2023: October Newsletter – We celebrate heroes for Mashujaa Day

Go Ye Ministries and Horizons Foundation, by Cara Lottes 

·      Heroes

·      New, New, New! (shoes, sewing machine, dorms)

·      Pond – water community meeting

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Heroes

Kenya celebrates Heroes Day (“mashujaa” is Swahili for “heroes”) on October 20 to honor those who contributed towards Kenya’s independence. We celebrate our heroes: those who have given to this cause, those who have prayed for this cause, those who have gone on mission, those living in Kenya working on mission day in and day out! Thank you! Our hero-missionaries are all safely back in the USA after showing hope to precious orphaned and abandoned kids, alongside director Bishop Washington Ayugi!Ice cream 1.JPGIce cream 2.JPGIce cream 3.JPG

One incredible memory they shared was being able to get all the kids an ice cream while they were there. The kids had never had such a thing and weren’t sure what to make of it! Betty and Avis had to let them know to go ahead and hurry up and eat it before it melts – so then they dug in. After that thrill, a donor sent money for one more treat to get them each a chocolate and a soda before the team had to leave Kenya. What special moments of small wonders that brought out big smiles on the faces of the kids! Hooray for the mission trip work of Betty Bartholomew, Avis Goodheart, Fred Miller, and Leighton Kasper.

Treat 1.JPGTreat 2.JPGTreat 3.JPG

Leighton, who is Avis’s grandson, found special meaning in this journey to Kenya. He assisted in many important projects including planting and working on the farm, plus laboring on the dorm buildings. But he was also asked to come teach in the local school and while there sensed that it truly felt right… he loved teaching the kids! He taught multiple days in Kenya during the trip and has now decided to return to college to pursue a degree in education. How exciting that Leighton’s gifts and talents were both shared with the kids in Kenya, and revealed more fully to show him a next step in his personal life!

Teaching 1.JPGTeaching 2.JPG

New, New, New! (shoes, sewing machine, dorms)

-New shoes: We asked, and you answered! In the last newsletter, we shared some specific needs, one of which was to replace croc-style shoes for all the kids. A donation arrived right away to cover those, so the team immediately bought and distributed them! …Another generous donation was received for additional clothing, undergarments, and shoes for the kids which we will send soon and report on in the next letter.

-New sewing machine: We received a special donation for a new sewing machine which was purchased and assembled while the team was in-country. They chose one with both electric and manual/foot pedal options because the electric goes out often, and sometimes for days at a time. This is a great help to continue in the project of making reusable cloth sanitary napkin feminine products!

New shoes.JPGNew sewing machine.JPG 

-New dorms: We are happy to report the boy’s dorm is just a few small steps from being 100% complete! The exterior now has stucco, the roof with vents is on, the windows are in, toilets are installed, and painting inside is in process, as is sealing the floors. Remember just two months ago we were only ordering bricks and no assembly had begun at all – so this is wonderful progress! The girl’s dorm has also made major headway in the past month – now all the brickwork is complete, and a roof has been laid. We pray for more donations to finish the second building, so everyone can move to the new charity-owned land as soon as possible and take up residence in these vastly improved dorms! With some hyper-inflation that has happened in Kenya on building products, we humbly ask for $20,000 that’s needed to finish the girls dorm.

Dorm stucco 1.JPG
Dorm with stucco and roof vents.JPG
Dorm - inside.JPG

Dorms 2.JPG

Pond – water community meeting

We are very happy the pond is about doubled in size from the last rainy season and is already beginning to fill with water now, in the current rainy season. After spending the additional resources to enlarge and fence the pond, the missions’ team and Washington wanted to meet with those families living nearby and the local village chief and assistant chief. The meeting was very good, and the Chief spoke to all the people there about making sure the place is safe and protected. He said they were blessed, and God had provided, and he welcomed the kids to “their family” in the community.

Pond mtg 1.JPGPond mtg 2.JPGPond mtg 3.JPG

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<The pond is fenced and collecting rainwater!

Finally, If you’ve been reading the newsletters all summer, you’ll remember the story about G’s baby and how he nearly died. The short story was G was impregnated from rape at age 11 and then her baby nearly died after maltreatment from G’s family. 

We celebrate this beautiful image of health and life for G and her son, living in safety now! Baby .JPG

PS. After writing this but before sending, 3 of our boys were hit by a car just a few nights ago while walking home from helping at the convenience store.  !!! Please pray for: David, Derrick, Sterphern. Their injuries include: shoulder dislocation, eye damage, cracked jaw/teeth broken, swollen chest, and Sterphern has a skull fracture. They are still in treatment and more will be known later. The vehicle fled. Please pray for their recovery, and for donations to cover hospital costs. In Kenya, you must pre-pay to receive care so some of our team have sent funds already, yet more will be needed as the days in care continue.

To Give – 100 % of donations will be used for the work in Kenya:

Go Ye Ministries: PO Box 736, Prairie Grove AR 72753

Horizons Foundation: PO Box 596, St. Peters MO 63376

See PayPal link: Donate to HORIZONS FOUNDATION

Reach us: Horizons4kids@gmail.com – https://horizons4kids.com/

*NLCPM is an abbreviation for New Life Covenant & Power Ministries [the legal charity created in Kenya by Go Ye Ministries and Horizons Foundation]. NLCPM owns Bartholomew Children’s Family [the orphanage], land (where the pond is located), the Jehovah Jireh farm and water tower, the gas station and convenience store, and the brick dorms.