“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!”
Psalm 34:3 ESV
Sunday our team had the honor of worshiping at Ndunyu Njeru Church with Pastor Apollo. This is called the GOA Mother Church as it is the first church Bishop David Munyiri Thagana started in 1991. I will never get tired of worshiping with other believers around the world. We are worshiping the same God in different languages and different styles, and it all gives Him glory and honor. It was such a joy to worship with the believers there, and to see so many children participate in the service with songs and dances.
Our very own Christa was brave and shared the song “Goodness of God” as our gift to them. It touched everyone’s hearts whether they understood English or not. Rob and Andrew shared for a minute too, and the people were so warm and welcoming. This church is also where the original widows group attends and is supported. More on that in a minute.
After church we had a brief visit at Rhema Children’s Home. Solomon is the house father there, and his wife, Monica, is a social worker helping the children full time. It’s a smaller home with 32 children living there. They have crops and livestock like the other homes, and manage their land very well. The children were so sweet, taking our hands and telling us they were glad to see us. Our group had 3 sponsored kids there, including one of mine and Andrew’s, Ann Njeri. This was our second time meeting her and it was fun to see how she has grown. We looked up pictures from our last visit which seemed like yesterday, but was 2 years ago. By the end she was sad to see us leave. Our time there was brief so we played group games together! Ask us about “Bible, Bible, Bible” when we get back. Definitely a game we need to teach the Cumberland kids!
We ended the day by sharing a meal with the widows’ groups and the men’s group as well. The original widows’ group began about 15 years ago with widows and their children who were HIV positive. They were ostracized by their community for their condition, and were living in the woods. GOA brought them into to live by the Mother Church, and began a small micro-economic development program with them. Each lady was given some chickens (4, I think) and instantly they could sell 4 eggs every day for an income. The group of widows would each save a small amount each month in a joint account. And then collectively they would give each lady another chicken and so on. At some point they were able to sell the chickens and trade up to a goat to sell the milk. And over time trade up to a cow. Along the way Cumberland has been able to help in small ways, adding a little to their collective fund, encouraging the women, and being part of the initial effort to bring them out of the woods. But the real beauty is the way these women found their self-worth and dignity by being reminded who they were in Christ, and then by not taking a handout, but supporting one another to develop their own means of financial support. The program has been so successful that another group of younger widows was formed with the same model. And later men saw their example and did the same as well, starting with sheep and working their way up. The men are saving a tiny bit each month with plans of purchasing a large parcel of land in 5 years and building their homes for their families there to stop renting.
So, these are the people we got to have dinner with. And before we ate one woman after the next stood up to praise the Lord for the group and to praise Him for providing for her and her family. They didn’t have to beg for food or school fees for their children. They made better lives for themselves by supporting each other and trusting the Lord. It was a privilege to be with them and praise the Lord with them. Most testimonies started with praising Him for finding the group and the initial rescue, which was many years ago. I was convicted about how quickly I stop praising the Lord for a blessing and start asking for the next thing. Their faithfulness to the Lord was beautiful.
Thank you for your prayers. Please keep praying for Lauren and her shoulder. She is so full of joy with a huge smile, but she wakes up hurting each morning. Also pray for Christa’s mom, Gloria, who has needed medical attention while we are away. Thank you for being our community and supporting us in prayer!
Psalm 34:3 ESV
Sunday our team had the honor of worshiping at Ndunyu Njeru Church with Pastor Apollo. This is called the GOA Mother Church as it is the first church Bishop David Munyiri Thagana started in 1991. I will never get tired of worshiping with other believers around the world. We are worshiping the same God in different languages and different styles, and it all gives Him glory and honor. It was such a joy to worship with the believers there, and to see so many children participate in the service with songs and dances.
Our very own Christa was brave and shared the song “Goodness of God” as our gift to them. It touched everyone’s hearts whether they understood English or not. Rob and Andrew shared for a minute too, and the people were so warm and welcoming. This church is also where the original widows group attends and is supported. More on that in a minute.
After church we had a brief visit at Rhema Children’s Home. Solomon is the house father there, and his wife, Monica, is a social worker helping the children full time. It’s a smaller home with 32 children living there. They have crops and livestock like the other homes, and manage their land very well. The children were so sweet, taking our hands and telling us they were glad to see us. Our group had 3 sponsored kids there, including one of mine and Andrew’s, Ann Njeri. This was our second time meeting her and it was fun to see how she has grown. We looked up pictures from our last visit which seemed like yesterday, but was 2 years ago. By the end she was sad to see us leave. Our time there was brief so we played group games together! Ask us about “Bible, Bible, Bible” when we get back. Definitely a game we need to teach the Cumberland kids!
We ended the day by sharing a meal with the widows’ groups and the men’s group as well. The original widows’ group began about 15 years ago with widows and their children who were HIV positive. They were ostracized by their community for their condition, and were living in the woods. GOA brought them into to live by the Mother Church, and began a small micro-economic development program with them. Each lady was given some chickens (4, I think) and instantly they could sell 4 eggs every day for an income. The group of widows would each save a small amount each month in a joint account. And then collectively they would give each lady another chicken and so on. At some point they were able to sell the chickens and trade up to a goat to sell the milk. And over time trade up to a cow. Along the way Cumberland has been able to help in small ways, adding a little to their collective fund, encouraging the women, and being part of the initial effort to bring them out of the woods. But the real beauty is the way these women found their self-worth and dignity by being reminded who they were in Christ, and then by not taking a handout, but supporting one another to develop their own means of financial support. The program has been so successful that another group of younger widows was formed with the same model. And later men saw their example and did the same as well, starting with sheep and working their way up. The men are saving a tiny bit each month with plans of purchasing a large parcel of land in 5 years and building their homes for their families there to stop renting.
So, these are the people we got to have dinner with. And before we ate one woman after the next stood up to praise the Lord for the group and to praise Him for providing for her and her family. They didn’t have to beg for food or school fees for their children. They made better lives for themselves by supporting each other and trusting the Lord. It was a privilege to be with them and praise the Lord with them. Most testimonies started with praising Him for finding the group and the initial rescue, which was many years ago. I was convicted about how quickly I stop praising the Lord for a blessing and start asking for the next thing. Their faithfulness to the Lord was beautiful.
Thank you for your prayers. Please keep praying for Lauren and her shoulder. She is so full of joy with a huge smile, but she wakes up hurting each morning. Also pray for Christa’s mom, Gloria, who has needed medical attention while we are away. Thank you for being our community and supporting us in prayer!