Team Pete Kenya

Our New Blog!

If you are wondering why I haven't posted on her for a while, it's because we now have a new blog!

www.teampetekenya.blogspot.com

My wife and I are both giving up our old individual blogs and now we have one combined blog!  We will be posting stories about Christ's Gift Academy, Suba Lakers Football Club and other personal stories of what God is doing in us and through us!  Read through the pages that describe the different ministries we work with, how to pray for us, invest in our ministry, contact us and several new blog posts.  Look it up and subscribe to it if you want to stay current about what is going on in our lives!

Primary School Games

The Suba Laker Primary School girls have been dazzling and exciting fans all across the western part of Kenya for the past few weeks. In primary schools, the games are like all-star games because the players move through about 7 levels where they play games and at the end of that tournament, the best players are selected to move on to the next level. At pretty much all the levels are girls have played they haven't allowed any goals and the only matches they have lost were due to post-match penalty shootouts (of which we need to do a lot of work on). And at each level, the crowds enjoyed watching the "team game" of our girls as they passed, worked together and displayed their high skill level. Our primary girls are still young and small in stature, but know how to play the game of soccer the right way.

The Homa Bay County team mainly consisted of Suba Lakers from Mbita District reached all the way to the finals of the Provencal Tournament and played a great game against the host county Kisumu. With all of the fans against us, our girls dominated the game and created numerous chances to score, but never broke through. In the end, it came down to penalty kicks which gave Kisumu the title.

Fortunately, 6 players from our team were selected to go to Nationals, including 4 Suba Lakers. Goalkeeper Lillian Awuor will go for the first time, Winny Akinyi and Teresa Atieno will be going for the 2nd time and defender Lavenda Achieng will go for the 3rd time. It is a huge honor to be regarded as one of the best primary school players in the nation. We wish them the best of luck as they represent the Lake Region in the games set to take place next week.

Our Story

 

 

Here is "Our Story" that we wrote on the back of our wedding programs for our American Wedding on May 26, 2013...

 

Kind of crazy, isn’t it?  How do two 36 year old singles with a heart for Africa, who have never been married, meet and fall in love in America in such a short amount of time?  The answer is… God! Because what seems crazy to man, is just normal for God!  Our love story is not really something either of us could have dreamed up.

We were born 4 days apart, but grew up on opposite coasts; Daneen on the East Coast in PA and Joe on the West Coast in AZ.  Both of us had kind and loving parents who have been married to each other for around 40 years.  Daneen enjoyed competing in gymnastics as a child while also working hard in school to help her dreams become a reality.   Joe loved most sports, but eventually focused on basketball, learning that hard work could help him reach his goals. 

Daneen went south for college to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida while Joe went north to Dawson Community College and Rocky Mountain College in Montana.  After college Daneen headed west to take her first job as a rocket scientist at Boeing in California and then Digital Globe in Longmont, CO.  Joe moved east to coach college basketball at Northwestern State University in Louisiana and then at Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina.  We were destined to be together some day, but it wasn’t yet time.

Both of us experienced many adventures in our young adult years, from skydiving, scuba diving, white water rafting, mission trips to developing countries, and travelling the world. Joe received salvation at a very early age while Daneen made that decision as an adult. 

We both achieved success in our respective careers at very early ages; Daneen as a woman in the male dominated profession of engineering and Joe as a Division I basketball coach in the NCAA Tourney.

Both of us began feeling a call from God to go to Africa.  Joe left his coaching career to move to Kenya in 2004 to work as a teacher, coach and administrator at a school for orphans called Christ’s Gift Academy (CGA) in the district with one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in Africa (30%).  Before going to Kenya, Joe attended Mission Training International and met a couple from Longmont named Don and Kristie Drage who were also moving to Kenya. 

 
Daneen first visited Africa in 2005 on a mission trip to Kenya with LifeBridge Christian Church.  Don and Kristie Drage hosted the team in Kenya. At the time, Kristie wondered how she could get Daneen to meet this single missionary guy living out on Lake Victoria on the western side of Kenya.  It didn’t work out on that trip because it wasn’t yet God’s time.  Later, Daneen left her engineering career to volunteer with Peace Corps in Zambia and then with Invisible Children and Scripture Union in Gulu, Uganda. 

After returning from Uganda in 2011, Daneen had dinner at Don and Kristie’s house and Don mentioned this single missionary guy in Kenya.  Daneen didn’t want to hear about someone in Africa because she was now back home in America.  It still wasn’t time. 

In June 2012, Daneen felt called to move to Portland and found a job with a non-profit that was providing college scholarships to students in Africa.  When Joe came home on furlough in 2012, Don told him that when he travels through Portland he should invite this girl Daneen to listen to him share about Africa. 

