Christmas Greetings – 2017

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Christmas Greetings - 2017

Dear co-workers in the Lord’s ministry,

 

Kindly receive our special 2017 Christmas greetings and best wishes for the new year 2018!  

 

Indeed we thank God for giving us a very blessed year; an year that has seen us complete our new facility and move in; an year that has registered tons of improvements in the abilities of our children; an year that we have registered a very successful community outreach; an year when truly God has met our needs according to His riches in glory.  He is a faithful God – Glory and honor are His!

 

We conducted thanksgiving prayers for the new facility on November 30 and we moved in on December 5.  The children who move around have been very excited and this excitement has brought out some abilities previously not noticeable.  For instance, John and David are able to wheel themselves – though just using one arm.  Our settling down is going well and as soon as we furnish a bit more, we will start to take in more kids and open opportunities for volunteers

Please thank God with us for: a) completion of this facility that will help many more children; b) thank God for those that, in different ways have contributed  to improved lives of En-Gedi children; c) thank God for His continued provision to our needs.  Pray that God will continue to be central in the En-Gedi ministry; b) pray that the children will continue to improve in their abilities; c) pray that God will touch people willing to come as volunteers to serve with us at En-Gedi; d) pray that we all experience a renewal of God’s love as we celebrate Christ Jesus’ symbolic birth this Christmas season.

Thank you all for being partners with me. 

Margaret Njuguna

MNjuguna

“I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (Psalm 7:17–

 

 

“I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (Psalm 7:17–

En-Gedi Children’s Home, P. O. Box 763-00204 Athi River, Kenya.   www.en-gedichildrenwithhope.org

November 2017 update

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En-Gedi Children’s Home – November 2017 update

Greetings to you all my friends and partners in serving God’s children!

 

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

Please accept my great appreciation to you all for walking with us at En-Gedi with your prayers, financial support, visits, e-mails and cards.  May the God we serve together do you good!   

 

We are all fine and enjoying each day that God grants to us. Our children have continued to improve in their different abilities – both mental and physical.  To highlight just a few – John who couldn’t say a word 2 years ago when he joined En-Gedi has now over 20 words and most of them quite clear; Michael who just a few months ago started sitting on his own with some back support is now able to move with his back all over the room.  For the first time, he is now able to turn from laying on his back to laying on his tummy; Angel, our little armless girl is talking almost fluently now. It’s amazing how much all the children have improved.  Glory and honor are to our God.

Since the last update, God has provided resources for a back-up generator that makes our training centre cum guesthouse sell better.  Although we have not had any groups renting, we have had many enquiries and we are hopeful for income generation through this facility.  

On September 24, two of my staff and I took 5 children with us to a Presbyterian Church that helped resuce our girl Rose.  We were warmly received and with our children, we presented a praise chorus and I shared about seeing God’s face in disability.  Educating the community on disability is one of our goals.

On our last wrap towards moving to our new facility

Main entrance

     my office (to the right)   

storage room

therapy room

Working on final touches of the driveway, parking and gardens.                  Paving blocks being laid out.

Paving of the grounds is expected to be complete in another 10 days.  Soon after, I will have my Board members, parents & guardians of our children; my Church leadership and a couple prayer groups that I belong to come to make a “thanksgiving prayer to God” and dedicate the facility to God’s ministry.  It actually might coincide with your Thanksgiving and if so, lets plan to thank God together for His doings. 

 

Official inauguration is tentatively scheduled for July 7, 2018 and I am extending a very warm invitation to any of you who is able to travel to attend this occasion.  Meanwhile, I plan to travel to the U.S. and Canada (just Alberta) from mid April to end of May 2018.  This trip is to visit my N. America supporting families and congregations to personally say “thank you” and to share pictures and videos of En-GediI will correspond directly with many of you on these plans so that we work on my visit together.   

 

Soon after moving into this new facility, we will take in 3 or 4 waitlisted children. Individual families and congregations in our neighborhood have given us enough food and clothing to immediately support these additions.  And I am sure as we gradually take in more and more children, God will continue to increase our financial resources to cope with the growth of En-Gedi ministry.   Below are some of our waitlisted kids on the higher priority list:

Praises and prayer requests

Thank God fora) the far He has brought us in building this His ministry; b) for continued peace in Kenya despite some challenges we experienced after the national elections back in August; c) for rains all over the country after over a year of failed rains that caused drought and famine in many parts of Kenya.   Pray that: a) God will give us a good transition as we plan to move in to our new facility; b) that God will continue to guide me as I make plans for travels to North America in the spring; c) that Kenya remains to be peaceful.   I appreciate your support in raising the Contractors retention fee – half of which have to be paid on handover of the facility at the end of November. 

