Graceland

Shalom dear friends! Thank you for your faithful love and concern for our dear brothers and sisters all over the world who are following Jesus with us and doing everything they can to relieve the poverty and distress of those around them. 

They are such faithful warriors, often serving at great personal sacrifice... One of our dearest friends is principal Judy who has worked for years as principal at Kidstar Academy in the Kibera Slum in Nairobi. She loves the Lord with all of her heart and leads with love and a powerful gentleness that is overwhelming! About a year and a half ago she left a secure position at Kidstar to start working with the smallest children wandering the filthy dirt paths of the slum unattended and often with little clothing or food, while their mothers are out looking for work. 

She and a small band of volunteers started meeting in a little hovel with no resources to offer but their faith and love. More and more kids keep coming in hopes of some food, love and safety - and God keeps raising up more and more volunteers to care for the 'least of these' little ones! 

As a church and some of us as individuals, as God provides, have been able to offer funds for rent, food, and occasional stipends for the volunteers who are trusting God to provide for their own families. 

I asked Judy what would be the 7 or 8 things that are the most critical for their needs right now, so that we could join these precious friends in prayerfully dreaming with God for their needs. Top on the list was an expensive copier so that they could reproduce teaching materials for the staff and even provide some take home resources for other children in the home and their parents! 

Last week $1000 came in for this 'dream' project! It will provide $600 for a copier that they believe will address so many of their needs.  And the additional $400 for food at lunch time and a small stipend for some of the volunteers. This past week I have been meditating on Jer. 22:15-16 and thinking of all the things we spend money on and how such a small amount brings such joy to our Lord's heart and to His loved ones in need. (Matt. 25:40)

Below is Judy's response to God's gracious provision and refers to the picture above.  I hope this will be the first of many more provisions, as God unites our efforts:

"Dear pastor Jerry. The Salt and Light Ministry! We are very grateful for your love, prayers and continuous support towards us. This is such a great surprise to us, making our burden light and being a shoulder for us to lean on in such hard times of the pandemic. Jehovah God richly bless you lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes! Kindly receive our love and lots of greetings. I can only say God is good! May He be good to all of you. God bless."