Proud of Mauryn

Sorry I haven't written for a long time; I'm sure you really miss it and will hang on every word. I do appreciate anyone who reads what I write. This is a picture of Tim and Susie Neel from Midland, Texas (the Golf Course Road Church) along with our own George Mwenda, formerly from the streets. He has been with us for 2 1/2 years now and is studying computers in the skills training program. He is wearing a shirt they brought with them. The Golf Course Road Church sponsors a major World Bible School program in Kenya that is managed by our own Mauryn Mbuvi.

Mauryn is married to Francis Mbuvi, who is the administrator at Made in the Streets. They have two children, Jonathan and Jeremy.

We met Mauryn soon after our arrival in Kenya in 1992. Berkeley Hackett introduced us to her and let us know that she had no way to pay for school fees. She was in the 9th grade at the time. We paid her school fees at the boarding school in Western Kenya, and she became a member of the teenage teaching team we developed to go out to village churches and teach children on weekends. In 1993 we made 25 trips to various places in the country, and our teenagers became excellent teachers. We met Francis on the streets in 1994, and he soon became one of the teachers as well.

After Mauryn completed high school, we asked her what she wanted to do. Since I was director of the computer college (KCITI), she chose to study computers at home in Eastleigh. She completed that program in two years, and we once again asked what she wanted. By that time she wanted to work in the hotel industry; we helped her enrol in Utalii College in Nairobi which teaches catering, cooking and hotel management. After completing that, she got an internship in a hotel near Mombasa on the Kenyan coast. But after about two months there was severe ethnic fighting in the Mombasa area, many people were killed, and the tourists stopped coming. Many hotels closed for the season, and Mauryn was forced to return to Nairobi.

By that time I was involved with the World Bible School program, led by John DeFore, a member at Golf Course Road. GCR was also our sponsor for the three years 1998 to 2000. So I asked Mauryn to be my secretary and handle the WBS records and letters. She took over my office in our building behind KCITI. The street ministry was growing fast; Darlene and I were working with 9 young men and 2 young women. All the young men treated Mauryn like a sister, until one day in a Team meeting Darlene said to them, "Have any of you noticed Mauryn?" They all laughed, but a few days later we noticed some of them begin to stop in at the office, talking to Mauryn. In 1998, Darlene and I moved to an apartment down the street from KCITI, and we rented an extra apartment for the WBS office and for visitors to stay in. Again, we noticed that now and then young men would stop by and visit with Mauryn a few minutes. But it was Francis who made her laugh, and who brought flowers. We moved into our own building nearby in August, 1999.

It was not long until Mauryn was handling the relationship with Golf Course Road and developing the WBS ministry further and further. To shorten the story, she now manages more than 20 men who gather names for WBS and who work in churches around the country. And even greater, some of those men had great compassion for homeless children in the countryside, many of whose parents died from HIV infection. Golf Course Road has responded with compassion and support, and Mauryn and her team now operate several orphanages in various parts of the country. It is a great ministry that has marvelous potential. As I write this, Mauryn is on a trip to visit orphanages in Western Kenya with Tim and Susie. Last night, we had Francis over for dinner.

This family lives in our hearts.

I Get to Preach

I am always happy when I get to preach. Most of my adult life has been involved in preaching. 1968 in Roswell, NM, then a two year break to teach in a University, then 21 years preaching in Redwood City, CA. For several years in Kenya, I would go to various congregations and be asked to preach. Since we have been doing street ministry, I have encouraged the young people we work with to preach and teach, and I have done less and less. Last week I was in Eastleigh at the new congregation we have opened at the Eastleigh Center, and I was asked to preach. It was the third meeting of the congregation, there were 70 people, and 5 young men from the streets were baptized. That was a good day!

These days Francis Mbuvi invites me to preach at Kamulu on the Sunday before Darlene and I leave for the USA, so that means I get to preach two times a year. TODAY was that day. My sermon was on the subject "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made," and my illustration today was BONES and the human skeleton. I had an 18 inch model of a human body and a handful of the 206 bones in the body. I also had 99 candles and 99 matchboxes.

