Joe Peterson

Answered Prayers

2012-01-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

On Monday, three of our girls opened a new chapter in their lives by joining secondary school. Most of the students who sat their 8th Grade National Exams last November won’t join secondary school until early February, but after the results were released a couple weeks ago, Jera Secondary School in Siaya was quick to send them invitation letters and requested for them to come as soon as possible so that they could get adjusted academically before the others arrive and also to prepare for an upcoming football tournament. Because of their football talent, they were asked to pay less than half of the fees for boarding school. Through some well-wishers, the club was able to assist them financially to make their dream a reality. We have prayed so much for their futures and this was an answer to that prayer. I was privilaged to pile their mattresses, boxes, books and everything necessary for secondary school, along with the three girls and their mothers into the vehicle and bring them to Siaya.

Jera has won the Nyanza Secondary School Provencal Tournament in 11 of the last 14 years. This past year they reached the National Semifinals before narrowly losing and missed out on qualifying for the East African games by just one goal. Eleven of those players were in their first year of secondary school and have all returned. They are hoping that through hard work and with the addition of some good players, they may be able to reach that next level.

All three of these girls joining Jera were founding members of the football club when they were tiny young girls in 5th and 6th grade. It is so rewarding to see how they have grown physically, academically, socially and spiritually. All of them are orphans that have faced so many challenges in their lives.

Alicent is a total orphan who was failing academically in her home school last year and the club was able to relocate her to Mbita town and the club chairman invited her to stay with his family while we helped her attend a private school where she improved by leaps and bounds.

Raisha is also an orphan who was having some difficulties and her grades had dropped dramatically three months before the exams when her guardian contacted us and together with the family and school we were able to counsel and advice her and saw her change in a short amount of time.

Leah has had so many obstacles that she has overcome since her father passed away shortly after her birth. Because of issues at home on the island she ended up changing schools several times and hasn’t had a lot of stability. Some of the places she stayed were not very safe for a young girl which affected her psychologically and physically her health was affected. In fact, it reached a point a few months before her national exams that we had to help her transfer to Alicent’s school so that she could be safe and have a stable place to learn. Now she will be the first one in her family to continue her education in secondary school.

One of our core objectives with the football club is to help keep girls in school and earn an education that can brighten their future. Another one is to help give them exposure and open up opportunities.

We are so thankful for what God has done in their lives and look forward to what is in store for their future. There are still six others that sat for their National Exams that we are praying for and asking God to open up a door, especially financially, to enable us to help them continue their education.

National Material

2012-01-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

This week while we were playing in a tournament in Rongo, I received a call inviting some of our players to try out for the Kenya National Under 17 team. It was very short notice, but we were able to put 5 of them in a bus to Nairobi with Jenny Cox within 24 hours of receiving the information. After spending the night at Jenny's house, the girls (Alicent, Dorothy, Irine, Leah and Caren) were taken out to Matuu Girls Secondary School in Eastern Province.

There were over 80 of the best players from all over the country. After two days of trials, they selected 30 to remain in the camp and sent home the other 50. We were blessed that one of our players was selected. Irine Achieng (former CGA student currently learning at Moi Girls Secondary School in Sindo) impressed the coaches with her strong left foot crosses and shots. She will remain there at Matuu to attend classes for a few weeks and train with the team as they prepare for their clash with Nigeria on 21st January in Kenya with the return leg scheduled for two weeks later. These matches are part of the qualification process for the World Cup to be held in September - October this year.

The other girls returned home today thankful for the opportunity to travel to a new place and compete against some of the best players in the country.

A God Moment

2012-01-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

I love it when God opens up doors to share with people at the most unusual times. During all of the chaos and drama during the Homa Bay Tournament when everyone was arguing and annoyed about the prizes being changed, tensions were so high. We were asked to go to this park to wait for this important person who is campaigning to be the governor of our county. He was coming to settle the disagreement and give us the way forward. So there were about 20 team managers from all over the county from each of the sports (football, volleyball and netball) sitting under a tree waiting for this V.I.P. Some of them I knew very well and some I was meeting for the first time.

The conversation began with our problems, but then quickly shifted to me and how long I had been in Kenya, what I had done in the U.S. before coming and why I came here which gave me a great opportunity to share how God had called me here. Then it shifted to the fact that I was single and we began talking about marriage and finding the right person to marry. That led to a heated discussion about true followers of Christ and religion vs. relationship. It went on for at least 30-45 minutes. People had really strong opinion, but listened closely to what I was saying. Many asked questions that led us to look into the scripture to find out how God views marriage and discipleship. Eventually the VIP arrived and we got down to the business that had brought us there, but I think there was another reason that God had brought us together that day. In fact, I could see how God was working through all the problems that had gone on to open the eyes of a few more people.

More Drama

2012-01-01T05:56:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, working in Kenyan football can be very confusing and frustrating. My last post explaind some of the problems (lack of planning and foresight, lack of organization and people constantly changing their minds). Through all of these things I think God has really taught be a lot about patience, faith and trust. I am definitely not the same person I was when I began coaching girls football in Kenya four years ago. Even though the challenges can be great, each of them presents an opportunity to teach our young girls life lessons. We constantly tell them that they are the future leaders of this country and we need them to step up and do things the right way (God's way). We need hard-working teachers, coaches, engineers, referees, lawyers, nurses, etc. that do things openly, honestly and with integrity if we want to change this country.

Here is another story from this past week.

The Cultural festival we attended in Homa Bay was a new idea to bring unity in the newly created Homa Bay County. They wanted to have many different sports and performances to encourage different talents and abilities. When we were first invited to participate in the women's football tournament the prize money was so high. I had a hard time believing they could give that much money to the winners. A couple of weeks before the tournamnet it was reduced to sh. 50,000 for the winner, sh. 30,000 for 2nd place and sh. 15,000 for 3rd place. Knowing that we are one of the top teams in Homa Bay County I figured we had a good chance of winning that money so that our players could get some pocket money as the prepare to go back to school this week.

After finishing our matches and securing the 2nd position I went to the tournament organizers to confirm the prizes before taking the girls back home. That is when I was told that they were giving only sh. 30,000 to 1st place, sh. 15,000 to 2nd place and nothing to 3rd place. I began complaining and telling them that you can't change the prizes after the tournament is over. On top of that, they were going to give sh. 100,000 to the first place boys team. I don't think that is the gender equity the new constitution is promoting. I argued with different members of the committee for over an hour to no avail. They even said they would give me my registration money back, but I told them I didn't want registration money, I wanted the prize money our girls have earned. I told them I was going home quietly today, but would be back tomorrow to collect the prize. If we didn't get it, then I would be very loud to the media and everywhere else possible.

Once the other team managers found out about it, they had many problems the rest of that day and even met late in the night to try to sort things out. All the teams refused to finish the boys 3rd place match, boys final or girls exhibition match until the prizes were sorted out. The next morning everyone was at the field, but no football was taking place. We waited for several hours for the patron of the tournament who was coming to discuss the matter. He arrived by 1:00 pm and after a few hours of discussions, we revised the prize money allocation and would be given part of the prize money that day with a promise that the committee would raise the other part of the money and give us in the coming months. It was something very simple that could have been sorted out a day or two before, but there was one member of the committee that had a difficult time listening to other people's opinions.

So we all headed back to the field to play the final matches. Unfortunately the fans weren't very happy that no football was taking place so some of them began rioting at Homa Bay stadium, shouting and throwing stones. They were blaming the organizers for not following through on their promises. We all had to run away and look for another plan.

Fortunately, we were given a portion of our prize money and were able to go home. I am not sure if they will ever finish the boys tournament!

Juggling Act

2012-01-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

It was a chaotic week with so many different things going on. We were playing in two tournaments at the same time in two different towns, the 8th Grade National Exam results were being released (we had 9 players that sat for those exams), and five of our players were given the opportunity to travel to Eastern Province to try out for the Kenya National Under 17 team. Juggling all of those balls was complicated.

On Wednesday in Rongo we began receiving calls from a lady in Homa Bay telling us that we had to play some of our matches there that day even though earlier the secretary said he could schedule all of our matches for Friday and Saturday. So we were planning on leaving after our final preliminary match in Rongo to go to Homa Bay to play 1-2 matches. Unfortunately during our game, the chairman called all of the team managers and talked very strongly that if any team goes to Homa Bay that would not be able to come back and finish this tournament. We had to choose one or the other. I was getting pressure from both sides so I prayed for God to show us the right decision. After a few minutes the chairman came over to me and asked if I was doing ok. I told him no and began to explain our problem. This same man who was so vehement a few minutes ago turned very kind and said that it was no problem if we wanted to go and come back as long as we didn't tell anybody else.

So we piled the team in the landcruiser and drove a half hour down the road to Homa Bay. We lost the first match and won the 2nd match. But during the afternoon, the organizers in Rongo began calling me to say there was another team that showed up 1 1/2 days late and we had to come play against them (kind of difficult since we were in Homa Bay). We didn't go back for that game. Then someone else told us they wouldn't let us sleep in the dorms that night since we had left and gone to Homa Bay. Coming back to Rongo I told our girls to stay very calm and peaceful and let the officials handle things. I didn't want them quarrelling or shouting or rioting. When we came in to the school compound where we were sleeping, they had men with sticks ready to chase us away. They said we were not welcome back. We talked very calmly to them and within five minutes the girls were eating dinner and in their rooms preparing to go to sleep. In stark contrast, another team in a similar situation never got permission from the chairman and when they came back, they were shouting and singing and causing all kinds of problems. They were not allowed to spend the night there.

So the next morning we were told that they gave the other team a walkover because we weren't there for the match. Instead of quarrelling with them I just wrote a letter of protest explaining that originally we were scheduled to play them on Tuesday afternoon. We were ready for that match, but the other team never came that day and never showed up until Wednesday afternoon. And at that point we had been told our preliminary matches were finished which is why we went to Homa Bay. Both of us had qualified for the semifinals but if the other team was given the walkover then it would mean that we would have had to play the best team in the semifinals instead of the finals. After meeting for several hours they decided to allow us to play the match immediately which was a fair decision but put us at a disadvantage since we would have to play that match, then the semfinals, then the finals back to back to back. We were able to win that match and the semifinal but ran out of gas in the 2nd half of the finals against a good team. Six matches in two days was a lot, especially when the 2nd day all three matches were in a row and all at different locations that we had to travel to on foot.

Chairman's Cup

2012-01-01T04:23:00.000-08:00

In Action at the Nyanza West Branch Chairman's Cup in Rongo the Suba Lakers Girls reached the semifinals by winning all three preliminary matches The first one was a 7 to 0 victory against Migori Women on four goals from Dorothy Adhiambo (hat trick in the first half), and goals from Irine Achieng, Caren Akeyo and Leah Ongojo. That was followed by a 2-0 win over Kuria Umoja with goals from Achieng and Ongojo. In the final preliminary immediately before beginning the semifinal, the Suba Lakers defeated Rawofo 1-0 on a goal from Sharon Bismark after a beautiful cross from Liz Wanjere.

The Rongo women's team consisted of several players from Mathare United and the coast. They also reached the semifinals in impressive fashion by whipping Kuria United 2-0 and Rapedhi 5-0. In one semifinal Rongo defeated Rawofo from Rangwe 5-0. In the other semifinal the Suba Lakers struggled to finally get a goal in the closing minutes when Sharon Bismark tapped in a rebound that just barely crossed the goal line before the keeper picked it up. They totally controlled the game and had so many chances, including a 2nd half penalty kick. Every ball was just barely missing the goal or was collected by the goalkeeper and it looked like it would end in a draw until Bismark's hard work finally bore fruits in the battle around the goal.

Playing in their third consecutive match in three different locations, the Lakers battled hard in the first half of the Finals against Rongo and it remained scoreless until injury time when the much more experienced Rongo team fired a hard shot that the Lakers goal keeper wasn't able to handle properly. In the 2nd half Rongo added several more to pull away in impressive fashion 5-0.

For winning the tournament, Rongo was awarded with sh, 10,000 and the opportunity to represent Nyanza West in the Regional league set to begin in 2012. The Suba Lakers received sh. 7,000 for finishing in 2nd place and Kuria United received sh. 3,000. Each of the 8 participating teams was also promised a new set of uniforms in January from the Branch Chairman, Mr. Phillip Owuoti.

Homa Bay Cultural Festival

2011-12-31T11:30:00.000-08:00

In the final Ladies match in the Homa Bay County Cultural Festival, Victoria FC from Kendu Bay and the Suba Lakers from Mbita entertained the fans at Homa Bay Stadium with a very exciting match. The two rivals locked horns knowing that a win would earn them a 1st place finish because they were playing in a league format. In case of a draw, Victoria would emerge as the champions due to their superior goal differential they earned when they thrashed Sophia Queens 4-0 in the opening match. The Suba Lakers had to struggle to a 1-0 win over the same Sophia Queens when Leah Ongojo made a superb individual performance taking the ball from the center line and beating the defenders before she smashed it against the goal post, but with a never say die attitude she circled back to collect the ball again and place it past the goalkeeper and inside the far post for the win.

Against Victoria, the Suba Lakers started slow and were dominated in the first half though it remained scoreless. The momentum changed in the second half with the Lakers taking control, but Victoria was the first to score on a rebound shot with 8 minutes remaining. Undeterred, the Lakers responded within a minute to even the score at 1-1 on a beautiful header by Judith Oketch. Both teams battled to put one more across the line in the closing minutes, but it remained 1-1.

For their efforts, Victoria was crowned the champs with a trophy and given sh. 15,000 with a promise that sh. 35,000 would be paid later. The Suba Lakers were given sh. 10,000 with a promise that sh. 20,000 would be paid at a later time

2011-12-22T11:50:00.000-08:00

In the Ladies semifinals for the Suba Council of Elders Tournament in Sindo, Mfangano defeated Kaksingre 1-0 on a goal that came off of a corner kick from Leah Ongojo. In the other semifinal Gembe defeated Gwassi 5-0. After missing numerous 1st half opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net, Gembe capitalized in the 2nd half with 5 goals. One each from Syprose Akoth, Alicent Awuor and Irine Achieng and 2 goals from Sharon Bismark.

In the finals, Gembe scored a classic goal late in the second half after a corner kick bounced around in the box and Alicent Awuor pounced on it and sent a laser past the flat-footed goalkeeper. It was the just reward for their domination of the ball possession throughout the game. The winners received The Senior Chief Damianus Ajwang Memorial Trophy donated by Roseline A. Onyuka. Unfortunately the set of uniforms that was supposed to go to the winners was given to the boys runners up instead. Some of the invited guests contributed some cash awards for the young ladies.

Immigration Issues

2011-12-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

I have been in Kenya now for 8 years. Up until this year I have never had a problem with my work permit. Maranatha Church allows me to be in Kenya under their covering so that I can continue's God's work here in Mbita. They always take care of those logistics. In fact, I have never even worried about it bfore. I am on a missionary work permit which lasts for a couple of years and is cheaper than other ones. In February of this year my last one was expiring so we applied for a renewal.

The approval process is supposed to take about a month, but when we checked back a few months later, they couldn't find the file. The people from Maranatha kept following up, but nothing was happening. I had to get a 3 months visitors visa while I was waiting, and then had to renew the visitors one for another three months as we waited. When the visitor's visa expired in December, they still hadn't found the file. Last week I received a call that I was needed urgently in Nairobi, so I took the night bus on Saturday night after we had finisehd our tournament in Mbita.

I asked a lot of people to pray for favour with the immigration department and I spent a lot of time in prayer. In my mind, I thought that since God has called me here, wants me to be here and I had committed the issue to Him in prayer that I would go down to Immigration offices in the 20 story tall Nyayo house, talk to a few people who would quickly find the file, approve it and I would be on a bus headed back to Mbita by the afternoon at the latest.

As usual in Kenya, it didn't go that way. All of the government employees I found weren't very ready to help. Actually they didn't seem to care at all. One of them simply asked me when I was leaving the country. They sent me from one office to another, up to the 5th floor, then to the 2nd floor, then the 20th floor, then back down to the ground level, back up to 5th floor and on and on. No one could find my file and they wouldn't give me a temporary visa. They said that I couldn't even re apply for a new one. The only solution was for them to find my missing file. I offered to start looking through the thousands and thousands of files myself, but they didn't seem to like that idea. After a few unsuccessful hours going from office to office, I finally found a nice lady named Alice who actually seemed to sympathize with me, though she didn't have any success either.

After beating my head against the wall (and climbing up and down the stairs at least a dozen times), I decided to call the minister for immigration who happens to be the Member of Parliament from Mbita. Since he knows me well, I thought maybe he could help. His personal assistant came down immediately and tried to offer assistance with no avail.

I was told to come back in an hour so I ran out to the bus stage to see if I could get a bus back to Mbita anytime before Christmas. The bus drivers in the country were threatening to go on strike during the peak season. Everyone was trying to leave Nairobi to go to their upcountry homes for Christmas, but there were no buses. The bus stage was packed with people who had been waiting for over 24 hours to get a bus out of town. They didn't have any seats available for that day or the next day until 8:00 pm the next night, and on top of that, they didn't know if they buses would even be moving because of the strike. So I booked that ticket for the following night, hoping that the buses would start moving soon.

As I headed back to the Nyayo house, I started questioning God. I was asking him why he wasn't answering my prayers and wandering how long this process would take, and if I would have to leave the country, and even if things did work out, would I be able to get back to Mbita before Christmas?

Once I returned, nothing changed much; except I was doing less walking from office to office and up and down stairs, and now it was a lot more waiting. At least Alice and these personal assistants of the minister were concerned and trying to help. After nine hours of no progress, I was told to go home and they would continue to look for the file. I was a little concerned that if I left town, everything would stall again.

At this point I had spent the entire day, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, trying to sort out this issue. I was tired and frustrated. I had booked a room at a guesthouse for the night, but before going there I decided to check the bus stage again. All of the same people were there waiting and a few more had joined them. I found a few friends from Mbita who had spent over 30 hours waiting for a bus to come. As I started to leave, one of the buses pulled in. People quickly boarded and I asked one of the employees if they had any extra seat. Within ten minutes I was on the bus headed back to Mbita at 6:00 pm. Somebody had booked a ticket but had given up hope and left just before the bus had arrived and that is what opened up the space for me to travel.

Even though I hadn't succeeded with immigration at least I was able to get a bus and return to Mbita which seemed very unlikely a few minutes earlier.

We reached Homa Bay by 1:00 am and I slept on the bus for a few hours before getting another vehicle to take me down the dirt road to Mbita. I reached Mbita by 6:30 am, showered, changed and by 7:30 I was leaving the house to go pick up our football girls to play in a tournament in Sindo. By 10:00 am I received a call from Alice, the one nice lady I met in the whole 20 story building in Nairobi. She had gone down to the registry and personally found the file herself. It has been misfiled among the tens of thousands of files (a needle in the haystack). She promised to put it in front of the committee by the beginning of the new year and see if it can get approved quickly. I will still need to go to the border and get a new visitors visa while they finish the process, but praise God the file was found.

Later that evening I was reflecting on all that had happened. Sometimes when we pray we think that God should answer our prayer the way that we want it done. We think it should be done a certain way and when it isn't we start to blame God or question him. Yet He is all-knowing. He sees things and understands things in ways that we can't even comprehend. He knew exactly where the file was and how He was going to answer my prayer. But I think he was trying to teach me a few things through the process such as patience and how to trust in him. I was putting a lot of faith in other humans such as the Minister of Immigration and his assistants.

