Impact

Americans around the world are celebrating Thankfulness this week.  Our family has much to be thankful for, especially that it is possible to be here in the US with our families this holiday season.  Ethan will be joining us in a few days, and the entire family is currently enjoying good health.  Having spent the last 2 years in Kitale, Kenya, where living conditions are significantly different, we have developed a heightened awareness of just how blessed we are.  As we count our blessings today, our thoughts are drawn to our Kenyan family: our 54 Kenyan children and many staff and friends there.  We are thankful that God has chosen us to be part of that ministry, allowing us to have a direct impact on the hearts of those we serve.  I would like to share the story of one of our girls and the impact she is now having on others.  

Lena is 17 and a very well-spoken and bold young lady.  She is not afraid to stand up to injustice, even though she is a woman in a culture that favors men.  Because of health issues and academic struggles, she completed 8th grade last December, later than many others finish primary school.  

At the end of 8th grade, all students take an important exam (the KCPE).  Records from our past students at the Children’s Home indicate that nearly 100% of students who did not pass the KCPE but went on to secondary school anyway, dropped out or failed out of secondary by the second year.  This has led to self-esteem issues among our students, and has left multiple without a means to support themselves when they reach adulthood. Thus, this past year, we implemented a new policy that students must achieve a passing KCPE score in order to attend secondary school.  If they do not pass the KCPE, we counsel them and help them choose an appropriate trade school.  

Lena was among a group of students who did not pass the KCPE at the end of last year.  We did not take the approach that they had failed.  Rather, we counseled each of them individually by encouraging them in their strengths, and helping them identify skills and interests they have, so they could choose a trade school in which they could succeed.  Despite our counsel, many of our students were angry with us for implementing these new policies, as culturally secondary school is viewed as the best way to achieve success.  Lena, however, was not angry with us, but embraced the opportunity to go to a school of her choice where she could learn through hands-on experience rather than only by textbooks.  

We spent quite a bit of time looking for the right school for Lena.  She wanted to learn hairdressing, but also had a strong interest in human rights and standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves.  Finally, our team mate, Jennifer, found a Christian trade school in Nairobi (PCEA Eastleigh), where Lena could learn hairdressing, but also have opportunities to do volunteer service and network with others in non-profit organizations.  Lena started school last June, and has just completed her classroom training.  She is now doing her internship back in Kitale, and will return to Nairobi in February to take her final exams.  

Before Lena completed her classroom training, she started working on the side doing hair and nails.  She earned quite a bit of money doing this, and went to the second-hand market in Nairobi to spend it all on clothes...in sizes other than her own.  When she returned to Kitale for her internship, she handed out all the clothing to her “sisters” at the Children’s Home!  

Imagine how special each of Lena’s sisters felt when she returned from school wanting to bless them.  They see Lena blossoming into a successful young woman.  They see her tangibly loving those around her.  They see that it is possible to bear good fruit despite difficult circumstances.  This is the very vision we have had for our children at the Home.  And now they can begin to envision it for themselves. We are so proud of Lena and the positive impact she is choosing to have on others.  I have no doubts that she will help change the popular view that secondary school is the only road to success.  These are the moments we cherish.  These are the moments that affirm why we are returning to Kenya next month.  These are moments to be thankful for.   

Roller Coaster

Every effort has it’s ups and downs.  Caring for 54 abused, abandoned, and orphaned children is no exception.  The last 6 months have been spent on efforts which are culminating this week in some exciting improvements to our Children’s Home.  

We are in the final phase of updating all of our Policies and Procedures with changes that we believe will enhance the care and mentoring provided to our children in the Home.  

We have finally launched our new Transition Program for our older students who have completed school, with 4 of our boys.  We spent last weekend teaching classes that we are requiring the students to take as part of the program: Budgeting, First Aid, and Job Seeking Skills.  We helped Joshua find a place to live and move out this week.  Moses and Caleb are still looking for the right place to live, and Robert will start looking for a place when he finishes school in August.  The program will be 4 months long, with opportunities for guidance and mentoring, as well as gradually decreasing financial assistance.  It is our hope that the program will motivate our older students to seek independence, while still letting them know that we care about what happens to them after they leave the Home.      

