GGCC Kenya, the YCI sister club, headed construction the home shown below:

Read below the account of this process courtesy of the GGCC Director, Naphtaly Mattah:

On Sunday 13th February, we received news that the mother of one Leso of 10th Grade had passed on in a water accident involving a small paddled boat on their way to church in an island in Uganda! The young Leso happens to be one of our YCI leaders here and also our keyboard player in our worship services. The husband, Pastor Joseph Leso had moved into Uganda in 1999 after planting our home church here on Mfangano Island. Since then his village hut, which was made of grass and mud collapse and so at the time of death, the family had no house.

The starting point was to retrieve the body from the crocodile infested lake point, which did happen on Monday morning. We sent a boat to bring the body and little furniture from the island, a distance of ten (10) hours round trip.

Following the dire need for the Leso family, 45 members of our YCI group signed up to go to the mainland to serve this family. We used the USD 400.00 to purchase the building materials and our troop left GGCC for the mainland. The work was very hard as water was available from a well situated far downhill, while the soil for making the wall was also fetched from far away.

On arrival, the young soldiers of Jesus prayed and launched out having grouped themselves according to the various tasks before them. The whole village watched in utter amazement at what was going on, which was least expected. To them, the Pastor deserved to be ashamed for having no house because he left to preach. For the five days since he returned home, he was sleeping in a polythene house with his little earthly belongings because tradition would not allow him to take shelter anywhere in such a situation.

However, the God of heaven was on his case and things were about to change. The team worked while singing Christian songs and in that way their strength seemed to increase and not decrease under the hot sun. By 4:00 PM, the whole house was up and the Pastor moved his things into the new house!

Working under the guidance of Teacher Jared Adams, the group turned to the villagers who gathered under a tree near the house and started a gospel crusade. They sang praises to God, gave testimonies and preached the gospel of the amazing love of Jesus Christ! One old man who stood to speak said, “We now know who you are and why you have done this. Truly God is in you and we have seen him. Anyone who left there in the morning would wonder how a new house stands complete on this ground.”

The team left for the 4 kilometer walk back to the shore and traveled on the wild water of the lake, where the storm was very fierce. By 8:00 PM there were back to GGCC singing praises to the Most High God who had used them to touch many lives that day.

On 5/14/2003 my loved father passed away and all went wrong. Life started to be so hard and I personally would have nightmares. My mother had no business and this made her have a lot of difficulties in taking care of us. The life was so difficult that forced her to go to people looking for work. She would work the all day but without payment.

My siblings and I suffered physically and emotionally just because of lack of basic needs such as food, clothes and shelter. Our house had holes all over that when it happened to have rain then everything would become water. Time reached that I couldn’t go on with my education because of lack of school fees. I wished the ground to open and swallow as alive so as to escape all these.

My step-mother and our neighbors would give us a lot of child work in the absence of my mother, but when it was time for eating, surely it was bad. They could chase us away or send us to far away so that they would feast in our absence. They even nicknamed us dogs, cats and this was hurting me. As the saying goes: “One cannot choose where to be born,” I knew that was our fate and we could not change it.

There were times when we would go to the grave were my Dad was buried and cry thinking that he would rise again just to see all the sufferings we were undergoing. I lived to regret why my Dad died at that time.

When I joined GGCC in 2008 it was the happiest moment in my life. I thank God that am living in a loving environment where am taught the word of God. I look forward to getting a good job and making a big change in my family and even in my village. I am better off, for this far he is my Ebenezer.

The students were treated to a surprise bash at the end of the tuition period. They were taken to Takawiri Island at a resort center for purposes of team building and bonding. They competed in various activities like sand football and volley ball, water net ball, egg race, bottle race, wrestling and tug of war. The students were accompanied by the Director and the Deputy GGHS Principal.

GGCC SPORTS

For the first time in the History of GGCC, we managed to register two teams to take part in the Mfangano Annual cultural sports tournament held at Ramba Primary School from 19th to 24th December 2010. We registered in two disciplines, soccer boys and volley ball boys. The team was a combination of both primary and secondary students. The soccer boys managed to reach the quarter finals where they lost to the previous year’s runners up.

Our volley ball team managed to beat all the contesting teams and reached the finals against their defending champions. Our players won the match which was a major upset for the defending champions. They were awarded a new set of uniforms, a trophy and a volley ball. The soccer team was awarded a football (soccer ball) for their participation. All the soccer, volleyball coaches and fans were very happy.

