From Nakuru Kenya East Africa to all you who make it possible for “A Future and A Hope” do what we do, we (Johnny & Kate, Ben & Pauline, Ali & Virginia and Patti & i) want to wish all the mothers who read our blogs and those prayerfully and financially support the work here a Happy Mothers Day.
You have made the food, clothing, shelter and education for nine girls in the original home and six boys in “Christopher’s House” possible. The homes for these orphaned and abandoned children are more than your typical warehouse type orphanages, we do our best to provide what children need most, love and a family.
Along with the above mentioned fifteen children Johnny & Kate have five children, Ben and Pauline have two children and Ali and Virginia have two children. Our immediate care and concern is for those twenty two children and six adults. They need 24/7 love and we try to introduce them to a variety of food and life experiences to broaden their scope of life.
The first term of school in January 2012 will add new responsibility for the team. SonShine Inn Nursery School will be open. We will offer the best foundation for life we possibly can for sixty student. Our vision is to provide not only a good intellectual foundation through a prayerfully selected academic curriculum but a good physical foundation with good nutrition and plenty of activities on our well equipped playground. And finally we want to provide a spiritual foundation second to none by letting the children experience more than just hearing Bible stories but seeing the living God in our staff along with lesson plans that point the children toward the God that lives in us.
Finally there is the community work. Ben does 99.9% of all what i call the real work of this area of ministry. He is usually up and out in the slums visiting or taking someone to the hospital, bringing them meds or giving guidance before the rest of us get up a good head of steam. I have lost count of the number of the “People Living With Aids” (PLWA) support groups Ben has assembled. Last count i had was about a three hundred individuals in these groups. They meet twice each month in a rented space for a few hours. When funds are available some basic foods, medical and hygiene supplies are given at these meetings along with the encouragement of guests and testimonies by the group members.
The groups are made up of children from newborns to men and women who, some have reached the ripe old age of thirty five or forty. Most are younger since the average life expectancy in Kenya is somewhere around forty seven. That’s one of the reasons i’m called Babu which means grandfather in Swahili. At fifty eight years old i am considered an old man. But just holding or feeding a baby or child that you don’t know if the next time you come for a visit they will even be alive makes being even a momentary Babu worth any and everything. As a boy i remember the special touch of my grandparents hands, i hope there is the same healing in my hands.
I believe this total ministry is good soil if you are considering sowing into a ministry living out Pure Christianity by “working out their salvation”. I highly recommend “A Future and A Hope”. When making your tax deductible gifts make checks payable to the Kenya Fund and mail it to 713 West First Street Beaver Dam, KY. 42320 If you have a specific or designated area of ministry you want your gift to assitt please note in the memo or send a note stating where you would like it applied. Girls Home, Boys Home, School, Community Outreach or PLWA. 100% of your gift will go where it is designated. All non designated funds will be used where most needed at the time of receipt.
Please keep in mind that we will be needing sponsors for the students enrolled in SonShine Inn Nursery School. All the students will need some assistance to ensure no one will not be turned away for lack of funds. Some will need full sponsorship and some partial sponsorship. When we determine the costs per student sponsorships will be averaged to keep all sponsorships at the same amount. We will ask for one year commitments for the twenty in the “Top Class”, a two year commitment for the twenty children in the “Middle Class” and a three year commitment for the “Baby Class”. Pictures and info on the student supported will be provided.
Thanks for reading this extremely long blog and HAPPY MOTHERS DAY.
i am,
Babu Lonnie