We have finished our Girl’s Sleepover nights, where Amy and our teammate, Jennifer, have been teaching the girls in small groups about body safety and self-defense.  

We have finished praying individually with each of the children at the Home.


We assisted our choir kids in going to the Provincial Competition a few weeks ago, where they placed second!  They will be moving on to Nationals on August 6.

And just today, we hired a Social Worker trained in counseling who will help us to understand and guide the children into healthier relationships.  She will officially join our staff on August 1.

We’ve had many ups in the past few weeks, as we feel we are making bits of progress in nurturing and discipling our children.  But no effort is without it’s downs, and today brought one of the most difficult downs we’ve had in our time here so far.  

One of our promising boys who is still in High School (at a nearby boarding school), has been suddenly getting into trouble at school.  For the last month, Jason and Jennifer have been trying to talk with him, and with the officials at school to figure out what is going on.  Our boy won’t talk to us, won’t let us help him get through whatever is happening.  He has ambitions and dreams, but his troubled heart won’t let him open up or accept help.  Rather than choosing to face his difficulties, he chose today to pack his bag and leave.  He just left.  With no diploma, no job, no money;  He just left.  After dark, Kenya is a scary place.  And that’s where he is at this very moment...in a very scary place.  Our hearts are breaking tonight and our sleep will be restless.

While this young man has left our hands, it brings comfort to know he is still in the Hands of the Father.  We pray he will be touched by the One who already knows our troubled hearts and can set our footsteps on the right path.               

like a window to the soul...

Parents,
Do you remember the first gift your child gave you?  Maybe it was a picture they drew and colored or perhaps an art project of some kind.  Do you remember how you felt as they gave it to you knowing that it was made especially for you?  Do you remember the expression on their face as they looked at you for your reaction, searching to see if you liked their creation, searching for your approval?  Last week I had one of those moments.  

Moses, one of our older teens, has been at the Children's Home since he was a few months old.  He has had many "parents" during his years at the Children's Home and with most of them he has not had the best of relationships.  Many of them have found him to be difficult, moody, and often quiet or sullen.  He struggled with high school and after repeating his sophomore year, we decided it was time to look for something more suitable for him.  He had expressed a lot of interest in art and design, so we found a graphic design and art studio nearby that offered internships.  We enrolled him and immediately we saw a transformation in Moses. He was finally given the tools to express his emotions in ways he could not articulate verbally.  He now had a positive outlet for some of the angst within. At first some of his sketches were a bit disturbing.  What I found interesting though was that more he drew and painted, the more he found his voice.  Staff remarked that they could actually converse with him and several times he actually sought me out to chat. 

Moses has completed his internship and is now looking for work and opportunities.  He recently repainted the signs on the main gate for the Children's Home and Bahati Academy and did a fantastic job.  It was wonderful to see his own sense of pride and accomplishment at his completed work.  Three weeks ago I was cleaning out the office at the Children's Home and chanced across a treasure that had been lost for years- artist quality acrylic paints and brushes.  I knew immediately they were meant for Moses so I gathered them up and gave them to Moses that very day.  His face lit up and I knew that good things would come.  I just didn't know that they would be meant for me.  

Last week I received a gift.  Just as I was rushing off to a meeting, Moses presented me with a painting that he had made for me.  I was honored and overjoyed for I understood the significance of the moment.  The vulnerability of his face as he looked at mine was humbling.  As my face lit up, so did his.  The painting is beautiful.  The colors are bright and vibrant, not dark or foreboding.  They express hope, and that is a beautiful color.

We are continuing to look for opportunities for Moses.  Something that would be great for him would be to receive more artist supplies.  Canvas and quality paints and brushes are available in Kenya, but they are quite expensive.  I am hopeful that if we can give him the tools of the trade, more beautiful things will come and enable him to begin to support himself through sale of his art.  Wouldn't you love to be a part of that?  

Son of man, can these bones live?  O Lord God, you know. 