Paul and Joyce Maier were hosting a small reception for Joe to connect with some old friends from around Portland. When Daneen walked through the door that night, both of our lives were forever changed.  We could ask why our paths never crossed during our younger years in the U.S., or while we were both living in Africa, but God’s timing and his way is always the best.  We don’t regret not meeting until we were 36.  Instead we are thankful that we met when we did and that we have the rest of our lives to be together.

Just two days before meeting Daneen, I told some friends that I was as content as I had ever been as a single man, and that maybe God’s plan for me was to remain single for the rest of my life.  Both of us have met so many wonderful people in our lives, but it wasn’t until we found each other that we realized what we had been waiting for all of this time.  During our adult years we have both gone through times of being very content in our singleness and other times when we just wanted to find a husband/wife.  Some days it was easy while other days it was very tough, but both of us were patient in waiting for God’s best.

That special night in Portland on October 23^rd started with a friendly hug and ended with a long discussion on the possibility of our organizations partnering together to help some CGA students with college scholarships.  That was the connection that allowed us to get together again two days later at Daneen’s work and began to build our relationship, starting with business and moving to more personal things. 

It didn’t take long to feel a connection with each other and Joe asked Daneen to come and spend some time in CA before flying back to Kenya.  After just a few days together, Daneen changed her flight back to Portland to stay longer in CA for Thanksgiving, and Joe postponed his flight back to Kenya so that he could visit her again in Portland and spend Christmas with her family in PA. 

It hasn’t been a very typical relationship.  We have only known each other for 7 months and 2 of those months we were half a world apart.  But the rest of our time together has been intense.  From our time in CA, OR, PA, Uganda, Kenya and CO we have been with each other almost every waking minute; we have seen each other through highs and lows in different settings and different seasons.  It isn’t what we would have imagined; actually it is much better because it is exactly what God had imagined.  Sure it is a little crazy, but so is leaving a successful career and moving to Africa.  When you follow God, it is sometimes crazy, but it is sure to be an adventure!

We are excited for the adventure ahead!

Edwina Ogongo

There is some sad news to report from Kenya. A former CGA student passed away last week. Edwina Ogongo was in CGA’s 2nd graduating 8th Grade class in 2007 and finished secondary school 2011. She hadn’t been able to move on to further education yet and had volunteered off and on at CGA over the last couple of years. She joined CGA with her two brothers after her parents died about 10-12 years ago. Her aunt raised her in Mbita town. She was a bright and hard-working girl who earned a

B- in secondary school. Edwina was anemic and supposedly lost a lot of blood during child birth complications in the home where she delivered a month ago.

They buried her today (Friday, May 17th) at her grandparents home in Uyoma. Many of our former CGA students spent time with her in the hospital before she passed away and have been helping Edwina’s Aunt with arrangements and other details in the home as they prepared for the burial. It is greatly affecting the students, staff, her brothers in school and her former classmates and schoolmates. We know that Edwina heard the Gospel many times in her life during her time at CGA and while she was in secondary school.  I even remember a time I visitied her in school and she told me about how she had received God's salvation during a weekend Gospel presentation.  So we take comfort in knowing that she has gone to be with her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Your prayers are much appreciated during this time.

May Newsletter from Daneen's Perspective

From Kenya...

To America... Together!!












The first four months of 2013 in Kenya flew by so quickly and now I am back in America preparing for a wedding in a few weeks! Daneen and I will be getting married in Colorado on May 26th.After a honeymoon and a few weeks of preparation, we will travel back to Kenya at the end of June for our African wedding and to begin our new lives together.

Many of you have been reading my e-mail newsletters for over 9 years now, so I thought this time you would like to see Mbita through the eyes of my future wife...

Mbita: Through Daneen's Eyes

Four weeks in Kenya visiting Joe passed quickly. These weeks were largely focused on learning the community, understanding the ministry, building relationships, and, of course, time for Joe and I to grow closer as an engaged couple and simply experience daily life together in Kenya. Joe also joined me in Uganda for a week where we spent time visiting many of my friends and ministry partners from the time I lived in Gulu.

Our time together in both Kenya and Uganda was invaluable for the foundation of our relationship. We both grew to understand one another more intimately as we gained insight to each other's 'Africa life'. Our love for each other grew deeper; in ways we were unaware we had the capacity for love.



I really enjoyed Mbita and I'm excited about beginning our marriage and life together there. However, I didn't fall instantly love with the place. Since I previously lived in East Africa, my heart was already captured (years ago) by the many things that grab ones love for Africa: the beauty of the children's smiles, the warmness of African greetings, the kindness of their hospitality and love of visitors and the gorgeous scenery of the African bush. Yet, as the weeks passed, as I gained better insight and understanding, as I navigated the market to find the best vegetables and watched many sunsets over the lake with Joe, I began to embrace Mbita and I can't wait to return in July.

