Understanding MITS

Hi, what a beautiful day!  I am in Texas, going in a few minutes to pick up our twin grandchildren from early release at school, going shopping with them, then enjoying a birthday party in the afternoon.  What a great life!

But I am also thinking about Kenya….about MITS….about the Team there whom I love so much…about the new boys who have come out to Kamulu to live….about the holiday break the kids are having -- parties and marathons and working on the farm and Bible studies with visitors….

"Understanding MITS" is the title here.  And if you want to understand MITS, read the blogs from our visitor who is there now -- Amanda Stoops!  She writes a great blog, and you need to read it.  So just go to

http://adventureswithamandastoops.blogspot.com  

You will be glad you did!!

Happy Holiday,

Charles Coulston

Decisions! Decisions!

At Made in the Streets we are always looking for young teens to come and live with us at Kamulu.  We search for boys and girls 13 to 14 years old, or young moms up to 15, who can spend their teenage years with us.  Since many of them have never been to school at all, we can take them through our literacy program, getting them from learning their A-B-Cs all the way to algebra and good English skills, along with computer training and Bible courses, in two or three years.  Then at 16 we can start them in a skills training class that will prepare them for work by the time they are 18.

Our Eastleigh Team is on the streets every day getting to know the children and youth who are there, serving them in all ways imaginable and encouraging them to know God and live by faith.  And they are identifying the ones who can come to Kamulu.  Recently they called in a group of 10 boys to the Eastleigh Center, to stay there for three weeks, then transition to Kamulu.

At the same time, Joel Njue had come across, by recommendation of a police officer, a girl named Beatrice Adhiambo - 13 years old and out on her own, with none to care about her.  He told the Team about her, and they decided she was right for life with our girls at Kamulu.  When they took her for tests, however, the dentist said she was 11 -- younger than the kids we take in.  We have this policy for various reasons -- our own plan for youth, the policies of the Children's Department…

So the Team had a dilemma.  They had already voted to take her in, but it was against policy to do so.  And they were divided about what to do.  The administrator wrote to me as an Advisor for my assessment.  He said that, since they were divided, they would take my decision.

I took it to my grandchildren.  I explained the situation to them and asked what they thought MITS should do.  They were divided too.  One of them is more rule-oriented -- that one said we should not change our policy for one child.  The others had various reasons why we should take her in -- You said you would!  It's the kind thing to do!  Take her in for now, but look for a better fit for her!

I wrote back to the Team:  It is not imperative that we always follow our general policy.  If you have a space for her with a dorm supervisor who will watch over her carefully to see that she is treated right, and if you have some older girls in that residence who would be mentors and protectors for her, then we could do it with assurance that we could give her what she needs.  And…if she has not been to school and cannot do our literacy program right now, you could put her in the Child Care program as a helper to Hellen, who could catch her up to speed so she can join next year's intake -- and other such stuff.  So I put it back on the Team to decide, which I always try to do.

And…they decided to take Beatrice in and bring her up in the Lord.  Good decision, and we believe it will be a good outcome.  How can it not be, when Jesus is with us in this?

Graduation Day

Alex graduates from Ngcs! Now to spend a life drawing people closer to Jesus! 

Awards for Exceptional Service

Some time ago I had opportunity to be with all 82 students at Made in the Streets with the Team not present.  So I asked the students, "Who loves you?"  Then I gave them 5 categories for the ways Team members have loved them.  I used 5 questions to elicit responses:

• Who has loved you in the Spirit?  (or Who has had great spiritual impact on your life?) 
• Who has loved you by being of strong character?
• Who has loved you by doing good deeds? 
• Who has loved you by serving with joy?
• If you have only one gift to give at Christmas, what Team member would you give it to?

