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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, April 29, 2006 at 09:08 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING SAT.29TH APRIL 2006:
The two weeks remedial teaching ended yesterday Friday 28th. Next week will be a break for the whole School. This is the week that we had planned to put up the walls of the three classrooms. The cost of the doing this is $4500. A friend has given $1000 and we shall by faith begin the building trusting the Lord for the balance.
I spent Monday- Wednesday at the Church. We worked with two helpers from Grace School and the Church Care taker to repair the floor of our sanctuary, which had become debilitated, renovating the toilets and doing general compound cleanings. This does not mean that my predecessor did not work, but I think is a matter of priorities, taste and emphasis. There is a lot of internal stuff to deal with before we can have the audacity to invite those outside. I thank God for he has put up a Committee of wonderful, committed and supportive people that I will be working with. You will be hearing and seeing the photographs of these God fearing brothers and sisters in the future.
I was able to put together the Grace Newsletter for the period Jan-April 2006 and sent it to our prayer friends on Friday 28th June. You can read a copy of this letter by going to the home page and clicking the icon Newsletter.
The Committee on Self development of people (SDOP) a department of PCUSA has requested me to do some work for them here in Kenya. There are projects that the Committee intends to fund and they need on ground information before they can make the final critical decision. They have therefore requested me to do the sight visits, meet with the project leadership and if possible the whole group involved in the project. I will report back to the SDOP head office in Kentucky with my evaluation and suggestion. This work involves a lot of traveling. I will be using public transport (The Lord has not yet provided us with a car), which is highly unreliable not to mention our roads where vehicles are driven as if they will become airborne in the next second. Might this fear have an implication as to why I do not own a car? I DO NOT KNOW!!
The Lord bless you and have a pleasant week.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, April 22, 2006 at 11:10 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 22ND APRIL 2006:
This was a week of personal meditations and prayers on what God did for us 2000 years ago by sending His beloved son to die on the cross for us. This has given us new impetus in our ministry knowing that we love because he first loved us.
Monday was Easter Monday and we observe it as a public holiday. The children who are receiving remedial teaching resumed on Tuesday.
There was a Presbyterian women zonal prayer meeting from Wednesday to Saturday and Monica is its secretary.
Wednesday was a tough day for me (Samuel). I had picked a bug that made me vomit, joint pains and was bedridden. I have now regained some strength to peck on my computer. I am trying the best I can to control my diabetes, but I am experiencing very suborning, painful itching from the feet to the toes at night.
My Sister who involved in a wreck on Thursday prior to Good Friday is doing well. The swollenness on the face is going away which is a health sign that there were no internal injuries.
Friday was a National day of prayer in Kenya. The President declared it that we Kenyans seek Gods forgiveness and directions due to the many unfortunate happenings in our country. There was a plane crush last week that killed 14 prominent people who were on a peace mission, Famine continues to claim many lives, and corruption has not been arrested. This was a commendable way by our President to show that God is the only one who has answers to our many problems.
The teachers decided that two days in a week is too much and they decided to have School Saturday 22nd. The Lord bless these dear ones for their dedication to duty.
The rain has finally come and our gardens look very beautiful. We will not have to struggle much in second term as we did in 1st term in the feeding program. The most frustrating thing is to see most of the rain water go down the waste having done a lot of erosion damage. Our water reservoirs have very little storage capacity. We need two more reservoirs that can hold up to 10,000 gallons.
ALL IS NOT GROOM AND WE ARE REJOICING IN THE POWER OF GOD. THERE IS NO SICKNESS OR POVERTY THAT CAN SEPARATE US FROM HIS LOVE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORDHALELUJAH!!
Have a blessed week
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Sunday, April 16, 2006 at 12:50 A.M. (Limuru time)
HAPPY EASTER PERIOD:
The Week was short and busy. The School went for an Easter break from Tuesday. Children finished examinations on Monday. On Wednesday we had a staff meeting that looked at the overall examination performance. The performance was quite encouraging noting that this is the 1st Term in being in an a new grade. Half of the children were recommended to have remedial teaching beginning Tuesday, 18th for two weeks.
