Africa:  extreme contradictions.  Beauty beyond description, hard living.

Valerie and I returned from Kissi Kenya thrilled to be a part of two loud and joyful celebrations of widows graduating with tailoring skill in Nyamarambe Rongo and Ogembo.

Bringing the Sunday message in Pastor Abel’s church.  Sunday Message and meeting with small groups of pastors and ministry leaders highlighting God’s love of widows: opportunities abound!  Our prayer:  please Lord, let your Word work.  Isaiah 55: 11.  May what we share bear fruit.

 

Each trip is unique.  We were blessed to have Esther Hall as our partner on the ground.  She has been a missionary in Kenya for years and her adopted daughter Mwembe was our constant companion.  The relationships she has established and her administrative skills enhanced the effectiveness of our projects and events.  Thank you Esther!

 

A first was the opportunity to teach orphans of God’s love.  Valerie eloquently took that responsibility.  She taught the story of Joseph to 60 boys and young men from a children’s home. Each had suffered much.  Each, Valerie explained, could be a Joseph, a godly leader shaped through hardship.  They looked long at her now grown sons pictures whose skin matches theirs.  That message will be long remembered as their lives resemble Joseph’s.

 

 

Commuting to work in Kissi–kinda fun.

  

Nyamarambe Rongo – 1st Village

Meeting Beatrice face to face!  A blessing indeed.  From sending her resources in 2014 to a graduation of 15 trained widows in 2018, God has protected, blessed, and now we celebrate.  Beatrice Yes, that beginning, communicating, involving partner Esther, to machines rolling up in a still functioning vintage Toyota, delightful.  Read how we started the project at Kissi Here.

 

 

 

 

Graduation time.  This group is supporting more orphans than any of our groups today.  62 children born to them and 25 more.  Each widow has additional children in her small home.  Their care is better than being in an orphanage.  James 1: 27 for sure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life before, in their words:   ‘lonely without a future,’ dormant at home without a future,’ ‘prostitute,’ ‘outcast.’

Life today:  ‘Sincerely by now, I am a tailor.  I now be able to make clothes with many styles, whereby, I give thanks God always for you all.”  Janefer

“I thought tailoring was a hard job bur for the grace of God that work is good.’  Lilian

Pictures show their changed lives more than words.

Yes, each of their lives is changed.  They have tangible evidence that God loves them.  The church changes also.  They see their widows with new respect and knowledge of God’s word to care for them.

 

I’m reluctant to leave.  Yet, Esther will return and send me a report.  And Heaven will tell the real and final story.

Ogembe – 2nd Village

Graduation celebrations are different.  Ogembe rocks!  Thankfully the pictures of me dancing will not appear on this website. Time to Celebrate!  As each receives her certificate, friends flock into the picture decorating her with glitter.  Most have never received a certificate before, never celebrated an accomplishment.    Graduate Velonicah beams Time to sing, shout, and dance.

 

Each project has challenges. Our plan is simple.  Carrying it out is complex, hard, requires God changing hearts of those who continue to want to take advantage of widows.  Widow Connection is a strong advocate.  We sponsor, show up, communicate, teach and direct–in God’s strength alone.   Graduate Agnus (left) has made her friend Rachel a new dress.

 

 

 

 

 

Valerie and I met with small groups of pastors and ministry leaders who are interested in starting widow’s ministries.  Valerie prays for the widows.  One ministry leader, a widow herself, was thrown off her land when her husband died.  Her children taken, her heart broken, she knows their experience and is ready to serve.  While land laws in Kenya are intended for the land to follow the widow, this is seldom practiced as tribal practice rules, as do fear and retribution.  God’s heart is broken.  We do what we can.