We're Back!

After a wonderful visit with family & Partners in the US, we have returned home. Thanks to everyone for the many prayers.... our journey was a blessed one indeed!
We have our first Mission to St. Albert's Ulanda Girls High School this coming Saturday, followed by a Leadership Conference in Nairobi the end of March.
April will be a busy month as we get back into full swing with our Discipleship Camp scheduled 4/27/10 through 5/2/10, some outreach Missions, the arrival of the books & Bibles for the CML Library and of course hosting lots of students during the school break!
We look forward to all the Lord has planned for the CML Ministry this year!

Books for the CML Library

The vision of the CML Library is finally becoming a reality! Several hundred books, including 216 Bibles, are currently on their way to Kenya and are expected to arrive some time in March.

The library is just a small part of the CML Resource Center vision, whose goal is to provide a multi-purpose resource facility for students, youth, pastors and the local people in the Kitere community. Until we have sufficient financial means for building the Resource Center, the library will be operated from the Glory Community Church compound (next to our house) in Kitere Village of Rongo District.

The books that were donated are varied in nature; ranging from Christian materials such as Bible Study guides, Discipleship materials and Bibles, to educational textbooks and classical literature .

While English is spoken and read by a considerable percentage of the people, especially the youth, there are no libraries in the community and the school libraries are mere empty halls without books. In addition, most families in this area survive as subsistence farmers and as such cannot afford to buy books. The students and pastors are eager to read and study the Word and we believe these books & Bibles will serve as a great resource to facilitate our Discipleship ministry in this area.

We thank God for all those that donated books and helped make the shipment possible. In addition to the many books he sent last year, Rev. John Maurice Quillen from Talbott again contributed several boxes of Christian books from his private library. Rev. John Thompson from Dandridge, donated 216 Bibles for the Students ministry and Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Fox gave several boxes of literary books. Other donations were received from Rocky Point Baptist Church and Marty & Lana Luttrell. We also thank Rocky Point Baptist Church for helping facilitate the shipping of the books from Tennessee to Texas where they were loaded onto the container.

Most importantly, we thank Ronnie & Debbie Matheny for graciously allowing us to ship the books in their container. The Mathenys are missionaries from Texas and are leaders of the Clarence Matheny Ministries with a Leadership and Conference Facility in Nairobi, Kenya. You may recognize their names from our post last year when we attended a Marriage Conference and Youth Conference at the Clarence Matheny Ministries. Thanks Ronnie & Debbie!

We are also very grateful to David & Janene Waldrop, Missionaries in Kenya from Dandridge, TN for connecting us with the Mathenys. The Waldrops have become such dear friends and are from Denise’s former hometown in Tennessee (how interesting that they met for the 1st time in Nairobi, Kenya!).

To many others that we have not mentioned here, but have contributed in other ways towards the CML Library, we thank you. God certainly uses partnerships in divine connections to get His work accomplished!

We look forward to returning home soon to oversee the building of book shelves and setting up of the Library, and continue to be expectant as God provides for His work.

What is still needed to complete this task:

1. $2,100 to complete the work at the temporary CML Resource Center- partitioning, beds & bedding, chairs, desks, bookshelves and the toilet

2. Help with sorting the books and setting up a Library System. We invite volunteers to come on short-term mission trips to assist.

Your partnership is vital and appreciated. Together, we can make it happen for God’s glory.

Blessings!

Update on our US visit

Hard to believe we have been here 4 months already! With the hustle and bustle surrounding the Holidays and a busy schedule, the time just seems to be flying by.

Our days continue to be filled with visiting ministry partners, speaking at schools, fundraising and attending various events. And while we are seriously missing our family & friends in Kenya, we are also enjoying our time here and believe that God has a purpose for all that we are doing.

Below is a brief update of what's been going on the past few months.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by family & friends at the airport and later given a wonderful reception by our sister Sharon at Rocky Point Baptist Church.

William's first visit to the US consist of a number of "1st time experiences". From riding a roller-coaster, to boating on the lake, seeing snow, experiencing Halloween, decorating a Christmas tree, playing basketball, eating REAL pizza, seeing the Smoky Mountains and more....... the list goes on and on!

In October, we spent 5 days in Tupleo, MS with Global Outreach International attending the "Missionary Orientation and Training” (MOT). In addition to reviewing policies and procedure changes, we participated in exciting and informative teaching sessions that were both encouraging and educational regarding issues that can affect the longevity of our time in the mission filed. Issues like spiritual warfare, moral purity, culture stress, maintaining intimacy with God, setting personal & ministry priorities, establishing budgets and managing finances.

We have been invited to speak at several local schools since our arrival and have been so excited to share facts about Kenya and our ministry with American students. Below, William is talking to 6th graders at Lincoln Middle School. We have also addressed student's at Whitesburg Elementary, Jefferson County High School and Meadowview Middle.

In November we attended the "Hearts on Fire" Youth Conference with the youth from Rocky Point Baptist Church. What a blessing to spend 3 days in Gatlinburg with such a great group of energetic and enthusiastic youth!

