This year God has definitely increased His Light and His vision for Heartbeat, both spiritually and practically.
We began March with repairs and restoration to our solar for the school, helping us to understand how it works and how to keep the Light shining at the school running the batteries longer, and keeping the Light shining all night long for security!
Followed on the heels of this was the competition of the Music Festivals for our PP1 and PP2 classes Our school emerged as the best among 6 local pre-schools in the area. Our children and teachers enjoyed it immensely.
We are attempting to do our intake registrations at the school in November to give us proper time to organize the names and histories of each child etc. and I want to thank Kalleigh personally for the microsoft program she set up to enable us to do this. Our Kenyan Team are so thankful as well, as it helps them to keep their registrations in order, and for the Farm to keep their lists of veggies, fruit etc in order. We also repaired & serviced both tuk-tuks this month for use at both farm & school.
We increased our employees by 3 for the Tinies class.
At the end of March we took on support for Daniel for High School as the Lord led. April was a busy month as Peter prepared planting the more drought-resistant crops, such as green beans, sorghum etc and now growing grasses to feed the livestock.
We took on the support for two young children in the village of Zaire who were living in great poverty, John & Tatu. Mom is alcoholic and the children were delighted to be put in boarding school so they could be assured of food and safety for the week.
We are now also taking care of at least 45 Tinies, that Father has added to His Project, who were at risk from both man and the large animals. We are so grateful for Father’s provision for this new project.
Heartbeat received a shipment of bibles, so desperately needed and the Team rejoice at God’s provision for them. This also enables all of the Kenyan Team to have a bible for our weekly Bible study which is producing great fruit, thanks to Holy Spirit. Thank you Emily for your perseverance in getting these bibles and having them shipped!
Bura has had unusual rainfall which has turned the landscape green and productive, We give thanks for all that the Lord has done!
May begins with preparing our Tinies to learn to hold a pencil in readiness for PP1 next year. We also thank God for a sponsor for Claudia, another High School student, the daughter of our friend Rosella who sends her thanks and prayers to Heartbeat. Also Maria’s son has received sponsorship for High School.The Lord has not finished with the High School students it would seem.
Heartbeat also sent love donations in the loss of next of kin relatives for several of our employees such as teacher Ester in the loss of her young husband. Heartbeat is also providing help for medicines etc. for the mother of one of our students,
Alfred, and with the doctors to save her life. Thank you Lord. We paid for her to renew her insurance card so she could afford the necessary surgery.
I can sense many times that Father’s eyes are going to and fro across this land to see these ones who are desperate, and He reaches down and says “ help this one!’ He is so beautifully kind. So many times He will say, “help this taxi driver by doing this, or help this student and buy him eye glasses, or ask the Kenyan Team to go and pray for this man/ woman. While I don’t necessarily understand, I love all that He does in our midst.
June marks the month where we begin to ask the parents of our students to help out at harvest season at the farm, so that Peter does not have to hire extra workers. So Oliver calls a meeting to approach and share with the parents the need that she has for a week or two of workers.
We also had our teachers attend the Assessment/teachers training . This is also the time of year to pay for assessment to get our exams prepared. The teachers attended a 2 day training, One was a general meeting for all the end teachers in Mwatate sub county where all our teachers participated. The second meeting was a training of trainers where one of our teachers was accredited to be an adjudicator. there were registration fees for all participants and travelling expenses.
One of our students had pneumonia and was taken to hospital for medication and treatment. The school then bought the child warm clothes as well as for 3 other students. You can see how Father’s hand is spread widely and diversely!
In June we also helped Nyolo School with food as the students there could not concentrate on their classes for lack of food. Large bags of beans and maize and rice resolved the problem.
These months, the farm is helping as well with food for our school. July brings a new 500 fingerlings to our ponds, to again diversify the foods being grown.
Let me share a typical routine with our Tinies by July:
· 8-10 am the children play with toys until porridge time. Then outside for a break to play with tires and balls as well as swings.
