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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, May 27, 2006 at 11:50 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING MAY 27TH 2006.
The week was very busy for me (Samuel) cruising across Kenya to do site visits. I was able to visit three projects Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It was difficult sit in a bus for eight hours with very little space to spread the legs and on getting to the destinations my feet would be swollen. The whole Mission had a very deep internal satisfaction when I got to places and found needy looking women and children waiting for me with an expectation that I was a solution to their dilemma. I felt ashamed inside me because I knew that mine was a simple task of responding to questions that the Presbyterian Committee on SDOP needed to know in order to make a funding decision. I did not have an answer to the screaming needs of these Lords people. I am thankful to God that so far I have done six visits out of seven. I am now compiling a report using slow frustrating word processor, but that is the way things run here. There is a saying to this that There is no hurry in Africa. Mirriam is of immense help as I do the report writing. She was also out of School for three days Tuesday-Thursday doing her National Accounts examinations. She is a very gifted and cooperative lady and I thank God for her.
Things at Grace went on well under the able leadership of Jane. We are wonderfully gifted in human resources and it is our desire that we give every member of Grace both the children and the teachers an enabling atmosphere, encouragement and support to exploit the potential that God has given each of us.
Thank you to many of you who read the journal and writes to us words of encouragement.
The Church (Community Presbyterian Church cpc) is also doing well. Last week I had a very bad chest that could not allow me to preach. Elder Gad preached and did wonderful exposition sermon on the text of the Rich Fool.
The Pastoral work to the HIV/AIDS groups is beginning to take shape. We have Ann a Secretary to People living AIDS and two weeks ago the Chairperson of the group came to our Church and received Jesus as His Savior. We are at a cross road of not knowing how God wants us to minister to this discriminated group. We are taking care for the Orphans at Grace School; how then do we go to take care for the adults. The Lord knows and we are waiting for his leading.
God bless and have a pleasant week.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, May 20, 2006 at 11:53 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 20TH MAY 2006:
The week was hot and sunny which was good coming from the very torrential rains that had bombarded for two weeks. Grace School went on well without interruption.
We thank God for what we have seen happen to both our children and teachers. 11 out of the very needy children have gotten sponsors from 1St Baptist Church Bearden courtesy of Rev. Steve Sexton. One of our very smart Mathematics teachers Stella won a green card. She came to my office to thank me for encouraging them to apply. This means that she has started a process of acquiring papers to immigrate as a permanent resident in the USA. This is good for her family which relatively large and poor. To those who can remember we made an appeal for people to assist her to undergo surgery to remove nose growths that were making her breathing difficult. The whole process is very expensive, but we pray that the Lord will continue providing for her as he has always done.
I Samuel had a busy week visiting projects sites for the Presbyterian Council on Self Development of People. I was able to visit three projects and I have four more to do. I traveled over 800 miles that passed week and I thank God for his journey masses. It was difficult to be out of home knowing that my diabetes demands controlled diet, which is not available in the hotels. I am pleased of the learning exposure that this work is putting through. We have people organization that is doing amazing work in the areas of HIV/AIDS and Orphans. I am getting educated knowing that we too are in it. I will again hit the road from Monday through Saturday.
Thank you for keeping us in your prayer. The Lord has given me a wonderful team at home, School and the Church and they have been very supportive. Whenever I call, they always encourage me by telling me that things are working well. I praise God for all these people. I could do nothing without the support of these dear ones.
Gods peace.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, May 13, 2006 at 10:46 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 13TH May 2006:
The week started with two involving events. The children returned from the Easter Break on Monday. We thank God for his protection to both children and teachers during this break. They have all resumed classes for another 12 weeks before going for another break.
The rain has continued relentlessly. The intensity of the rain is too heavy to be of any major value to the crops. The lower grounds are water logged. This is a shame and a major challenge to us Kenyans that we are not able to provide for known disasters and especially to devising away that we can harvest the water and use it during the dry spell. We would like to venture in this type of entrepreneur in the future. We have a lot of vegetables from our school garden, but this is not the main component of the children diet that is mainly beans, corns and rice. These components are still very expensive.