The most enjoyable part of being in Mbita was seeing Joe in his element. His world, his home, his ministry, his town and with his friends and students. He thrives in Mbita. The students at Christ's Gift Academy respect him, enjoy his stories and love when he teaches. He's well respected in the community and around town. He has many solid, true friendships, as well as numerous great working relationships with various businesses in town and many teachers from around the district.

The Suba Lakers girls love this man!! Many of the girls come from backgrounds in which they would never have had the opportunity to continue their education beyond primary school. They would have been married-off (for the dowry needed by their family), forced to work in the garden or around the house, or become pregnant and taking care of a small baby. Suba Lakers is a football (soccer) club, but it's about a lot more than scoring goals .These girls have gained a sense of worth and belonging. These two simple things have given them increased self-confidence and hope for their future. The girls interact with Joe in a very open way, yet with respect and love for him. He is incredible with them! It's not easy for an American single guy to create culturally appropriate relationships with Kenyan teenage girls; especially in a culture where the idea of mentorship is nearly non-existent. He's managed to navigate this well and, with the help of a few Kenyan assistant coaches and club officials (leaders), they've created a fantastic model for how to do girls sports with a solid foundation on mentoring and caring for the girls' individual needs. I'm excited to partner with Joe and the Suba Lakers, on the sidelines, hanging out with and getting to know these girls.


Christ's Gift Academy surely is a special and unique elementary school.80% of the students are orphans; all largely due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Most students wouldn't be in school without the provision of CGA. The teachers and staff desire to provide the students with a quality Christian education, striving to instill good character along with academic success to help break the cycle of poverty. The school also serves to care for the children's physical and social needs with various services through the CGA Student Care Office. Since classroom instruction is done predominately in English, most students speak English well and are eager to smile and greet visitors. The school grounds are beautifully landscaped with well-built classrooms and administration buildings and even a library and tutoring rooms ! The school is well respected as a top performing school in the district. God's blessing is indeed upon CGA.


Arriving to Mbita, I was met with a pleasant surprise; lots of rolling hills and mountains!!! Joe had shown me many pictures of Mbita and CGA, but I never gained a sense that there were large hills all around. He knows how much I love my mountains, so he left this as a surprise when I arrived. With it being rainy season, the hills were covered in a beautiful lush green that warms my heart!


In late June, Joe and I will joyously return to Mbita, Kenya to begin our life and ministry together, as husband and wife. We even have a new house waiting for us to move into where we can create HOME!

Kenya- we're coming home!

~Daneen Leidig, soon-to-be Peterson






Prayer Requests:


1) Pray for our upcoming wedding, and more importantly, our marriage.

2) Pray for us as we prepare to return to Kenya. Pray that God will direct us to the roles and responsibilities we should focus on in this new season

3) Pray for the CGA students and staff as the new school term begins next week (May 7).Pray that they will be disciplined and hard-working and keep God at the center of their learning.

Coca Cola Win

The Under 15 version of Suba Lakers kicked off the Coca Cola Tournament with a 3-0 win over Kuria Ladies. The Coca Cola Tournament is being stages in different branches all over Kenya and several other countries in Africa. The winning boys and girls teams from the branch levels will move on to the Provencal level and then National level. The National winners will have the opportunity to travel to South Africa to face other National winners from the across the continent.

Three years ago the Suba Lakers won the branch and reached all the way up to the semifinals of the Province. In their first game of this campaign the 12, 13 and 14 year old girls dominated their first match from start to finish, making a strong statement to the other teams watching that they are once again the team to beat. Winny Akinyi and Lenser Adoyo both scored goals in the first half and the defense anchored by Cynthia, Florence, Jacinta and Sisk Verah didn't give the Kuria Ladies any good chances to score past Goalkeeper Lillian Awuor.

In the 2nd half, the Suba Lakers continued their dominance and the youngest and smallest player on the field, 12 year old Brenda June, netted the teams third and final goal. Brenda was selected by Coca Cola as the player of the match.

It was a good beginning for the Lakers. This first game was played in Rongo. They will continue with more Coca Cola games on May 25th in Homa Bay.

Returning Home

On April 15th about 100 former CGA students returned from their various secondary schools for their Reunion.  Many times during Reunion visitors come from Nairobi or other places to minister to the secondary students. However, this term, CGA Alumni, who have already finished secondary school, did the planning and preparation and even some of the teaching.  This was a great opportunity for the Alumni to develop as facillitators, teachers and leaders before they join college later this year.  They did an excellent job of getting the students focused on God and taught very practical lessons. 

Each day began with a passionate, heart-felt session of praise and worship, followed by teaching.  After their porridge break, the students participated in team-building activities with life applications.  After lunch, different guest speakers shared with the students.  They were taught about personal hygiene, HIV/AIDS, relationships, study techniques and God's purpose in their lives. 

The last session of the week ended with Joe Peterson's future wife, Daneen, sharing her testimony about what God has done in her life since coming to know Him 10 years ago; leaving her job as a rocket scientist, moving to Africa and eventually falling in love with these students' mentor.  They were totally engulfed by her words as they focused intently on her great story of God's faithfulness.  The Reunion closed with a great rendition of "How Great Thou Art" in the students very unique style. 

