CGA's 5th Graduation

28th January 2011

CGA’s 5th graduating class was honored in a ceremony on Friday. The parents and guardians of the students, along with many invited guests graced the occasion inside the Christ’s Gift Academy Compound. It was a very spirited day which began with some entertainment from various dance groups, including one of 1st – 4th graders and another one comprised of 5th – 8th graders. After the entertainment, the graduates came in one by one dancing to the theme song from this year’s World Cup, called “Wave Your Flag.” It was a fitting song because the lyrics say, “Give me freedom, give me fire, give me reason, take me higher, see the champions take the field now, you define us, make us feel proud… when I get older, I will be stronger…” The kids really enjoyed dancing to the song and singing along with it. The song played over and over again during the 45 minute dancing/marching processional. As each student was entering, our Principal Mr. Gwalla was talking about the achievement of each including their personality, academics, extra-curricular, etc. Then they were presented with a certificate and the gift of a Bible before taking a picture with their parent or guardian.

After that their class teacher described their performance on the national exams giving the breakdown of every subject and the overall grades. Everyone was very pleased that all the students passed. Prizes were given out to two people in every subject that showed good performance and good improvement. Also, the top student overall, Valary Akinyi, was given an award, as well as the top boy overall, Erick Otieno. The winners of the most improved award were Delence Achieng and Calisto Ochieng. There were also certificates presented to last year’s Head Boy and Head Girl of the school. The final award was our most coveted one. As a ministry we feel that Christian Character is more important than academic performance or anything else so we have the class and the entire staff of the school vote on this award. The winners receive an increase in their amount of sponsorship for secondary school. It is a considerable financial increase for all four years of secondary school. This year’s winners were Valary Akinyi and Benjamin Odoyo.

After the awards were given out it was time for the speeches. Two students from the graduating class began this session. Benjamin and Valary both spoke for about 10-15 minutes, addressing their fellow students, the teachers, parents and special guests. Both students gave extraordinary speeches that were encouraging, inspiring and profound. These 14 year old spoke better than any adult could. To most people that attended, that was the highlight of the day.

The special guests also gave their speeches, including the PTA chairman, several pastors (Anglican, Seventh Day Adventist and Pentecostal), the principal and another teacher from Bishop Mugendi Secondary School, the Deputy Principal from Lwak Girls Secondary (the best girls school in the province) and the District Examinations Officer. They had lots of good stories and good advice for the students and parents. Many of those visitors had never been to CGA before so it was special for them and for us.

After all of the speeches finally ended, it was time for lunch (a few hours later than normal lunch time). Most of the school chickens had been slaughtered for us to enjoy, along with chapattis, rice, vegetables and sodas for everyone.
It was the best graduation we have had so far. The graduates were very enthusiastic and spirited in their marching/dancing/singing, and the special guests made it memorable.

During the week of 31st January to 4th February, all 24 of these students will be joining various secondary schools throughout the province. Please pray for them as they begin this new stage in their life.

An Old Friend

This past weekend, an old friend from my childhood showed up in Mbita, Kenya. I met Christy Kullman when I was in Junior High in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. We went to church together, including youth group and church camp in the summer. And then she was a freshman in High School during my senior year.

I enjoyed being able to show her around "my home" area and let her meet my fellow missionaries, friends in the community and our girls football team. I hadn't seen her in about 5 years so it was also nice just to catch up and spend some time together. She is now living in North Africa (Morocco) and came with her husband to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. She had an extra weekend and things worked out perfectly for her to travel with a couple of my Missionary friends (Jen and Jenny) who were coming to Mbita.

I love it when my old life and new life come together. It is wonderful to see old friends and for them to see my life here in Kenya!

A Little More

A few more stats from Suba/Mbita District
Out of the girls who enroll in 1st grade, only 60% finish primary school and only 30% finish secondary school.

Only 10% of the girls in our district can solve a 2nd Grade Math problem.

