Living Love Ministries

Fund Raising Information

2011-11-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

At LLM's recent banquet, it was encouraging to hear Solomon share about the physical and spiritual progress the 16 children have made over the past year or more they’ve been at the home. Solomon and the board’s desire is to give that care to more vulnerable children. Since the existing house is full, plans have to be made for a new house.

To give the children a comfortable, stable and safe house to live in, LLM is looking to build a new house that will hold 2 sets of houseparents and 24 children. The center of the house will have a living room and a kitchen, then each wing will have a bedroom for houseparents and bedrooms for the children.

(one wing for boys and one for girls)

It takes both Solomon and the staff in Kenya, along with the financial giving of people thousands of miles away to make projects like this happen. The estimated cost of the house is around $40.000 (US dollars). To cover any unexpected costs, LLM is looking to raise $50,000 this fall.

At the banquet* a little over half was raised. We praise God for that and we thank each of you that already gave toward the new house.

We have exciting news! A few generous donors have offered to match any donations given between now and the end of the year. (up to $15,000) So if you, the gracious supporters of LLM, give a combined total of any amount up to $15,000, the donors will match that. If the total is raised, this will give LLM an additional $30,000 which would allow us to begin construction soon.

As Ron Miller, our treasurer, stated at the banquet, we know that the economy is tough right now and many are struggling, so we understand not everyone can give, but if you can, we thank you for prayerfully considering giving a gift to LLM this year.

Donations can be sent to:
Living Love Ministries
12002 Arnold Road
Orrville, OH 44667

*Click here to see banquet pictures.

Living Love Ministries Banquet

2011-11-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

With grateful hearts we bring you a report from a meaningful and festive evening Living Love Ministries recently had.

LLM hosted its first fund-raising banquet at Shady Maple with a focus on raising funds for a new house. 220 people were there. Thanks to those of you that joined us at the banquet and for those of you that weren’t there ... here’s a recap of the evening.

As people arrived, they were greeted by Solomon or a Living Love Board member at the registration table. They were given a brochure and a magnet about LLM and an updated picture of Solomon and his family. After entering the banquet room, they enjoyed appetizers, while browsing and shopping at tables covered with many beautiful items made in Kenya.

The wood-burned pictures were made by Solomon’s father

and the beautiful woven baskets by Eunice’s mother and other family members.

The LLM board members covered the evening’s program. Mel Nissley opened with a warm welcome and a prayer. After a delicious meal, Mark Kraybill shared some of the history of LLM. He was followed by a video made by Eric Cressman from footage Solomon brought of the children at the home singing and playing.

Janet Oberholtzer then interviewed Solomon about the home, the children and what he feels God is calling them to in the future. This transitioned into Ron Miller sharing about the finances needed to build the new house. Becky Jones closed the evening with a hopeful prayer.

Click here to see a photo album of banquet pictures on our Facebook page.

Join the Party!

2011-10-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

Living Love Banquet

(Facebook page)

November 10, 2011
6:30 Appetizers / 7:00 Dinner

Shady Maple Banquet Facility

129 Toddy Drive, East Earl, PA

Solomon Mwangi,

director of the LLM home in Kenya, will be joining us.

And we'd love you have you join us for this special event.

There will opportunities to buy Kenyan items.

For more information and for reservations,

contact us before October 30th ... info@hwcf.org or 610-286-6308

So all the money donated that evening can go directly to

the Children's Home in Kenya,

we need table sponsors, would you consider being one?

Time has Wings

2011-08-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

Time has wings they say! How true this is!

We fly with it whether we like it or not, why? Because it waits for nobody not even the king. Nothing lasts forever even the Bible says man is like grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall. But the word of God lasts forever. Isaiah 40:8.

The only thing we are sure lasts forever is the love of God. I remember two boys who liked singing when I was in high school. One part of the song said: How will I sleep in the grave without Jesus, when my mother and my father and everybody else leave me? I need to have Jesus. While they were not born again they loved to sing this song. I hope they got to know the Lord.

Some things are inevitable and must happen. The end of time is near there are signs pointing to this all around us. Time will soon stop flying and so shall everything else. You and I have today to do what we want to do. To spend time with those we love. To tell somebody about Jesus and His saving grace. To do that which we have been postponing for tomorrow, for tomorrow may never come.

While I have been reflecting about all this, our children have been a great reminder of how true this is as I watch them grow. I realize I have them for a limited time. I will not have them with me forever; even now I can not control them or what they do all the time. Abby is only five and a half, she recently went for music festival competitions with her school and spent a night for the first time without us. It was hard to let her go but it would have been unfair for her since she was performing. My baby is growing fast, telling me it's time to let go and let God! Something else is that a lot has changed with time we can not bring up our children the way our parents did. While we obediently obeyed without a lot of questions, our children are questioning, reasoning; arguing and you need to be ready with answers because they will not stop. This is where we go back to the word of God for wisdom and guidance. Because as much as everything has become modernized the word of God has not changed.

Timothy is two years already and quite tall for his age. We had a small birthday celebration with the children at the home. We might make this the norm for now since he loves being at the home and around the children.

That is before he knows he can have a birthday celebration at our house, at school and at the children’s home with big cakes like Abby insists.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others faithfully administering Gods grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4: 7- 10

God bless you all,
Eunice

“MAMA” RAHAB

2011-07-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

We want to introduce you to the staff at the children's home. Today Solomon introduces us to Mama Rahab.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our house mother Rahab, together with her 3 children joined us at the home in April last year. She’s been both a mother and a mentor to the children. The work has not been without challenges given she’s never done this work before. However, her commitment and Christian values have been an asset to the home.

Rahab comes from an abusive marriage relationship and her coming to the home was a blessing for her. After years of physical and emotional abuse, her husband abandoned her and their children and left for another woman. For many months, she worked manual jobs to fend for her children until she was selected by the Kenyan LLM board to work with us.

She is now happy that her children can go to school, have food on the table and a roof over their heads. This has enabled her to fully focus in providing a safe family like environment. Her children quickly adapted to the new environment and integrated well with the LLM children.

We have 4 other support staff that work with us to ensure everything runs fine both at the home and on the farm. Jane, Nathan, Mike and Teresa are a gift to the home and form a committed and dependable team. We will be focusing on each of them in our future updates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Along with care from Solomon and the capable staff ... the home needs your support.

If willing to help, sent your tax-deductible gift to:

Living Love Ministries

12002 Arnold Road

Orrville, OH 44667

Personal Reflection from Eunice

2011-07-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

Our whole family recently spent three days at the Living Love Children’s Home in Ol-kalou. We often make day visits but Timothy and I had not spent the night there before. Solomon always thought it would be too cold for Timothy since it can get quite chilly at night. Timothy really loved it and made himself busy opening and closing the many doors in the house. He enjoyed the vast space outside and wanted to follow the sheep and chickens everywhere. He also enjoyed playing with the children but only if Abby was in sight. Abby loves to be at the home and would go there everyday if she was not going to school. She likes helping, especially serving food to the children.