Since what bones do for the human body is give us FREEDOM - we can move about, raise our hands, nod our heads -- freedom of movement, freedom to do what we were made for. And the equivalent of bones in the "body of Christ" are the teachings that never change, that form the hardness of the body of Christ. I spoke of teachings such as that of sexual purity and "love one another" and "receive the Holy Spirit" -- great things that make the church what it is.

I also talked about the MISSION STATEMENT of the Kamulu Church. Some of the leadership has been meeting to talk about our future and the purposes of the congregation, and so today we started asking the whole church to agree on our mission statement. Essentially it is "we are free to be friends," a message we want to spread all over the community (free from greed, free from hate, free from fear). And the second part is "we love children." The third part is "we want everyone to know Jesus." Today's emphasis was "free to be friends."

I said that in Kenya everyone needs a candle and a matchbox, because the electricity may be out tonight. Everyone nodded. And we had put a label on each matchbox that says,

Free to be Friends

The Kamulu Church

Christians Meet Here

Call 0733 834507

We have 3 groups that often meet after church on Sunday. So I asked each group -- the youth group, the young adult group, and the women's group -- to take 33 candles and matchboxes each, to visit 33 homes in Kamulu, and to explain to each that we want everyone here to be "free to be friends" and to tell them why.

Should be exciting to see what happens!

Fascinating Sunday with Friends

Truly a fascinating day! One of the great things about missionary life is that we get lots of visitors - and ones who love us. Worship at the Kamulu Church was true harmony! Several of our street kids were involved in leading worship. Francis Mbuvi had really studied about the UNITY of the body of Christ and wanted so much to communicate well what it means to have the DNA of Christ in us. He wanted us to get it, he wanted to share something good and precious. And one of our students, Francis Cugia, led the Lord's Supper and the collection, and he also spoke about unity - of the whole Christian movement in the world - and he reminded us of the need to give, to share. He meddled in our lives; he said, "even you students, you get some money and you go to the store and buy an avocado, and as soon as you get back to the boys' or girls' compound you say, "Don't ask." And don't we come to church, he said, after we have earned money during the week, and we say to God, "Don't ask."

Then we had 10 for lunch. Since we were almost out of food, Darlene made a great stew and homemade biscuits and we had some chips and salsa. And everybody wanted iced tea!

The retired dentist is an old friend who has helped us a lot at Made in the Streets. With him were three business and medical people working in a clinic on the Kenyan coast. One woman visitor has spent years in South Africa. Another one said, "Oh, if only our anesthesiologist could have been here; he would love the singing. They came over to be with us for a day and a night. And a young couple who live in the Sudan now and are learning Arabic and planning to help people there with agriculture - and the love of God - showed up to be with the church also. And one of our MITS Board members who is a teacher is here with her daughter. We had happy conversations, though some of it was about "the worst food I have ever eaten anywhere."

It is so great to have friends. Get one today.

MORNING IN KENYA

Early morning the hyena are whooping, and many birds singing their joy. The mara in Kenya is a most marvelous place, even in a time of drought. Six AM coffee, then to the hunt. Two cheetah walking across the plain, a thousand gazelle dot the landscape and lonely acacia trees spot the land. Seemingly lazy giraffe walk in majesty and a lilac-breasted roller sits calmly on a branch in the wind. Lions are sleeping, and a few raise their heads and show golden eyes. Four Thompson gazelle run with all their might, and an eland stands quietly in the early morning sun. A black rhino casually saunters down to the river bank and up the other side, charging a secretary bird just for the fun of it.

And God said, "it's good."

Hard to find a better experience than seeing African animals in their own habitat. And then back for breakfast at the lodge- omelettes and fruit and coffee and toast until bursting. Happy conversation with friends, talking over what we saw.