God Opening Doors for Girls Through Football

In our football club last year we had seven girls who were in 8th grade and sat their National Exams in November. Four of them passed and three of them failed. The ones that passed, didn't just pass, but truly excelled. Adah was the 7th best girl out of thousands in the district, Linet was the 16th best girl in the district and Sharon was the top girl at her school. Phenny also passed.

But the problem is that the ones who failed, really failed! I have been troubled for the past few weeks since the results came out. All three of them are already 17 years old, so repeating 8th grade didn't seem like a very good idea. They all have widowed mothers who struggle just to feed their families on a daily basis. God provided a way this week. The coach from Kisii United called. His club finished 2nd last year in the Kenyan Women's Premier League. They have a great club and are doing so well. Henry has also been appointed as the coach for the Kenyan Women's Under 23 National Team. He was asking about some of our players, including some of these girls. He said that even with their low scores, he could find a day school in Kisii where they could learn. His club will pay for all the school fees and the girls will stay in the hostel with some of the other team members and train with them on a regular basis.

Praise God!

Their mothers came today and four of our club officials shared this idea with them. They were estatic that their girls could continue their education and that someone was willing to pay for it because of their football talents.

When all of us though there was no hope, God opened the doors!

How Can Young Girls Avoid HIV and AIDS

Here are some of the latest statistics on HIV/AIDS in our Area:

7% of Kenyans are infected with HIV/AIDS
15% in Nyanza Province which is the area around Lake Victoria in Kenya
In the province women are two times more likely to contract it then men. Around 20% of women are infected while only 10% of men.

In Suba and Mbita district 20% of the population is infected (40,000 out of 200,000). In adults that number climbs to 30% which is the highest in all of Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa.

In a recent study done by a local NGO, the greatest single factor that can reduce the chances of a young woman becoming infected, is...

EDUCATION

The chances of those that are in school and those who have finished their secondary education to contract the disease are drastically reduced.

When I heard that last week I was greatly encouraged that we are doing the right thing. CGA is educating the poorest and neediest children in the area. We are fighting hard to keep them in school and give them a quality Christian education. Every single one of our kids that have finished at CGA have gone on to Secondary school. We are impacting their lives and their families in so many ways, but we are also helping to reduce the HIV/AIDS infection rate in the hardest hit area in sub-saharan Africa, outside of South Africa.

And the same for the football club. We are helping to keep girls in school and valueing their education. We are happy that each of the seven girls who were in Standard 8 last year will be joining secondary schools by the end of January!

May God continue to provide for us and use these ministries to advance His Kingdom in Kenya!

A Special Day

Thirty new children began going to school at Christ’s Gift Academy on Monday this week. The application process, short-listing and home visits were all done at the end of last year. The ones that met all the requirements and qualified based on need reported to school with their parents/guardians. Most of these children are between the ages of 4-7 and very few of them can speak any English or Kiswahili at all. They only know their local tribal language which is spoken at home. Because of the high number of orphans in our area, all of the available spots were filled with orphans this time around, except for just a couple that were given to the children of some CGA staff.

Some of the children were so excited to start school that they came up the hill running with big smiles on their faces. Others were a little intimidated which made them very hesitant, but by the end of the day all of them were very excited about going to their new school. Each child was given a new uniform, including sweater and shoes. It was the first time many of them had ever put on a pair of shoes. It was amazing to see the transformation from a child with his regular clothes to a full-fledged CGA student!! Each of them also had a blood test to see which ones were HIV positive so that we will know who needs extra attention and possibly to begin on ARV’s.

Today was a special day in the lives of those children. They will not forget it for a long time.

It was also a special day for our staff and teachers to welcome these little ones. It is fun to think about what God is going to do in their lives in the next 10-20 years.

A Real Baby Boomer!

Saturday morning I was awake by 4:00 and driving down to the ferry in Mbita. There is only 1 small ferry these days since the bigger one broke down so the demand is high which means you have to arrive early if you want to get the chance to get your vehicle on it. After parking by the gate I turned on the computer in the pitch black of the morning to connect with the church bakc home so that i could "attend" my dad's retirement party. It was quite the expericne through video skype to be in my vehicle by the ferry in Kenya and in a church in the U.S. at the same time.

