NEWS Spring 2017
Hello Again! Abigail Ministries Calling! Some of you may be wondering why you have not heard from us for some time and even if Abigail Ministries is still functioning. For us as a family, 2016 was a very difficult year in many ways and we were unable to visit Kenya because of Roger’s health. The year was a roller coaster of resting in God’s strong everlasting arms holding us, comforting and sustaining us through the dark times before He again strengthened us and set our feet back on the Rock to continue with the various forms of Service to which He has called us. He never forsook us however we felt physically or emotionally. The work of Abigail Ministries has continued, albeit at a slower pace than before, and we have never forgotten our friends in Kenya or ceased to be grateful to
you, our friends, sponsors and supporters who have enabled us to continue the work from a distance. We have often been discouraged and frustrated because of lack of progress reports on the works we have started or because of not receiving the more personal news we would like to receive about our families and children, but Anne at ‘New Hope’, Nicodemus at ‘Daylove’ and Grace at ‘Seeds and Reeds’ have been faithful supplying us with general information. Thanks to them and more so to God’s sustaining power we have managed to keep going! We regret however we have no personal news or photos to send you. The news and photos in this letter are ones which have been sent to us by email.
Nelly
Ruth With Kelvin
Rachel with Peter
Grandma Margaret
Daylove, Dagoretti It is a few years since we were able to visit the families we met at the Daylove Project in the slums of Dagoretti on the outskirts of Nairobi and we hear little about most of them. Inevitably there has been a lot of movement due to Government development of the area with new roads being built and the poor being unceremoniously evicted without compassion from the shacks that were their homes. However, Nicodemus the carpentry teacher we worked with at the Project has continued to keep in touch and to help us support some of the
most needy families where a grandmother was left responsible for sometimes up to a dozen children after their parents died, in most cases of an AIDS related illnesses. We have continued to support 10 such families by paying their rent and this past year have helped boost the micro-businesses we helped them set up during the years we were able to visit them. It has been encouraging to hear how some of their grandchildren we sponsored through school have grown up and are now the ones
supporting their frail Grandmothers and younger siblings. Kelvin, for example, has a small business in the market selling vegetables, Paul is a chef in one of the local ‘hotels’ and Allan has a job installing electricity. Without the help they received as children from their Abigail Ministries sponsors many of these young adults could have drifted into drugs, drink and crime so we thank ALL our sponsors who gave them the opportunity to go to school and to grow up with respect for themselves and for others.
New Hope Children’s Centre, Uplands Baby Unit The Baby Unit is ‘thriving’ with more babies arriving at regular intervals. Most of these are babies have been born to teenage mothers who have been abused by older men. Their babies are cared for at New Hope so that the girls can continue their education, only being responsible for the main care of their babies during school holidays. AM provided mini cots when the Unit first opened and we now pay the wages of five full-time staff who work there. The babies we met when we were there last time have thrived and are now happy, healthy, mischievous toddlers who require a lot of attention!
Many of the older children at New Hope who are sponsored through Abigail Ministries are moving on to higher education and beyond. We have several young people at University studying various subjects and some who have already qualified. Andrew is a lawyer and Stephen and George are qualified nurses. Agnes is now a teacher, Jeremiah a computer programmer and Lillian a pharmacist. All these young adults grew up as street children or in destitute families with no hope or prospects for the future had it not been for the loving care of New Hope and sponsorship through Abigail Ministries.
Seeds and Reeds, Eldoret Nutrition Ladies
Sponsored Children Unfortunately we only receive general news about the children which I know is disappointing for those of you who sponsor a child and take a personal interest in your child and their family. The news we do get is encouraging in that they all appear to be working hard and many are now at High School, benefitting greatly from the education and social expansion they receive and looking forward to bright and hopeful futures because of your sponsorship. We do thank you sincerely for your love and care for these children.
Grace is dedicated to the care and development of the ladies physical, social and spiritual needs. Most of the ladies in what we call the ‘NUTRITION GROUP’ are making good progress. They come under the general title ‘NUTRITION LADIES’ because it was through teaching them basic nutrition Shena and Grace formed this group of 24 ladies. Abigail Ministries has broadened the programme to help them in several ways. An important aspect of this work in this rural area is helping them with farming needs i.e. ploughing, providing seeds for their crops, buying goats or chickens as well as sponsoring their children’s school fees. Some of the ladies, like Agnes have made excellent progress. By careful budgeting of the money she makes selling her produce, she has been able to buy herself a few sheep. Lillian has also managed to buy three sheep and a cow. We are thrilled for these two ladies who when we first met them were involved in illegal liquor brewing and prostitution as the only means of supporting their children. We also funded Emmy, another lady in the group to go on a Catering Course during the past year which she thoroughly enjoyed. We propose she passes on the skills she has learned to a few other ladies. Our plan is to supply equipment and help them set up a small home bakery business. We have also continued to provide money for medicine for the elderly, disabled and sick who cannot work for themselves.
The Abigail Health Care Centre & Seed School We hear work is just about to re-commence on the building work of the Abigail Health Care Centre but we wait for confirmation! The absence of progress is really down to one person’s lack of commitment and reliability. We can only really depend on work being done when Roger is there to supervise, so please pray he will be able to return before too long.
Burning Hearts Bible Studies Shena continues to write and send Bible Study notes for the ladies. These groups are going well and recently some of the ladies gave their testimony of how they had been blessed by the studies at the 600 strong Western Kenya RCEA Annual Ladies Conference. We are continually being asked to provide Bibles for ladies eager to read it for themselves. This we are more than happy to do.
Shena’s Village News There have been a number of changes in Shena’s Village with a couple of families moving out, a couple of deaths and a couple of births! Mary at No 3 was getting older, her health was failing and her disabled son John was becoming too much for her to cope with so she wanted to move to be nearer her extended family. Charles at No 1 had been a great help to her but sadly he died tragically at the end of 2015 leaving his own wife Margaret with 4 small children. Charles suffered epilepsy and one morning he left home to visit his mother. Later that morning another of our Villagers found him dead in the field next to the Village. It was the rainy season when the field was flooded and it is thought he had had a seizure and fallen into the ditch and drowned. Another person who died was old Margaret at No 12. She was thought to be ‘about 100’ years old! She certainly looked it but she had spent her life in poverty and extreme hardship until she
moved into the Village with her son and his family so it is difficult to judge her exact age. We are so pleased we were able to provide a relatively comfortable home for her where she was very happy in her last few years in this life. The houses themselves have been renovated to a much higher standard. We were always disappointed with the initial shoddy building work and the houses have suffered various problems over the years. During the past year they have all been completely renovated with the floors being raised to stop the rain coming in and in conjunction with that the ceilings have been raised accordingly. Electricity has been installed – something beyond the wildest dreams of the Villagers in the past - and a new Toilet Block is presently being built to replace the inadequate toilets which were originally built. Those were a health hazard even to enter!!!
Our Hope and Prayer for the Future We hope to return to Kenya later this year after which we will be able to send you more news but in the meantime we hope this brief update encourages you to keep praying for Abigail Ministries and for all God is doing through this work to bring hope and comfort to needy families in Kenya. Once again, many, many thanks to all of you who have continued to remain with us and support us through the past wilderness year. God bless you all.
Abigail Ministries PO BOX 811, HARROW, HA2 2EG, UK T 020 8861 1674 E enquiries@abigailministries.org W www.abigailministries.org Registered Charity No. 1106824 DESIG N: KSD ASSOCIATES LI M ITE D - www.ksdassociates.co.uk