Solomon spent most of the time outdoors fixing and mending stuff. The children enjoy when he is around since he fills the father figure gap. One of the small boys (William) who was living with his grandparents before coming to the home calls him grandpa sometimes. But he says it in the cutest way, so we don’t mind.

It’s always fun to be with the children, I have realized at the end of the day that I always learn something new. My highlight was getting down (I mean physically) and playing all kinds of games with them. The children seemed to enjoy the sight of me being on the floor and running around as much as they enjoyed the games.

This reminded me of John 13 where Jesus washed the disciple’s feet. It’s obvious that he did not wash them standing, as that wouldn’t be practical. He must have been kneeling. I realized how much it means to the children when we get down to their level and be like them. In Matthew 18, Jesus responded to the disciples question regarding who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, by calling a child and using him as an example. He told them that unless they change and be like little children they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. While it may have spiritual significance, I believe the literal part is important too.

Some of us grew up without ever seeing our parents get down to our level physically. We always felt small before them. I remember how much I looked forward to growing up and become “somebody” and cease to be a “nobody.” While our parents had good intentions of bringing up nice kids through discipline and punishment, I now realize what we missed. We never felt the same intensity of love like we felt anger towards our wrongs.

Jesus, our role model, has shown us how it is done. Now that we understand, may the Lord help us to do it right. Our children and those the Lord has placed under our care need us to get down where they are and let them know they matter, no matter how little as they are.

Next time you talk to your child or to any child try getting down to where they are. You will see the smile you have been missing. The twinkles in the eyes or the tears. Give them a hug or lift them up. As you feel humbled, they will feel great and know they are valued.

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Eunice

Solomon's Recap of EASTER WEEKEND 2011

2011-07-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

Late posting, but still good news.

Over the Easter weekend, we invited relatives to all our children to the home for a time of sharing and fellowship. Most of them came and brought goodies to the children. A few wanted to take the children away for Easter but we felt it was important for us to be together for the maiden Easter at the home.

Singing at Easter

Their relatives are happy to see the dramatic change in the health of the children and we praise the Lord for that.

Our hope is that the children will experience physical transformation, spiritual and emotional healing during their time with us. We hope that as they grow up, they will become testimonies of God's love and faithfulness to all who see them.

Solomon for the LLM home

2011-06-23T11:50:00.001-07:00

The Living Love family

on a recent visit to a local park.

New newsletter coming soon.

Rain, Pain and Prayers!

2011-04-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Solomon emailed today with an update.

LLM Home in Kenya - August 2010 - taken by Eric Cressman

The rains have started about a week ago ... which is a good thing because they are planting a garden now. They've already planted a large patch of potatoes. They hope to plant lima beans, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes and carrots soon.

They've also faced a few challenges lately.

A few of the children have been struggling with high fevers ... due to malaria and flu. Even on mediation, it's taken them awhile to recover. Please pray for their health.

Last week, their brand-new generator broke and wouldn't start. The service guys couldn't find the problem, but were able to start it manually by cranking. They will use it like that until an electrician can be brought in to fix it. Plus the water from the well had been crystal clear, but now it isn't anymore and has an odor, so Solomon asks for prayers for those items.

Thanks to many of you, fourteen of the children have sponsors! There are about six children that need sponsors yet. Brian is one that I have a picture of ... I'm waiting for pictures of the others.

Brian - age 8

Sponsorship is $30 per month, which covers basic care.

Sponsors receive a card with the child's picture and short bio. Monthly payments can be made by check or automatic withdrawal from your checking or savings account. Contact Janet for more information or to sign up ... JanetOberholtzer@gmail.com or 484-798-7824

To give a general donation ...
Send your tax-deductible gift to:
Living Love Ministries
12002 Arnold Road
Orrville, OH 44667

These Children Need Sponsors

2010-12-10T06:10:00.000-08:00

We are thankful to have gotten some sponsors.

If you are a sponsor - thank you!

If you aren't a sponsor for an LLM child ...

would you consider becoming one?

These children don't have a sponsor yet ...

Brenda - age 4
UPDATE - Brenda now has a sponsor!
Thank you sponsors!!

Brian - age 8

Anyone have a dollar a day
to sponsor Brian or Samuel?

Samuel - age 2

Teresia - age 6

UPDATE - 12/21/10, Teresia is now fully sponsored!

Thank you Sponsors!!

John - age 5
UPDATE - 12/12/10, John is now fully sponsored!
Thank you Sponsors!

Are YOU interested in sponsoring one of the others?

Would you consider sponsoring one of these adorable faces?

Sponsorship is $30 per month, which covers basic care. Once each child has a sponsor, we will look for two sponsors per child, to ensure that each child not only has adequate care, but also has enough funds for a good education. Or you can do as some of our other sponsors have and double-sponsor a child for a total of $60 per month.

Sponsoring a child can be a great family project ... especially this time of year, to take the focus off of getting gifts and putting it towards helping others.

Sponsors receive a card with the child's picture and short bio. Monthly payments can be made by check or automatic withdrawal from your checking or savings account. Contact Janet for more information or to sign up ... JanetOberholtzer@gmail.com or 484-798-7824

Children, Food, Love and Care

2010-12-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Previously I posted pictures of the dedication of the Children's Home, which Mark Kraybill and a team from Pennsylvania were in Kenya for - here's a video recap of that day.

Photo by EricCressman.com

Solomon and four staffers are now caring for fifteen children at the home. Solomon shared an encouraging story about what difference adequate care can mean.

William lives at the home. He is a six, but could easily pass for a child half his age. He doesn't speak, except a few mumbling a few incoherent words. At first, William struggled with eating. He’d fill his plate and gobble down his food so fast that he gagged. Other times, he would fill his mouth so full he couldn’t chew and would begin to choke. Sometimes he would scoop all the food from his plate into his lap and cling to it without eating. Or if they allowed him free access to food, he would eat several platefuls and then throw up. It became apparent that he felt protective and insecure with food.

Solomon explains why, “After his mother died, William lived with his grandparents before coming to LLM. His grandparents didn’t have enough money for regular meals, so when food was available, all the children scrambled for it. William has rarely seen a full plate of food in his life and when he did, it wasn’t just for him, it was for many others also.”

Solomon noted that it has taken a lot of work to get William to feel secure with food. He’s learning that all the food on his plate is his and there will be more at the next meal. Sometimes he forgets and reverts to his old habits, but the staff continues to encourage him to form new healthy eating habits. They can already see that William’s health is improving. Plus, he’s happier and more playful.

Solomon is encouraged by William’s progress and says, “We hope that someday he will speak more and be able to go to school. One day, William may become a doctor ... or the next president of Kenya!Who knows what plans God has in store for him?”