So...we had 5 winners who received certificates for exceptional service

• Mary Mwende       Award for Spiritual Impact
• Irene Akinyi          Award for Character and Integrity
• Moses Okoth         Award for Doing Good Deeds
• Francis Mbuvi       Award for Service with Joy
• Phillip Kariuki      Award for being Worthy of Honor

And since each award came with a $100 bill, it was appreciated all the more!  Both students and Team were delighted with the outcome -- they cheered and clapped when I made the presentations.  Our Team truly is worthy of honor, for they love deeply and purely...they give themselves away for the sake of street kids.  Something hardly anyone is willing to do.

Mary Mwende receives her award for spiritual impact on student life

Francis Mbuvi receives the service with joy award

Alex Atema Graduates

Two full years Alex has spent at Nairobi Great Commission School since finishing his computer skills program at Made in the Streets.  We are proud of him for sticking with it and doing the work required. Today was graduation day.  Darlene and I left after 9:00 AM to go to the graduation.  Saturday is never a good day to drive in Nairobi.  It took us an hour to go by way of the Eastern Bypass to Mombasa Highway.  Before we reached the highway, we could see that it was backed up toward the airport - and not moving.  That means it was more than a 3-mile backup from Nyayo Stadium.  After reaching the stadium, we would still have a 45-minute drive to NGCS.  We concluded that we would arrive about the time everything was over.  So we turned toward the airport, circled around to the Bypass and returned home.  We are a little sad to have missed it.  Francis Mbuvi went, but he said he spent more than half the day in traffic and only had an hour at the graduation.  So...we got a lot of work done at home. I got a house and a Bible study room designed on graph paper, with the materials list made up also.  And we closed up the house and gave away the food left over and did a lot of other things to prepare for leaving for a while.

We are hoping to use the designed Bible study room as a "preaching point" (really a Discovery Bible Study point) where Jackton Omondi and Alex and possibly others can be involved in preparing the way for a new congregation.  The place is about halfway to town from Kamulu, and thousands of people have moved into the area in the past few years.  So...please pray for our ability to spread the word, to lead people a little closer to Jesus and build up the kingdom.

Here is a picture of Alex in a Discovery Bible Study group at Kamulu a few months ago.

That's Alex looking toward the camera.

Can't Do It Without You!

I often say this to our friends and to churches that love what we do with street kids in Nairobi.  We could hardly have even dreamed about street kids having a new life without knowing that our friends would love those whom we love.

So...at the end of 2013, and in 2014, we need your added help once again.  We hope in 2014 to spend about $120 per month on each street kid whom we serve well and have great impact on.  Since we plan to serve at least 350 youth with great impact -- we will have some influence on about 2,000 more -- the budget gets much too large for us to dream of doing it without you.

So...this is an appeal for you to begin helping us or increase your support for next year.  We do a great deal with the money you send to Made in the Streets, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027.

• Have two congregations and many Bible studies
• Run a farm where we grow some of our food
• Run a boarding program with residences for 100 former street kids
• Operate our own Literacy School for younger students aged 12 to 15 - the school primarily teaches Bible, math, English and computers, but also prepares students for the KCPE (national 8th grade exit exams) by teaching science, Swahili, social studies and more.
• Maintain a library with about 3,000 hand-picked books for students and teachers.
• Receive visitors from churches in the USA who have skills and can train our Team and maintain facilities for their visits
• Receive visitors from USA universities who inspire and work together with Team and students
• Operate an inner-city facility from which a Team goes out daily to serve street kids and invite them to programs at the Center while recruiting 13 to 14 year olds for the boarding program as well as evangelizing and befriending older street people
• Operate a skills training program where students 16 and over can learn hairdressing, catering, woodworking, tailoring, computers and auto mechanics. 
• Maintain two water wells that serve our facilities and are used for irrigation
• Maintain housing for several Team members on MITS property
• We have begun an online school called HOPE School of Leadership -(hopeschoolofleadership.org) that includes some of our Team members as students, along with young people who conduct a great children's ministry in Mathare Valley, the deep slum near our Eastleigh Center.  Orientation is going on now; regular classes begin in January 2014
• Conduct business classes (including Bible, business and computer offerings) in the afternoons at 4:30 PM (so we call it The 4.30 Classes) for all our skills students. 
• Have daily chapel with songs, prayers and talks from students and Team members.
• Have an "Animal Program" with 2 cows, 15 goats, 2 fish farms and 3 chicken houses to provide experience for the students and additional food for them. 
• Have a "Child Care" facility for small children of girls who were living on the streets and had babies and are now in our skills training programs.  
• Operate shops along the highway so our cooking and hairdressing students can gain experience.
• Maintain a playground next to the highway for use by community people.

