November Update

My time in the U.S. is winding down. I have less than a month before I will be getting back on the plane and heading to Kenya for three more years serving at Christ's Gift Academy.

Christ’s Gift Academy is a primary school in the fishing village of Mbita, Suba District, Kenya. In response to the AIDS pandemic in the hardest hit district in Kenya, CGA was founded in 1997 to provide a quality education for the AIDS orphans and other needy children in the community. This school not only educates the children, but also helps to meet their basic physical needs including food, clothing, medical assistance and other essentials. The students continue to live in the community with relatives or guardians such as widowed parents, elderly grandparents or young persons. We also support the caregivers and their families in various ways so that they can care for the children. There are currently 271 students in Nursery through Standard 8. Forty-four of our students have already completed primary school and through the help of CGA they are attending various secondary schools throughout the country.


Christmas Gift Ideas
Christmas shopping can be difficult. What do you buy for dad that he needs or doesn't already have? What can you give to the kids that would be meaningful? Many times we wind up buying gifts just to have something under the tree that are forgotten almost before the wrapping paper is off.

This year why not give a gift that will make a lasting impact on the life of a child in Africa? From clean water to food to educationsl expansion Christ's Gift Academy has a variety of giving opportunities this year. Please click http://geoffsurratt.typepad.com/cga/CGAGiftCatalog.pdfto view a catalog of Christmas gift ideas.
Thank you for remembering CGA.

Watch the new CGA Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfB9tDccWVA
Christ's Gift Academy-Kenya
This 5 minute video captures the amazing things happening in Mbita, Kenya through Christ's Gift Academy (CGA). This area is the hardest hit by HIV/AIDS in all of Kenya. CGA provides education based on biblical principles to these orphans. It also provides food, clothing and love to the children and to the community. Please take a few minutes to learn more about the school and how you can get involved. Also, enjoy "God of this City" by Chris Tomlin as you watch the clip.

Please Pray for:

1) Me as my time in America winds down. Pray for quality time with my family and for my preparation in returning to Kenya on December 26.

2) The staff and kids at CGA during the holiday break. Pray for their physical needs (food, health, etc.) to be met at home and that they would receive spiritual nourishment during their time away from school.

3) The financial provision for the ministry. That God would provide what is needed for us to continue the good work among the orphans in Kenya.

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

or

Send Contributions to:

Christ’s Gift Academy
636-G Long Point Road #38
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Include a note designating direction of funds
(Joe, food, staff, special project, child sponsorship, or general)

Kenya Soccer Club

Suba Lakers Football Club
Mbita, Kenya

Goal
To provide opportunities for children to develop their God-given abilities and potential

Why is it Necessary?
- no active clubs, leagues or tournaments for girls in Suba District
- very few clubs, leagues or tournaments for boys in Suba
- the ones that are existing are poorly organized
- strong negative peer pressure for young people
- sexual relationships
27% HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Suba District
Only 1/3 of girls pass their primary school exam
Only 1/4 of girls go to secondary school
Early marriages are very common
Drugs and alcohol

Benefits of Sports
1) generates opportunities to share the gospel
2) encourages students to stay in school
3) improves physical fitness
4) builds self-esteem
5) develops good character
6) keeps young people busy with positive activities

Programs
- monthly training sessions on the last Saturday of each month ($50 per session)
- holiday clinics and camps (players, coaches, referees, 1st Aid) ($400 per camp)
- travelling to compete in tournaments ($500-$1,000)
- 1 secondary school scholarship a year ($350 per student)
- Building a standard soccer field (raising money in phases)
- providing academic support

Equipment Needs
Balls Cleats Goals 1st Aid Kit

Financial Needs
Clinics Travelling Meals Scholarships

How it Started
In 2008 the Suba District asked Joe Peterson and Absalom Achieng from Christ’s Gift Academy (CGA) to coach the primary school girls’ all-star team at the Provencial tournament against the other 17 districts in Nyanza Province. We had a strong team with a few girls from CGA and other girls from all over the district. We reached the championship game before losing on post-match penalty kicks. Five of our players were selected to play in the National Tournament. Since that time, we also had an opportunity to travel and compete in an open tournament in Kisumu against club teams and secondary schools from all around the country. Our primary school girls opened a lot of eyes by beating girls 5-10 years older than them who have played on clubs, high schools and even nationally. We reached the semifinals of that tournament and finished in 4th place out of 18 teams.

This past August CGA hosted a 4-day clinic for the top girls players in our area. The success of our girls has drawn the attention of people such as Steve Ochiel who is interested in developing girls football in Kenya from the grassroots level. The Kenya Football Federation is preparing to construct a national girls team for Under-20 and Under-17 to compete in Africa qualifiers in the year 2011. We would like to start training the girls in our area from a young age to develop their talents and generate opportunities in the future for them.

My Calling to Serve in Kenya

When I was seven years old, we watched the movie “A Thief in the Night” at a Sunday night church service. It showed what the world could be like at the time of the rapture. To be honest, it scared me quite a bit. That night at home as my mom was making pizza I asked her what I had to do to go to heaven when Jesus comes back. She helped me to understand my sinful nature and that I needed a savior. We knelt together in the kitchen and I accepted Jesus into my life.