I was born in 1995 in a family where people never knew the Lord at all. When I was about two years old my mother passed on leaving me with my father, an only child she left behind. Since my mother was our bread-winner, life became so hard that I longed that the earth would open up and swallow me alive. I could miss the very basic needs in life like food, clothes and shelter. By then my father began taking drugs like alcohol, bhang and cigarettes.

My father used to take these drugs and drink very heavily until all the money he had would be finished is when he would come home empty handed. I could not even go to school. I thank God for his grace that enabled me to be selected as one of the many pupils who were to join Gethsemane in 2003.

Since I joined GGC, one of the good things that has happened to me is that the Lord saved my life! I would like to serve the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind. I know, through me many closed doors will be opened.

GGCC's old generator. (click to enlarge)

GGCC has had a generator since 2004, making it one of a small handful of places in the vicinity with any power. They turn on the generator for a few hours each evening, powering lights for reading, a student computer lab, and computers essential to the school’s operation.

Unfortunately, GGCC’s generator has recently gone kaput. Naphtaly writes:

I can now report that our generator is completely broken down and therefore all our hopes of getting it back in use are no more. The situation is very pathetic as computer studies have stopped, printing of exams have stopped, [there is] no running water and lantern lamps are back!

Please pray for provisions to purchase a new $16,000, 33 KVA generator, and that it can be found quickly.

Group photo of the second team on Mfangano in July.

The jet lag may just now be wearing off for the Americans among the 52 people who traveled to Mfangano Island in July for missions to serve the Suba people. It was a very busy month:

• Medical, eye, and dental teams held free clinics at 5 villages across the region. In all, they saw 1665 patients and performed dozens of cataract surgeries. This mission was supported by doctors and nurses from Tenewek Hospital.
• Construction crews built 5 sturdy new huts for needy widows. They also started work on a new guest cottage at GGCC.
• As part of Samaritan’s Feet, teams delivered shoes and the gospel message to 350 children in nearby villages. 400 pairs of shoes were left behind with GGCC’s Christian Union, a volunteer student club, which will continue the outreach to other local children.
• Calvary Church’s Jim Cashwell and Bill Echols led a five-day conference teaching 45 Suba pastors about the Word.
• Volunteers traveled to 5 area public high schools, educating approximately 500 students about HIV/AIDS and telling them of salvation in Christ. This part of Kenya faces one of the highest infection rates in the world, yet many people hold dangerous false beliefs about the disease.
• Mary Beth Cherry worked with six Kenyans to conduct an in-depth survey of over 100 households about their living conditions. The collection of this data begins a long-term Community Health Evangelism project to remedy unsanitary practices and environments in the villages.
• Repairs and sprucing up were done around GGCC’s campus. The playground got a new coat of paint.

We thank all those back home who supported and prayed for the trip. God blessed us with safe journeys and a fruitful month amongst our Suba brothers and sisters.

After a long journey, the first group of folks arrived on Mfangano Island this past Thursday. Much has already been done.

Calvary member Chuck Estes helps locals dig the foundation for a widow's hut. Several similar construction projects are ongoing.

On Friday crews began building solid new huts for widows in need of better shelter. Calvary Missions Pastor Jim Cashwell, blogging from Africa, wrote:

These widows, many young, live in small, two room, dirt floor, mud side, thatch roof homes. They have numerous children — sometimes 4-10. The conditions are unbelievable.

Then over the weekend, missionaries distributed shoes as part of Samaritan’s Feet. On Saturday, Jim posted:

Today we delivered the shoes that many of you donated through Calvary Church. We sized each child, washed their feet and told them of Jesus’ love for them. It was incredible. Many children and their parents prayed to receive Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior … God is faithful!

Washing a child's feet, sharing the Gospel.

Jim adds:

We are all healthy. We are growing more together as a family daily but miss our real family. Love and prayers to you from Mfangano Island, Africa.

You can follow Jim’s frequent reports on his blog and look for more updates here in the days ahead.

Photo of an AIM AIR flight, similar to the kind that lands on Mfangano Island.

Weeks ago we told you how several of GGCC’s top students had the opportunity to visit Nairobi. The most exciting part of the trip for them was not the destination but the journey there — by airplane.  Upon their return the students wrote about their experience and we have some of their reports to share with you.

Thiga, grade 10

The day I had been waiting for anxiously finally arrived. I thanked God for enabling me to see that day. I prepared very early in the morning ready for the trip. When the plane arrived in the school I was very excited since it was to be my first experience in the plane. I sat behind the pilot who was called pilot Twiga because he was very tall…

After 1 hour 15 min we were in the city. We landed at the Wilson airport. I thought it was a dream but actually it was very real … Surely the trip has affected me positively and it has encouraged me to work hard since hard work pays. This experience will remain imprinted in my mind come rain come sun shine.

