Kenya Mission Grants

Today we received word that we are among 120 being considered for 30 grants possibly being given out to non-profits trying to make a difference in the world. Many people had told us, we needed to apply for grants to help our ministry with all the great things His Arms hopes to do to make life better for our friends in Kenya.  However, we now know that takes a lot of effort!  But we completed the first step, and now leave it in the Lord's hands. We request your prayers! We know many ministries are out there in the Global World doing great things to make life better for others.  However, we also know some are more popular for whatever reason then others. The work we do in Ekwanda and Maseno area of Western Kenya might not look beautiful, might not be one that will give great publicity to some donors, but we can say in our hearts it is saving lifes, giving people with HIV hope and respect, giving children a chance to get  a basic 8th grade education (OR MORE!) and keeping them out of sex traficking and prostitution!  It is helping to give young girls and young women empowerment and self-respect where they hear they are of value to God and to us!  And we do this without paying salaries and big bucks to politicians or church officials so that the program can keep going!  People check out your ministries you are sponsoring. Many have hidden corruption they are working with, and your dollars may not be getting to where you think they are. We promise we will do everything in our power so the funds go to the most vulnerable!  No CEO getting a half-million dollar salary.  No, just volunteers working their hearts out trying so hard in USA and in Kenya to help people improve their situations and most of all, to know that they are so valued by our Lord and Savior.  So please pray for us.  Pray that God sends funds to help our ministry continue as we have hopes and dreams that it will.  And thank you Lord for so many willing volunteers, sponsors and donors you have already blessed us with!  Thank you!  ASANTE SANA!

Kenya Orphans helped by YOU!

As the Christmas season approaches, and the end of another year is near, I am in awe of all that the Lord has done with His Arms Childrens Project that we are officially registered in Kenya as.  I can not begin to count the blessings. First of all, our precious children we work with in Maseno-Ekwanda area of Western Kenya are all well, happy and energetic.  When I picture our most recent visit this past October, and see the video in my mind of the gatherings, it makes me smile, then get teary.  WOW, how energetic, happy, excited and lively they were. Do you know what that means?  They are getting enough food, enough protein that they need to, to be healthy and they are living with so much hope!  We could not run this ministry without so many volunteers and sponsors across the USA.  We now have donors or supporters in 12 states!  Can you believe that!!!   Word is spreading of what God is doing.

Then we met with most of our high schoolers receiving scholarships of $300 to $500 a year to attend high school in the area.  They were so appreciative, so respectful, so well mannered!  You would love them each if you were to meet them.  I felt like one proud Grandma hugging them and greeting them. I could not be any prouder of what they are accomplishing inspite  of so many odds their short lives have had.  But they are so hopeful, have dreams and aspirations.  Wow, what more could we say!   We continue to pray that the Lord continues to bless our ministry so they can finish high school, graduate, and maybe pursue college careers.  AMAZING! 

Plus we met many of the 92 children we sponsor so they can attend primary school and have hope some day that they can be educated and become more self-sustaining, and eventually leave the poverty.   Such dreams.  Many of them say that actually. They thank us for making their dream of attending elementary school come true!  Can you imagine living and wondering if you can even afford to attend elementary school?  Our kids in our program, have wondered that in the past. But thank the Lord for schools like Shelby Michigan's elementary school who helps pay these school fees. Or Amery Wisconsin's elementary school children and teachers who help pay school fees so their friends in Maseno, Kenya can go to elementary school!  How blessed this ministry is.

This year also saw us purchase property of our own after becoming a non-profit officially in Kenya.  It is located in Ekwanda, Kenya, again near Maseno. It is a beautiful spot, slightly on a hill. We already have been gifted with enough funds to begin to build a small building where our kids can meet for support. We have dreams of making this also a community library which is non-existent in schools or communities in that area.  If you ask me how that is going to happen, I have to respond, "I do not know, God has not told me that yet."   But HE will. 

Then we already have people dreaming and beginning to plan for a mission trip in 2013  back to visit our kids, play with them, perhaps help with building and who knows what.  We have a group from Central Michigan University that plans to visit the area, and work with our kids from the psychology department.  Oh my, did I say yet how amazed I am at what GOD CAN DO!!!

So I thank and praise God for all He continues to do. I thank HIM that he is giving our USA coordinator Brenda Cronk healing so she can continue working with our ministry.  And I thank HIM for everyone of you who sponsors, donates, fundraises, prays, or in anyway works with His Arms to make this ministry possible!  May God bless each of you in 2013 for being such a blessing in 2012!  

Nancy Rowe

Sick Kenya Orphans

Well it has been quite a week For HIS ARMS Orphan project.  Early in the week we found out we had a sponsor for our 57 child!  We are so excited.  So we welcome sponsor Kristan, and child, Somson.  Once again a sad story of a destitute family. So we are thankful to have him now in our program. 

Then we learned one of children we sponsored was ill.  That was indeed frustrating as communication is so bad between us and Maseno/Ekwanda.  So after phone calls, text, emails, we were able to get precious Jane some medical help.  We still do not know for sure what made her so ill, but she is acting healthy and playful again, so we Praise the Lord for helping her to get to a bigger city for medical help with a real physician.

Again challenges continue.  But also we continue to see blessings. I just talked to one sponsor last night who is willing to work to get his high schooler they sponsor to USA for college.  Now those hoops will be huge to jump threw. But once again we turn to God, and ask HIM to help us figure it all out.  This girl has such potential but has such a story of struggles to share as when she was 11 she solely cared for her dying widow Mom as she passed away. This girl, instead of being bitter, is unbelievably bright, articulate, positive and just a love!  So we pray.

