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Connie's 4th Update from Kenya

Today football teams contiue to play games as the tornaments moves to the finals . While the teams played, the large crowds watched, the streets boys and small children were led by Moses manager of CCRC. About 100 children stayed with Moses all day. There are some 25 "street boys who have been with us both days. They openly sniff their glue from the small bottles they carry in their pockets. They are dirty, hungry and some have sores on their faces and arms. They are all very thin. Some are intoxicated from the glue staggering as they follow us wanting to be close. The team has fed them breakfast of chapati and bananas and luch of sanwhiches, chips and biscuits. You can't avoid smelling the glue yourself as they sit by you. It is very hard to leave them each night as we all know they will be sleeping in the streets.
The two women teams showed up and suprised everyone including SN. Most were moms carrying their babies. Some of the women were in their 40's and we were told half are infected with HIV/AIDs.. They came to practice - in skirts and dresses and some in flip flops.. They do not have uniforms or shoes. They played hard, shouting when goals were made. And they brought with them about 50 women who watched them and their children while they played. They are scheduled to play tomorrow at 1:00. SN is buyiing them all track suits. For their prizes tomorrow.
Now it is dark and on a sheet used for a screen hung on the side of a building some 600 watch the Jesus of Nazareth film. Moses has led many to Christ tonight.
The team is tired but still they all do what they feel God calls them to do - win souls for the Lord.
Blessed to be in Kenya, Connie
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Connie's 3rd update from Kenya

Today the 16 team tournament started in Mukuru slum. Mukuru slum is home to some 200,00 people and is behind the Makuru c GOA hurch pastored by Pastor Murimi. He has a heart for the lost, the infected and affected in this slum.
Many of you know Moses from Christ Compassion Rehab Center (CCRC). . Moses, a former "street boy" is the manager of CCRC, home to 50 street boys and girls. Two weeks ago the sports team went to CCRC holding a 16 team football tournament. Moses was very appreciative of their work and asked if he could volunteer with the sports team so today he came to help in Mukuru slum He came with his big heart, big smile and a love for the street boys.
During the day a "street boy" called to Moses. When Moses first saw the young man he did not recognize him. He took him to get tea and the "stree boy" Daniel told Moses that when he was seven Moses was on the street with him and so was the other "street boy" who was with him Douglas. He said, "remember Moses you took us to the State House when President Moi invited all the "street boys" for tea and cake in 1998." After this feeding the street boys were sent back to the streets. Moses came off the street January 2005 when Christ Compassion Rehab Center was started. He was selected by John, founder of CCRC, to manage the "street boys" coming into CCRC. Moses has accepted Christ into his live, loves the Lord, is married with a baby and has a future that helps other "street boys". There was great joy in Moses to see these two boys. Daniel is 20 years old and has been on the streets 12 years, Douglas is 17 and has been on the streets 8 years. Both ask to rescued from the street, to have an uniform and be able to go to school. Moses will talk to CCRC board about them coming to CCRC. Both were high with the glue and could not even be tested because when intoxicated you cannot give consent or even understand your status.
So here stood three young men. One because of GOA's faithfulness to serve the "street boys" was safe, healthy, hopeful and was loving and serving the Lord. The other two were high on glue, hungry and not healthly.
What if all the "street boys" could be rescued. Would this not please God? It is possible to rescue even those addicted to glue who have lived on the street for a very long time - as witnessed by the miracle of Moses.
Blessed to be a part of sports evangelism, Connie
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Daniel, Moses and Douglas.jpg

Read the story of Moses in the 3rd update. Connie
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2nd update

Today was a day of hope and opportunity and a day that reminds me why it is so obvious the war against HIV/AIDS is not won.

I met with the 9 Field Officers of the National Aids Control Council. (NACC) Professor Orego, Director of NACC had convened them to assist in "mapping" what is currently being implemented for youth HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. They were a very impressive group of leaders and gave total support and will help gather the information. Professor has also appointed a women to assist us in gathering this information. They had invited represtives from the Ministry of Youth And Sports. They want to come see the Reach a Million program in Mukuru Slum this week God continues to put the right people in place. I give Him the glory for the meeting today and the favorable results.

Then we went to see Nick and Charles. Debbie Jones from Emory University is visiting their project on Tuesday so we wanted to explain to them what she will be doing and why she is coming. Four clients of Nick and. Charles' program died last week. One 30 year old woman they carried from the slum and took her in a cab to Kenyetta Hospital only to told to take her in the cab to the police station as she died enroute to the hosipital. Since Nick and Charles have started Community Transformers they have had 302 clients in their program and 70 of these clients have died - approximately 22 children. We also met with Matthew to discuss the planning of the next GOA children's conference scheduled August 21, 2008.

