took hold of her hand, and she closed her hand on his.

Now the time has come for Darlene's Mom to make that journey home. Dorothy Wright died on Christmas Eve, just in time, as I told my granddaughters, to make it to heaven for the big Christmas party. She made a great contribution to the work of Made in the Streets. In this picture she is teaching Laurent how to read. He had never been to school when he came to MITS at 13 years old, and she was his reading teacher. He loved learning, and after a year he entered the 7th grade at a local elementary school in Mathare Valley. He finished the 8th grade, took the exit exams, went to a catering school in Eastleigh, got an internship at the University of Nairobi, and he continues to work there as a trusted chef and caterer. And he honors "Shosho" (the Kikuyu word for "Granny") for getting him started, and he honors God for getting him the place at the University.

She had many great adventures in Kenya, and this one with the monkey was both a little scary and lots of fun. She loved watching the monkeys, who would get in the house and eat everything if they could. They would also take things such as car mirrors and carry them around. This one was trying to get the corn we were preparing for a meal.

Francis Mbuvi, Administrator of MITS who has known Dorothy for 16 years, wrote yesterday, "The lives she helped to shape are testimony of her GREAT HEART. She lives on in our hearts and with God forever."

Besides the teaching and the encouragement she gave street kids from the time she was 72 until she was 80 something, she also gave sizable funds to the street ministry, blessing the work in many ways. Let this be encouragement to all retired folk that they can do far more than they can dream or think of - when God is with them.

At the last, Darlene and I, along with our daughter and son-by-marriage, were beside her to express our love and say "Good-bye." It is such a blessing to be here and not in Kenya at this moment. We know that many have prayed for this, and we are grateful that God has answered "Yes" for our sakes. God always answers "Yes" in Christ. That's one of the reasons we want to go Home.

by Charles Coulston, Christmas Day, 2010

2010 Holidays at MITS

Due to generosity of friends of street kids, our students are having a wonderful December. We don't send them away from MITS during the holidays, because we don't want them going back into that home situation that drove them to the streets in the first place. We do take them on a visit if they have relatives that they can visit for a day; a Team member goes with them on this visit.

One of the "perks" of December is a visit to Gikomba, the famous used and new open air market at the edge of Eastleigh in Nairobi. Charles and Darlene left some money for each student, and more was provided them out of the holiday money friends have sent. So each one had 900 shillings ($11.53) to spend. Here is a picture of Duncan Mwangi, who has gotten a quality pair of flip-flops.

Thanks to those who support MITS and help make a new life for street kids. We need this continuing support for 2011, since our budget has increased $2,700 monthly (due to having more kids live with us, our exiting student expenses increasing and a salary increase) and we plan to build a new boys' dorm and a multipurpose auditorium in 2011.

We would not turn down end of the year donations if the Lord has blessed you with an especially generous heart this year! And Happy Holidays to you all.

Promoting MITS

We are grateful to our friends who will promote the street ministry and help us bring light and joy in these kids' lives in Nairobi. The picture is the bulletin front at The Hills Church of Christ, where Amy recently started showing off jewelry and other crafts that the street kids make in their bookstore. In our next blog I'll show off some of the recent jewelry the kids have been making.

We would love it if congregations who are our friends would put the web site in the bulletin now and then so people will be reminded to look at recent news and pictures of the street ministry.

Thanks to many of you, the kids and Team are on a retreat to the Kenyan coast this week. They get to study and have devotionals together as well as go to the beach every day. They are staying at a church compound where they also have an extension of Nairobi Great Commission School.

Happy Holidays to you all. Our MITS kids are having a happy holiday in many ways. Some of them will also visit relatives (along with a Team member) during December. And they will have a party and feast on Christmas day.