We are thankful for what God is doing in the lives of students as they grow up in the CGA primary school, move on to various secondary schools, grow as leaders and continue to other academic institutions in preparation for the future that God has set before them.  A future filled with hopes and dreams because of the opportunity that CGA helped them build. 

 

Reporting Back

The Primary and Secondary girls reported for a full-day Suba Lakers training session on Friday, April 12^th. The morning started out with heavy rains until nearly 10am which delayed many girls traveling to the Mbita Primary School football pitch. By the afternoon, over 30 girls were in attendance. They each brought with them a copy of their Term 1 report cards. Even though Suba Lakers is a football club, the core values are centered on encouraging teenage girls to stay in school and receive a quality education. The club strives to challenge the girls to do their best both on the football pitch and in the classroom. Damaris, a Form 2 (10^th grade) student at Bishop Okullu Magare Girls Secondary School, blew us away with her grades. She finished the term as the 2^nd Best Girl out of 85 students in her class! We’re so proud of her!

 

A YWAM (Youth With A Mission) Team helped out with some exciting exercises and soccer drills during the morning session. The girls enjoyed training with some new activities but were quick to admit that they (the YWAM team) weren't great football players. These girls are serious about their football!

 

One of the YWAM team members shared his testimony of his previous life as a drug addict and growing up with parents who were both drug addicts and never fully present during his childhood, he could relate to many of the girls’ difficult home situations. His journey of how he grew to know God and the power of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection was powerful.

 

During lunch at Coach Joe’s house they enjoyed getting to know Daneen, Joe’s fiancée. Many of the girls have been bugging Joe for many years about when he would choose a wife and get married! They were all smiles and giggles finally seeing Joe’s future wife in person! Daneen is looking forward to being a part of the Suba Lakers as a mentor.

 

The girls also watched an exciting Athletes In Action video called “Passion And Power: Champions of Women’s Sports”. The video followed a number of world-champion female athletes and their journey of having passion for their sport, while also having a passion for Jesus and ensuring their strength and power comes from the Lord and not themselves. The girls were amazed to see so many different sports they didn’t know about like the luge, speed skating, and the uneven parallel bars in gymnastics. They also loved seeing their countrywoman, Catherine Nderebe, who is an Olympic Marathon medalist  as well as the first Kenyan female to win the Boston Marathon.  

 

Back at the field, it was game time. The girls played a match between the primary school girls and secondary school girls. While the secondary school girls are older and have more experience, many are off at boarding schools and get little training time. Whereas most of the primary girls live in and around Mbita and are able to train and practice together more frequently. The Primary girls squashed the secondary girls 3-0. Proof that quality training and youthful exuberance can overcome age and experience! 

 

It was a great day!

CGA Athletes

Over the past two weeks the CGA students have been participating in Track and Field. On March 25^th the school team competed against 5 other schools from around Mbita town. They participated in 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1500 m, walking race, shot put, discus, and long jump. The CGA students displayed their God-given talents that they have been developing under the guidance of Teacher Erick.

Some of the outstanding performers from CGA in the base athletics event were Lourine Akinyi in the 400 m race (2^nd place), Perpetua Odoyo and David Ouma in Shot-put, Duke Omboga, Calvin Otieno and Lucy Adhiambo in Discus and several in the walk-race including Shenklaid Okeyo, David Ouma, Peres Adhiambo and Mike Odhiambo.

Two CGA students stood out from the rest. Ronald Ouma finished 3^rd in the 1500 m race and won the 400 m. Phylice Akoth took first place in 3 different races including 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m. It was an outstanding performance that drew praise from the throngs of fans watching.

A few days later, all of these CGA students who were mentioned above moved on to the next level which was the Zonal competition. Now they were competing against other top performers around the Mbita West Zone. Perez Adhiambo managed to finish 6^th in the walking race. Phylice Akoth reached the 3^rd position in both the 800 m and the 1500 m while Ronald Ouma also took 3^rd in the 400 m.

Perez, Ronald and Phylice moved on to the District level Friday where they competed against all of the best athletes from all over Mbita District.

CGA is proud to be represented by its students at such a high level.

Back Together Again, Now on the African Dust!

In early March, just after the Kenya elections, Daneen flew into Kenya from the United States.  She officially left her job with These Numbers Have Faces (TNHF) in Portland on February 28th.  The next day she moved out of her apartment with everything loaded in her Ford Escape and set out across the Western U.S., through Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Wyoming to her previous home in Longmont, Colorado.  She only had a few days there to see some friends and do some wedding planning before coming to Africa for 6 weeks.

