Nakuru is the fourth largest city in Kenya, it’s mainly because
of it’s population and has a few buildings with dirt roads everywhere. In the main part of the town a large number
of Islam but everywhere here are churches from nice buildings to small wooden
shacks where people will gather. But
this is about the ministry here; the incredible story God is doing. Gladys and Bishop Laban have started about
six churches here in Nakuru in the last ten years and it all started by house
to house evangelism. Nakuru Worship
Center was the original church, but when someone inside the church had received
some vision of ministry, they would pray and support that person and give
freedom to do it; so the new churches are doing well. All of this started with a passion for the
less fortunate. You would meet a lady
who’s sick for days, no food, sleep, and has children. If you lead her to Christ, then what’s
next? So they have faith now and need
medicine, and if she isn’t able to afford then it has to be provided
somehow. There are tons of homeless on
the streets here. Gladys said,
“Unless Lord, You tell me specifically what to do, I won’t do anything at
all because it’s breaking me up! Forgive
me of my lack of ministry, I have to deliver them.” So on June 7, 2000 God prepared Gladys and
five other people in the church with the same passion. So they started collecting their old clothes,
and started telling people about the love of Jesus and touching them. “There’s a difference between telling
and touching,” said Gladys. So they
gave out clothes, and provided free washing for people on the streets to have
clean clothes. Gladys also closed her
bank account with just 2,000 shillings (almost $30 US) and used it all for
these people. For three days a week
people came for meals they would provide once a day and give them free bucket
showers and wash the clothes. They
shared God’s love in tangible ways and believed it’s the Enemy that put them on
the street, and they would tell the homeless that God loves them because no one
ever told them that.
of it’s population and has a few buildings with dirt roads everywhere. In the main part of the town a large number
of Islam but everywhere here are churches from nice buildings to small wooden
shacks where people will gather. But
this is about the ministry here; the incredible story God is doing. Gladys and Bishop Laban have started about
six churches here in Nakuru in the last ten years and it all started by house
to house evangelism. Nakuru Worship
Center was the original church, but when someone inside the church had received
some vision of ministry, they would pray and support that person and give
freedom to do it; so the new churches are doing well. All of this started with a passion for the
less fortunate. You would meet a lady
who’s sick for days, no food, sleep, and has children. If you lead her to Christ, then what’s
next? So they have faith now and need
medicine, and if she isn’t able to afford then it has to be provided
somehow. There are tons of homeless on
the streets here. Gladys said,
“Unless Lord, You tell me specifically what to do, I won’t do anything at
all because it’s breaking me up! Forgive
me of my lack of ministry, I have to deliver them.” So on June 7, 2000 God prepared Gladys and
five other people in the church with the same passion. So they started collecting their old clothes,
and started telling people about the love of Jesus and touching them. “There’s a difference between telling
and touching,” said Gladys. So they
gave out clothes, and provided free washing for people on the streets to have
clean clothes. Gladys also closed her
bank account with just 2,000 shillings (almost $30 US) and used it all for
these people. For three days a week
people came for meals they would provide once a day and give them free bucket
showers and wash the clothes. They
shared God’s love in tangible ways and believed it’s the Enemy that put them on
the street, and they would tell the homeless that God loves them because no one
ever told them that.
On the first day about 150 people showed up, then on the second
day more, then on the third day they ran out of room from all the people coming
for help. Children didn’t want to go
back to the streets, and Gladys didn’t know what to do with them. People would see God’s love and believe the
love of Jesus and willing to change, but in their environments it’s hard to
stay that way because of trying to survive and the sin that’s around. For those who now have changed their lives
and have no place to stay, Gladys was then burdened again. So she opened up the church and let kids stay
on the church floor at night. “It
was of God, we didn’t have any plans because it was all formless,” said
Gladys. They allowed five kids to stay,
and then twenty, and then it continued to just grow more. Everyone cried out, “What can we do for
them, O Lord?” Then God said,
“You have the potential to make a school.” Gladys said, “I am not a teacher, then
people prayed.” A vision of a
school and home came, and of the building and uniforms. What about these people on the streets? Education is so important that if you want
these kids to survive you have to meet their physical needs but also allow them
to get education to succeed. What about
the men on the streets who are drunk and asleep? They need hope and not condemnation. The people on the streets will get mixed in
with demonic things. Many children will
be abused and rejected in their own homes. In the current area there are right now needs and a lot of construction
needs. Since the last ten years God has
provided and brought an orphanage and school but the needs are so great. They built a kitchen and a dining hall, but
because of the amount of orphans they are receiving and lack of money to build,
the dining hall has now been a place where the boys stay, making the kids eat
their one or two meals a day in dirt and if it’s a rainy day mud. So the next Sunday Gladys announced in the
church the vision and she took materials for children. People started donating things. In 2000, education wasn’t free, and taking a
child to school was very expensive in their former presidential days. Within a short time they had eight hundred
children!! They had five classes in the
one church building and they were doing well. They had to do education, living for the street kids/orphans, and now
provide medical care.