The week had also multiple blessing. We made a compassionate appeal to help in the feeding of the children, the need was very critical and it compelled to make phone calls to a few churches. We thank God for the generous response we have received. We have money to buy food to last one month.
Easter week end was not a happy one for us as a family. One of my sisters was involved in motor vehicle wreck which almost turned fatal. She is in a hospital where she is not getting much help and we pray that we shall be able to take her to a hospital that will give her proper medical attention. I chance to be the only person in our family of ten seen as able to assist. This is not an accurate statement for although I may be the most informed in the family, I do not have money to help my sister. We are struggling and we depend on gifts from friends. Our prayer with Monica is that we shall be able to transfer her to a relatively better hospital. Please keep us in your prayers during this passion period.
We are 150 miles from our home because of this tragedy and that is why we were late to post our journal on Saturday.
God bless
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, April 08, 2006 at 11:51 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 8TH APRIL:
We praise God for the rains that have finally arrived. The week has been very wet and we hope that the expected rain season has finally arrived. The gardens look green and the prevailing hunger will be finished in two months time when people start harvesting potatoes.
There were two funerals on Tuesday that are involved members of Grace family and a representative number of teachers attended and comforted the family. Samuel was able to attend both of them. We have to moan with the ones that are moaning. There are two more deaths that have occurred this week and again involving members of Grace family. The climatic change from hot and dry to wet and cold is partly contributing especially to the very weak HIV/AIDS patients of whom we have many in our community.
The children began their end of term examinations on Thursday. The examinations will end on Tuesday followed by an official Easter break of three weeks. We shall however not take all the three weeks but will take two weeks to offer remedial teaching. Teachers are pleased with the performance so far.
Pastor James Mbatia who is Samuels assistant has been accepted for a Bachelor of Divinity Degree at St. Pauls United Seminary beginning August. He is having a fund raising meeting today in an endeavor to raise the required tuition and living expenses. St. Paul Seminary is 5Km. From Grace School and he intends to commute so that his children will continue with education at Grace School. He needs the prayers of Gods people. It is very helpful to do Theological Training here as opposed to traveling abroad. Ones learning is contextualized as well as it is relatively cheap. James needs to raise $ 4,500 as opposed to Tens of thousand he may have required if he was to do the same training outside Kenya.
As we go into the Passion Week, our meditation is on the command that Jesus gave that we break the bread in his remembrance. What is it that we need to remember and how do we do it? The Lord of Glory truly manifested his due nature of being truly God and truly human. This is a mystery that we cannot fathom as human beings. He suffered relationally, emotionally and physically for me and you. We have a God who can perfectly empathize with all that we are going through. PRAISE BE TO HIS NAME FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, April 01, 2006 at 1:21 P.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 1ST APRIL:
The week started on a sad note. Teacher Jane had taken her expectant sister in-law to hospital on Friday night. She was called Monday at 11 a.m. that she had passed. On Tuesday at 7 a.m. Fatuma a grade 5 pupil enters my office and tells me that her grand mother died Monday night and the body was still in the house. We have done all within our ability to help these dear ones. The funeral of the two will be coming Tuesday. There have been very many deaths in the community and one need to use discretion in deciding which to attend else one may be attending funerals every day.
The children and teachers are very busy revising for the end of 1st term examinations that begins Thursday next week and runs for three days. Jane bought the examinations on Friday. We prefer buying the examinations as opposed to the teachers setting them. The examination evaluates the teachers on how effectively she/he has communicated the subject content as stipulated in the curriculum as well as testing the pupils understanding. The performance will determine which children will get remedial teaching.
I (Samuel) have officially taken over the Pastoral responsibilities of Community Presbyterian Church. I have my apprehension as to how I will handle extra responsibilities on top of what I already have. I am trusting on God who gives grace where it is most needed.
This is the last week of the month and teachers need to be paid. We are anxiously waiting for the gifts from our partners in order to pay the teachers and the bills. We are praying that God will meet our needs. If what we receive shall be the regular support, we will not be able to meet our obligations. We have seen God meet our needs in the past and we have no doubt that He will do it even this month.
God bless you and have a good week.
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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