Sisters On A Mission

Hello friends, we are excited about our Fall Collection for Streams of Mercy Africa.  Purses are sewn by Eva Fwamba (Streams helped her start her business. You can read about Eva in the June 11th article). Jewelry is made by Njoki & Angela of Zawadi, a business which supports several women in the slums.  All profits go to educating & mentoring our orphans. Halloween bag with outside pocket Leopard  satchel with wide strap and zipper enclosure Leopard cotton satchel with two straps & zipper enclosure Halloween Bag  An assortment of  imported West African beads & glass beads on brass Here is a shorter version of the West African Bead work in a variety of styles. Matching bracelets also of West African bead work All products are hand-made by women who are care givers for orphans. Keep checking our blog for new products! Email us if you are interested in purchasing: streamsofmercy58@gm...

Esther and Jody  Jody sat across from Esther and Emily, two of the nieces of our heart. The room was silent at times, accept for the ticking of the clock.  There was an unspoken sadness that held thick in the room as this was there last day with us. Finally Esther expressed what she had been pondering over the past week, "Auntie Jody, tell your father to move the family to Kenya." The perfect solution! So it seemed to Esther and Emily, who having grown up in a communal culture where the entire family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins all had an active role in their lives.  Surely, if the father of Auntie Jody and Auntie Christy moved to Kenya, then their American aunties would never have to leave them again. Jody assured them that though we would be miles away, God's Holy Spirit connected us as though there was no distance separating us.  It was a small comfort to two girls who a year and half ago lost their last living parent to illness. ...

This is Ruth, our good friend from Wales.  She graciously opened her home to us for a three day women's leadership training. She invited us for a sleep over the last day of training and also let us invite our "nieces" Eva (junior), Esther, and Philis. There were not enough beds at Ruth's, so we took over a couple mattresses. Philis is often the spokesperson for our group of quiet teens, whom we have been teaching about God. Children are taught to be "seen and not heard" in the presence of adults.  So learning to chat with us can be challenging, especially since our elementary understanding of Swahili, means we use English.  They have an excellent mastery of English, but it's not the language they are comfortable in. These mattresses, which originally came from the U.S., were much heavier than the Kenyan mattresses.  We carried them up four flights of stairs. I surprised Esther! We enjoyed singing and worshiping t...

Hello Everyone! I was SKYPing with dad the other day and was surprised to find out from him that I I had been carjacked. Then I realized my video blog may have been a bit confusing.  My apologies!  I was not carjacked.  Rather, many months ago I found myself on a matatu (14 passenger van) without a seat.  That matatu happened to be pulled over by a policeman and he began to harass me about not having a seat.  Had the matatu driver not put on the gas, the policeman would have arrested me and taken me to the police station, and tried to bribe me.  I was saying how grateful I was to Sidney First for giving the car, in which I no longer had to take matatus, such as the one I had ridden that day. The car has been a blessing as we have transported people to and from church, helped missionaries move, and have had many adventurous drives across the city of Nairobi to and from ministry events. We are truly grateful for God's provision! Christy ...

Beatrice came in to clean the apartment and I could tell she was sad and downcast.  Over a cup of tea, she told me how her landlady decided to sale the homes they were renting in Kibera slum.  The cost of each home (clay and wood homes with cement roofs), 50,000 shillings ($500.00 USD).  I knew that was three month's salary for her.  She said she wanted to buy two of the homes, one for her family and one to rent.  Beatrice explained how renting a home would give her what was needed to pay her daughter's school fees. I asked her what God had told her.  She said she had opened her Bible that morning to the passage where Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you." I said, "Beatrice!  This is from the Lord!  He's given YOU a message, not me!"  Because locals often hold the view that foreigners are better than them, they also think God only speaks through them. But I knew God was speaking directly to Beatrice. She wasn't convinced.  So ...

I'm Living at a Sewing Centre: My house has now also become a sewing centre!  A 9 month dream became a reality  after Jody returned to the U.S. with a mission to gather a team of women to help support one of the aunties of our orphans to start  a business.  Knowing she was a good tailor, the women decided to raise funds through their friends and relatives to buy her a sewing machine. Three weeks after our auntie received the news that the sewing machine was coming, Jody received word that a boutique was opening locally and requested hand-made purses from Kenya! So today after getting home from my weekend adventure at Hell's Gate, I heard the whir of a woman working her new machine!  It gave me so much joy to come home to that sound!  With this new source of income, our friend will now be able to support the orphans in her family. Conquering Hell's Gate... ...or rather, as I sit here with aching muscl...