Always Room for Improvement

It's great to be in Kenya -- great because of the Team I work with at Made in the Streets.  Even though I am never fully satisfied with everything, I am still very happy.  Just now I'm not satisfied with our chapel time...and with our farming...and with our timeliness...I want everything to be perfect for our kids.  And one of the adages I live by is "there is always room for improvement."

And I do see improvement this past year - in our work with graduates in their spiritual lives and their places of work...in our classes at the Literacy Center...in the effectiveness of our street ministry...in the plans we have to spread Sunday schools in many congregations...in the decisions of 4 of our Team members about who they will marry!!!

I'm most happy that Darlene will arrive tomorrow night, Lord willing.  Now that is an improvement for my life!

This picture is one drawn by a street kid for us - from Jesus' story about the great catch of fish. We began to use this story this year on the streets to make clear to the young people what our mission is and to encourage them to be part of the solution!

5 Teams in Elite 8

Here I am in the USA during college basketball playoffs. I may even be able to see the championship game before returning to Nairobi.  Exciting for those who love basketball!

We are in Texas because of our daughter's surgical problems - a surgeon's mistake - but we are feeling good this week.  The wounds have healed and she has started swelling therapy.  Still pain, and still not have feeling in left foot, but she is able to walk some, even managing to push her foot flat part of the time.  So we can feel good about leaving for Nairobi soon.  We have spent much time with the 5 grandkids the past three months - a joy only grandparents can truly appreciate!

I have 5 teams in the Elite 8 on my bracket -- Villanova, Oregon, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Virginia. I made the mistake of expecting Maryland to upset Kansas and Kentucky to stay in and upset North Carolina.  I totally missed the Midwest bracket, expecting Michigan State to go all the way through to the championship.

Had a good Made in the Streets Board meeting today -- we have wonderful people guiding our work in Nairobi who dream with us of the Camp at Mountain View and of the Ethiopian street ministry plans.

Blessings to all.  Made in the Streets continues to need your help to grow the ministry and bless the homeless kids of Nairobi....and Addis Ababa...

The First Hope Graduates

2015 Hope School Graduates who serve at Made in the Streets

We are proud of these nine - James Mwangi, Ken Atsiaya, Eliza Wangari, Olive Njeri,
Nzioka Okendi, Charles Ndonyi, Jane Kiama, Victor Otieno, Robin Ndunda
who graduate December 19 as part of the first class of 14 in
Hope Online School of Leadership
Paul Oduor is on the left - he has done a wonderful work as our Kenyan leader.
Thanks to Darren Wilson for great work on this ministry.
Darlene hosted us with a dinner of hamburgers and a GRADUATION CAKE!
And ROBIN is Valedictorian! 

HOPE

We are involved with as much as possible, seeking to do as much as we can with our lives.  Not that we do a great deal ourselves, but we serve with some truly wonderful people.  Besides Made in the Streets-Kenya, we are starting to build a Christian Camp in an area just east of Nairobi, where we have 40 acres of mountainous land.  We are also beginning a plan to assist young Ethiopians in Addis Ababa to do a street ministry to the many street children in their city of 8 million. We are friends and supportive of Kenya Widows and Orphans program which operates many orphanages in various counties in Kenya.  We have worked closely with a World Bible School program in Kenya that has touched many lives and opened many new congregations.  We are part of a teaching team that instructs congregations in how to hold Vacation Bible Schools and start Sunday schools (the workers in this program are from Made in the Streets and include former street kids).

One or our most joyful involvements is with the HOPE Online School of Leadership, which we believe has and will have great impact and power in the lives of young Kenyan believers who strive not only to "know" but also to "deliver" goodness and HOPE to others.  Following is an article by Darren Wilson, with a note from Paul Oduor, about the first graduation of HOPE students in December - as well as a look at the current program.  Be blessed as you read....