God was ready and able all along. He answered my prayer (and many others) in His perfect timing and in His perfect way for His glory and honor! Much better than my way!

Council of Elders

2011-12-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

The Suba Council of Elders is sponsoring a tournament at Sindo for the Greater Suba/Mbita. Teams are competing in Men's and Women's Football, Volleyball and Netball from Mfangano, Rusinga, Gembe, Kaksingri and Gwassi.

Instead of taking the Suba Lakers as a team, we allowed our girls to play for their home regions. Six of them are playing for Mfangano Island, two others are playing for Kaksingri and our Gembe team is made of entirely of Suba Lakers from around Mbita (some in primary and some in secondary)

In Girls football, the Gembe region (our team) defeated Mfangano 3-2. Gembe started strong in the first half on two goals from Irine Achieng. The first one was on a penalty kick and the second one on a good shot from just inside the box. At the beginning of the second half, it looked like Gembe would cruise to an easy victory when Sharon Bismark scored to put them up by three goals, but Mfangano would not give up that easy as Leah Ongojo (another Suba Laker) fought hard to pick up two goals to bring them within one. Though it was too little, too late and the game ended 3-2. Mfangano came back in their 2nd game defeating Gwassi by a score of 1-0 on a goal by Dorothy Adhiambo (Suba Laker).

In the final game of the day, Gembe scored an early goal from the smallest player on the field, Teresa Atieno (6th grader), in the 7th minute after a nice pass from Primerose Achieng. Gembe created numerous chances, but couldn't add to their lead and the game finished with Gembe defeating Gwassi 1-0. Primerose hasn't played much football over the past couple of years because she is on a basketball scholarship at one of the top secondary schools in Kenya. So most of her time is spent in basketball. She is only home for about a week, but was ready to come and play football with us. It is great to have her back with the team.

In the semifinals on Thursday, Gembe will face Gwassi while Mfangano will take on Kaksingre.

Holiday Classic

2011-12-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Suba Lakers Hosted their first ever regional girls football tournament. We had strong teams from all over the western part of Kenya including Kendu Bay, Kisumu and Rongo. The people of Mbita finally were able to see how fun and entertaining it can be to watch ladies football. In fact there were several players that had just flown back into Kenya from Lesotho where they had been playing for the Kenya National Team. The true football fans around here were given a big treat.

Rongo ended up winning the tournament, defeating Victoria 1-0 in the finals. In the third place match the Suba Lakers were defeated by Kisumu Leeds United. The Lakers played so well in the semifinals before losing a close one 2-1 to the chamions. The third place match was also a narrow 1-0 defeat. Our Junior tea, comprised of all primary school girls, also competed in the tournament against the old women. They did a great job and gained a lot of valuable experience and confidence. They drew two matches and lost the other one 2-1. They almost qualified for the semifinals.

I was happy because the tournament was very well run. All of the matches started on time, the refereeing was very good and there was no problem with the schedule, fixtures, brackets, prizes, meals, etc. It is very rare to get a tournament in Kenya without having big arguments and lots of drama, but God enabled us to do it. All of the teams were very complementary towards the organization and running of the tournament.

The best part of the tournament is that it was more than just football. Before the first match we had Lillian Ombori share with the girls for a time about relationships and peer pressure, giving some great demonstrations about how a small drop can pollute a glass of water. She really had the girls attention.

In the evening on Thursday, we showed all of the teams a video with different international athletes giving their testimonies and then had Pastor Amos share a short message with them, encouraging them to seek God first in their lives and to follow his ways.

It was a lot of work and ended up costing much more than we had budgeted for, but we were thankful for the sucess of the 2 day tournament. For more detailed information, you can check out http://www.subalakers.com/

Wasichana Tunaweza

2011-12-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Suba Lakers returned from Kitale on December 13th. It was a great experience spending 4 days in a new place, meeting new people, hearing new ideas and playing against strong competition. The players liked the place very much, except for the cold weather. For young girls that have grown up at sea level on the equator where the temperature is consistent year round, the high elevation "cold" weather was a bit of a shock to their system. It was hot during the day, but cooled down to around 50 degrees F at night.

The first two mornings the players participated in group sessions with the girls from other teams where they discussed how to keep their dreams alive. They shared challenges they face and how to overcome them so they can build a better future. During the discussion times and even during the nights, the girls formed strong bonds with the other teams from various parts of the country that were there. One of our girls who has had a very difficult life with many challenges, told me that when she heard the stories of some of the other girls and what they had overcome, she was greatly encouraged to keep persevering!
On the field the team couldn't take advantage of their leads to finish off the games. In the first match we opened with a goal from Dorothy Adhiambo in the first ten minutes and controlled possession against SEP from Oyugis. Unfortunately we had a let down in the 2nd half and allowed them to equalize, finishing in a 1-1 draw. On the 2nd day we played the hosts TYSA, a very strong team. Again we jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a goal from Irine Achieng. Within a minute TYSA scored to keep the game even. The 2nd half was back and forth until TYSA scored a second goal to win 2-1. In the last group game we domintated against KYFA, winning 2-0 on goals from Dorothy Adhiambo and Irine Achieng. Unfortunately we finished 1 point behind the other two teams and missed out on playing in the finals.

We were thankful for the opportunity to travel to Kitale and make new friends while being exposed to a new area of the country.

Special Clinic

2011-12-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

This week we hosted internationally renowned coach Bob Oyugi in Mbita. Bob has been one of the main men in Kenyan football for the last 25 years. He has spent time coaching some of the biggest clubs and national teams and has travelled to every continent of the world attending coaches trainings and conducting clinics and camps. He has been certified as an trainer of coaches in several countries and is also a representative of the National teams, National Youth Talent Academy and UNICEF. Even though he has been to every continent and the U.S. over 20 times, he has never been to Mbita before this week.

Bob worked with 60 of our players during his three days in Mbita and at the same time conducted a coaches training for over 25 local coaches from all over the sub-branch. He was also assessing our players to see if some of them could be invited to the Under 17 trials in Nairobi next month. It didn't take him long to see that we have some of the best young girls in the country. He left Mbita very impressed at what he saw.

It was a very successful week as the club was able to help the players and all of these local coaches with this opportunity. We hope that as an ambassador of Kenyan football, Bob will be going back to Nairobi with a good report of what we are doing in Mbita so that other partners may be able to join us in developing girls youth football in the country.

What I am Thankful For

2011-11-23T22:29:00.000-08:00

Kenyans don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but luckily I am in Nairobi now at a guesthouse for missionaries. We will have a traditional turkey dinner over lunch time. Believe me, I will eat my fair share of food. Later today I will be connecting with Steve and Judi before they fly out to the U.S. and some other friends later tonight. I will have to wait until Friday afternoon to watch a replay of the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game.

I started out writing the top ten things I am thankful for, but there is so much to be thankful that I kept on going to 15 and still left out many. So here are some random things that I am thankful for (in no particular order)...

1. having the best parents in the world
2. good health free from malaria, worms, amoebas and any other bug
3. a great, reliable vehicle that can carry almost an entire football team and also has a cooler box (even thogh I don't even have a fridge at home)
4. wonderful brothers, sisters-in-law and 4 great nieces and nephews that I miss a ton
5. lake flies (God tells us to give thanks in all circumstances, and that includes nasty, annoying swarms of lake flies)
6. sports- what would life be like without competition?
7. a safe home with solar power, a nice napping couch and a cozy bed
8. a purpose and mission in life with a clear calling from God
9. friends- Kenyan friends who are so warm, friendly and hospitable, and U.S. friends who continue to support and encourage me and are always there for me
10. friends and family who set such a great example for me as they help to advance God's Kingdom in the U.S. and throughout the world
11. working for a ministry like CGA that takes the downtrodden and disadvantaged children and gives them a hope for this life and for eternity
12. consistent rains throughout East Africa that give some relief to this region that has been suffering from drought and famine which has caused skyrocketing food prices
13. God's faithful provision which gives me the opportunity to serve Him in Mbita
14. to see students and players growing and maturing academically, socially, physically and spiritually
15. A God who loves us so much that He would send his own son to suffer and die on the cross to free us from the bondage of sin and death and give us a new life!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

From Teacher to Nurse

2011-11-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

A former CGA volunteer teacher graduated from Tenwek School of Nursing this weekend. Mourine Ooro had worked at CGA as a volunteer from 2006-2007 after she had finished secondary school. There was a time she considered going to teacher training college so she could be a trained teacher, but felt God leading her to study nursing. She joined Tenwek in 2008 and has worked diligently to achieve her dream. In August, she passed her National Nursing Exam and has been employed at Tenwek Hospital.

I stacked Mourine’s family (parents plus 4 siblings), along with six other friends into my landcruiser and we travelled together to Bomet on Friday to share with her on her Graduation Day. They had a special banquet on Friday night for the graduates and their families. The graduation ceremony was highlighted by a great a wonderful message from Pastor Meshack Habib about overcoming obstacles. All of Mourine’s friends and family enjoyed a nice meal down by the dam and shared a few moments together before departing.

Mourine has personally been a very good friend of mine since she first started working at CGA back in 2006. I am proud of Mourine’s achievement and wish her the best as she takes the love of God with her in ministering to her patients.

National Trials

2011-11-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

One of our Suba Laker Girls received an invitation to attend the Under 19 National Ladies Team Trials in Nairobi this weekend. Caren Akeyo travelled eight hours to reach Kenya's capital city for the first time in her life. Seventy players from across the country were invited for the tryouts. The twenty five players selected will represent the country during a tournament in Lesotho which is near South Africa. The players camped at a very nice hotel called Sabina Country Inn which is where the National Youth Talent Academy is currently calling home. They conducted the tryouts at Nyayo National Stadium.

After the first day Coach Florence Adhiambo made cuts and sent twenty players back home. Caren survived the first cut but wasn't so fortunate on Sunday. She didn't make the final cut, but the coaches were impressed with her ability and asked her to come back in two weeks for the under 17 tryouts they will be having as they prepare a team to compete in The Netherlands in December. Caren is only 16, but shined while competing against some of the best players in the country.

Looking Ahead to Secondary

2011-11-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Our ten Standard 8 students finished their National Exams on Thursday and are now anxiously awaiting their results which will be released at the end of December. We are hoping and praying that they will do well and have the opportunity to continue their education in secondary school if they pass and God provides the funds for them.

Four of those students were invited to a secondary school for a tryout this weekend. Our club chairman, Paul Onundo, and our team manager Eunice Oluwanda, and myself (Joe Peterson) were able to drive Raisha, Alicent, Lydia and Leah to Siaya County to visit Jera Mixed Secondary School. Jera is a powerhouse in girls football winning the Nyanza Provencial Championship 11 times in the 14 years since the province began competing in girls football. This past year they won the province again and made it to the National Semifinals with mostly 1st year students before getting defeated by the eventual national champions. One of their first year students from Jera was one of two girls in the country selected to go for a special training with Manchester United.

The school was a little bit far from Mbita. After crossing the ferry, it took us two more hours driving before we reached. Upon entering the school gate we were greeted by their players who were ready to give us a tour of the school. It is a medium sized school with around 500 students. Each grade has three classes of around 50 each which is a good size for a Kenyan school (most have more than that in each class). The staff and students were very friendly and helpful to all of us. It seemed like a big family with the way they interacted.

After the tour, the girls filled out an information sheet and then they were given a uniform to change into. It was the same uniform that Jera was given when they qualified for Nationals. The Jera players took the girls through warm-up drills before they started playing.

Playing in front of all the students and staff of the school, our girls didn't show any nervousness and competed hard, mixed in with the regular Jera players and other girls trying out. Alicent scored a goal within the first ten minutes and the others also displayed their talents, while playing very good team ball. They played three halves which gave the coaches enough time to evaluate the players, but tired the players out; especially since the ones trying out have not been training very much over the past few months while they were preparing for their national exams. Alicent closed the games with the final goal. After practicing their penalty kicks, they did some stretching and talked in a group for a while. The program closed with a great meal and speeches by various teachers from the school and the special guests.

Overall, we were very impressed with the friendliness of the staff and students. We liked how organized they were. The school's academic performanceis above average, but they really try to focus on holistic education by helping their students develop their talents and abilities in many areas. It is obvious their coach really knows football and how to train a football team. He is an honest man who interacts very positively with the girls.

Once the results come out in late December they will offer some of these players an opportunity to come to their school for a reduced school fee. We were grateful to Jera for giving our girls the opportunity to come and tryout.

Wonderful Gifts

2011-10-22T05:16:00.000-07:00

Today was our last training for the 2011 school year with our Juniors. We have been having between 25-30 come from all over the area for one Saturday every month during this year. Most of these ones are in 4th - 6th grade. Some are really small, but have the heart, energy and attitude to play football. There aren't many tournaments organized in Kenya, especially for the young girls (except the ones we organize ourselves). These ones come to the field running so early just eager to take a ball and start kicking it. We have tried to teach them basic skills (dribbling, passing, shooting, juggling, heading, chesting, trapping, etc.) and get them organized to play a position in the field.

Through some generous donations and the organization of Joyce Maier, we were able to give each player a brand new pair of Nike slippers. I don't think I have ever seen them so excited before. Some of them may have never received a gift that was brand new. Young ones here mostly just get hand me d0wns or used items from the market. One of the little ones exclaimed, "This is the best gift I have ever got!" We also gave out sports bras to the few that needed them. And each of the players also received a set of exams papers to help them as they revise and prepare for their end-year exams so that they can pass and move to the next class.

It was a good ending to a good year of training. The main primary school will also get the slippers, sports bras and exams when they come for their next training. Our 13 secondary students will receive when their boarding schools close at the end of November!

Fixing Feet

2011-10-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

After many prayers and much advice Violet Achieng has started the process of corrective foot surgery. Her feet have steadily gotten worse the last few years and were now causing her much pain when walking. Her mother had the same problem when she was young and has lived most of her life in a wheelchair because she is not able to walk

Lillian Ombori, the CGA Student Care Overseeer, took Violet a few months ago to a Cure International outreach clinic. The doctors that assessed Violet gave her hope that her feet could be corrected with surgery.

I was able to drive her to the Cure International Children's Hospital in Kijabe, Kenya along with her grandmother last Saturday.

Violet's right foot was operated on Tuesday, October 11th and all went very well. She is resting and will be in the hospital for the remainder of the week. Violet selected her right foot due to the pain that it was causing her. After 6 to 8 months she will be free to have the left foot corrected.

Continue to pray that recovery will go well and that no infection will enter her body. Also pray that her family will take good care of Violet

Chapel

2011-09-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

I got a call late on Sunday night from one of our teachers who asked me if I could lead chapel on Monday morning. Excited about getting the chance, I didn't have much time to prepare, but its a good thing the Holy Spirit is always ready.

The text was from 2 Peter 1:3-11 which talks about making our calling and election sure. In simple terms it tells us that God has given us everything we need for this life to do good.

I started by addressing the 270 students and 30 staff members with some questions about what we need to be a good student, teacher, police officer and other vocations. We talked about all that CGA has given to these students so that they can do their best (uniforms, books, school supplies, good teachers, nice classrooms with desks, medical help, 2 meals a day and even food during the holiday). Then we compared that to how God has given us everything we need to do good and to escape the corruption of this world that are caused by our evil desires.

Then I had some of my students act out skits we had rehearsed early that morning. We thought of six different scenarios where people face temptations that are common in this area (and the rest of the world). In each case, the student made the choice not to give in to the temptation instead do the right thing. One was tempted to steal a pen, but did not. Another was tempted to lie to his mother about his grade in school. Still another was made fun of, yet he did not retaliate. A girl was propositioned by a boy, but declined his advances. One was pushed down and he chose not to fight back. And the final scenario was a teacher who was tempted to beat the student (which happens a lot in this culture), but he decided to handle it in a better matter.

After the drama pieces we talked about how nothing or no one (note even Satan) can force you to sin. It is always our choice. In fact, life is made up of our choices. Then we shared some of the qualities that we should posess in increasing measure from 2 Peter 1, starting with faith and building on that foundation. We had different students holding up signs with those words on them (goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love).

I hadn't planned on this next part, but I think it was the Holy Spirit that brought it to my mind at that point. I shared the story of my friend Will Coker that was kidnapped, held hostage and eventually beheaded in Afghanistan. He possessed those qualities and in increasing measure. I think it shocked some of the students who had not heard the story yet, but it definitely made them think deeply and contemplate how committed they were to God. Most of them may never face the kind of religous persecution that Will did, but it might come in other forms.

I love the opportunities I get to share with our students and when God uses me to deepen their faith and draw them closer to him!

International Star

2011-09-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Former CGA student Primerose Achieng just returned from the East African Games in Kampala, Uganda. Primerose was representing Kenya as she played for Shimba Hills High School in the secondary school event. This is the third straight year her team has competed at the African regional event where the top teams from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan battle it out to see who is the best in East Africa. The competition includes boys and girls basketball, boys and girls football, rugby, field hockey, track and field, volleyball and other racket games.

This year Shimba Hills finished fourth in the region, losing in the semifinals to the eventual champions, Tigoi Girls Secondary School (Kenya), in a closely contested match. Unfortunately, they also fell in the third place match-up by a single point. Primerose uses her good speed, along with her dribbling and passing skills to man the point guard position. She has also been selected to play on the Kenya National Team later this year.

Article on Will

2011-09-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

The story of Will has been reported differently by AP and CBS News, and the details are yet to be confirmed. Here is one of the articles in the Charleston Post and Courrier.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/sep/08/slain-man-saw-mission-work-in-future/

Martyr

2011-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

A long-time friend and faithful supporter of mine passed away recently. I first met Will Coker when we both came to serve in Kenya at CGA with a missions team in 2003. We became close friends and even shared the same tent. When our team returned home to Charleston, Will was instrumental in helping me decide to leave my college basketball coaching career and serve in Kenya full-time. After I quit my job and was beginnging to fundraise, he invited me to move in with him for several months to help me save money. He even hosted a garage sale at his house.

In the time that I lived with him I saw his strong, genuine faith in Christ. He spent many nights studying the Bible carefully, praying and worshipping God. Almost every day when we would meet, he would share with me something new God was teaching him. His faith deeply impacted my life and he became a mentor to me in so many ways. With Will there were very few "shallow" conversations; most of them get very deep very quickly. He was bold about his faith and shared it with just about everyone he came into contact with whether it was in America or another country.

After building many strong relationships with the children and staff at CGA, he returned to Kenya several times to invest more in those relationships. He had also done mission trips to other places such as Burundi.

Recently, Will was living and working in Afghanistan as an engineer. We had been emailing each other right up to the day before he was taken captive. That day he had told me that he would be travelling to Charleston on September 15 for a short break and then returning to Afghanistan to work until next June. True to his character, he was leading Bible studies in his workplace and also evangelizing outside of the workplace.

More details of his death are still coming out, but apparently he was kidnapped from work around September 2nd and held hostage for several days. Sometime later his body was found in a cave. He had been strangled with a belt and also beheaded.

We can’t be sure of the reasons why, but most likely it was because of his outspoken faith in God. He was a mighty man who was never shy talking about his faith, and surely he must have stood strong up until the time his life was taken.