After over 2 months apart, it was a wonderful reunion in Nairobi at the airport.  I don't think I would recommend to other couples to do what we did, but it worked for us...  A few days after proposing to Daneen at Christmas time, I flew halfway across the world to my home in Mbita, Kenya.  Nobody likes to be away from the one they love most in the world, but especially when it is a new relationship where you are still getting to know each other better and especially when you just got engaged!  While we were separated these past few months, we have continued getting to know each other through phone calls, skype, e-mail, love letters through the mail, text messages and other creative ways we found to express our love for one another.  Being apart has forced us to get to know each other on different levels intellectually, socially and spiritually.  It has also allowed us to realize how much we miss each other, love each other and how tired we are of living our lives alone.  At the same time it has given each of us time to prepare our hearts, minds and lives for someone else, including practical ways such as making changes in the house, organizing our lives and making space.  God has been knitting us together and preparing us to become one!

Unlike the last election in Kenya, this one remained very peaceful.  Daneen and I were able to enjoy 4 days in Nairobi.  We hung out with a few of my friends, ran a few errands and had a few meetings, but most of the time was spent just enjoying being in each other's presence after such a long absence.

We drove through Tenwek and into Kisumu so that Daneen could catch the bus to Kampala, Uganda as I returned to Mbita for a few days.  Even though she had left her job with These Numbers Have Faces, Daneen was helping them set up a partnership with an organization in Uganda to help sponsor some of their students into University through TNHF.  This would be the last time we would be apart before we get married (and hopefully after we get married)!  I wish I could describe how nice it was for those few days to have my best friend with me, sharing meals together at the guest house, going shopping, driving across the country or just relaxing.  After enjoying our time in Nairobi so much, it was like torture being away from her again for just 4 days.  On Sunday, March 17th I traveled to Kisumu and took the bus to meet up with Daneen in Uganda.  It was a nice ride, but it seemed to take forever. 

Originally I hadn't planned on going to Uganda.  Instead, I was just going to wait for her to come back to Kenya, but I am so thankful I went.  I wouldn't have traded those 10 days in Uganda for anything.  It was so wonderful to meet her friends there, be exposed to many different ministries and to see Daneen in her "element."  I have seen her around my family in CA, where she was working in Portland  and with her family in PA, but I haven't seen the "African" version, which is always going to be a little different than the "American" one.  For any of you who have lived overseas or visited, I think you know what I am talking about.  All of us change a little in a different environment, especially such a drastically different environment like this one. 

In Kampala, we met up with a few of her friends including a student from a very poor background that she has helped through University.  He is finishing his degree in Bio Mechanical Engineering this year and will start his career.  We also met with the staff at Scripture Union which is the organization that she worked for while living in Uganda.  Their organization encourages young people, mostly secondary students, to study God's word, memorize Scripture and develop an intimate relationship with Jesus.  We enjoyed a sweet time of fellowship with the entire staff, worshiping together and sharing stories.  The next morning we grabbed our bags and hopped on the back of a motorcycle to weave through traffic and get us to the bus park in downtown Kampala.  We got on the old, dirty, smelly bus at 8:00 hoping we would leave for Gulu soon, but it took about 2 hours for it to fill up with people, luggage, chickens and many other things.  Because of the good company, it didn't seem very long.  The bus ride took about 5.5 hours, but travelling with Daneen is much different than doing it alone, which is what I am used to.  It is nice to have a friend to talk to and laugh with, we can watch each other's stuff while the other uses the toilet or buys some snacks.  The further away from Kampala we travelled, the worse the road was and the more dry it got!  The scenic highglight was crossing over the powerful River Nile.  We finally reached Gulu in Northern Uganda.  It is one of the biggest cities in the country, but has not developed much until recently when the war with the LRA and the Ugandan Government stopped about 5 years ago.  It is not too far from the border of South Sudan on a long dusty road.       

In Gulu, we were able to visit some friends that she lived with for a while, the motorcycle drivers that used to take her to various schools, a ministry for Congolese refugees, a rescue home for girls, two of her favorite secondary schools and even a school similar to CGA.  And Gulu even has places that you can get pizza or milkshakes and use wireless internet!  When is that coming to Mbita??  Of all that we did and experienced, the highlight for me was traveling out to a couple of secondary schools that are a distance from town.  We rode on the back of a motorcycle through some rough roads for about 30 minutes to reach Keyo Secondary School where Daneen had worked as a volunteer teacher the first time she came to Uganda in 2009.  Together we shared with their Scripture Union group our story and how it fits into God's story for our lives.  Several of them had remembered how Daneen was patiently waiting for a husband and had even prayed with her for one.  It grew their faith to hear about how God had answered that prayer.  We tried to encourage them to be patient and wait for God's best in their own lives.  We shared the story of the 10 lepers from the Bible and how our lives should be a Thanksgiving offering to God for all that he has done for us.  After finishing at Keyo SS we also went to Restore Leadership Academy and shared with all of their students and staff.  It was fun to be able to minister together.  It was the perfect day, except we had to ride in the back of a lorry truck for 20 km back to Gulu town on the dustiest road I have ever seen (and I have seen some dusty roads in my 9 years living in Africa). 

