Bittersweet Day at Mama Jean's Home!

Our Mama Jean's Home had a bittersweet day yesterday. We officially went from 10 boys down to 8 boys.

We had a goodbye party for our twins, Baraka and Favour.

The twins came to Mama Jean's Home in December of 2013 at the age of 4, having been dropped off to a street kids centre by a relative.

Earlier this year, the twins' mother found out where they were and wanted to see her boys. It was a super sweet reunion for them.

They boys even called their mother her name in their tribal language; a language they hadn't spoken in over two years.

Over the past several months, we've worked slowly at building their relationships and for this moment to happen. We did home visits to ensure that their mother lived in a safe environment. We allowed the boys to go on their school breaks to spend at their mother's home. Once we all felt (the boys included) that things were good, we set up the boys to move back home with their mother and their siblings.

Yesterday was that day!!! And to see the boys and their mom so happy with each other and knowing they were being permanently reunited, was such a blessing.

The boys will be sponsored in their home, with their mother to assist her. We will be working with the mother to help start a business to generate more income for her.

Should you wish to sponsor Baraka and Favour, it is $50 per month per boy or $600 per year per boy. The support will cover food, school necessities, and a water filtration system to ensure that the family has clean drinking and cooking water to help eliminate unnecessary water-born illnesses.

Please visit our website (http://www.one5ministries.com/contact-us/) on how to donate toward the support of the boys.

Have questions? Email us at support@one5ministries.com.

Thank you!

Waiting for cake and soda!

Baraka and his mother!

Having their cake and soda

Most of our Mama Jean's boys (one is visiting family)

Favour and Baraka with their mother

Praying over Baraka and Favour

The boys praying over Baraka and Favour

The boys reunited with their family!

A Glimpse Into Mama Jean's Home: Meet Brian

Brian, who is now 10 years old, lived at Mama Jean's in early 2014; however, in June of that year, he ran away back to the streets. In July of this year, Brian asked if he could come back to Mama Jean's and on August 1st of this year, we had a party to celebrate him back into the home.

It's been a hard road for Brian. He is dealing with hurts and addictions from the streets but we continue to love on him, pray for him, and provide what he needs to make this time easier for him. He has started hugging us back when we hug him and when we give him kisses on the cheeks or forehead, his face just lights up. He is definitely in a place of needing and craving that extra attention and it's not hard to pour that love on him.

 A note from Brian:

I am so grateful for the next chance to live at Mama Jean's. I am glad that I can learn and do some work to help around the home. I get to go to church now; I get to eat regular meals. I am so happy that I can take a shower daily and that I have a bed to sleep in.

Thank you One 5 Ministries and it's friends for your love and support.   

Please keep Brian in your prayers as he continues to heal from the streets. So that we can continue to care for our boys, plus bring in other boys, like Brian, we need your support.

If you would like to donate (whether one-time or monthly), please see below of how to do so in both Canada and the United States.

CANADA

Please visit our website (http://www.one5ministries.com/contact-us/) for the address of where to send a cheque.  Please ensure that the memo of the cheque states: O5M:Mama Jean's.

If you would like to do an online donation, please visit this website (www.reactkenya.com). They are processing the online (and cheque) donations for O5M. You will see a yellow donate button on the left hand side of the home screen.

UNITED STATES

Please visit the website (http://wordsower.org/contact_info) for the address of where to send the check. Please ensure that the memo line of the check states: Kenya: Mama Jean's.

You can also do an online donation through that website. Please ensure to designate the funds to: Kenya: Mama Jean's to ensure that it gets to the home.  

If you have any questions or would like more information, please email us at info@one5ministries.com.

Tomorrow, we'll introduce another boy. See you then!!

In His Service,

Meredith

A Glimpse Into Mama Jean's Home: Meet Stanley

Note:  Sorry for the two day delay in the blog. We had internet issues one evening and power issues the other. I think we are back to normal now. Thank you for your patience!

Stanley is a leader. He is very good at communicating and doesn't fear honesty. He had a rough beginning in life but to see God transform him and show him grace and such an unconditional and beautiful love has been such an honour to see.

Stanley is the cook at Mama Jean's. He also helps to mentor and disciple the boys. He has a huge heart for Mama Jean's and takes pride in his work. He also makes really good chapatis. If you don't know what those are, you need to come to Kenya and try them. You won't be disappointed. :-)

Stanley is married to his wife Everline and has been blessed with six children: five girls and one boy.

