Tumaini (HOPE) Christian Academy

Sunday 1 March 2015

THE YEAR 2015 and AHEAD

Every one has a longing for something, a something that has absolutely nothing to do with themselves but with others. It may be a prayer, it may be a wish, it may be a desire to see certain things come to pass, or it may just be a longing for nothing - if that makes sense.

Children are an interesting lot to be with. They have no clue what they shall wake up to tomorrow. They do have a hope, make no mistake - a hope expressed variously through art, mimicry, make believe games, playgroups or any method suitable at that particular moment. They may have an idea of who they want to be or what they want to do, but with absolutely zero indication on how to develop or grow into that. It is our longing to nurture and grow them on the word of God.

This year, a lot has happened since the clock ticked 0001 hours, 2015 Jan 1. Some hearts were broken, others were lifted up, some have lost whatever little hope they had with the passing away of loved ones and their providers, and some just gave up.

Trusts have been betrayed, contracts almost cancelled, but in the end, everything worked out, and most of the children can afford a smile. It was not easy renegotiating the contract and the terms. For the remainder of this year, we have a firm belief that all will work out well.

It was necessary to adopt a different management approach to cut down on operational costs, and make it possible to have more children enrolled. We are yet to see how the new approach will work out in the long run. In a nutshell, we hope to have less to do with the physical structures and more with the actual learning process.

It is our sincere prayer to God that in due time we shall be able to find a better place and relocate operations, where the constraints of overheads shall be kept at a minimum as much as possible. We value you and your kind gestures, words of encouragement, the gifts for the children in form of pencils and crayons and books, and above all for your faith in what we are doing here. Indeed, as we serve him, all glory is his, and we rejoice knowing that we have managed to get that one sheep into the fold, and equip saints for the work that lies ahead.

We still need you, we still need your support.

In Christ,

Tumaini Christian Academy.

Tuesday 23 December 2014

A grateful heart - update

A little over one year ago, thirteen months to be exact, the first seed to the provision of education to a few children of Ekebuse village was planted. There was a lot of anxiety over how to make it all work. Numerous challenges were encountered, and many valuable lessons were learned.What seemed like an impossibility was turned to something that gave HOPE to children whose smiles and beaming faces were priceless expressions of the extended generosity.

The year 2014 has come to an end, and with it we look forward to usher in a new class for all involved, a class where we can all learn how to reach further into our communities, and also on how to best let the gospel of Jesus be demonstrated in daily living.

We are people with hearts full of gratitude to all who made it possible, and with an expectation for more bigger things (even the little things are big). Yet, not out of compulsion, but in humility and knowledge that none of these could have been accomplished without vessels surrendering to God.

We seek to proclaim the gospel through gaining access into the village, and by considering the provision of education as an extension of evangelism. As we preach the gospel, we also need to teach the people what it means to read the scriptures, and the way we are doing it, is by investing the wealth of God into the minds of children, with a hope that they will grow up to be able to think and understand, and ultimately be able to contend with the debaters of this age when asked to give account for the hope that is in them.

You are invited to partake in this service, materially or any other way the Lord Jesus guides and leads you.

Sincerely,

Tumaini Christian Academy

Wednesday 8 October 2014

TCA Update

We at Tumaini Christian Academy would like to thank you for your prayers and encouraging words that mean so much and are dear to us. When we started, we were green, so to speak. With zero experience, minimal finances that have dwindled, and with tones of hope, we faithfully said yes to the call of God in our hearts and lives.

It has not been easy, but then again, the easy way is not always the right way, nor the required way. Providing education and occasional meals to twenty three children is an experience that no one can ever adequately prepare for, more so in a rural village tucked inside the slowly expanding peri-urban center that is Kisii County, in Kenya.

Demonstrating the Christian life and the gospel will not always be understood in a populace whose primary concern is the next 'bout' of binging on alcohol, or trying to survive the day amidst the unforgiving poverty. Education loses relevance, and with it, so does the hope of some youngsters desperately trying to drink of the fountains flowing from books. These books are scarce, and teachers are even scarcer.

What shall we do then? Do we close shop and say we gave it our best shot? On the contrary, our ministry to God is not based on our ability to please, or perform, but rather on the level and depth of empowerment bestowed on and in us. We, Christians, are the most versatile and diverse of people God has placed here. The term peculiar comes to mind. We are a one stop shop for ministry when we come together and look beyond the individual peculiarities and see Jesus, and the sweet words saying 'go forth and make disciples' fuel our desires.

We don't have to wait till we are a bag of bones to serve. We can do it and should do it while our strength still remains. We demonstrate obedience and love for God when we carry out his commands, that as each has received a gift, use it to minister to others, not self. For this reason, among many others, I ask you to not allow yourself to be dull or numb to the need to keep the flame of the gospel burning and bright. Christianity does not spread or grow in church pews, but it does when someone goes out and shares the good news with those that are yet to know Jesus, the kids in the village and the villagers still trying to play rural politics in drunken evenings.