· At 11;00 am they go back to the classroom and learn how to say grace, and the care givers tell them bible stories and other funny stories as well.
· 12:00 they have lunch and take a nap
· 3;00 they wake up and go home.
This program is helping 45-50 children have a place to play, be loved, learn, and be fed. The community is so thankful for this program!
August brings lots of repairs to the bikes and tuk-tuks as the miles increase in bringing manure etc. And late August we invest in a new drip irrigation system for the farm. In September Peter is changing some of the crops to Cassava, green grams, beans etc. which will grow in drought conditions. Manure is being collected from the village for free, but much heavy work for the tuk-tuks.
Mid Sept we book for our students end of year exam to make sure they are registered. And late september Peter begins the much needed repairs to the Guest House plumbing system, which are extensive but necessary. they accomplished a great deal of work and completed it all. Our next project as soon as fund are available is to do much-needed work and repairs to the house itself.
There will be a team going in 2025 so we are praying we can accomplish these repairs before then. Oct. comes with the realization that the cost of living, the cost of food for the school has increased considerably. So we pray and realize the cost for a sponsor must rise to meet this cost. But Father is able.
In November, we noticed the water flow from the well had slowed considerably and upon checking realized we had to repair some of the pipes that were damaged by the heavy rains.
December was a huge Christmas project to supply Christmas groceries to every student and their families. We supplied 130 families as well as the farm and school workers. An additional 29 pkgs. Father’s love spread widely at Father’s Heart School and the whole community rejoiced at what God had done.
In Jan we also took on a High School student from Alia, one of the most poverty-stricken areas, Samuel Wisdom!. This was quickly followed by 4 more students, which let us see that Fatrher was not finished with the support of the high school students. So there is a total of 8 or 9 now. January also brought us the need for farm equipment and tools such as pruners, workboots etc. January also brings in the new classes for school and the uniforms and excitement of a new class registration.
We had fun sending Oliver & Peter pictures of our snowstorm province! Their first question was “How do you survive” Tammy did a great job explaining how we live in the cold, complete with pics & stories.
February is starting with some harvesting and the need for a large table, outside, so Peter can dry all the grasses harvested for cow feed, before he stores it in the large cement building.
And glory to God, one of our supporters sent funds for a brand new tractor/ rototiller Lots of excitement at the farm, especially for Peter who is trained to use it! He is excited at the prospect of all that can now be accomplished! He has the added blessing of putting solar in at the farmer the pumping of water around the farm to save much time, fuel, and energy,. Praise God that He is always there, never late with the payments. I am so grateful that He is God and I am Not!
The Friday Bible studies are so amazing, that I am continually surprised at their comprehension and hunger to learn about relationship with God and the differences re. religion. They hunger for intimacy and realness in their walk and in sharing with others in their communities. And Holy Spirit plays a big role, in speaking to them and encouraging them every day. How exciting for me, to hear their God stories, their struggles, their strengths and weaknesses as they discover their identity and destiny. They no longer want a church for entertainment, or ‘to watch’ as they desire to go out into the world, sharing Christ and His heart of love. I am so very privileged to have this opportunity and love every moment we have together, laughing, as well as reflecting in great seriousness about the immensity of our God. How blessed to see them grow in their faith, asking great questions and pondering the answers in His word!
As I thank God for the long long distance He has brought us and the many many lessons in Faith He has shown us, He lovingly shows me a glimpse of more vision, more spreading of His tent pegs, that once I would have shrunk from, but now, I see clearly that He is doing it all and we simply have the privilege to be part of His plan for this amazing people and their amazing communities. Thank you Father for this amazing year, thank you Jesus for the many new souls who have learned of your love, especially the children, and thank you Holy Spirit for your drawing power, and your tireless comfort in very situation we face. We are blessed to stand in Your light and proclaim your vision to all!
Thank You with all of our hearts!
Elaine Passey Director Heartbeat Ministries