Will you consider a year end gift to help LLM provide adequate care for William and all the children?Or visit our Facebook page to see pictures of the children ... and if interested, choose one to sponsor. What a wonderful gift that would be for the child and yourself this Christmas season.

For sponsorship information ...

contact Janet at 484-798-7824 or JanetOberholtzer@gmail.com

For general donations,

Send your tax-deductible gift to:

Living Love Ministries

12002 Arnold Road

Orrville, OH 44667

Some of the Children at the Home

2010-10-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Eunice and Solomon Mwangi with their children

Abby and Timothy

This couple is the 'blood, sweat and tears' behind LLM. They are the dreamers, founders, director, administrator, janitor, mom and dad, plus so much more. May God bless you as you care for vulnerable children in Kenya!

And here are a few of the children that they take care of.

Over the next few weeks, we'll post pictures of more of the

children now being cared for at the home.

Joseph - age 5

He is a quiet boy and likes to play by himself. He has severe eye

damage due to an infection and has to be on medication

Eunice - 2 years old

She's a bright young girl. Joseph is her older brother

and the two of them are very close.

Teresia - 6 years old

She is generally a happy girl and helps take care of Samuel, her younger brother

Samuel - 2 years old

He is a quiet boy.

We are excited to have signed up some monthly sponsors for the children, but there are at least a dozen children waiting on sponsors. Email me at JanetOberholtzer@gmail.com for information about the children that are waiting for a sponsor.

Of course, we are also accepting (needing) general

donations for the daily operating costs.

Send your tax-deductible gift to ...

Living Love Ministries

12002 Arnold Road

Orrville, OH 44667
.

Children's Home Dedication

2010-09-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

A team from Hopewell Christian Fellowship visited
Living Love Children's Home on a recent trip to Kenya.
One thing they did was take part in the dedication ceremony.

At the dedication, there was cake ...

And smiles.

Serving each other.

Solomon spoke

There was prayer

And praise!

We're thankful that 13 children now have a home at LLM and
are receiving the love and care that they need.
Thanks to each of YOU that have supported LLM in the past!

If you can, consider giving a gift now for the needs
of these children and so LLM has funds for other children
that are waiting to come live at LLM. (20 are waiting)

Come on, you can give up something for a time
and send the money you save to LLM.

Send your tax-deductible gift to ...
Living Love Ministries
12002 Arnold Road
Orrville, OH 44667

Meal Time

2010-08-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

Most of us think about food three times a day (okay, let's be real - we actually think about food a lot more than that) and generally, we eat three meals a day.

And of course, the same is true for the nine children that now have a home with Solomon and his staff at the Living Love Children's Home. So the staff is often preparing and serving food.

Breakfast at the table for the older children

It's easiest to serve breakfast to the toddlers here.

"More, please."

Snack time.

Donations from caring folks like you is what helps keep these young bodies fed. If you want to help, you can send a donation to ...

Living Love Ministries
12002 Arnold Road
Orrville, OH 44667

Pictures of the Children

2010-06-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

There is now activity at the

Living Love Children's Home

Snack Time

Making her hair look good

A bio of each child will be coming soon.

Some Children are There!

2010-05-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

It's so exciting to tell you that Living Love Childrens' Home is now taking care of hurting children in Kenya.

Currently there are nine children - ages 2 to 10 - residing at the Children's Home. Six more children are expected to arrive in the next several weeks. The house mother lives at the home and another woman comes in to help with the children. A new girl will join the staff next week.

Some of the children have a skin disease and others have been sick. A few of the children suffer from malnutrition and some come from abusive homes. The youngest cry a lot. The cooking is currently done over an open fire. Pray that God will bring healing to the children and strength to the staff.

Also please pray for Kenya. Kenya is developing a new constitution, which has been passed by Parliament and will be presented to the people of Kenya for a vote on August 4th. This new Constitution has created some tension between the Muslims and the Christians. Pray that the country will remain peaceful and that the country will move forward in a united way.

Thanks to those of you that have supported LLM - it's only due to your generosity that any of this can happen. A newsletter will be going out soon - if you aren't on the mailing list, sign up here now.

The Children are Coming!

2010-04-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Living Love is dedicated to doing its work correctly, so sometimes that can take longer than anticipated, but good things are happening - the children are coming!

A house mother has been hired and is moving in next week. Paperwork has to be filed with the local chief for each child that will live at the home. Solomon is in the process of doing that now.

We'll keep you updated as soon as children arrive.

New Year Greetings and Blessings

2009-12-31T05:29:00.000-08:00

Friends,

We do hope you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas time with friends and family. We too had a blessed time here in Kenya.

We take this time to wish you a very happy New Year 2010 full of Gods richest blessings. As you delight yourself in the Lord, He will grant the desires of your heart. Amen.

1. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

2. May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion;

3. May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah

4. May He grant you according to your heart's desire, And fulfill all your purpose.

5. We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

6. Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.

7. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will TRUST in the name of the LORD our God.

8. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.

9. Save, LORD! May the King answer us when we call.”

Psalms 20

Solomon, Eunice Abby and Timothy

News from Solomon

2009-08-10T04:45:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you from Nakuru Kenya. We hope this note finds you doing well. We are also doing well in Kenya despite the many difficulties and challenges we have been going through in the recent past.

FAMILY NEWS

As a family, we are doing well. God had graciously protected and provided for our family and we give Him all the glory. Eunice is mostly recovered from her surgery. Baby Timothy is growing fast and is in good health and we PTL for that. Abigail is really adjusting well to the new arrival. We always have to be alert because she easily forgets this is a “real baby” and not a doll and can sometimes be a little rough on him. She is however learning fast and really enjoys being big sister.

One great challenge is the increased crime rate nationally and especially in the major cities which is largely attributed to the high rate of unemployment especially after the last years post election violence. We recently became victims of this spate of robbery when robbers broke into our home and stole 4 wheels from the LLM van. This was despite the having a good alarm system and security locks on the wheels. The insurance company says our policy does not cover loss of wheels. Thankfully, we have the old tires. Several neighboring homes are the latest victims of the same robbers and we haven’t had much sleep in the last couple of weeks due the state of insecurity.

MINISTRY NEWS

Work is progressing well at the Living Love Ministry site in Ol Kalou. We are currently making the linens for the beds, new window curtains, installing hot shower heads and refurbishing the old plumbing system in the house. We are also finishing up the basic furniture needed like beds and tables. Lance and DJ Nissley, good friends of LLM from PA were here for six weeks in May and June. They helped us build 20 bunk beds and install two huge raised water tanks at the farm house. They also did lots of other small but critical projects around the house. On behalf of the Kenya team, we would like to say a big thank you for the great work you did for us.

We had a board briefing meeting on the 16^th July to update on the current state of events at Ol Kalou. We also had the board members present update us on their lives and ministries. It was short but very refreshing thanks Kenya Team for the sacrifice your time and support.