This is not all, but you can see that we try to do a great deal, to have a whole life ministry, to be family to the kids and to one another as leaders.  And we can't do it without you.

A picture of two of the sweetest girls you could ever want
to know.  They are Lucy B and Nelly, great friends from the day
they came to Kamulu. One more year before skills training. For
these kind my heart's desire remains to bring street kids a
new life, a life in Christ, a life with hope.

CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! 

FARMS FOR LIFE

Our Team working at Eastleigh has spent a great deal of time with a group of street kids and youth at the railroad tracks in Doonholm, on the eastern side of Nairobi.  Several young boys from this base are moving out to Kamulu soon to begin a new life.  Visitors from the Decatur, Texas, Church of Christ helped this base start a farming project last summer.  Now they want to develop it further.  With a little help they can do it.  Someone who has been blessed by God with the means is requested to give $300 toward helping the young men at Doonholm become self-supporting.  Send to Made in the Streets, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN, 37027 with a note saying it is for "street farming."  

                                              DOONHOLM BASE AND FARMING

Darlene and Charles visit the Doonholm Base, pray with
the young men, and look at the gardens.

   In Nairobi. Kenya, a majority of the residents live in slums and shanty areas, because houses are cheap and life is affordable there. Families in this kind of setting live below a dollar a day for food. An increase in population pressure has lead to scarcity of resources and high unemployment. This makes them encounter difficulties to acquire basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Many youth and children are forced by circumstance to run away from home and seek refuge in the streets. There are other factors such as child sexual abuse and battery, child labour within the families. All this contributes to children going to the streets, where they live in groups and the common name for their home is “Base”.

   We have frequently visited Doonholm base. In this base we have youths in the age bracket of 10 to 25 years old. They are all drug users and many sniff jet fuel, smoke marijuana and cigarettes.

   They earn their daily bread by collecting scrap metals and plastics for recycling and by going through garbage dumps for food and plastics.  Some engage in robbery or begging to get daily bread. Many have been caught stealing by angry mobs and killed. Some are now in prison and some are in wheel chairs due to serious beating by a mob.

Life has become so hostile and difficult for these young men.  But a few of them have come up with new income generating activities to satisfy their needs rather than risking their lives. In this base they have started to practise small scale agriculture.  They stay in an open space near the junction of  railroad tracks. 

   They had a great idea but no means to accomplish their goal - until a summer visit of a group of Christians from American led by Jeremy and Dr Chad helped them to purchase some farming tools and seeds.

   Currently it’s no longer a farming idea but a practical farm work that everyone can see, the guys in this base have planted kale, spinach, tomatoes and other vegetables. Coulston visited and said the tomatoes look better than his at the MitS Farm.  The farm is not as productive as they would wish, so we are appealing to friends to help them.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

Ø  TO STOP DRUGS

Ø  TO STOP ROBBERY AND OTHER SOCIAL CRIMES

Ø  TO FIGHT DISCRIMINATION BY SOCIETY.

Ø  TO REGISTER THE GROUP WITH THE AUTHORITIES

MISSION

To be productive and independent in society

VISION  To be a main supplier of vegetables in the county.

To increase a variety of business opportunities by

·       Rabbit keeping

·       Goat keeping

·       Increase variety of vegetables.

SUSTAINABILTY OF THE PROJECT

·       Ploughing back the profit from the farm.

