Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,

Kyon and I received this adorable picture from ROCK’s director, Teresa Boyani, the other day with this note: “The joy of nurturing the little ones and guiding them to grow on a firm foundation in Christ, then hear them say ‘When I grow up, I would like to be a pilot and fly up there in the sky.’ Deep, sweet thoughts.” ❤️ Malava Christian Academy has three preschool classes referred to as Lighthouse Preschool. It is through your prayers and financial support that the school is growing year-by-year expanding ROCK’s influence in the community. If you would like to contribute to the school building fund, check out www.newhorizonsfoundation.com/project/single-project/2713/.

Teresa attended a four-day training recently for current Charitable Children’s Institutes (orphanages) to be updated regarding what programs will be needed in the future as Kenya shifts to a foster care structure. Changing from an orphanage to a Child Rescue Center for children is the possible direction ROCK Ministries International will take. This will allow the ministry to care for children while authorities handle emergency situations and carry out investigations. Also, having programs for strengthening the parents, and the entire family unit, such as the animal (poultry, pigs, cows), farming, and business entrepreneurship projects are all being considered for ROCK’s future. These are exciting days as God is shifting the focus of the ministry from individual children to the entire family unit and beyond. Please pray for wisdom!

Kyon will be flying out of Anchorage, Alaska, this Saturday morning (March 23^rd) at 1:30am to begin the approximately 45-hour journey to Nairobi. We are so excited for this visit albeit strange that Mom (Elaine) will not be there. How precious the memories are of our visit in 2022 when we had gone to assess what her personal needs were. Now Kyon goes to assess the needs of the children, staff, children’s home, and school. We anticipate with joy the future of the ministry as God is clearly leading and guiding. The emphasis now will be to continue nurturing, loving, and caring for the 16 children still in the home as well as growing the school and laying a good foundation of policies, procedures, and people under the lordship of Christ.

This has been such an interesting journey for our family over these last four years since becoming more involved with ROCK in March 2020 due to Mom’s dementia diagnosis. Our family’s adventure has, in several ways, paralleled the ministry’s as we have walked the road of adoption and fostering. It has been a painful journey at times, and heart-breaking, as we observe the destruction caused when one is trapped in the lie of addiction, but we cling to the Holy Spirit’s truth found in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” So, we do not give up and keep on loving those God puts in our path from Alaska to Kenya. Teresa, her husband Victor, and the staff on the ground there at ROCK Ministries International in Malava have this God-given passion as well.

As we begin this new adventure of raising money for the school building, of changing our status as an orphanage to a possible rescue center, of providing training for parents we know that His grace is sufficient and that without Him we can do nothing, but with Him we can do all things. “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none… But I the Lord will answer them… I will make the rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys… so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this.” (Isaiah 41:17-20)

Grace and peace, Kyon and Cindy

Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,

On the third Sunday of every month a very special gathering takes place on the ROCK Ministries International campus at Malava. All of the staff from the school and children’s home, along with their families, gather together in the multi-purpose hall to join the ROCK children that are not away at school for their weekly services! A time of Bible study and fellowship follows for the staff. You are all included in this gathering in spirit through your prayers, gifts, and partnership!

Your partnership has allowed Joshua, who has been with us since around five years old, to follow his dream of becoming a chef at a technical school where he started at the beginning of February. We are so proud of him and pray God’s blessings over his life as he is launched into adulthood at 21-years-old. We also continue to support Moses at Kisumu Polytechnic as he undertakes his certificate in building technology.

There are still eight primary children who reside on campus as they attend Malava Christian Academy (preschool through grade four) or the local primary school down the street (grades five through eight). This year we have eight boarded in secondary schools within about a two-hour radius from the Malava campus. Your partnership helps us pay their school fees! As orphanages slowly phase out and the foster care system adopted, please pray as ROCK Ministries International seeks God’s guidance on how we can better come alongside children, their families, and the communities that surround them. We look forward with anticipation!

