7th Update

Today the Partners for Care staff ministered to their own. If you recall three of the musicians from Temples of Worship come from Milindi a coastal town two hours north of Mombasa. There families are very poor. I have told you before in Kenya someone is not ok unless their mums are OK. And that is true for the worship team. One of the musicians Justus is now considered first born as his three older brothers have been killed in road accidents. Many in the community have told Justus it was because he became a Christian. We travelled to Malindi last time when his family was in crisis. It is then his mother accepted Christ as her personal savior and gave up brewing and drinking. We needed to return to help his family again.
Two of his siblings were not attending school for lack of school uniforms and did not have pads or mattresses to sleep on. There was only a bag of maize for food in the house. The team took mattresses for the family, hung nets for them and went to the school Justus' older sister attends. Her teacher had called for Justus to come see him. He shared with us that she was not doing well. We told him at 13 she had become the primary caregiver for her family but the mom was improving. Justus left his family money for her uniform and for rent and for food. It takes almost all Justus earns to support his family. He does that willingly and with love for his family. He talked to his siblings about doing well in school and working hard. He also found someone. Who lives nearby to be a "big sister" to her sister checking on her and encouraging her. Justus' mom is so much better from last visit. She has been attending church every Sunday since she accepted Christ. When she saw George who led her to Christ she greeted him with "praise God". She is also making makutis. (roof shingles made from a local plant) to sell so she can begin to support herself and her family.
The school we went to was the same school Justus attended. The headmaster and the teachers were delighted to see Justus. He is a success story from this school of 1,400 students. They told me Justus was a good student and hard worker. He was President of the Christian Student Association. They asked him to please come back to the school to sing for the students as this would be such an encouragement for the whole school. We will do that when we come to Mombasa. For Reach A Million sports evangelism
The Partners for Care team know we want to all have a place to live and food to eat. We are also concerned about their immediate families - their parents and siblings. As an organization we want their families to have their basic needs met and all their siblings of school age to be attending school. This provides a hand-up not a hand-out.
It is a blessing to help this team help their families, Connie
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6th update

Today was a simple but blessed day. We went with just a few of us Justus, David, Sammy and Franko to Strong Tower and Beat the Drum. Justus and Franko had never been to these children's homes. At Strong Tower the boys told the guys they remembered them from the children's conference. We went to Strong Tower to give them the extra large bednets our partner HEART had given us. The guys worked with the staff at Strong Tower and hung all the nets on the boys triple bunk beds. A very simple act, but so so significant for the boys. As Justus said no more malaria.for the boys at Strong Tower. It was wonderful to have the extra large nets from HEART.
Then we went to the Christian school the children from Beat the Drum attend. We met with the head of the school Lucy. She said the children from Beat the Drum are doing so well! Rebecca was number one in her class out of 55 children. DIko speaks Swahilli now and was number one in his nursery class. Dennis was number 5 in his class. She said no one even the teachers can believe the children live in a children's home. They are so well dressed and cared for. We got to take all of them in the van home to Beat the Drum.
The second house is complete and just finishing work is left. They plan to move in within a couple weeks.
They plantings are doing very well - corn, carrots, onions and cabbages. The children went into the tall cornfield and picked corn to give us to take home. They are growing the crops to keep the expenses down.
We went inside where the guys sang Remember Me for them and led them in worship. Then the children performed singing, dancing and reciting poems - even Diko.
Pastor John asked me to meet with 20 infected women in his church the next time I visit. He would like to help them in some way.
Beat the Drum is truly a miracle.
Blessed to know and love so many children at Beat the Drum, Connie


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