Since that moment I have always believed, but there were times in my life that Jesus was not the Lord of my life. When I went away to college I came to another crucial point in my life. I realized that I couldn’t just inherit my parents religion, but had to make the decision for myself. That is when I really began seeking a strong, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

All my life, I wanted to coach basketball. After college, I quickly rose up the coaching ladder. I became one of the youngest full-time assistant college basketball coaches in the country and coached in an NCAA tournament game before I turned 25. So when my friend first mentioned that I should be a missionary in Mbita, Kenya; I didn’t want to even think about it. But God kept getting my attention through His word, circumstances and sermons at church. I reluctantly began to pray about it and the more I prayed, the stronger I felt that calling in my life. Finally, I decided to go on a short-term trip to Mbita to experience and seek out if God was really calling me there.

Before the trip I prayed steadfastly that God would show me the needs at Christ’s Gift Academy and how He has equipped me to fit those needs if that was His calling. After my first few days in Mbita, I hadn’t seen any clear evidences that God was calling me. That changed quickly. After praying with a few friends the night before, some of the needs at the school started coming out.

One was their need for help administratively, which is my spiritual gift. In the following days we heard about their desire to do more with the children in sports (fitting for a basketball coach) and many of the teachers and staff talked about the lack of Godly male role models for the boys at CGA.

By the time I left Kenya after two weeks, I was feeling pretty strongly about God’s calling. Two days after returning home, God woke me up at 4:00 am and brought me to 2 passages in the Bible. Ezekiel 2 talked about Ezekiel’s calling to be a prophet to the Israelites, a stubborn and rebellious nation. And Matthew 25 talks about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and looking after the sick; which is exactly what Christ’s Gift Academy is doing for the orphans in Mbita. God also began speaking to my mind and giving me some of the details of this calling. It was so clear it was like Jesus was sitting next to me. But as I began going through the day, I started to doubt if I really did “hear” from God.

That afternoon, my friend who had been fasting with me called to tell me that she woke up at 4:00 am and couldn’t get me off her mind so she laid awake praying for me for an hour. This was the exact time God was speaking to me. Total confirmation that it really was God’s voice I was hearing. I knew I had clearly heard his voice and now it was up to me to obey!

Soon after I resigned my job, had a garage sale to unload my possessions, and began on the journey to being a missionary in Kenya!

Secondary School Sponsorship Program

1) assisting in placement of students in secondary school
a. school choices during exam registration
b. help them to get better schools if selected to school they don’t like

2) giving some financial assistance to begin secondary school
a. uniform
b. books
c. shopping (school materials, toiletries, etc.)

3) paying school fees
a. based on the need of the family (more for double orphans)
b. based on their exam scores

4) visiting them at their schools at least 1-2 times a year
a. bringing care packages
b. meeting their principal and teachers
c. checking on their academic progress

5) assisting them in applying for Government bursaries
a. providing the right forms for them
b. giving them advice/counsel on how to complete the forms
c. writing letters to the AEO and CDF recommending them for scholarships

6) holiday development time (2-3 weeks during April, August and December)
a. academic development (4 hours a day for 3 days a week)
i. hiring tutors to do remedial work in Math and Sciences
ii. sharing of exam papers from various schools
b. emotional development (2 hours a day for 3 days a week)
i. one professional counselor to help those who need it
ii. trained pastors providing counseling for those who need c. spiritual development (1 hour a day for 3 days a week)
i. going through discipleship curriculum as big group
ii. small group discussions of what they are learning
d. community development (8 hours a week for 3 weeks)
i. various work duties serving the community

e. athletic development (2 hours a week for 3 weeks)
i. time in the afternoon to play sports

My Role at CGA

1) I oversee the secondary school sponsorship program. Sponsors continue to support our students after they finish at CGA in 8th grade and go on to various secondary schools throughout the country.

2) I serve as the Assistant Administrator which helps with duties including correspondence with American Non-Profit Board, communication between orphans and sponsors, helping with finances and budgeting, serving on the leadership team for the school, teacher training, scheduling,

3) I teach Bible and Math classes in the upper grades

4) I oversee the sports and games program at CGA and also work with other youth in the community through sports

What is Christ's Gift Academy?

Christ’s Gift Academy is a primary school in the fishing village of Mbita, Suba District, Kenya. In response to the AIDS pandemic, CGA was founded in 1997 to provide a quality education for the aids orphans and other needy children in the community. This school not only educates the children, but also helps to meet their basic physical needs including food, clothing, medical assistance and other essentials. The students continue to live in the community with relatives or guardians such as widowed parents, elderly grandparents or young persons. We also support the caregivers and their families in various ways so that they can care for the children. There are currently 271 students in Nursery through Standard 8. Forty-four of our students have already completed primary school and through the help of CGA they are attending various secondary schools throughout the country.

Joe's Personal Information

Joe Peterson
Serving at Christ’s Gift Academy
P.O. Box 110 Mbita, Suba District, Kenya 40305

Mail Contributions to:

Christ's Gift Academy

636-G Long Point Road #38

Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

or give on-line at http://www.cgakenya.com/

32 years old- Birthday on May 30, 1976

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Math
(Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT)

Master of Education in Sports Administration
(Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA)

Coached College Basketball for 5 years at Rocky Mountain College, Northwestern State University, and Charleston Southern University before God called me to serve in Kenya.
Coached in the 2001 NCAA Tournament while at Northwestern State University