World Malaria Day

Did you know that today is World Malaria Day? It is the day that many have set aside to help rid many countries of this horrible disease that is the leading killer of children in many developing countries. In our area, we have had many die recently as they lacked the $20 to get the medicine to treat their child. Therefore, His Arms has established the Community Medical Emergency Fund for cases like this. You can donate funds to this account at any time. Our children in our program already get medical help, but this helps those in our community who we are unable to have sponsors for. Also, you can donate just $7 which is enough to buy a malaria net for the area the children sleep in at night. This might actually cover many in a household. For $7 you can save a life! Thanks for thinking of the kids in developing countries today. See www.hisarmskenya.org to donate today for any of the above!

Kenya steps to give HOPE

As I write this, I have just learned from our Kenya Founder and Director that another one of her brothers, has passed away.  Florence Oyosi, let me know this morning in an email, that now she has safely returned home after his burial.  And on she goes taking steps with our precious children, to continue to give hope to all she meets. Even while we are with her on trips, we are often stopped with concerned people sharing their stories and their needs. How draining.  But she respectfully listens, hears them, takes notes of their situation and tells them she will look into the situation which she does with all referrals.  Poverty is so relative in that area of Kenya.  You and I would say all are in poverty, but we are working with the Extreme Poverty conditions.  So my heart aches for dear sister Florence. No time, to stop and just mourn.  But instead on she walks, sharing her steps, sharing hope thru Jesus the Christ!  

I am in awe of this sister.  Often I have shared after travels to the area, that I fear I would not be so courageous had I faced all she has over the last several years. You see dear sister Florence, herself was involved in a serious bus accident that killed many.  Her life was spared. She carries the many physical scars of the accident especially her severely scared arms.  But does she complain?  No.  Instead on she goes in that typical African style, of slowly putting one foot in front of the other, taking all the steps, albeit slowly.  God's work needs to be done.  And she does it.  All with that sweet smile on her face, and laughter that makes all around her laugh!  

So today I honor our dear Kenya Founder and Director Florence Oyosi. I ask God to guide her, protect her, hug her as she mourns another siblings earthly passing.   Help her as she continues to minister to her own son and husband who recently were seriously hurt in accidents. Lord, somehow give her the energy to keep putting one flip flop in front of the other.  Help her keeping taking those steps to give YOUR HOPE.  Asante sana for dear Florence.  Bless her.

Happy Easter in Maseno/Ekwanda, Kenya

So many blessings have occurred, recently in our ministry. Our building is nearing completion.  Generous donors have contributed so we could get the windows and doors!  We are so excited. That means when the Central Michigan University Student Group accompanied by Dr. Renee Babcock, visit and bring books for a library to be started, they can be safely placed in the building!   Plus just recently people have contributed more, so it looks like we will be able to start having the local men we hire, start putting up a gate./fencing around our property to help keep it safer for our dear children.  WOW!  What blessings.

Then we received word that our Kenya Director/Founder Florence Oyosi's husband and son who were injured in the accidents, are both progressing well and should be able to return to normal health.  Thank you Lord and Thanks to all who prayed for them.

We also ask prayers for the CMU group leaving the beginning of May for them to have safe travels and their visit to be blessed. Then we ask for prayers for our July group going from W. Wisconsin and MN to be safe as well with their travels and for their time with our children to be blessed as well. So many things to be thankful for this Easter.  But we are especially thankful for what our Savior did for us all long ago on the Cross.  So that whether we are African, American or whatever country we are born in, we can live forever because of Jesus' death and Resurrection.  Again our sincere thanks for following our ministry and for all the prayerful support our readers give us!  Mungu Awabarikie!  God bless you all!

Kenya Orphan Medical Needs

As I write this, our Kenya Founder and Director, Florence Oyosi is dealing with her own biological son fighting medically after a serious vehicle accident in Nairobi.  The first hospital in Nairobi he went to should have been a good one as is large and well-known.  But alas, his condition seemed to deteriorate and his pain level kept increasing. So after much prayer, FLorence who had to travel the trip to Nairobi herself as her husband himself was injured by a vehicle accident as they were leaving to join their son, had to make many decisions. She was glad to hear the scans appeared to have been ok according to the medical people. He was alert, but in so much pain. He was casted for his fractured leg, but continued to bleed from extensive wounds all over his body,even after being stitched up, plus have the terrible pain. So she took him out of that first hospital, the spunky woman she is!   She then took him to another hospital who quickly assessed him and realized he had glass fragments sewn up in his wounds!  They corrected the situation and he has continued now to improve.

So you ask yourself, why in the world would I share such a yukky story?  I will tell you.  This is some of the supposedly "great care" people in large cities get for their loved ones in these developing countries. However, people that live in the out areas, as do our children and guardians, lack even that quality of care.  Therefore, my heart aches.  We have several of our children dealing with HIV.  One of our children seems to be getting worse and we have been told she has "full blown AIDS'.  Now the grandmother instincts step in for me.  I think, we got to do something!  If she was here in US, I am sure the very best doctors could help her.  But she is not.  She is in a little village, with a HIV clinic that is trying to do their best, with few medical equipment, tests, etc available.  The Kenyan government won't allow her to be adopted unless a whole bunch of hoops are jumped thru, including the adoptees new parents having to live in Kenya with the child for 6 months!  Not practical.

