A New Generation of Leaders

One of the best parts of my job is visiting the secondary students that have graduated from CGA and have joined various secondary schools throughout the country. This past week I began visiting several of the schools. I am always astounded by the number of CGA students who get selected to be leaders in their schools. Most of them are in classes of 40-60 students, but they get singled out to be leaders in their school. I believe it is because of the type of education they receive at CGA. They learn to be self-disciplined and hard working. They also learn to be bold and confident as well as developing the ability to communicate well. It is a big responsibility for them to lead in a way that is glorifying God instead of acting the way most leaders do by taking bribes (a loaf of bread or other small gifts) and using the position for their own gain. From what I currently know, At least 10 of the 65 students that CGA sponsors in secondary school have been selected as leaders. There may be others that I don’t know about.

Anjeline Achieng is in her third year of secondary school at Ogande Girls School. She was selected to be a class prefect and admitted that it is so difficult at times. Her friends expect her to favor them and not report their misbehaviors to the teachers. Other students sometimes spread rumors about her and are jealous of the position she has earned through her hard work and good character.

Immaculate Akoth just began secondary school in the beginning of February at Kereri Girls in Kisii. In those few short weeks, she is already a starter on the girls’ soccer team and was selected to be their class leader. There are over 1,400 girls in their school and 350 in her grade alone so there is a lot of pressure on her and much work to be done.

Other students selected as leaders in their schools:
Stephen Ogechi is the Christian Union representative for his class at Chianda High School.

Winnie Atieno is the class prefect at Huma Girls.

Edwina Ollimo was the class prefect last year at one of the top schools in the country, Limuru Girls National School.

Cynthia Awuor is the vice chair of their Christian Union at another of the top schools in the country, Loreto Girls National School.

Reinhard Bonke is the inspector of dorms at Maseno National School, the top Boys School in Western Kenya.

Primerose Achieng is the class prefect at Tigoi Girls.

Valdry Achieng has been the class prefect at Tigoi Girls for the past two years.

Dorcas Maureen Akinyi is the Christian Union Secretary at St. Albert’s Ulanda Girls Secondary.

There may be more that we haven’t discovered yet.

Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs, Oh My!

One of the best perks of living in Kenya is the opportunity to see so much of the amazing African Wildlife. It shows God’s creativity and diversity. This land is so beautiful and the animals are a sight to behold. God could have created our world in a dull and boring way, but instead he created everything uniquely with its own shape, size and color. To see the animals in their natural habitat is to see God’s handiwork.


This past week, a visiting intern at CGA, Derek Snook, really wanted to go on a safari. I was able to arrange with some friends at Tenwek Hospital to take him. We spent two nights in the world famous Masai Mara and saw all of the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) plus many other incredible sights. It was nice to get away for the weekend and have a few days off. The fellowship of the Galat family and Derek was also a big blessing. My vehicle is not doing so well and it takes about as much oil as fuel on any journey, but God saw us through. Even though I have been on safari many times, I am constantly enthralled with each unique experience.

Looking at the Big Picture

Sometimes working with the students at CGA, I forget the difficult circumstances that these children go through in life. At school, they are all wearing their nice uniforms and look so bright. I forget the type of homes they are coming from every morning and the things they are exposed to on a daily basis. I forget the traumatic experiences they have endured in their young lives.

I tend to be a perfectionist and sometimes that is harmful when working with children. None of us are perfect and I can expect too much from them. Then I am let down, saddened and stressed when they make a mistake. When we start dealing with some of their problems I begin focusing on the 5-10 students who are misbehaving instead of the 260 that are doing so well. The same is true with our secondary students where I focus on the 3-5 who are not doing well, instead of the 50-60 who are working hard, achieving high marks academically and being leaders and witnesses in their various schools.

It is a challenge working with orphans. Mentally and emotionally, they have endured much in their young lives, with so many deaths of the people closest to them. There are so many issues that come along with that. They also know they are orphans and don't feel like they really "belong" in the families they live with. They know they are not the real children of their guardians and sometimes will run away and go to other relatives' houses. They don't really feel "at home" anywhere except possibly at school (CGA).

It really is amazing that CGA has had the success we have had, considering their home lives. Our Orphan/Student Care Department does their best to visit their homes, encourage the caretakers and assist where possible, but it is only a drop in the bucket of what these children really need. Christ's Gift Academy has dramatically changed the lives and the futures of so many of these children who would not have had other good opportunties for education and other basic necessities.

Sometimes I lose sight of this. I focus on the negative and forget what a difference this ministry is making. Over the past month I seem to be reminded daily about the battle we are in here, standing on the front lines. Because of its proximity to Lake Victoria, we get many fisherman that come in for a few weeks/months at a time to fish and make money. They use the money to sin like crazy and then go back to their homes in other parts of the country. This has brought so much immorality into the area. People that have no roots here or family around can do whatever they want and then run away when the consequences of their actions begin to surface.

A local pastor was sharing with me this week about the change he has seen in Mbita over the past 5-7 years. He has seen much improvement and many people turning towards to the Lord. Many people are leaving behind their immorality and walking in the ways of God. Despite our own setbacks, we have also seen this with CGA; many of our students, staff and the families of our children have changed for the good.

It takes a minute to step back and look at the big picture instead of focusing on the obstacles. If we remain faithful, God will bless the work of our hands and continue transforming this place for His glory.

Sports Stars

This past weekend, Teacher Charles (our deputy principal) and I had the opportunity to travel to Maseno. They were hosting a big secondary school sports tournament with rugby, handball, field hockey, soccer, volleyball and soccer. Teams from all over Nyanza Province and Western Province were there, and even a few teams from Nairobi and Nakuru. It is a great location because they have three basketball courts, two football fields, two handball courts, four volleyball courts, a hockey field and a rugby field.