This time next month, I'll be on a plane headed back to Kenya! I am so excited. This will be my 9th trip since 2008. I'm traveling back this time to attend the first graduation ceremony for HOPE School of Leadership. Many years ago, my good friends Charles and Darlene Coulston planted a seed of an idea in me that will produce its first harvest in December as we graduate our first class of young Kenyan leaders. Its been more work than I anticipated (for me and our students) but it has been well worth it. I couldn't have asked for a better partner than Paul, our Director of Operations in Kenya. He's a dedicated worker and has become a great friend. I fly out of DFW on December 14 and arrive back on the 23rd. Its a short trip this time, but it will be a very special one. The Christmas holidays aren't a particularly easy (or cheap) time to travel, but I am so happy to make the trip for this occasion. The Church of Christ in Childress (Texas) has paid for my plane ticket and taken a great burden off my shoulders. Some of you have also given generously to help make our graduation ceremony an event that will be special and memorable. Thank you, thank you, thank you, all. I'll be sure to take and post lots of photos from the trip. Its going to be an incredible time. Message From Paul Paul does such a good job coordinating, offering encouragement and following up with all of our students. Even through we are an online school, we couldn't do what we do without Paul working on the close, personal relationships with sutudents. He is patient, visionary and wise. He shares this with you all:

It's been two years since HOPE School admitted its first Cohort of 24 students. The journey has been a learning, character development and a discovery period for all of us. Launching into the unknown, the good thing is in the process we have built a community of Christian learners who have embraced servanthood as the ideal model of leadership. We have had our ups and downs, and in the period some dropped out and others remained, in our journey. We believe that it does not matter how fast you finish, but how strong you finish is what counts. Looking forward to our graduation in December and out of the 24 students we started with 14 are on track to graduate. All we can say is ' Thank you for your prayer and support.' We have now 3 Cohorts working towards the 21st Century Christian Leadership Diploma. We have over 60 students in the remaining two cohorts spread all around East Africa. In 2016, we hope to reach all the 47 counties in Kenya, not only to reach the numbers, but to raise a generation of leaders who believe in serving rather than being served, leaders who influence and challenge the 'norm'. Those who lead by example and value people instead of the titles and benefits that come with it. We have made new partnerships and we are looking forward to 2016 where we will stretch our potential and spread the good news beyond our regular scope as they will open new does for us to do exploits. -Paul Oduor Two Weeks To Go We are in the last two weeks of the school term and all of our students continue to amaze. The last weeks of every term are always spent catching up and turning in last minute assignments. I am constantly reminded of and humbled by the great lengths our students go to engage in this type of learning. Even more, however, is that the assignments have such a profound impact on our students' lives. They are working for something much more significant that a passing grade. James, one of our Cohort 1 students who will be graduating next month, sent me a text message earlier this week. Its pretty incredible and reminds me that we're going good work with good people. "Thank you for these HOPE School courses you have given us. I have experienced so much that we read. Its practical and its happening every day. Its happening in the world. I wish everyone in the world can read this Christian Leadership course. These courses have been of great help to me. It has been a great eye opener in my life. I wish you knew what it means to read something and then see yourself in between the lines. Then you see your weaknesses and your personal mistakes. Then above all, you learn ways to correct your own mistakes. Thank you for giving us a pillar to hold on to. Otherwise, we could have given up a long time ago." - James, HOPE School Student Asking For Your Help Each year around the holiday season, I ask family and friends to help fund the HOPE School operating budget for the following year. So far, God has provided in abundance and we've reached our goal every year. We are currently raising funds for our 2016 school year. Our entire operating budget for 2016 is $14,000. That's enough to pay all salaries and support amazing students who want to further their education for an ENTIRE YEAR. If you'd like to support HOPE School for 2016, that would be awesome. If not, please stay in touch and know that I will certainly understand.  If you want to make a donation towards our 2016 HOPE School budget, you can send a check to our parent organization, Made in the Streets. Yes, they are a 501(c)3 organization and your donations are fully tax deductible. Make sure you include a note on the check that your donation is for HOPE School of Leadership. They will be watching for HOPE School donations and will set those aside for us. Mail donations to: Made in the Streets attn: HOPE School of Leadership 409 Franklin Road Brentwood, TN 37027 If you decide to mail a donation, please shoot me an email and let me know. I have some small gifts from Kenya that I'd like to send to donors. I'd be happy to mail one to you as a "thank you" for your support and encouragement.  Thank You! Thank you for reading. Thank you for praying. And thank you for being a friend.  -Darren