 

Together in His service,

 

Margaret Njuguna –  megnjuguna@gmail.com

www.en-gedichildrenwithhope.org

 

August 2017 update

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En-Gedi Children’s Home - August 2017 update

In John 10:16, the Good Shepherd said: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.  They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd”. Regardless of our differences in all aspects of life, so long as we have the breath of life that God breathed into the form he created in Genesis 2:7 (the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life….), we are all His and are equal before His throne. 

 

I am humbled to know that God chose me to get En-Gedi ministry started, talked to you all and you joined me to care for His own that are challenged in their abilities.  We are all equal before Him. To God be the glory!  Together, let’s keep bringing the joy of love and care and freedom to His special children.  

In John 10:16, the Good Shepherd said: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.  They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd”. Regardless of our differences in all aspects of life, so long as we have the breath of life that God breathed into the form he created in Genesis 2:7 (the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life….), we are all His and are equal before His throne. 

 

I am humbled to know that God chose me to get En-Gedi ministry started, talked to you all and you joined me to care for His own that are challenged in their abilities.  We are all equal before Him. To God be the glory!  Together, let’s keep bringing the joy of love and care and freedom to His special children.   

These last couple months, I have met many families with children like our En-Gedi children and some of them are looking forward to when we will be able to offer day care services for their children – when we move in to our new facility.  I am glad that some of the parents will be able to pay a fee to En-Gedi for that care.   

 

Our children are all well and improving differently in their abilities.  Their physical improvements keeps me looking forward to moving to the new En-Gedi Home so that we get equipments to transfer the children from one place to the next.  They are getting heavier and heavier and lifting them challenging.

And now a bit of picture show on where we are at with our construction.  

This is all God’s doing and each day, I marvel and how much God loves these children.  He has provided a beautiful home for them and has sent resources without fail.  Even when I have told the contractor to reduce the construction pace and his labor force, there has always been a small team continuing with construction.  My strength comes from always remembering that I said “yes” to God with nothing but my conviction of the call and my willingness to serve.   Thus far, the Lord has been our Ebenezer!

Thank you for those of you who visited us in July and in early August.  I thank God for all of you who are with me in this wonderful ministry.  Let’s keep serving together for the glory and honor to our God.  

 

Please thank God with me for: peaceful political elections in Kenya this last week; for health and continued improvements with all our children; for making En-Gedi Home a model Home where many people have come to learn to love God’s special children and for continued provisions.  Pray that we get funds to complete the new facility so that we move in before the end of this year. 

 

Information on how to donate is on our website – www.en-gedichildrenwithhope.org

 

In His service,

Margaret Njuguna

P.O. Box 763-0024

Athi River, Kenya

June 2017 update

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En-Gedi Children’s Home - June 2017 update

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service”. 1 Tim 1:12 (NIV)

Indeed I have the pleasure of once again updating you on where we are at as we begin the month of June.  First, I am very thankful to God our Father and our Lord Jesus for keeping us all in His good care, in good health and daily meeting our needs according to His riches in glory. 

Our children are growing bigger and bigger and each one improving in their different abilities in special ways.  Rose who has multiple brain challenges and overweight is finally able to lift herself up and is trying to crawl.  She has circular legs so the legs fold inside, but we trust God who always surpasses us in doing the rest.  Remember our motto is “we do our best and God does the rest”.

 

Then Michael – our oldest at 11yrs is now able to seat on his back against a wall for the first time.

We are thankful to God also that from May 15 to 18, we were privileged to host guests from Michigan and they helped both at the Children’s Home and also at the new En-Gedi construction site working alongside the Kenyan laborers. 

Out goes 2 girls: Lavency and Angle and in comes 2 boys: Mwangi and Mwongela  

 

And now a bit of picture show on where we are at with our construction.  

I had anticipated that we would be able to move into our new facility sometime during this month of June, but God had planned otherwise.  Construction is not done yet and we still do not have all the finances we need to complete the facility to a live-able condition.  I am humbled to say that “all things work together for good to them that love the Lord”.

My desire to get the building done quickly was based on the fact that we have not been able to rescue any new children since January 2016 when our 3-bedroomed house became full with 12 children and 3 full time helpers; our wait list for such kids has continued to grow longer and longer; three of our children are about too big to be in baby cots; and with the kids improving greatly in their abilities, we need more room for exercises. 