MAIN LLM MINISTRY PROGRESS UPDATES

1. Land Subdivision. The long and slow process of land surveying, subdivision and mutation is now complete and we are just waiting for the release of the new title deeds which should be ready any time in this month of August. Esther the landlady has set aside some 15 acres on hold for LLM which include a dam and a large woodlot. We are keen to purchase this property in the near future for our crop production given most of the other land will go under construction.

3. In Dire Water Need. One of the great challenges we have right now is water shortage. The long rain season has just ended and we had a countrywide rain failure. We have a huge underground rain water tank that has very little water due to the failed rains. At the moment, there is no reliable piped town water in Ol Kalou but there is a project to bring in city water in our area sometimes in the near future. The Kenya government has recently declared the current drought and rain failure a national disaster. Approximately 10 million Kenyans are under threat of starvation while thousands of cattle and sheep have already died. The government is currently giving out relief food to most of the affected areas. We are praying for heavy rains during the short rain season of October and November later this year.

4. Admission of New Children. Our goal is to have some staff job interviews and children screening in this month of August and September and start admitting the selected children to the center late September. Our goal is will be 10 to 20 children to begin with. Due to this water problem we have to carefully evaluate when to bring in the children to the center because the government will be keen to issue their license only when we have sufficient and reliable clean water source and a functional sewage system. Most residents in this area use shallow hand dug wells and earth dams some of which have since dried up due to the prolonged drought. The permanent solution to the water problem in the short and long term is evidently the sinking of a deep well. We already have the hydrogeological survey done so we will only need the funds and the drilling permit from the government.

5. Wheat Crop. We have a little over 7 acres of land under wheat. We are praying that the short rains will not fail so that we can get a good crop. So far the crop looks good. The harvest will mainly be used to feed our children.

6. Chief and District Commissioner Support. We are happy to announce that we are enjoying support from the local chief and District commissioners as we start the orphanage. Both are senior government officials and will facilitate us in the screening process as well as getting legal documentation for the children admitted to the center. In fact, it’s the local chief who verifies the “orphan status” of each child admitted to the children centers because he has all the relevant legal children and family history paperwork.

Prayer Needs.

We take this time to thank you all for your continued prayer and material support. As we prepare to take the plunge and start this project we ask for your prayers for the following items,

· For wisdom and discernment as we screen children and interview potential staff for the project.

· For Gods protection and provision for all in LLM the coming weeks and months.

· For good leadership in government and for national healing and reconciliation and cohesion.

· For the desperately needed rains, the many families and children facing starvation.

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls- Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.” Habakkuk 17 – 19

God bless you and Gods peace be with you now and always. Solomon for the LLM Kenya Team

Congratulations Mwangi Family!

2009-06-16T04:34:00.000-07:00

And baby makes four for the Mwangi family!
Eunice and the baby are doing well.
Dad is proud of the new addition.
Abby is already being a sweet big sister -
lovingly touching her brother's face.

Precious Timothy Imani Mwangi
Born on Monday, June 8, 2009 - weighing 7 lbs.

Abby - happy to be a big sister.

Team Trip to Kenya

2009-05-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

Greetings - with hope in Jesus,

During the last two weeks of March, LLM Board Member Mel Nissley and a team of four other men went to Kenya ready to put their repair skills to work. Mel was happy to see the new house that LLM had recently bought. “It’s a very well-built house with a long-lasting tile roof and good solid walls.” he reported at a recent LLM Board meeting.

“The water, pressure and drainage system is excellent and will be top-notch with a few small repairs. And with 9 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, along with a living room and a kitchen, it has everything that is needed to start a children’s home.” The house hasn’t been used for a few years so Mel and his team worked on rewiring some of the electrical fixtures and switches, along with working on the drainage system.

Esther, the woman that sold the house to LLM, came to meet them one day and see the progress on the house. She’s always wanted to help hurting children, so she’s very happy that the house, which was her family’s vacation home, will be used for that purpose. She invited Mel and the team to her home one evening for a delicious dinner.

This house sits on two acres adjacent to the twelve acres LLM already owns. A few other board members saw the house while on a trip there last December and agreed with Mel as he said, “This house will allow us to help hurting children sooner than if we’d have to build a house. It provides a great starting home and then as we grow, we can expand to the land we own next door.”

Solomon and the Kenyan Board are working on the registration papers that need to be filed for the operation of the home and hope to finish that shortly.

JEHOVAH JIREH OUR GREAT PROVIDER!

2009-03-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Greetings to you all in Jesus Name. This is a short note to glorify the Lord for what He has done! He has proven again that He is Jehovah Jireh our great provider. LLM’s (Living Love Ministries) dream for a functional children's home came closer to reality yesterday when we gave the down payment and signed the sales agreement on a farmhouse and 2 acres adjacent to the 12 acres we already own.This house will allow us to provide a home for children quicker than building our own. The house has a number of bedrooms and bathrooms and is in good condition, just needing some paint and repairs to the roof.

LLM is now the "legal custodian" of this property pending the issuance of the new legal title deed. Through this agreement, we’ve also been granted the "right of immediate occupancy" and can move in and occupy the property and begin working on it right away. This is more than a miracle and more than words can describe.

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the 5 member USA team led by Mel Nissley who arrive on Sunday 15th for a 10-day trip. We are now busy purchasing supplies for next week when the team will help us fix the leaking roof and painting walls of the farmhouse.

The Lord willing and if we get the legal papers soon enough, we could admit the first group of children into the home by the second half of this year. We however need lots of prayers and God's favor to register the home that fast so we will be operating legally.

Thanks again for all your prayers during this time. Its been very hectic but worth the wait. We give all the glory and honor to the Lord. We will keep you posted on any new developments.

Chau, Solomon for the Kenya team.

Solomon, Eunice and Abby Mwangi

2009-01-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

Every organization needs a dream and passion that fuels it and behind Living Love Ministries that is the Mwangi Family - living near Nakuru, Kenya. They have a dream, desire and passion to help hurting children.

Eunice, Solomon and Abby Mwangi

Beautiful!

Celebrating her birthday in October -
trying to get the correct number of fingers up.

Ready to grow up :)

Swimming!

Priceless!
Cute as a button as she tries to fill Mommy's shoes.

Tree Planting

2008-12-29T04:55:00.000-08:00

Dedicating the 12 acres of land on December 8th

with a tree planting ceremony.

Solomon - one happy man
to be another step closer to a children's home!

Pastor Mark Kraybill digging ...

Eunice and Bob Gehman checking depth ...

Becky Jones and Pastor Mark planting ...

Solomon watering ...

Now pray with us ... for God to make the trees grow -
and that together with his help and blessings,
we can make a Children's Home 'grow.'