Will had just turned 59 last week. He will be missed dearly by his three grown children, grandchildren, newly married wife and all of his friends throughout the world. His life impacted many others while he was alive and also now through his death. The CGA family will miss him, but we know that he is before the throne of God now and we will meet again someday.

I am thankful for the contribution he has made to my life in helping me come to serve in Kenya and drawing closer to my Lord and Saviour. I hope that when my time here is finished I will have impacted the world for God's Kingdom as much as he has in the 59 years God granted him.

University, Here We Come!

2011-09-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

CGA’s pioneers are once again blazing a trail for the ones following behind them. They began at CGA in Nursery back in 1997, finished primary school in 2006 and then went off to various secondary schools and completed that step in November 2010. With their impressive results on their National Exams several of them received opportunities to be selected to join University, sponsored by the government.

Bill Clinton Owuor earned an A- and will be joining Kenyatta University to study Commerce.

Brenda Ollimo earned a B and will also be joining Kenyatta University to work towards a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education

Cathorine Agiro and Edwina Ollimo also qualified, but we are still awaiting word on which University they were selected for and which program.

Carolyne Aoko Orony will be starting Teacher’s College next week. Her program will be for two years and when she finishes she will be a qualified primary school teacher.

We are proud of their success and how God has used CGA to help them reach these heights.

Developing Leaders

2011-09-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

All of the CGA secondary students returned to CGA during their August break between Term 2 and Term 3 in their various secondary schools throughout the country. We had two successful weeks of extra teaching in Math, Physics and Chemistry. Then their reunion was 29th August – 1st September.

Just like in April, a group of ten University Students from Compassion International’s Leadership Development Program travelled to Mbita to work with our kids. This time they were also joined by 13 secondary students from the Bondo/Rarieda area across the lake.
It was a lively and spirited four days, as the leaders taught on spiritual gifts, the local church, leadership in Africa, self-esteem, sexual purity, drugs and alcohol, personal devotions, relationships with the opposite sex, entrepreneurship, Biblical perspectives on poverty, career planning and academics. There were also powerful times of worship and prayer as well as time set aside for fun and games.

It is so encouraging to see these young men and women wholeheartedly serving the Lord by mentoring these secondary students with such passion and vigor. They take time to hear their problems, advise them and pray for them. Our kids are blessed to learn from these individuals. They are receiving everything they need to succeed in life academically, socially, physically and spiritually.

One of our students commented to me, “I wish I could get to where those people are.” I encouraged him by telling him that it is within his reach. If he puts God first in his life, stays disciplined and works very hard, he also has the chance to qualify for University.

It is blessing to have mentors like these for our secondary kids. They also come from a challenging past, most are orphans that have worked hard to reach where they are now and have a strong testimony of what God has done in their life. I think it provides much hope for our kids that they can also make something of their lives by putting their faith in God.

Over 100 secondary students benefitted from the program this week.

Admirable Alicent

2011-08-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

Though the Suba Laker Juniors finished third place in the KYFA 2011 Under 15 Tournament, Alicent Awuor was still awarded as the best player. She scored several goals in the 7 games and was outstanding all over the field, helping the Lakers win their pool and finish in third place. She was awarded with a nice duffel bag, a trophy, t-shirt, certificate and other gifts. She was smiling ear to ear as she received her reward. We are proud of her!

So Good

2011-08-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

The Juniors also competed in the KYFA tournament in the Under 15 age category. Though several of the teams had older players, our young girls really competed well. In the group stages they won three matches and drew one to win their pool. They went on to win the quarterfinals in dramatic fashion. They celebrated like they had just won the world title.

Due to an unfortunate error, we had to face the #1 team from the other pool in the semifinals instead of the finals. So the two best teams played the match of the tournament in the semis. We went ahead five minutes into the match with some great passing and a classic finish by our smallest player, Teresa Atieno. A few minutes later Port Victoria equalized on our defensive error. We played great football, passing it around and controlling possession, but we missed many chances. In the end it came down to penalty kicks where we were defeated 3-2.

In the third place match, substitute Winnie Akinyi scored a goal in the 2nd half to bring home the trophy. The juniors were rewarded with a nice trophy, medals for each player, and about $7 cash that each player took home.
They played great football and showed how strong they are.

Winners of Losers

2011-08-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, the Suba Lakers brought two teams to Kisumu to compete in the KYFA tournament. Our Senior team played in the open age category against some of the best teams in the region. One special part of the weekend is one of the club’s good friends, Kelsey Moore, also played with the team. Kelsey had lived in Kisumu for a couple of years and was visiting again this summer. She has come to Mbita several times to help coach our girls. The players were really excited when they found out she was going to play on their team. It always helps to have another mature player that knows how to pass and move the ball around. Our younger players learn a lot from that.

In the first match, we took charge early and won 3-0 against Kasagam. Kelsey scored two goals and Dorothy Adhiambo one. We thought we had another match that day, but had to wait for the next morning. On Saturday, we started off poorly by losing to eventual champion Victoria 3-0. In the next two matches we drew 0-0 with TYSA from Kitale and 1-1 with Smart Ladies from Kisumu when we scored a late equalizer from Pauline Otieno. So we ended up finishing 3rd in our pool of 5 teams and qualified for quarterfinals.

We were matched up against the 2nd best team from the other pool, Ibinzo. They scored in the first half on a clear off-sides infraction that wasn’t called. In the 2nd half we battled hard and even had a chance to equalize, but missed a penalty shot. The girls were exhausted after playing four matches in one day. Fortunately for us, the losers of the quarterfinals had their own consolation playoff. So on Sunday, we played Kisumu Leeds and scored two goals in the 2nd half to come back from behind and win 2-1. The goal scorers were Dorothy Adhiambo and Pauline Otieno. In the consolation Final, we managed to score a lone goal by Irine Achieng to defeat them 1-0. Seven matches in three days concluded with three wins, two losses, two draws and 18 exhausted young girls.

For winning the consolation bracket they received t-shirts and a ball.

It was a great opportunity to compete against good competition. We learned a lot about our team’s strengths and weaknesses and know what to improve in the future.

Talented Little Ones

2011-07-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Suba Lakers 2nd Annual Junior Girls Tournament was a rousing success. 16 primary school teams arrived early on Friday morning, 29th July ready for the 7 v. 7 competition for girls aged 14 and below. Each team played three preliminary games before moving to the knockout stages. Wasaria Primary, Christ's Gift Academy, Mbita Primary and Usare Primary won their respective quarterfinal matches. In the semifinals Usare Primary eliminated Wasaria from title contention with their victory and Christ's Gift Academy dispatched Mbita Primary. In the third place playoff Mbita Primary emerged victorious over Wasaria 1-0 on a goal by the tournament's top scorer (and one of the smallest players), Laurine Achieng. In the Championship game Usare and Christ's Gift Academy battled toe to toe, taking their shots at winning in regulation. The match ended scoreless and went to penalties where Usare won 3-1.

The 200 participants were also taught how to take control of their own lives and make decisions that will help to build a better future. Lucy Ondari from CRADLE shared with them at the beginning of the day and Joe Peterson shared the Gospel with them during a break in the action. The District Quality Assurance Officer also took time to watch them play and share some important pieces of advice.

The day ended with an awards ceremony, honoring the outstanding teams and outstanding individual performers from the day. Each team received a ball and a certificate. The 2nd and 3rd place teams both received cash awards given directly to the participants. The 1st place team also received a cash prize, along with a jersey and pair of shorts for each player. The outstanding performers were also recognized and given jerseys and shorts. The list of awards consisted of:

Best Goalkeeper- Jennifer Awino from Mbita Primary and Lillian Awuor from Usare Primary
Best Defender- Brenda Sharon from Wasaria Primary
Top Goal Scorer- Laurine Achieng from Mbita Primary
Best Young Player- Brenda June from Usare Primary
Best Player- Dorine Ongata from Gethsemane Gardens
Most Valuable Player- Teresa Atieno from Christ's Gift Academy
Winning Coach- Lucy Ondari from Usare Primary

Some of the teams attracted large cheering sections, especially from boys who came to watch. People were impressed at the level of talent that girls could display on the field, especially from some very young girls. It was a 14 and under tournament, but the top two goal scorers were 12 and 10 years old respectively. Mbita continues to demonstrate that they can boast of some of the top up and coming girls in the country.

2nd Annual Suba Lakers Tournament

2011-07-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Suba Lakers Girls Football Club is hosting the 2nd Annual Junior Girls Tournament on Friday, 29th July. Sixteen primary school teams comprised of girls aged 14 and below have entered this year’s competition at Mbita High School. Gethsemane Gardens will be coming from Mfangano Island, Wasaria and Temo will be coming from Rusinga Island and the other 14 teams will be from the mainland within Mbita District. Last year’s surprise champion was Milimani Academy, a new up and coming school. Temo finished in 2nd place and Christ’s Gift Academy was 3rd.

The competition will have 7 players aside on smaller fields to maximize opportunities for the players to be active and involved in the games. Each team will get three preliminary games before the knockout stages begin. All of the participants will receive lunch and each team will get a ball and certificate. The winning team will be given sh. 3,000 to share among the players as well as soccer jerseys and shorts for each player. The second and third place teams will also receive cash prizes.

Several guest speakers, including the Mbita District Quality Assurance Officer Mr. Ragot, will be coming to share with the nearly 200 girls participating and the spectators about issues that are affecting the girl child in this area.

Everyone is welcome to come and watch these young girls display their abilities on the football pitch.

The Week That Was

2011-06-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

It has been difficult since Sharon disappeared. A lot of time, energy and even money has been spent to try and find her. Our hopes have gotten up several times, but only to come crashing to the ground. The feeling of helplessness overwhelms me.

But as I was complaining to God yesterday that he has not returned Sharon yet, He reminded me of what he has been doing this past week. On Monday when we were looking for Sharon, we found another runaway girl and we were able to trace her home and school and get her back to being a young girl again. Later in the week we picked her up on the way to watch some of our girls play their secondary school district tournament. It was good to see her interacting with some of our girls and be a normal 14 year old.

On Thursday, we went to visit a young girl that gave birth last year. We offered some encouragement, joked around with her a bit and prayed for her. Then we visited the homes of a couple of our new girls in the football club. The first one was a 6th grader, Maurine. She has 7 other siblings in her family and her parents are trying to provide for each of them through any job they can get on a daily basis. She had been sick and out of school for 4 days so we were able to give her a ride to the hospital so that she could get treated. The family was so happy that we made the effort to visit their home.

We also visited Winny, a tiny, energetic girl from another big family. She also has 7 siblings that her father tries to provide for by fishing. Going out into the community to visit homes still deeply impacts me, even after being here for almost 8 years. It reminds me of the challenges these families face with high food costs, low income and many children to provide for. Each family was so happy that their child was joining the football club. Both fathers talked about how much their daughter loves playing, even when they are sick or injured. They were happy to encourage them to develop their God-given talents. They commented that the club gives them a ray of hope in their life.

On Friday, I took a boat to Mfangano Island. As we boarded the boat a young third grade girl came and sat next to me. She was all alone so I tried to take care of her. As she snuggled up to me, she told me about her school and that she was going to visit her father on the island. When we reached, she ran to hug the father who was driving a motorbike. He became my angel that day as he ended up carrying me all over the island to see different people and to look for Sharon. He took me to the school of one of the girls who had played with us during the Primary School ball-games. When Nancy saw me, she ran and gave me a hug. The school's head teacher and deputy were happy for her to be able to join the club but said we needed to get permission from her guardian who lives on the other side of the island. We were also searching for another man who was the father of a young girl who is in a boarding school in Mbita. By God's Divine Providence, it turned out the man we found was both the father of the young girl and the guardian of Nancy.

We had a great conversation and he narrated to me the story of Nancy. She had told me this a few months ago, but the guardian confirmed that Nancy's father died back in 1996 and Nancy's family came down from the top of the island to live on the shores with the father's brother. In 2005, the mother died, leaving Nancy and all of her siblings in the care of the uncle. She sat her national exams in 2008, but failed (probably because of missing a lot of school because of the lack of fees). She was out of school for two years before the guardian decided to let her go back to 7th grade to get a better foundation and try again at the national exams in 2012.

These visits just remind me once again of the way poverty, disease and death are destroying many lives in this district. I returned to Mbita that evening, though we had quite a scare on the way back when the boat almost capsized.

On Saturday, we brought some of our students and some of our football players to Asumbi to watch a few of our secondary students play in their district tournament. Two teams were having several of our club players and CGA students. Unfortunately they had to meet in the semis where Asumbi defeated Magare 2-0. Asumbi went on to win the finals. Three of our girls star for them. It is fun to watch them play and hear people in the crowd (who don't know us or them) comment about how good "that little one" can play or that the goalkeeper is so skilled, etc. Watching our girls shine in their secondary schools (in class and on the field) is always one of the highlights of the year for me.

On Sunday, we had a great church service where they prayed over me individually and the sermon was excellent.

So in spite of the struggles and challenges, God is so good!

Prayer Request

2011-06-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

We are still searching for Sharon Akinyi. She ran away from her home on the night of June 14th. The father had come to school to report it the next morning. He said he had been asking her to come to the table to eat dinner, but she kept doing her homework. Because she wasn't obeying him he got annoyed and starting caning her (beating her back with a stick). When he went outside to get another stick, she ran away and didn't come back that night.

After reporting the matter to school he went back home to find Sharon in the house with two of her brothers. Because he felt guilty, he asked her what she needed. Sharon asked for new slippers and so the father gave her the eqivalent of $7. The old man fell asleep on the couch and when he woke up Sharon had left with all of her things. Since that day (June 15th) she hasn't come home.

Sharon is 16 years old and in 8th grade. She is registered to sit her National Exams in November and then begin secondary school in January. She was always responsible and hard-working. She was even selected as one of our school leaders for the 2nd year in a row. She performs well in school, in fact she had really been improving over the last couple of months. She is also a great football player which makes all of this more confusing. Because of her athletic ability she is known all over the area, so if she really is around here, then surely by now, someone would have spotted her. The only person that has seen her since that time was someone in the Mbita market who talked with her when she was going across the causeway to Rusinga Island on June 18th.

In conjunction with the family, we have been searching for her everywhere. I have been to Rusinga Island almost everday, driving around the island, stopping at marketplaces, beaches and schools to show her picture and see if anyone has seen her. We have reported to the police, chiefs, and clan elders. We have followed many leads that offer so much hope, but ultimately culminate in dead ends. We have interrogated several people, and even searched some houses. On Friday I took a boat out to Mfangano and covered almost the entire island searching for her. We have announced over the radio locally, within the province and even nationally. And we have prayed, fasted and prayed some more. We have prayed individually, corporately, and in churches; pleading with God for her safety and protection, and that he would bring her back.

We have done everything possible to try and find this girl, with no fruit at all. My mind wanders so many places just imagining what is happening with her, things that I don't even want to write down or speak outloud. A 16 year old girl is so vulnerable.

SO I am just requesting you to pray for her. Pray by yourself and in your small group and in your church. Pray for her protection and safety. Pray for her to realize what is happening and to realize how much she is cared for by her family and friends. Pray for her to come back today or for us to be able to discover where she is.

Please Pray

Half of Population Infected

2011-06-20T11:21:00.000-07:00

As I was driving up and down the road, trying to find run-away school girls so that they could go back home and back to school, I got a message from a friend that was telling me the latest statistic from the ministry of health. 47% of the population in Mbita is infected with HIV/AIDS. Isn't that just absolutely mind-blowing!

A Tale of Two Girls

2011-06-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here is my attempt at summarizing 14 hours worth of activities into a short blog...

Late in the night on Sunday I got a phone call from the guardian of one of our football girls. Madam Colletta said her girl had told her that one of our girls had run away from home. She said that her parents back in her homeplace had found a school girl wandering near the market and they took her to their home a couple of days ago; and from the description she could possibly be the girl that we are looking for. The girl was trying to leave for Sori on Monday morning so we needed to act quickly.

So Colletta and I agreed that we could go early in the morning to the homeplace to confirm if she was the one that we were missing. Hopefully we could do it quickly and then both get back to our jobs before missing any of our lessons (Colletta is also a primary school teacher). So I headed out of the house by 5:30 a.m., collected Colletta by 6:00 at the Luanda market and then we drove 45 minutes into the bush to reach their homeplace. This place is literally "in the bush." You can't get more rural than that.

We arrived just as the sun was coming up and the girl was still asleep. I had many conflicting thoughts in my head. I was hoping with all of my heart that she would be Sharon, but I was also trying to be realistic that it probably wasn't. We sat in the sitting room of the main house with a group of relatives doing the formal Kenyan introductions as we waited. Finally, she arrived; but it wasn't the right "she." My emotions got the best of me and I couldn't speak at all. I didn't even want to speak because I was annoyed that we hadn't found Sharon. Another dead end

The family members started interrogating this other girl about who she was, where she was from, and what school she was learning at. She had showed up on Saturday and this family had taken her in, given her clothes to wear, food to eat, and a place to sleep. She was a young girl, athletic looking and a very good English speaker. She told many stories about being an orphan and talked about many different places. She said she was learning in Kisumu but was sent away because of school fees, and then she had a sponsor who promised her another school in Luanda (not far from Mbita). When she was brought there she was just kept in the house and when the man's wife came home, he claimed she was his maid. After that she ran away from that home. She said she took all of her things and got on a motorcycle taxi. Her cousin had sent money to the motorbike boy through the phone so that he could take her to Sori, but once he got the money he dumped her on the side of the road and took all of her things. That is when she walked to Nyatoto and Colletta's family had found her. Earlier she had said her name was Pauline Otieno and that she was learning at Nyamasare Girls.

Later we found out this whole story was made up, but as the story went on I finally snapped out of my doldrums and decided that if I wasn't able to find and help Sharon, maybe God had brought me here to help this girl. So I joined into the conversation and began my own investigations. I began trying to find out the number for the principal at the school in Kisumu she was claiming to be from. We wanted to take her back to Nyamasare girls in Luanda to confirm if they knew her, but she was unwilling to go. Everyone tried to convince her, but the more they tried, the more she resisted. Finally I pulled her outside the house and tried to talk to her very nicely. We talked about sports and about school and other things. Finally after about 15 minutes she agreed to go with us. After a couple of photographs with the entire family and receiving a live chicken as a gift (which ended up pooping all over the inside of my vehicle), we headed back out.

When we reached the school we found there was a girl at that school with the name Pauline Otieno. When the teachers called her to come, she identified our new friend with the name of Mary and said she was a cousin of hers. They had learned in the same primary school and sat their National Exams at the same time. She said she was a student at Waondo Secondary. Mary admitted some of those things but denied other parts of it such as insisting she wasn't a student at Waondo. Some of the teachers and other people there began to get harsh with her (and rightly so for all of the lies and stories she had told and even tarnishing the name of their school). They began threatening to take her to the police or the chief because she was insisting she wasn't a student at Waondo and wouldn't give them her admission number.

Again, I was able to take her outside for a few minutes and talk to her alone under the tree. She began opening up and telling me some of the truth. She admitted to being a student at Waondo and said she was suspended from school because of spending a night out with a boy. I asked her if she had a relationship with Jesus and she said she did some time ago, but had backslidden because of some big mistakes in her life. I tried to give her some advice from scriptures and talk about forgiveness. I asked her if we could pray. She agreed to pray first. I couldn't believe what transpired next. This lying, deceitful girl who has been getting into sexual relationships with boys prayed the most amazing, heartfelt prayer I have ever heard. She was honestly confessing her sins, quoting scriptures and just pouring her heart out to God. It was amazing. This was obviously a girl that was having a battle between the spirit inside of her and her fleshly desires.

