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Grace Ministries' News Update

October - December, 2005

Dear friends and Partners,

This is our final newsletter for the year 2005. It comes to you when the festive mood of Christmas and New Year have not settled and it is our prayer that you had a good Christmas and by faith looking forward to the New Year with great expectations. Thank you for your prayers and support for the year ending. Please do not become weary of doing good as far as it is within your ability. We hope that you will continue to do the same in the year 2006.
FAMINE IN KENYA

We can summarize the year 2005 as globally sad and a very tough year for the Kenyans and hence for Grace School. Kenyans are translating to the New Year on a very sad note due to famine. People and animals are dying due to the persistent drought. The Pastoral Community is the hardest hit and they have moved with their animals to any area that looks green. Our capital City Nairobi has been flooded by emaciated humans and animals looking for something to eat.

'Unless something is done urgently, the situation will most certainly spiral out of control'

It I a shame that as a country we do not have ability to deal with famine crisis that result from dry spells as well as flood spell. Our long-term solution lies in our ability to harness and properly manage our Natural resources and improve the National food reserve. Thanks to God for giving our leaders thisvision and they are formulating policies towards this end. The immediate solutions have been for making World appeals for help, which our President has already done.

Grace School has not been spared. A large Somali population has moved into our neighborhood. They benefited a lot from the Free Medical Clinic by the IMA (International Medical Alliance) that was done at Grace School on 1st and 2nd December.

   

We have shared with them the little food we grow in our garden using irrigation. This is very inadequate. Somalis subscribe to the Islamic faith and we see this as an opportunity to let them know and experience the love of God in Christ Jesus, which many have never heard.

Help us to reach these people with the redeeming grace of our Savior. They have many children who will need to join school in January and we can accommodate many at Grace School whose education curriculum teaches Christian Religious Education. It costs $50 to Educate and feed a child at Grace School for one term (3 months). This is an opportunity to do evangelism to the most difficult and hostile community to Christian faith. This is the Kairos time for us my sisters and my brothers.
HIV/ FAMILY OUTREACH

We have reached many families during this period. Our visits have been primarily to listen as people share their pains and pray with them. We do offer tangible assistance when we can and judge it prudent. We assist with rents, food and counseling. We invite other to Grace School to come and see how we are producing food from the small School garden. The aim of doing this is to motivate a few with small piece of land to producing their own food and reduce dependency.

We undertook a major appeal to assist Mary Wangari a single mother with two children at Grace School. Grace helped Mary to walk out of a very abusive relationship. Mary has an overgrown goiter that was almost strangles her and needs an urgent surgical removal. We made an appeal for help and got $ 500, which is half of her need. Mary is due for surgery on 2nd January if the remaining funds become available. We do not want to add more orphans to the already large number at Grace School. Please help and spare Mary’s life.
GRACE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

There were many activities at Grace School during the period September- December:

  • We kept focused to our Goal of providing excellent nurture of the Mind, body and Spirit of the children.

  • The children went for an Education to Lake Nakuru the home of Flamingo birds.

  • The children opened up pen pals relationship with children of Bethel Presbyterian church Kingston TN.

  • The children had a Christmas party. It was all fun with the children showing their talents of singing, doing skits and reciting scriptures. There was a lot of good food, candies and cokes. Thank you to the people who gave money and to the teachers who organized and cooked the food.

  • Teacher Stella had an operation to remove growths from her nose that was giving her trouble of blocked nose. Stella is wonderful Mathematics teacher. The surgery was possible from a gift. Her voice is now excellent and does not carry the half dozen handkerchiefs any longer.

  • Two new teachers were recruited to join Grace in January 2006. One teacher will replace a teacher that the team found to be lax with duties and another due to the natural increase of grades. Our top grade will be grade 6 next year. The highest grade for Primary School like Grace is 8 before they do a National examination to join High School.

We did not get funds towards completing the classrooms constructions. We have however created the much-needed classroom for January by removing all the stuff from the class that was being used as a store to Samuel’s garage. This means that the classroom is there but without desks. There is need for 20 desks each $ 50 before the school opens on January 9th. Irrigation has kept Grace School a source of vegetables.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 2005:
 
    US $
Balance B/F from 3rd quarter (2172.50)
ADD:
 Fees 2290.00
 Regular Gifts 2640.00
 Irregular Gifts 3500.00
Designated Funds 400.00
RESUTING INCOME 8,830.00
Net income 6,657.50
   
LESS EXPENSES (8169.00)
 
DEFICIT (1,511.5)
 

We are going into the New Year with a debt of $ 1,511.50
PRAYER NEEDS:

  • $ 1,511.50 to offset the debt

  • $ 500 for Mary Wangari’s surgery.

  • 20 Desks @ $ 50

  • Money to buy food for Grace School (110 people) and famine victims (50 people) for a Three-month duration.

US Dollars

    • Maize (Corn) 20 bags @ $25 each = $500

    • Beans 10 bags @ $40 each = $400

    • Rice 10 bags @ 30 each = $300

    • Cooking oil. 200 L @ $3 each = $600

      TOTAL NEED $1,800
 CONCLUSION

WE WISH A PROSPEROUS 2006.

NOTE: Grace Newsletter will from 2006 be produced after four months to conform to the three school terms.

Samuel, Monica, Teachers and Children of Grace School.

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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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