December 2021 Update
Nairobi Office:
Receive many greetings from Nairobi office team and Hope Centers communities. Happy Christmas from us, as we celebrate the birth of Christ. From us Special Ministries in Kenya we would like to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. During this season, we will be celebrating Hope, Peace, Love and Joy; we pray that all four of these would fill your life in every way this Christmas and beyond. As a ministry we are very grateful to God.
This Christmas, as in all previous years, we celebrate “Immanuel” (God with us). Without Christ’s presence among us we would be lost. Through God’s presence working within us we are being healed, transformed, reconciled, and made whole. We pray for you our donors, partners and supporters for a fantastic Christmas and happy New Year full of joy.
As a Ministry we continue to thank God for his blessing and protection. It has been the toughest year because of corona virus high rate of infection, county lockdown, poor rainfall and drought affecting our Hope Centers. BUT above all we continue to give thanks and praise God for more blessings, great ministry work in the Hope Centers and protection in the midst of all.
Drought in Kenya
For the last few months, the Hope Center communities have been hit hard by the harsh drought currently experienced in Kenya. The cumulative impact of two failed consecutive poor rainy seasons, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the declaration of a national disaster by the President of Kenya on September 8, 2021. October to December long rains failed across our Hope Centers counties. The failure of the short rains in Kenya has worsened the drought conditions across all our Hope Centers. Due to drought crisis, the vulnerability of our Hope Center communities has increased, as they are finding it increasingly difficult to find water and pasture within their normal grazing areas. This has resulted to going across borders in search of pastures and water. Many open water sources, including rivers, water pans, and dams, have dried up. Across pastoral areas, livestock return trekking distances have also increase. Reports from Hope Centers Pastors reported that in Narok, trekking distances are exceptionally high at 25 to 30 kilometers, compared to 15 to 20 kilometers normally.
Drought Response Food and Hay Distribution.
We thank God for love and compassion by Helping Kenya Kids through Special Ministries that values people and is committed to saving lives and livelihood of disaster-affected communities. Our communities are happy and rejoicing because of Helping Kenya Kids hearing their cry and responded to the drought crisis and provided food to families and hay to starving animals in all our Hope Centers to save lives. Our food distribution to our Hope Centers was successful and a special one. We blessed 168 families with food and hay, and we thank and praise God for the provision and bless all that supported us during these hard times of drought and Covid 19 pandemic. Many who came were blessed with the Word of God and knowing Christ. We thank God we even have personal testimonies testifying the work Special Ministries is doing in their live.
Our Pastors have continued preaching the Word of God in our distribution centers making many to greatly know the love of God and work of Special Ministries for them.
They have always expressed their heartfelt gratitudes and thanked Helping Kenya Kids donors for remembering them during hard times of drought.
We continue to thank God for the continued provision from our donors and Helping Kenya Kids for enabling Special Ministries to reach the most affected in its ministry work on food distribution to families and hay to animals and giving HOPE to our communities.
Ministry Motor Bike
During our visit to Kimelok, we delivered a ministry motor bike to pastor Stanley. It was great joy for Pastor Stanley and the Hope Center community. Pastor Stanley will now be able to move easily around the Hope Center reaching out to communities to spread the Word of God.
Medical Clinic and Water Borehole progress.
IL-kerin Medical clinic is almost done and it’s taking shape day by day and nearing completion in two weeks time. We also praise God for the successful drilling of two water boreholes. We got plenty of water in the Lkerin and Kimelok water boreholes. Thanks to our donor for the great support. Women in these two communities will no longer need to walk long distance in search of water in the rivers.
Prayer request:
· Continue to pray for rains in our Hope Centers and pray for protection against corona virus increasing every day
· Pray for our Hope Centers families and December children VBS Activity next week.
· Pray for Special Ministries ministry work and staff and pastors as they move around to support vulnerable families with food and for God to protect them from the virus.
Ruai Project
Ruai farm is doing well with French Beans coming up very well in their different blocks stages for the second phase and continuous harvest. We had rain in Ruai. The new variety of the bean we planted is coming up very well. We are looking forward for a great harvest.