Eventually the darkness turned to light and other showed up at the ferry and we headed across a part of the lake. Several friends and I were driving to a funeral in Western Kenya. It was a 2 1/2 hour ride from after the ferry reached the other side. We went through many back roads (and bad roads) and even had a stop to see the grandmother of President Obama, though she wasn't ready for visitors at that time of day. Eventually we reached.

The father of my pastor (Gombe) and my assistant football coach (Dave) passed away. I didn't know the father at all but am close to the brothers. What a life. He was a 95 year old Kenyan man who fought in World War 2. After returning home he "settled" down with 4 wives and 27 children. Yep, that's right, no misprint there. Talk about baby boomers. He created his own generation. The grandchildren and great grandchildren are uncountable.

After my dad's retirement party and then this funeral, it really has me thinking about my own legacy. Still 34 and not even married yet (or even close). By this time my dad already had 4 boys and this other man had probably more. Not that legacies are measured by the number of children you have, but it does make me think a bit deeply. I do want to continue to trust in the Lord and be faithful to what he has called me to and where he has called me to.

All in all, it was a good day, in fact a great day. It meant a lot to Pastor Gombe and Coach Dave that we had come . It was an encouragement to them in a tough time.

On the way back we were too late for the ferry, so we drove all the way around the lake through Kisumu, Kendu Bay and Homa Bay. It took about 5 1/2 hours, but God saw us through with no car problems, flat tires or any other issues.

A Special Man

On December 31st my dad officially retired after 41 years as a pastor in the Baptist General Conference. His retirement party was Friday, January 7th. I was sad that I would be in Kenya and not able to attend, but God had a different plan. I was able to call in on a skype video call and participate in the program. They set up a computer at my family's dinner table and I got to "sit" with them while they ate. I heard their conversations and was able to talk back and forth. It was almost like being there (except I couldn't taste the enchiladas). During the program they would turn the computer around so that I could see the slide show or watch the speaker.

It was really unbelievable. I have never had that good of an internet connection in Kenya. It didn't drop the call once (except when their computer's battery went dead). Maybe it was because it was 4:30 in the morning in Kenya and so there weren't many other people using the internet. Or maybe it was just God's gift to me so that I could be a part of that special night.

My dad is truly a special man. The program was a wonderful tribute to him. Even I was patched in so that I could give a speech about him. Here is what I said...

Dear Dad;

I really wish I could have attended your retirement party. I feel badly that I missed it, but am grateful for the few weeks I was able to spend with you at home last month. While I was home I noticed an extra dose of giddiness in you. You were very jovial. I think it was mostly from the freedom you were feeling and the burden that was lifted from you by retiring. I was trying to imagine or understand the tremendous pressure and stress you have felt for almost 45 years. Being a “preacher’s kid” I saw much of it first-hand. The pressure of having to prepare a “perfect sermon” each and every week; preparing Sunday School lessons and mid-week service lessons; overseeing the running of the church, serving on many boards and committees in the church, the administrative duties, visiting the new church attenders, spending time in the hospitals and with the shut-ins; being responsible for the hundreds of people in your flock, receiving phone calls in the middle of the night, preparing for and officiating weddings and funerals; and setting up for service or cleaning up around the church; even occasionally scrubbing a toilet or picking up after a messy baby. You were called by God to the ministry 4 decades ago and have carried out your responsibilities with a joy and a passion; not as a job or a duty but as a privilege and a mission.

You were even able to faithfully carry out your job in the face of criticism. Many times you were wrongly accused for something or people would talk behind your back; some of those times it was because of things your four sons had done and almost all of the time there was no basis for the accusations. In the midst of that you always stood strong in your faith and did the best you knew how.

When anyone asks me about my father, I usually respond that you are the “classic pastor/shepherd.” You are not a flashy, dynamic speaker, but a great teacher who cares for each and every member of your congregation, and you have a way of making everyone around you feel special. You are humble and hard-working. A man with a true “servant’s heart.”
Some of my earliest memories in life are of staying with you after the Sunday night service at Grace Baptist, cleaning up and locking the building together, and then walking across the parking lot while I peppered questions at you about anything and everything. Even though there was always delicious home-made pizza and fudge waiting for us when we reached home on those Sunday nights, I never wanted those special father-son times in the church alone with you and walking across the parking lot to end.