We were the guests of Nargis and Minaz Manji, who are businesspeople in Nairobi and have part ownership of the lodge. Nargis is the salon operator who has trained and employs five of our street girls. Minaz has helped many of our visitors with safari plans at his travel business.

And on this trip they introduce us to other people, who are interested in the street ministry and willing to help. And they have ideas and suggestions and they know people who will give our kids attachments and maybe jobs in their businesses.

Nice to mix pleasure with ministry.

Virda Stevens

  Sadness and joy seem always mixed in our lives.  We have to say good-bye to a close friend.  Virda Stevens, the person who convinced us to visit Kenya in 1990, died, and we feel an empty space.  We often tell this story when people ask us how we came to work with street kids or why we do what we do.  In 1988 Bill and Virda visited Kenya, spent time with some missionaries, and fell in love with the concept of ministry the missionaries held.  And they developed a great vision for the work that led to a great school in Eastleigh Section II of Nairobi -- KCITI.  Under their vision and help, it became a computer and electronics school that excelled in training computer operators and technicians.  For many years KCITI produced more graduate than all the other schools in Nairobi combined, and they got the jobs because they had everyday experience on the computer.  

  But back to the story.  In 1989 they decided to join an evangelism campaign led by Lloyd Deal in Eastleigh.  They invited us to go with them, but we refused.  We had no intention of working in Africa, since we wanted to eventually go to Singapore and Malaysia.  Besides that, we were set on going on a backpacking trip in Europe that summer.  So they took several other people with them on the trip.  Deal's campaign, lasting over 2 months, baptized 360+ people, and a church was begun.  

  That was great, but Virda had another vision.  She saw hundreds of kids on the streets, and they were only evangelizing adults.  So she wanted to return and do a Vacation Bible School and train teachers, so they would one day have a good children's ministry and Sunday school.  She came to us and asked us to write a series of 5 classes and a two-day teaching training manual of the type she felt they needed for the kids in poverty in Eastleigh.  We said, "Okay, but we are not going."  It took about 3 months to write the material.  When we gave it to Virda, she read it and liked all the graphics and lesson plans and crafts.  A few weeks later she came back to us and said, "Uh, you are the ones who wrote this teacher training material; you really ought to be the one to do the training."  That was too much to resist.  So we went, and 35 people from the Eastleigh Church came for training, and it was wonderful. And on the last day of VBS, there were 435 kids.  

  She wanted to go again the next year, so we did the same thing.  This time 76 people came for training for the two long and grueling days of preparation.  And on the last day, 1003 kids showed up for VBS.  We could have died and gone to heaven then.

  But Virda has continued to serve the Lord, and so much more has been done in all the years since.  And we are still in Nairobi, now working with street children, still in the Eastleigh area, because of Virda's love for us and her perseverance. Thanks, Virda, for a friendship well lived.

Moving Gets You More Friends

Those who know Darlene and me know how much we love California.  The San Francisco Bay Area was home for 21 years.  We love the rugged Pacific beach and the stunningly beautiful Sierra Mountains.  We love many people there who live in our hearts.  The Redwood Church holds wonderful memories for us.  

And we have truly enjoyed having our "base" in Southern California for the years we have worked in street ministry in Nairobi.  Returning for time with family in between visits to churches to make reports is a delight, as we watch grandchildren grow and spend time with an aged mother, who herself did great ministry in Nairobi for 6 years.  And the growing relationship with Conejo Church has enriched our lives, as we have developed many dear friends.  

Now our lives promise to be divided further, as we will have 3 homes.  We will continue to be in Nairobi half our time, but we will be divided between the Greater Dallas-Fort Worth area and California.  Because of street ministry, we have found great friends among Christians in Irving, Denton, Colleyville, North Richland Hills, Hamilton and Garland, not to mention Dallas itself.  Such varied churches as South MacArthur, Prestoncrest, Legacy, Hamilton and Singing Oaks are dear to us.  