In the meantime, Malava Christian Academy is growing and thriving! This is one way the Lord has led Teresa Boyani (director) to expand ROCK’s ministry outward to the community. Grade four was added this year and, God-willing, grade five will be added next year; but we have no more room and need to build an actual school building!! Currently there are 118 students. There are several ways you can help. If you would like to give specifically to the building fund, here is the special link to do so: www.newhorizonsfoundation.com/project/single-project/2713/. Also, please share our story through the website: www.rockministriesinternational.com. When people go to the contact page their email comes directly to my email address, and I love responding by encouraging people to sign up for the monthly newsletters. Lastly, I have started a Facebook page (ROCK Ministries International) and Instagram page (rockministriesinternational) to which I hope to make weekly posts, keeping people connected with the heart of the ministry. Thank you for your help in building a school in Kenya!

Kyon will be at Malava from April 25^th through April 4^th connecting with some dear friends over the Easter weekend, Jennie and Dennis Mutaka with New Hope Uganda, as well as encouraging the staff and finding ways that we can better support the ministry. Meetings will be help with the Kenyan members of the board, architect, and lawyer. Discussions will cover the school building to eventually hold preschool through form four (grade 12), upcoming animal and farm projects, and ways to equip and encourage the growing number of staff. We cannot thank you enough for your support through all these years!! Grace and peace, Kyon and Cindy

Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,

On behalf of the children, staff, and board members of ROCK Ministries International, Kyon and I would like to say THANK YOU for your intercession through prayer and your sacrificial giving throughout 2023. It has been a miraculous walk of faith this year for all of us, but God has again revealed His compassion, kindness and love. We would like you to hear from our director, Teresa Boyani, who selflessly leads the ministry and guides the staff on the ground there at the children’s home and school in Malava, Kenya.

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In the year 2023 we thank God for His faithfulness because, indeed, we have experienced His love and mercies and therefore can identify with the hymn, “great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see, all that I have needed thy hand has provided, great is thy faithfulness…”

We thank God in the year 2023 ROCK Ministries was able to support 26 children in education at different levels, four in college (inclusive of fees, accommodation, and upkeep), seven in high school (all in boarding schools; provided supplies, fees, pocket money, and transport), 12 at primary level (seven of them in the home and five in the community staying with their parents/ guardian). Then we have four at preschool level (two in the home and two staying with their grandmother because the parents died). All the children in primary and preschool we provide all the school supplies needed, uniforms and pay their full amount of school fees.

In the children home we took care of 16 children, providing them with shelter, food, medical, education, spiritual nourishment, and guidance. This number is already included in the above paragraph because besides being in the home we support them in education. In the home the kids have daily evening devotions where there is a session of praise and worship, sharing of the word of God and prayer. Then we have Sunday services held in the multipurpose hall, some Sundays we have our staff ministering and other Sundays we invite ministers from outside.

In the school (Malava Christian Academy), we enroll children from the community around. We have a total of 115 children in the school from the preschool level to Grade Three. As we purposed to grow a class per year, in 2024 we will be launching the Grade Four level and this means the population in the school is growing every year. The children in the school have daily devotions in the morning with their teachers and Wednesday lunchtime devotions with all the staff. The pupils in school pay for their stationery and supplies and Rock Ministries supports in ensuring their teachers receive their dues monthly.

In the year 2023 Rock Ministries has provided employment to 21 employees who have been able to support their families and develop themselves because of the opportunities they have at ROCK. We had a staff retreat for the first time this year where we had the staff and board members have some team building and capacity building activities besides fun and having a meal together away from the work place. Looking forward to having the same every year.

On the other hand, as an institution ROCK extended its boundaries by acquiring an additional 1.5 acres of land which we believe will be of much importance as we continue to grow and develop the school and the different projects that are already being discussed: dairy farming, poultry keeping and pigs project. Fencing around the entire property with concrete posts, barbed wire and chain link has been done except for one side which will be completed in the coming year. Renovation on the current mud hut classrooms and houses is currently being done since the children are on holiday. Ensuring there is furniture and fittings ready for the Grade Four class before the year 2024 academic calendar, which starts on the 8th of January 2024.

