Thursday, March 14, 2024

OUR SMALL BEGINNINGS OF AN ORPHANAGE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

Several of our kids in the orphanage are now in the upper grades in school, with four
graduating from their secondary education earlier this year. Since these kids are without family and with no land to inherit as is customary within families in that culture, the Lord has given it to us to provide a way in which these children can earn some income to help them progress in their lives.

One of the ways that we are doing this is by making a small beginning at a vocational school. It is a small start, but significant nonetheless.

We are beginning by purchasing some carpentry tools, as some of the graduates expressed an interest in learning that skill. With the construction projects that God has given us to do in the orphanage, these kids have grown up observing how buildings are made.

We also have purchased a sewing machine, or as it is called there, a tailoring machine. As in most developing countries, the most economical clothes are not those bought off the rack in the store, but what the people make themselves. This is also a skill that will be useful for some to learn.


Please pray with us as we thank God and look to Him for guidance. I will be writing more on this in the upcoming weeks.


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If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

Monday, March 11, 2024

NEW DORMITORY FOR THE BOYS!

 We praise God that he has provided a safe and healthy place for the boys to sleep. It is temporary, but it will be where they will be for some extended time.

It is actually a room of the new school that we are building, but that will come some time in the future.



We have also purchased some of the new equipment for the vocational school that we are beginning. These are some beginning welding equipment, tailoring supplies, and one computer so that the kids can begin learning keyboarding and basic computing skills. They did not receive any of these instructions in school.

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If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

Monday, March 4, 2024

MEET OUR GRADUATES - IBRAHIM ONDUSO

Please read about another of our graduates - Ibrahim Onduso

In the early part of his life, Ibrahim was raised up by a single mother. They lived near to where the mother had some work. But when the post-election violence took place in 2007, his mother was killed. Ibrahim was 3-years-old at the time.

A neighbor was kind to take him into his home, but after some time in that home, the neighbor left and abandoned the boy. Now Ibrahim did not know what to do. Because his mother had been single and did not own any property or land to help Ibrahim settle there, this boy was really lacking a place to belong. He had no family, and his background was not known by anyone.

Since he had no one who could help him, Ibrahim then went to the street and became a street boy. That is where he was living until the day that the people of the church found this now 10-year-old boy and took him into the orphanage.


Ibrahim is now thankful that he belongs to Log Church Orphanage family by the mercy of God. He testifies that he sees a bright future that God has prepared for him through the good care in the orphanage.

He is a young evangelist, and he wants to reach more souls after school in the near future. God bless every hand that gives to help us continue with life in the orphanage.

Ibrahim’s favorite subjects in school were English, Biology, Chemistry, Christian Religious
Education and Agriculture. He loves working with animals and in the garden. He would like also to learn carpentry work, and is good in athletics.

Like the other graduates, Ibrahim enjoys helping the little ones in many aspects like caring them, coaching them, teaching them the Bible truths, training them new songs and teaching them about prayer.

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If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

Friday, February 23, 2024

MEET OUR GRADUATES - MALVIN NYABUTO

Please meet one of our graduates; Malvin Nyabuto

Malvin came to the orphanage in 2018. She was born in a polygamous family, both families living in the town of Kericho. Both of her parents were day workers on tea plantations. Her father was actually an orphan himself. Malvin’s father had been raised by his mother who was a single parent. Unfortunately, the mother died when Malvin’s father was 22 years old. The one uncle that he had refused to take him into his home, so from that age, he was on his own.

He first lived in the streets, but later found day work in the tea plantations. That is where he met and married the woman who gave birth to Malvin. It was later that her father also married another woman and then had two families.

It was during post-election violence in 2007 that the father and mother of Malvin were brutally killed. They hid in the house from the riot of protesters but were burned to ash when the house was surrounded by perpetrators and put on fire. Malvin was three years old at the time.

At first, Malvin went to stay with a stepmother, where she lived for eleven years. But one day the woman left Kericho town. She left no information about where she went to anyone, leaving this girl Malvin behind mercilessly.

This is where we met Malvin helpless and adopted her to the orphanage. The spirit of rejection passed on from the father to Malvin, his daughter!!!

This girl Malvin is humbled to be among other kids in the orphanage and with the good environment of the orphanage, she has a piece of mind and she is praising God for every provision she receives. She likes teaching other kids songs of worshiping God and she trains them memory verses. She has a passion of becoming a teacher of the word of God after school.

Malvin’s favorite subjects in school were, Biology, Mathematics, Christian Religious Education and Agriculture. She enjoys working in poultry and in the farm.

Malvin also practices sewing by hand. Along with Happiness, in their leisure time these girls are learning to make sweaters. Malvin is also good in Drama. 