Blessungs from Kenya,
Connie

Milele Concert

Milele is returning to Atlanta to do another concert for Partners for Care and our new partner Chance Afrika. This time the concert will be held at Pastor Karanja's church Christ Harvester's International Ministries on August 2, 2008. There will be a Kenyan meal at 6:00pm with the concert at 8:00pm. Funds will be used for work in Kenya including Pastor Karanja's trip to help Pastor Hirbo in Marsabit.

As Partners for Care/Chance Afrika through GOA organize soccer tournaments throughout Kenya in their new initiative Reach a Million with the message of HIV/AIDS, soccer teams in the US will Play with Africa. The first of these soccer tournaments will be held August 2. Christian will help award the winning team their trophy.

For tickets contact me or David Gruber. Tickets are $20.00 donation.
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1st Update

I am on the plane traveling to Kenya. So much has happened since I returned from Kenya just a month ago. SN has successfully led four sports tournaments reaching thousands with the message of HIV awareness and the gospel. From Eldoret to CCRC to Kiambiu slum the team has used music, drama and the Passion of Christ movie to bring young people to church and to the Lord. and to teac HIV/AIDS. Awareness.

Meantime in the US God brought together Partners for Care and Chance Afrika as partners to expand the ministry to assist GOA to Reach-a-Million with the message of HIV prevention - all to create an HIV-free generation.

Debbie Jones from the Inter-faith Office, Rollins Public Health, Emory University will be joining me this trip. Her purpose is to begin the "mapping" of youth-initiatives in Kenya and to explore working through Partners for Care and GOA to address community health issues - clean water, malaria, HIV/AIDS, nutrition and TB prevention.

I will also be visiting all five GOA children's home with Partners for Care staff - nurses, social workers, pastors, nutritionists and sports evangelist. The purpose of these visits is to assess each home in respect to nutrition, physical enviornment, health programs, spiritual programs, compliance with Kenya government regulations and health of the children. These assessments will be used by the Directors of the children's home to improve the care and services they provide the children. This is part of GOA's mission to go deeper in all of their ministries this year. The team will also identify best practices to share with the other children's homes.


I will also meet with Matthew and the GOA team that is planning the next GOA children's conference to be held August 18-22.

And lastly I will be assisting Pastor Karanja in his preparation for his August trip to preach in Nairobi and to go to Marsabit to help Pastor Hirbo. I am meeting with his ground team in Nairobi.

Blessed to be returning to Kenya,

Connie

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GOA implementing Sunday School in 126 churches in 6 East African countries

Pastor Matthew is developing and implementing Sunday School for all of the GOA churches. I was privledged to help Matthew with the recent GOA Children's Conference for all of the children's homes. He is an awesome Christian leader - perfect for the task God has called him to do. He was the one that led the children through the four-day event.
Matthew asked me if I would review his strategic plan for Sunday School implementation. In reviewing this plan I found a "needs" list. He nor the Bishop has aked that we fulfil this "needs" list but I know it would be a boost to his work if we could gift him the items he has listed. If anyone wants to donate one of the following items or donate funds to purchase the items in Kenya please let me know. I will take donated items to Pastor Matthew from anyone on my next trip to Kenya. I leave May 25.
Needs include:
Children's bibles
A computer to create a Sunday School database and other records
A printer and photocopier to enable them to print Sunday school material and correspondence which includes brochures, newsletters and certicates for their staff
Digital camera to take photos and enable their reports to be documented by photos. Pictures speak more than words
Playing items such as toys, dolls, crayons, clay for modeling, mats/carpets where toddlers can sit, etc.
Please share these needs with others who want to impact the next generation of Christians in Kenyans. Perhaps your church would like to partner with GOA and Pastor Matthew as he implements Sunday School in 126 and growing GOA churches.
Blessings, Connie
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Request for a laptop computer

The response to the request for Blackberrys was great and we have been given Blackberrys to take to the pastors in Kenya and more are coming. Thanks! They will be a huge help to enhance communication across the 10,000 miles!
I thought I would try the same approach for a laptop. Does anyone have a laptop computer we could take to GOA. They really could use a laptop computer for their iniative to start a uniform Sunday School curriculum in all 126 GOA churches.
Maybe someone has gone Mac and not using their PC???
Blessings for your heart for Kenya, Connie
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Maggie's School