By His grace,
Jason Beagle

Culture Fatigue, Corruption, and the Power of Prayer, Part 2

Corruption.  I know it’s present to some degree in every culture, but here in Kenya, it affects the residents of this country personally and on a regular basis.  It is heart breaking, because there are so many good people in this country, working diligently to make a skimpy living.  Yet, this nation will never flourish until the Holy Spirit sweeps in and convicts the leaders and those in authority of the pitfalls of corruption.  Let me give some examples of how our regular run-ins with corruption here wear us down emotionally.

1.  Last month, we found out that another Kitale ministry was robbed by one of it’s Kenyan administrators so that the ministry can no longer function.  It was a ministry started by an American a number of years ago to assist orphans and widows.  In the spirit of empowering the Kenyans, the founder started the program with the intention of eventually turning it over to Kenyan administration.  The ministry was successfully serving a multitude of children and women when the founder felt it was the right time to hand it off.  Recently, he returned to the US, leaving the program in the hands of a Kenyan who he had been working with from the start, a good friend, and a brother in Christ.  And now a thief.  Thousands of dollars have disappeared, along with the thief, leaving the women and children in the program without assistance, and the other employees without jobs.  Because of corruption.  And sadly, we hear of these stories more often than we should among missionaries and church leaders.  

2.  Two weeks ago, as I was doing our banking online, I discovered that our bank account was about $1000 short of what I thought it should be.  After going through my records, I found that there had been two instances last month where we had gone to the ATM to withdraw $500 but no money came out of the ATM.  Instead, we got a receipt saying our account would not be debited....BUT in actuality, it was.  So, we have had to file two claims with our bank back home.  They have temporarily credited us the money while they do their investigation, but if they can’t prove someone here has pocketed our money, they will take the money back out of our account.  We have two friends here in Kitale that this has happened to recently with the same bank, and the bank here claims they have no discrepancies in their accounts.  Because of corruption.  

3.   Last week, I was at a special Home School Week with my girls at Ethan’s school in Kijabe.  We went with another family, Roger and Julie Tate, and their two youngest kids.  On the way back, Roger was driving and we were pulled over  for “speeding”.  [Let me supply some back matter here.... The speed limit for public service vehicles is 80 kph, but the speed limit for private vehicles is 120 kph.  Our vehicle was previously a cargo van, now turned into a private van.  The licensing department recently made us have PRIVATE painted across the front of our van in huge letters so there would be no confusion as to it’s status as a private vehicle.]  The officer (who had no radar gun) first accused Roger of driving over 120 kph.  Roger calmly told her no, that he was actually going 90 kph.  She then claimed she had video showing he was going 98 kph.  That was rather funny, since there are no video cams along the highway, and they later refused to show us the video.  Then another officer approached and told us he was placing Roger under arrest and we needed to follow him to the police station.  At the police station, they told us that our van was considered a public service vehicle, so the 80 kph speed limit applied, so at 90 kph, Roger was breaking the law.  They told him that in order to leave the police station, he would have to pay 3000 Kenyan shillings (about $40) “bail money” (IOW bribe money), AND he would have to appear in court two days later at the same police station to pay his 2000 shilling fine for speeding.  Mind you, the police station is 5 hours drive from where we live, so the amount of money Roger would have had to pay in gas and lodging for a night to return on the day the court was open, was far greater than the actual fine that they wouldn’t let him pay the day we were already there. I called Jason (who stayed home for the week), who called a Kenyan friend who is the head of the CID (Criminal Investigation Department).  The CID guy asked us which station we were at, and for the names and badge numbers of the officers who were hassling us.  Next thing we knew, Roger was being given back his bail money, and the officers were practically shouting at him, “GET OUT!!”  All in all, we had spent an extra hour and a half with a bunch of nervous kids and moms at the police station.  Because of corruption. 

As we were continuing on our journey home from Home School Week, and discussing the rampancy of corruption here,  we were reminded of what we have been learning in our Sunday afternoon Bible studies with several other missionary families.  We are currently in I Timothy, chapter 2.  The first four verses read:

“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

These people, then...the thieves, the corrupt bankers, the corrupt police officers... are the very ones we are called to pray for, for God designed even them with a plan and purpose.  And He will use everything of their pasts to shape them into the men and women He created them to be, if they will turn to Him in love and repentance.  So we ask you to please pray with us for the people of Kenya.  Not just the orphans and widows who tug on our heart strings, but for those who infuriate and frustrate us.  Please pray that they will understand how much God loves them; their need for Jesus; and for hearts that will bring blessings, rather than curses, upon their beautiful country. 

