The Ward Family from Scotland

8-15 May 2009

Allan, Janette and Mathew (8) arrived in Njoro on the Friday evening after meeting with Enock Mohol, the coordinator of ACE in East Africa, during the morning. Allan spent the weekend with us, but had to go back to Nairobi on Sunday, as he had to work up to Wednesday.

Allan was specifically interested in helping YASHA looking at different options concerning water. He actually wanted Wilco to start digging the well at the Guest House as to look for water, but because of the heavy rains that couldn't realize as it would have been too dangerous for the guys digging. We believe that if we can go 30-40 feet deeper, we might find plenty of water.

This photo of the Ward family was taken after the Sunday morning service at Kingpriest Centre, Nakuru. It was such a privilege having them with us.
We had a Graduation Service as our Sunday School children just finished the Discovery Series. Here Allan and Matthew are taken with Past Erastus and Pauline - Past Maina also got a certificate as to validate our church's relationship with Christian Union.

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Tuesday morning's chapel @ YASHA

Janet brought a powerful message to the staff and students about God's love. She never knew that our song of the month came from 1 John 4:7,8 talking all about LOVE :-)

Janette also gave the school some valuable advice on various issues during the course of the week and the Staff especially were encouraged so much. As a school we had to re-align ourselves with certain ACE concepts that were misunderstood and we truly are grateful for her input in this regard.

Matthew thoroughly enjoyed "school life" as such as he is a home schooler. He blended in real well and made pretty good friends that week.

Tree Planting Celebration - 7 April 2009

YASHA Learning Centre,
Lulukwet - TERET

When the new Satellite School in the forest closed for the 1st term, we decided to thank the Lord God for His mercies in a practical manner ... We decided to plant 2 trees as to celebrate the 2 classes that was birthed this year.

Because the current statistics in the forest show that only 10% of the children will ever proceed to Secondary Level, we felt the Lord pressed on our hearts to start a 2-year program where the kids can learn to speak, read and write English as that is the major obsticle. ACE has proven itself as a worthy tool in the Hand of God, so we've decided to use the ACE Pre-School as well as the ABC-program (Gr 1) and then send the kids back to the local primary school ... giving them such a fantastic head-start and love towards education.

At the beginning of the year these kids could not even speak Kiswahili, as their mother tonge is Kalenjin. Now - a mere 4 months along the line - the kids can understand the Bible and animal stories though they might still answer in Kalenjin, they can say all the pledges in English, they know the letter songs, they can recite Psalms 100 as well as a few other scripture verses. They also know all their colors in English as well as all the shapes ... What a privilege to witness such growth.

We normally take some YASHA Mission Academy Staff members with so that they can also feel part of this great project. This time we also decided to take our prefects with - they couldn't believe how these kids are just flourishing. All glory to our God!!

The kids had a small program ready to "show-off" their great progress.
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A few of the projects that the children have been doing this term.
They normally work in groups of 5.
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Here the kids are saying the pledge to the Christian Flag.
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On the left we have Veronica (the overseer) and Miss Emily (our secretary from YASHA Mission Academy) and on the right we have Teacher Esther (Supervisor of the Snr Learning Centre) and myself together with all our prefects.
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Here Br Wilson is making one of the holes.

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Singing and praising the Living Saviour ...
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The Team of Teret planting the one tree ...
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... and the Njoro Team planting the other tree.
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After the occasion we gave the children of Teret some merits ... juice, sweets and biscuits.
What a pleasure to serve them with God's love!!

ILI Training - 9-11 April 2009

The 3-day training was held in the church of one of our former students from the time we were still lecturing at the Njoro Bible College - Past Steven and his wife, Milka, are 2 lovely people and the Lord is really blessing their ministry.

Past Paul Waweru was one of the lecturers during the training and I must say, we've enjoyed him quite a bit.

Quite a good number attended the training seminar.

We thank the Lord for provision for us to sponsor 5 of our brothers from the forest to attend this very powerful and strategic training seminar. We are also grateful for our friends in Nakuru who welcomed them in their homes during this time.
Back f.l.t.r. : Ps Sammy (Sugutek) and Ps Richard (Teret)
Front f.l.t.r. : Br Bernard (Teret), Ps Towett (Chemamul); Lydia Venter and Ps David (Kapsenda - he is also the General Overseer of the 10 churches in the forest)

The entire group.

YASHA STUDENTS - UNIVERSITY EXPO, 21 March 2009

Lydia took her principal, Mrs. Mary Anyango, as well as the Supervisor of the Abbie Antelope Learning Centre, Mrs. Esther, to the Expo. Maureen Talitha - who is both a part-time student at YASHA as well as a monitor in the Zippy Zebra Learning Centre - also went with. The students were Mary Wambui, Tabitha Wafula, Maki Venter, David Mwangi, Nathaniel Gachukia & Collins Mwangi.
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Esther, Maureen, Lydia & Mary

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Tabitha and her dad, Stanley Wafula, who works at the Egerton University as a Librarian.
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David & Collins very much interested in Science and Medicine.
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Mary looking at the Home Science Dept of the Egerton University.

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The YASHA team.

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Mary, Lydia & Esther

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YASHA SATELLITE SCHOOL - Grade 0, Starting Jan 2009

1st Meeting WITH THE Parents

Saturday, 10 Januay 2009

Veronica and I showing the parents some of the phonetics.
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Tr Fancy with some of the children that might join.

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Quite a number of parents turned up ...
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Serious preps to be done ...

Veronica Cherotich will be overseeing the progress in the forest. Here she is busy studying the Pre-School Bless Program.
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Wilco making the school in the forest a new blackboard.
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Silas - one of the voluntary workers who currently stays with us - helping to prepare the small phonetic cards.

BUYING OF LAND for YASHA Mission Academy

For the past three years we had this sword hanging over our heads that the current place where we're having school, is going to be sold at an auction. Now it seems it is finally going to happen, as the debt-collectors are claiming that the court-case has turned out in their favor and that they now can proceed with the selling of the property.

We need your prayer and your support!!

This is the 13 acre piece of land that we trust God for ... Can you imagine a school on this property? A place where the children can grow and develop and be molded into all that the Lord has in store for them. We call this in a reality as we move forward and possess the land.

Project Completed @ MORNING STAR SCHOOL, Gashula, Nakuru

FINAL VISIT on Monday, 29th of Dec, to complete offices ...

This was an outreach project of YASHA Mission Academy. Our desire is to also assist other ACE schools in Kenya, so that more children can be reached with value-based education.

If you want to get involved in our work here in Kenya, please contact us at
yashamissionacademy@yasha.za.org

Tony & Wilco arriving at the school on the 'pikipiki' (motorbike) ... Charles, who made the offices, were not available, but his partner, Tony, were ready to assist.
~~~~~ The final product after a lot of hard work ...

Wilco with a very happy Pastor Patrick.

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