A note from Stanley:

I praise God for this previous opportunity He has provided to us to appreciate One 5 Ministries and all who have been helping to change our lives.

One 5 Ministries has been a source of light to these young boys whom had their lives shattered in so many ways by misfortunes.

I thank God for putting this burden in O5M's hearts and your hearts because since we have been working together, things have changed a lot.  The children have realized what their futures are, how they are loved by Jesus, and they are doing their best in all areas.

The bible studies have also brought us all close to our Friend and Father, Jesus. One 5 Ministries directors have done so much through the Holy Spirit to show us how close Jesus really is to us.

I thank each and every one of you who has stood by One 5 Ministries and supported them and us.  We much appreciate. May the Lord God bless you abundantly.

Please pray for Stanley today. Pray for God to continue to use him in His mighty ways, to be a light in the darkness in the communities and especially in his family.

We need your support; to house, to feed, to educate and to care for these boys as well as pay the salaries for the staff members, like Stanley.  If you would like to donate (whether one-time or monthly) please see below of how to do so in both Canada and the United States.

CANADA

Please visit our website (http://www.one5ministries.com/contact-us/) for the address of where to send a cheque.  Please ensure that the memo of the cheque states: O5M:Mama Jean's.

If you would like to do an online donation, please visit this website (www.reactkenya.com). They are processing the online (and cheque) donations for O5M. You will see a yellow donate button on the left hand side of the home screen.

UNITED STATES

Please visit the website (http://wordsower.org/contact_info) for the address of where to send the check. Please ensure that the memo line of the check states: Kenya: Mama Jean's.

You can also do an online donation through that website. Please ensure to designate the funds to: Kenya: Mama Jean's to ensure that it gets to the home.  

If you have any questions or would like more information, please email us at info@one5ministries.com.

Tomorrow, we'll introduce another boy. See you then!!

In His Service,

Meredith

A Glimpse Into Mama Jean's Home: Meet Sammy

Sammy has a heart for being Jesus' hands and feet on this earth. He loves to talk to people about Christ and see them give their hearts to Jesus.

Sammy does the discipleship mentoring of the boys at the home as well as One 5 Ministries' home based care program. Sammy, along with the other staff members, are being discipled by Sean and then Sammy, helps disciple the boys and our widows, grandmothers, and children.

Sammy is married and has four children, two boys and two girls. He is a Sunday School teacher at his church. He loves to run; he is a runner; he runs everywhere. If you have ever dreamed of running with a Kenyan, come and run with Sammy. He'd love it. :)

A note from Sammy:

I want to take this opportunity to appreciate the ministry, One 5 Ministries, that has been helping us. I also thank our mighty God because since we have joined together with O5M and worked as a family, we have seen miraculous things that God has done for us.

We have seen huge changes from the boys because we have been praying and being discipled and are now teaching them the Word of God and that He is our Provider. God hears and answers our prayers.

We pray to you and your families that may your life be abundant of joy, peace, and love.

Please pray for Sammy today. Pray for God to continue to use him in His mighty ways, to be a light in the darkness in the communities.

We need your support; to house, to feed, to educate and to care for these boys as well as pay the salaries for the staff members, like Sammy.  If you would like to donate (whether one-time or monthly) please see below of how to do so in both Canada and the United States.

CANADA

Please visit our website (http://www.one5ministries.com/contact-us/) for the address of where to send a cheque.  Please ensure that the memo of the cheque states: O5M:Mama Jean's.

If you would like to do an online donation, please visit this website (www.reactkenya.com). They are processing the online (and cheque) donations for O5M. You will see a yellow donate button on the left hand side of the home screen.

UNITED STATES

Please visit the website (http://wordsower.org/contact_info) for the address of where to send the check. Please ensure that the memo line of the check states: Kenya: Mama Jean's.

You can also do an online donation through that website. Please ensure to designate the funds to: Kenya: Mama Jean's to ensure that it gets to the home.  

If you have any questions or would like more information, please email us at info@one5ministries.com.

Tomorrow, we'll introduce another boy. See you then!!

