August '24 Update
Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,
We are so full of joy as we have this opportunity to share with you what God is doing at ROCK Ministries through your love for Him and your trust in His faithfulness! God has provided through your donations THREE cows and a STABLE, once again providing above and beyond what we could ask or imagine!! Now we invite you to partner with us constructing the school building needed by January 2025. Read about this amazing opportunity here: www.newhorizonsfoundation.com/project/single-project/2713/ . Teresa, the ROCK director at Malava, has written this newsletter which will help to answer, “What real difference is ROCK making in the lives of the people we are reaching – and ultimately in the big picture of reaching the whole world for Christ?” (from The God Ask)
Thanking God for the August holiday season we are in, schools will resume on the 26th of August 2024 for the last term in the academic calendar for the year 2024. The first week on holiday the high school students attended a camp organized by the Kenya Students Christian Fellowship, Kisumu region, and were taught on various issues touching on life skills, social life, spiritual matters, and also encouraging them on academic matters. Three of our primary school pupils (Gloria, Agnes, and James) attended school during the holiday to get extra help and individual attention to boost them in their weak areas. Two of the high school students were able to take advantage of the same holiday program attending classes in the sciences and math for one and half weeks.
Two teachers and I have been in training since last November with the Association of Christian Schools International. It’s holiday based, this means we have sessions when schools are on holiday. We are being taken through a program that ensures that administrators and teachers of Christian schools uphold and ensure the right values and environment within the school set up that will glorify God and evangelize Christ within the school and even to the surrounding community. Praying and looking forward to our school being assessed for the same, but there are standards we have to meet touching on the school vision and mission and Bible integration in our lessons even as we handle the normal curriculum. Each individual employee’s statement of faith will also be needed to be kept as a hard copy filed in the office.
Rock Ministries International is reaching children with the Gospel in both the school and children’s home by teaching the Word of God in the devotional programs for the children held daily before classes begin and in the evening in the boys’ and girls’ houses every day. The children are exposed to the Word of God, and Christian teachings and values, which they grow with and then impact their families, both siblings and parents, and even their friends. The parents also get a chance to hear the Word of God and receive biblical guidance for parenting whenever they visit the school during parents’ meetings and school events. During these times we get to share the love of Christ and counsel them through current challenges, teaching them the biblical approach in handling emerging issues.
We already have encouraging reports from parents and guardians about the children in our school having the confidence to share what they have learned in school and how they love their school, enjoying singing and praising God, and praying. This is evidence that the children are already practicing what they have learned. Through memory verses others get to hear the Word of God and even witness it through the narration of Bible stories which teach on moral behavior, responsibility, and discipline in obedience to God and authority. Some children remind their parents to acknowledge God by ensuring they pray before meals, when going to bed, and in the morning when they wake up thanking God for His mercy and provision. They create spiritual awareness within the family set up though still young. This will impact the community even as they grow to love Christ and serve him, and grow to fulfill the purpose of God on the planet earth. This is where teaching and discipling is effective to mentor future teachers and disciples.
As we share the love of Christ with the children, being able to teach and guide them in life is also another way of impacting the community. They observe us undertaking farming activities like planting vegetables, potatoes, maize, and beans; and they grow up knowing it is good to do something rather than to be idle in poverty. There are some things we can produce for our own consumption, and even sell when we produce in excess of what is needed, to cushion on hunger and lack. This exposes our children to a variety of life skills and sharpens their minds for innovative ideas which boost their thinking and approach to issues.
It’s so amazing to see the kids enroll in preschool at that tender age, go through the preschool years and join primary school growing in all areas from physical growth, social, emotional, academic knowledge, and even spiritual growth. These are the same children who will have the confidence to carry the Gospel having experienced God in their lives from childhood to adulthood. And these are the same children who can turn things around in the leadership of the country and beyond with the academic empowerment and knowledge of God. Praying and looking forward to a reformed community where God reigns and His presence is evident.
We have two of our children (James and Agnes) in 6th grade who will be graduating to junior secondary school in January next year, then Levine and Faith graduating from preschool to 1st grade at the end of October. Each of the children will be moving a level higher in January next year, so there is a lot of excitement knowing that this is their final term in the current classes they are in. Thank you for your prayers for these children!
Grace and peace,
Teresa, Kyon, and Cindy