Mama Linet Smiles

Hi friends,

I was able to visit Mama Linet again a few days ago and give her some help for school needs. Please continue to pray for her and her family's needs to be met. Also pray for me as I've lost my camera which I need to document our work to bring hope to the needy through Missions of Hope. 

Mama Linet was very happy.

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Changing Lives

We continually monitor the work of this lady--Mama Linet since giving her start up funds to get a small business going. She is the one with the little girl, Linet; the one with a cleft palate.

Mama Linet's business is booming (according to her).  She has rented one more room so she can use one for her business of selling charcoal and omena (small fish).  She also sells cabbages to her friends and neighbors.  I'm so glad she has been able to pay fees for her kids who are going to primary school.

With the little help we've given her, I am seeing a big sign of moving forward and lifting herself and her family out of poverty through small business.

Please continue to pray for her.

At the same time, continue to pray for the medical student Kipngeno.  Kenya desperately needs young men and women who will study and train to become doctors.  Kipngeno went back to school today with only 10% of all the fees he needs.  We are trusting God for a breakthrough for him. 

Many thanks for praying with us for these needs.

Jonah

You can help raise awareness of the Missions of Hope by using the 

share buttons at the bottom of this post.

Thank you!

December Missions in Photos

Helping a young mother start her charcoal business so she can support her family.

She has her charcoal lined up for customers.

Everyone is eager to see what we have brought. We usually bring sweets for the kids.

This woman is showing me her crowded living quarters. There is no room for cooking inside.

She cooks for her 5 children outside where these stones are.

The main things I bring for the people are mosquito nets to protect them from malaria. I also bring blankets to keep them warm as their shelters are not adequate to keep out the wind and rain.

These are the makeshift shelters they live in. There are about 35 families here.

Someone is always in need of medical attention.

Even the smallest things can make a big difference to the health of the children. These people are too poor to buy even the cheapest of medicines.

I brought sweets too. Even the adults like these little treats.

The Missions of Hope also provided food relief on December 24, 2011. If you missed it please see my last post.

You can help us by donating whatever you can so we can continue these kinds of relief efforts.
The donate button is on the top right of the screen.

If you cannot give, we would really appreciate if you can help raise awareness of the Missions of Hope by using the share buttons at the bottom of this post or any other post. Thank you!

Mama Linet

Hello friends,

I was able to meet Mama Linet on Wednesday of this week. Mama Linet, is of the Luo tribe, like President Obama in USA. She has been away a long time due to a death in the extended family.

I catch a ride to "Mama Linet's."  It is too far to walk there.

I found her doing great and I was so glad to meet her again to see how the children are growing.

You might remember that little Linet is the girl who was losing weight and couldn't eat. She was wasting away but after receiving medical treatment she is doing much better.

Little Linet on her mama's lap.

 Linet is getting more energy each day and she has started to play with the rest of the kids, and that is very good.

I have given Mama Linet some 'seed' money for her business. She is still thinking about her options for making money through small enterprise. I will be returning to see her again soon and to check on the children and her progress. 

I am grateful for the support that you have extended to this family through prayer and financial gifts.

If you would still like to help before Christmas, there is time; especially for food needs and Christmas.

The leftovers from the family's lunch.

Many thanks and God bless!

You can help raise awareness of the Missions of Hope by using the share buttons at the bottom of this post or any other post. Thank you!

Kigen Goes Home

Hello friends, I want to tell you that the little boy we were helping from Pokot country in the north of Marigat has now been released from Moi Hospital. Some of you know I went to Pokot country on a relief mission because the people were very hungry.  Their hunger led to fighting in one place.  When I heard about that I wanted to do something to help.

Missionary, mother Paulina and the children, 
Kigen can now see out of one eye. Praise God!

My post was called "Heart for the Pokot". While there with my friend and with assistance of an NGO from Kericho, I met the little boy and his mother Paulina.  We prayed for them because it was clear there was something very wrong with the children. You can see what I mean in the photos below.  After that we raised some money to bring the boy to a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.  The children had something very wrong with their skin and the boy, Kigen could not see.  Both of his eyes were closed shut.

The family has been a long time now in Eldoret but they are now finally going home. They have all gotten healthier looking. The boy, Kigen can now see out of one eye because the doctors did surgery.  He has been recovering and the hospital has been ready for some weeks now to release them. We had to wait until we could get some funds to take them back to their village.  It took us awhile to clear the bill with the hospital but now that is done.  The family is happy to go home at last.  I am happy that this mission is completed.

We could not have done it without friends.  Those who gave and those who prayed. I thank you all. God knows who you are and he will reward you.

My next mission will be trying to get help for the young man named Kipngeno. He needs a sponsor to help him go to university. He will study in the health field. You can read about him on my Priorities page (see menu at the top).  If you know of where we might get a sponsor for him, please let me know.  We hope he can start the term in late August as he has already been accepted at Kisii University.

Enjoy the photos and please continue to pray for me.  Pray too for this family and the missionary.  

One Boy's Fight for Survival, March 30, 2011

Hello friends,

I am writing from the City of Eldoret now.  It has been  a while since i updated you on Kigen's progress.