The weekend of January 22nd - 24th we were again blessed when invited to attend the Resurrection 2010 Youth Retreat along with the youth of Dandridge First United Methodist Church. A special treat during the Retreat,was being able to spend a few minutes with Pastor Hugh Kilgore and his wife Susette. Hugh was one of the founders of the Resurrection Youth Ministry and my Pastor years ago. It was under his leadership that I surrendered my life to Christ and I am eternally grateful to him and his family for modeling Christ's unconditional love!

There is much more to report and I will continue to update this post with events and pictures as the Internet will allow.

Blessings,

Denise

Counting our blessings......

Reflecting over the past several months, we can't help but acknowledge our many blessings and thank the Lord for how He has been changing young lives from the inside out!

Ministering to young people is inspiring, challenging, fulfilling, amazing, exhausting and above all rewarding, but we are never alone as we teach, disciple, mentor and minister. First and foremost we have the Holy Spirit...and 2ndly we've had the help, prayers and encouragement of our friends.

Below are but a few of the many blessings we have received and shared........

Happy student s with their new backpacks sent by the Morristown, TN Rotary Club. In addition to backpacks, there were children's books and numerous school supplies!

In partnership with Clarence Matheny Ministries and our good friend David Waldrop, we kicked off the School of Leadership Development Program in July to equip local church pastors and leaders.

Pastor Christopher, of Glory Community Assembly, received a Concordance and CML received several boxes of books for our upcoming library from retired Rev. Maurice Quillen.

Richard Angevine, a representative of SoccerGrow (one of our corporate partners), visited students that have been impacted by the CML Sports Evangelism program. In addition to handing out soccer balls, he encouraged the youth to continue developing their skills and talents on and off the field.

In August, CML organized a house building project for a single mom in a nearby community. Thanks to the hard work and efforts of several students and community members the house was completed in 2 days and Tabitha, Joab, June and Vincent now have a home!

CML was greatly blessed by the visit of Jennifer Kisabeth, Darcy Edwards and Valerie Wilkins. Besides spending time encouraging young people in the Kitere community and ministering at local schools, they were real troopers when it came to the day-to-day chores like carrying water and doing clean up!

In August we attended the "Count Me In Teen Camp" with 30 of the CML students held at Clarence Matheny Ministries in Nairobi. We all had a great time with over 600 youths in attendance for the event. The week had a perfect mix of praise & worship, teachings and outdoor activities, and we are so grateful to all the folks from Convergence Church in TX that made the event possible!

We thank our many friends for joining with us as we continue providing an environment for transformation, encouraging the spiritual growth and leadership development of these young people!

CML Resource Center

Apart from providing facilities for the CML Annual Discipleship Camps, the CML Resource Center is envisioned to house the following:

1. CML Library
2. CML Computer Training Center
3. Boys and Girls Dorms
4. Discipleship and Leadership Programs
5. CML Administrative Headquarters
6. Conference Facilities
7. Youth Counseling Center

A portion of land has been donated by two elders in the Kitere Community for the purpose of developing the CML Resource Center. The land is located off Rongo/Migori Road near Kitere Glory Community Assembly Hall. The plot has been fenced in readiness for the project. Construction would commence once funds are ready for Phase 1 of the project. Donations and financial contributions are welcome and appreciated to see this project commence. Any biblical and legal fundraising ideas are also welcome.


Meanwhile, we are very grateful for the partnership CML has with Glory Community Ministry (GCM). Through this partnership, GCM has permitted us the use of part of the Kitere Community Assembly Hall for temporary CML Resource Centre at a minimal monthly rate, until the CML Center is developed and ready for use. So far, we have done the partitioning to make room for the Boys and Girls Dorm, CML Library, Computer Training Room, Students’ Lounge and CML Administrative Head Office. We plan to be able to accommodate 16 boys and 16 girls in the temporary Dorms.


To get the Temporary CML Resource Center furnished for optimal use, we need the following items:

1. Bed and Bedding for the Boys and Girls Dorm
2. At least 2 Desktop Computers
3. Library Shelves, Desks and Chairs
4. Furniture for the Students Lounge
5. Dining Tables & Chairs

Once the CML Resource Center in complete, we believe we would be able to facilitate the holistic transformation of students/youth in this area more effectively.

We ask for your prayers and financial support to bring this project to completion.

New CML Ministry Board Members elected in the June 2009 AGM

We are pleased to report that the first CML Ministry Annual General Meeting (AGM) was successfully held on Saturday the 20th of June 2009 at the Kitere Glory Community Assembly Hall. The election of office bearers and Board members was one of the agenda items discussed.

