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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
Monday, July 31, 2006 at 11:29 A.M. (Limuru time)
We apologize that due to circumstances beyond our control, we could not post the Grace Journal for week ending Saturday 29th July 2006.
Samuel
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, July 22, 2006 at 2:28 P.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 22ND JULY 2006:
Grace School children and teachers stayed busy revising for end of 2nd term examination, which begins next Friday. A new teacher has come on board in preparation to take over from Eunice who will be proceeding for maternity leave. Eunice will not come back in September and Pauline will offer the continuity. There was a fracas on Friday caused by parents who alleged that a teacher had beaten her daughter. The truth of the matter was that the child had taken another childs pencil and when the teacher asked her to return. She rolled on the ground screaming and was hit on the hand by a desk. We have had other incidents with this particular child and we intend to have a serious talk with the parent by the end of the term. She will either have to take responsibility on her childs poor discipline or get her out of Grace.
I(Samuel) had to visit a site in the remotest part of Kenya on behalf SDOP. It took me 8 hours riding on very rough roads with badges at my back from surgery. I was glad when I got back and went to hospital to have the stitches removed and the wound was found to be healing well. I will be visiting a final site from Monday next week and this will be enjoyable because Monica will be with me. She has not been to the part of the country I will be visiting and we decided that we go together.
There was a fund raising at our Church to assist James proceed to Seminary in August. We raised $ 600 out of the $3000 he needed. The brother is trusting God for the rest. Grace has offered to retain his three children at School and allowed him to keep the Schoolhouse. This means that he will be commuting to the College. We encourage people to read so that the Church in Africa can have informed Pastors to teach the word of God as it is written in the scriptures. Any one led to help James in this ministry is welcome to do so through Grace School.
Our office computer crushed and we are in prayer for a better one. The one we had was frustratingly slow. Be in prayer with us.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, July 15, 2006 at 12:14 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING SAT 15TH 2006:
Grace children continued with studies under chilly climate. We have relaxed the uniform requirement so that they can put whatever they find to stay warm. The term is coming to an end on 2nd August and teachers are busy teaching and revising with the children.
We do have a tricky issue to work through on how to replace teachers proceeding on maternity leave. Three of our teachers are expectant. Eunice our class one teacher will be proceeding for maternity leave from September. That means that she will not return for the third term. Others are Miriam and Easter. They will proceed for leave in January 2007. Mr. James Mbatia will be proceeding for Seminary from 26th August. We are having a fund raising for him tomorrow at Community Presbyterian Church to see if he can raise the $ 3000 tuition. This is a very high figure by our standard, but we shall see what the Lord will do. We pray for the Gods wisdom as we plan for the way forward.
I (Samuel) had a surgical removal of the swelling at my back on Tuesday. It was successful and it was not malignant. Thank you for friends who took all the trouble to call from US to encourage and pray for me. I went back again today Saturdays for dressing and the Doctor was happy with the way it is healing. I am visiting one of the sites on behalf of SDOP this afternoon and I will do another one next week from Monday through Thursday.
The church is doing fine and we have been going through the 1st chapters of the Book of Acts. The purpose is to teach the believers our roots and our calling to witness of the Christ's resurrection. The place of wonders and signs have been seriously misplaced in the African Church resulting to churches where people go for nothing short of miracles. Our prayer is that we shall be a Church founded on authentic scriptural teaching as interpreted through reformed tradition.
God be with you this week and always.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, July 08, 2006 at 10:49 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 8TH JULY 2006
GRACE SCHOOL:
The School continued resumed Monday after the one-day midterm break last Friday. The temperatures were very low. This year will not be very cold in the classrooms because we have electricity and when the lights are switched on they have a heating effect. The children had to wear warm clothing the ones that have them. The mid-morning tea and bread helped a great deal. Josephine a class six pupil was very sick on Friday and we had to call the mother to come and take her to the hospital. She was diagnosed to be having Malaria. She was given medicines and she is recovering.
SAMUEL:
It was an extremely busy week attending the four days workshop. It was on the other hand relaxing getting away from the routines. There were three hundred Pastors in this workshop. It was organized by SIM Pastors books project. They covered three main areas pertaining to the Pastor. Marriage, Money and Expository preaching. At the end of the workshop we each got 59 volumes of books covering all areas of Pastoral Ministry. This was a wonderful gift for books are very expensive here. Monica attended one day and she was very glad to hear that the issues we struggle with in our home are universal to Pastors. I feel revitalized and ready for the work ahead.
I mentioned in the last weeks journal of a growth at my back. I saw a Doctor who recommended a surgical removal. I will be going to the hospital on Tuesday for the surgery. The Doctor said that it is a simple swelling of subcutaneous glad and it would be easy to remove. The only hitch might be my blood sugar level. I pray that it will not be elevated and the surgery will go on.
Have a pleasant week.
Samuel
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, July 01, 2006 at 4:34 P.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 1ST JULY:
The School curriculum went on well with a break on Friday. We are through the 1st half of 2nd term and both teachers and children needed a break. The break considered with the funeral of teacher Stella and Joan in class four. The Staff and a representative number of children were able to attend the funeral.
On Monday a parent who had written us a bitter letter complaining that we are overworking her Class five boy came to School to meet with me. We talked with her together with Jane the Head teacher. It was a very helpful encounter because she was able to see issues in her own life that are affecting the boys education and development. She went home satisfied that what the teachers are doing is perfect and she will deal with the issues that came up during our talk.
I ( Samuel) spent most of the afternoons supervising a personal home that we have been building gradually for years. I do the construction when I get paid work; I get personal gift or support from our son Peter. Peter is in Knoxville College and he sends us money to do the house, which he saves from his little earning. We are very happy with Peter because of his attachment to home. I am able to do what I do at almost no pay because of Peters support. He pays College fees for his sister taking off from my shoulder what is essentially my burden. This time I had some little money from the Presbyterian Committee on SDOP as a reimbursement for doing the Site visits. I used this money to do part of the house construction. Our prayer is that God will enable us to complete this house as quickly as possible so that we can move out of the rented home.
Today 1st July is graduation day at a Bible College in our neighborhood. There are three Ethiopians among the graduands who are refugees. They did not have a venue to celebrate the joy together with their families and friends. They approached us through their principal to offer them our facilities. We were happy that Grace facilities are now becoming helpful to our community.
The cold season of July/August is gradually setting in. It has been very chilly today with highs of 50 degrees. We are on the hand happy because it is wet which is good for the crops.
July is going to be a very busy time for me. I will start a Week Training from Monday 3rd on Biblical Leadership. Two weeks beggining Monday 10th I will be on the road visiting sites on behalf of Presbyterian Committee on SDOP. The remaining week of the month will be for report writing. This needs prayers for God's strength and good health. I have developed a swearing on my back below the junction of the shoulders. It has been there for some time but it has become big and it may require surgical operation. I will deal with all this in the course of the month, on top of my routine at the church and at Grace School. I need your prayers.
May God's peace and joy attend your way.
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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