Sikukuu njema ya Krismasi

2008-12-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

("Merry Christmas" in Swahili)

Christmas in Kenya is a time for social gatherings and food. Visitors will stop at the homes of friends and family, and food is served to everyone. Christmas dinner is likely to be fish or nyama choma. Goat or beef is used for nyama choma, although goat is considered a greater delicacy. Vegetables, fruit, and chapattis are often served with chutney.

Serve a meal with some or all Kenyan food and pray for the hurting children in Kenya.

Yogurt Chutney

Ingredients

1½ cups yogurt
2 Tablespoons mint, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon coriander
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Hot pepper flakes, to taste

Procedure

Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
Chill.
Serve as a condiment for meats and vegetables.

Nyama Choma

Ingredients

3 pounds beef short ribs or spare ribs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Procedure

Season the ribs with salt and pepper.
Grill on a gas or charcoal grill over medium-high heat for 1 hour. Alternatively, roast in the oven at 300°F for 1½ to 2 hours. The meat should be dry and chewy.

Serves 4 to 6.

Na azaliwe ndani yako
("May the Lord be born within you this Christmas")

Dedicating the Land

2008-12-16T05:09:00.000-08:00

Hope and urgency fills the Living Love Ministries Board as they talk about the plans to build a home for hurting children. One key part of everyone’s conversation is thankfulness to God for the newly purchased twelve acres of land and a desire to give honor where honor is due. Looking to the Bible for direction, we see that many of the people of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 honored God by building altars to Him after receiving land. Here’s an example from Abraham’s life ...

The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your children, I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel ... There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. Genesis 12: 7-8

In our time, building an altar sounds strange, but scholars of the Bible tell us that building an altar was an outward expression of honor and of dedicating the land to God. By dedicating land to God, we are acknowledging who God is and honoring him with gratitude. So, on December 8th, Pastor Mark Kraybill, Bob Gehman and Becky Jones from the US Board traveled to Kenya to join the Kenyan Board at a dedication for the new land. Along with a time of prayer, trees were planted as a symbol of peace and hope for the future.

Will you help LLM provide hope for Kenya’s hurting children? Lord willing, the building will begin in early 2009. God has blessed LLM with a matching grant of $50,000, so all donations from now to December 31, 2008 will be doubled. (up to 50,000)

May peace and joy fill this Christmas season for you!
Janet Oberholtzer - for the Living Love Board

It is a beautiful day . . .

2008-11-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

There are many beautiful days in Kenya. So beautiful in fact that tourists from around the world come to visit year round to see the natural splendor of the rolling hills and grasslands and the many wild animals. Unfortunately for many of the children that actually live there mere survival is the only thing they have time to notice. How often do we take for granted the simple and fundamental ability to enjoy life? I was reminded of this when Pastor Mark sent me a link to this award winning short film:

Can you believe Living Love's Amazing oppurtunity?

2008-11-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

With the land preparation and building goals the LLM board would like to set a goal for this first stage of the building project at $110,000. God has blessed us with a matching grant of $50,000 - so every dollar you give from now to Dec. 31, 2008 will be doubled. (up to 50,000) We are so excited to see what God has in store!

Please consider giving this year towards the new children's home.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to support the children of Eldoret, please send a check or money order to:

Living Love Ministries
12002 Arnold Road
Orrville, OH 44667

The Promised Land

2008-11-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

The Promised Land

Excitement filled our days as owning land started feeling like a reality. We visited several potential properties to evaluate their suitability. Economically, it is a good time to buy land and spiritually everyone felt the touch of God’s hand in the process.

This past August, after four years of praying, working and waiting, LLM bought 12 acres of vacant prime agricultural land in Ol Kalou, a small rural town 20 miles east of Nakuru. The property has the essentials in place or near by, making it an ideal location for a children’s home, elementary school and a farm. It is less than a mile from the main access road and only 2.5 miles from Olkalou’s town center which has a large hospital, a police station, markets and shopping area. The soil and weather are excellent for both crop and animal production. There is a dam and hydro electricity nearby.

Twelve acres near Nakuru

Interestingly, the previous land owner is a widow named Esther who’s had a desire to help hurting children her whole life, so she was thrilled to sell this property to LLM and is waiting to see this dream of hers come true through LLM. We’ve also had a couple of positive visits with the area chief who gave us his blessing and support. In fact, he was present during the purchase transaction process which gives us a lot of psychological and legal support as we begin this project. Indeed we are praising God for this wonderful piece of His earth that we can use for His Kingdom!

Land Transaction between Solomon and Esther

Fall 2008 Update: Calm In Kenya

2008-11-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, the political climate in Kenya has stabilized since our last newsletter. Life in most of the country is back to normal with most of the Displaced Persons Camps now closed. However there are still hosts of people stranded in a few of the camps. Where possible, people returned to their own homes, though the families whose homes and processions burnt have to find a new home. The government awarded those who lost their homes some money to hopefully have a new beginning.

Over the past few months, we asked God’s guidance for the next step in our lives and His plan for Living Love Ministries in Kenya. After much thought, prayer and wide consultation, it became very apparent that it was time to “decamp and move on”. We felt that our time in the city of Eldoret, albeit fruitful and rewarding, had come to a close - prompted by the political events earlier this year.

It became clear that we needed to start the LLM ministry projects in a relatively “stable area” from the political and ethnic standpoint. This will ensure the future safety of the capital investments, us, the staff and the precious lives of children God will bring under our care. As the “eyes and ears on the ground” for LLM partners and the donor community, we feel this is the responsible route to take.

Nakuru

After several weeks of “spying the land” to determine where God wants to use LLM and our family to meet the needs of hurting children, we felt led to Nakuru, a town 100 miles southwest of Eldoret and 100 miles Northeast of Nairobi. An interesting aspect of this town is that it became a “town of refuge” and home to hundreds of people who had fled their burning homes in Eldoret and surrounding areas. There are still thousands of homeless families, widows and orphaned children camped in tents in this area.

Why does Solomon wish he had a Uhaul in Kenya?

2008-09-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Team.
We hope this note finds you all doing well. This just a quick note to let you know we moved back to Nakuru town over the weekend. Last week was very crazy trying to wind up in Eldoret, secure a new apartment and look for transportation but we PTL the move was safe and smooth. I wished so bad we had U-Haul in Kenya ha ha! We had to use a cargo truck for our stuff and nothing was broken PTL.

The advocate was waiting on the government official to go to the site on Friday to do an official valuation of the land before we could make the tax payment. Fortunately the valuation came out in our favor and we will be paying only US$1000. This is a one time payment only. We do not have to pay any more taxes or annual fees on the land from now on. Well, that's all for now. Please find attached photos taken during the sale a couple weeks ago. We have kept in touch with the widow and her family who have been very grateful for the transaction. God bless, do have a great week and expect another update soon.

Writing from Nakuru,
Solomon for Living Love Ministries

Have you heard from Solomon?