·       Put some savings from the farm in the bank

·       Do a simple loan project

TARGETED MARKET

§  Food kiosks within the slum near the base

§  Residents within Doonholm

§  Outside Doonholm as production grows

NEEDS

TOOLS

Ø  1 Hose pipe 20 metres 

Ø  2 Forks

Ø  1 spade  

Ø  2 mattocks

Ø  3 machetes

Ø  2 rakes

Ø  2 spraying cans

Ø  2 tins pesticide

Ø  4 irrigation cans

SEEDS

Ø  cabbage 2 tins  

Ø  spinach 2 tins

Ø  onions 2tins

Ø  Dania 2 tins

Ø  Kunde

MITS as a ministry does not intend to keep buying the same tools and farming equipment every year. We agreed together with all those who have a farm at this base that we as MADE IN THE STREETS shall try our best to buy the best tools and leave taking care of the tools in their hands.  They all agreed to take care of the tools and use them for the better glory of God.

Written by the MITS Eastleigh Team

Bill Arnold - Common Sense Success

Bill Arnold from Southlake, Texas, has given wonderful seminars at Made in the Streets and the Kamulu Church of Christ.  This picture is in our chapel, and the attendees are businesspeople from Kamulu, Ruai and inner city Nairobi.  They all have small businesses, and they were delighted with what they learned.  The "success principles" were presented with humor, with sincerity and with clarity.  MITS is thrilled we have friends who can offer this kind of service to people we do business with.  And we can draw them another step closer to the Lord.  Bill has done these seminars for numerous companies and organizations in the USA, Europe and Asia.  We are grateful to receive this blessing.  Our whole Team and our older students also loved Bills' teaching.

HOLIDAYS ARE COMING

The Holidays are coming -- and MITS needs your help!  We don't make our holiday expenses a part of the annual budget; we rely on friends who love street ministry to give something extra at this time of year so street kids in Nairobi can have a special time, like we do at home.  The MITS Team has come up with a schedule of activities for the students at Kamulu and for many of the street kids we work with in Eastleigh and the City.  So...once again we ask you to sacrifice for the kids!  Thanks in advance. Send to Made in the Streets, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027.

Jesus said to the disciples, "The poor you always have with you..."  And that is true at MITS -- we always have the kids with us.  We can't send them off on holiday -it's 24/7, 365 days a year.

The Team wants to do the following

• Take each student for whom it is possible on a "home visit." That means a Team member will accompany a student to some relative's home for a couple of days. We are starting with those who are farthest away; this week a Team member has gone with Jackie Imam to Turkana, in far NorthWest Kenya.  We do that because nearer the holidays, bus fares go up considerably, sometimes doubling or tripling.  
• 
  
• Have a "Family Day" at Kamulu when any relatives of our kids can come out and spend a day with us. They see the facilities, hear our goals and receive a message about God -- and lunch!
• 
  
• Have Christmas parties for street kids from various "bases" around the city.
• 
  
• Have Christmas breakfast and New Year's lunch at Kamulu - a special meal
• 
  
• Take a trip to some sight around Nairobi -- National Game Park, Crocodile Park, City Park - whatever we can afford.  
• 
  
• Buy presents for the kids.
• 
  
• A short retreat for the Team away from Nairobi for two days (in two groups, so some are in Kamulu to be with the kids)

We hope to do all these things; we will do whatever we have funds to do.  If you can, and you want to, then please send, and then write me to tell me what you sent   charles@madeinthestreets.org

Have a blessed holiday -- starting now!!

Sue Dansby visited recently and taught our kids of street
moms how to make ice cream in a ziploc bag. We hope
all our kids will enjoy the holidays as much as these
kids enjoyed ice cream at Kamulu!

