Update & Prayer Request

I know that it has taken a while for you to hear from me about any updates on the orphan ministry.

The monthly visitation in the homes of 23 orphans and the food assistance are continuing as well as give food to other 3 churches for their needy orphan children.  To explain in case of misunderstanding, the children who have finalized their documentation to prove in every way by birth certificates and death certificates of both parents are those 23 are visited in their homes.  Other names and partial information of children are nearly 150.  These children are being help now as we bring the food to the church and then the local church divides it among them.  These children are receiving about half of what the 23 are getting.  Part of the problem of getting the information from the guardians of the children is coming from the local governmental offices because many times they ask for bribes to do little things like writing these letters.  I will probably need to visit these offices myself to see how I can expedite the process, when I can get to those areas to visit them, mostly the hindrances are time and rains that block some of the road ways.

We are building the first orphanage and I have attached the plans for its compound for you to see.  A group of 11 with CLAIM at BIMI is coming under the leadership of missionary Philip Smith next Wednesday to be with us for ten days in order to help us build the basic structures.  Each of the buildings are 15 ft. by 30 ft.  Please pray for their trip as they will leave the states and Canada on Tuesday the 14th and leave Nairobi on the 26th of this month.  The site is five hours from our home in Kisii so we have booked an entire guest house and my family also will be staying there for those days as well.  Tonya will be doing the cooking for the team and helping the ladies who come to plant trees and other things.

The orphanage compound size of the drawing is about 130 ft. by 150 ft. and it is inside a 5 acre plot that we have ben given by the local community for the church and any project that we can do to assist people in the community.  The land is where they use to have their local bull-fighting and wrestling with bulls and other sports activities.  It is all open land and not owned by any individual.  The church has just finished building a building next to the road and they are planning their first meeting in the church on the 18th of this month.  We are inviting community leaders to come to the service and many from the surrounding areas to attend this special occasion.  The church was started as a Bible Study in 2009 and then we opened it as a church with the first baptism in March of 2010.  We fenced the property in May of this year and the orphanage compound is in the back of the property behind the church.  When we finish the basic structures then we will fence the orphanage part by itself for better security for the children.

I was there yesterday and we put up markers for where the buildings would be and they are beginning today to dig the foundation so that it will be ready for the team to build when they arrive on the site on Thursday next week.  We are praying that the foundations, walls and roofing will all be done in this short time.  Please pray that rain will not be a hindrance to getting these things finished.

This orphanage will hold up to 40 children at capacity so the expenses are increased because of the availability of land and the need in this area.  We already have names of 26 children who will be able to benefit from this project.  Please pray that all of the beds, tables and chairs, kitchen utensils, caretakers, a good water supply, and other things will be able to be put into place by January of 2012 so that we can open the doors to these children.

Also please pray for wisdom in choosing the right caretakers for these children, and the monthly financial support to care for them.

Thank you for your continued support for this project.

After finishing what we can do here we will be looking at the town of Kuresoi with Glory Bible Baptist Church to see how we can get started with that project there.  The land is in good condition and there are 15 orphans who we are visiting monthly.  The number may raise to 20 once we open the doors, but the area is a hot place for political violence that we saw in 2008 where many of these children's parents died. The government is beefing up the security in the area so that it does not happen again.  Elections will take place again next year.  Please pray that God will give us direction on the way forward.

Please forgive us for the laxity in communication with you.  Due to a tight schedule, low internet access, and electricity outages, we have not been able to keep everything up to date on our website about the orphan ministry and the children.

May God bless you and as you pray for these children in Kenya.

Wilson O.

Hi, my name is Wilson O., and I am 4 years old (born in 2007 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I am in Nursery school, and I have 2 brothers (Anthony and Esborn). And we live on a farm with my Grandfather. We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my family and I.

Sincerely,
Wilson O.

Veronicah N.

Hi, my name is Veronicah N., and I am 13 years old (born in 1997 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I have 1 sister and 2 brothers (Mary, Albert and Albert), and we are being raised by our elderly Grandmother. We live on a farm in Mwarangania Village outside the town of Kuresoi. We live off of the land, and we are not able to go to school at this time (lack of money for books and uniforms). We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Veronicah N.

Susan W.

Hi, my name is Susan W., and I am 11 years old (born in 2000 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I have 1 sister and 2 brothers (Monicah, Joseph, and Denis), and we are being raised by our elderly Grandmother. We live on a farm in Mwarangania Village outside the town of Kuresoi. We live off of the land, and we are not able to go to school at this time (lack of money for books and uniforms). We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Susan W.

Mary N.

