January Newsletter

New Year, New Me!

At the end of 2021, we had a Christmas party for all of our sponsored children. We prepared a nice lunch, encouraged one another, and gave each child a Christmas gift. This year, each child had a choice between a new backpack or a new pair of school shoes!

Our sponsored children and their families privately planned to give us a gift for Christmas as well. They each brought something from their gardens or livestock to give to us as a gift. We received 20 live chickens that day! Fred and Eliana love raising chickens and were so excited to almost double the number of chickens in our chicken coop. 

Everyday, the door to the chicken coop is opened and they roam around all day long. At the end of the day, they learn to come back to the chicken coop and are locked up for the night, protected from predators. However, one of our new chickens hasn't learned to make his way back to our chicken coop. Every evening, he jumps on top of our neighbors motorcycle and quietly just stays there. On top of a motorcycle is a weird and funny place for a chicken to be. Every night, Fred grabs the chicken and brings him to the chicken coop with the other chickens, so he can also be protected at night. 

After almost a week of doing this, I thought maybe the previous owner of this chicken had a motorcycle, and the chicken was used to his old ways of taking captive at night. 

Our theme for Good News Church for 2022, is New Year, New Me! Many of us are used to doing things the "old ways" and to change to a new way takes adjustment, even if we are reminded daily. We are challenging our church to seek God in seeing what is something new that God wants to do in their life in the new year. Do they need to leave an old habit or way of thinking? God loves us the way we are, but we want to strive daily to become more and more like Christ. This year, may we seek to see what "new" thing God wants us to take hold of in our walk with Him. 

As we do this, I know our patient Father will guide us to the way He desires us to be. Just like Fred would take the chicken into the chicken coop every night, for his own safety, we can trust that whatever God wants to do in us, is for our good. 

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24

Conferences and Camps

Good News Church had a fun-filled December. We had a mission outreach to one of our branch churches followed by a Women's Conference, Men's Conference, and a Youth Camp after Christmas. We ended 2021 with an overnight prayer and worship night on New Years Eve, lasting into New Years Day morning.

All of these events were subsided by Trinity's Mission Golf Outing proceeds. Church members contributed for each event, and their contribution was matched shilling to shilling to help offset the costs of food, transport to the mission outreach, materials for the conferences, and inviting guest speakers. These conferences and camps have become stepping stones in our church ministry to cultivate unity and expand our discipleship program. We haven't been able to hold these events since 2020, and we are so thankful to be able to do them again. 

GNMA Parents Meeting

In the beginning of December, we gathered all parents of students at Good News Migwena Academy. It was the first official gathering we have had with them this academic year. The last time we met with parents, we only had 60 students, but with over 150 students now, we are a very large group!

We shared with parents the vision of GNMA, teachers walked through the curriculum with them, and we had an open forum where parents could share feedback. They saw their children present songs, dances, and memory verses. Each class elected a parent representative to make up a parent's committee. It was a fun day, and we are encouraged by the parents participation and appreciation of the school.  

"Ziko Poa"...They are cool!

When a teenage girl says "zika poa" in Kenya, you know it must be really cool! We met with a group of our teenage sponsored girls in the village and shared with them a unique gift that we got for them.

About a year ago, Lucy and I started to use "reusable sanitary pads." I started using it for health reasons and Lucy loved the idea. After a while, Lucy shared a concern about girls in the village not having easy access to sanitary pads. Lucy got a sewing machine and wanted to learn how to make them with her sewing teacher, sister Roselyne. This dear friend of ours passed away from Covid, but Lucy's desire to help girls remained the same.

We came across another women's ministry in Kenya that had been making and selling them for girls and women. I was thankful Lucy was able to be part of the distribution and teaching the girls how to use them. It was also special to be able to support a women's ministry in Kenya. We hope to train our tailoring group in this as time goes on. 

6th Classroom Almost Complete!

Over the last 3 months, we have been building our next classroom for the new school year beginning in April 2022. The exterior of this sixth classroom is finished. Now, we just need to equip the classroom with desks, shelves, and learning resources. By summer 2022, we will look towards constructing our next building project as the following school year will now begin in January 2023! Everyone who gave towards our "Gift of Education" this Christmas will help us build our next classroom later this year! Thank you. As we added our 6th classroom, we did a small "face lift" to the outside of the first two primary classrooms. Take a look! 

Christmas Food Baskets, Thank you!

Your generous support enabled us to give over 100 baskets to widows, sponsored children, needy church members, and GNMA staff members this Christmas...THANK YOU! This is the most Christmas baskets that we have ever been able to give! 
Each recipient was so grateful, and we continued to hear..."Thank you for giving us Christmas!" 

Your generosity was a blessing! Thank you! 

Okoth Christmas

Traditions are special...I grew up with memorable family traditions around Christmas, but it has been hard for our family to find traditions in Kenya. I guess we can say it is our tradition to do something different each year. 
Sometimes we spend Christmas in Kenya, sometimes in the US, sometimes in Kisumu, and for the past two years we have spent it in Fred's village with his Dad and some of his family members. While each Christmas is special for its own reasons, it hardly ever looks the same. 

This year we celebrated Christmas with just the 4 of us on December 23rd. We exchanged gifts with each other, had a special meal together, Face-timed with family in the U.S. and loved being with each other. On the 24th, Fred had a funeral that he officiated, and on Christmas Day, we traveled to Fred's village and stayed until the 29th and celebrated with his parents and brothers. No electricity, no TV, no running water...at times it's good to be unplugged. Although, I would prefer to be unplugged with running water, ha! We are thankful for family both near and far. 

Praises & Prayer Requests

Good News Kenya is a 501(C)3 non-profit corporation, so your donations are tax-deductible. All GNK projects and missionary support is funded by churches, friends, and family who have decided to partner with us in bringing the Gospel to Kenya. Thank you for being co-laborers in bringing the hope of Christ to Kenyan communities.