Mission statement
To share Gods Love to the destitute children in the streets of Nakuru in order to reestablish their lost hope and restoring their dignity, through Rescuing, Rehabilitating and Reintegrating them back to the society again.
Opening school
8 September 2009 21:14
No category
Yesterday was a kind of “big” day for our boys at Bethesda. When I and Elizabeth went there in the morning the boys came and met us, dressed in nice uniforms. They looked great and they were very eager for school. To see the boys that happy and proud make my heart to feel good.
We’ve 11 boys in public school right now and we have also managed to get some new boys to our centre. Two of them we picked from Remand Home on Saturday and three of them we picked from the street yesterday. Today we got three more boys from the street so now we’ve eight new boys at Bethesda.
Tomorrow we’ll get 20 new mattresses to Ngata and 15 to Gilgil. Thanks to our Swedish friends who gave us the donation! On Friday we’ll get 10 new beds.
Our sitting room has new chairs so the visitors will have somewhere to sit when they are coming. Thanks to some of our staff who brought the chairs.
Pray for our boys who are now in school and for the new once we’ve in our centre. This work is not always easy but we trust and believe that God is there for us and he’ll also continue to guide us and help us to do the right things for our boys. Our greatest mission is to share Gods love to the destitute children and that will always be our biggest prayer. Without love, there will not be any changes in some ones life.
I wish you all a blessed week and stay close to Jesus.
Thank you and take care.
/Lina Jämstorp
Home Visitation
11 July 2009 21:34
No category
This home was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. So poor and miserable, but the most bad thing was that the mother had given up, she didn’t care anymore. The children were dirty and had nothing, not even food for one meal every day. One of the smallest one, Maria didn’t wear anything on the lower part of the body, she just wore a small shabby dress and a sweater which was almost too small. I took her up on my lap. First I thought she might pee on me, but what would that do? Probably nothing. She made her self comfortable in my arms, I patted her dirty cheek gently and after a short while she was sleeping. She looked very peaceful when she slept and I wished I could bring her home with me. To be serious, I had to swallow many times when we had to go, my tears were on the way coming. Maria was still sleeping and I laid her down on the sofa. “God bless you!” I whispered to her when patting her again on the cheek.
We continued to the next home. Peter and Joseph is a couple of brothers who came to us soon two months ago. Their mother had abandoned them and left them alone. It was very special to meet them the first time at Bethesda, they were so thin and skinny. They had been without food for several days and the youngest, Peter, was sick. They were scared and didn’t dare to look at us when we tried to talk with them. Even if they had got our smallest clothes the clothes were too big, so you can just imagine how thin they were.
Now both Peter and Joseph have gained some weight and they are happy and very willing to talk. They have their grandparents who would visit. We turned in at a house and suddenly a small boy came out who looked exactly the same as Peter, it was his little brother. We had got the right house. When the grandmother saw her grandchildren she burst into tears. She didn’t know where they had gone. Now when she saw them after several months of wondering about where they were, she was very touched.
It is really touching to see children being reunited with their families. When we drove back I looked in the rear-view mirror and I saw a radiant smile in the face of Peter. What a charming child he is! These boys have been in the hearts of God long before we met them and they’ll be there for ever, even the day when we’ll “leave them back” again.
/Lina
Brothers abandoned to die
2 July 2009 20:02
No category
Joseph is eight years old and his brother Peter is six. On the fifth June this year I received a phone call from a Good Samaritan who had rescued these two boys. They had been abandoned by their mother to starve and die, because she was not able to provide them with their basic need, such as food.It is said that an elephant killed their father two years ago, so he is not around. Their single mother could not manage to raise them up. Due to the post election violence, Kenyans have been hit by hunger due to lack of food.
I saw the boys, and in the first eye glance I could not believe my eyes. The boys were totally malnourished. I could not even imagine what kind of life they must have had. They looked at me and their faces were searching for help.
The boys are now happy together with the other boys at Bethesda Children’s Ministry, where they get all their basic needs. It is now almost one month since they came to us and they have improved their health.
Last week I asked Peter, the younger boy if he would like to go back home. “No,” he answered, “I won’t go back, because I haven’t seen my mom since she left us to die. And sometimes we had just one meal in several days. I don’t know where my mom is, and if she gets us maybe she’ll kill us.”
I kindly request you to support Bethesda by giving your food donation to feed these hungry young stomachs.
John Kissinger, Team Coordinator