 

But, like I said, God’s plans are the best and my prayer is that I follow Him and not step ahead of him in any way.  On-going works at the facility include tiling the floors, bathrooms, external sanitation and drainage.  We still need to do internal woodwork – closets, shelving, etc, final painting, outside grounds, and complete the caretakers house. 

Please accept my sincere thanks for your continued support.  You are an amazing team – serving God alongside me.  You have not been tired of my many appeals to you; you have been ambassadors of En-Gedi and you have continuously written me notes of encouragement.  To those of you who have visited including Church groups and community people in my local town and beyond – thank you for giving us lots of foodstuff, clothing, and volunteer time with our kids.  May God do you good.

Please continue to pray with us for God’s provisions so that we complete this facility.  Besides being able to take on more kids, I am looking forward to holding training sessions to Church groups and community people from different parts of this country who would want to start organized care for such children as En-Gedi children.  With the growing publicity of En-Gedi, I get calls from different parts of the country to go rescue kids – but my plan is to teach people to not only see God in the lives of such children, but also to love and care for them within their own communities. 

 

Once again, thank you so much for your continued support.  I will keep you informed and work with you on planning for the official inauguration so that those willing and able to come can plan early. 

 

In His service,

 

Margaret Njuguna

Founder/Director

En-Gedi Children’s Home

FEBRUARY 2017 UPDATE

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FEBRUARY 2017 UPDATE

As soon as I started the ministry of En-Gedi, I was emotionally, though joyfully, shaken by the status of the children who had to find a home at En-Gedi.  Not just by neglect, but also by the children’s very limited abilities.  I prayed for extra grace, extra strength and for the nth time, I asked God to walk with me along the challenging journey. 

I had told God I would be His channel of love to those unloved and unwanted children and also a channel of light to shine in the darkness of superstitions, bad omens and curses associated with disability.   My commitment to God was that I would do my best and leave Him to do the rest. 

 

And that is how En-Gedi

MOTTO“We do our best and God does the rest” came into being.

Over the last 2.5 years, I have watched our children make mental and physical improvements in ways unexplainable.  Cramped up arms have opened up and out; legs that didn’t make any movements are being raised up and down trying to move; sad faces and sunken eyes are full of smiles and laughter and children who didn’t make any movements are now able to use their bodies to move from one place to another – regardless of their moving styles.  

None of our 12 children has been able to either stand or walk on their own, safe for Jeremiah who since a few months ago could use a walker to walk a bit.  In my November update, I shared about Jeremiah making his very first 3 steps on his own – despite his club feet.  From the last week of January this year, Jeremiah has been able to walk back and forth for a few minutes at a time – without any support.  This is remarkable given that when he joined En-Gedi  two years ago, he was prostrate on the floor pulling himself  slowly using his elbows.  Trying to raise his wrists to hold himself above the floor, he fell so many times that he had bumps on every part of his forehead.  God doing the rest surpasses our best all the time.  He makes impossibilities possible!  John, who is 1.5 years at En-Gedi came with no words at all; now he is able to clearly say 4 words; has learned to wave goodbye, is one of the 3 potty trained and he is not only able to wipe his drool, but also to wipe his wheelchair table.  Jessica whose both hands were cramped by her chest has one hand out and reaching out and holding things. Even Angel is now able to drink water using a straw while I hold a cup to her.

Jeremiah enjoying his walks around the room
I am delighted that God has allowed me to see Him at work right here with me.   Very special “thank you” to all of you who have through prayers, materials, finances and visits – supported this wonderful ministry.  Thank you for allowing God to use you as He is using me to share His love with these children, their families and the community.

En-Gedi new facility update

First, I would like to sincerely thank you for positively responding to our gifts ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.  The 2 buildings are now roofed, inside walls plastered, window and door frames done, electrical works and plumbing done, electric power brought to the site, borehole drilled and perimeter walling done.  Major works still undone include fittings and furnishings, painting, tiling, outside paving, buying the water pump and constructing the storage tanks tower, among others.  us nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Praises and prayer requests

praise God for good health for the children and staff;  for all the people He has bought in to support En-Gedi here in Kenya and in North America; for changing attitudes towards children with special needs through En-Gedi ministry.  Pray for  continued good health for all of us;  for more resources to complete En-Gedi facility; for continued peace in Kenya – especially this year of political elections. 

Last word:  thank you all of you who uplifted me in prayer and sent words of comfort when I lost my mom towards end of November.  Thanks too for all those lovely Christmas cards and notes.  God bless.