All Hands on Deck!

---

Hello Friends

I am currently in Mombasa, Kenya, which is on the coast of the Indian Ocean. I am staying in a compound which houses more people than I can count. It’s owned by “Mama” Mary. Her house is never empty, currently filled with her son George (who lives in an outbuilding), another son Timothy, who is 13, her daughter Ann and her grandson Andrea (9), three girls who she looks after and sponsors for school fees- Esther, Mapenzi, Zwadi- Judy and her daughter Faith who also live in an outbuilding, and a family of 5- John and Stella and their children Sidney (12), Rodney (11) and Shirlene (8).

Mary and her late husband started a school several years ago, and have been faithfully running it ever since. Their problem is that so many people can’t pay school fees (a problem all over Africa) so their attendance numbers are down. This also means they can’t pay the teachers. It’s a vicious circle because teachers get upset they’re not getting paid, so they don’t do a good job, and parents don’t want their kids going to a school where the teachers aren’t good, so enrollment is down. This is what is happening all over Africa. Many of the teachers where we’re working this week are doing the best they can, often for free.

There is another man who is working at the school for free- John. He is doing bookkeeping and administration here, because he felt God was asking him to. He worked doing a similar job at a paper plant for many years, but the company collapsed, and everyone was left to fend for themselves. John and his family moved here, far away from home, to look for work. For 6 months, he has had no luck. Both he and his wife were in college- she, a teacher by trade- and all of his kids were in school, but now, none of them are, including the kids. Still, John is faithfully working at the school, for only room and board at Mama’s, and Stella is busy keeping the kids up in their schoolwork at home. All the kids at the school are taking their exams today, and Sidney, Rodney and Shirlene went to take theirs as well, hoping the homeschooling was enough.

This family is the reason I write.

To go to school here, it is around 6800 Kenyan shillings per term, depending on the grade, and the term is about 3 months long. That seems like a huge number, but it is around $85 US. That’s $27 a month. Times 3 kids, it’s around $255 a term. I am hoping to find people who would be willing to sponsor these kids to go to school, while their parents keep serving the Lord and looking for work.

This could work in a few ways. I could sign on as their “official sponsor” and every few months take up a collection for them. But I would need your help. If many people saved $5 a month, it would add up quickly. Or, if anyone out their feels led to sponsor one or all of them, you could do it that way. Please let me know. In sponsorship like this, the money goes directly to the school, so it can’t be used for anything besides school fees.

Here’s what I know about the kids from the time I’ve spent with them. Sidney and Rodney are both incredibly active boys. Always running and playing and finding things to keep busy. I was working on a chicken coop last week, and they were eager to help in whatever way they could. I read a letter that Rodney wrote, and he is a pretty good writer. Neither of them are terribly talkative, at least not yet, but always have smiles on their faces. I haven’t interacted with them alone, so I don’t know much about them individually. I watched them at the beach, though, and they were playing football and playing in the water like that’s what they were made to do.

Shirlene is much quieter. She also had a lot of fun playing in the ocean. She is very pleasant and has a lot of fun with the other girls her age. Just like her brothers, she is always willing to help with whatever is needed.

John and Stella are very loving parents who love the Lord as well. They have taught that to their children that Jesus will take care of them, no matter what the circumstances, and there’s no better way of teaching that than by living it out day to day. John volunteers many hours at the school while looking for other work, and Stella works hard to keep their rooms tidy and the kids up to par in school. Both of them would much rather be working than getting help from Mama, but that is their option now, and they know Mama is a blessing from God.

On another note, Sarah and I were also talking about how great it would be to sponsor a teacher or something, so the school had enough money to pay them. If this interests you more, let me know. It could be any amount you choose to give. Many of the teachers are still in school, or hoping to go back to school for some advanced education.

I know many of you already sponsor children in other ways and do a lot with your resources, so I’m just asking you to pray about helping out this amazing family. Thanks!

---