October 2025 Newsletter
Please pour a cup of coffee, settle down in a comfortable chair, and “lean in” because this is going to be the most raw, real, and transparent newsletter you have ever received from us and the pattern for the future. We know who our support team is now and, truly, you are all family. Some of you began with supporting Mom 25-30 years ago. You are her dear friends who have been willing to continue with us praying, giving, and loving “the least of these”. And some of you have joined us more recently since Kyon and I had to step into this role of raising prayer and financial support for the ministry so the orphanage and school could continue to thrive. This was a responsibility we had not anticipated, or felt called to, but is now ours. As God has often done with us, He places an opportunity in front of us that we know the only answer is “Yes Lord”, but our hearts take a while to follow. This has been the case with these three examples: 1) ROCK Ministries since we first received the call of Mom’s dementia diagnosis, 2) our adopted son Mason who we received at 2 ½ years old, and 3) Taiden our foster daughter (Mason’s biological sister) who very tragically ended her life on September 11, 2024. This has not been an easy journey. The only way to keep from drowning has been to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2).” But we see what God is doing in our hearts –softening, humbling, growing our TOTAL dependency, and… preparing us!
Now we face a new challenge mandated by the Kenyan government, but overseen by our Sovereign God (Rom. 13:1). We walk boldly into this new season unafraid knowing that God has His plans for ROCK Ministries, and His ways are far above our ways (Isaiah 55:9). Kenya is adopting the Foster Care model and closing down Charitable Children’s Institutes, transition to happen in the next five years. Does this change ROCK’s vision of “becoming a source of hope, healing, and restoration for families through the knowledge of Christ’s deep love and the empowerment of education”? Absolutely not! In fact, we see that our reach is expanding now as the Children’s Department is asking us to FIND HOMES for the 16 children currently in our care, PROVIDE for the needs of the children until they graduate, and CARE FOR the foster families receiving our children into their homes. Currently six children will already be transitioned back into the care of family members by the end of December but will remain under the watch and supervision of ROCK’s fulltime social worker, Beatrice Anupi. Not only these opportunities, but ROCK Ministries has already been sponsoring children from the community whose families have come to the attention of Beatrice that are not even students at Malava Christian Academy nor in the guardianship of our children’s home. And, by the way, Beatrice was herself an orphan who cried out to God that if He would help her through university, she would dedicate her career to helping other vulnerable children. What a blessing she is!
Teresa Boyani, ROCK’s director, has been tasked by the Children’s Department to inform people about the foster care system and seek out families for the rest of the children. She has gone to local churches and found 12 families who are ready and willing to go through the training to receive our precious children. Some of these families are from among our own staff members! Praise the Lord!!
Through Malava Christian Academy we have the amazing opportunity of changing the lives of 148+ students (sixth grade being added January 2026), and their families. We continue to raise funds for the school because we want to offer this Christian education to EVERY child in the community regardless of tribe or socioeconomic status. Our prayer is that over time our projects (cows, chickens, bakery, farm…) will be able to provide enough financial support to sustain the monthly budget of the school and child sponsorship programs. We will also be developing a strategic Family Strengthening Program that will utilize these projects as educational tools. The dream would be to offer parenting, marriage, and small business classes in the future as well.
Kyon and I are inviting you to remain on this great adventure of faith with us and share this opportunity with others! Our monthly budget requires about $10,000 to meet expenses including staff salaries, and we are about half-way there thanks to many of you! Also, we desperately need a school building and have $21,000 towards the $110,000 needed to build. Will you help us get all the way to these financial goals by praying, giving, and sharing our story with others? We are so grateful for each of you!
Grace and peace, Kyon and Cindy