AGAPE DEVELOPMENT MINISTRIES

part one

Agape Development Ministries (ADM) has received little publicity over the years. They are involved in a major work in our Kisumu unit in Kenya. Let us give you a brief review.

After Amish Mennonite Aid entered Kenya in the early 90's, Ivan Peachey began supporting the needs in a small way. Christian Aid Ministries stepped in around 2002 and began operating ADM under the umbrella of AMA. AMA now brings in a director with his family to work in this branch of the mission. He does not pastor a church, although he's commissioned to preach. First it was Ivan Peachey, then Ellis Helmuth, Tommy Wagler and now Jonathan Martin. The program continues growing and is becoming more challenging.

Jonathan and Lavonna Martin, Jackson-4 and Kaiden-1

The current ADM director is Jonathan and Lavonna Martin. Jonathan is the youngest child of Raymond and Esther Martin from Ephrata, PA. Lavonna is the daughter of Reuben and Mary Ann Yoder of Free Union, VA. Jonathan and Lavonna met at Faith Mission Home and married October 10, 2003. When Jackson was 3 months old, they answered the call to Kenya and have stayed almost 4 years. Kaiden was born here and they are now expecting their 3rd child in June. They are, however, planning to terminate here in April to work in the position of being assistant administrator at FMH. Jonathans will be replaced by my brother, the Martin and Kristy Bender family from LaMonte, MO. They are expected to arrive in 2 weeks.

ADM operates in many different facets. There is the ORPHANAGE PROGRAM. There are approx. 1500 orphans in the system. CAM supports them in ways of food, which they get every 2 weeks. They get a dress/shirt/sweater/school uniform/shoes twice a year. The school tuition is paid. In every church area there is one administrator, 4 supervisors and one matron. Each child has a sponsor and each sponsor is provided with a photo of the child.

REACHING OUT MINISTRIES (ROM)- also operates under ADM. They do not only supply the medicals needs for HIV+ victims but also food twice a month and special nourishment.

The WIDOWS PROGRAM is just beginning. The pastor chooses widows in need of assistance.

WATER PROGRAM-Wells are dug with approx. each church getting 2 wells per year. Each pastor helps decide who will be the next member in his church who needs it the most. This is a well celebrated project.

SPECIAL NEEDS FUNDS- caters to housing, medical and school assistance.

DISABILITY- This program helps the crippled with wheelchairs, helps the blind and deaf go to school, or will assist with a cobbler project, etc. You can't hand them everything.....remember the slogan: Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him HOW to fish, he can eat for a lifetime.

FAMINE RELIEF- this is food assistance for crop failures.

SEED PROGRAM- Every spring supervisors will measure plots of interested members and they can buy seeds and fertilizers at subsidized prices.

Sarah Anna Esh

Also working for Agape is Sarah Anna Esh. She has served in Kenya almost 4 years. She makes Greenville, TN, her home and is the daughter of Dan and Caroline Esh. Sarah initially taught school for the compound children but has in the past couple years been a domestic floater. You will find her cleaning a house, doing laundry for a busy mother, visiting the widows or teaching a sewing class. However, most of her time is spent overseeing the orphan's clothing in the Agape Program.

Goretti Awino cutting dresses

Every week Sarah has ladies come in to cut out dresses. Those of us that sew know it's important to do an accurate cutting job to make a nice dress. Each orphan girl gets a dress twice a year. The sizes vary from infant to 18 years old. Once the church ladies graduate from their sewing classes, they will qualify to start sewing these dresses. This brings in extra income for their families for which they are very grateful. Sarah will supply the sewers with dresses and have them taken out and brought back in. She will then iron all these dresses. I check for quality workmanship and pay the ladies at the end of each month. Approximately 800 dresses are given to girls twice a year.

The many dresses in the Agape store room. There is no way we can picture them all. In all our church areas, we will recognize orphan girls by these dresses. You should see their large smiles when they are given a new one. It's the best reward for all the hard work behind it.

to be continued in part two....

AGAPE DEVLOPEMENT MINISTRIES
Part two

Orphange Food Distribution


Every two weeks, big trucks deliver bags of rice, beans, sugar, maize, etc. into the Agape carport. Jevon Beachy is loading the van for a food drop. He will deliver a load or two to each of the eight churches.