2008-03-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

We just did so we thought we would share his letter from a still shaky Kenya:

HELLO TEAM. WE HOPE THIS NOTE FINDS YOU WELL. WE ARE WRITING THIS NOTE FROM NAKURU ON OUR WAY TO ELDORET. WE HAVE HAD GREAT MEETINGS WITH ANNE KAMAU (BOARD ELECT) AND PASTOR PATRICK (LORDS SANCTUARY) ON LLM MOVING FORWARD PLANS IN ELDORET. THEY ALSO LOVED THE MINIVAN AND SAID IT WAS A WISE CHOICE.

WE ARE TOLD THAT THE ROADS ARE RELATIVELY SAFE BUT COULD DO WITH YOUR PRAYERS FOR BOTH ROAD SAFETY AND PROTECTION FROM THE ARMED MILITIA THAT STALK THE FORESTS AND MAN SOME ROADS ON THE WAY TO ELDORET.

WE HAVE A FEW MEETINGS WITH THE SYMBIOS TEAM EARLY NEXT WEEK AND ONE WITH MR GREEN (BOARD ELECT). WE WILL LET YOU KNOW OF THE OUTCOME.

THANKS AGAIN FOR SUPPORTING US THROUGH YOUR PRAYERS, CALLS AND EMAILS DURING THE PAST TWO MONTHS. THIS WAS DEEPLY APPRECIATED. ITS HARD TO BELIEVE ITS ALREADY MID MARCH AND WE FLED OUR HOUSE IN JANUARY 4TH. WOW. WE ARE LONGING TO BE BACK HOME AGAIN.

AND MANY MORE THANKS FOR HELPING US PROCURE THE VAN. YOU CANNOT BELIEVE HOW HELPFUL AND HANDY IT IS ALREADY AND IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE HOW WE SURVIVED A WHOLE YEAR WITHOUT RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. THANK YOU GUYS (AND GALS) FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THE VEHICLE PROJECT. PHOTOS AND NUMBERS COMING SOON.

LETS ALSO KEEP PRAYING FOR KENYAN SITUATION. POLITICAL LEADERS ARE SUPPOSED TO PASS SEVERAL BILLS FOR A COALITION GOVERNMENT NEXT WEEK BUT THERE IS CONSIDERABLE RESISTANCE FROM SOME INFLUENTIAL STATUS QUO FELLOWS.

JUST FYI NEW AND VERY SERIOUS ETHNIC KILLINGS AND HOUSE BURNING HAS ERUPTED IN SEVERAL PARTS OF KENYA THIS WEEK INCLUDING EUNICES HOME AREA. THE MILITARY HAS BEEN DEPLOYED AND WERE SAID TO BE USING HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS TO FLUSH OUT THE ARMED MILITIAS IN SOME AREAS. WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED.

WELL, DO HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND LETS KEEP IN TOUCH.

SOLOMON FOR EUNICE AND ABBY.

Crisis in Kenya: Pray for Eunice

2008-02-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

I received the information from Beth that Eunices’ father passed away yesterday. I was able to talk with Solomon on the phone and told him to pass our love on to Eunice at this time, and to tell her that we will be praying for her and her family. The death apparently was very sudden and they believe it was caused by a heart attack. This has been a very difficult time for the entire family.

Solomon mentioned that they are hoping to go back to Eldoret and help at the IDP camp in Eldoret. He mentioned that he heard that there are 400 orphaned children who are currently living in the camp in Eldoret. I told Solomon that we are very supportive of him working in this camp on a temporary basis. There is also a possibility that a ministry could develop out of working with the children in this camp.

There is still no final agreement between the two political parties. The opposition party has said that they are giving the government time until Wednesday to set up a power sharing arrangement. If there is no arrangement by Wednesday, Solomon is concerned that a whole new round of violence could emerge. Please continue to pray that the two parties will be able to come up with a solution.

Blessings,
Pastor Mark

Crisis in Kenya

2008-01-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

For those of you not following the news lately, there has been a tragic political upheaval in Kenya that has torn the country in two (Click here for the summary of what happened). Solomon, Eunice and Abby have been right in the middle of the violence that has turned neighbor from neighbor. Solomon has been reporting back to the board as time moves forward and events grow more deseperate.

Please Pray for the Mwangi Family as they flee their home for safety!

Here are snippets from letters going back and forth between Solomon and the Living Love Ministry Board:

Jan 2, 2008

The situation sounds bad around Eldoret. Solomon & Eunice and Abby are living in a hotel which is being secured by a very visible police presence.Solomon said that they know that at least 7 people were killed last night very near to the hotel. The local police station & grounds is quite close to this hotel and it is said that thousand of people are sleeping on the ground there for the supposed protection that affords them. The church where approx. 50 people were burned to death is within a few miles of the hotel. Solomon said that the word is that most of them were women & children. I asked Solomon about the food & supplies situation there at the hotel. He said that the scene in very similar to the one portrayed in the movie "Hotel Rwanda". There is no travel taking place so there are very little in the way of supplies getting to the
cities. Solomon did say that they feel very grateful to be able to stay in a hotel as most people are just fending for themselves in the streets or in the country. Solomon said that today things seemed to be more calm around the city. Tomorrow (thursday) is going to be a big day with lots of rallies & demonstrations.

Solomon has heard from all of his family and they seem to be safe. Most of them live in Nakuru and this has been a relatively calm part of Kenya. Solomon has been in contact with his uncle Sebastian who lives near Eldoret. He seems to be doing ok. Eunice is very concerned for her
family. The area where they live has been especially difficult with a lot of houses being burned, etc. Eunice's mother and one brother have not been heard from, and they are suspected to have fled to the countryside to escape the unrest.

The media access appears to be limited for Kenyans and Solomon said that we are probably able to get a clearer picture of what is going on nationwide then what they can. He also said that when travel is safe again they may have to move back to Nakuru for a time until the
situation stabilizes. Solomon & Eunice are aware of the many believers who are in prayer for them and their nation. Solomon expressed his thanks and love.

Sincerely,
The Living Love Board

Jan 8, 2008

We apologize if we're flooding your in box with updates, but many of you have requested to be updated with the latest news from Solomon and the current crisis in Kenya. Yesterday board member Mel Nissley talked with Solomon and here's what he had to say: Solomon seemed very upbeat and positive that things are much better, but potential for more violence continues especially if leaders do not meet on Friday. (Unfortunately, I just read in the news this morning that the opposition leader has refused to meet without international participation) Solomon said the army and police presence is very evident there at his uncle's house and he felt better than before concerning there personal safety. There is also a rally called for Tuesday. The very positive news is that Eunice's family has been located and they are all safe. Solomon was just so discouraged that people were searched out and killed because of their last name and ID even though they speak the same language and even appear the same in outward appearance. What a sad commentary for the human race that God created!

From our conversation, it is such a blessing that LL has not made any agreement on a land purchase yet as he felt confident the original area is out of the question and even closer to Eldoret may not even be possible anymore. However; we'll wait on the Lord and trust He will lead as He has thus far.