Hi, my name is Mary N., and I am 9 years old (born in 2002 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I have 1 sister and 2 brothers (Veronicah, Albert and Albert), and we are being raised by our elderly Grandmother. We live on a farm in Mwarangania Village outside the town of Kuresoi. We live off of the land, and we are not able to go to school at this time (lack of money for books and uniforms). We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Mary N.

Kennedy M.

Hi, my name is Kennedy M., and I am 4 years old (born in 2007 - exact date unknown).

My mother died a few years ago, and we have not heard from my father since the election violence came to our village in 2007. He is presumed to be dead as well.

I am in nursery school, and I have 1 brother (Dickson). And we live on a farm with my Grandmother. We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Kennedy M.

Jane M.

Hi, my name is Jane M., and I am 12 years old (born in 1999 - exact date unknown).

My mother died in 2009, and we have not heard from my father since the election violence came to our village in 2007. He is presumed to be dead as well.

I have 1 sister and 1 brother (Milliam and George), and we are being raised by our elderly Grandfather. We live on a farm in Mwarangania Village outside the town of Kuresoi. We live off of the land, and we are not able to go to school at this time (lack of money for books and uniforms). We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Jane M.

George K.

Hi, my name is George K., and I am 5 years old (born in 2006 - exact date unknown).

My mother died in 2009, and we have not heard from my father since the election violence came to our village in 2007. He is presumed to be dead as well.

I have 2 sisters (Jane and Milliam), and we are being raised by our elderly Grandfather. We live on a farm in Mwarangania Village outside the town of Kuresoi. We live off of the land, and we are not able to go to school at this time (lack of money for books and uniforms). We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
George K.

Dickson M.

Hi, my name is Dickson M., and I am 5 years old (born in 2006 - exact date unknown).

My mother died a few years ago, and we have not heard from my father since the election violence came to our village in 2007. He is presumed to be dead as well.

I am in nursery school, and I have 1 brother (Kennedy). And we live on a farm with my Grandmother. We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.


Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Dickson M.

Albert M.

Hi, my name is Albert M., and I am 3 years old (born in 2008 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I have 2 sisters and 1 brother (Veronicah, Mary and Albert), and we are being raised by our elderly Grandmother. We live on a farm in Mwarangania Village outside the town of Kuresoi. We live off of the land, and we are not able to go to school at this time (lack of money for books and uniforms). We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Albert M.

Albert K.

Hi, my name is Albert K., and I am 14 years old (born in 1997 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I have 2 sisters and 1 brother (Veronicah, Mary and Albert), and we are being raised by our elderly Grandmother. We live on a farm in Mwarangania Village outside the town of Kuresoi. We live off of the land, and we are not able to go to school at this time (lack of money for books and uniforms). We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Albert K.

Orphan Ministry Update 2!

Dear Praying Family and Friends,

Thank you for your patience, we have not been able to write updates as frequently as we hoped (due to a number of reasons!).  But we do hope that you will take the time to read the following update about Orphan Ministry project.

We have been getting applications from our local Pastors for the orphans in each of their areas.  We have been given names and a total count of nearly 150 orphans.  From the applications that we have on file, we have bee able to confirm that 30 of them are total orphans (both parents are deceased).  But these children are the targets of this ministry, because they are the most needy.  These are the children that will be able to live in the local church orphanages in the different locations.

We have also confirmed that around 50 of these children are in need, but they still have one parent living.  We are encouraging our churches here locally to help in the visitation of these orphans and widows from their own benevolence funds.  We are trying to teach them that it is their responsibility to follow Bible standards in their local villages, as they have the ability.  They have just planted their fields, and they are making plans to use a portion of their harvests for this purpose, as it is mentioned in Deuteronomy 24:19-22.

The remaining children do not have any documentation; but we are visiting the churches to help them speed up the process.  We will be meeting with all of the churches in our Annual Church Growth Conference at the end of April.  At this time we will be finalizing the documentation of the orphans and set up the visitation times to begin taking food to their homes.

The process of identifying the place where we will build has also not been as easy as we thought it would be, because the need for the orphanage is not as great in some of the areas as it is in others.  And those areas where it is greater, there are still some land issues to be clarified between the church and the mission before the project can begin.

There are two locations where the need for the orphanage is coming together with the other pieces of the puzzle.

     1.  Bible Baptist Church - Thidhia Village.  The Pastor had already started caring for some orphans, and there are a total of 13 orphans.  They had built a mud building with a grass roof to house them, but they have had to abandon it for a short time; because the rains were too heavy, and it was leaking badly.  There is also a lady who has been barren all her life, and she has been willing to help in this ministry as a caretaker of the children.  I am still waiting on a meeting withe the leaders of this church, to work out the details.  We will need to expand the building, renovate it, and put on a metal roof instead of the grass one.

