July 17, 2012 (Sam)
We just got internet access for the first time yesterday, so we are just now getting in touch with people in the states again. Since we got here last Wednesday, we’ve been staying at Kijiji guest house in Karen, at the edge of Nairobi. Yesterday, we moved onto Beacon of Hope’s property into the guesthouse that was built inside their compound.
It has been wonderful to see so many old faces, and meet so many new people. I can’t believe the changes that have taken place in the last six years. Beacon has moved from a cramped brick building on small plot of land on Magadi Road to an 8-acre spread that accommodates a fully functioning medical clinic, social development office, pre-school and kindergarten, catering school and cafeteria, sustainable garden, administrative building, youth resource center, vocational training facilities, and a showroom where artisan’s crafts are displayed and sold. But more than just the facilities, it is amazing to see how God is using these programs to impact the larger community around Ongata Rongai and in individual’s lives.
Last Friday we had the opportunity to visit one of Beacon’s beneficiaries in the Kware slum on the outskirts of Nairobi. Makena (not her real name) is a mother of four and is HIV positive. Two of her children have died, and her youngest son, David, who is 3 ½, is also HIV positive. As soon as David’s father found out that Makena and their son were HIV positive, he left. Makena is receiving health care treatment at Beacon of Hope’s clinic and both her and her son David, who is enrolled in the pre-school at Beacon, are taking ARVs now and their health is improving drastically.
The staff at Beacon’s clinic treats more than 1,500 HIV positive patients. 120 of these patients are children, many of whom are enrolled on-site at the Beacon Academy. These men, these women, and these children are our brothers and sisters. According to Ephesians 2, all who are in Christ are of the same household. We are brothers and sisters, no longer separated by nationality, gender, or class. That is why we are here.
Thank you again to everyone who is keeping in touch, sending encouragement, and praying for God’s will to be done. We love you all.
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