In His Service,

Meredith

A Glimpse Into Mama Jean's Home

We thought it would be a great idea to introduce each of the boys and the staff to you but to do it individually. Each day for the next nine to ten days, we will post a blog about one of our boys or staff, a picture and what Mama Jean's Home has done for them. And we may even throw in a bit of the inside of Mama Jean's Home, so you can get even more of a glimpse of this awesome place.

If you don't know the background of Mama Jean's Home, please click here to read about it and how One 5 Ministries (O5M) came to take it over.

We won't lie and say that it has been perfect in now being in charge of running this home. There have been some definite challenges, especially when dealing with ex-street children, some who have addictions and emotional scars. But we have also seen God's incredible goodness and grace; with us, with the staff and with the boys.  We have a good foundation down with the running of the home and work very well with the staff. We have seen God do miraculous things with our boys, with our staff and even stretching out to the staff's families. God wants healing; He wants restoration; He wants us to be free of everything that gets in the way of having a deeper relationship with Him.  He loves us SO much and we have seen His love in so many ways through the Mama Jean's Home.

So join us on this journey over the next week and a half as we share with you. See what we see in the eyes and in the stories of our boys and staff. It is our hope and prayer that you will support them,  pray for them, and love them like we do.

See you tomorrow with our first boy!!

In His Service,

Meredith 

Spiritual Freedom

It amazes me when Jesus sets people free from any bondage they are in.

Some of our staff and I, have started to do discipleship.  I told them that this would be a journey that we would walk through together.  I don’t want to portray myself to them as something that I am not.  The journey toward the Kingdom is one that should be done in community.  It isn’t a solo journey.  It isn’t one that should be lead by anyone, but Holy Spirit.  I told them that I would want them to be able to take what we discover about God and walk with others in their lives outside of work on this journey.

A couple of weeks ago, as we learned about how God is the best Father figure that we can have, a question came from one of the guys.  The question that came out of the discussion was about what it means when the sins of the fathers are passed down to the third and fourth generations.

I explained that sins could affect not only the one committing the sin, but his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  I told them that if the sin wasn’t dealt with, that it could repeat itself and affect the generations perpetually until the sin was dealt with.  I told them that one could break the cycle by turning to Jesus and asking Him to bring an end to the curse.  The man that asked the question said that he would like to put an end to somethings that he knew weren’t good for him or his family.  I assured him that the following week, we would take care of it.  For this week I gave them an assignment.  To sit quietly in their prayer time, eyes closed, with the palms of their hands facing up.  As they breathed in pray “Abba,” as they breathed out pray “I belong to you.”

When we next met, I asked the guys how things were going since our last meeting.  Through their prayer time, one felt that he would be having a breakthrough.  That he would experience God’s prosperity in the near future (something I will need to follow up with).  The other two felt that there was something heavy that had left their hearts.  They both expressed issues with anger towards their families for little things, or even an irrational anger.  I asked the third what his experience with anger was.  He said he felt anger, but was able to exercise self control.  I found it interesting that the first two men are married and the third is not.

I could sense Holy Spirit say to me that there is a generational/cultural issue regarding anger that has been passed down through time.  I have no idea what the root cause is.  I don’t think that it matters at this point.  Enough generations have suffered with this problem.  People just need to be set free.

We prayed a prayer that recognized Jesus as Lord of every area of our lives.  We prayed over the house and the compound that the home is on.  Over the next three weeks I lead each of the men through a few prayers breaking generational curses, and prayers of forgiveness.  When we were finished, I asked them how they were feeling. One said that he was feeling better already and that a big weight had been lifted.  Another said that he could feel Holy Spirit filling him up.  The other one recognized that there were issues that he was going to have to address over time, but that he could sense a good change in his life.  We gave God the glory and rejoiced over the victories.

For the two men that experienced what I would call “immediate freedom” (as I have no better term to use), each had amazing stories of reconciliation within their families and friends.  Some stories revolved around people in their families wanting to turn from alcohol abuse.  Other stories had family members calling within hours of the prayer sessions asking for forgiveness.  One man had a friend who was a preacher and worship leader.  The friend had walked away from Jesus and church life and turned to alcohol.  As a result of a conversation about how good God is, the man agreed to stop drinking and return to church that following Sunday.

The great thing about living life in community, is that great follow up can be done among us.  I look forward to seeing how these men’s life have been changed by Jesus and how they are walking in freedom.  I am also looking forward to seeing how Jesus uses them to set others free too!

In His Service,

Sean