Finally I reached the headteacher from the school in Kisumu that she claimed was hers. He knew the girl very well and said she was a good girl, very bright in class and good in sports last year. He was interested to know where she was because he had not seen her since the first week of school when she was sent away for school fees. He gave us the number to the guardian in Kisumu. I was able to reach him and find out that after leaving that school she was sent to stay with her grandfather in Waondo. He didn't have the number, but gave us the name. We were able to go through the education office to get the number of the grandfather because he was a retired school teacher.

We then proceeded to the chief's office. They found the motorcyle taxi boy and interrogated him. We stayed for several more hours. The grandfather, who is a retired school teacher, showed up and gave us the suspension letter from Waondo secondary. It turns out she is not an orphan, but she is staying with her grandparents in a very nice house and attending Waondo Secondary. She was suspended for two weeks from school for spending a night out with a boy. When she was suspended she was afraid the grandfather would beat her, so she decided to run away. She was trying to go to a former boyfriend in Sori. If she would have reached there, her life probably would have been spoiled. He would have taken her as his wife and her chances for finishing her education would have been gone.

After finishing with the chief, the girl and the grandfather both requested that I drive them back to their home and see where they live. That wasn't an easy task because of the hard rain they had just received. I had to use the four-wheel drive to get through the muddy road, although a few times it didn't seem like we would be able to get out of the deep ruts, especially with very little control of the steering wheel. When reaching, we narrated the whole story to her grandmother. They prepared some lunch around 3:00 (which was great since I hadn't eaten since 5:00 that morning). Mary showed me her report forms and some of her exams from school. She does so well academically, usually in the top 5 of her class. I also discovered that she is only 14 years old. She will turn 15 next month. Imagine this very young, bright, athletic girl was ready to leave school and get married.

I was able to counsel and advise her on several things. She was very open and honest with me. She promised that she would not run away again, that she would stay in school, and work hard to seek first God's Kingdom and His Righteousness. I promised her that I would come and visit her in school sometime this term and that when she was playing her next football match, I would definitely come and watch her play. After talking with her mother on the phone, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Mbita at around 4:00 pm.

I dropped off Colletta in Luanda and then picked up my friend Paul in Mbita so we could drive out to Rusinga to look for Sharon, since that was my original goal for that day. A shopkeeper had seen her passing through the market on the way to Rusinga Island Saturday. So we drove all around the island looking for her. We stopped several times when we saw people we knew to ask if they had seen her. I had done the same thing yesterday, but had no success either time. We finally reached home around 7:45 pm, victorious and defeated at the same time.

I had set out early this morning to find one girl, but I guess God had a different plan. Funny how he does that sometimes. I am still discouraged and bewildered about Sharon's disappearance, but I am thankful that God used me to help bring another young vulnerable child back to her family, back to school, and most importantly, back to Jesus.

The search for Sharon will continue tomorrow.

Needing Prayers!!!

2011-06-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

One of 8th graders who is only a few months away from her national exams and finishing primary school has run away from home. She had a disagreement with her family and after she was beaten, she ran away and has been gone for two nights now. She is also one of the girls in our football club. I am very worried about her, especially where she could be staying and her safety and protection. She is a good girl, very discipline, hard hard working, etc.

Please pray for her and for her quick return.

Impressive Tournament

2011-06-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

This was the best tournament we have ever competed in since I came to Kenya. Not only did they pay for all of our expenses for the weekend, but they even kept time! Every match started at the exact time according to the schedule. I have never seen anything like it here. The field was fenced off to keep out hooligans. You couldn't access the field unless you had a wristband. They also had sent up tents for every team. Ours was adorned with a big sign that said, "Suba Lakers FC." There were 20 plastic chairs and a table for us in the tent, with a couple cases of bottled water. They even brought us some fruit as we watched other football matches.

Even though we lost, each player was given a certificate, an over the shoulder bag, t-shirt, cap and handkerchief. One of our players also received some money for being the top goal scorer.

It was a good experience and great exposure for our girls to be in that kind of a situation. I know it will prepare them for the next time they compete in that environment.

Sakata Ball

2011-06-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

We took our top team to Kisumu this weekend for the Sakata Regional Finals. The best part was that it didn't cost us any money. The tournament paid for our transportation, meals and accomodation. Nothing came out of our own pocket. They put us up in a hotel and some of our girls were using flush toilets and taking hot showers for the first time.

When we reached on Friday afternoon, we trained for a short time and then they brought us to the conference room so a speaker could share with them about life skills. He talked about their future and their dreams. They discussed choices that would help them reach their dreams and obstacles that would derail their pursuit. He shared about discipline and hard work in the classroom and on the field. They received some great lessons.

When the tournament began on Saturday, we were matched against the best team in the semifinals. They were older women that compete in the Kenya Women's Premier League. When we first played them 4 years ago, they defeated us 9-0, then 4-0 three years ago, then 2-0 two years ago and finally 1-0 last year.

After about 5 minutes they scored their first goal on a cross that was headed over the goal keeper who had mistimed her jump. I think many people expected a blow-out, but we quickly rebounded by equalizing a few minutes later on a goal from Pauline Aoko. Unfortunately at the end of the 1st half we gave up another goal to go down 2-1. In the 2nd half Irine Achieng and Dorothy Adhiambo both had good shots at the goal, but were stopped by the goal keeper. Neither team converted another goal in the last half so it ended in a 2-1 defeat for us. The other team went on to win the finals in a lop-sided affair.

Our young girls put up a good fight, but couldn't pull it out in the end. We definitely made a positive impression. Even the next day, people around the field were still talking about the fight our girls put up. They didn't expect our young girls to be able hold a giant like that. They were commenting that our game was like the final because it was the two best teams. People were also impressed with our team's attitude towards the officials, referees and the other team.

It was a good showing, but it was unfortunate we couldn't have played one of the other two teams in the semifinals so that we could have reached the finals.

I am keeping faith that God will soon reward us for our faithfulness and honesty in these tournaments against some of the big teams.

Going to Regional Finals

2011-06-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

We are taking our top 18 girls to Kisumu on Friday for the Sakata Nyanza Regional Finals. This is probably the strongest team we have ever taken to a tournament. As our young girls continue to grow and develop physically as well as improve their football skills, the team keeps getting better and better. We defeated two very good teams to reach this next stage.

There will only be four girls teams in Kisumu for the Regional Finals. The winning team will get a cash prize and a ticket to the National Finals, as well as each player receiving football cleats, socks, pads, shorts, jersey and a bag to carry it all in. That is a wonderful prize. The second place team will get a smaller cash prize.

The tournament is supposed to be for amateur players under the age of 23. Whenever you get good prizes like they have though, then many teams are tempted to cheat by bringing in players from other regions, or overage player or even professional players. So pray with us that there will be a fairness and equality to the tournament so that the right teams and right players are competing.

Our team is a mix of secondary girls with some 8th graders from primary schools. Pray for our safety as we travel and that we would bring glory to God by the way we play as a team, our effort and our attitude!

May Update

2011-05-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

The highlight of this past month was 12 of our secondary students accepting Jesus as their savior during our reunion in April, and then 15 of our football club girls accepting Jesus in May during a team devotion time. It is deeply rewarding to play a part in seeing someone begin a new life in Christ.

Our reunion for secondary students was very successful in April. We were privileged that 11 University students sponsored by Compassion International came and shared with us. Our students related well because of their shared backgrounds as orphans and being sponsored through their education. The team led Bible studies, group discussions and taught about academic improvement, life skills training, sexual purity and character development. Much of it was done through small group forums where students were given the opportunity to open up and ask questions. They also took time to individually counsel some students, mentor them and pray for them. I love seeing young people who have been blessed, giving back to be a blessing to others. We hope it is the beginning of a strong relationship between CGA and Compassion.

Also, the girls from our football club had a special visitor recently when a Member of Parliament came to mentor them for a few hours. For more on these stories and others you can check out my blog at www.joekenya.blogspot.com

I want to share with you an article from a magazine called THE EYE. It was written by Richard Bett and Habil Onyango in Homa Bay, Kenya and published in the April edition.

USING SPORTS TO RETAIN GIRLS IN SCHOOL

It is a few minutes after five in the evening and pupils stream out of classes for extra-curricular activities. Some, especially older boys, head to a dry dusty patch of land that acts as a football pitch. Clad in school uniforms rather than sporting attire and shod in ordinary shoes in place of football boots, or running barefooted, the pupils scramble for the one improvised ball available so that they can while away the hot evening, as they wait for the time to go home.

From the sports uniforms and boots, or lack thereof, it is evident that rural public primary schools are not adequately prepared for sports, which is an essential part of the school curriculum. But while boys can make do with improvised footballs to test or sharpen their sporting skills on the only football pitch around, their female counterparts are usually left on the sidelines watching the boys play or making up their own games with stones or whatever else they can find.

Football , in particular, has over time come to be seen as a preserve for boys, although schools are expected to present girls’ teams during the annual ball games competition as well as other tournaments. In Suba and Mbita Districts in Homa Bay County, the picture is no different as a lot of talented girls drop out of school to get married at a tender age. Others, especially those orphaned through HIV/AIDS and other causes, are thrust into motherhood as a result of pre-marital sex in their attempt to get money to meet their basic needs. Others, who are not lucky, get infected with the disease.

However, two teachers have resolved to change the situation in the two districts through developing football among girls in secondary and primary schools in the area. The pair of Joe Peterson and Paul Onundo, both teachers at local primary schools, three years ago decided to form the Suba Lakers Football Club for girls talented in the area. The aim of the move was to tap talent among girls with interest in football as well as help in addressing factors that lead to the high rates of school drop-outs among teenage girls.

“We conceived the idea of a girls’ football club after realizing there were a lot of gifted girls who did not get a chance to play their favorite game beyond their respective schools,” said Peterson, who is a teacher at Christ’s Gift Academy in Mbita. This came about, he said, while he and his colleague Paul Onundo of Wanga Primary School in Mbita, were coaching district girls’ football team at the Primary School Provencal tournament in 2008. They were given the assignment by the District Education Office. While they undertook the assignment, it struck the duo that most of the talented female football players would drop out of school before finishing 8th grade, hence terminating their pursuit of the sports as well as their studies and the hope for a positive future.

“It then became necessary to bring the girls together, train them during weekends and keep them busy, as a means of keeping them from falling prey to randy males,” they said, adding this would help the girls avoid premature and unplanned pregnancy.

Onundo, who is the club’s chairman, said the fact that the area is endowed with several beaches means that chances of girls engaging in casual sex is high, hence the need for the club. We have several beaches in Suba/Mbita and these, though a blessing to the community economically because of the fishing, are a threat to the education and health of innocent girls,” said teacher Onundo.

But the club, founded some three years ago, is not a club in the usual sense of the word since its membership is drawn from players in various primary and secondary schools in the area. We have a secondary team with 15 girls, a primary school team with 25 girls, and a junior primary team with 30 girls. The club uses facilities offered by local schools such as Mbita High School to train with the 70 girls during weekends.

Apart from being the only girls’ club in the area, the Suba Lakers Football Club does not preoccupy itself entirely with sporting but also trains its members in other aspects of life such as academics, spiritual nourishment, child rights, and reproductive health among other areas.

According to Peterson, who is the club’s coach, secretary, and co-founder, the type of approach is essential in shaping all-around members of the society, not just good sports people who are lacking in other aspects of life. This, he adds, shatters the widely held myth that academics cannot go hand in hand with sports, adding that several members have joined prestigious provincial secondary schools, such as the mission-run Asumbi Girls, after performing well in KCPE examinations.

The club has not only helped individual members develop their talent but it has also assisted them to obtain chances to join national clubs and get help in paying for their secondary education. Peterson told THE EYE during an interview that three girls have joined the Kisii United Club where sponsors have luckily offered to pay their secondary school fees.

Club assistant secretary Eunice Olwanda explains that as a means to keep the girls from venturing into risky sexual relationships with fisherman and getting pregnant and infected, the club organizes lectures on social relationships. The lectures, given by successful individuals, are geared at educating girls on matters that affect and motivate them to pursue their dreams more aggressively. Recently Member of Parliament, Millie Odhiambo, came and mentored the girls for several hours.

The club also provides basic needs such as sanitary towels to the girls as well as textbooks at times for their studies. Eunice says a lack of such basic needs has been known to drive girls to sex for little money, exposing them to HIV/AIDS and other dangers.

The club has earned itself a place among champions during the short period it has been in existence including being crowned champions during the 2010 Coca Cola regional championship. They scooped the Inter-Consituency Championship title during competitions for teams from Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Mbita and Suba constituencies in 2009. And also, the junior team claimed the Galactico/KYFA Championship in 2009. The club, as well, organized a tournament for under-13 girls that attracted 14 teams on October 20th last year. Recently they won the County Sakata Tournament and in a playoff defeated the winner of Migori County. They are proceeding to Kisumu to play in the Regional Finals on 4th June.

The fact that players are drawn from various schools in the area has made it difficult to organize training sessions, hence the need for a hostel. If and when established, the facility would also offer shelter for members, some of whom do not have parents. Club chairman Onundo has appealed to local leaders, well-wishers and organizations to continue supporting the club to enable it to succeed in its mission of developing football for girls as well as promoting the rights of the girl-child.

He observed that the club has received support from Patron Millie Odhiambo, founder of CRADLE and Nominated Member of Parliament, as well as Mbita area MP and Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’. Onundo urged other stakeholders to support the cause.

No one knows what the future holds, but the club officials hope they will be able to continue to use the club to help transform the lives of young girls around Mbita District.

Prayer Requests;

1) Pray for those that have recently given their lives to Christ to passionately follow Him. Pray that they would be mentored on how to live out their new lives.

2) Pray for the Suba Lakers success on the field and off the field. Pray for God's covering and protection around these girls in their homes, schools and out in the community so that nothing will derail their future ambitions. Pray that they would learn to be leaders who are bold and brave.

3) Pray for my future as I seek God's direction on what to do at the end of this year.

A Muddy Final Game

2011-05-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

On Friday, we piled twelve girls football players in my vehicle and ten more in a little sedan. The Suba Lakers were competing in the Safaricom sponsored Sakata tournament in Homa Bay. The previous day was quite chaotic in Mbita with poor organization and poor communication, but since we were the only girls team to show up at the district level we were declared the winner and punched our ticket to Homa Bay for the regional.

In the first match in Homa Bay we defeated Lala Secondary School 4-0 on goals by Leah Awuor, Dorothy Adhiambo, Pauline Aoko and Beatrice Awuor. In the finals we were matched up with the winner from Rachuonyo District, Victoria Football Club. We had played them last year in the Galactico tournament in Kisumu and lost on a last second goal 1-0. Since that time, their club has managed to qualify for the Kenyan Ladies Premier League by defeating all of the competitors from Nyanza Province, Rift Valley Province and Western Province. They have a very strong team.

The first half was evenly played with neither side getting a very good opportunity to score. Our girls began the 2nd half aggressively and it paid off when Caren Akeyo put Beatrice Awuor's cross in the back of the net about ten minutes into the half. It came in the nick of time as just a few minutes later the rain began pouring down. The field quickly turned into a mud bog and both teams were slipping and falling down everywhere. It was like a comedy show and it would have made a great detergent commercial. By the end of the match our red uniforms were brown and all of the football cleats and socks had been taken off and thrown to the sidelines. We held on for a hard fought 1-0 win.

All of our reserve players who had been taking cover under the canopy, ran onto the field and began celebrating the championship. During the celebration, they managed to get as dirty as the ones who had been playing. I was not spared either. When the rains began, everyone went to take cover, but I knew that the girls would not feel good if they were left out in the rain to play while everyone else was staying dry. So I stood alone on the sidelines in the downpour and tried to encourage them and shouted even louder.

The girls showed great courage and determination to pull out the victory.

We will travel back to Homa Bay on Sunday to play the winner from Migori County to see who gets to proceed to Kisumu for the Regional Tournament in June.

More from our MP

2011-05-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the account of our girls football team meeting with Honourable Member of Parliament (MP) Millie Odhiambo, from the perspective of Teacher Rozeline, the girls female team manager:

The MP was enthusiastic to meet the girls. It was a meeting that was long overdue. All in all, we thank God that it finally came to pass. When we came in, we got a warm welcome from the MP's sister Caroline who really put the girls into a warm and jovial mood with some little games. When Honourable Millie began to share, it was much different than anyone expected. She started the meeting by sending the male officials out, calling the meeting (A girls-only thing). Millie then asked the girls what they wanted to become when they grow up. They mentioned different careers such as a lawyer, doctor, nurse, policewoman, etc. Then she asked them what kind of things would get in the way of their dreams. They mentioned things like indulging in sexual activities, drug abuse, peer pressure and dropping out of school. She then asked them what would help them reach their dreams. They said hard work, respect and all of the opposites of the negative things.

Using those things they had mentioned, she advised them accordingly. After that, she gave them the opportunity to ask her questions, and the girls had a lot of questions for her. Before answering the questions though, she would always ask them to try and answer first. She encouraged the girls to be open and share their problems with people they trust so that they can get help. She also encouraged them to work hard academically for a brighter future. The MP also promised the girls that if any of them would qualify for a National School, then she would pay for all of her school fees their. She rewarded all the girls who asked her questions or answered questions.

Millie also promised the girls that she would come back whenever her schedule allows. We were all grateful for her coming and meeting the girls.

Salvation

2011-05-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

As amazing as our time with Parliamentarian Millie Odhiambo was; that wasn't actually the highlight of the day (at least for me). As we were with our girls waiting for her to come, we decided to have an impromptu church service since it was Sunday morning. Some of our 8th graders led us through some praise, worship, prayer and scripture reading. I also played some songs on the guitar and then shared the Gospel. Using the Evangecube which gave them a pictoral representation, we went step by step through the Gospel. After finishing, twelve of them decided to reach out and invite Jesus into their life for the first time. It was a special moment in their lives and we look forward to helping them walk out their new salvation in Christ.

Today has been one of the most memorable days in the 7 1/2 years I have been in Kenya.

Worth the Wait

2011-05-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

What an incredible day!!

When we started our girls football club a couple of years ago we had written a letter to Honourable Millie Odhiambo, a Member of Parliament that comes from this local area. The letter was requesting her to be the patron of our football club. We asked her because she has been a champion of child rights for many years, especially involving girls; and that was one of the main reasons that she was nominated to Parliament by her political party. I had met with her last month at Parliament and she talked about her passion for mentoring young girls and promised to come and share with our girls.

She planned on coming two weeks ago, but it never worked out. When she told me she would come on Saturday, we made plans for our girls to come and learn from her. Unfortunately she was called to go and campaign for some other party members in Western Province. So she rescheduled for Sunday morning. We announced to our Junior girls yesterday after training that they should come today. Then I sent text messages to the parents of our older girls that come from around. Millie called Saturday night and again Sunday morning to say that she was running late, but she made it a point to come, even though there were many other places she was supposed to be.

Finally, at 11:30 am on Sunday, thirty of our girls walked over to Millie's mother's house and were ushered into the living room by the mother and sisters. Teacher Rozeline introduced the club to Millie and told her about some of our activities. At Millie's request, each girl introduced herself by using an adjective that starts with the same first letter as their name (eg. Smiling Sarah and Excellent Esther, etc.). After that, I can only tell you what I found out later from the girls, because all of the "men" were asked to leave so the girls could share together alone.

