Home
A Visit from Kenya
The Mothers’ Mercy Home Partnership Program Board is looking forward to beginning to plan the details of the April 2010 visit of Paula Karanja, (Coordinator of the Mothers’ Union which established, supports and administers Mothers’ Mercy Home) and two of the children. Read more...
REMINDERS FOR PARTNERS
PAYMENTS: Depending on when you began your Partnership, January may have been the month that a quarterly, semi-annual or yearly payment was due. Please check the status of your Partnership. When paying by check please make out to St. Thomas Church with Mothers’ Mercy Home in the Memo Line.
EASTER GREETINGS: Though we have just completed celebrating Christmas it is time to think about Easter Greetings for the children. Please have your Easter cards with notes or letters to St. Thomas by Sunday, February 28th. Please place child’s name & number on envelope for ease in delivering. A $1 donation for each card to cover cost of mailing to Kenya would be appreciated.
MMH Developing Strategic Plan
With the challenge of Bishop Timothy Ranji to develop a 5 Year Strategic Plan for Mothers' Mercy Home, 30 people met for a three day workshop in March and developed the following draft:
MOTTO: With God we can.
VISION: A Christian based home built by faith to reach and equip the less fortunate children to be self-reliant and responsible citizens.
MISSION: To identify and to meet the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual and social needs for children to maturity and to live life in its fullness.
A sub-committee of 10 members will work on the Draft and come up with the final Strategic Plan before July 2009.
 MMH Medical Centre Being Staffed
Cargo Human Care will be paying the salaries of two qualified nurses, one pharmacist/registration clerk and one facility manager who will be permanently employed at the The Cargo Human Care Medical Centre at Mothers’ Mercy Home that opened Saturday, February 28th. German ENTs, gynecologists, dentists, general practitioners and other specialists will be rotating through the Medical Centre, providing care for the children as well as for people in the surrounding community. Unless they are very poor (in which case treatment will be completely free) they will be charged a nominal fee for registration, treatment and drugs. Cargo Human Care will also meet costs related to those needing admission to an appointed hospital. This far exceeds MMH’s original expectations of a small clinic and will make a great difference in the lives of the people of their community.
The Medical Centre began to see patients from the community April 1st. The need for medical service is very high as about 100 people per day are being treated. During the first week a baby boy was delivered and the life of a woman was saved. She came to the clinic with heavy bleeding on a day the gynecologist was on duty. She was rushed to the hospital where she received emergency surgery. Praise God that He placed the right people in place to meet her needs that day.
Board Considering Relational Trip
The MMHPP Board is considering the possibility of having Paula Karanja and one of the children of Mothers' Mercy Home visit St. Thomas from Kenya. This relational trip would be of mutual benefit, allowing all involved to share information and experiences.
It is hoped that through fundraising the MMHPP Board will be able to raise the funds necessary for the trip. If you are interested in details about the planning, or have an idea of your own, please contact Kathy Peterson.
 |
| Pete, Bishop Ranji and Lynne in front of the new dorm being constructed. |
New Dorm Dedicated, Children Confirmed
On October 26th, 2008, 13 boys and 12 girls of Mothers’ Mercy Home made an informed commitment to their faith as they were confirmed by Bishop Timothy Ranji.
Summit Reached
Pete Zaborski climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with Bishop Timothy Ranji and raised almost $20,000 for the new dormitory at Mothers' Mercy Home. Lynne Keller also visited to continue building relationships with the Mothers' Union. To see pictures from Pete's trip, click here.
To read Pete's article from the Oshkosh Northwestern, click here.
.jpg) Make a Difference in a Child's Life
From the St. Thomas Lamplighter Newsletter and Diocese of Fond du Lac Clarion.
“As we looked beyond the temporary corrugated tin buildings and into the eyes and the smiling faces of the children who reside there, we saw the face of Jesus.” These are the words of five women of St. Thomas, Menasha, who spent two weeks in the Diocese of Mt. Kenya South, Kenya, Africa in January-February 2007.
 They, along with Fr. Ian Montgomery, were there at the invitation of Bishop Timothy Ranji to explore the possibilities of establishing a Partnership Program with the children of Mothers’ Mercy Home. They came back home, convinced of the need and feasibility and committed to raising up an individual prayer/sponsor partner for each of the 83 children.
Mothers’ Mercy Home was founded by strong women of faith of The Mothers’ Union of Mt. Kenya South in response to the urgent outcry for a home to cater to the increasing number of destitute AIDS orphans and children whose family circumstances deny them basic needs and a Christian upbringing. The doors of the home, located near Limuru about 10 miles west of Nairobi, opened in May 2001. Eighty-three boys and girls between 6 and 12 live in meager circumstances but are well cared for and loved by the staff of 11 and volunteers who visit frequently.
 Previously receiving their education at Mothers’ Mercy Home (MMH), since January 2007 the children have been required by the government to attend the public schools. Consequently the children are transported to six different schools in the area by a hired matatu (bus). Uniforms are the standard in Kenya. The children each have two MMH uniforms but now need the uniforms of the particular schools they attend.
A typical day at MMH begins early with breakfast of porridge and then off to school with a carried lunch. Stories were told of children who share their lunch with others at school who come without lunch. After school it is homework time, maybe some time for play, dinner, showers and then off to bed.
On Sundays people from the outside come in to conduct Sunday School classes and a clergyman is present to have services. On weekends groups are occasionally taken out for field trips to museums, parks, and for recreation. A volunteer group comes in monthly to celebrate birthdays where fun and sweets are shared.
The children hope to make a difference in the future. They name 20 occupations that they aspire to including teacher, pilot, pastor, doctor, gospel musician, bank manager, conductor, singer, hairdresser, engineer, airline hostess and mechanic.
“Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40. |