I don't have good news yet.  What the doctors have been doing so far is cleaning the boy, and his brother together. The kids are very clean.  But they are yet to come up with the best medication [treatment] they had promised.

I was able to talk to the person in charge of the ward and he told me they are waiting for the report of doctor in charge of plastic surgery .  A 'lady' of Indian origin, she has refused to give up on Kigen, which warms our heart so much.  She was the one who admitted to us also and she had given a hint of some surgery,  but she was waiting the report of the other doctors.  What I found out though is that, they are taking the utmost care not to do something that will worsen the situation.

I do believe though that finally he will be able to get some help.  Some of the wounds have healed and i found him moving and eating.  I am just hoping that he will be able to get better someday.
 
Otherwise you have a great day and God bless.  Please continue praying for his mother and her children.  I feel heavy in my heart for them.

This cost of this medical mercy mission  is stretching us. We gratefully accept donations to assist in little Kigen's medical needs.

See the donate button to the top right of this blog.

Updates on his treatment will be posted when they come available.

Many blessings.

Photo credits: All photos the property of  Pastor Jonah.

If you wish to share this story, photos may be used with credit and a link back to this site. 
Many thanks and blessings.

Blessings for Kigen

We arrived in Eldoret, Kenya with little Kigen's family and went straight away to the hospital.

Driving to the hospital in Eldoret.

The hospital signage is in sight.

At last we are at the hospital.

I take a photo to commemorate this trip.

I just want to praise God for His faithfulness.  My heart is now 'free'.  I can now eat a bit as I know Kigen is in the doctor's hands and in God's hands as well.

This bag was donated to Kigen's mother on the streets of Eldoret.

I also want to thank God for the bag that was donated (blue one in photo) by people in the streets of Eldoret. We had realized that Kigen's mother came on the journey with an old bag, so we decided to buy her a new one.  Instead, it was given to us for free!  In addition, close to 500 Kenyan shillings was donated right there on the streets for this boy and his mum.  God really works wonders.

It was a more touching moment for me as I felt God was telling me "I will take care of this situation" and I felt really that I am just a tool/ instrument to be used for God's purpose.  The doctors too were so kind.  We did not even queue! [If you know Africa, you know what this means].  We were welcome everywhere we went and I must praise God for that.

Little Kigen being escorted by the nurse.

What is next now is that Kigen was given a dressing up by the doctors and is awaiting surgery (if I understood what they said well).  He will need three practitioners or doctors to be able to treat him.  First will be the one's to deal with the skin (there is a scientific name for it), those to deal with eyes, and another part, I forget but I guess general health.

The doctors here were so much touched too with the amount of courage the boy has.  They were saying that they are seeing for the first time, something they were just reading in the books when they were in medical school.

The boy Kigen is upbeat, and he raises our hopes for his health.  His younger  brother too is here with us.  He was not feeling well, too.  So he is here for check up; especially for his eyes.  He kept asking for him [his older brother Kigen] when they were with different practitioners.

We did mention to him [Kigen] of the many people praying and supporting him for his medical needs. He said, he is so much grateful and "TOROROT (Pokot for "God Bless you abundantly".)

We still have need of donations if you are able. However small or large, they will be much appreciated for we know they are coming from your heart.  You can click the donate button in the upper right side of the blog.

Thanks so much again.

Photo credits: All photos the property of  Missions of Hope, Pastor Jonah.

If you wish to share this story, photos may be used with credit and a link back. 

Ministering to the Mau Forest IDPs

Hello friends,

We still have many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kenya. I am just hoping this will be a thing of the past soon, but the challenges are still there for all to see.

It is foggy as we head into the Mau Forest IDP camp.

 I guess we need a marshal plan to end this kind of disaster.

Team leaders gather and speak to the people.

There are over 4000 people in this camp. They need a permanent solution soonest. Please pray for them.

Every face in this next series of photos tells a story of the hardships these people face.

Look how frightened and uncertain this young girl looks. Young children should be free from hunger, homelessness, illness and uncertainty. You can be a part of putting a smile back on this young girl's face by helping to ensure she gets all of these necessities of life.

This man has lived a long life. He should now be enjoying his later years with dignity and certainty of food and housing.  Just think about how he feels about now being landless and unable to work and provide for himself and his loved ones.

In this entire crowd of mostly women you can see the hardships of life etched on every face.  Some of these women are young and some are old but they are all living a very hard life with few people to care about what happens to them.

Hardship is written on his countenance.

Continue to support us as we meet the needs of these dear ones as we did this week. We had a lot of contributions from the doctors and VCT counsellors who helped us in providing medical services and testing the folks here.

Hospital help with doctors and medicines was a huge part of the day's help for the IDPs.

Some medical supplies.

Food relief.

Medical help.

IDP patients in the medical tent.

People line up for medicine.

What a challenge it was! Especially driving on the roads. But we did really love this great work of service to help the Mau IDPs.

The roads are really difficult to traverse. There is thick mud everywhere. You need a really good four wheel drive.

Me with the IDP camp and humanitarian relief effort in background. It was touching to help these people. Will you join with us?  I hope to hear from you.

Enjoy the pics.
God bless,