We also were able to meet Daneen's Acholi family.  It is the family of the teacher she worked with during her teacher exchange.  They named their youngest daughter after Daneen and have always welcomed her with open arms.  It was so much fun playing with Baby Daneen and her older sister, as well as catching up with their parents in their modest home. 

After 10 days of riding motorcycles and old buses, walking up and down, meeting new people, visiting various ministries, staying in many different homes and guesthouses, we finally arrived back in Kenya and were picked up on the road by Steve Cochran who drove us to the ferry and back home to Mbita! 

During our Uganda time, I learned a lot about Daneen; even some things I hadn't seen as much in America.  In her short time living in Uganda (1 1/2 years), she made numerous friendships with people all over town, learned a lot of the Acholi language (the Acholi are cousins of the Luo that I work with in Mbita and so their language is very similar), endured dry, dusty roads and public transportation, and impacted many lives, especially the Scripture Union student leaders from many local secondary schools that she interacted with the most.  It was fun to hear older people and younger ones talk about Daneen and the impact she had on their lives.  They shared stories about her and their perspective on her.  The fruit she left behind during her short time there was very evident.  And it was enjoyable to watch her in that environment, surviving and thriving as a missionary in Africa. It was beneficial to allow her to lead me day by day.  She has a joy for people and life in general.  She relates so well to people from different backgrounds and personalities.  She can adapt to various situations and circumstances, and handles it all with class, elegance, beauty and passion.  It has been so much fun to observe in so many different contexts and grow even more in love with her (if that is possible).   

A CGA Easter

" For you know it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,

but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in thees last times for your sake.

Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God." I Peter 1:18-21

Providence is defined as the benevolent guidance of God, a loving forethought that puts provisions in place way before the time they will come to pass. Easter is a celebration of that providential love of God. Jesus was chosen as God's redemptive plan before creation, even before the problem of sin occurred. The Old Testament scriptures testify to this plan as the stories speak of God's promises and the prophets point to the coming Messiah. The students and staff at C.G.A. took time to look at this providential plan of God in a special chapel on Thursday. Each class participated by sharing the pieces and parts of God's plan they have been learning in their Bible classes until the big picture was clearly seen. We concluded our time together by reading the scriptures of Christ's crucifixion, death and burial. A stone was put in place and everyone left in somber silence. Though sadness settles upon us, as we consider the significance of the cross there is a celebration stirring within as we anticipate sharing the rest of the story and the celebration of the resurrection.



CGA is a gift to some 400 students and their families, providing a package of educational, medical, social, and spiritual provisions wrapped in biblical truth.

But, hopefully the students will realize there is no gift greater than the providential plan of God to save us through the death, burial and resurrection of his Son.

The students also enjoyed a personal presentation of God's providence as they met my fiancee, Daneen Leidig.

Before chapel began, Daneen was officially welcomed to CGA by the head boy and head girl.

The whole school greeted her with lively chants, cheers, their special Kenyan style clapping and beautiful handmade cards.

We thank God for his providential plan that has brought us together.

 

 

One of the Best in the Country!

The Results of the 2012 Secondary School National Exam (KCSE) were released on March 1, just before the elections in Kenya. 24 former CGA students were among the 437,782 students in Kenya who sat for the exam last November. For the first time one of our own managed to score the highest possible mark which is an A plain! Rolex Maklago was one of the 1,975 students in the country who scored the highest mark. That is less than 0.4% of the students who took the exam.

Of the 24 students from CGA, 22 managed to reach the minimum requirement for entry into mid-level colleges (D+). Half of the 24 students reached the minimum requirement for University (C+), placing them in the top 25% of the country. Along with Rolex, two others managed to reach the mark needed for direct entry into University (B+). In the first two classes we had a total of 9 students reach the B+ cutoff for direct entry into University through government sponsorship.

Including these 24 students, CGA has now had almost 60 of its students finish secondary school. Twenty five more are working hard to prepare themselves for the 2013 National exams later in the year.

Kenya Elections

The polling stations are closed and election officials all over the country are busy counting votes and sending the returns in electronically.  From what I have heard, things have gone very smoothly across the country.  Most people had to wait several hours in line to get their opportunity to exercise their democratic right, but there hasn't been any cases of violence or any allegations of fixing or corruption up to this point. 

Some of you remember what happened in the last election.  Kenyans will never forget the bungled polls and the violence that broke out across the country for 2 months.  Over 1,000 were killed and close to 500,000 people were displaced from their homes.  Education was disrupted and everything in the country was stalled for those two months.  Most common people were trapped in their houses because they didn't want to get caught up in between the protestors and the police officers.  Eventually, pushed by the international community including Kofi Annan and his special team of mediators, the two opposing sides signed a power sharing agreement which brought Kenya back together again. 