     2.  Calvary Baptist Church - Sidundo Village.  Here there is a 5 acre, undeveloped piece of land that we have been given by the community for a project to be started.  This land was allocated to us before going on furlough last year, and we are waiting for the finalization of the paper work for the title deed.  We will begin shortly fencing this property and bringing in fill dirt to form a road and foundation where we will build the church first and then the orphanage.  This church is a 5 1/2 hour drive from our home in Kisii, and there are 22 orphans at this location.  We will be visiting there this week to finalize all of the documentation of the children, and to meet with the leaders of the church to set the ground work for this work to begin.

During the months of March and April we have been able to visit our churches in the Villages of Thidhia, Ibanchore, Sidundo, and Kisii.  As we visited each of these churches, we gave beans, white maize, and sugar to the church to divide between the orphans while we are still in the investigation stage of this ministry.  While at the churches, we took pictures of each of the children; so we could learn to know them, and so that you have a picture to go withe the name when you pray for this ministry.

We would have been able to visit more churches, but we have also been busy with a Spring Visitation Campaign in Kisii every weekend, Bible College Classes, two funerals in our church in Rongo, and dealing with land issues in Migori.  We have also been able to make contact with government offices here in Kisii, to try to get mosquito nets for all of the children, and also to try to buy the white maize and beans in bulk from the government at cheaper rates.

Please be in prayer for this ministry as we take one step at a time towards reaching each of these precious children with the truth of God's love for even them.

Serving Him in Kenya,
Luke and Tonya Shelby
Missionaries in Kisii, Kenya

Silvans O.

Hi, my name is Silvans O., and I am 3 years old (born on December 29, 2008).

My father died before I was born, and mother has died since then too, but exact dates I do not know.

I am in nursery school at our church, and I have 2 brothers (Calvin and Steve) and 2 sisters (Faith and Beril). The oldest is 13, and I am the youngest. We live on a farm with my Uncle and his family. We attend Thidhia Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Buluku.

Thank you for praying for my family and I.

Sincerely,
Silvans O.

Esborn K.

Hi, my name is Esborn K., and I am 12 years old (born in 1999 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I am in Standard 5 (5th grade), and I have 2 brothers (Anthony and Wilson). And we live on a farm with my Grandfather. We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my family and I.

Sincerely,
Esborn K.

Anthony S.

Hi, my name is Anthony S., and I am 6 years old (born in 2004 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I am in nursery school, and I have 2 brothers (Esborn and Wilson). And we live on a farm with my Grandfather. We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my family and I.

Sincerely,
Anthony S.

Paul K.

Hi, my name is Paul K., and I am 13 years old (born in 1998 - exact date unknown).

Both my father and mother have died, but exact dates I do not remember and their death certificates were lost in a fire during the election violence came to our village in 2007.

I am in standard 5 (5th grade), and I go to school at Mwarangania Primary School. And I live on a farm with my Grandfather. I do not have any living brothers or sisters. We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my Grandfather and I.

Sincerely,
Paul K.

Milliam W.

Hi, my name is Milliam W., and I am 9 years old (born in 2002 - exact date unknown).

My mother died in 2009, and we have not heard from my father since the election violence came to our village in 2007. He is presumed to be dead as well.

I have 1 sister and 1 brother (Jane and George), and we are being raised by our elderly Grandfather. We live on a farm in Mwarangania Village outside the town of Kuresoi. We live off of the land, and we are not able to go to school at this time (lack of money for books and uniforms). We attend Glory Bible Baptist Church and our pastor is Pastor Gesanda.

Thank you for praying for my siblings and I.

Sincerely,
Milliam W.

Orphan Ministry Update!

God has given us a vision and an opportunity to help orphans around each of the local Independent Baptist Churches that He has allowed us to get established in the Nyanza Province of Kenya.

When we left Kenya to begin our furlough in the United States, we did not tell the Kenyan people about what God was laying on our hearts.  We wanted to pray about it more and make sure that we were following the Lord’s leading and not our own desires in this matter.  So, when we returned to Kenya 5 1/2 weeks ago, we felt that it was time to share our vision with each of our Kenyan Pastors as well.

During our first meeting, which we held in order to share our vision, to set up a committee, and to put some strict guidelines in place went very well.  As a matter of fact, we found out that the Lord has been dealing with some of the Pastors about working with orphans as well!  One, Pastor Samuel Buluku, took it upon himself, his family, and his church to start a small orphanage at their church - that was half way through our furlough, and he had no idea what we were wanting to do.  He and his wife are acting as parents to 15 orphaned children already!  Isn’t it amazing when you can see God’s unmistakeable hand moving and working in the hearts of people! 

