The singing was wonderful - loud and active - at my first chapel with the street kid students after getting back to Nairobi from the USA. We sang Tuvute Pamoja - a song that praises God for the strength and love that he gives and encourages us to "pull together." One of the girls shared an African story that finished with an encouragement to trust God today! We were crowded together in our largest classroom, barely fitting in the room
Afterwards in our Team meeting a group shared about the mission into Eastleigh on Friday - they visited 8 street youth bases and one of them was a new one. They found a young man who had a seriously injured leg, so they helped him get to a clinic for treatment. Jane Njeri, one of the Eastleigh Team members, was here and told me they have 17 moms and babies coming on Monday morning and a group of younger street boys on Monday and Tuesday, with a group of street girls on Thursday.
Moses Okoth and I met with one of our graduates, Jackson Isaac, who is being sponsored in a computer engineering program. He is having difficulty because 1) the curricula so far has been what he has already been taught by Moses and 2) the teacher has not been showing up for classes, which last 3 hours. We encouraged him to be patient about the learning, and Moses will visit the school to find out their curriculum plans and to check on the teacher. We also encouraged him to begin studying on his own in areas where he has interest, since he has several hours each day available. We prayed with him also. We are hopeful he will be encouraged. Our relationship with our students continues beyond the program itself, as we must help them through the struggles to find their place in society.
Mary Waithera started a job today!!! We are really pleased, as she has gotten a job cooking in a nice restaurant in the Village Market operated by an Israeli. We pray she will be a great employee who will lead to others getting jobs there. One great thing for Mary is that her sponsor has been sending extra money all along, so she will soon have considerable funds in a bank account that she is opening.
I met with John Wambu today to go over property matters - construction, repair and protection of property from outsiders. He has several projects ongoing - the new boys' dorm, the new staff house, a wall around the nursery school property, a wall around part of the Mountain View property, installation of two gates and a few other things. When all this is complete, in about a month, we will begin construction of two more staff houses. John continues to work with the Department of Lands on completion of title deeds for our several properties.
Mary, our new student whose tiny baby died after two weeks, seems to be doing well. She has finished literacy (because she had been to school before she went to the streets) and is in the cooking program now.
Bill Rider is with us from Mount Vernon, Iowa, and he reports that our oldest woodworking student, Charles Kimani, is doing very well. He pays attention and his skill level is high. Bill is building chests and a sofa with the woodworking program. Nell Rider baked cookies with the cooking students today, and the kids were excited. Those students cook lunch for all the skills training people, 24 in total, and they will share the cookies with them.
Victor and Angela, with little Kelcey, have moved in next door to us. Darlene and I have subdivided an acre we own and are giving plots to Team members who plan to stay long term with MITS. Their house is almost complete and they decided to move in and complete it as they go. Jackton and Milly must get their septic tank finished and get glass in the windows, then they can move in their new house also.
The sewing shop has a contract from MITS to make uniforms for all the new kids -- 29 x 5 uniform pieces means a lot of sewing. They are also putting numbers on the clothing and assigning a "property number" to each student in order to keep clear what belongs to who.
SPONSOR A STUDENT: just write me an email at charles.coulston@made-in-the-streets.org to let me know, then start sending $75 a month to
Made in the Streets
409 Franklin Road
Brentwood, TN 37027
Write them a note stating that you are a sponsor so they will credit the money properly. I will send you a picture and some info on your student, and soon your student will send you an email or write you a letter. It is helpful if we an have a mailing address for you so we can post the letters. The picture is our new students arriving on the bus at Kamulu. They cleaned up and got new clothes at Eastleigh before being brought out. What a great event, writing a new chapter in their lives, one with love and hope and fun and family in it.
Keep street kids in your prayers - they are the poorest of the poor, without hope and confidence, struggling but without direction - and they are in the heart of Jesus. So let's all get in there too. We get a blessing also.
Peace and joy,
charles
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