Much has changed since that time.  Some of the perpetrators of the post-election violence are standing trial at the International Criminal Court (including one of the leading presidential candidate).  We have a wonderful new Constitution, a revised judiciary, a new Electoral board and a much better system in place for elections.  In fact, I think America could learn a few things!  When people went to their polling stations, they first had to present their National ID and get their name checked off the list.  Then they gave a fingerprint which was attached to a computer that showed their picture and name and confirmed if they were at the right polling station.  The clerk would also call their name aloud so that others could hear!  Then each person would vote on 6 different ballots for President, Governor, Senator, Parliament, County Rep and Woman Rep.  Each ballot had a different color and were put in the box that was colored the same.  After voting, they had indelible ink put on their finger and were forced to leave the center immediately.  Once the polling station closed, the counting was done in the open, one ballot at a time.  After everyone agrees, then the results are sent by secure text message with a special phone to the tallying center.  And all of this is done in the presence of many international observers.   

The process was designed very well and Kenyans have also been preaching a message of peace.  Media outlets, candidates and other public figures have given speeches and ran advertisements urging Kenyans to accept the result and to maintain peace.  This year for the first time ever, Presidential candidates engaged in open debates.   Much more important than all of that, Kenyans have spent much time over the past five years, and especially in the weeks leading up to the election, in prayer and repentance, asking for God's favor on this country. 

There is a high possibility that nobody will win this election with the 50% + 1 that is necessary (along with 25% in at least half of the 47 counties).  If no one reaches that mark, then there will be a run-off between the 2 top candidates 30 days after the election. 

We are eager to know the result, but that probably won't come until sometime tomorrow.  We go to bed tonight hopeful that no matter what the outcome is, that the day after the election will not look like it did last time! 

More Than Just Playing

Last weekend the Suba Laker Primary girls trained and camped together for 3 days. It was a great weekend for many reasons.

On the field they had some intense practice sessions in which the girls worked so hard and showed much improvement, and they also studied the film of the USA women's soccer victory over Canada in the semifinals of last year's Olympics. Off the field, they had three very good study times in which they worked together in groups concentrating on different subjects. On Sunday morning, Teacher Rozeline shared with them from John 3 about the incredible love of God. After the last practice session Madam Kezia came and shared with the girls about how to make good choices in their lives. There were some writing activities involved and a lot of discussion.

The 19 girls who reported benefitted much from the weekend of activities. Because all of the schools in the country will be having a long half-term due to the upcoming elections, the secondary girls and some selected primary girls will be training in the mornings starting on March 1 for about 10 days. It will be a good time to see their conditioning and skill level and work on some areas that need improvement, on and off the field.

CGA's 7th Graduation

On Friday, February 15th, CGA’s 7th class of students graduated 8th grade. Over 200 students have now come through CGA’s primary school and moved on to higher levels of education. Many of these 200 students would have never reached to the end of primary school without a ministry like CGA.  When the school began back in 1997 in response to the AIDS pandemic, the goal was to provide a quality education for the AIDS orphans and other needy children in the community. For 15 years Christ’s Gift Academy has been doing exactly that, and so much more. In addition to educating these children, the school also works hard to instill the Word of God in their students along with helping to meet their basic physical needs including food, clothing, medical assistance and other essentials. We strive to help them develop Christian character so that they can take the authority of God’s Kingdom to every domain of life in Kenya. These children are the future of Kenya!

This year’s graduation saw 27 students march across the stage to receive their certificate and the school’s gift of a Bible. It was a unique class because the girls outnumbered the boys 2 to 1. After the marching, specific students were rewarded for their performance in each subject, along with the top overall, most improved and Christian Character. A complete list of the recipients in included below. After the awards presentation, parents, guardians, and special guests were given time to present speeches encouraging the students in their future. Then there was a joint prayer for the class as they set off on a new adventure.

After the ceremony, everyone was fed a nice lunch with the graduates and their parents/guardians as the honored guests being served meat, rice, fish and a bottle of soda.

The next week the students were busy reporting to various secondary schools throughout the country, happy and excited to be continuing on in their education with the support of Christ’s Gift Academy!