Preparing and Praying for Ethiopia

Wow!  Darlene and I had a great visit to Ethiopia - beauty, history, opportunity!  There is beauty in the country - a mountain hike at 13,000 feet altitude, the hearts of young Ethiopians who want to know God as Father and Christ as brother.  There is history - Yeha is an ancient site with a mostly-standing temple built in the same time as King David.  Aksum is the oldest Christian site...and maybe even the place where the Queen of Sheba lived in the time of Solomon.  Gondar has a castle, something you'd expect to see in Europe!  And the history of Christianity is one of slowly moving into traditionalism and rigidity and pharisaic type rules that stifle the heart and soul.  And there is opportunity - many young people are striving for change, wanting a people with whom to study the Bible for what is really there, for closeness to Christ, for joy!  And there are many street kids too.

We are still searching for 60 of the "99" - people who are safe with Jesus, who have jobs and clothing and houses and for whom retirement looks like a good thing - and who know they have been blessed by God and are willing to give $10,000 to further the goals of the street ministry.  Let me know - charles@madeinthestreets.org

Dereje Aleme with three young men who have responded to the Gospel,
and who are ready to serve the Gospel!

NOT A FIGHT

I guess people usually get broken teeth in fights, or running into doors.  I was eating a potato chip, and a huge filling and part of a tooth moved from their proper place.  And a few days before that, I was just standing around, and a part of the tooth on the other side on the bottom back decided to depart from unity.  Chewing with the front teeth is an art, as they have gotten used to biting off things and passing them back.  About 15 years ago, I needed help in Kenya and found Dr. Vinayak with Hollye Conway's help, and he did a temporary.  This time he talked me into renewing my mouth with silver and other amalgamated metals.  I will be shinier than ever.  I do think that was the longest grind time I have ever experienced with my mouth wide open.  Then the nurse took me away for measurements, which entailed her pressing some gummy material over both top and bottom teeth with as much strength as she could muster.  Not only that, but she kept punching something down on the ground-out areas with vigor as the feeling was coming back in my badly numb and misshapen mouth.  Darlene decided not to kiss me when she saw me; she didn't think she could form her lips that way.

And here is Darlene last week with the staff at Java House singing "Happy Birthday" to her.  Francis Ndungu, on the left next to Darlene and a former student of ours, made the cappuccino.  We had a good day together, and we had lunch with Tony Mauldin as well.

Happy Birthday to You

Sorry...no pic of Tony...I had eyes only for Darlene

Kamulu Conversion

We all get excited when young people make a commitment to follow Jesus.  We don't teach our kids a great deal about religion, we don't emphasize what they have to do in worship, we don't talk down any other faith system...what we do is invite kids to know Jesus, to love Jesus, to follow Jesus, to obey Jesus.  When they do, their religion is solid, there worship is sincere and correct, their love for all is developed.

Joseph Karanja graduated from Made in the Streets without making a commitment to follow Jesus. He got a place to live, found and lost two jobs, was arrested for being too interested in a fight that was going on and was not doing well.  Then one of our young people who is involved in a Discovery Bible Study as part of our Into the World Project invited him to a Bible study, and he attended.

So on September 28 he came out to Kamulu and asked to be baptized.  We were all energized when he talked about the Bible study and what it meant to his heart.

Karanja is ready

Made in the Streets has needs that are not in the

budget this year.  Can you help us?  We want to

--refurbish our playground - $2,848

--get new uniforms for kids - $3,491

--buy a stone cutting machine -- $1,600

--furnish Bible office -- $1,000

--furnish counseling office -- $1,000

Thank you in advance,

   Charles Coulston

Into the water