Every move we have made has resulted in finding dear friends with whom to enjoy life and ministry.  We are certain that will continue.  In Christ there is never a need to look back, only forward, and sideways to those we walk beside.  For Christ is always the "yes" to what we seek to become.

Love is a House

A long time ago, when I was in University, I fell in love with stories, so I read all the short stories I could find and listened to storytellers.  A few I vividly remember, like "love is a house."  It was the English countryside, and every person lived alone there, each in his or her own small brick home, for there were only so many bricks, and there was room for no one else inside.  One day a cargo plane flew over and accidentally dropped a load of bricks, which landed on a man's house and smashed it.  When he patiently rebuilt his house, it was larger than before.  

He gathered some extra vegetables and fruit, and he went over the hill to where a woman lived in her small house.  He invited her over to eat with him.  She was reluctant, but finally she came. And they were both delighted.  

So the next day he went out hunting for more bricks, and he rebuilt his house again.  Then he went into the valley and found others to invite to his home.  Years later, after he married and raised his family and lay on his death bed, his son leaned close so he could hear the last words, "love is a house." 

And it's true.  We are delighted with the home we have.  Wednesday evening we invited half of our leadership Team (and wives/husbands) to our house for Christmas dinner (I know it's early, but Darlene likes to get started on Christmas!).  I cooked steaks and sausages and roasted corn upstairs on our rooftop patio.  It was great sitting up there talking to Jackton and Irene and Robin and Victor as we cooked.  After dinner we all went upstairs and talked about the moon and Venus and stars and meteorites and whether they might ever have gold and the trouble we've faced over Made in the Streets land.  We are all so glad that we have chosen a non-revenge and patience and let-justice-take-its-course and God-will-work-his-will course.  

And the next day John Wambu came over after his work of building on the new nursery school building and his visit to the Department of Lands, and we sat on the rooftop and talked and enjoyed our friendship.

And tonight Darlene and I went upstairs after dark and turned off all the lights and felt the strong wind blow and watched Orion rise in the East and a beautiful but quickly burned meteorite.  And we felt the peace of love.  

Merry Christmas from Darlene, and may your house be love.

Open House

Yesterday was a happy day at the Coulston's new house.  We own 4 acres of land about 400 yards from the girls' center at Kamulu.  From 2002 until last month we lived in our apartment at the girls' center, but now we are in our new place on one of our acres.  And we had open house, inviting all the team and students at MITS and everyone at church to come over.  After morning worship we started preparing food -- Charles popped 13 batches of popcorn and Darlene cooked 6 pounds of "bitings" -- small pieces of beef skewered on toothpicks.  We put out several pounds of cookies, made 6 gallons of punch, set out 124 sodas - and Darlene baked 5 cakes.  

More than 100 people came and spent the afternoon with us -- the students went up on the garage roof (our rooftop patio where we can watch sunsets and stars) where there were popcorn and sodas.  They went through all the popcorn in about 5 minutes.  The adults and little kids stayed in the living room (the kitchen, dining and living rooms are all one big room, built without trusses).  For the first time since we started working with street kids, we had food left over -- maybe a quarter pound of bitings and 2 gallons of juice.  

We feel good at having a home where we can have people come in to visit.  It's also good having two extra bedrooms so people can stay with us -- already we had Bill Smith and Bob Brannon stay and after them Fielden and Janet Allison.  

We have planted lots of stuff inside and outside the fence -- bananas, mango and avocado trees, mulberry, roses, cannas, hibiscus, passion fruit and other climbers.  Plus Kikuyu grass in the yard.  So we have good things to look forward to.  

We especially look forward to seeing some of you on our next visit to the USA -- we will be available January through March -- so please invite us to visit your congregation and talk more about street ministry and the future of MITS.  As always, we will need to raise funds -- we continue to have more kids on the streets and will be doing another intake this year. 

peace and joy, charles and darlene