Last night as I tried to sleep and struggled with this, I kept praying about it. What do you want me to do God?    Then I said, "you have to be very clear in telling me as I do not always understand what you are saying".   So this morning I got up, prayed some more and then sent off an email to a medical provider in another state to see if she would have any ideas.  As I have said over and over, this ministry is not easy.  It is not for wimps many would say!   Our trips are not easy, physically, mentally or spiritually. Yet everyone who has traveled them, has not regretted it.  Thus, today, I ask you my blog reading friends, to storm the heavens with me!  Ask God what He wants me to do about our two precious kids that apparently have worsening lab counts with their HIV.  Show me clearly what you would have me do. Put the right people in our paths to help our children to live the lives you have wished for them Lord.  And most of all, help us to always let them know how very special they are to you Lord!  They are PRECIOUS!!!

Kenya Orphan Project Book

As I have traveled this mission road that God called me on more then 7 years ago, I have been super amazed by God!  When I first started visiting in Maseno Kenya I knew I had to do something. As His Arms Orphan Project  (www.hisarmskenya.org) was developed, it has been God working thru us humble servants every step of the way. Believe me, I was never smart enough to do this on my own.  Then HE kept putting the right people in my path to help this ministry to grow.  Even our web designer, was a gift God sent our way. I never even knew I NEEDED A WEBSITE!  But God knew I did. 

So people guess what God is leading us to do now?  I am being coaxed to write a book!  Me, the one that HATED English!!!  Of course, I did happen to marry an English/Journalism major.  Now when this urge, encouraged by people out of the "blue" keeps surfacing, I decided to ask Florence Oyosi, our Kenya coordinator, if she would help me.  And of course, she is extremely excited!  She said, it will help us spread the word about the great needs, and of His Arms ministry.

Now, no turning back.  Where do we go from now?  Just hold on to your hat as they say, God will be showing us!  Stay tuned for "the rest of the story" as the late Paul Harvey used to say!

Kenya Family Funeral

For those of you who follow us on our facebook page, you know that yesterday we learned of the death of one of our children's dad.  This young man was a good Daddy to his little 3 yr old Reuben, even though he was so poor and so sickly.  But that fight ended yesterday when the horrible disease of AIDS claimed his earthly life. 

This morning I learned that it will be the "responsibility" of  our His Arms Children's Project to cover the cost of the funeral.  This poor man living in extreme poverty, also had an extended biological family that had basically disowned him and chose to ignore his little son as well.  When we did gift this man with animals, apparently the "extended family" stole them from him.  We of course, bought him a new animal, helped raise the funds to build a secure pen for the animal, and a door with a lock to protect him and his little boy.  Last October when we visited, Stephen, this dear man, walked miles just to see us, hug us, and tell us how very much he appreciated all of our help and the respect we had given him.  We could not believe he had made that long walk in his very diseased state.  We surely reminded him with hugs how important he was to us and to the Lord. 

Stephen lost that earthly battle over the week-end.  But now we also are left to bury this young man.  Already I received word that our families we support (now have 61 children in family units being supported by US sponsors!  PRAISE THE LORD!) have now all donated some beans and maize from their humble belongings, so the funeral "feast" can happen for this young man.  Florence will meet with our over seer Margeret who introduced us initially to this special family.  They will plan his humble funeral.  We may have to take some funds from our property funds we have been collecting, for our new building. But we will bury this sweet young man, with dignity.  LORD continue to show us the way.  Help us to continue to be HIS ARMS in reaching out to the hurting, the outcast, the orphans, the widows, and the oppressed as with those dealing with AIDS.  Show us the way LORD.  SHOW US YOUR WAY LORD!

Poor Nutrition and Orphans

Recently someone was looking at some of my pictures from past mission trips to Kenya. They noted that our kids had no hair or very little if any.  They asked why?   Good question.  You see the simple answer is the growing hair takes protein and good nutrition.  Also maintaining hair takes money to purchase products to clean it with, and keep it looking healthy.  Products take money to purchase.  Bottom line, when you see pictures of African children like ours, with little or no hair that very well may mean that poverty also plays a part in this.  Most of our children's guardians just shave the children's head. Thus no stigma for poor quality hair due to in adequate diet at times, or no money to purchase the expensive hair products.  It also reduces the cases of a fungus that also can infect the children, and takes money to buy the medication to treat it which often can take a month of treatments. 

So with all of that, we are proud of our girls and boys who have little bald heads, but huge smiles!  Plus if they are energetic, then that really pleases us as that means they are getting enough protein to help them have that energy.  Bottom line, if you were only given so much money to live on or earn in a month, you can see why hair products would be way down the list!   Medicine, food, shelter, blankets, malaria nets, animals to help them become self-sustaining, seeds to raise food,  and on the list goes. All of those items would surely be more important then some hair products!  Enjoy the smiles and radiant faces of our precious little ones on His Arms Site.  See www.hisarmskenya.org  to find some of those smiles!