Asante Sana readers.  Thanks for taking the time to read our blog. Please continue to spread the word about His Arms.  Let me know if you would know any group that would like us to speak, as we are always willing to do just that in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, or elsewhere if we get help with traveling expenses.  We love sharing God's stories! 

AIDS Orphan in Kenya

On Saturday, Dec. 1st, the world acknowledges World AIDS Day.  We, at His Arms also observe this day with much respect.  You see we are one of the ministries within Western Kenya who will work with these children that are HIV+.  In fact, we advocate for them, pay so they can get to the clinic to get medication, and do what we can to improve their immune systems so they can fight this disease.  Some ministries, even ones that call themselves Christian, will not deal with them. Some absolutely refuse to allow them to stay in their orphanages.  Their comments "well we have to protect our other children".  How ignorant!  By simply protecting others should blood occur as in an injury, you have very much safely helped handle risk.  But for the most part, it is very safe to interact.  One can hug, kiss, share food, play, and surely worship with someone affected or infected with HIV.  The virus is passed thru blood contact, mothers breast feeding and of course, sex.  So we bring gloves for our volunteers in case one of our kids, fall and get cut.  But we also kiss them, hug them, eat with them, dance with them, praise with them, and surely love them!!

If you are considering helping a ministry that serves Orphans in Kenya or anywhere for that matter, please make sure they reach out to children that are orphaned but may also be positive for HIV.  Their immune systems need love and support more then anyone.  And that is why www.hisarmskenya.org surely ministers to all children orphaned in Maseno/Ekwanda area that we are able to, regardless of their HIV status. Please join me in praying for these precious children. Please pray also that funding continues for the medications they need to help be more healthy. Please pray with me that they have a loving, supportive community around them to booster those affected immune systems. Thank you to all of our supporters, sponsors and donors who have huge hearts, and genuinely care for all of God's precious children, especially these kids in Kenya, and especially those affected or infected by HIV.

Helping Kenya Orphans

Anytime you donate to any of our Ebenezer projects which you can find on our website, or any of our programs in general, you have definitely helped a struggling orphan in Kenya. We now are registered as a non-profit organization in Kenya listed as "His Arms Children's Project".  The country of Kenya has officially reviewed what we do, and supports us as doing so in a legal way. That was an important to us as so many "made up" organizations do exist in many of the African countries, including Kenya in order for some crooked person to just gain some funds. We have looked into "orphanages" where people from the USA have been donating to them, only to find they do not exist in Kenya. So today, on "Give back Tuesday" please be sure your organization is legitimate.   Ask about administrative cost. We keep ZERO money within the USA and instead transfer all of our donations to Kenya. Within Kenya, we keep less then 10% of our donations to use for transfer cost, transporting cost of items, and similar items that the volunteers in Kenya lack funds otherwise to perform.  We have NO salaried personnel working within our ministry.  Only volunteers are doing all the work.  We are very proud of our USA and Kenya volunteer workers. How blessed we are. So if you feel driven on "Give back Tuesday" to donate to our ministry, we would love to hear from you.  Check out our website for ways you can donate.  www.hisarmskenya.org     May you be blessed for being a blessing!  "Like" us on our facebook page www.facebook.com/HisArmsKenya  by clicking the "like" button on the top.  Asante Sana/Thank YOU!  Pass the word around!

Kenya Orphan Project Registration complete!

This morning I received word that we are officially a registered non-profit in Kenya!  Our Official name in Kenya is His Arms Children's Project, I believe it is.  We operated before legally under a CBO (community based organization) in Maseno, which was the overseer of several great projects including the literacy program for the community.  However, with us seeking to purchase land, and after talking with legal counseling, we realized we did need to become a separate Entity.  We needed to make sure no one could undermine the work we are trying so hard to do, without any corruption or any person benefiting from our ministry personally!   SO IT IS OFFICIAL!  We jumped thru all the hoops, paid our fees, worked on all the paperwork, sent runners back and forth with all the legal papers, and it is official today!  PRAISE THE LORD!  I am so happy. Cannot believe God has blessed this ministry so much. Who would have ever thought in 2005 when Elaine Sorensen and I visited in Maseno, Kenya with this social worker, Florence Oyosi, that in 2012 we would be running an official ministry that reaches out to hundreds of people. YOU KNOW, THAT IS GOD AND ONLY GOD DOING THAT!  We surely were not smart enough to figure this all out.

SO thanks to all of our sponsors and donors who continue in 9 different states in the USA to help this ministry half way around the world, in Africa, make a difference!  Mungu Awabarkie, may God bless you all!

Kenya Orphans Donations Made Easy!

Just in time for the holiday season, and prior to end of year charitable tax deductions needed, you may now donate on our site thru Paypal. We are so excited to have it up and running. It is simple. Takes just seconds and you can make your tax deductible donation to His Arms Orphan Project!  Visit our website at www.hisarmskenya.org and you will see the "donate" button.  Merely click on that, and it will allow you to either make a contribution from your own paypal account.  Or you may also use your credit card and make your tax deductible donation. In the summary sections you will be permitted to list what you wish it to be used for. In other words, if you want to buy a family a chicken, just tell us so.  Some of our current His Arms sponsors are even making their monthly sponsorship payments this way. We want to make it as easy as possible.  Questions, contact me via ndrowes@yahoo.com   Thanks so much for considering our ministry. As always, we keep no administrative fees here in US other then what paypal charges us, and less then 10% administrative fees are used in Kenya.  Check out other charities, few have that low of administrative fees. We want the money to go directly to these orphans and people trying to lovingly care for them.!  ASANTE SANA!  Thank you.