Touching and impacting the lives of children with God’s love is our mission and a joy, thanking God for all who have supported us to be able to count these mile stones and even more that words cannot express. When we see the children being able to accomplish and achieve what they have this year because of the opportunity that was availed to them, our hearts are filled with joy and our prayer is that these children will be able to see and recognize God working in their lives as He says, “For I know the thoughts I have for you…” We are just His vessels. May God continue to use us to fulfill His purpose and will.
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Together we rejoice, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE!” (Is. 9:6)

Grace and peace, Kyon and Cindy

Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,

We have just experienced Easter together, and how much we have to celebrate as believers in Christ! I love this quote from Tozer’s book The Knowledge of the Holy. “Give us minds to admire that perfection of moral wisdom which found a way to preserve the integrity of Heaven and yet receive us there.” May God help us remain in this spirit of adoration throughout the year, and may He help us continue to share the amazing news of God’s grace and favor with those around us!

The first term of the school year ended this week and the parents were given the opportunity to visit with the teachers to discuss the progress of their children. Favour, Nadia, Victor, Levine, Pgaviinael, and Natasha are the super cute kids featured in the left photo representing the “baby class”, the youngest of the preschool classes.  The children will be off for two weeks, resuming school on May 8^th. After going through the COVID years of 2020 and 2021, how grateful we are to have the doors of schools open again! Please pray as some of the surrounding schools have had to close their doors again due to a bacterial infection that has caused paralysis and brought death. Pray for wisdom as research is being done to discover how to eliminate this bacteria and find a cure for those who are sick.

A handful of our children in secondary school have already arrived back home for the holiday from their various boarding schools. Most of these schools were established by churches and missionaries and have Bible as a school subject!  From left to right are Molly Kidera, Cynthia Alice, Tom Cheto, Gideon Rhema, and David Beckam. Tom and Molly are candidates who will be sitting for final exams (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) in November. Gideon and Cynthia are in Form 2 and David is in Form 1. The preschoolers in the home attend Malava Christian Academy on campus, and the primary students take a short walk down the road to the local primary school, so it is like a family reunion when the secondary students come home!

All the children will be helping the house parents with the household responsibilities during this short break; however, the maize has already been planted in the fields surrounding the children’s home and school, including on the land of the property recently purchased. There is always a lot of activity happening at the children’s home and school every season!

Please check out the website at www.rockministriesinternational.com if you have not done so yet. We recently added a donation button for those that need a Canadian tax receipt and will soon be adding a donation button for those needing a tax receipt from the UK. We are still learning how to update the blog, but soon each upcoming newsletter will be posted there along with other updates, stories, pictures, and videos.

Grace and peace,

Cindy

Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,

Thank you so much for transitioning with us to New Horizons Foundation. As the website is being developed, the board has put thought and prayer into the different statements defining this ministry. Our MISSION – to share the transforming love and favor of God with the children in our care by nurturing them (providing physical, spiritual, and emotional care) and empowering them through education to discover their God-given gifts and purpose as contributing members of their communities and ambassadors of Christ’s love. Our VISION – to become a source of hope, healing, and restoration for families through the knowledge of Christ’s deep love and the empowerment of education. Thank you for making this possible through your prayers and financial donations.

School is in full swing! Classes one through three are sharing the multipurpose hall. The preschool classes continue to meet in three huts adjacent to the hall. The need for an actual school building is great as the Department of Education has stated that the current classroom arrangements do not meet the standards required. We are trusting God for the approximately $60,000 necessary for a building to accommodate preschool through grade six. If you would be interested in making a donation specifically to this project, you can do so at the project link shown below. You will be given the option to donate to the general fund or school building fund.

In preparing the information for the website the board also had to grapple with the question of why ROCK Ministries and Malava Christian Academy – The structure and stability we are able to provide by having the children’s home is vital to the success of the children in our care… The addition of Malava Christian Academy has been a step taken to not only meet a need in the community but expand this influence beyond the walls of the children’s home. There continue to be so many vulnerable children among us that need to be cared for, empowered, and shown the love of Christ. We have witnessed the impact of a loving, caring, and safe community on children and their families, even the families of our staff, and are excited to be able to continue to support this vision, and expand this ministry, increasing ROCK Ministries International’s influence as a source of hope, healing, and restoration for families in Malava, Kenya, and beyond. (Website available around April!)

And this all started 20 years ago by a woman who felt the call of God to leave everything behind because her heart was broken.
Grace and peace, Kyon and Cindy