From Bishop David Thagano
Thanks for sharing the vision of Akatuman school. I'm blessed to think of a school in Akatuman.
The Bishop has for a long time had a heart for the unreached tribe of the Turkana. It is very hard to believe but true that there exists no school in the Akatuman area. No school for children to even learn to read the bible. No adult literacy classes for those who accept Christ to learn to read His word.
Maggie's School will change that. Maggie is the beatuiful daughter of Connie's sister Wink Mcleod. God called Maggie home two years ago at the age of 19. Maggie was the love of our life, the happy one, the giving one, the one who made you feel special. God felt Maggie's work here on earth was complete and called her home - but we as humans will always miss her.
Wink wants to honor Maggie and her love for learning, for writing and her beautiful spirit by building a school in the Turkana region thus providing hope in this area.
It will be more than a school as Partners for Care will also use this facility as a community health center addressing the many health issues that are preventable - HIV/AIDS, malaria, diseases from unclean water, etc.
I will provide updates on Maggie's School on the blog. We are planning a trip to dedicate Maggie's School the end of July.
Current status
They are currently building a dividing wall in the existing GOA church (Pastor David's church) so they can begin teaching a baby school in May. They will then build a house for two teachers who will live there at the school. They are also starting the construction of the school building. They will be teaching adult literacy in the afternoon.
Andrew Partners for Care social worker in Turkana region is looking for an NGO that can help with providing food for a lunch program for the children as there is a severe lack of food in this area.
If you want to help with providing hope through educating these children and adults and saving people and children from preventable diseases you can support this project through prayer, financially or perhaps God is calling you to go to meet the Turkana people yourself. Contact Connie ccheren@aol.com
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From Jane - reflections on the Children's Conference

I wanted to share with you the reflections from Jane Chege about the Children's Conference. Jane is one of the Partners for Care social workers and the primary coordinator of the Children's Conference.
The valley of the dry bones...Ezekiel 37....God talked to his servant Ezekiel about the dry bones. In the valley the bones were too dry hence no life. Symbolically the bones represent the people who have no hope to continue in life. The scriptures explain prophetically that God gives hope to the hopeless. The children's conference was all about giving hope to the children who at one time had lost hope as a result of many difficulties that they have passed through. The objective was to help the children feel that they have a place in God's kingdom becoming Champions for Christ as...everybody is somebody and Jesus is Lord.
After dreaming about the conference for six months it became a reality. All the children from the six children's home at one time had no hope, they all faced rejection in one way or another some even hurt by their closest relatives. All of them were in the healing process. As I organized the conference questions kept lingering in my mind - would there be a positive outcome? How practical would it be to control all these children bearing in mind that some are just a few days, weeks or months in the rehabiltation centers? What seems impossible to man is quite possible before God. God kept them together in perfect harmony in a miraculous way.
The lives of all the participates were changed in one way or other spiritually, socially, psychlogically and physically.
SPIRITUALLY
Becoming champions for Christ was the theme for the conference. All participants got spiritual nourishment through very powerful sessions of praise, worship and bible studies children. who were once far from Christ got themselves in a deep mood of prayer, calling upon the name of the Lord, praising the Lord and fully dedicating their lives to him. By the strong move of the Holy Ghost children got courage to lead prayers, many of them gave testimony of their renewed strength and their desire to walk with Christ
The conference enhanced great integration between and among the children and the staff as well. Children and staffs from different homes had a chance to interact with one another. Through group work children got to know each other and hence learning from one another.
SOCIAL GROWTH
Complete healing starts from within. It is through psychological healing that manifest into physical healing. The children conference addressed this aspect through guiding and councelling sessions children in different categories of individuals received different talks as per their ages and gender.
PHYSICAL WELL BEING
Proper physical fitness was addressed in different angles.
NUTRITION
Proper quality and quantity of food was given to the children everyday
WEATHER
kinangop region is well known for its extreme cold weather conditions. All participants got all the necessary items to keep them warm especially at night. A temporary structure which acted as a temperature regulator was put in place to ensure that all the children especially the very young ones didn't suffer from the great weather variation experienced in the area
FATIGUE
Through sports participant the children and staff got a chance to refresh their minds, physical exercises enhanced the same greatly.
Apart from the four main aspects explained above, the conference enhanced most of the children to make use of the many different talents that God has given them; these include talents in sports, drama, poerty, dancing among other talents. Sports evangelism football teams from different homes competed among themselves to climax all vary powerful team was formed which will under training and compete even in other countries.
APPRECIATION
Different participants (staff and children) were appreciated by getting certificates in the learning sessions and field activities
Written by Jane Chege, Partners for Care Social Worker
If you are moved by what Jane wrote you can help with next GOA children's conference which is scheduled for August 21. Please contact Connie if you or your church want to help GOA provide this experience to hundreds of children. ccheren@aol.com

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