You are a special man. I know the mark that you have left on my life is significant, but you have also left a significant imprint on the lives of thousands of others that you have pastored. Whenever I am able to return to Waverly, Iowa or Lake Havasu, AZ I hear many stories of lives that you touched. Some of them share about how your counseling helped to save their marriage, others talk about how you supported them through a tough time, while others mention how you visited them in the hospital or encouraged them when they were down. Many pastors in this day and age think their job is only to give good sermons on Sunday and don’t have a clue about what it means to pastor and shepherd a congregation.

And also to Mom… this day is also honoring you. Being a pastor’s wife requires so much sacrifice, perseverance and thick skin. You have faithfully served side by side with Dad all of these years, staying home to raise us four boys, serving as the church secretary in some cases, playing the piano and organ, leading Bible Studies, and giving Dad the support and encouragement he needed to persevere through tough times. You were God’s gift to dad and his ministry. Without you, he couldn’t have done it.

It will seem very odd when I come home next time and you are not the pastor of a church. I have never known anything different. You began pastoring seven years before I was even born. It is amazing to think of it that way.

If anyone deserves to retire and rest a while, it has to be you. Thank you for how you have wholeheartedly carried out your ministry for the past 41 years. You have poured your whole life into serving. You have even shared some of your regrets with me that you didn’t spend enough time with us when we were young because of your responsibilities in the church. I remember the family vacations across the U.S., sharing meals together, rebounding my missed shots in the driveway, playing baseball at the tennis courts, making me hot fudge sundaes, the many rides to and from school, friends houses, and basketball/baseball/soccer/football practice. You might feel that you didn’t spend enough time with us, but I don’t feel that way at all. I don’t know how you did it, but you gave everything you had to your ministry, and at the same time to us kids. You were the best father any child could ever hope to have in this world.

I am proud of you.

Love Always,

Joe Peterson

End of 2010 Newsletter

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you. I want to take this opportunity to thank you most sincerely for your continued friendship and partnership over the years. The prayer support and financial support God has blessed me with is extraordinary. It allows me to live out the calling God has given me. I am grateful to all of you that are partnering with me to reach out to the children of Mbita, Kenya. In this district that has been decimated by HIV/AIDS, most of these orphans would have never had an opportunity to finish their basic education and build a better future for their lives without the help of Christ's Gift Academy, the school's dedicated staff and missionaries, and the support of people like you. Thank you for allowing God to use you in a powerful way in my life and in the lives of so many in Kenya.

CGA 2010 Highlights
- The first CGA graduates who started Nursery class in 1997 finished their High School education and are eagerly awaiting the results of their National Exam.
- The fifth 8th grade class sat their National Exams at CGA and are preparing to join secondary schools in 2011.
- Over 275 primary school students at CGA are receiving a quality Christian Education, learning about the Word of God and are getting their physical needs met on a daily basis.
- Close to 100 former CGA students are being sponsored at various high schools throughout the country, and are also receiving spiritual nourishment and academic support during the school holidays.
- CGA conducted its first ever Christmas Pageant as a ministry and evangelistic outreach to the students, parents and members of the community.
- Over 100 widowed mothers are participating in CGA widow support groups in the community.
- All of the primary school students at CGA received a mosquito net, mattress and blanket through the generous donation of Providence Presbyterian in Concord, NC.

Suba Lakers Football Club 2010 Highlights
- The team reached the finals of the Regional primary school games.
- Four players were selected to play at the Primary School Nationals.
- The junior team won third place at the Galactico tournament in Kisumu.
- The team won the Coca-cola regional tournament.
- Two of our players have been invited to play with the 2nd best women's professional team in the country after the coach agreed to pay for their school fees and help them with some allowances.
- The club supported four students in their secondary school education and four more in their primary school education.
- We hosted our first tournament in October, attracting 14 girls' teams from around the district.
- Many girls throughout the district have been empowered to make wise choices in their personal lives, resist the peer pressure to get involved with sexual relationships and to stay in school.
- Our club members and the girls that came for the tournament have all heard the Gospel with many responding to give their lives to Christ.