The best part was that we were able to see several former CGA students competing. Dorcas Maureen Akinyi was a part of the Ulanda basketball team that lost in the semifinals after winning all three games in their pool play. Dennis Otieno Omondi was part of the Mbita High School soccer team. They played well in getting two draws and a loss, but didn’t advance to the knockout stages. Dennis used his speed and great ball control to fill the left wing and fire crossing shots to the other strikers, though they weren’t able to finish the plays very well. Primerose Achieng was a starter for the Tigoi Girls Basketball team, the runner up last year in the East Africa Championships (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda). The team played well using their full-court press and run n’ gun system to blow out almost every team they played. They won all three pool games and then marched through the semifinals and finals with lopsided wins. Primerose played well using her speed and quickness to get tons of steals and her unselfish play generated many easy baskets for her teammates, especially for the lone returning starter from last year’s team, Hilavi. Sometimes Primerose still goes a little too fast and makes some silly turnovers due to her lack of experience, but she does so well, especially considering she is only in Form 2 (second year). It made me so proud to see her make a lay-up and dribble the ball down the court with her head up which are things I taught her to do three years ago. That makes you feel good as a teacher/coach.

Another wonderful part of the weekend was being able to see our three boys who are in Form 2 at Maseno School, a National School and one of the top ones in the country. Sospeter Okeyo, Reinhard Bonke and Steve Biko were able to come out and sit with us on Saturday and Sunday, enjoying sports together. They shared about the good things in secondary school, the struggles they face and many other aspects of life. We filled them in on all of the news from Mbita and CGA and enjoyed some cold sodas and mandazzis together. We also had good quality time with the other three athletes I had already mentioned earlier. Sports are a great way to connect with people in a relaxed setting.

It is fun watching these children grow up and seeing how God is giving them many opportunities to impact other people. Most of our kids are really making a difference where God has placed them. I would have a hard time finding a way to have a better weekend.

January Update

Returning to Sickness, Car Issues and other Problems

So much has happened in the course of the past month since I sent out my last update. After celebrating Christmas, I said goodbye to my family and boarded a plane to return to Kenya with a three day stopover in London. When I reached Kenya,I hosted an old friend, Jay Forseth, during his two week visit as we went on a safari and then returned “home” to Mbita.

It wasn’t a very smooth transition for me as it included being harassed by a police officer, two flat tires, two more blown out tires, a leaking gas tank, two nights of intense shakes and vomiting as I battled pneumonia and malaria and a few other sleepless nights. It is an interesting story that is well detailed in my blog http://www.joekenya.blogspot.com/. Through all of it I could see God’s hand as his blessings shined through the difficulties. Many valuable lessons were also learnt along the way.

Kenya is also going through tough times as many parts of the nation are suffering famine. It is a serious problem because of the crop failures of last year after the post-election violence and extreme drought. Our area has not been affected as much as some areas except for the high cost of food. Also, nationally, the public school teachers have been on strike for the past two weeks so the government schools have been closed (CGA has still been open though). In the past week a supermarket in Nairobi caught fire and killed over 20 people and just this past weekend, an oil tanker exploded after rolling over and killed over 100 people.

Sex and Lies

On a personal level, our school has seen first-hand the effects of the rampant sexual immorality in this place. There is a reason that this district has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Kenya (27% of the population) and one of the highest in the world. It is because children begin having multiple sexual partners at a very early age, including many young girls that are coerced into it by older men. We have been confronted with the heartbreaking news that three young girls from our school were pregnant. This is the first time that CGA has experienced this challenge. Each case is very unique and we are trying to work through it with them. To make it worse, deceit is another of Satan’s strongholds in this place as many are not willing to speak the truth and open up, spending a majority of their time trying to cover up and hide their mistakes and weaknesses.

Our students hear God's Word daily at school but are exposed to many other things in their homes and in their culture. Much of the immorality is accepted by the community and very little is done to counteract it. We are continually asking God for the strategies of how to bring Biblical principles into the everyday lives of our students, their homes and the community around us.

On the Battlefield

I feel like I have been placed on the front lines of the battle that is raging all around us. My time in the U.S. has renewed my strength and increased my resolve to engage wholeheartedly in the battle. Much of my time since being back has been spent with the children who graduated from 8th grade and are preparing to join their boarding secondary schools on February 2nd (the story is on the CGA website http://www.cgakenya.com/). We have been trying to deal openly and honestly about some of their mistakes and problems from last year and prepare them physically, socially, academically and most importantly, spiritually for what awaits them in secondary school.

One thing I have noticed is that I seem to adapt faster in my transition coming back to Kenya than I do in my transition back to America. The dusty roads and swarming clouds of lake flies coming from Lake Victoria seem very “normal” to me. Even though it has been challenging in so many ways, I am happy to be back!

Prayer Requests:

1) Pray for God's light to shine on and expose the dark areas of sexual immorality and deceit in this area.

2) Pray for the protection of our children. That they would resist the pressures of becoming sexually active. Pray for revival in this place and that people would live according to God's plan.

3) Pray for the students that are beginning secondary school in the first week of February. Pray that all their financial needs will be met and their physical needs will be met. And that they would be thankful for the opportunity that God is giving them that many others do not get. Pray that they would be salt and light in their schools.

4) Pray for the teaching staff at CGA to continue to teach and disciple the children to know and love God with all their heart. Pray for wisdom as they instruct and discipline these children. Pray for God's Kingdom to come to Kenya through the lives of these children.

You can donate on-line at http://www.cgakenya.com/

or

Send Contributions to:

Christ’s Gift Academy

636-G Long Point Road #38

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Include a note designating direction of funds (Joe, food, staff, special project, child sponsorship, or general)