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The Grace Journal is a place where Rev. Wambugu, and perhaps occasionally others of the Grace Ministries staff, will summarize the work of the day or week. We want you to feel that you are an active part of our work and our lives, and hope that this on-going journal of our activities – our joys, our sorrows, and our day-to-day work – will help to bring you more closely into our world.
God bless you for your interest and your support!
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Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, January 28, 2006 at 09:55 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 28TH JANUARY 2006:
The week started with very sad news. A building in Nairobi collapsed Monday while still under construction and buried over 150 people. Nairobi is 20 miles from Limuru and most people from Limuru work and do business in Nairobi. Therefore in such magnitude of calamity there are Limuru people and some even close or relatives to members of Grace School family. A few children had their brothers, sisters and uncles hurt. We thank God for American marines, Israel army and the British who flew in and did wonderful job in the rescue mission. There were 20 dead, 110 injured and couple still to be traced.
This kept me (Samuel) very busy as a Trauma Counselor doing Psychological debriefings. I also started my early morning teaching (7A.M TO 8A.M). At this time the children are very fresh and ready to tackle mathematical problems. This is one of my most enjoyable times.
The School administrative committee had a brief meeting. The meeting registered a very good performance by the two new members of staff. It was decided that we call the parents/ guardians of grades 4-6 for a meeting in two weeks time. We share opinions with the parents of whom some a very insightful and helpful. We would also like them to appreciate their role as partners in the education of their children. The meeting also prayed for a possibility of having a staff retreat contingent to availability of funds. The staff shares their views in critical and positive ways of how we are doing and what we need to do as a team in order to attain the goal of a Mission.
Funds have remained a major constraint in our education delivery. As we have mentioned earlier there is famine in Kenya and most foods has doubled in cost. We are praying that are our partners will respond to this need.
God bless and pray for Kenyans as we go through the healing process of the building collapse and famine disaster.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, January 21, 2006 at 10:11 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 21ST JANUARY
The temperatures were very high during the week. We continue to pray for rain. The continued draught has left the farms with nothing and people and livestock are hungry. There is little prospect of rain as we observe clouds forming. The Town Council has even started water rationing and requested us to stop watering our gardens. This has a devastating repercussion on Grace School as we depend on vegetables that we grow through irrigation.
We have finally been connected to electricity supply. This is after a half-year delay since we paid for connection. The reason for the delay is because we could not succumb to pressure to bribe and I had to lodge a complaint to the higher authorities of the Electricity company for us to get connected. We have to endure suffering and some persecution if we have to deal with rampant corruption in our society.
Grace School is doing great. Teaching is back to normal after the long Christmas break. On Thursday the children and teachers did a three Kilometer run across our neighborhood and it was all fun. The number of children has continued to grow steadily. We have however become very strict in our admission due to our resource base. We pray that we shall get more partners as the year progresses.
We had a disappointing discovery Friday. Kate (the school cow) had been served on November and we expected it to be pregnant. She all over sudden showed signs of needing a bull. We called the vet who verified that it was not pregnant and he served it again.
We do not have a major complain in the family front. We are continuing with the prayer for wisdom as to how to respond to the Church request of taking Pastoral responsibilities.
Have a blessed week
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, January 14, 2006 at 09:32 A.M. (Limuru time)
SCHOOL HAVE RESUMED AFTER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK
The School resumed after the Christmas break. Majority of the children have returned with a sizeable number of new ones. Our target is to have 100 children this year. We will be able to accommodate this number because we received money from 1st Presbyterian Church that had been given for Christmas and we used it to buy desks. We were also able to pay teachers salary for December. The children looks very smart in the new uniform of Grey short and skirts with white shirts and a striped tie. This is the new uniform that was introduced from last year. The Old blue uniform is being phased out this year. The teachers bought the new uniform for Caroline whose mother died last year. This was a great act of mercy coming from their salary. We still have 20 children who need the new uniform.
The teachers are back ready to start another year. We have two new teachers Easter and Jennifer. They have come to us with a lot of experience from surrounding Private Schools. It was interesting to hear their reason of willing to join Grace. They said that they know that Grace School does not pay enough, but Grace teachers and children are very happy, the community has great respect for Grace School and the helping Mission of the school to the poor children is unique and as Christians they would like to be part of such a team.
The response on fees payment is not good. This is because of the famine in Kenya. This means that we shall have to seek subsidy for children who previously were paying fees. This is a very tough mission. We trust in God who has always provided for the birds of the air and these children are more important than them.
Mary's surgery was successful. Her over grown thyroid glad was removed. She is now healing the wound. We thank God for your prayers and especially the family who gave the required surgical cost. She says that she can move her hands with ease, her right hand no longer numbs and she is breathing properly. Her two children need money for the new uniform and books.
My health (Samuel) has been relatively good. I am able to get good sleep most of the nights. I have delegated most of the work to School Administrative Committee (Jane, Miriam and James). This has reduced the workload on me and hence less stress. We are however in prayers as a family seeking God’s wisdom in responding to a request from our Presbytery to take Pastoral responsibility of our Church as the current minister is leaving in much. Pastor James has been admitted to St. Paul United Theological Seminary for a Bachelor of Divinity training from August this year. There is great need for trained Clergy in our denomination and Kenya as a whole. Please pray with us as we wait for the Lord’s direction.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, January 07, 2006 at 09:48 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING SATURDAY 7TH JANUARY 2006:
MONDAY AND TUESDAY:
I mobilized the team of four young people who are Grace employees to work on a small piece of land (1/2 an acre) that we rented. We prepared the land using hoes. There are no machines to do the work. We then manred the land in readiness for planting when the rain comes.
WEDNESDAY:
I accompanied Mary and her children (Mary is the mother who needed surgery to remove overgrown goiter) to the hospital. We were able to get a hospital bed and she was booked for admission on Thursday so that surgery to take place Friday.
THURSDAY:
I observed this day as a day of reflection and prayers as we look forward for school to resume on Monday with a multitude of unmet needs. It was a very rejuvenating and assuring experience committing our needs before the Lord.I reflected on God's faithfulness in the year 2005 and I was encouraged that he will carry us through 2006. I committed known and general needs from our faithful prayers and supporting partners who stood with us in the year 2005.
FRIDAY:
We had a staff meeting. We welcomed two new teachers and bid goodbye to John. The meeting planned and made teaching timetable for the term beginning Monday 9th.
Mary went for Surgery today and as I write I have not received information of how she is doing. We sent Mary's eldest daughter to see her mother in the hospital, but was not allowed to see her because she had just come from theater. Pastor James went to visit her today Saturday and we shall know her status when he gets back.
Samuel
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Please know that your donation can help, not only to save the life of a child in Limuru, but to guide that life in such a way as to loosen the stranglehold of despair and death that threatens so much of Kenya's population. Thank you, in advance, for your compassionate support!
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