 

 

Awards:

Christian Character- Mary Amisi and Collince Okeyo
Top Overall- Esther Juma (2nd best girls in the district)
Top Boy- Dancan Elisha
Most Improved- Shadrack Ooro and Syprose Akoth
Social Studies/Religous- Esther Atieno and Isaiah Owino
Science- Lucy Cynthia and Fenny Adhiambo
Math- Nancy Alice Mokeira and Calvince Oduor
English- Wendy Melanie and Dennis Mboya
Kiswahili- Beatrice Atieno and James Okach

List of all the Graduates

Austin Odiwuor Otege

Beatrice Atieno Maklago

Calvince Oduor Ochich

Cecilia Anyango Ndiege

Collince Omondi Okeyo

Dancan Elisha Onyango

Dennis Mboya Osii

Emmaculate Atieno Onyango

Esther Auma Juma

Esther Juma Atieno

Faith Achieng Lumbwa

Fenny Adhiambo Otieno

Isaiah Owino Ooro

James Okach

John Okello Dache

Lorna Apiyo Wanga

Lucy Cynthia Auma

Mary Amisi Orwa

Mildred Anyango Anode

Nancy Alice Mokeira

Sarah Achieng Odhiambo

Shadrack Onyango Ooro

Syprose Akoth Oswere

Tecla Agutu Osodo

Valary Achieng Otieno

Wendy Melanie Opiyo

Winnie Adhiambo Otara

CGA Student Meets the President

Last weekend CGA student Lucy Cynthia had the opportunity to meet the President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki. Lucy was one of 2,100 students from across the country that qualified for the Equity Group Foundation “Wings to Fly” scholarship program. They choose students based on their academic performance on the 8th Grade National exam and their need. Each student went through a rigorous interview process and had to meet several other requirements. The Equity group will help these students with all of the costs associated with going to secondary school including tuition, books, uniforms, and other stipends for all four years. They also do training in leadership development, career guidance, networking and mentoring to help succeed in school and beyond. Upon graduation, high performing scholars are given support for post-secondary education and are selected for internships at Equity Bank.

On Friday, February 15th, the 15 selected from Mbita were taken to Nairobi to join the other 2,100 students from different parts of the country. The president welcomed them, shook hands with each student and gave some encouraging words. The students also performed some cultural dances and songs to entertain Kenya’s top man! The Chairman of the Equity Group Foundation also promised employment to any of these students who score a B in their final year of high school. 13 former Wings to Fly scholars are currently attending Harvard University in the U.S.

Lucy is 15 years old and has attended CGA since she was in Nursery class at age 5. She is the 2nd youngest out of five children in her family. Her father died in 2001 and because her mother is in very poor health, Lucy and her younger sister have been raised by her aunt.

She is grateful for the opportunity to be selected among these individuals and to come face to face with the President of Kenya. Her section of students also voted Lucy to be their overall leader. It is nice that many people outside of CGA can also see her great potential!

Little Champs

This past weekend the Suba Lakers primary girls participated in the Homa Bay High School BUOP Open Invitational Tournament. There were secondary schools, teacher training colleges and technical training institutes from different parts of the country competing in many different sports. We were the only one with primary school girls. There were tons of boys football teams, but only 7 girls football teams. Since all of our secondary girls are away in boarding schools, we played with our primary school girls and 2 girls that have already finished secondary school. In fact most of our girls were in 6th and 7th grade and competing against high school and college students.

In the first match we eased through a 1-0 victory over Mawego Girls on a goal by Winny Akinyi. In the second match we pulled off a 2-0 victory over Ogande Girls with goals by Primerose and Winny. We emerged 1st place in our pool and proceeded directly to the finals on Sunday afternoon. We were pitted against Ogari Girls from Migori. They had also won all of their matches and were a strong team. We faced off on the main football pitch with thousands of people milling around. Our opponent might have overlooked us a little... literally. Every player on the team was at least a head taller than our younger girls. Our girls were unfazed by the size difference and took it to them from the opening kick, creating several scoring chances before the smallest player on the field gave us a lead from a stunning goal taken outside the box. When the rebound rolled out to her, Brenda June kicked it with every ounce of strength in her tiny frame and put it right above the goalkeeper's reach. And the team celebrated enthusiastically. The Lakers continued to dominate ball possession and our opponents had very few opportunities to get close to our goal. The game ended 1-0 and the Suba Lakers were able to take home the trophy!

A Different Kind of School

On January 7th the children of Kenya opened a new school year.  Christ's Gift Academy welcomed 237 students to it's primary campus this year, along with 40 in it's early childhood development center.  These students are afforded a unique educational opportunity because all that they need is provided.  At the other local schools students are sent back home to bring school fees, find shoes to wear, purchase a uniform, or search for money to purchase a desk, exams, and iron sheets for the roof.  Most of the classrooms are overcrowded and underequipped.  Desks, textbooks, pencils, charts and other learning materials are frequently lacking.  But Christ's Gift Academy puts all these things in place for the children. 

The CGA students in Grade Three were given an assignment to write a paragraph about their school.  They first noted that CGA was a Christian school, and after filling the board with many other important details, they decided CGA was a different school.  Out of that revelation a topic sentence was formed and some wonderful paragraphs followed such as this one...

Thank you for making Christ's Gift Academy a different school.  Without your support and prayers it wouldn't be possible.  We are grateful for the sponsors who sent letters, Christmas cards and gifts to their children this yera.  Fifty two students have come into the office in January to pick up something special that was sent to them. 

Continue to keep them in your prayers and stay in contact with them.