Francis Mbuvi Travels

Francis Mbuvi, administrator of Made in the Streets, left Nairobi on British Air last night for Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.  He will be using Darlene's cell phone  805 300-1359, so give him a call about the street kids if you wish.  His schedule is as follows:

April 24-26 South MacArthur Church, Irving, Tx

He teaches the high school class and leads communion in worship.

Contact is Tim Lewis  469 826-2126  

April 26-29 A & M Church, College Station, Tx

He speaks at evening worship and meets with Aggies for Christ to plan their trip to Nairobi.

Contact is Kelly Davidson  979 229-1311

April 29-30 Bammel Road Church, Houston, Tx

He speaks to a Wednesday evening class.

Contact is Jonathan Ross, worship minister

April 30-May 4 Campbell Church, Campbell, Ca

He speaks at Sunday worship and teaches class.

Contact is Garry Bortz  408 489-8570

May 4-8 Pepperdine Lectures

He will attend the Men's Fellowship Dinner and teach a lecture class.  He will be happy to meet with anyone who supports street ministry or who is interested in the future of street kids.

May 9-12 Conejo Valley Church, Thousand Oaks, Ca

He will teach a Sunday morning class and lead communion.

Contact is Andy Wall  805 331-0187

May 12-19 Otter Creek Church, Brentwood, Tn

He will meet with the MITS Board and attend worship at Otter Creek.

Contact is Suzette Wimpy  615 414-0777

If you are interested in talking to Mbuvi about meeting some needs of Made in the Streets in its work with street kids, the current areas of need are:

• Construction of our final Skills Training building for Agriculture and Welding ($17,000)
  
• Funding special interest day trips for our students, all former street kids ($300 per trip)
  
• Funding a shopping trip for the students once per month ($600 per trip; we give each $7)
  
• Building a greenhouse for farm development ($800)
  
•  Buying sweaters for students to go with uniforms (cool weather is approaching in Nairobi)
  

A few other extra-budget needs that Mbuvi can discuss with you.

Thank you for praying for Mbuvi, for praying for and helping street children.  

Faith on the Streets

Team members of Made in the Streets visit the streets of Eastleigh in Nairobi daily.  They want to meet the new boys and girls who leave home for the streets.  They want to stay in touch with kids they know who live on the streets.  They want to teach all the time so that youth on the streets will always have opportunity to change their lives.  

They often play sports with some of the street kids, and Francis writes the following note after a soccer game one day.  

"On Thursday last week, we had sports with the older boys. When we got back to the centre, Anthony told me that one of the guys -- Francis Njenga -- was ready to be baptized. I spend a few minutes talking to him and then baptized him. He said he wanted to stop using Glue and Marijuana because they were affecting him and because his brother died from over-using them. I encouraged 

him to know this was a decision between him and God. He left happy and we pray for him and the many others out there in the bases. We are also thankful that ONE MORE soul has been won for Christ."

Here is Francis' baptism picture.  Please pray for power in the Spirit for him to make the changes he wants to make.

Visitors to Made in the Streets

At Made in the Streets we are so delighted to have visitors who help us in ministry.  Our theory is that Americans come full of good stuff and we squeeze them like a sponge!!  Then they can go off on safari and feel really good about seeing the animals and living in splendor! 

There are certain experiences we want each one of you to have -- spend time on the streets with kids who sleep there and see what Eastleigh and Mathare Valley are, spend time in our classes and do some training and teaching while with us, and spend time with the Team and students at work and play and in their free time in order to know them well.  Some visitors have great expertise in certain areas, and these can be very helpful to us in development as well.  

Because we have a large number of visitors, there are certain "rules" we need everyone to follow so we can have maximum impact on Team and students and street youth.  

1.  We want groups to arrive on the same flight and depart on the same flight, and we want you to arrive in the morning if you can arrange it.  But arriving at night is still okay. 

2.  Follow the lead of the Team.  Please do not plan something with the students that has not been okayed by the Team or that interferes with what a dorm supervisor or a teacher wants the kids to do.  

3.  Try not to schedule any side trips or other activities that require a Team member to go off-campus when he or she has responsibilities (clear anything with Francis Mbuvi first).

4.  If you have a need to smoke or drink alcohol and you don't think you can absolutely leave it out of your life during the trip, then please do not plan to come.  

5.  Do not talk to the Team or the kids about "visiting America."  They may bring it up, but you do not have to respond.  Especially do not encourage them to desire coming to America.  Do not spend a lot of time talking about the good life in America.  Focus on the kids and the Team and their own futures in Kenya.

6.  We basically have a "no date" rule.  It is common especially for young people to "fall in love" with people they meet in the world who are near their age.  Please focus on the mission!  If two who are dating are coming on the same trip, or engaged people, then we would want to have sessions about dating and marriage with the kids so as to make it a positive influence.

7.  If you are a male, do not go inside the girls' dorm or private area, even if you are a married person staying on the girls' property.  If you want to see a dorm, ask a dorm supervisor to show you.  

8.  Kenyans do not touch and hug as much as Americans (you may have noted recently in American newspapers about problems in schools relating to touch and many have instituted a 'no touch' rule for the students).  So, please restrict hugs to "a quick hug" when you arrive or when you leave to return home.  Kenyans, even our young people, feel more comfortable and proper holding hands with an age mate of the same sex than with the opposite sex.  Since our students have been sexually active and some have been abused, it is better if we leave American styles of affection out of the equation.  