Base Visit

Our car was being worked on by the auto mechanics skills class, so Darlene and I drove "the green car", which is usually driven by Francis Mbuvi.  We drove on Kangundo Road, past lots of new buildings  -- Coca-Cola is noticeable for all the red paint -- that are up to 5 stories high.  We drove to Outer Ring Road (we haven't been there since the Eastern Bypass was put in), turned right and went down to the Total gas station.  We delivered the car to a car wash there, partly because it was dirty and partly to keep it safe while we went to the base.  We met the Eastleigh Team there -- Larry Conway, Moses Gicharu, Jane Abuti, James Njuguna and Byron Mugesiah -- and boarded a matatu (minibus - most transport in Kenya is privately owned and is either vans or minibuses) to go south on Outer Ring. We traveled about one mile, then got off, since this matatu was turning down Kangundo Road. We waited less than a minute for another matatu to continue on Outer Ring.  After about two miles, we got off, walked across the road, and began wending our way through hundreds of small shops and thousands of people.  These shops sell vegetables, used books, fruit, shoes, used clothing, furniture, dry foods and many other things.  Watching where one steps is important.

We finally arrived at the railroad tracks; it's a place where two tracks come together and about 75 feet space is between them.  Our first sight was several young men working in a collection of small gardens. A few months ago our Team and some visitors helped these young men with some water pipes, gardening tools and seed.  They have done a great job with it!  One young men had some of the nicest tomatoes I have seen.

The young man with the great tomatoes!!

Did I mention the local smells?  They are varied - food cooking at some local shops, kids who are unwashed, the wonderful smell of ripening tomatoes, exhaust from the train that passed by, garbage piled nearby...

The young men sat down in the shade and up against an old and small tin building that was once a meeting place for a local church.  Both Darlene and I were invited to speak to them.  We always encourage them to trust the God who is able, the God who loves, the Christ who wants to live in and with them, the Lord who comes down to the garbage dump to be with those he cares about.  And we always talk about the future they can have when they trust God.  I used the story of the widow of Nain today, who met Jesus in her sorrow and loss and found a blessing.  Darlene talked about how great the blessings of work are! 

We shook lots of hands and bumped fists (that's the new way of greeting).  Lincoln, who came a little late, wanted his picture taken with us.

Lincoln with a train in the background!

I gave James 1,550 shillings to get some lunch for all the guys.  One named Mutua (about 12 years old) prayed for everyone before we left.  Several of these guys are near his age and are candidates to come and live at Kamulu.  We are trying to get a residence ready for them.  It takes about $300 to do all it takes to do an intake for one young man (children's office, visit with any relatives, getting documents, buying clothes, and so on) -- if you can help us with this, we want to take in 8 to 10 in the next month or so.  Send to Made in the Streets, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027 or donate online (go to website at www.madeinthestreets.org  

We rode a matatu back to the Total station, excitedly talking about the base and the future.  At the car wash, the car was almost finished, so Darlene and I waited about 10 minutes.  One of the washers asked us where Mbuvi is -- he apparently gets the car washed each time he goes to the Doonholm or Mutindwa bases.  What a great day!  A reminder of the core of our work, where it all starts for us, the very place where God comes down to give his love -- see Psalm 113!!

peace and joy, charles

A Baby and Baptisms

Always a lot happening around Made in the Streets.  A few months ago Phyllis Wambui, whom the dentist says is either 14 or 15, came to Kamulu to live with us.  She tested negative for pregnancy, but after a few months she was obviously showing.  The next test revealed the baby!  And now she has given birth to Taylor at 3.4 kg (7.5 lbs) and healthy.  They came home yesterday and moved into the Moms' House.  All of us are happy to have the baby. And we have lots of Moms to help Phyllis learn how to care for Taylor.  It used to be only Darlene.  Now there is Eliza, Jane, Hellen, Millie, Mauryn, Angela, Tira and others!!!

Anton very happy after baptism!

Sunday we had six baptisms at Kamulu.  Anton (a driver for the Kenya Widows and Orphans program) and his wife were baptized after they studied with Tim Neale from Golf Course Road Church in Midland, Texas.  And four of our students.  Catherine, from the sewing program, is one of the smartest teens we have had here.  Damaris had a hard start in life, did not know ABC when she came and struggled with fainting spells, but has come a long, long way.  Rashid is a polite and smiling young man. And Naomi has come through times of temptation so very well. We are proud of these young people and happy for their decision.