Read Thiga’s entire letter.

Veronica, grade 6

When the plane took off we were afraid and we thought that we were going to fall into the sea. The pilot told us that we could just look through the window and see the landscape. I was frightened like Macbeth before the Ghost of Banquo when I heard our headteacher shouting “bumps ahead.”

When I looked down human beings looked like tiny ants. The large hectares of land looked like squares and rectangles … We saw rivers running through the valley. The landscape looked beautiful as trees swayed from side to side thanking the almighty God for the wonderful sunshine.

When we could see a heap of clouds nearing us we could shout to one another “bump ahead.”

Read Veronica’s entire, very colorful letter.

Lilian, grade 7

I was as happy as a princess dancing around the palace to hear that I was going to Nairobi by an aeroplane. I had seen many europeans come to our school by air and go back by air. It was something that I had longed for…

On the lake below, water looked like broken pieces of mirror exposed to direct sunlight. On the land, hills were like small foldings…

Soon we saw a city ahead of us … The plane landed at Wilson airport where we saw lots of big planes. Full of extreme joy, I came out of the plane ready to explore the city.

Read Lilian’s entire letter.

Janny, grade 7

When [the plane] arrived my heart sank deep inside. I stood aghast and wondered of how the journey was to be… We felt dizzy as the plane took off. The land below became tiny. My intestines almost broke their bone cage as the plane made a sharp corner. I felt as if we were going to be thrown off the plane. I was astonished to hear that there were also bumps in the air.

In the clouds there was blinding white colour … There were also mountains of clouds …

We saw many buildings ahead of us. There were many iron sheet houses which were crowded next to each other. I knew very well that that was the Kibera slum.

Read Janny’s entire letter.

Brian, grade 9

I had been imagining of being on air by aeroplane. I was just overjoyed when I was informed about the flight to Nairobi…

I was happy to see some of the physical features we had learnt in Geography moreso the rift valley and its features; it was indeed a wonderful experience.

[In Nairobi] There were several nice things that captured my eyes, one being the times towers and the parliament building… Time seemed to be flying, we went to Kenchick hotel and had our lunch. After that we were taken to the Tuskys supermarket where we bought some things for our friends.

Read Brian’s entire letter.

Monica, grade 10

… As the plane got high and high it got more and more beautiful. I enjoyed seeing the white clouds and could not imagine being among the clouds.

I was also very lucky to see the tallest building in East and central Africa. Though the journey was very short, I enjoyed and am very grateful to God for the safe journey back to school. Surely that was my golden opportunity, Glory be to God.

Read Monica’s entire letter.

Washing feet at GGCC in 2009 as part of Samaritan's Feet.

Last year the children of GGCC received brand new shoes through the ministry of Samaritan’s Feet. An article today  in the Charlotte Observer‘s South Charlotte News features Samaritan’s Feet founder Manny Ohonme:

“Sole Purpose,” Ohonme’s biography, hit bookshelves Feb. 15. According to the Ballantyne resident and dedicated missionary, the book relays the story “of a person who chose to say ‘yes,’ to pursue their purpose in life.”

The book chronicles what has happened in Ohonme’s extraordinary life, beginning with his childhood in Nigeria and continuing through his life-altering encounter when, at age 9, he received his first pair of sneakers.

That gift, Ohonme says, set him on a path to study in the United States, play basketball in America and return to Africa so he could assist children in the same manner someone once helped him.

[...] “When you think about it, this story is continuously being told. The end of this story isn’t here yet.”

You can read the whole report here.

Next month, thanks to Samaritan’s Feet and missionaries from Calvary Church, more  shoes will arrive on Mfangano Island for children in the school and surrounding communities. Whenever shoes are distributed volunteers share the gospel and wash the kids’ feet, just as Christ did for his disciples.

Zoe with donated uniforms.

Zoe is a 7th grader who lives near Grand Rapids, MI, and wanted to do something nice for the students at GGCC. Her mom sent out an email to the local American Youth Soccer Organization asking for permission to collect gently used soccer uniforms at the next registration day. AYSO loved the idea and featured GGCC in their April newsletter. The response was amazing! Zoe collected over 100 uniforms.

The jerseys will be shipped to Charlotte, NC, then taken by missionaries on the long journey to Mfangano Island this summer and delivered to the children of GGCC. “Football” is their most popular pastime. Many lack proper clothing except that which they are given at school. Receiving clothes especially for soccer should be an extra blessing.