She spent about one and a half hours with the girls sharing her life story and giving them encouragement. She told them how her father died when she was six years old and that her mother struggled to raise 8 children on her own. Growing up, she didn't have any shoes to wear to school or any books. Their family was very poor, but she worked hard to make something of her life. It was a story that many of our girls could relate to because of their backgrounds as orphans from poor families. It was inspiring to them.

Not only did she buy sodas for everyone, but she insisted on serving them herself to show that even a "big" person can serve young kids, teaching teaching them humility and service. After the treat everyone came outside for a few photos together. Then, with the help of her sister Caro who had been taking notes during the meeting, she announced the names of the girls that had been participating the most by answering questions and asking questions. She gave sh. 200 ($2.50) to each of the 11 students that were the most active. She explained to all of them that it is important to learn how to be bold and open; they should always be ready to ask questions.

What a great opportunity for thirty of our girls to be able to sit down with a member of Parliament and chat face to face. It is hard to believe that such an important politician in our country cares so much for the young girls that she can leave the big campaign rallies and television cameras and travel all the way to Mbita to take time to sit down and mentor the future generation.

All of our girls agreed that it was definitely worth the wait!

Leaders Developing Leaders

2011-05-12T10:52:00.001-07:00

CGA is so grateful to Compassion for sending out 9 university students to minister to our secondary students during their reunion. Here is a little more about their program and the results from the week.

The vision of Compassion’s Leadership Development Program (LDP) globally is to be the premier Christian leadership ministry for university students in the developing world. Recognized for their godly character and influence, our graduates will mobilize to end the cycle of poverty that undermines their nations.

Our Ministry Tag line is: Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders. We identify candidates from our Child Sponsorship Program who have exceptional Christian leadership and academic potential. Students receive a first-class education and are trained and discipled to become Christian leaders both now and for the future. Every graduate is prepared to serve and use their considerable skills and influence to end poverty. They will transform their communities and nations. The students seize the opportunity to develop their God-given gifts and become skilled professionals and Christian leaders of influence in their churches, communities and nations.

Biblical Mandate for the Leadership Development Program
This verse in Isaiah 61:3-4 (NIV) captures the mission of Compassion International’s Leadership Development Program:
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”

They arrived in Mbita on Sunday 24th April 2011, ready to begin ministering to the students from 25th to 27th April 2011. They implemented the program which had been forwarded to us by Uncle Joe. These are some of the sessions they trained: Devotions, Bible studies, group discussions, Academic talk, Life skills training, Sexual purity and Character development. They did this through open discussion forums where students were able to open up and ask questions. There were person to person meetings with students to deal with deep counseling issues and mentorship. The students mingled well with the team since they share the same backgrounds. We also had morning and evening devotions where the LDP students took time to pray for the challenges and issues that the students shared. It was a wonderful time for them to dedicate the whole program before the lord.

The following are outcomes which were achieved within the three days.
1. 12 students gave their lives to Christ
2. We prayed for 30 students on various issues ranging from their students to their families
3. 12 students received counseling from the team
4. New partnerships with SEEK(Suba Environmental Education of Kenya) were formed
5. We strengthened our relationship with CGA through sharing what Compassion does to advocate for vulnerable children. We will continue sharing best practices with CGA in order to enhance more learning to take place.
6. CGA students got mentors from our students and established ties and contacts for further mentorship and follow-up
7. The reunion this year was more interesting than the other past years
8. Our students said that the experience was fulfilling and they felt that they were able to be of help to other youth from who share the same background
9. CGA students made some commitments and resolutions as a result of the trainings. They were challenged in all areas of t heir lives and they promised to be change agents in the Mbita community.
10. CGA’s and SEEK administration was encouraged by our support to continue doing the good work of ministering to children in Mbita.

Praise God for the work these future leaders did at CGA.

Blessed to be a Blessing

2011-05-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

April was a busy month for the former CGA students who are now in secondary school and being sponsored through the ministry. CGA hosted two weeks of extra tutoring in Math, Physics and Chemistry during the afternoons. Around 60 of them benefitted from that assistance. In the last week of April, all of them were required to come for “Reunion.” It is something we do every school break (April, August, and December) to bring our 100 students back together to encourage them physically, socially, academically and spiritually. This time was extra special.

Nine university students who are being sponsored through Compassion International came to Mbita to conduct the program. After secondary school, Compassion students can apply for the Leadership Development Program. They go through a strict vetting process of applications, essays, interviews, etc. to select the cream of the crop. Compassion’s hope is that these students will be the future leaders of Kenya and throughout the world. When their supervisor heard of CGA’s mission, he thought it would be good leadership training for these students to minister to our high school students.

They sacrificed their time and money to come out to a rural area and share the Gospel. Our CGA students could really relate to them because they are also orphans who have been sponsored throughout their education and they have reached a high level; though it was only a few years ago they were in high school just like our kids. They understood the challenges and difficulties our kids face at home and at school. It seemed like these university students knew exactly what our kids needed to hear.

One of the best parts of the week was the time the team took in small groups and one-on-one situations; sitting with our kids to listen to them, advise them, encourage them and pray for them. That “extra effort” and personal touch meant a lot to our kids. Their testimonies were powerful. They shared from their own experiences, and even the mistakes they made along the way. Our students learned how to succeed academically, how to select good friends, how to resist temptations, and how to grow in their relationship with God.

These young men and women showed the kind of servants’ hearts that can impact this world for the kingdom of God. If they are the future of this country, then Kenya will have a bright future.
Our kids returned to their secondary schools this week re-energized and ready to meet the challenges ahead.

Thank you Compassion, Supervisor Yator and the students who ministered to us.

Term 2

2011-05-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

Term 2 began on May 4th at Christ’s Gift Academy. We started the term with a great chapel service. The kids sang so loud and beautifully unto the Lord. Teacher Lillian introduced the theme to the children, which is “Preach the Word.” The theme verse for the term will be II Timothy 4:2, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke, and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction.” We will be looking at the epistles of Paul to the different churches he ministered to. The kids learned that a church is a body of believers so each of their classes can be a church.
Please continue praying for CGA, the staff and students. This middle term is always the most challenging as the beginning of the year seems so long ago and the end seems to be still very far away. Pray for us to put God 1st in everything and rely on him for strength and guidance.

Basketball Stars

2011-04-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

Two former CGA students were competing the Secondary School National Basketball Finals this past week in Kakamega. Parris Mabel Akinyi helped Ogande Girls High School finish forth place in the entire country and Primerose Achieng helped Shimba Hills High School reach the finals where they lost to Primerose's former school. It was a great success for the two players.

A Proud Father

2011-04-17T07:01:00.001-07:00

The experience at Nationals was a good one. I was in a difficult position because our five girls were on the team, but I needed to be impartial and treat everyone the same.

Looking back on the past ten days, I can't explain how proud I am of our five girls. They performed very well on the field (all of them were starters). They weren't the most talented players in the starting line-up, but they were the glue that held the team together on the field and off the field. They played so unselfishly, passing to everyone (unlike some of the more talented players who only passed to certain people). They didn't overdribble and they worked hard on the attack and also dropped quickly on the defensive end, running the entire field. They played football the way it was meant to be played.

Off the field, they made friends with everyone. They got to know the other girls from different areas and regions and did things to help them out. They were disciplined and respectful to all of their coaches, teachers and chaperones. They were the first ones volunteering to help in the dorms or on the field. They took up responsiblities to help give out and collect uniforms. They didn't complain when things were not so good. They didn't quarrell with their teammates. So many of the other teachers and coaches gave me many compliments about their behavior.

It made me very proud and I realized that the way we are teaching and coaching them within the club is helping to form their character into a Godly one. They are far from perfect, but they are growing up as responsible, hard-working and respectful teenagers. I think I was more proud of them off the field than on the field (though I was pretty darn proud of them on the field too!)

Unchartered Territory

2011-04-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

I have been coaching our school team and club team and also teams from our area all the way up to the Provencial level for the past 4 years, but this is the first year I was asked to assist the Provencial Team at the National Level. Since five of the girls from our club were selected for the team and because we were closing the school term, it seemed like a great idea.

So, after two days at home, I was back on the road headed to Nyamira (Kisii) to help with training for a couple of days before leaving for the tournament. It was a little akward because I didn't really know the head coach very well and my few interactions with him had not been very pleasant. I was a little worried and wanted to have a very humble approach. After I arrived, we had one practice and then he informed me he was going home to see his family for a day and I was in charge of the team. I hadn't selected the players and didn't know any of them except for the five. It was not easy, but turned out ok. The coach was very receptive to my help and we made a good partnership and friendship.

After training camp ended, we boarded the bus at midnight, ready for the 12 hour journey across the country to Meru, at the base of Mount Kenya.

In the previous ten years, Nyanza Province Girls Football had never even reached the semifinal stage against the other seven provinces. When you think of all the excellent girls in our area, that is difficult history to believe. I think in the past a lot of the problems were because of poor player selection and also poor fielding (not picking the right players and putting them in the right positions). I learned that another problem in the past was tribalism. Our province mainly consists of Kisii and Luo. Though the tribes normally get along well, sometimes in younger kids they find it hard to interact with each other, especially when they are so used to speaking their tribal languages. It leads to mistrust and quarrells and other problems. And honestly, sometimes girls can just be a little catty.

In my opinion this the player selection still wasn't very good this time; several good players were left behind while some others were taken that didn't deserve it. This made fielding difficult also because we didn't have anyone to play certain positions or any good back-ups at other positions. Some players had to play out of position because of the lack of depth. In the preliminary stages we also had some conflict and some selfishness by some of the players who would only pass to certain players, but the teamwork continued to improve as the time went along.

We won our first match 2-0 and then drew the next two matches 0-0 and again 0-0 to finish as the runners-up in our pool. We marched into the semifinals and soundly beat Coast Province 2-0 with two second half goals. Our whole team with all of our fans marched up the street to the main venue singing and chanting. Once we reached the stage, they began playing a song familiar to our region and we danced for quite a while, savoring the big moment.

That win set up a rematch in the National Finals with the defending champs, Western Province (our neighbors). We had drew with them in the last preliminary game the previous day.

As expected, it was a very intense, hard fought match. They had speed and power. We had skill. Our goalkeeper made a few good saves to preserve our defense's scoreless streak in the tournament. We also had a few chances, especially on two free kicks just outside the box, but neither team scored in regulation and we went into extra time. Unfortunately, our goal keeper bobbled a long shot that fell down in front of her. There was some confusion as the Western fans started shouting behind the goal, and before we knew it, the ref signalled that the ball had crossed the line and called it a goal. Since he was standing at halfway across the field when the play happened and with our goalkeeper in perfect position behind the ball, I still find it very hard to believe it was a goal, but the referee's decision is final. So the game ended like that. Everyone was heartbroken. Things didn't improve either in the boys final when our boys lost by a goal also.

The girls were much happier when they received their silver medals and a big trophy to bring back to Nyanza, though it is painful being that close and coming up short. Considering the history of girls football in the past ten years, 2nd place is a big accomplishment. It was a great experience for me and the entire team.

Finally!!

2011-04-06T22:59:00.001-07:00

The last part of March and first part of April in Kenya are filled with primary school sports, including football, volleyball, netball (twisted version of basketball), handball and gymnastics . It starts at the school level competing against the other local schools. After that competition, they choose the best players to form a new team and move on to the next level. They continue to have tournaments where they select the best players who continue to move on through the different levels, including school, base, zone, division, district, regional, provencial and finally national. So it is about 8 different levels they pass through until they get the best players in the country to compete at Nationals.

I have been coaching the different teams through each level for girls football. As we move to the different levels we compete against other members from our Suba Lakers Girls Football club. After competing against each other, then we join together to compete at the next level. The players from CGA and myself coaching them have managed to emerge victorious at each of those levels.

The latest success came as our Mbita District team destroyed the competition at Regionals in Ndhiwa, winning each match by a large margin. After the success there, twelve of our girls were selected to represent the region at Provencials. There were only two players selected from other districts. So after training for three days we travelled to Kisii with the other sports teams from our region to take on the other regions in the province. The Mbita girls (all Suba Lakers) once again shined brightly, drawing the praise of the fans, officials and other teams.

With four goals coming from Leah Ongojo and two from Caren Akeyo, the team won both preliminary games by scores of 3-1. In the semifinals we met a very strong Kisii team. Towards the end of the first half, Alicent Awuor crossed the ball to Sharon Akinyi who struck the ball into the top left corner to put us ahead 1-0. Defender Peninah Akoth made a great goalline save and we held on in the second half for a hard fought victory. In the finals Lucia Awino scored in the first few minutes of the game to put us ahead and we never looked back. Defender Lydia Awino kept the other team's top scorer in check the entire game and goalkeeper Winny Adhiambo made some great saves to preserve the win. The first time our county or district has won the Provencial title. We have reached the finals for the past three years, but each time lost narrowly.

For their success, five of our players were selected for Nationals, including Alicent Awuor, Raisha Achilla, Lavenda Achieng, Leah Ongojo and Lydia Awino. We are very proud of them. Their hard work within the Suba Lakers Club has paid off. People all over the country are recognizing their outstanding talent and ability. They will get a chance to compete and train with the best players in the province and against the best in the country next week in Meru. They will also receive National Certificates that will greatly benefit them in getting into colleges and even getting jobs in the future..

A Short Rest

2011-04-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

It is good to be back home, at least for 2 days. Being out coaching sports is great, but it also gets a little tiring living out of a suitcase, being the only white man anywhere around (which attracts a lot of stares and comments), eating ugali twice a day or drinking an uncountable number of cups of tea. I think I am starting to sweat milk and sugar from all the tea I have drank over the last two weeks.

I am just home for two nights and Friday I will leave again to join the Provencial team that is preparing for Nationals in Meru next week. Six of the girls from our team were selected to play at Nationals, and the secretary of the Province requested me to help train the girls football team and coach them at Nationals. It is a wonderful opportunity and God is already showing me how he can use me to help bridge the divide between different tribes on the team and how I can be an encouragement and witness to the players, coaches and officials.

We will be training the team until Sunday and then travel to Mt. Kenya region to Meru for the national competition on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Nyanza province has never won the girls football title at Nationals so we have our work cut out for us.

March 2011 Kenya Update

2011-03-26T23:10:00.000-07:00

Another CGA class has finished primary school and moved on to various secondary schools throughout the country. In the five years that CGA 8th graders have taken their national exams, every single one of our 122 students have moved on to secondary school, a 100% transition rate. Of those 122 students, only one has dropped out of school before finishing. That is pretty remarkable when you consider that in Kenya only 60% - 70% of students who finish 8th grade proceed to high school; and that number is much lower in a rural area like Mbita that has been ravaged by HIV/AIDS and poverty. Out of all the girls that begin 1st grade in Mbita District, only 60% finish primary school, and only 30% finish secondary school. It is obvious that God's hand is upon our children and this ministry. The prayers of our staff and our supporters throughout the world are bringing great results and helping to change lives. It is difficult to imagine what life would be like for most of these orphans and needy children if they were not a part of CGA.

January and early February was a very busy time as we received the results, awaited letters from the schools they were selected to join and held a graduation ceremony. We also spent time preparing them spiritually, academically, financially, socially and practically for secondary school. It is always a fun and exciting time, but also sad to see members of our family go off and begin a new chapter in their life.

This year's class was exceptional for their character, leadership and openness. They were truly a joy to be around. I loved seeing them grow up from the time I first came to Kenya in 2003 when they were in 1st grade until now. I had the privilege of teaching them Math in 4th grade, Bible in 7th grade and Math again this past year. They were weak at the beginning of the year, but through their hard work they ended up earning the highest Math score ever at CGA. They finished 4th in the district in that subject, only 0.05 away from third place. Every single student in the class passed their exams.

Growing Up
One of those students was Martin Wanga. His polygamous father died when he was still a baby, leaving behind many wives and children. As a widow, Martin's mother has struggled to provide for Martin and his four siblings. For the past seven years she has been helping me around the house, coming twice a week to wash clothes, clean the house and sometimes cook a meal. When I first came to live in Kenya in 2004 Martin began coming to my house on the weekends just to hang out. He would look through my pictures or read magazines. Sometimes we would go outside and play football or just sit around and talk. It is pretty amazing to me that little boy is now in high school and is not so little anymore. God has opened doors to help him get an education so that in the future he will be able to help his widowed, ailing mother and his younger siblings.

Secondary School National Exam Results
The Secondary School National Exam results were released on Monday, February 28th. Our first graduating class from CGA has officially completed high school. We are praising and thanking God for what he has done in the lives of these children. Many of them were not in school when Don and Nancy Richards found them in the village back in 1997 and decided to start teaching them. From those pioneers, CGA was birthed and is now serving almost 300 students in the primary school and another 100 in various secondary schools, and now... 15 high school graduates.

Without the help of CGA, some of these kids would have never even finished primary school. Now, they have not only finished primary school, but also secondary school. But they didn't "just finish," they excelled!

Over 350,000 candidates sat the exam throughout the country. Fifteen CGA students were among that group and sat the exams at their various secondary schools. Here are some of the highlights of the CGA students:

All 15 candidates scored D+ and higher which qualifies them to go for further training.
11 of the 15 reached the minimum requirement for University C+ (top 25% of the country)
4 of our students scored B and higher (top 10% of the country)
Two students scored high enough to qualify to attend University with the government's support
God has shown once again that He is a "Father to the fatherless and a helper of orphans."

Cynthia Awuor's Letter
Just as I did in the last e-mail update, I would like to close this one with an excerpt from a letter one of our students wrote to her sponsor. Cynthia Awuor is beginning her final year at one of the best National Secondary Schools in Kenya. She has done excellent academically and should be one of the top students in the country on her National Exams next October/November. Here is what she told her sponsor:

"The year is finally coming to an end. This is a solid reason to appreciate God for bringing both you and I this far; surely He is Ebenezer. This year has been full of challenges for me; the more I was working hard the more I got challenges and disappointments that weighed me down. But I am not afraid of pressure because pressure is what turns a lump of coal into a diamond, the hardest substance ever known. I still believe in God and in myself. I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I have nothing to fear but just to trust in God for... 'Blessed is he who puts his trust in God and not in man.' Sometimes when I sit down and look at where God has brought me from and the people he has used to sacrifice for me in so many ways, I just cry and thank God for these special people; one of them being you. Truly you are a blessing to my life. You are an angel sent from heaven for me. I love you deeply. You shall never lack anything. May God keep you safe. May He extend your boundaries and put His good hands upon your life!"

We still have about 15 students that currently don't have sponsors. Would you consider sponsoring a CGA student?

Please pray for:

- Martin and our other 23 students who began high school this past month. Pray for them to find good friends, adapt quickly to their new surroundings, work hard academically and experience God in new and fresh ways.

- The teachers and staff at CGA to continue to allow God to use them in the lives of each of the students he has entrusted in our care. Pray for us to make the most of each day so that we can see God's Kingdom come to Kenya.

- My future as I seek God's direction on what to do at the end of this year.

