May/June 2016 Newsletter

Rejoice! This is the day the Lord has made!

Rejoice with me over God’s provision and faithfulness.  Through you, God has met our every need before we knew them. Once again a sincere heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for showing care and concern for our precious orphans and staff in the name of Jesus. My spirit is deeply moved by your faithful prayer, tremendous generosity, and words of encouragement over the last two months. I thank you with all my heart.  

Let me share with you how your support (be it prayer, financial, or volunteer work) has sustained the Lord’s work here in the outskirts of Migori, Kenya.

Electricity and Solar Power

The government has brought electricity into the community. God has answered our prayers! A few years ago, when we applied for electricity, we were told that we needed to raise three million Kenyan shillings (about $30,000) to obtain it—a goal that felt like an impossibility. After praying together every Sunday for the past four years, electricity is now within 600 meters! With $2,000, we can get electricity in our children’s home and center. Electricity would not only give our students light to read by in the evening, but would improve our overall security.

Because electricity can be unstable during rainy seasons, we also need to repair and maintain our solar system. We currently use tin kerosene lamps. These lamps can be hazardous and have already affected the eyes of three of our orphans. Our orphans may also be at risk of respiratory illness due to the inhalation of black carbon smoke. With $1,000, we can fix the current solar system and improve the health, safety, and education of our orphans. See News Flash!

Cementing Classrooms

Our students spend all day learning in dusty classes, which are ideal breeding grounds for jiggers. Jiggers are parasitic insects that burrow into the skin, especially the feet. Jiggers are painful and if not treated, they may result in secondary infection. Cementing the classroom floors would prevent these parasites and ultimately improve the health and education of the children in our academy.

Additionally, the Ministry of Education has threatened to close our school because of the dusty floors. On May 26th, officials from the Ministry of Education visited our academy to ascertain whether we have started cementing the classroom floors and walls. Although they were very pleased with all that we are doing in our community, they have a given us quit a long list of requirements to meet in order to keep our doors open at the school in addition to cementing the floors. Please pray that the Ministry of Education would allow additional time for the funds to be raised for these items to be accomplished. (We will share more in the next newsletter.)

My Family

My family includes my dear wife Lilian, son Samuel, and daughter Grace. My wife and I both grew up as orphans. She was raised by her aunt, but I lived on the streets.

This year we have battled many difficulties including serious health issues and housing insecurities. I have had severe malaria and typhoid as well as brucellosis, a disease that is contracted from farm animals through drinking unpasteurized milk.  As many of you know by now, my wife had numerous pregnancy-related complications. Although she ultimately delivered our full-term son, John Praise Omendah, we lost him due to the poor medical care in our region. We are still grieving the loss and covet your prayers for emotional and physical healing. Thankfully, the Lord provided the means for us to meet our financial obligation for the limited medical attention and medications we received.  For that, we are very grateful and extend a special thanks to those who supported us in prayer, words of encouragement, and finances.  We are so blessed.  

Our current home does not have a single door or window. We moved into this new house in December 2014 after my wife applied for the National Women’s Fund. Our former house had severe leaking in the rainy season and this fund helped us start the house several years ago. Once our house is complete, we plan to use a room to house sick orphans and provide a guestroom for visitors or volunteers.

The Ministry of Education has required the school director to be a certified teacher. I enrolled in college for this qualification. I am trusting God for financial support to complete the course and receive the certification that will qualify me to continue running the school.

 

LONG-TERM NEEDS

Sustainability

  1. Land. Buying fertilizer and more acres of land will increase our food production and future structural expansion. This can ultimately provide food sustainability in addition to excess harvest, which could be sold to meet our other needs. See News Flash!

  2. Education. Focusing resources toward building an institution of education in this community would sustain the academic needs of the children in our orphanage and in our community at large. By improving our facilities and building dorms, we can cut the cost of maintaining our academy by inviting other students who can afford to pay school fees.

Long-term Dreams

  1. Staff Training. Training staff and workers would greatly improve efficiency in service delivery and management.

  2. Counseling Center. A permanent HIV/AIDS testing center and girl-child counseling and protection center would help meet some of the counseling needs of our orphans and others in our community.

  3. Training Center. A center where widows can be taught different skills would empower them to be financially independent and stable after the death of their husbands.

  4. Women’s Hospital. With a goal of reducing pregnancy-related illness and death, a women’s hospital would greatly benefit our community.

 

News Flash! News Flash! News Flash!

Praise God that through funds made available through a substantial one-time donation from Bridges Community Church, we have been able to:

  • Repair our solar system & start the electrical connection to the county substation

  • Cement three classroom floors

  • Build a new pit latrine

  • Purchase and install new bunk beds and mattresses, and

  • Purchase mosquito nets for the children in our orphanage. It is malaria season here; these nets should help reduce the spread of malaria, keep the students healthy and in school learning, and reduce the medical expenses that are normally elevated during this season.

Thank you, BCC!  Praising God for you!

Through the gifts and prayers of CCMI partners and friends, we can reach the hurting and the lost in this community with the life-saving gospel of Jesus Christ as we provide shelter, food, and education to the needy and orphaned.

Please pray that the Lord will keep us safe and that His name and only His name will be glorified in this community.