9.  If you are over 30 and a woman, it is important that you wear skirts or dresses (even college age women should when they go into Eastleigh).  Note in the "team and student" blog that our kids' school uniforms have skirts for the girls and slacks for the boys.  Also wear tops with sleeves.  There are important reasons for this; just ask, and we will tell you. 

Thanks for wanting to come, all you MITS Visitors!  You are all MITS VIPs to us and very important to our future.  We can't do it without you, so please come.  Ask, and we will send you our Visitors' Manual as well.  

peace and joy,

Perspective on Problems

HABAKKUK STORIES -  A PERSONAL LIST OF COMPLAINTS AND PRAISES

  by Hollye Conway

Recently, I finished a Bible study with some friends. One of the final things we did was to write our personal “Habakkuk list” from Habakkuk chapter 3, verse 17 & 18. I must admit I enjoyed the pity party! Here was mine:

~ though we have not had water in our taps for a week
~ though my dryer, car, stove burner are out of order
~ though my contact lenses did not come in on time
~ though the neighbor'S 18 dogs in the kennels are driving me insane
~ though my injured ankle is slow to heal
~ though I can’t be with my mom for her upcoming surgery
~ though I am missing important events in Andrew’s life across the ocean.
~ though too many people I love are experiencing deep pain
~ though so many we love refuse to accept Your salvation
~ yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior

The following day, Larry and I were at the Made in the Streets program at Eastleigh and my coworkers who usually lead the girls' program were unable to be with us. I had not come prepared with a lesson, but with the Habakkuk list fresh on my mind, we studied Habakkuk and then I asked the girls to write their own list. I told them the list was between them and God and they would not have to share it. Janet (16 years old) was the first to finish her list and asked me to read it and keep it. Here is Janet’s list:

~ even though my brothers and sisters and I do not have school fees to attend school
~ even though my mother has not paid rent
~ even though there is hunger in our home and sometimes we go to bed without dinner
~ even though my father has abandoned us
~ even though my grandmother died last week
~ even though my brother is sick
~ even though we beg for rent, food and medicine
~ even though all this, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior

Perspective is such an interesting thing. I felt ashamed of most the items on my list. May we realize that we are more fortunate than we imagined and deserve.

Please continue to pray for Larry and me as we attempt to connect the people we work with with the One who can absorb their pain with His love and that we can be channels of the Holy Spirit's love, grace and encouragement every day. Thank you. Hollye

This is Janet!

Eastleigh Streets

The core work of Made in the Streets is done on the streets where street children and street youth sleep.  Team members are there every day to meet new kids, to evangelize older youth and to find young teenagers who are good candidates for our boarding programs.  

They often find older youth sleeping or adrift on drugs at the bases.  When they find sober youth, they teach Bible lessons and 

give testimony about God's love and power in their own lives.  

Often the bases are up against a wall of an apartment building, and sometimes 25

 to 30 of varying ages will sleep there -- from 7 years old up to 25 years old, a

nd some of them will have babies or toddlers.  In this picture Kennedy Ouma has been teaching Bible and conti

nues to share with the young people; Anthony sits nearby - he usually gives a testimony of honor to God for His work in Anthony's life.  

Anthony prays for a young man who wants to make a commitment.  He has asked for help and for prayers that he can stop using glue and other drugs.  He wants to have a fresh start and be able to learn a skill so that he can leave the streets.  As long as he stays on the drugs, he will be stuck on the streets. 

Thanks to Larry Conway for these pictures, taken on this week's visits to various bases in Eastleigh.  

Larry Conway Reports

We have great appreciation for Larry and Hollye Conway (and the 11th and Willis congregation in Abilene).  They work primarily in the Eastleigh ministry with Ann Mwangi, Kennedy Ouma, Anthony Owino and others.  Larry is comfortable and effective teaching on the streets; Hollye has deep compassion and gives careful thought to the street girls and especially the girls with babies. Larry reports on February 15,

"We visited the Roundabout Base; I spoke about the hardships Paul willingly went through to follow Christ.  Francis Mbuvi spoke about who our real neighbors are.  Kennedy and Joel offered advice about how the guys can get their national identity cards.  A young man from the base recently died and they are still struggling with the government paper work to get the body buried.  We helped purchase the coffin.  

  We also visited the Redeem Base; there were men there and we taught on the same topics.  Francis preached a wonderful sermon yesterday at Kamulu from the first chapter of Ephesians." 

Burlap Bag Project

  Two years after Garry Bortz (and others) of the Campbell Church of Christ in California developed the Burlap Bag Project, we have continued to have people use it to bless both their congregations and Made in the Streets.  The most recent comes from Nina Moates of the South Yukon Church of Christ in Oklahoma who writes, 

   "Our elementary Sunday classes had class discussions and have done the Burlap Bag Project with their families.  It was so good for our children to realize their blessings and see the needs of others.  All of us are impressed by the wonderful things done by Made in the Streets and we pray for continued success."  

  She enclosed $763.22 for the street children's ministry.  We are truly blessed by people who see not only the needs but also 

hope for street children.  

KEHL OMONDI UPDATE

Here is the latest picture of Kehl, Jackton and Millie's baby.  They returned to the hospital last week for a checkup, and all is going well.  The shunt, which is under the skin and running from his head to his abdomen, is working, so excess fluid is being drained.  He is nursing well and has none of the bad symptoms, though they are having to watch him carefully and the stress level is 

high for both parents.  

  Jackton told us he will need help with medical bills.  I have asked him to send us details on amounts owed at both hospitals and to doctors.  We expect it to be around $2,000 but are not certain.  Anyone who wishes to help may send to Made in the 

Streets, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027, with a note that it is for Kehl.