Joe Peterson
Christ's Gift Academy
Mbita, Kenya

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

Upcoming Worship Leader

2011-03-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend was my first “free” weekend this year. It didn’t come until the end of February, but finally I had a weekend without travelling somewhere or football practice or teaching or any other commitments. It gave me a little time to reminisce. As I was catching up on some projects on my computer, a friend showed up at my front door. Maline Shaline is now in 7th grade at a local school and is actually one of the brightest young girls in the district. The first day I moved to Kenya in 2004 she came to visit me with some of her little friends who all called her “Baby.” At the time she was in Nursery class and was a neighbor of mine. I remember playing hide and seek with them on that first day and then sitting down together and watching the amazing sunset.

After that day, she pretty much came over every weekend and would color, draw, read some books laying around my house, do some math problems, show me how she knew how to do her ABC’s or write the words she knew on a paper. She was always curious about so many things and very inquisitive. Another thing I remember about her was that she loved to sing. When I would be practicing my guitar, she would always try to sing along with me. She learned many classic worship songs during those times like “Lord I Lift Your Name on High,” and “I Will Call Upon the Lord,” “You are My Strength When I am Weak,” and many others.

Some years ago she moved away from Mbita and lived in Nairobi for a while and also went back to her mother’s home to attend school there. Occasionally she would come back to visit, but she moved back to Mbita at the beginning of this year and soon after found my new house outside of ICIPE. Though she doesn’t like being called “Baby” anymore, Maline’s love for singing and worship hasn’t faded over the years. In fact, she was given a guitar by someone and was now asking me to help teach her how to play. When she came this weekend I was able to show her a few chords and how to strum and we started practicing some of those same songs she used to like singing with me many years ago. After we finished the lesson, she started to share some of her favorite songs with me. Some of them were Cece Winan songs and other popular international worship artists. She is a remarkable and well-rounded young girl. She amazed me as a 4 year old and is continuing to amaze me even now.

A Milestone

2011-03-01T11:26:00.000-08:00

It is finally out! The Secondary School National Exam results were released on Monday, February 28th. Our first graduating class from CGA has officially completed high school. As we prayed this morning at CGA, we praised and thanked God for what he has done in the lives of these children. Many of them were not in school when Don and Nancy Richards found them in the village back in 1997 and decided to start teaching them. From those pioneers, CGA was birthed and is now serving almost 300 students in the primary school and another 100 in various secondary schools, and now… 15 high school graduates.

Before praying in the circle people began thinking about God’s goodness. Surely he is a “father to the fatherless, and a helper of orphans.” Without the help of CGA, some of these kids would have never even finished primary school. Now, they have not only finished primary school, but also secondary school. But they didn’t “just finish,” they excelled!

Over 350,000 candidates sat the exam throughout the country. Fifteen CGA students were among that group and sat the exams at their various secondary schools. Here are some of the highlights of the CGA students:

- All 15 candidates scored D+ and higher which qualifies them to go for further training.
- 11 of the 15 reached the minimum requirement for University C+ (top 25% of the country)
- 4 of our students scored B and higher (top 10% of the country)
- Two students scored high enough to qualify to attend University with the government’s support
o Cathorine Agiro scored a B+. This places her in the top 5% of the country.
o Winga Bill Clinton scored an A-. This places him in the top 2% of the country.

Here are the Individual Results:
Winga Bill Clinton A-
Cathorine Agiro B+
Brenda Ollimo B
Edwina Ollimo B
Carolyne Aoko Orony B-
Tony Nyangi B-
Mercy Akinyi C+
Peterfris Odoyo C+
Anjeline Achieng C+
Denis Otieno C+
Regan Omondi C+
Valdry Achieng C
Violet Magero C
Purity Jimbo C-
Faith Achieng D+
Praise God for what He has done!

Girl Power

2011-02-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

I read a really good essay written by Nancy Gibbs in Time Magazine in the February 14, 2011 issue. It is titled, "The Best Investment." It fits so well with what I have seen in the developing world here in Kenya with the kids that I work with. And it speaks to what we are trying to do at Christ's Gift Academy and with the Suba Lakers Girls Football Club. Here is a little clip from it.

“This is the tantalizing idea for activists concerned with poverty, with disease, with the rise of violent extremism, if you want to change the world, invest in girls. Across most of the developing world, by the time she is 12, a girl is tending house, cooking, cleaning. She eats what’s left after the men and boys have eaten; she is less likely to be vaccinated, to see a doctor, to attend school.

Why educate a daughter who will end up working for her in-laws rather than a son who will support you? In sub-saharan Africa, fewer than 1 in 5 girls make it to secondary school. Nearly half are married by the time they are 18; 1 in 7 across the developing world marries before she is 15. Then she gets pregnant. The leading cause of death for girls 15 to 19 worldwide is not accident or violence or disease; it is complications from pregnancy. Girls under 15 are up to 5 times as likely to die while having children than are women in their 20s, and their babies are more likely to die as well.

There are countless reasons rescuing girls is the right thing to do. It’s also the smart thing to do. Consider the virtuous circle: An extra year of primary school boosts girls eventual wages by 10% to 20%. An extra year of secondary school adds 15% to 25%. Girls who stay in school for seven or more years typically marry four years later and have two fewer children than girls who drop out. Fewer dependents per worker allows for greater economic growth. And the World Food Programme has found that when girls and women earn income, they reinvest 90% of it in their families. They buy books, medicine, bed nets. For men that figure is more like 30% to 40%.

‘Investment in girls education may well be the highest return in investment available in the developing world.’ Larry Summers wrote when he was chief economist at the World Bank.

Of such cycles are real revolutions born. The benefits are so obvious you have to wonder why we haven’t paid attention. Less than 2 cents of every development dollar goes to girls- and that is a victory compared with a few years ago, when it was more like half a cent. Roughly 9 of 10 youth programs are aimed at boys.

To find success in helping girls requires enlisting whole communities- mothers, fathers, teachers, religious leaders- in helping girls realize their potential instead of seeing them as dispensable or, worse, as prey."

24 More Lives to Impact

2011-02-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, twenty-four 11 to 13 year olds joined the Suba Lakers Football Club. Most of these young girls are in 4th-6th grade at different local primary schools. We had seen them play when we hosted our tournament last October and they had all come in January for a tryout. They came early on Saturday and trained for a few hours, learning some of them basic skills and playing some 4 v. 4 games before we sat with them to encourage them about their character, academic performance and to go through the club rules. Then we had them fill out a questionairre so that we could find out more about them. We were able to give each girl a daily devotional book that they will be able to use for 180 days. After going through the first daily bible study together, the session finished with lunch before they went home.

I love seeing the enthusiasm and playfullness in the young girls. They are so excited to be chosen. They feel special. Unfortunately, that is not a feeling they got very often in this culture. It is so much better to start working with them at a young age, before they reach adolescence. We hope the club will play a part in helping them grow physicially, athletically, socially, academically and spiritually during this critical stage in their life.

Competing Against High Schools

2011-02-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we brought some of our primary school football players to Kisumu to participate in the Kisumu Boys High School open. There were twelve girls teams participating in the tournament including a couple of other clubs (with much older women) and the rest were secondary schools. All of the girls in our club that have finished primary school are in their various boarding secondary schools so during the school term, we are only able to compete with the primary school girls. It was a good opportunity to give them a chance to show us how much they have improved.

Our young girls showed great potential and impressed many by playing so well against much older and more mature girls. We started with a hard fought draw and then blew away our next opponent 6-0. We won the last preliminary and then qualified for semifinals. We played an excellent club from Kisumu that usually defeats our senior team, sometimes rather easily. This time, our young girls played very strong and even created more scoring opportunities than their opponents, though the game ended in a draw and went to post-match penalties, which we lost. We proceeded to win the 3rd place match fairly easily.

All in all, it was a great showing for the youngest team in the tournament!

Continuing Education

2011-02-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday, 29th January

On Saturday morning we piled ten of us in my Landcruiser and set out for Kisii. The group included four of us Suba Laker Officials, three of our players and their mothers. All three of the players sat their National 8th Grade exams this past year. Unfortunately, all three of them failed pretty badly. Their widowed mothers didn't know what to do with them. The girs are 17 years old so repeating 8th grade wasn't a very good choice, but their academic performance in primary school didn't qualify them for secondary school. The mothers had approached the club about what could be done to help the girls. We also didn't know what to do and were not ready to invest money in the academics of 17 year olds that are so low because of bad schools and a poor academic foundation.

We didn't have any answers, but we prayed... and God had an answer. The coach of Kisii United (the 2nd best women's club team in the country) invited all three to join his club in Kisii. They were welcomed to stay in the hostel with other teammates and the club would get them a chance in a local secondary school and pay for their fees, including uniform and other necessary materials. When we shared with the parents, they were so relieved. You could almost visibly see the burden being lifted off their shoulders.

As we set off early on Saturday there was a lot of joy and happiness with the three girls. They could now see how their football talents were helping them and that they would be able to continue their education, which they weren't sure of before this opportunity arose.

When we arrived in Kisii we were greeted by the captain of the team and several of the teammates. They showed us the hostel and explained their daily routine and program. They also cooked us a nice lunch before we departed, leaving behind their three new members.

It was a door that could only be opened by God. It was a big relief to me also. Now all seven of the girls that finished 8th grade from the club have started in their new secondary schools. That is a big accomplishment in this region where most girls never even finish primary school.

Linet and Adah who are sponsored by CGA will join Asumbi Girls High School (the 2nd best girls school in the province). Pheny, sponsored by the club, will join Bishop Okullu Magare Girls Secondary near Homa Bay. Sharon Bismark will be sponsored by a missionary friend and his Sunday School Class back in Arizona; she will join other club members like Irine Achieng at Moi Girls Sindo. Eliva, Belinda and Judith will all go to school in Kisii and be sponsored by the Kisii United Club. Somehow God worked it all out for these seven girls. Praise God!

CGA's 5th Graduation

2011-01-31T09:42:00.001-08:00

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

2011-01-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-21T07:38:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-01T02:30:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-01T00:32:00.000-08:00

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!

A Great End to the Year

2010-12-31T09:37:00.000-08:00

On the morning of New Year's Eve our Suba Lakers Football Club invited the parents of all of our players to Mbita for a parent's meeting. All of the club officials were there to talk with the parents. Most of the three hour meeting was in the local tribal language, but I think I followed most of it. After appropriate introductions of everyone in the room, our vice-chairman explained to the parents the purpose of the club. Most of them already knew but it was good for them to hear again that we are trying to develop all-around girls, nourishing them spiritually, academically and physically. Football is the means which we can use to help them build better futures.

We officially announced the success that several of our girls had on their National Exams. One of our girls was the 8th best girl in the district (out of thousands), another one was the 16th best. Several of them will be proceeding to High School. We shared about how we help to tutor them when they come for training and that we give them time to study. We also gave the parents advice on how to help their child succeed academically.

Other officials shared about the team rules and guidelines, the program when they come for training and other issues pertaining to them. Before concluding we shared about the successes on the field.

The highlight of the day though was the comments and reactions of the parents. Typically in Kenya, at the end of every 3-4 hour meeting, the participants have time to speak their mind. Most of the time, at least in my experience, they are complaints and other negative things. This time was much different. The parents praised the club for how it is helping their girls. Some talked about how they have seen their child's character changing over the last 1-2 years. Others talked about the improvement in their academic performance. Others said that without the help of the club their girl would have never finished 8th grade and passed her national exam. Many said that football is keeping their daughters busy with positive activities and keeping them away from pregnancy and dropping out of school like many girls in their villages. All of them wanted the girls to come and train even more often (sometimes we feel guilty like we are calling them to come to much, but we found out the parents feel differently). Others commented on the way we handle their daughter with such care and concern and the way we communicate with the families and the schools they come from. There were also good comments on some things we can improve in the future.

I can't explain how touched my heart was after the meeting. These widowed single mothers and old grandmothers can see that we are helping to make a difference in their girl's life. There was no better way to end the year than that!

This Little Light of Mine

2010-12-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

On Sunday evening we were returning from Kisii after having played 5 football matches in 4 days. Fortunately we arrived in Mbita before dark so we were able to get almost all of the players home before dark. When you are working with girls, especially in this area, you have to be very careful because of the dangers all around them. Their parents and guardians entrust them to us and we want to do everything possible to make sure they reach back home safely. Only one player remained and she happened to be one of my favorites (I know you are not supposed to have favorites but we all do). Alicent was missing her family and her home and really wanted to reach that night, instead of waiting for the next day. Her home is on the other side of Rusinga Island. My friend Mourine Ooro and I decided to drive her home.

She is the youngest girl on our senior team (she just turned 13 years old), but one of the boldest and bravest. She has a lot of spunk, always quick to smile and loves to laugh. We had a good conversation with her on her way home. She was asking about my family back in America and we were talking about her family here in Kenya. After the death of her father in 2001 Alicent lived for three years in Uganda in her maternal grandparents home. In 2006 she returned to her paternal grandparents home on Rusinga Island to be with her sick mother. Not long after Alicent’s return, the mother also passed away. Alicent had returned from church one Saturday and found the mother lifeless in her bed. Alicent and her six siblings were soon after dispersed throughout different parts of Kenya and Uganda to be cared for by various relatives. Since that time Alicent has remained in Kenya and has been cared for by a step-mother. The step-mother has three children of her own that she is also caring for and she makes charcoal to provide for the family. Alicent has a very strong bond with her step-mother and her 81 year old grandparents.

We parked the car on the road and then walked about 2 km down the mountain toward the lake where their home is situated. I had visited the home several times before, so I was greeted very warmly by the step-mother and grandparents. They are always happy to see Alicent come home.

A few weeks ago my sister-in-law's father, Rich, gave me a very special Christmas gift. It was a Coleman LED lantern which works for over 125 hours before the batteries need replacing. I had used it every night in my house since receiving it because it lights up my sitting room much better than my normal light. It allowed me to do some work or read the newspaper at night. It was also small enough to function as a flashlight too which is why I had it with me when I was bringing Alicent home that night.

After entering their house we prayed and exchanged greetings, but I felt a tug at my heart that I should give them my new lantern. Maybe it was because the house was dark and the only light was a tiny candle that was about to go out. I tried to convince myself not to give it away. I told myself that I really needed it myself and that these people would not even know how to use it. Even if they did know how to use it they wouldn't be able to afford new batteries once these one are used up. I thought of every excuse, even that I wouldn't be able to find my way back to the car that night without a light (even though the moon was full and bright).

Normally I like to give things away, but usually they are old things that I don't like or use anymore; not something that is special to me.

In the end, I gave a gift that hurt me a little bit, yet it also felt so good. I don't know if they truly understood what I gave them or if they will really use it, but I do know that the tug on my heart to freely give was too much to overcome.

In a small way, it is like the gift that God gave us on Christmas 2000 years ago. He gave His best, His one and only son. I can't imagine the hurt and pain it must have caused God (not to mention the hurt and pain Jesus endured on the cross for us).

The light he gave us wasn't a little lantern that can light up a small mud hut, but the Light of the entire World!

On the Field

2010-12-21T23:14:00.000-08:00

During our four day trip to Kisumu and Kisii we played 5 matches. On Thursday we took on Girls Talent Academy in Ahero and defeated them 8-0, but in all honesty it could have been 15-0 as we spoiled many good chances. It wasn't very competitive, but it did give us good practice at finishing around the goal, six different players scored goals in the match.

On Saturday in Kisumu we defeated Kasagam 6-0. We controlled the ball possession for almost the whole game. Irine Achieng started the scoring early with a great left-footed kick from the wing over the goal-keeper. In the finals we face SEP from Oyugis. They are similar to us in that they have school-going girls and try to use football as a way to impact other areas of their lives. The SEP team started much more aggressive than we did and their fans were cheering loud and also were very negative towards our team. I think our girls were a little intimidated and didn't react fast enough towards the ball. The other team scored early in the 2nd half to go ahead by a goal and their fans were even more relentless. Our girls kept battling and finally a few minutes before the end Dorothy Adhiambo scored a goal to even the score. Unfortunately we lost on post-match penalty kicks 3-2, but it was a good competitive game that will help us in the future.

On Sunday we travelled to Kisii and faced the 2nd best team in the country in the first match. Kisii United finished 2nd in the Kenya Premier League in their inaugural season. Our girls played very well, but fell 5-0. Only two goals came during the regular flow of the match, the others came on a penalty, a corner kick and a goalkeeping error. And we had multiple chances, but just couldn't quite convert. All of our players were 17 year old or younger, playing against much older and more experienced players. In fact, our 13 year old mid-fielder (Alicent), 14 year old mid-fielder (Raisha) and 14 year old defender (Linet) played exceptionally well. I was so proud of them and so was the Kisii coach. He was so impressed that he wants us to sign an official transfer for two of our players to join his team in the women's professional league next season. He was even willing to help pay their school fees if they come. It could be a great opportunity for them financially, academically and athletically.

In the second match we scored a late goal to defeat Nyamira 3-2. We controlled the game early on going up 2-0, but let them back in the game before we finished it out.

It was a successful trip. Even though we were without 5 of our best players, our girls showed their talent, grit and determination. I am even more motivated to continue working with them and helping them achieve their goals.

Off the Field

2010-12-21T23:04:00.001-08:00

We travelled with our girls football team last week to Kisumu and Kisii to play some matches, We had a unique opportunity this time because one of the days we didn't have any games to play. So after training Friday morning and spending some time on academic work we took them to the museum. They got to learn more about Kenyan culture and different tribes, the various animals that live in different areas. They also saw many species of snakes live as well as crocodiles. They enjoyed seeing things in person that they had only heard about through their teachers or seen in textbooks.

Afterwards the kids went shopping in a supermarket (the first time for some of them) and even got to ride in some bumper cars. They loved "driving" and ramming into one another. Some of them couldn't stop laughing the entire time.

More Than Just Football

2010-12-21T22:47:00.000-08:00

The football club girls reported for training on Monday, the 13th. December is the perfect time for training because the school year is over and they have a lot of free time. They were excited to come and showed a lot of enthusiasm on the football field. Free from the burden of school and other stresses, they seemed so happy and lively. Their fitness wasn't the best, but it seemed to improve everyday. The thirty girls love the opportunity to come together and develop their God-given abilities.

But our Football Club is much more than just playing a game. We try to use it to impact the lives of these girls physically, socially, academically and spiritually. Too many girls in this area drop out of school before finishing 8th grade to work or to get married. Throughout the week, we were doing an FCA Bible Study that discussed the basics of Christianity such as salvation, security, Holy Spirit, Word of God, Prayer, Satan and others. It was wonderful to see the girls looking up scriptures, discussing problems and learning the Word of God.

In the afternoons we took time to help them academically, even though school is out. Many of them struggle in Math at their rural schools, so i was able to spend a couple of hours giving them help, answering their questions and helping them to understand better.

it was such a successful week in so many ways.

A Bad Christmas for Politicians

2010-12-21T22:31:00.000-08:00

Last week the International Criminal Court in Hague charged 6 Kenyans for their actions during the post-election violence that rocked the country and left over a thousand dead and half a million displaced from their homes after the 2007 election went awry. These weren't just normal citizens, but a radio personality, the head of the police and high ranking politicians (including the Deputy Prime Minister).

Last year, the government had the option to have them face a local tribunal, but turned that down which then left it in the hands of the ICC according to the peace accord signed by the Prime Minister and President that put an end to the violence. After the announcement of "The Hague Six" other politicians quickly rallied to their side and shot out at the ICC and the entire process. They went back to the card they love to pull out, "This is a tribally/ethnically motivated political ploy. Do these people realize that most people outside of Kenya could care less what tribe somebody belongs to?

