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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, December 31, 2005 at 09:30 A.M. (Limuru time)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!
This has is the last week of the year 2005. We have taken time to look in retrospective how the year has been. The year had joys and success as well as difficult moments for us at Grace School.
There were bouts of sicknesses especially on teachers. Samuel has had a rough period with his frantic blood level; Stella had a nasal surgery to remove growths. It was very cold from June all the way to October and this did go well with Asthmatics.
There were however moments of cerebrations. A key area to note is on the side of financial support from International Partners. They have identified with the Ministry of Grace School despite the hard times in their own countries. They have never left us to be crushed by our problems. We are very thankful to all that the Lord gave the desire to effectively partner with us. Individual people. Families and churches have expressed their love in very marvelous way that has left us humbled with an inspired zeal to face the year 2006.
We have remained busy in the week doing some repairs especially on the break wall on the 2nd floor. The fellow who did it did not do good work. We were also juggling furniture from one class to another, as we shall have an extra one grade when the school opens on 9th January. We have noted that despite all this will have an acute need of desks. We need 20 more desks if to be able to accommodate 100 children. The Grade eight examinations was announced and it was a dismal performance from public schools. This means that there will be an influx of children needing to join Grace next year.
We received a significant donation of teaching material on Wednesday from Hago Stationers. An Elder of our church who is also very close to the administration of Grace School owns this store.
We sent our last Newsletter for the year 2005 on Wednesday and we are anxiously waiting to hear the response. Kenya is going through a famine crisis and there is no immediate solution as rains are expected from mid -March.
We wish all our supporting and praying Friends and Partners a prosperous New Year.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, December 24, 2005 at 08:50 A.M. (Limuru time)
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Majority of community populace is in a jovial festive mood of Christmas. The Christmas essence seems to have been forgotten and people with means and ability have turned it to a time of personal enjoyment without regard to less privileged members of our community the core focus of Christmas. This season has also been made more serious by the famine that has hit over half of Kenya. In his Christmas message our President has commanded the army to help in distribution food to many starving Kenyans especially those of Pastoral Community like the Massais and Somalis. We have been involved in our small way by assisting 15 family members of our children with Wheat, corn meal and beans which we had left in our store to use for the feeding program when the school opens on January 9th 2006.
We also did an appeal for one of our parents with an overgrown goiter that is almost strangling her and needs an immediate surgery. The Lord has touched a family and has given $500 towards this need.
The teachers met on Wednesday for prayers and thanksgiving for Gods protection and provision for the year ending.
Pray for Grace School and our country Kenya.
Have a merry Christmas.
Samuel
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, December 17, 2005 at 10:38 A.M. (Limuru time)
WEEK ENDING 17TH DECEMBER:
The week was very busy for me with Samuel not feeling well. We have been extremely anxious of where to get an extra room for our grade six next year. Our hope of building the top three classes is at present futile because the School has not received any financial help to do that. We have however cleaned one of the rooms that was used for storing building materials. We took some materials to the food store and the rest to Samuel’s home. We now have a room ready, but without desks. We need twenty desks for this room at a cost of $ 20 per desk before the children comes back on January.
On Friday we did an interview for teachers. We needed two teachers. One is needed because of the annual growth in grades while another was to replace a teacher who has not been performing well regardless of our past warnings. We got two qualified, experienced wonderful ladies who will be joining the team in January. There will be bigger financial requirement next year and our trust is on God who has been our provider so far.
The Medical team is back from the countryside where they were doing the clinics. Monica has prepared lunch for them today together with the teachers at her house.
Pastor James has done Pastoral visits this week to four of our children families and he has reported that many people have no food. The last time there was rain was in early September. The food that was in the farms like beans and maize has completely dried. People are depending on government relief supplies. We have exhausted the cabbages that we had at Grace School garden and all we have are tomatoes, which can’t be used as food by them alone. We are very proud with the way Samuel manages this little garden to provide vegetables for the School. We pray that the Lord will quickly restore him to health.
God bless, pray for Samuel and have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy new year.
Jane Njenga.
Headteacher
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, December 10, 2005 at 12:16 A.M. (Limuru time)
Week ending 10th December 2005:
The week had two interesting events.
There was a Workshop (Seminar) for Education stakeholders organized by Ministry of Education from Sunday 4th Wednesday 7th. Avery high judging criteria were used in selecting participants. This was because of the very few spaces available, competency for quality contribution of ideas and the need to retain the workshop interactive. Two Schools heads were selected from each Division (County). Grace School was selected amidst a pool of 20 Private Education Schools. Jane the Head teacher of Grace School attended the Seminar. This was a welcome recognition of the contribution of Grace School in the Education Sector. She will stay busy during the School break facilitating such training workshop in our District.
On Monday 5th the teachers held an Interview with the many children who wants to join Grace School. The interview had two components. There was a part for the parent and a part for the child. We do this so as to remain focused to our goal of delivering cheap and quality education to disadvantaged children. Due to our high quality education, children from financially strong families are being brought to Grace School. We advise such parents to take their children to the many private and commercial schools surrounding us. The parents are reluctant because the fees in some of these is three times what they would pay at Grace and yet the quality of learning and child care at Grace School is very high.
We are anticipating that children population will rise to over 100 in January 2006. We are able to continue playing the wonderful role because of your prayers and support. The quality education and care that we give to these children is costly and sacrificial, but in all this God is glorified. This upholds our school motto: Excelling by the grace of God
Pastoral Visitation:
On Wednesday I (Samuel) did Pastoral visitation to three families. Interestingly these families are members of our church. The 1st visit was to the sick man who is regaining his sanity gradually and is housed in a small church house. I mentioned in a past newsletter that this is a person who resembled the Gerasene demoniac. We are seeing Gods divine power in restoring this person. I visited Ann who featured with her two children in our latest Newsletter. She had reacted to the ART medication she was using and needed to go back to the clinic. The last family I visited was kind of a Single mother. The father left three years ago to the USA. He has forgotten that he left a family behind with the older child attending Grace School. Our program is to visit all the families with children at Grace School during the Christmas break.
Have a blessed week.
Samuel.
| Author: Samuel Wambugu
Saturday, December 03, 2005 at 11:28 A.M. (Limuru time)
Week ending 2nd December 2005:
Grace School was a haven of activities this week. The activities comprised of a Staff meeting on Wednesday and a two day free Medical Clinic on Thursday and Friday.
The meeting looked at the events of the year 2005 which will soon be coming to an end and planned for the tear 2006. Teachers expressed satisfaction as to what the individual as well as the group has accomplished in the year 2005 in the nurture of the children academically, spiritually and physically. It is not by might but by the Lords hand that Grace School is emerging as a Center of Excellence and Hope for orphans and the disadvantaged children.
There were two days of Medical Clinic with the team of IMA (International Medical Alliance). One day was to look at the health issues of Teachers, Children and their families. The Second day was for the members of the community. The Medical team saw 420 patients in the two days. Main complaints were Malaria, Typhoid High blood pressure, Asthma and Diabetes. Monica and Samuel got one-year supply of Diabetes and hypertension medicines. Monica was previously not on Diabetes Medicines, but her sugar level was found to be clinically significant.
An interesting observation was the high Somali patients who turned up for treatment. These are Muslims who are very difficult to reach with the gospel message. God is using Grace School to reach these people through Education of their children and medical services like this.
Your support to Grace School is helping to spread the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by meeting felt needs.
Many people left praising God after treatment. One lady said that her daily medication was costing her a dollar which was an impossible amount for her. She received one-year medication and started singing the hymn of God is good.. Let us spread the message of Gods goodness by praying for each other this Christmas.
God bless you.
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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