Now Pastor Buluku and his church have not had an easy time, but they have tried their best to take care of these children.  This church is in the village of Thidhia in the southern part of Nyanza Province, and it is an area where the majority of the people are living below the poverty level.  But seeing what they are trying to do, makes you stop and wonder what might be possible if some of God’s people (who do have some resources at their disposal) get a hold of this vision and help by supporting it financially on a monthly basis!  It reminds me of the “widow’s mite” in the Bible - she gave everything she had to the Lord.  Well, that is what this Pastor and his family are doing too.  They are struggling to make ends meet on a day to day basis, but they know that they are taking care of God’s children. 

You might be asking yourself right now, “How can I help orphans who are half way around the world, people I have never and might never meet?”  Well, there are a few  ways that you can help:

- You can pray for Pastor Buluku & his church as they continue helping as they can.
- You can pray that we can start similar projects at our other churches & that the other Kenyan Pastors will claim this vision for their areas too.
- You can donate a one time monetary gift to help these children.
- You can support these children on a monthly basis:
$15 - allows us to take a small care package to each child monthly.
$30 - allows us to give full support in a home setting like Pastor Buluku has implemented.

If you are going to pray for this ministry, please send us an email (click here) to let us know of your prayers for these children.  If you would like to donate, please click on the “Donate” button below (you will be taken to BIMI’s secure paypal site - all donations will receive a tax deductible receipt).

Thank you for your Prayers & Support!

How you can help.

You can help by supporting this ministry on a monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, or yearly basis.

The money that you donate will be able to provide a better life for each of the orphans in our care and the care of each of our local churches.
   
-$15.00 per month provides a monthly care package to one orphan; and it will contain basic food items, general hygiene items, a mosquito net, blanket, and other miscellaneous items.

-$30.00 per month will provide full support for one orphan living in one of our local church facilities.

-$1,500 given as a one time gift, will provide the facility (the building, the furnishings, a well, and other necessities).

You can make donations by check or online.  If paying by check, please send checks payable to Baptist International Missions, Inc. (BIMI) account #1107 (with Orphan Care written on the memo line), P.O. Box 9215, Chattanooga, TN  37412.  Or you if you choose to pay online, then please click on the button below; and you will be taken to BIMI’s secure paypal site (it will be posted to Luke Shelby Family - Orphan Care account).

Some basic facts about Kenya.

Population: 38 million people

19 million are under the age 15.

Only 1 of every 5 children born will reach his fifth birthday.

5 million children are orphans in Kenya.

2.5 million of these are orphans due to the aids epidemic.

We need your help!

1. Basic Need Care Packages

Given monthly if they are living with relatives $15/month per child ($.50 a day)

2. Local Church Orphan Care

Daily care by a family under the authority of a local church $30/month per child ($1 a day)

3. Facilities

Accommodations for 10 children on the property of a local church $1,500 (one time gift)

4. Child Development

Depends on laborers and additional donations

Orphan Ministry Project

One of the projects that we believe God wants us to be a part of is helping orphans and widows.  We have several families that have been saved, were faithful members who have died, and they have now left several widows and orphans that urgently need assistance.

We are currently on furlough.  We are visiting our supporting churches, and we are trying to get in a few new ones to raise new support for our Ministry Work Funds.  One of the projects that we believe God wants us to be a part of is helping orphans and widows.  We have several families that have been saved, were faithful members who have died, and they have now left several widows and orphans that urgently need assistance.  The 18 churches and several preaching points that we have started are scattered throughout the villages in the southwestern part of Kenya near Lake Victoria.  Most of this area is the breeding ground for the worst kinds of malaria, fastest spreading of AIDS, and the life span of most of the area is only 35 years old.

We are starting this program to first help the members of our local church congregations that seriously need help, and then we want to reach out into the community to give hope to the many orphans who are ostracized in the community because of the growing poverty.  The workers and volunteers will be members of our churches under the leadership of the local pastor of their church, who will be coordinating all efforts with us.  We will deliver the needed supplies to each church, and then through combined efforts, we will”...visit the fatherless and widows…” in the church and community, as the Lord provides the funds.

Right now we need $300 monthly for this ministry (this amount will help 20 orphans each month).  Our goal is to have it ready to be started in January 2011, when we return to Kenya.

-You can help through your continued prayers for our ministry and this project.
-You can set aside special offerings to be given through your local church.
-A church can set aside VBS offerings for this need.
-And a church could take on this project as a separate mission project for monthly support.

Please view the brochure, and if there are any questions please send us an e-mail (click here).

Thank you for considering this project for support!