I don't claim to know who is guilty and who is innocent, but I do pray for the truth to be revealed and that those who planned and organized the violence and the forceful evictions from people's homes will be brought to justice. That seems to be very rare in this country.

Wikileaks Causing Problems in Kenya

2010-12-13T09:26:00.001-08:00

The Wikileaks controversey has really struck a chord here in Kenya. The web-site released just a few comments from the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Rannenberger. He said that the leaders of this country are supporting a culture of impunity because they don’t punish those high ranking officials involved in corruption and other crimes. Then he went on to say something about Kenya having the most corrupt government in Kenya. Oops, I bet he wished that never came out in the news.

During yesterday’s independence day celebration the president, prime minister and everyone else that got up to speak lashed out at him. Kenya’s leaders are really ticked off. I am not sure if they even spoke about any other topic; at least the news coverage didn’t show anything else. I wonder how many Kenyans would say they agree with Rannenberger’s comments? I hear many of them say the same thing, but I guess it is a little different coming from a Kenyan then coming from an outsider living in Kenya.

Probably not the best thing for diplomatic relations between the two countries? How long will it take for the U.S. to transfer him out of the country? My guess is that it will be pretty quick!

Land of Paradox

2010-12-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

The past couple of days I have really been reminded of the paradox of serving here. In some ways I love this place so much, and in other ways it drives me crazy. There are parts of the culture that are so endearing, and others that I will never understand. Even the same is true with the people and relatonships.

I received an e-mail update from the leaders of my mission training that I took before coming to Kenya. What they said is so true, and really applies to me. I wish I would have wrote it...

"If I had to choose a word to describe this year, it would be PARADOX. I
love that word. It allows seemingly contradictory realities to dwell together
at the same time. And this year, like most, has held many paradoxes...

At any given moment, our hearts are full and broken, enriched and depleted,
grateful and weeping, content and longing for more. It is to these hearts
that the Savior faithfully comes, bringing grace and a song! It is this Savior
that our hearts celebrate at Christmas and in all the seasons of life!"

Lessons From a Dead Mouse

2010-12-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

Living in Kenya is a paradox for me. Sometimes I love it and sometimes not so much. But I think that is true for all of us, whereever we live.

Friday was not the best day for me. After sleeping for only 3 hours Thursday night I was awoken by a noise and couldn't get back to sleep. I was already a little jet-lagged, but I laid in bed for an hour and a half in an unfruitful attempt to induce sleep. Luckily, there was a football game on TV at 4:30 am (time difference between Kenya and U.S.) so I laid on the couch and watched a little. Realizing sleep was not going to happen again, I got ambitous and tried to call a customer service line in America to help me with my new Kindle e-book reader (parent's Christmas present). Well that was quite a joy to spend 15 minutes on hold and then a pleasant 30 minute conversation (on international rates) hearing about all the extra charges for trying to use the 3G downloading function overseas for my subscriptions to magazines and newspapers.

By 7:30 I set off to meet our boys football team who was competing in a tournament in Sindo, 20 km away. Unfortunately, the other vehicle had a dead battery (because the owner had used it to watch TV in his house all night) so I had to jumpstart him so that we can bring the whole team to Sindo. Even though the roads were quite muddy and slippery from the morning rain, we reached well, but the other vehicle got a flat tire just outside of Mbita. Believe it or not, they had no spare tire (frequent occurrence in Kenya). So after dropping my group I had to go back to pick up the other players and the bad tire. We arrived just in time for kick-off but I think the events of the morning played a toll on the kids and they got beat 4-1.

I had to quickly rush back to Mbita for a meeting with the leadership at CGA at noon. The meeting was pretty uneventful, and was followed by two more meetings, now with the parents of our secondary students in the sponsorship program. It turned out to be a pretty typical Kenya meeting, lasting about 4 1/2 hours. Everyone has to give their opinion and then open it up for in-depth discussion. Some were good, some were not.

After the meetings, many students and several parents were waiting to share personal problems with me. The family of one of our boys was kicked out of their house and off their land because the father had sold it before he died without telling one. Others wanted to discuss switching schools or their fee problems or other things I shouldn't write about in this blog. By the time I started walking home, it was already getting dark outside.

When reaching home, I realized my sitting room light barely gave out enough light for me to see my own hand. Having wasted hours and hours previously with the solar lights and fixtures, I decided to leave that job for another day. So I lit a candle and a lantern. That wasn't the best idea because they attracted all of the mosquitos and lake flies which seemed to fixate on my face. Soon after, the rain began pouring down and eventually through my roof and in many spots throughout the house.

Tired, hungry and at my wits end, I gave up and decided to go to bed. On my way to bed, I spotted a rather large mouse in my pantry. My reflexes are deteriorating in my old age so I was unsuccessful trying to catch it. Defeated, I strugged to set up some peanut butter (my least favorite food in the world) on a few mouse traps and place them around the house.

I finally plopped down in my bed and just started spilling my heart out to God in the dark of the night. I don't know if it was jet lag, or the 3 hours of sleep the night before, or just cross-cultural frustrations, but I felt totally downhearted. Just a couple of minutes into my prayer time, I heard the snap of a mouse trap. That sound brought so much joy to my heart. I just shouted outloud "Praise God!" My prayers of frustration turned into prayers of gratitude and joy for how good God is to me. I felt like he was telling me, "Don't worry Joe, I have you taken care of. I know exactly what you need and will meet those needs according to my glorious riches."

Thank you God! And thank you stupid mouse!

We Need You!!

2010-11-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

1) Please pray for our twenty-four 8th graders as they sit their National Exams November 9-11. It is a pivotal moment in their lives. Pray for confidence in their minds, peace in their hearts and good health. And pray for success for the glory of God (more is written below).

2) Consider sponsoring a student through CGA. We are in need of more child sponsors to help cover the costs of educating each child. Or consider giving a year end gift to CGA so that we can continue providing a strong Christian education and meeting the basic physical needs for these 275 primary school kids and 90 secondary school kids. You can contribute on-line at www.cgakenya.com (click on the button “Donate Now”) or you can send a check to:
Christ’s Gift Academy
636-G Long Point Rd #38
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

3) For all of you in the Charleston area, there is a Golf Tournament and a Dinner/Silent Auction on November 12th at Patriots Point. The proceeds will go to benefit our sports ministry here in Mbita. Download the registration form. Here is summary of what we are looking for.
- Golf tournament ($400/foursome or $100/participant)
- Silent Auction: 5-7 p.m. at Patriots Point Links Golf Club ($20/ticket)
- Hole sponsorship ($100/hole)
- Purchase a uniform for a young athlete ($50.00)
- Donate raffle items (gift certificates, merchandise, services, etc…)
- Donate silent auction items

In October our Football Club hosted a tournament for girls 13 years and younger. We thought we could get 6-7 teams, but 14 showed up that morning. It was a great day filled with a lot of football for young girls who don’t get many opportunities to play in real games like that. We were also able to share the Gospel with those 200 young girls plus hundreds of other fans. The day ended with a good female motivational speaker and the awards ceremony.

It is time once again for National Exams. 8th grade is the culmination of primary school and it ends with all 800,000 students across the country taking their National Exam. The exams will be on November 9-11. They will take multiple choice exams in Math, English Grammar, Science, Kiswahili Grammar and Social Studies/Religious Education. They will also write a composition in English and a composition in Kiswahili. After finishing they will wait for close to two months for the results to be released. Their performance on this one exam will determine if they are able to proceed to secondary school and what school they will be able to attend. There is a lot of pressure on the students and the school to “perform.” Students, teachers and schools are all judged on this one exam so you can imagine the pressure these kids feel when taking it. Many times students fall ill and are overtaken by stress. Please pray for their strength and perseverance during these exams. Pray that they will remember all that they have learned and that they would succeed. This is the first year I have taught 8th grade Math and so I am also a little nervous about how they will do. They have worked extremely hard throughout this year and I know they are well-prepared and will be successful, but there is still a little anxiety. We are busy doing the last minute touches to make sure they are ready! But we need you to help by praying!!!

Encouraging the Young Girls

2010-10-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

Our Suba Lakers Football Club hosted its first ever tournament for Under 13 year old girls. Fourteen teams showed up early on the 20th October, a Kenyan National Holiday. Our club officials were hoping for around six teams so we were stunned at the response. Even despite the heavy rains that had made the roads difficult to travel on (and also washed away the lines we had drawn on the field the previous day) the teams arrived early which is rare here. Many people commented that this was the first time they had ever seen a tournament like this in Mbita. Each team played with seven players and we used a smaller field which gave the players more chances to touch the ball.

Our goal was to encourage the young girls to be developing their various talents. Many times girls don't get the opportunity to play at their schools because the boys take the ball and dominate the field. If girls get to play, then it is usually the older ones, which leaves these younger ones left out. We also wanted to use the tournament as a way to spread the Gospel and to encourage the young girls in other ways. A pastor came and shared a message with all the teams gathered around before the seminfinals began. Also, a successful woman from the community share some words of wisdom to motivate and inspire these young girls to work hard in school and take good care of their bodies.

Age vetting was a difficult process as almost every coach brought older girls that we had to disqualify. In fact, one team had seven girls who did not make our age cut. The sad part is that the coaches would prep the girls to lie about their age and year of birth; a very common practice in this country.

Each team was able to play at least two matches and most played three matches. The winning team from each pool qualified for semifinals in the afternoon. In one semifinal Temo from Rusinga Island met with Wanga Primary where my good friend is the principal. In the other seminfinal CGA face Milimani. CGA allowed their first goal of the day by one of their own players heading it backwards into their own goal. It was a heartbreaking way to lose, but they rebounded to blow out Wanga in the third place match. Milimani won the championship on penalty kicks in a hard fought match.

We were able to feed lunch to each team and also give them a football and certificate. Each coach received a t-shirt. And we handed out many awards like cleats, t-shirts, goalkeeper gloves, etc. to the outstanding players. Everyone went home happy.

It was an incredibly fun day and very successful in motivating the girls from all around this district.

Across the Lake

2010-10-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

Even though all of the students from Christ’s Gift Academy have grown up on the shores of the second biggest freshwater lake in the world, most of them have never travelled across on it on a boat. On Friday, forty-four CGA students and ten teachers travelled by boat to Mfangano Island for the release of the results from a joint exam we did with the other top schools in the district. It was the first time many of them had been out on Lake Victoria. They really enjoyed the scenery and being able to look back and see their homes from a different perspective. The boat ride each way lasted about one and a half hours. They were busy telling stories to each other, pointing to landmarks they could recognize and singing songs.

Once reaching Mfangano, they were warmly greeted by the students of Gethsemane Academy, our sister school on the island. Similar to CGA, the school was created to give a quality Christian education to the orphans and help them break the cycle of poverty in their lives. During the release of the exam results, the highlight for CGA was being #1 in English for 6th Grade. Also, several individuals were honored.

6th Grade- Wendy was #2 overall in English and Esther Juma was the #3 girl overall out of over 200 students

8th Grade- Valary Macklago was #1 overall in Math and #5 girl overall out of over 200students. Adah Sharon was also in the top ten girls

Secondary Students Preparing for National Exams

2010-10-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

It is with proud hearts that 16 former Christ’s Gift Academy students will be taking their National Exams from October 21 – November 11 at their various secondary schools. This will be the first group of CGA students to reach this milestone in their lives. Many of these students began at CGA in Nursery school the year the school was founded, 1997. Without the support of Christ’s Gift Academy and their sponsors, many of them would have never had the chance to reach this far in their education. We are so proud of each one! There have been many struggles and obstacles along the way, but God has seen them through.

Please pray for these students as they diligently prepare for their National Exam. Around 300,000 students around the country will be taking the same exam. It is done over the course of three weeks. They will usually do exams in 8 subjects. Some are mandatory such as English, Math, Kiswahili, Biology and Chemistry; and there are other electives they can choose between like Physics, History, Geography, Business, Religious Education, Computer and Agriculture. Some of the subjects require multiple exam papers so, on average, most of students will take around 15 exams within those three weeks. They feel a lot of pressure and stress during this time because their performance on this test will determine much of their future possibilities. Please be praying for their health, for peace in their hearts, confidence in what they have learned and how hard they have worked, and for their success.

Once they finish their exam, they will have to wait for about four months for their results. You can also be praying for them during that time. It is not easy for many young people after they finish school. There are many temptations out there, especially when they finally have a lot of free time after working so hard to prepare for exams. Pray that they would use their time well by volunteering, serving, helping and learning new skills.

It’s our goal at CGA, that each student has the chance to complete their education with a high school diploma. We are thankful to God for bringing them this far and for their sponsors and the school sponsors for their consistent and faithful support over the years to help make their dreams a reality!

Small Gifts for our Football Club

2010-09-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend our 25 primary school football girls came for another weekend of training. They report on Friday afternoon and stay with us until Sunday afternoon. There is much time for training, studying, guest speakers, watching some football videos and spending time together. We had a great speaker this weekend who shared with them about how to take good care of their bodies, personal hygeine and how God has created them.

On the last morning a Junior Boys team from Rusinga Island came to play a friendly match with us. They thought they would be able to dominate a girls team, but were a bit embarrassed when our girls defeated them 5-2. We played two full 45 minute halves so it was good conditioning and good competition playing against fast, agressive young boys.

Because of a generous donation our madam teachers were able to buy a couple pair of underwear for each girl. That is a big blessing as many of them only own one or two pairs. We also got each girl a mosquito net to take home with them to help protect them from getting malaria. CGA had bought a large order for our students last month and they had some extras that we purchased from them. We also were able to give almost half of them old half-deflated basketballs that they could use at home to kick around a little and play with in the village (I never imagined I would give basketballs away to be kicked- don't tell my former basketball coaches).

The girls received the gifts with big smiles and sincere thank-you's.

Challenges

2010-09-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if the following story is what is really supposed to go in a blog from a missionary, but this is what I am going through and some of the battles that we face here. God is at work and doing mighty things, but there will always be opposition.

I think I have experienced two of my lowest points since coming to Kenya 7 years ago.

In July, one of our third year secondary students decided to leave his school. He had been having problems for several years now and we had been trying to counsel him and advise him. He had finally had enough and thought it was best to leave. When he returned to Mbita we were very kind and gentle towards him even though we were upset at his poor decision. Our Kenyan Principal, Mr. Gwalla, and I sat and talked with him and tried to help him think about his future and the right way to move forward. We reassured him that we were committed to supporting him in the future. After our conversation ended with prayer we left the office. The boy returned quietly a few minutes later and stole our principal’s phone. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! By the time we noticed, it was too late as he was already across the lake and well on his way to Kisumu. Fortunately his family helped us to recover the phone, but it was damaged by the time it was returned.

Over the next few weeks we heard some stories of how over the past couple of years he had been trying to involve some of our younger girls in sexual relationships. I was greatly disappointed because of all that I had invested in this young man, but was satisfied that he was far away from Mbita and wouldn’t be coming back any time soon to cause more problems, or so I thought…

After a few weeks he returned to town which worried all of us because of the girls being in danger. I decided to go find him one day and when he saw me, he started running… so I decided to start chasing him. I knew I wouldn’t catch him with my heavy boots on running through the bushes in this rural area he knows so well, but I thought that at the very least, I could put a little scare in him.

It was difficult to understand what was happening. This is the same boy that I taught for three years in primary school, helped him get into one of the best high schools in the country and visited him regularly in his school. Now he is running away from me. How did it get to this point? I didn’t catch him, but I found his mother and requested her to make sure that he leaves Mbita and returns to his family in Kisumu or his father in Nairobi.

They didn’t think I was serious and he decided to stick around. So a couple of days later we had the police arrest him and put him in jail. Our principal, Mr. Gwalla, and I were able to go to the assistant police chief and spend a few hours with the boy and his mother. The policeman had the boy read aloud the minimum jail sentences for breaking and entering and also for defiling a minor.

The following day the policeman brought the boy up to CGA to do a practical lesson for all the secondary students who had come for extra teaching that week. He led the boy, handcuffed, in front of the awaiting students and was met by a lot of shocked faces and long stares. It was a good lesson that the others will not soon forget.

A few days later they let him out of jail with a strong warning that he should find a new school as soon as possible and told to stay away from Mbita. Even though we will not be able to continue to help him, we are praying that his eyes will be opened and he will turn back to God before it is too late.

A few weeks later something else came up. Another boy that is one of the main leaders among our secondary students had some problems. He comes from a very poor home where his elderly grandmother has raised him along with his brothers. The boy was the school leader while he was in primary school at CGA and always comes back to volunteer at school helping with anything that is needed during the holidays. He is hard-working and has a very outgoing personality. We have shown a lot of confidence and trust in him. There were some inconsistencies we noticed on the report form he handed in when he came back to Mbita over the holiday. We asked him questions about it, but he had some excuses. Because of some other issues we decided to bring him back to his school to start the new term. After arriving we quickly realized that he had changed his report form, not only this time, but he had been doing it for three years now. So this student who we had thought was doing so well in school has been struggling throughout, undetected by us. We also realized he had been deceiving us about other things also. The worst part is that even when he was caught red-handed he still wouldn’t admit it. He continued to try and make-up stories and acted like he hadn’t done anything wrong until finally at the end he was able to speak the truth. It was painful to witness.

Adding insult to injury… after discovering these lies, the deputy principal at his school told us that the boy needed a new mattress before they could readmit him to school. So Lillian (our orphan overseer) and I had to drive to the nearby town and spend more money to buy the boy (who had been deceiving us for three years) a new mattress because the grandmother had no money to assist. Lillian used the opportunity when we gave him the mattress to tell him that it is a picture of God’s grace with us. He blesses us and does so much for us that we don’t deserve, but he does it because of his love for us. I still believe he will learn a lot from this experience and change for the better. He knows right and wrong. Maybe this is a good “wake-up call” that will help to put him back on the right path.
To be totally honest these cases really got me down for a while. Through prayer and scripture God continues to remind me to not focus on the problems, but to focus on what God is able to do, which is much more than we can ask or imagine. All of us are “works in progress.” Sinners saved by grace.

CGA has 90 students in secondary school and most of them are doing so well, working hard and being a “light” in their schools, but it is easy to get focused on the few negative ones. Without God, there wouldn’t be much hope, but as believers we continue to be faithful to what God has called us to do and leave the results in His hands!

Secondary Students Being God's Hands and Feet

2010-09-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

This past week we have been hosting around 70 of the 90 secondary students we sponsor in various schools. Each of them completed 8th grade at CGA before moving on to the next level of education. We call it a reunion because they are reuniting with their former classmates. It happens during each of the three school breaks during the year (April, August and December). The students enjoy catching up with close friends and learning from each other.

This time around I let the students plan the schedule for the week and lead the program. They set aside time for worship and prayer, testimonies, small groups, guest speakers, crazy games, and sports. The testimony time this week was very powerful as many stood up and openly admitted some of the mistakes they have made in the past and urged the others not to do the same. One boy talked about his struggle with lust and sex. Another discussed her bad choices when it came to cheating on exams. Others have talked about stealing or just being lazy. It is good for them to hear from one another. I have been impressed with their honesty and sincerity. Several mentioned how grateful they are for the opportunity they have been given to attend secondary school through their sponsorship by CGA.