Unfortunately the orphan situation is so much worse than it even was before and for that we are saddened.

He was so glad to hear from someone again, so keep on being vigilant in our prayers and support to them in this difficult time. May the Lord continue to receive all the honor and praise for the work that He wants us to come alongside and assist in. It may take on a little different appearance than what we may envision, but I am confident that He has a plan for Living Love and Solomon and Eunice where they are at this time.

Blessings,
Solomon

Jan 15, 2008

We are now safely out of eldoret in nairobi for a few days. The trip was shocking as we went past hundreds of burnt homes and burnt car shells. Things unfold. We are hoping to meet with clair and beth while here in nairobi this week. We will go back to nakuru (solomons hometown) after that to wait, pray and see how things unfold. Sadly, there doesnt seem to be much hope for reconciliation in our leaders at this point. All mediations efforts have failed so far.
Please pray that calm will be found in the midst of chaos. The opposition has called for demonstrations in all kenya starting tomorrow wednesday till friday. Things are likely to get very ugly because the goverment has banned these rallies. We will keep you updated.

Thanks for your prayers, calls and emails. God bless and do have a great week.

Chau.
SOLOMON FOR EUNICE AND ABBY.

Are you coming to Living Love's African Market 2007?

2007-09-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

If you missed Living Love's biggest event last year, then you're in luck. Back by popular demand, Living Love Ministries is excited to announce that this year there will be not one but two exciting opportunities to experience the African Market with Solomon and the Living Love team. The first Market will take place on Saturday October 20th from 3:00PM – 6:00PM at Hope Of The Nations in Reading and then again on once again on November 2nd from 6:00PM – 9:00PM at Hopewell Christian Fellowship in Elverson.

Mark Your Calenders Now!
What: Living Love's 2007 African Market
When: Friday Nov 2nd, 2007
Where: Hopewell Christian Fellowship in Elverson, PA Google Map
Why: To raise funding and, more importantly, awareness for the orphans and children effected by HIV and poverty in Kenya

and

Saturday Oct 20th, 2007
Hope Of The Nations in Reading, PA Google Map

Don't forget to tell your friends and family to come on out to a great night of fun as we sing, dance, eat and LOVE!

This year's African Market goal is to raise enough money for a Toyota Hilux, a very sturdy truck that can handle the tough Kenyan conditions. Here is a look at exactly how tough the Hilux is:

A Word from Mark Kraybill, Chairman of Living Love Ministries’ Board:

2007-07-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

The call that Solomon and Eunice have felt to provide a home for children in their native country of Kenya has been to the city of Eldoret, about 100 miles from their hometown. During a visit to the states last winter, Solomon met Earl Shirk from Ephrata, PA. The fact that a divine connection was happening became evident as the conversation progressed. Earl is a part of an organization called Symbios, which manages a children’s home for 30 children in Eldoret, Kenya. Symbios was looking for someone who had experience as an administrator, who could direct this existing home and help develop children’s training institutes. The experience that Solomon and Eunice have after being directors of Stansberry Children’s Home in Bolivia for the past four years was exactly what they were looking for.

Solomon started as a consultant for Symbios in February 2007. His administrative skills on site and in handling legal issues have been invaluable to them. He was recently appointed as the head of a task force that is developing a strategy to effectively operate the Symbios Children’s Home and the Baba Nyumbani Technical Institute (located about 50 miles north of Eldoret). There have been challenges throughout the last five months, but God has been faithful in many ways as Living Love Ministries and Symbios work together.

Symbios and Living Love are entering into a joint venture and planning to start a new partnership organization in Kenya this summer. A Kenyan Board of Directors that includes 4 Kenyans, 2 Americans and 1 Canadian is being formed. This Board will be responsible to manage the current Symbios Children’s Home (includes a school and a farm) and the Baba Nyumbani Technical Institute. They are also forming a Board of four Trustees which includes Ibrahim Omondi and Jim Pesce from Symbios along with Mel Nissley and Solomon Mwangi from Living Love. These four Trustees will be the legal owners of land and ministry assets in Kenya. They plan to purchase 20 to 25 additional acres to start a new children’s home, school and an agricultural training institute. Our goal is to raise $60,000 by July 31, 2007, to purchase land that is now available.

They will also need to purchase a used 4-wheel drive Toyota pick-up truck to provide transportation for Solomon & Eunice and to use during the construction process.

As a Board, we ask for your prayers during this time of change. In addition, your generous gift at this point will help us move forward with these major projects. Enclosed you will find a card and a self-addressed envelope that you can use for your gift. You will receive a tax-deductible receipt for your gift.

Many Thanks,
Mark Kraybill for Living Love Ministries

Greetings to You From Kenya

2007-07-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Family,
It’s hard to believe that it is almost eight months since we left Bolivia - time surely does have wings! Some of you have been wondering what has been going on with us (someone thought we fell off the earth or migrated to Pluto). We are sorry this update is late, but we chose to wait longer so we can give you a better picture of what is happening in Kenya.

We arrived home on January 26th and were received with gladness by both our families. It was nice to see everybody again. Of course, Abby was the center of attention. However, she wasn’t ready for the all the Hi’s and the Wow’s. She made sure to stay close to Dad and Mum. She has taken her time to warm up to people, especially adults and we are letting her go at her own pace. We stayed in Nakuru (hometown) for two weeks before heading out to Eldoret (100 miles northwest of Nakuru). In Eldoret, God had already prepared a place for us to stay. For the past three months we were blessed to live with Solomon’s Uncle Sebastian pictured above with us. He had just bought a big house in Eldoret and was more than willing to host us. As many of you know, we didn’t have a house or property when we left the states, yet God had given us peace and we knew it was time to come back home. This is the amazing way God answered our prayers.

We moved into a rented apartment a month ago and what a relief it has been to unpack our suitcases at last. The house may not be as spacious as our uncle’s house but it is big enough for us. Abby enjoys running through the house and playing outside as I watch her from the kitchen window. We are so thankful that Abby has adjusted well, despite all these changes. She has picked up Swahili really well; but unfortunately, she has lost most of her Spanish, though she still has a few words. Our efforts to try to keep her on one language have not succeeded. We were hoping she would not follow the trait of speaking a mixture of languages like we do. Well, you cannot teach others what you do not do, so she now has her own mix of English, Swahili and Spanish. She will say things like “I want agua” (Spanish for water) or “food mimi” (mimi is Swahili for me).

I, Eunice, continue as a “stay at home” Mum. I feel this is essential for Abby, especially during this time of transition. However, I am getting some condemning looks from a few people that are wondering what I am doing at home. “Are you settling on just being a house wife?” Since many consider house-keeping in our culture a waste of time, the norm here is for one to get house help and find a “well paid” job.

We are currently attending a small church called Grace Bible Church, but we are praying for God’s direction in this area. The busy schedule of the last few years that continues even now has us feeling kind of burned out. We need bread from heaven – it is food from the Word of God that keeps us going.