I call upon you to work with me in changing lives, in a life change mission through education. Lets teach these children how to read, lets teach them how to study. Lets show them Jesus.

Tumaini Christian Academy

Saturday 7 June 2014

hungry for books.....

Feeding on soil/earth for dinner.

Ever since Tumaini (HOPE) Christian Academy opened its doors, we have had staff come and after a shot stay, quit. The greatest reason cited is that there is no monetary value for them in it. I agree. We do not, at the moment, have money to hire and retain highly competent staff. But we are ever thankful for the one lady who has sacrificed her one year to stay and help. There have been other volunteers too who have come and gone. It would be best if we could have another person full time with whom the kids could bond and get their pupillage from.Volunteers can chose the most awkward of moments to leave.

Abner. One of the boys that was abandoned.

Such was the case last week. Having no one to fill in, I dropped everything I was doing and against most people's expectations, spent some time in class with the young boys and girls. We had a really great time learning the alphabet and sounds, and playing games. None of the kids had brought any snack with them. I ordered three chapatis (bread like stuff)from the local village restaurant, the kind that only prepares a specific menu of mainly chai and bread day in and day out. These were shared among the kids, and come lunch time, I realized that there were a few who did not want to leave. They did not have anywhere to go and eat. Upon further inquiry, I learned that there were two boys who lived with their under age brother who was the bread winner. Their parents abandoned them long ago. Most nights, they boys kindle a fire and bake earth/soil/dirt for dinner, just to calm the rumbling tummy's loudly asking for a meal. Occasionally there are well wishers who give them meals. But these kids cannot afford anything, and they are almost always dropping out of school.

It is children like these that the school was put up for. We need you to help us feed them and give them a basic education. We need you to help us train them into better individuals who can sustain themselves in the future. We need you to help show these children that there is HOPE even after many have abandoned them. You can help by sharing their plight, or even by making your online donation that will go in purchase of food or books for these children. We can be the light that shines in a dark world, in a village swallowed by the monster of alcoholism and abject poverty. We are the ambassadors of Christ. Make your donation below, and we appreciate your one time gift or recurring support. You can use the email tumainichristianacademy@gmail.com for any info regarding what we are doing here.

Tumaini Christian Academy

Thursday 3 April 2014

Easter for The Village School; A praise Rreport!

The first trimester has ended, and with it, the first step of journey of bringing a Christian focued education to the rural village of Ekebuse. It has been a challenging three months, and we are glad that with your support, we have pulled through. Although we did not manage to feed all the children as we had hoped, or provide all the necessary books, we managed to get a few provisions going for the school, and the population of twenty eight children received a foundational education that will go a long way in preparing them for their future lives.

We give you thanks and hope to have you on board again this second term. We also give thanks to God our father who has made this possible, for his glory and purposes, and that as we move forwards together, may all glory due to him be offered up. Be blessed as you consider giving your gifts and donations towards reaching this kids with the gospel of Jesus at such a tender age.

Please consider making a donation today, either a one time giving or recurring donation, and for the amount you give, a child gets to acquire skills necessary to live their life, having heard the gospel. We preach and teach, and God transforms them.

Wednesday 4 December 2013

A season to transform and a gift

IT is another season when we celebrate and remind ourselves of the greatest gift ever given, JESUS. In Him we have the assurance of better things, in Him we have the promise of eternity, in Him we are called blessed, and in Him we are transformed into new creations. We can better understand the world around us and humanity. But someone has to teach us certain things about God and what has already been done. It is a learning experience as we mature into perfection in our new life.

AS we call on the name of the Lord and profess his love in our lives, we have been commanded to share the same love and share the same story, the good news about the Kingdom of God. This is where you and I come in. We have found Jesus, and we rally others to come to our aid as we declare him. It just is what we must do. In doing this, we have to play our part of teaching others and and training them. Wherever Jesus went, he did good, and we as his followers cannot shy away from this great commission. One of the ways of doing this is by reaching out to children. They are the next generation of Christians who will impact the world around them as we await the rolling away of this world as we know it.

In this, I call upon your support and kindness, love and obedience to our master. There are children who must be taught how to read and write. They must be taught how to think and reason and how to better understand the things that have already come into being. They must be taught how to have better and more fulfilling lives as they seek answers that only can Christ can provide. They must be in school, and this is where I call upon you as you read this. With your help, we can have more children in school, we can train teachers to offer an education that is relevant and more Christ like. We need you to support us to have more of the children come to school, the fatherless, the poverty smitten, the discarded among those whom society says there is no hope. Our God is a specialist of the impossible.We have been beneficiaries of His grace.

I know you have needs too, but I do urge you to consider sharing the love this Christmas and together lets bring another soul home. It will not break you to give the equivalent of a meal this season. It shall all be for a good cause, and you get to share more than a meal. Your donation goes a very long way, and in advance, I say thank you and be blessed.

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