The food distribution at the Kajulu church. These are some of the area orphans waiting for their rationed supply. Many of these children come to church. It takes about 4 hours to distribute the food.

Merle Beachy has taken the responsibility of documenting each orphan, including updating their personal photo yearly. At times like these, there are always curious onlookers.

Going home with food! It's transported many different ways by a varity of ages.....small children, mothers, bent over grandmas on motorcycles, bicycles, walking....most common; on top of the head! Carrying your load on your head frees the hands and shades the face, plus it promotes good posture. Try it!

Mattie Kauffman

THE ZIATUNE ACHIENG FAMILY

Ziatune is the name of a sister in the Kajulu church. She's a young widow with three young children. Perez is ten years old and the twins, Philip and Titus are 6 years old. The children are nearly always pumped full of energy unless they're sick.

Ziatune comes from an area an hour away. "It's so FAR away", she said, "I only get home once a year." Her father had two wives with the first having eight children and the second eleven children. Ziatune was the oldest child of the first wife. She related that her childhood was good and she misses home and her siblings very much.

When Ziatune was eighteen she married Erastus, a bush doctor, and became his 3rd wife. She made her home with him in the local Kabonya mountains. A lady generally will move to her husband's homeland and he will make her a house in his "dala"(homestead). Each wife has a house for herself and her children. The houses are set close together in a circular fashion and may even turn into a small village depending on how many brothers the husband has. The sons stay and the daughters move away. When the husband dies the wife will stay since she is the dala's property. The next brother may try to inherit her. It can cause quite a problem if she joins the CBF church and refuses. Seldom will a widow remarry. The children may need to stay because the dala owns them. Sometime the dala is peaceful, but many times it is not.

Perez was soon born to Eratus and Ziatune. Meanwhile at her faraway home, Ziatune heard her mother gave birth to twins. The following year, in 2004, Ziatune herself was blessed with twin sons, Philip and Titus. When the babies were only 3 months old, the husband became sick and died. Ziatune was only 23 years old. When asked what caused his death, she said he was an old man; he was 43 years old! I was rather taken aback and said that's how old my husband was when we married. She looked abit shocked but didn't comment. Ziatune struggled with the small babies with Titus, the smaller one, not doing well at all. Steve Esh was pastoring the fledgling church of Kajulu at the time and heard about this young widow and assisted her with food and clothing. The second wife of Erastus also died leaving only Ziatune with her children and the bitter, childless first wife. Ziatune requests your prayers. There is no peace at the dala. The first wife in her envy makes life very difficult. With this being Luo land, it also may cause a problem since Ziatune comes from another tribe. Numerous other church sisters live in the neighborhood and she leans heavily on them.

Ziatune and her little family. Pray for protection and faithfulness in her life.

Ziatune, 29, is a fiesty and no-nonsense person. She works hard to provide for her children. You will see her in the government fields with her jembe, hoeing away. She is often very tired and fights to stay awake in church.

Perez is a such a pretty, happy young lady. She reminds me of a young deer with her lilting, skipping ways.

Titus and Philip are so energetic, their mother finds it hard to keep track of them. They often sit with me in church and I try to teach them to hold still. They try, but they wiggle and squirm with their legs a-swingin'.

Such is life for widows and their children. Pray for the mother. Pray for the children that they can grow up standing strong in spite of the environment they're living in. At best in Kenya, life is pretty lean with a husband. For a widow without a husband, it's downright tough! We have many widows in our CBF churches. They get material and emotional support and are so grateful.

Linford and Kay Bontrager from IN, are back visiting for a short time. It's always good to have former missionaries come and encourage us. They pastored in Oroba for 5 years from 1996- 2001.

John and Barbara Glick also enjoyed their two sons, Lester and Crystal Glick and Ernest Glick, for 2 weeks. They enjoyed showing them around, especially the Masai Mara. Going to the game reserve is like a page from National Geographic come alive.

Joseph Hostetlers are also hosting 3 of his siblings and a cousin. Darvin, Leon and Rachel Hostetler and Rhonda Hostetler are from Belleville, PA. It's also fun to show relatives the sights, sounds and smells of Kenya.

Sam Kauffman family