Damaris is baptized!

Naomi after baptism

Catherine listens to the church
and rejoices afterwards.

Rashid is ready

THE STORY SEMINAR

The Kamulu Church of Christ and Made in the Streets have jointly hosted a seminar on use of the book The Story.  We have had an exciting adventure in 2013, working through the Bible and each week studying a portion of "the story".

33 congregations sent representatives.  50 were signed up, but several had buses break down on the way and didn't make it, while two had sudden deaths in a family and could not come. We are sorry for those 17 churches who did not come, because each attendee took home gifts to the church - a copy of The Story, a copy of The Story for Children, manuals on teaching youth, adults, children and small children, on small group Bible studies and family devotionals, and on preaching.

Besides that, it was a great weekend for fellowship.  Made in the Streets provided the food, and the Kenya Widows and Orphans program provided housing.  The preacher, teachers of Sunday school, skills trainers at MITS and residence supervisors led the sessions.

The attendees expressed great appreciation to our people at Kamulu for the blessing.  Nancy, 18 years old, was in tears as she said goodbye to all.  There were many warm expressions of friendship in Christ.

Angela and Eliza teach on"How to
teach small children The Story"

Jackton models his sewing as
part of The Story of creation!

Using small groups in a type of Discovery Bible
study is a great way to teach The Story. 

PRAY FOR KANINI

Francis Mbuvi reports from a visit to street youth this week in Eastleigh - about a young girl who is used by her mother and grandmother to beg, and she "must" come up with money for them - or else!

"Kanini has been exploited and used by those who should be protecting and loving her! She told me, "Hata nilipokua shule, Shosho alikua ananituma kuduru jioni" (“even when I used to go to school, my grandma used to tell me to go beg for money in the evening”).  James Njuguna and Byron wanted to rescue her as soon as they heard her story only for Kanini to refuse, because, as some women at Globe Base told them, "Shosho yake akipata hana Pesa, atachapwa sana” (if her grandma finds her without any money, she will be beaten badly”). It is indeed a sad scenario in a modern world and hard to understand how parents and relatives can be so cruel. When we found her asleep yesterday and James tried to wake her, she woke up defensively, ready to run, a sign of how much beating she has had to endure. James is trying to find either the Mum or Grandma so he can report them to the Children's Office. We hope Kanini will fight her fear and come join MITS where we can Love her in Jesus!!"

MITS and Sunday SchoolJ

Joel Njue is our fearless Sunday school leader, as well as being the Student Affairs officer at Made in the Streets.
One of his goals is to have the young kids in Sunday school experience the greatness and graciousness of God. So he takes the kids on trips when he can.  Here he is at the Nakuru National Park at the site where part of the movie "Out of Africa" was filmed.  The kids saw the lake and lots of animals.
An important part of Sunday school is that it is a training ground for some of the street kids who are at MITS-Kamulu. They get an opportunity to be trained to teach and to participate in teaching classes under the guidance of Joel, Robin Ndunda and Eliza Wangare.  

Pictured are some of the kids and teachers who went to Nakuru Park.

MITS and the Kamulu Church also do VBS programs in August.  The kids get to do lots of dramatic events and learn to enjoy life in the church.  Many neighborhood kids attend and then want to come to Sunday school.  

Serving Together

We have a wonderful network of relationships within the church.  Made in the Streets has a happy relationship with Nairobi Great Commission School.  David Tanui does a wonderful job of leadership at the school, and we are happy one of our former street kids is a student at the school.  We are also friends with Healing Hands International and look forward to developing a model farm together.  A d we are friends to the Kenya Widows and Orphans (KWO) program, which is sponsored and led by members of Golf Course Road Church in Midland, Texas. They also have an active World Bible School program.  Our own Mauryn Mbuvi (married to Francis Mbuvi, administrator of Made in the Streets) leads those programs in Kenya.  We are happy to be associated with these great ministries.  The following is a report from Francis Mbuvi about the most recent KWO visit to Kenya.