Disappointments
There will always be disappointments in life and struggles that we face. Working with youth is a challenge. I have been lied to and deceived multiple times. Some have run away when I have tried to help them. Others give in to the many pressures they face in their homes or from their peers. It is heartbreaking when you try so hard to help; yet the young person still chooses the wrong path. I have come to realize that sometimes the ones that you help the most are the ones that hurt you the most. As a missionary friend of mine said in her newsletter, "It is like giving someone a cup of water and having them shove it back in your face."

My Future
As this year comes to a conclusion I am reminded of the clear calling God gave me in 2003 to come and serve as a missionary in Kenya. He used the circumstances in my life, words from other people and spoke to me so clearly through scriptures such as Matthew 25:35-40 and Ezekiel 2. In 2008 I made a 3 year commitment to serve at CGA, so this coming year is the final year of that commitment. I am praying about what lies ahead for me, asking God to once again clearly show me if this is where I am to remain or if there is something else he is preparing me for after next year.

The Reason I am Here
As I close this newsletter I want to share an excerpt from a letter one of our secondary students wrote to his sponsor. Brian Orinda just finished his third year in secondary school and is preparing to begin his final year at the beginning of January. I think he accurately captures the heart of CGA and the reason that I am here serving in Kenya. Here is what he wrote to his sponsor...

"I am working hard and hope that Christ's Gift Academy, through your help, will produce an accomplished God-fearing leader, tough debater and negotiator, and an intelligent politician, a master of social convention, well dressed and self educated. I was not a privileged child but hope that I will rise to equal the best individuals on the Earth who stand with every advantage in life. I have a dream that one day I will be a top government official in the country and by this I will be in a position to share with my fellow leaders the grace of God, and to challenge them with the living Word. I have a dream that one day I will be the president of the nation and will lead the country in the Christian way. I am praying to God that he may help me to achieve my goals and objectives and, through Him, my dreams may come true."
- Brian Orinda

Joe Peterson
Christ's Gift Academy
Mbita, Kenya

e-mail: rockylj@hotmail.com
site: www.CGAKenya.com
blog: www.joekenya.blogspot.com

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Happy New Year

As we celebrated the New Year last night my thoughts reflected back to the same time last year. Rushing to the hospital in Mbita at 11:00 pm to find one of our students vomiting blood and going into convulsions. Jumping into my vehicle at midnight to drive an hour and a half on a dangerous stretch of road to rush him to the nearest district hospital. Praying and Praying and Praying for his life before I was given the opportunity to try and save it by donating my blood for an emergency transfusion. Feeling like God was going to use me to save a young boys life only to hear the wailing across the hospital as the boy passed away. I haven't thought much about those events recently until last night. It seems like ages ago. It is amazing all that takes place in the course of a year, yet at the same time it goes so fast!

There was a much better start to this year. I walked to church with Mourine Ooro, Willis and Rozeline and their family around 9:00 and we enjoyed bringing in the New Year African Pentecostal style with our family of believers. It was similar to a normal Sunday service with prayer, preaching (loudly), testimonies and a lot of great praise and worship that included much dancing. Different than the other New Year's celebration I have had in the past!

I was a little concerned at first when the sermon was extending past two hours and the countdown was approaching. The preaching abrubtly stopped, but then they turned on the little radio and put a microphone up to it so that we could "join" a crusade" that was happening in another part of Kenya. Even though the radio preacher was speaking English I couldn't understand what he was saying and I can't remember there being any countdown or "official" New Year's moment. Some people were listening, some were praying, some were talking to themselves. I was really confused, but then about 10 minutes after the New Year the Praise and Worship team returned to the front and we really celebrated for a couple of hours!

No tradition American College football Bowl games for me on this New Year's Day, but I am sure there will be some soccer watching going on this afternoon at some point!