Ironically, the Anti-Corruption Department was recently shut down....not sure if it was shut down by the corrupt, or because it was corrupt....  

Culture Fatigue, Wounds, and the Power of Prayer

Time and life are flying by for us on this side of the planet!  We feel like we’ve (mostly) recovered from the emotional slump we hit around October of last year, though there are definitely days when we are worn down by “culture fatigue”.  Culture fatigue is what happens when nothing actually “shocks” you anymore, but the regular frustrations and inconveniences of living in a developing country just wear you down.  

A big part of our culture fatigue stems from the realization that while we’ve been able to make some physical improvements to buildings, and administrative improvements to programs, the hearts of many of our kids and staff remain oppressed by cultural norms and myths.  Just a few examples:  

• It is generally accepted here that the best way to teach and discipline a child is through humiliation and caning with a stick.  

• Because of female inferiority, girls are expected to say “yes” to requests made by men, so many girls don’t even know it is okay to defend themselves against abuse.  

• Power here is something that is often gained, not earned. The difference being that there are many ways to “gain” authority or money or position without legitimately earning what has been gained.  

These underlying beliefs in the community have resulted in deep wounds that have not only led to each child’s committal to our Home, but have also shaped their views of themselves and others.  All of these dynamics ultimately lead to ongoing interactions among our kids that further threaten their physical, emotional, and spiritual safety.  So on a regular basis we are responding to behaviors that need immediate attention.  We often feel like firefighters in a town of pyromaniacs, running from one fire to the next, with no time in between to teach fire safety as a preventative measure.  Our goal is NOT to create a Western culture here in Kenya, as clearly our own culture has it’s own dangers.  Rather, we are trying to create a Biblical culture, founded on the teachings of Jesus and the love of God.  

We recently became strongly convicted that we can’t expect improvements in the “symptoms” if we don’t deal with the root illnesses.  So we began the process of healing with each child by asking for God’s protection and guidance over the entire Children’s Home compound.  We spent a whole day in groups with the kids and staff praying over every square inch of the Home.  We prayed at the gate, along every fence, in every room, over every bed.  Then, Jason, Jennifer, and I, along with the Home’s Pastor, George, began praying with every child individually.  Even though our prayer time with each individual child has been short (only because we have 65 kids to pray with - including the staff kids who live at the Home), we have had some of the most revealing moments in our year and a half of being here!  

I’d like to share a bit about one of our older students, who for privacy reasons I will refer to as Samuel.  Samuel has grown up in our Children’s Home.  You would think this should mean that he has led a safe and protected life.  However, Samuel has experienced his “parents” leaving every 3-5 years, only to be replaced by new “parents” who eventually also leave, and so it has gone for 18 years.  As a result, Samuel has been wounded.  In his mind, he has no reason to trust anyone, because chances are they don’t really care about him and will soon leave him anyway.  So Samuel responds to his fears and wounds in ways that ultimately sabotage his own well-being.  

Jason has been trying to reach Samuel since the week we arrived.  Until last week, however, it seemed like a connection would never be made.  Samuel was in Jason’s prayer group on the day we prayed over the Children’s Home.  At the end of the prayer time, I caught a glimpse of Jason going to give Samuel a hug.  I was expecting a typical, stiff response through the wall Samuel has built around himself.  But instead, tears came to my eyes as I watched Samuel melt into Jason’s hug and allow himself to be nurtured for perhaps the first time ever.  Later that day, when we prayed with Samuel individually, he looked directly into my eyes as I spoke to him.  It seems such a little thing, but truly, it was a breakthrough moment.

Our children at the Home carry the burden of horrendous wounds.  Calloused scars remain on the hearts of every one of our kids, ranging from complete abandonment to neglect and abuse of every unimaginable kind.  What good is a new building or an improved program if the hearts of those we came to serve remain wounded and calloused?  Our goals for this next year reflect our desire to make a difference in the hearts of these children.  We know it is not by our efforts that healing will take place, but only by the grace and hand of our Heavenly Father who is the Father to the fatherless.