The following ministry members were elected into office:

The Chairperson- George Kienga Odeka
The Vice Chairperson- Francis Selassie Ojwang
The Treasurer- Susan Adhiambo
The Assistant Treasurer- Kassim Oyoo
The Secretary-General- William Okoth Ochieng Aludo
The Assistant Secretary-General- Denise Okoth Ochieng Aludo

Other Board members were elected by majority vote as follows:

Jared Marwa
Tilly Atieno Auma
Seth Odongo
Elishah Otewa
Vincent Opiyo
Syprine Ogada

Patrons were proposed and accepted as follows:

Don & Laura Dickerson
Amanda Smith
David & Janene Waldrop

Other matters concluded as follows:

All members present agreed that the Ministry Headquarters be moved from Nairobi and that the new CML Headquarters be physically located at the premises of Kitere Glory Community Assembly, in Kitere Village of Rongo District in Kenya.

The new CML Headquarters Postal address was agreed and confirmed to be: P.O. Box 282- 40404 Rongo, Kenya. It was further agreed that the previous address of P.O. Box 2525-00100 GPO, Nairobi will also be maintained for the use of the CML Patrons until further notice.

Congratulations to the new office bearers and board members.

Many thanks to the members who attended and participated in the AGM.

2009 April Students' Camp

A week of fellowship, encouragement, spiritual enrichment and fun was had by all, when 48 young people (and a few young at heart!) gathered at Kanga Boys High School for CML's 2009 April Students Camp.

Blessed with several new students, many returning "regulars" and four 2008 graduates (Fred, Kassim, Clifford and Elisha) that came as invited speakers, we were also joined by our dear friends David & Janene Waldrop, Amanda Smith and teacher Syprine Ogada. 

With the addition of new teachings, movie night and a drama competition for the students, we explored the Camp theme "Knowing Christ, the Foundation of our Faith" and learned new ways to incorporate our faith into everyday life. Games, outdoor activities, Praise & Worship and hearty fellowship around the dinner table were also an enjoyable part of the week!

Excited with the opportunity to express themselves through drama during this Camp, we discovered that these kids were very creative and had some amazing talent. Asked to give a 20 minute drama based on a topic they had learned something about during the Camp, the teams explored subject matters such as; redemption, substance abuse, the intricacies of relationships,  and culture traditions in opposition to Christan values. 

Below are pictures of each team presenting their drama,  and let me just say that the competition was very tough to judge! Team 3 won in the end however, and as their prize each member has been invited to Nairobi in August where they will attend a 5 day Youth Convention. As you can imagine, they were very happy!

This was David & Janenes first time to attend a CML Camp. They received a warm welcome for all the students, as well as an invitation to return again soon! Married over 30 years and parents to 5 children,  David and Janene were not only able to speak with knowledge and experience as they taught a session on "Relationships", but were also able to relate to the challenges teenagers face. 

Facilitating the session on "Jesus and Leadership" David emphasised the need for creativity, integrity, time management and transparency in a leaders life. Seen below, he also explained the importance in knowing the difference between one's "Circle of Influence" and "Circle of Concern".   

Several students were also surprised and grateful for the new Bibles they received, and we thank Janene's father for the wonderful gift of God's word!  

Always a delight to have at Camp, Mrs. Ogada and Amanda are not only awesome facilitators with multiple talents, but are also a lot of fun to spend time with. Just ask these kids!

A teacher by profession, Mrs. Ogada had much to say in her session about "Discipline" and encouraged everyone to cultivate the fruit of self-control.  Amanda's topic was "Jesus and everyday life challenges" and she used a personal story from her life, to illustrate how the test of character is given when no one is watching.  Both used scripture to highlight the perspective of Christ and His teachings about these issues and others such as integrity and peer-pressure.

Above, Amanda had a good laugh with her new friend Patrick about his sunglasses and below she enjoys a chapati with Maureen! 

As always, my favorite part of Camp was the interaction between the people....  God is all about relationships and I love to see Him working in the midst of His people! Whether debating a question during the small group workshop session....

....helping each other study....

....counseling  ...

....or just having fun, God is there at work!

And of course we had games! The 3 legged race was something new for most of these students and it took awhile to get the hang of it.

But once they realized the importance of "teamwork" ...they were off to the races! Outdoor games can teach profound spiritual lessons and offer insights to life, while allowing the students to have fun at the same time.

After Camp, William put on his student cap as he started a 9-month program called "Life-Forming Leadership Coaching". Here he is skyping with his teacher as Simba (one of our dogs) looks on. This program will not only assist in his personal growth, but will also help equip him to be more effective when he mentors and teaches other individuals and groups. The program uses Jesus as the supreme example of what a coach is. 

We are grateful for each student, facilitator, cook, watchman, supporter and prayer partner that helped make this camp possible, and most of all we give thanks to God for making the Camp successful! 

As the students head back to school to start their 2nd term, we want to make known the urgent need so many of them still have for assistance with school fee's. We realize that many people are feeling the pinch of the current economic downturn and are having to cut back, but ask that you and your family pray about sponsoring a Kenyan student.  We have over 20 students, both primary and high school level,  that will not be able to remain in school this year without your help. 

Please contact us by email at thechristianmile@yahoo.com for more information or visit the "Sponsor a Student" page on our website at http://web.me.com/denisedavenport.

Thank you and God Bless,

Denise & William