day more, then on the third day they ran out of room from all the people coming
for help. Children didn’t want to go
back to the streets, and Gladys didn’t know what to do with them. People would see God’s love and believe the
love of Jesus and willing to change, but in their environments it’s hard to
stay that way because of trying to survive and the sin that’s around. For those who now have changed their lives
and have no place to stay, Gladys was then burdened again. So she opened up the church and let kids stay
on the church floor at night. “It
was of God, we didn’t have any plans because it was all formless,” said
Gladys. They allowed five kids to stay,
and then twenty, and then it continued to just grow more. Everyone cried out, “What can we do for
them, O Lord?” Then God said,
“You have the potential to make a school.” Gladys said, “I am not a teacher, then
people prayed.” A vision of a
school and home came, and of the building and uniforms. What about these people on the streets? Education is so important that if you want
these kids to survive you have to meet their physical needs but also allow them
to get education to succeed. What about
the men on the streets who are drunk and asleep? They need hope and not condemnation. The people on the streets will get mixed in
with demonic things. Many children will
be abused and rejected in their own homes. In the current area there are right now needs and a lot of construction
needs. Since the last ten years God has
provided and brought an orphanage and school but the needs are so great. They built a kitchen and a dining hall, but
because of the amount of orphans they are receiving and lack of money to build,
the dining hall has now been a place where the boys stay, making the kids eat
their one or two meals a day in dirt and if it’s a rainy day mud. So the next Sunday Gladys announced in the
church the vision and she took materials for children. People started donating things. In 2000, education wasn’t free, and taking a
child to school was very expensive in their former presidential days. Within a short time they had eight hundred
children!! They had five classes in the
one church building and they were doing well. They had to do education, living for the street kids/orphans, and now
provide medical care.
“You can’t keep a child without an education and vision for
its future,” said Gladys. Because
of the things they saw happening they named the orphanage “Christian
Ministries for the Destitute”, and the school PISTIS; a Greek word meaning
Faith, Love, and Charity. They have very
clever children, and four have made it to the university already, and we have
personally met orphans who have come through and have become pastors, and even
great people like Simon. To pay the
teachers has been a challenge when you’re trying to raise support and find a
way for these kids to get sponsored from people for really cheap! The greatest challenge is child sponsorship
for their education and the teachers to make a living. It’s only costs about $20 American to cover a
child for three months toward education itself! If people would sponsor the kids then they wouldn’t have to worry about
the debts. One of the biggest concerns
is the provision of food, because sometimes they don’t have the money for
it. If every child here had a sponsor
they will have a good balanced diet, education, shoes, uniforms, socks, medical
care, and stationary items for school. I’ve seen their food and shoes, and it’s really heartbreaking. They have one lady who donates a good amount
from the States monthly that covers food and other small expenses, but that’s
it and she’s retired and 75 years old. When she isn’t able too anymore, they aren’t sure what to do.
its future,” said Gladys. Because
of the things they saw happening they named the orphanage “Christian
Ministries for the Destitute”, and the school PISTIS; a Greek word meaning
Faith, Love, and Charity. They have very
clever children, and four have made it to the university already, and we have
personally met orphans who have come through and have become pastors, and even
great people like Simon. To pay the
teachers has been a challenge when you’re trying to raise support and find a
way for these kids to get sponsored from people for really cheap! The greatest challenge is child sponsorship
for their education and the teachers to make a living. It’s only costs about $20 American to cover a
child for three months toward education itself! If people would sponsor the kids then they wouldn’t have to worry about
the debts. One of the biggest concerns
is the provision of food, because sometimes they don’t have the money for
it. If every child here had a sponsor
they will have a good balanced diet, education, shoes, uniforms, socks, medical
care, and stationary items for school. I’ve seen their food and shoes, and it’s really heartbreaking. They have one lady who donates a good amount
from the States monthly that covers food and other small expenses, but that’s
it and she’s retired and 75 years old. When she isn’t able too anymore, they aren’t sure what to do.
