Author: engedi

“I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength for my work. I thank him for considering me worthy and appointing me to serve him” (1 Timothy 1:12)

Dear friends: I trust this finds you all well. The New Year started well for us here and the first two months of the year were not only good for us at En-Gedi, but for the whole country as Covid-19 infections remained very low. As March started and as the vaccine arrived, infections of the new virus started going up steadily and as I write this, the numbers are alarmingly going up. I continue to trust in our Lord God who took us through a very difficult 2020. We are all healthy and optimistic that the future is bright.

In December, we lost our beloved girl Joyce who had joined us early in 2018 at age 4. Joyce was one of the kids that have taught us real patience, especially in feeding. I thank God that I received a child who was near death and she went home healthy and smiling.

In January, I took in 2 new children – ages 3 and 5 and they have adjusted well to the loving environment at En-Gedi. This brought our total to 21 children. Both the new comers are also 100% care. I thank God for the caregivers that God continues to bring my way. They love the children and care for them with passion.

I am grateful that though visits have not been possible for many of you friends and co-workers in this our Lord’s ministry, we have kept in touch through email, WhatsApp, snail mail and phone calls. I thank you so much for your continued support in prayers, foodstuff, material and finances. I thank God for giving me friends like you.

Christmas greetings dear friends and co-workers in the Kingdom:Indeed, this has been a year of storms but, our God has been, and continue to be with us in the storm. Iam encouraged by Psalms 107:23-30: “Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on themighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep; for he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, andhe guided them to their desired haven”. The experts, the most experienced, the mighty miracle workershave all been challenged by the Covid – 19 storm. But at His timing, our Lord God will still the storm.We are all well and healthy and this stormy year is the year our children have been most healthy in the 6years we have been operational. We have not lacked in anything: God has all through supplied ourneeds by sending you our friends, and many new acquaintances to us with the needed supplies. He hasbeen and continues to be our Ebenezer. May His Name be praised!We have seen several improvements with our children in their abilities, and most outstanding has been with our girl Lucky. She fully became toilet trained, learned how to say potty and said goodbye to diapers (except at night). She also completely stopped drooling; and is learning to walk with a walker and on parallel bars. Of the 20 children at En-Gedi,only one child is able to talk fluently and Lucky has become #2 in learning how to talk. She talks a lot and now we can decipher about 30% of what she says. Again we thank God for improved abilities

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling……” Psalm 46:1-3 (nkjv).

Indeed God has been, and continue to be our refuge and strength. All over the world and all around us, fear gripped people from left and right. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused havoc to economies of the world. So many job losses and lives disorganized. In our country, the Education Minister announced that 2020 is a lost academic year, devastating news for primary and high school students as well as university students. But for us at En-Gedi, though our income has been much lower, we have not lacked and so far the last 8 months of the year 2020 has been the year we have been healthy the most since En-Gedi started 6 years ago. Glory and honor belong to our God.

We are all fine and staying safe – we do our best and God does the rest. We are thankful to God that the infection rates have been going down in the last one week and that recoveries continue to outnumber the infections. God is good all the time. We are all happy to also note that deaths are not as high as has happened in other countries and that most of those passing on have had other underlying health conditions. At En-Gedi, I opened up for the staff to take their usual offs, but still closed to visitors. We have a few children whose immunity is boosted by diet and sometimes medication, so we are extra careful. Otherwise, we are happy and enjoying each day that God gives us.

If you are reading this update, I believe that the Lord has been your refuge. It’s my prayer that He will conceal you in His shelter in these days of the adversity called Covid-19, and that He will hide you under the cover of His tent and set you high on a rock. I am thankful to God for giving me friends like you. Thank you for being part of my life and my service at En-Gedi through your prayers, thoughts, financial and material support. Let’s keep meeting at His Feet.

Praises:

1. Praise God with us for His providence (His presence with us, great health for all of us and meeting with our needs);
2. Praise God for peace and stability all around us, despite the challenges of the current times.

Prayer request:

Pray that some normalcy returns to the world to enable people to visit each other. I had tens of groups and families who wanted to visit us, but were not able to. I am very optimistic that the situation will keep improving and that we will be able to host visitors again.

Greetings dear friends and co-workers in the Lord’s vineyard:   A time like this, we need to hear words of encouragement like quoted above in the book of Isaiah.  If you are reading this, then you have a reason to smile with the assurance of our God’s presence with us even in the midst of a deadly virus. 

We are all fine and healthy and thanking God for each day.  Even our girl Lucky whose eyes needed medical attention – and which we have not been able to access, has kept well.  Her eyes have improved by just eye drops.  I still plan to have her checked when we are able to move around again.   

Since mid March when schools, Church services and all kinds of gatherings were suspended, and burials and weddings restricted to 15 family members, I also suspended our Therapist, all offs for my staff and all kinds of visitations.  I brought in the extra staff who worked as a substitute to lessen the workload.  I am grateful to God that we all have worked together and we all have been healthy and joyful.  I have been the only contact between En-Gedi and the outside world.  I do my best to keep safe and God does the rest.   I thank God for all your prayers for us.

Before the end of March, I started receiving calls from people who wanted to donate foodstuff to us and because they could not visit us, they either dropped their donations by our gate or asked me to go pick up.  I decided to start a journal entitled “En-Gedi and these corona times”.  Going through this journal today is like thrills and spills; and it continues.  There is even an entry from a phone call this morning.   Many of the people who have called me for supplies or have sent me some funds have not been to En-Gedi.  God works in amazing ways in supplying our needs according to His riches in glory.  We have not lacked and we will not lack because we belong the owner of resources.  I have missed Church and fellowship, but our Church has a TV station and our Pastor and evangelists have been sharing messages on YouTube.   

Although Kenyans are getting tired of the dusk to dawn curfew and movement restrictions within counties, positive cases of the virus are increasing daily with the community mass testing.  Deaths are however not as many and most of the casualties have histories of other sicknesses.  We also have had about 40% recovery rate.