"The last KWO team of the summer was meant to come last Friday and head to Sondu for the last medical trip. It was a week after the July team had left, three of them had gone to Malindi at the coast to work with another missionary there. Just when all was going well, a fire broke out at Kenyatta international Airport at the arrivals terminal!!!  The fire was so bad that it caused many flights to be diverted to Mombasa and Eldoret (nb from Charles: this included a group from Healing Hands) as well as some being put on standby at Entebbe, Uganda. We prayed that all would be ok at least by Wednesday but not much had changes by then. So we prayed that things would be better by Thursday but not much changed. Our TV stations showed hundreds of people stranded and some complaining of not getting help and information from the airlines they had booked with. To my disappointment, KWO was forced to cancel their last trip. We picked the three team members from Malindi and they had got a reservation for Wednesday the 14th!!! They had been gone from home for almost two weeks and the airport was in chaos.   Well, it turns out God had other plans and I must add, good plans.!!! The three KWO team members had a tour of MITS, got down to business, doing what they know best, dental work. At first it was going to be for a few people but Phillip ended up bringing all the affected students and team!!! Today, over 25 teeth were able to be filled, teeth extracted, and even expert advice on brushing!!  Now the team plans to work some more tommorow and even on Wednesday!!
I would not have knows what good was in the trip not materializing, but after seeing how many MITS students and team got a chance to be worked on, I know God had a plan and a good one at that.!!! God is good and we thank him and the team for going the extra mile to bless us."

Francis Mbuvi

It is our prayer that we can be of mutual blessing to one another -- and that through all our efforts, Jesus will be honored, the Good News of his love and sacrifice will be spread, and that many will turn to Him for their hope and give him their lives.  He is our ONE - and there is one more out there who doesn't know him.  Can you reach that one?  

The Story (at the half)

This report is from Francis Mbuvi about this past Sunday at the church at Made in the Streets.

Hi, it's been four months since we started the series on the greatest Story in the world. All parts of the church have been studying the same topic each week and everyone is being reminded of God's upper story and how it is amazing. Our story has been portrayed in numerous ways through various people and Kings which has left us humbled. 

Our bible classes every week have been going deeper in the story and our students have gained a wealth of knowledge and they continue to.

One of the major highlights has been on Mondays when students do a Discovery Bible Study on the Scripture of the week. This has been especially good because they do it all by themselves with one of them being the leader!!. So apart from learning the story and how to lead, they get to share among themselves. This morning they looked at Chapter 16 of the story focusing on 2 Kings 18 and 19.  We are happy to see God work in the lives of all here as we try to align our lower story with the upper story.

Blessings, Francis

Girls to Sponsor - and Why?

Beatrice Mbithe and Sharlene Shiriango are the two newest girls who have come off the streets to live with us at Kamulu.  In this picture they are already "cleaned up" - but we guarantee they were sleeping on the streets when we met them.

What a joy to find girls and rescue them from street life and all its dangers for young girls.

We want to have sponsors for Beatrice and Sharlene.  If you are interested, begin now to send $75 monthly to Made in the Streets, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027.  Put in a note that you are sponsoring a student and give the name.  Then send me an email to that effect at charles@madeinthestreets.org

We will get back to you soon with other pics and with information about your student.  We have others also, so if two people respond about one of these girls, I will get back to you with another suggested student.  We will also get your student to email you.

One reason why we need to sponsor kids -
because they wander the streets with
no hope.

Another reason to help these kids -
because they are depending on glue,
and God is called them to depend on Him.

Another reason - some of them,
like Eddie, will respond to
God's love and give their lives
to Him.  Moses has just baptized
Eddie and is welcoming him to the
Eastleigh Church.