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

Receptions at Coulstons - Aug 23 & 25

This coming Sunday evening at 6:00 and Tuesday evening at 6:00 -- Francis Mbuvi and Moses Okoth will be with the Coulstons.  So...any street ministry friend in the Fort Worth/Dallas area is invited to either of those receptions.  Call or text me at 817 965-3004 for our address.  We are celebrating 20 years of street ministry and you can enjoy hearing Francis and Moses talk about future plans for Made in the Streets.

Here is a great pic of Mbuvi with "our kids" 

Days of our Lives

Each time we prepare for travel, we find ourselves with strong feelings - we want to go, we want to stay!  Working with the Made in the Streets Team and being with the street kids is a great pleasure, the fulfillment of our hearts' desire.  Whether it is Jackton and Milly visiting graduates and encouraging them to start Bible studies with neighbors and co-workers or talking to Francis about how to lead the ministry or consulting with Wambu on building projects....it is all a deep and wonderful joy.  And they invited me to speak in chapel every day, after the student or visitor who has been scheduled to talk.  I get to talk each day about the "Scripture of the week" - the one we use for the Sunday morning Bible class and the sermon.  I start by asking, "where are we this week?" and many of them say "Luke 7" or "John 5" or whatever it is for the week.  I love telling stories and reminding them of God's will and encouraging them. Today one of the boys wanted to tell me something before chapel. I leaned over close to him, and he said, "I love you."  Makes my day! May you find something that makes yours a joy!

We are going down "Memory Lane" this year, with the 20 Year Celebration of street ministry coming up on August 1 in Nairobi and September 11-12 in Brentwood, TN.  We have been going through hundreds of all pictures and new ones too.  Here is one from 1998, when we helped in the startup of the church in Dirubi, where Kenya Widows and Orphans now has an orphanage and a skills training institute -- and the church continues!

A walk in Dirubi along the Sondu River - and a new church

Life is Good for us...

I can't say that everything goes exactly the way I want...I can't say that Made in the Streets is always successful with kids from the streets....but I can say that we like where we are and what we are doing. Who would have thought it?

Here is a pic of several of the guys among our students...Darlene and I had three groups of these former street kids over to the house...for popcorn, peanuts, chocolate cake, caffe latte (I am the barista)...and conversation!  We had a great time with them all -- so polite, conversational...one group of 12 guys ate a kilo of popcorn.

And here is the wedding of Caroline Wanjiku to Kelvin...whoever that is...actually he's a good guy, but she is ours!  She asked me to officiate at her wedding...normally we try to not to be at weddings -- they start very late and they go long -- but this was our joy!  Kelvin is a youth minister and Caro fits right in to that life.  She is still a hairdresser, and she is still ours!

And this is the church at Kamulu. We love being part of this family. Exciting...fun-filled...devoted to Jesus...I get to teach a Sunday morning class on whatever Francis is preaching on (we plan series together)...this also is OURS!

And here are some of our students doing a drama during worship time. It's about what Jesus says in Matthew 21:42-43, "The stone the builders rejected has become the most important stone." These kids have been rejected, and they dream that God will make them into something special.  And they are OURS!

Of Life at Made in the Streets

I don't write often enough to be a good blogger, or to be someone a person would want to follow.  And I have lots of excuses...here is what has been going on...

...we started the Legacy Campaign Fund this year...we want to find "the 99" - the ones who are safe at home with Jesus.  But these 99 are not content to rest at home; they know Jesus is out there searching for the lost and hopeless one...and they want to be with Him and help.  We want to raise $1 million for major projects at Made in the Streets, including reaching out with this ministry into another country.  We want to show that it is possible and important for a church that sends out missionaries to have a street ministry component in the mission when they are in locations with large numbers of street kids.  We are looking for 99 (individuals, families, home groups, classes) who will give $10,000 each to make it happen.  Darlene and I gave our $10,000 at the beginning, so in total it will make a hundred.  Please consider what gifts God has given you and whether He did so to enable you to give in this effort.

...new street kids have come out to Kamulu in 2015, and 8 more boys are expected here in a week or so. In addition the Eastleigh Team has 43 boys who are younger than our desired age, and a friend in California has given funds that can be used to help these boys get somewhere off the streets - back home with a relative, in another home of someone who cares, in an institution that will give them care - wherever they find people who will be kind to the boys.

...we are planning a Celebration for 20 years of street ministry on August 1 at Kamulu.  A committee is busy making that a reality.  In addition, there will be a Celebration at Otter Creek Church of Christ, Brentwood, Tennessee, in September.  If you are interested in begin at either of those, write me at charles@madeinthestreeets.org for info.

...we have published a new coffee-table picture book that covers the 20 years of ministry.  We plan to give a copy to each of the 99.  If you are not one of the 99, but want a copy, please write me.

...our kids have been on a trip to Western Kenya, getting to see some of the country they never had a chance to see because they grew up in Nairobi slums.  They have been thrilled with the hot springs, with Lake Victoria, with spending the night with various congregations, and begin together with some Team members on a trip...thanks to those who made this possible.

...I am so glad to be doing what I do, working with this Team and these kids from the streets. I'm getting old, but glad to be with the young.

Blessings, Charles