There are now about 300 students at the school and 180 of them
are the orphans. There is a huge desire
to have a health clinic to assist these orphans and kids on the streets. To have a bookshop for stationary items and a
copy machine that will allow them to save money and make copies for the tons of
students. Could a church or someone in
American buy them one? It’s cheaper in
Kenya, but too expensive for the Kenyans. To go outside for exams to be prepared and copied is expensive and if
they can’t hardly provide the food right now there’s no way. There is a huge desire to start a vocation
school for things like carpentry and masonry, because construction is important
in Kenya and many kids through the school and orphanage if they don’t go to
university can do that to survive. There
is a huge need to construct dormitories for both the boys and the girls. Since being here I’ve seen the poverty and
the huge need of construction, and having stationary items for school which are
expensive. They can’t afford textbooks
so teacher write out all the problems in every notebook for the kids, sacrificing
valuable teaching time. They want to
employ former students in these places and provide jobs. This ministry is real, not a briefcase
ministry, YOU CAN SEE AND TOUCH IT!
are the orphans. There is a huge desire
to have a health clinic to assist these orphans and kids on the streets. To have a bookshop for stationary items and a
copy machine that will allow them to save money and make copies for the tons of
students. Could a church or someone in
American buy them one? It’s cheaper in
Kenya, but too expensive for the Kenyans. To go outside for exams to be prepared and copied is expensive and if
they can’t hardly provide the food right now there’s no way. There is a huge desire to start a vocation
school for things like carpentry and masonry, because construction is important
in Kenya and many kids through the school and orphanage if they don’t go to
university can do that to survive. There
is a huge need to construct dormitories for both the boys and the girls. Since being here I’ve seen the poverty and
the huge need of construction, and having stationary items for school which are
expensive. They can’t afford textbooks
so teacher write out all the problems in every notebook for the kids, sacrificing
valuable teaching time. They want to
employ former students in these places and provide jobs. This ministry is real, not a briefcase
ministry, YOU CAN SEE AND TOUCH IT!
They have started a ministry for the widowed. Jane, the lady who cooks for our team this
month is widowed after her husband died of HIV and has three kids. They want to continue helping those widows
who can’t afford living for the kids. James says in the Bible, “Religion that is pure and undefiled
before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their
affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” I want to ask you to really consider being a
part of this ministry in either donating or sponsoring a child. I’ve asked Gladys and Bishop Laban how much
it would costs to sponsor a child with all of the food, living expensive,
education, and medical costs and they said about $31 a month which is really
cheap, and you can even decide to do it like for food only, uniforms, or to
construction. The desire is to become
patroness as we all serve the Lord from across the world. They are trustworthy, and if your heart so
breaks like mine would, and I’ve seen this in person (it’s a real ministry)
then you can know it’s touching lives. When you donate for something, they will make sure it’s used for that
purpose and they will take a photo and send it to you; like buying books.
month is widowed after her husband died of HIV and has three kids. They want to continue helping those widows
who can’t afford living for the kids. James says in the Bible, “Religion that is pure and undefiled
before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their
affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” I want to ask you to really consider being a
part of this ministry in either donating or sponsoring a child. I’ve asked Gladys and Bishop Laban how much
it would costs to sponsor a child with all of the food, living expensive,
education, and medical costs and they said about $31 a month which is really
cheap, and you can even decide to do it like for food only, uniforms, or to
construction. The desire is to become
patroness as we all serve the Lord from across the world. They are trustworthy, and if your heart so
breaks like mine would, and I’ve seen this in person (it’s a real ministry)
then you can know it’s touching lives. When you donate for something, they will make sure it’s used for that
purpose and they will take a photo and send it to you; like buying books.
To be honest, we are rich in America, and you may have heard that
plenty of times, but even a gift of $50 one time will do so much for this
place. But these kids didn’t choose
their situation in life, and I hope the story of Esther and Chalice and the
ministry of this place may have touched your heart that you would be willing to
help. They really need good food, school
supplies, shoes, and medical care. Too
many kids here have horrible teeth at such a young age, and we are in a
situation to help. Maybe your Sunday
School class can donate, or a bible study group, or a work place, or a family
to a cause monthly, choose a few children to sponsor, or do a one time gift,
but I am asking on behalf of these kids and ministry, and for the pure gospel
of Jesus Christ to consider giving even if it means sacrificing six months of a
gym membership or something else. This
isn’t the only ministry that needs help, I am aware, but to be here personally
and to see the serious needs, I hope you can trust a friend who’s seen it in
person. I’ve been sponsoring a child
through Compassion for a few years now and it’s so rewarding and it costs $40,
but seeing the reality of the needs here in such a poor place, how it really
works has shown me the value of these children and the sponsoring when it’s
really cheap for us is worth it.
If you desire to impact these kids lives in more than prayer but
support then let me know and I will tell you how to concretely get it
done. May God be with this ministry to
continue for another ten years and more.
support then let me know and I will tell you how to concretely get it
done. May God be with this ministry to
continue for another ten years and more.
(pastor Bishop Laban, our contact)