On Wednesday the entire group walked to the home of one of their classmates who was having a funeral for his older brother who passed away last week. They are a poor family with an elderly grandmother and then all of the grandchildren. As soon as they reached, they began helping. Some started carrying buckets to the lake to fetch water for cooking and washing. Others went to the local primary school to get chairs and benches, others helped in cooking and washing the plates. It was awesome to see the kids being the hands and feet of God. The community was so impressed and were really giving a lot of compliments to the way the CGA secondary students were serving. It feels good to hear the community talking well of the teenagers for once instead of just speaking ill.

The reunion ended on Thursday after the students watched a great movie, Faith Like Potatoes. It had a wonderful message about having big faith and sharing that faith with others and how God can transform lives. The kids enjoyed it and took home a lot that they can apply to their lives.

On Monday and Tuesday, all of the 90 students will be returning to their various secondary schools to finish out the last 3-month term of the school year.

Our Boys Can Also Play

2010-09-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend the Suba Laker Boys competed in the Omit Pile tournament on Rusinga Island. It was an under 17 year old tournament for local teams. The boys sailed through the preliminaries with 2 wins and a draw. They dominated their semifinal game winning 2-0. The finals on Saturday afternoon were hotly contested playing against the home team from Rusinga. The locals didn't want the trophy to leave the island, but the Suba Lakers wanted to take the trophy back across the causeway to Mbita.

The Lakers scored two goals in the first half, but both were taken away by the referee. The first one was because of off-sides and the second one because of a push. In the second half the Rusinga team gained momentum and put a ball into our goal, but their goal was also disallowed because of off-sides. The game ended in a scoreless draw and went to penalty kicks. As the sun was setting, our goalkeeper saved the first three kicks and we quickly converted our chances to lift the trophy.

2010-08-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

I have to share a few individual stories from this weekend, especially concerning the junior tournament...

1) One of our returners from last year's champions was Linet. She is small in stature but big in heart and she is like the energizer bunny on the field. She is a student at CGA and I have taught her for the last 5 years so we know each other well. She can be moody at times and it rubs off on her teammates. And sometimes she thinks she knows everything and doesn't accept correction very well. She displayed both of those bad characteristics in the first game, especially towards my assistant coach. So I substituted her out of the game and had a private talk with her on the sideline letting her know that her attitude better change very quickly if she wanted to play in the upcoming matches. For the rest of the weekend she was such a great leader and dazzled on the pitch. She was the defensive stopper that no one could get past (we only allowed 2 goals in 6 matches). She was encouraging her teammates and helping every chance she could get.

2) Winny was our goalkeeper. She has some good natural ability, but she is a 6 foot tall 13 year old still trying to figure out how to use those long arms and legs (I know many of you are wondering why I am not teaching her basketball). She lacks confidence and experience, but she gained both this weekend playing in five of the six matches and only allowing one goal. My favorite part was the semifinal game on Sunday morning with a goalkeeper box filled with mud from the rains overnight. She doesn't really like getting dirty, but she was diving around in the mud all game to protect the goal. We eventually lost the game on penalty kicks, but I was so proud of her.

3) Our Junior captain was Alicent. She just turned 13 last week and is such an impressive young girl. She had lost both of her parents by the age of 6, but is fighting to make something of her life. On the field she is like a coach during training, constantly talking to the other players, encouraging them and running drills if I am not there. She is tiny, but has the heart of a lion. During our third place game I began breaking out in tears watching her fight to the end. She had been sick the night before and hadn't eaten anything that night or the next morning, but she was still willing to go out on the field and give everything she had for back-to-back games. She could barely walk, but that didn't stop her. Working with teenage girls, sometimes one will show up at the field and unexpectantly start crying because they are sick or scared or because of some other problem going on in their life. I couldn't help but appreciate the effort that she was making on the field that day. The great part is that she makes that same effort in school and in everything that she does.

Juniors Finish Third

2010-08-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

In the Junior category (under 14 years old), we were the defending champions. We had three players returning from last years team and some new younger girls we added on. These games are played with only 7 players on each side and on a small field with small goals. It is actually a dirt field used for field hockey.

It took a few games for them to get going, but once they did, they were very impressive. The referees and spectators quickly began admiring them and the way they play. All the other teams were just kicking the ball down the field and chasing after it. The Laker girls were passing it back and forth all over the field and playing "their game." They managed to reach the semifinals where they played the host team, Galactico. That was the same team they had defeated in the championship game last year. It had rained hard the night before which left the dirt field pretty muddy. Both teams battled so hard and our girls grew stronger as the game went along, but despite getting many chances, they just couldn't find the back of the net of the small goal. The game ended in a draw and went to penalty kicks where we lost on the final kick.

The girls were devastated about not going to play in the finals on the main football pitch with a big crowd, but they quickly got excited when they learned they would have one more game to play to compete for third place. They took control of that game from the first seconds and thoroughly dominated the opposition in winning 3 to 0. They were overjoyed to take home another trophy, medals and sh. 200 each ($2.50).

It is so much fun to see the youthful enthusiasm and joy from 12, 13 and 14 year old girls. These ones are a special group of girls. Three of them, despite their young age, are a major part of our senior team because of their talent, work ethic and leadership. The Suba Lakers have a bright future.

Galactico/KYFA Tournament

2010-08-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Suba Lakers Girls Football Club travelled to Kisumu this weekend to compete in a 3 day tournament. We took an Under 14 year old team to compete in the Junior Tournament and an over 14 year old team to compete in the Open Tournament.

This is the third straight year we have competed in the Open tournament against some of the top teams from around the country. Our senior team is comprised of school going children from the ages of 15-18 and we compete against teams full of seasoned veterans mostly around the ages of 18-25. Each year we have seen a remarkable improvement in our level of play as a team. This year we played so well in our four preliminary games, winning one and losing three (all by the score of 1-0). It was a good showing considering that we ended up losing close matches to the three teams that finished the tournament in the top three positions. We held the hosts and eventual champions, Galactico, scoreless for the entire match until they scored in the final minute. We have made big strides with our girls and I am convinced that if we continue to train and play together that much success is ahead for the club.

I was proud of the girls "fighting" spirit, good attitude and overall character they displayed on and off the field during the tournament

Final Pictures from Nairobi

2010-08-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

...and more pictures

2010-08-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

More Pictures from Nairobi

2010-08-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Day 4 and 5

2010-08-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our last day full day in Nairobi was spent touring Kenyatta University, which actually has a nice campus – sort of like a U.S. university. It was fun when our library tour guide sent one of the girls through the library metal detector with a book that had not been scanned. The book beeped and the class thought that was hilarious. They also got to play DJ at the radio station. After lunch we took a drive to Thika where there were 2 great waterfalls, and a small animal park. The kids seemed to enjoy it. Then off to Kasarani Sports complex. It is the biggest sports complex in East Africa. It was built about 27 years ago, by the Chinese, and is now having a complete overhaul. We went into the football stadium, the basketball arena and the amazing swim center. They had an amazing diving pool with 1, 3, 5 & 10 meter diving boards. It was beautiful. I think the next time the kids tour there they need to bring their suits. Then back to Nairobi to try to get to the National Museum before it closed at 6:00. We made it with 5 minutes to spare. So a quick (fully priced) 15-minute-run-through-the-museum and we were finished. It was a great museum, and the kids were disappointed not to stay longer. However, they did have shopping on their minds and did not want to delay that. So, we took them to a big Mega-supermarket called Nakumat after we barely made it through the crazy rush hour traffic of Nairobi. They had 30 minutes to shop with the little pocket money that they had, but they came out with big bags of stuff. After returning for dinner, we had a nice closing bible study and finally went to bed after packing.

Off and rolling by 7am to stop to tour a tea plantation in Kericho by 11:00 am. Well, we made it there by 12:45 pm and had to leave by 2 to make the 6:00 pm ferry back to Mbita. We were lucky that we left about 3. The tea plantation tour was really interesting. We saw the picked tea leaves put into the processing plant up until the end product - it took three hours. Wet tea leaves to dry tea! We were lucky that none of us were impaled by the swinging hooks that we ducked under during our tour. We only had one student vomit in the car on the way home! It was a great opportunity for the kids to learn firsthand about some of the things their teachers have been teaching them and that they have been reading in their textbooks. It was a once in a lifetime trip for them and for the teachers as well.

Day 3

2010-08-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Day 3 began by walking into town and going up to the top of the KICC building, which is the 2nd tallest building in East Africa...about 29 floors. The kids were a little unsure about the elevator but jumped in, ready for adventure. We had a nice tour guide who explained a lot about the city as we looked over the rooftops of all of Nairobi. We also had the opportunity to go to High Court and sit in on some hearings/trials. One lady was being tried for sending threatening text messages to her husband’s lover, another group of four were being tried for carjacking and another for stealing sh. 6 million from a bank. We had a great Q & A with a court official and the kids asked really good questions. Then on to lunch at The Stomach Clinic. Yes, The Stomach Clinic. Sounds tasty, doesn’t it? It was actually really good Chicken and chapati (or Ugali).

Off then to Parliament. We were able to spend about 50 minutes watching the MP’s and Cabinet discussing political/government issues. Most primary schools are only allowed 10 minutes in Parliament, but we were able to stay longer. Our day ended with a really long walk back to the school in the middle of rush hour. Rush hour in Nairobi is not anything that you want to be in the middle of. As a pedestrian or a vehicle. Every time we crossed a street I was praying that we wouldn’t loose anyone. We were very successful! We did not lose anyone or have any injuries…thank you God. Back home for dinner and sharing. The kids were great at discussing their day.

8th Grade Field Trip Days 1 and 2

2010-08-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

Traveling to Nairobi can be a huge adventure in itself, but imagine taking 24 8th graders with you on a adventure of a lifetime. For five days last week a group of kids from Christ’s Gift Academy, and 9 other adults (7 teachers and 2 PTA members). Many of the students had never been out of Mbita so they were looking forward to new things they had never experienced or seen before.

After traveling for the whole day in a hired bus and one private vehicle, we arrived at our destination. There were only 4 or 5 kids that vomited along the way…pretty good considering some had never been on a road trip. We all stayed in a dormitory at a primary boarding school within walking distance of downtown Nairobi. It was a decent place with two big dorm rooms (one for girls and one for boys).

The next morning we were up and out early to go to the Giraffe Center and we fed real giraffe’s! The kids enjoyed it so much but were a little intimidated by their long slobbery tongues. Off then to the Elephant Orphanage where the baby elephants came running out of the bush to their caregivers who had huge bottles of milk to feed them…so adorable, and the kids were amazed. Then the teenage elephants surprised us all, after the babies left, by charging out of the bush and making a lot of noise. The caregivers gave some great information about how all of the elephants were orphaned or found alone. This place is only open for one hour a day and the elephants are actually part of Nairobi National Park. They love those baby elephants!

Then, the most exciting part of the day! It was buy-one-get-one-free day at the local pizza place. The boys said “it is so light”… basically, I think they were hungry since they are used to filling their stomachs with Ugali (a big lump of maize flour and water). We probably should have fed them twice as much pizza so they would have been satisfied. Oh, well.

Off then to the Safari Walk, part of Nairobi National Park. It was a nice walk through a zoo-like area right in the beginning of the National Park. It was great because the kids got to see animals up close. Colobus monkeys, a rhino, ostrich, leopard, cape buffalo, emu, baboons, crocodiles, and the cutest little pigmy hippo. We all really enjoyed that day. It was a mix between a zoo and a nature path.

One of the highlights of the day was our tour of Wilson Airport. This is a small airplane airport and we were able to go right out on the tarmac with the small airplanes. The kids really loved watching the take-off and landings of the airplanes. The day ended back at the primary school with dinner and a guest bible study leader. The day was great and the kids loved it.

Holiday Plans

2010-08-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

We have a long term break this August because of the Referendum. There will be five weeks between Term 2 and Term 3. These "holidays" are some of the busiest times for me. I don't have to be at school from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., so it is nice to have a change in the schedule and scenery. But our 90 secondary students all come back from their boarding schools and our football club also becomes much more active as the children have more time during the break.

This week I have had the mornings free to catch up on some things at home and on the computer. In the afternoons we have been training our football club with 33 girls practicing for three hours and around 15 boys. It is fun to look around and see 50 of our youth running around, staying busy with positive activities, developing their God-given abilities and staying physcially fit. During these school breaks many of the local youth find themselves getting into trouble because of all the time they have on their hands. We also use the chance to impact these kids lives spiritually, academically and socially. And I can't tell you how good it feels to see these young ones improving their skills and learning to play together as a team. Once a coach, always a coach. We have several tournaments coming up in the weeks ahead.

The 8th grade class at CGA is taking a field trip to Nairobi next week, August 9-13. I will be going along as a teacher and as a driver. The students are excited to see so many things they have only read about in a textbook or heard their teacher explain in class such as Parliament, the High Court, Kenya Railroad, Tea Plantation, Airport and so many more things. It will be an experience of a lifetime that these 24 students will never forget. Pray for their safety as they travel to and from Nairobi. Pray also that as they leave Mbita, that they would open up even more and share with their teachers and that their lives would also be impacted spiritually at the same time!

After coming back we will have two weeks of remedial teaching for many of our secondary students in the afternoons. The primary school students will also be coming for full-days of remedial teaching for two weeks. The "holiday" will end with a week of reunion for all of our secondary students where we try to encourage them spiritually and academically before they return to their various boarding schools.

It will be a busy August, but I am excited about what will be taking place. Many opportunities for God to work through me to impact the lives of these young ones so that we can see God's Kingdom Come to this place.

Referendum on Wednesday

2010-08-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, 4th August, the voters of Kenya will head to the polls again to vote “Yes” or “No” on the proposed Constitution. It has been a long battle for many years to deliver a new Constitution. Politicians have taken sides in this contest and traversed the country campaigning for their side.

There are a few contentious issues within the draft. The proposed constitution does define life as beginning at conception and makes it illegal to perform abortions, but some of the wording does leave room for that to be overturned if the law-makers decide to. It also makes a provision for Kadhi's courts in the new constitution for disputes between two Muslim parties if they both agree to allow a Kadhi to decide. But that is also in the current constitution which has been in effect almost since independence, so even if the document is rejected, we will still have the Kadhi's courts. The positives of the proposed constitution according to me are setting land ownership right, devolving more of the power and money from the federal level to the local levels and providing more checks and balances in the system. Most pre-referendum polls have shown the "Yes" side dominating. Most people think the new constitution will pass, the only doubt is by how much of a margin. A resounding margin would give some legitimacy to it.

We hope and pray for a peaceful voting process and whatever the results that the citizens of Kenya will accept them and move forward as a country. May God’s Kingdom Come and His Will Be Done in this place!

Supporting the Orphans

2010-08-02T23:52:00.000-07:00

One after another, widowed mothers, grandmothers, and other caretakers of CGA orphans streamed through the gate this morning to receive their holiday food distribution. Because the school is closed for the next 5 weeks between terms, each family caring for our orphans is given a ration of maize and beans to ensure that the orphans have food to eat while they are not getting their normal breakfast and lunch at school. There were many smiles all around as they collected the distribution in sacks carried from home. They are all responsible for transporting it back to their homes which some did by carrying it on top of their head while others hired motorcycles to transport it. CGA has been blessed by its supporters and sponsors so that the school has provided this service every school holiday for close to ten years now! Thank you for your faithful support of this ministry!

Term 2 Closing

2010-08-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

CGA closed the second term of the school year on Friday, 30th July 2010. The closing day started with a good chapel service led by Teacher Dorothy and her 1st grade class teaching about the theme for the term, “Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done.” They led the school in some songs, dances and a short skit.
During chapel, the school said goodbye to Teacher Fenny who had been volunteering in 3rd and 4th grade for the term to fill a shortage we had in our staff. The kids were sad to see her go, but still presented her with many cards, letters and other gifts.

The school also welcomed a new teacher, Mr. Paul Otieno. He will be teaching Social Studies and English in the upper primary classes. In the past he has been honored as one of the top teachers in our District, so we are excited to welcome him.

After chapel, the students were dismissed, except for the leaders who remained behind to help do a thorough cleaning of the classrooms and campus, practicing servant leadership. Then they enjoyed a special meal with the staff to close out the day.

Because of the Referendum, this holiday will be a long one, five weeks between terms. The school will have 2 weeks of remedial teaching at the end of August and then open Term 3 in early September.

Answered Prayers

2010-07-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

For almost two years now, many of my supporters and friends back home, as well as my friends here in Kenya have all been praying for my old vehicle to sell. God blessed me with a new vehicle (a 1994 Landcruiser) last August. The vehicle I purchased (with the help of a supporter) back in 2004 when I first came to Kenya was a Mistusbishi Pajero. It served me well and covered long distances on bad roads (and many walking paths and other off-road places). It hauled CGA staff members to weddings and funerals in other places; hauled football teams to tournaments, helped us visit so many of our former students at various secondary schools throughout the country, and has hauled a lot of school supplies back from Kisumu or Nairobi. Since the time the engine was overhauled two years ago, the Pajero has been having many mechanical problems and was not very reliable. That is when I began praying for a new vehicle. A year later, God answered that prayer.

After buying the new vehicle, I needed to sell the old vehicle to help with some of those expenses. Several interested people came and showed interest, but nothing seemed to work out. In fact, it really caused me so many problems (you can read about those in my previous blog posts).

In June I received an e-mail from a friend in the U.S. who said they wanted to buy it. I was confused and even thought that person must not realize that I am in Kenya because I knew there was no reasonable way to get the vehicle from Kenya to the U.S. He quickly e-mailed back and said that he was willing to give me the money for the vehicle and then I could give it away to another person or ministry that is in need of a vehicle. God is good! He does even more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

The next day I recieved an e-mail update from a missionary serving at an Environmental Base across from CGA. One of their prayer requests was for a vehicle. They are working on a big project and have a big staff, but no means of transportation. When I shared the idea with them, they were so thrilled to be given a vehicle. They told their staff and praised God for answered prayer.

So the generosity of one supporter has blessed so many people! God is good!

Someone was blessed to be a blessing to so many others half-way around the world!

Our Stars

2010-06-21T11:47:00.001-07:00

Saturday I travelled to Sindo with a friend to watch some of our former students from CGA competing in their zonal secondary school tournament. Three of our former players (from CGA and from the Suba Lakers) were playing for Moi Girls Secondary and they managed to win 6-0 with our girls scoring 4 of the goals. Irine Achieng was playing on the left wing and Mourine Akinyi on the right wing, crossing it back and forth to each other. They went on to win the zonal championship rather easily. Three former CGA boys were also in action competing with Bishop Mugendi Secondary School. They also "squeezed out" a 6-0 win in the match we saw with two of our boys (Evance Odhiambo and Lukas Okumu) anchoring the defense. Like the girls they went on toe take the zonal championship. Both teams will be coming to Mbita in a couple of weeks to play in the district championship.

They will be competing there against Mbita High School. We watched them win their zonal championships on Sunday afternoon in Mbita. It was bitter sweet as the losing school was captained by Festus Okeyoh, another former CGA student. He missed the final penalty kick that ultimately decided the championship. Denis Omondi, Caltex Omollo and Obadiah Ogega all played key roles for Mbita High School.

It was fun to spend the weekend watching "our stars" shine for their various high schools. At the same time I was also getting reports from various other tournaments around the province of the successes of other CGA students at Asumbi Girls and Magare Girls.