The other major event concerned the church. Our Central Presbytery of Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church has been geographically very extensive and we had to split it into two Rift Valle and Central Presbytery. These presbyteries are still too large with Central Presbytery extending 50 miles West of Nairobi to Mombasa. The area is over 1000miles Square. The major Challenge of our church is lack of properly trained clergy. Most Clergies have just gone through Elementary Education. I am very happy that Mr. James Mbatia my Administrative Assistant has been accepted to do a Bachelor of Divinity at St. Pauls Theological Seminary. This brings in the factor of funds for he needs $ 4500 for his tuition, Living and Educating his three children. This extremely cheap compared with the cost of Training people go for in American and in most cases refuse to come back realizing that they will have to minister with any pay like Samuel is doing at Community Presbyterian Church.
We would like to appeal to any one concerned with the spread of the word of God in Africa to support this brother. Grace School desires to raise fees for the children and for his house rent and utilities. The cost of this is:
Fess for three children 600 per year
Rent and Utilities 1200 per year
TOTAL 1800 per year
He has tried to do some local fund raising and he has a long way to go. His College begins in August.
Any question or support can be sent to Community Presbyterian Church Limuru e-mail cpclimuru@yahoo.com
I continued to concentrate on making our church external looks beautiful. I think we should speak with our works and deeds before we open our mouth. We finish digging an 80 feet pit latrine. The next step will be its construction before we start on the sanctuary, which has remained at the level of the slab for over ten years. The stones are falling apart.
It always amazes me why God in his plans always put me where there is donkeywork. I have never gone to an on going fully functional ministry where my work is to be merry and rejoicing in the spirit as some Christians fads would put it. Grace School is struggling, the Church is struggling I am even struggling to put bread on the family table. The Spirit of God assures me that I am where the Lord wants me to be, but not where I would like to be.
Excuse me friends for my complaining. It is the truth of my heart and I have no intention of adopt the Jonah strategy.
I will be busy next week visiting Project sites that Presbyterian Committee on Self Development of People wants to fund. They require on ground assessment and they have given me this important and intimidating task. I will be out for five days. Please pray that the Lord will give me good health.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, May 06, 2006 at 11:21 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 7TH MAY 2006:
Nature has proved our weathermen wrong. They had focused a dry period with slight rain coming in June. This week has been very wet. There was heavy rain for twenty fours for three days this week. I am perplexed at our very poor management of Natural resources. One month ago, we were crying due to famine as a result of extended drought. As I write today the people on a Kenyan coast especially Mombasa are being evacuated to higher ground due to floods. Their homes are under water; they are yet another group needing emergency assistance in food, clothing and living tents. Grace School was unreachable. The road was flooded with a lot of sediment. This is because erosion is very extensive on the high grounds and most of the soil load has been sediment on our section of the road blocking the water tunnel. We spent two days with the Grace workers unblocking the tunnel. We also bought two lorry loads of murrum(soft easily breaking stones) to repair our section of the road.
The two days heavy work on the road took toil on my health. I started shivering with cold ,a severe head and tense muscles. I went to the hospital and I was diagnosed with Malaria. I was put on a three days treatment and I am now feeling better this being the second day.
I mentioned that we shall by faith go ahead and build the walls of the three classrooms. The building is finishing today. The children come back Monday to see new rooms at the top. We have done this by getting the building materials on a 30 days credit and paying half the labor. The builder has been doing all our construction and he was willing to wait as he saw that this was the only time to put up the walls.
We are looking forward to children coming back to school on Monday 8th for another busy second term. This is the term that is usually very cold. July and August are the coldest months here. We expect the food to be relatively cheap compared with last term. We also have enough vegetables in the school garden to feed the children.
A committee comprising of four teachers met to plan where they will be taking the children for education tour this year. The committee decided that the lower Nursery- Grade Three should go separately from the upper classes Grades 4-6 classes. This separation is wise because what the toddlers enjoy and learn is different from what others would like to see and learn. The tour will take place in October God willing.
God bless and have a pleasant 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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