We want to thank all of you who have been praying for us and pray for God’s blessing upon your lives. May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts now and always.

Eunice for Solomon and Abby

Letter from Solomon February, 2007

2007-02-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends.

It was nice talking to some of you on the phone yesterday. When you called, we were on our way home from visiting the farm where my uncle Sebastian and my dad grew up. It is only an hour drive for Kitale Town. Sebastian was kind enough to drive us everywhere we needed to go in his car.

We came to Eldoret on Monday evening after a rough 3 hr drive from Nakuru because the roads are really rough. Uncle Sebastian gave us a place to stay in his huge house which he recently bought for as long as we need to. He lives alone in this place but seems to enjoy it. He now wants to meet you when you come and also wants be involved with LLM activities in Kenya. We are still getting climatized to Eldoret. It is a very beautiful town. When we got here, we could feel the peace of the Lord. We believe the Lord sent us here for a reason.

On Tuesday, Sebastian kindly drove us to the Symbios childrens home and school a few miles from Eldoret towm. The place is very beutiful (we will send the photos ASAP). The staff and the children were very warm and friendly. We met the school principal, the accountant Margaret, the driver Sam and the farm manager Walter. Margaret gave us the tour of the place including the farm.

They have plenty of cornfields (for food) and several irrigated gardens. She also took us to the gorgeous huts (they are really corrupted and not authentic :-) but they are great. We had lunch with Margaret who is currently in charge of the place and had a good visit. We are planning to go back there soon to meet the rest of the staff and have more discusions.

On Wednedsday, we had a great time visiting Symbios farm in Kitale. There is a boys and girls dorm, a separate kitchen and huge dining room and and the administrative house.The house is nothing less of gorgeous. It is really well built and modern. It is almost fully furnished and is just missing a couple items like mattresses, stoves and a refrigerator.

We will need to buy a small electric generator for lights if we move in. The one they have is too large to run long. They have a deep water well and very well managed gardens with bananas and all sorts of vegetables. They also have a few cows for milk. We met all the staff there and they were also very friendly guys. We really look forward to work with them.

At this point, we are staying with my Uncle Sebastian who just bought the big house in Eldoret town. It is a nice place and very strategic because it is in the heart of Eldoret town. We are still praying and trying to decide where to settle down. The beautiful house Symbios offered in Kitale is near perfect but the transport will be a challenge. Its takes at least one hour bus ride to Eldoret one way and then another 30 mins to the home and school. They said it will be a little longer when the rains begin. We will stay with Sebastian for now and talk about the two alternatives before making a final decision. We should be hopefully decided by the end of the week.

Please say hello to all there and do have a great day.

chau. Solomon for Eunice y Abby.

Solomon and Eunice Travel Update

2007-01-26T07:48:00.000-08:00

We made it safely to Kenya. We got here at 9 pm our time. As I write it is 4 am your time (you would be sleeping) and 12 noon our time. We are some 8 hrs ahead of your time. God gave us favor with immigration authorities all over the place including the air hostesses and we had trouble-free flights. Abby did better than we could have expected. We are writting this from the Mennonite guest house in Nairobi and it is a really lovely place. We highly reccomend this place it to anyone or teams coming to Kenya. The hosts Jo and Gary are a great couple.

We leave for Nakuru this afternoon. I just talked with my dad and they said the whole "clan" is waiting for us. We cant wait to see them. I also called pastor Patrick this morning and has helped us arrange for tranport this afternoon.

Thanks for all your help while we were in USA.
God bless you and have a great day.
Chau, Solomon and Eunice and Abby.

2007-01-19T06:05:00.000-08:00

I went to the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC last week with Solomon and Becky Jones to check into Abby's paperwork. Praise God, it was a successful day!

Abby was born in Bolivia and got a visa to travel here, but now needs either a passport or a traveling certificate to go with her parents to Kenya on January 24th. (Though she is adorable and we all love her, we do want her going to Kenya with her parents:)

Her paperwork had been sent to the embassy before the holidays, but repeated phone calls from Solomon since then had resulted in little affect. He was told they had lost it ... this was her original birth certificate along with other papers.

We arrived at the embassy soon after they opened ... large imposing building, but once inside the visa office was a tired non-descript area. The ceilings were at least 15 foot high with large windows on one wall. The original intent of the windows must have been reconsidered as the shutters were partially closed and only a peek of sunshine streamed in. A large portrait of the president of Kenya was the first thing seen as we entered the room.

President Mwai Kibaki

There was an attempt to bring a touch of Kenya here ... a glassed-covered case in one corner had a few dusty items displayed in it; craved wooden animals, beaded flip-flops and a bag of coffee. An animal hide drum held a few African travel brochures as if to convince readers to actually go through with getting a visa and/or passport. A counter with a few workers behind it took up one corner of the room. One of the women approached Solomon with a kind "what can I do for you today". I overheard her tell Solomon that the person (her boss) he had sent the papers to was not in for another week, but she could help. She proved to be very helpful and efficient and had us walking out the door two hours later with an "Emergency Traveling Certificate" for Abby.

Solomon introduced Becky and I to her (Rebecca) as we were leaving. She seemed confident that as soon as her boss is back, the papers will be found and they will then send Abby a passport, so further travels would be taken care of. The good news of meeting Rebecca continued as we discovered she is our 'sister' in the faith. Also, in the 'its a small world' category, Rebecca's home town is none other than Eldoret, Kenya and she is traveling home for the first time in ten years this July. She was impressed with Solomon's plans of helping the orphans of the city. She hopes to visit them this summer in Eldoret, plus just as Abby has won each of our hearts with her good looks, Rebecca was also won over by the photo Solomon had brought and she wants to meet her :)

We thank God for a day of good ... travel, paperwork and connections. The relationship with Rebecca, who is not only a nice, kind woman, but she has been in the states for 18 years and has worked at the Embassy for 10 years, is a connection that we thank God for.

Janet Oberholtzer

PS. I have been blessed to connect with Solomon and Eunice in the past few weeks through my pastor, Mark Kraybill. He knew I enjoy writing and asked me to help with their newsletter, and you will also see updates on here from me.

Living Love For Kenya: An African Market

2006-10-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

YOUR INVITED TO:
LIVING LOVE FOR KENYA: An African Market
A Fundraiser and Rally for Living Love Ministries

Friday November 3rd, 6:30pm @ Hopewell in Elverson

15 million children have been orphaned as a result of AIDS
They need our help

Discover Unique Gifts at our Silent Auction,
Taste Authentic African Foods
Test Your skills in our Spear hunting competition
Create Your own African Art
Try a new style with our Hair Braiders
Make a new friend from Africa
and so much more . . .

ALL FREE
For directions and more info
livingloveministries.com

2006-10-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

Check back soon for updates from Living Love Ministries!