Here is her testimony written just before graduation:

Hello! My name is Malvin Nyabuto. I am in form four this year (the final year of high school). I joined Log Orphanage some months after my father and mother were brutally killed due to post-election violence here in our country Kenya! I thought my stepmother will help me but she rejected me instead!!

Surely this orphanage has changed my life very much. Right now my life is full of hope and I am greatly delighted to God for the care and protection during my stay here. All my fear was gone from the day I joined this orphanage, and nothing to worry about now.

Before, it reached a time that I was thinking to commit suicide because I feared how I can be fed, where I can stay and who can provide for my necessities But God has always done everything for me in this log orphanage.

I can tell you that God has favored us in this home where we comfortably live with other orphans. We have become one big loving family because of the goodness of our God. I always find time to share positive ideas with these other children who we have been fostered together to be brothers and sisters. To be honest enough our future is promising!!

God bless all who have played a great role in making us feel worthy to live and to serve God through log orphanage Kisii Kenya. Amen

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If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

Monday, February 19, 2024

DORMITORY PROGESS

Below are some photos of the progress in finishing the boys’ room. It will be so good to have them out of that small and stuffy room where they now sleep – and much healthier too!


We praise God that he has provided all that we need to finish this part of the task.


We are now trusting God to finish off another of the rooms where we may make a beginning at opening of a vocational school in order to provide some work opportunities for our graduates and others of the area in need of training in a vocation.

More on that in the future.

We are preparing this room for these boys.
They presently sleep in a room, 10ft X 17ft with no ventilation.


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If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

Thursday, February 15, 2024

MEET OUR GRADUATES - BRIAN OMBATI

 Please meet another of our graduates; Brian Ombati:

Brian has been with us since the very first days of the orphanage, in 2016. He was found by the church members during a street crusade. They learned that during the night, the small boy would sleep in the nearby Nyabioto primary school in one of the classrooms. He would wake up early because he had to leave before anyone arrived at the school.

Brian was born out of wedlock, causing his mother and father to fight. All of this in-family fighting finally resulting to his mother to be chased out by her husband. Brian was also later chased out. However, his mother loved him, and when he learned where she lived, he went to stay with her in Kisii town. Unfortunately, his mother soon died of liver cancer, leaving Brian alone.

Brian then started roaming the streets during the day, looking for food to eat from good Samaritans. Brian likes quoting that “maybe it was not the plan of man for me to be born, but God wanted me to be born and nobody could stop me from being born”.

This boy tells other children in the orphanage that as Moses was sent by God to rescue the children of Israel the same way pastor Donald was sent to Kenya to rescue the hopeless kids like him.

He says that he will also ask God to give him an opportunity and heart of helping many in future when he is capable after school. He always says that he must try the best he can to extend hand of support to some kids who will be suffering rejection like he used to when he becomes stable in life. 

Brian writes:

My name is Brian Ombati. I have been brought up in Log Orphanage Kisii, Kenya since I was 8 years old. That was when my single mother died of liver cancer. I had no other relative and I had nowhere to turn.

But by the grace of God I was rescued by Pastor Joel to this children’s home! I give God all the Glory and honor that now I am in form four which is the last year in high school. It is by the grace of God I found myself in the caring hands here in the children’s home. I enjoy a very good company of other children and always feel at home. Whenever we meet in groups’ discussion, we always encourage each other. This gives me a lot of hope in the present and future. It is through the orphanage I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

I am extremely happy that this home has strengthened my spiritual muscle and has been a source of my joy always. I have learnt how to relate with all people and to love everyone. This is my fourth year in high school and I am very much thankful to the Lord for this far.

We are also dedicated in mentioning you before God every time we pray. It is our great concern that God will give you good health and make you prosperous in all ways.

Blessing to all who are uplifting us in prayers. Amen

Brian favorite subjects in school were: Biology, Christian Religious Education, Mathematics and Agriculture. He would like to get involved in carpentry work. He also loves working with animals and in the garden. He is a good and athletic footballer.

Brian also enjoys working with the smaller children in the orphanage teaching them about the Bible and prayer, and teaching them new songs.

Brian is one of the students for whom we are praying and working to begin our vocational school. 

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If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

Saturday, February 10, 2024

MEET OUR GRADUATES - HAPPINESS NYABUTO

Please meet one of our graduates, Happiness Nyabuto.


Happiness came to the orphanage in 2017. She was found alone and at the point of going to live in the streets to beg food for her survival. The people of the church feared that would be raped, since she was coming to age. They decided to rescue her and bring her to the orphanage.

Happiness had been raised by a single mother known as Caroline Nyamusi. They lived in Kericho Estate, where her mother was a day worker in tea plantation. Happiness had a good relationship with her mother until the time when her mother committed the crime of stealing a neighbor’s cooking gas. Happiness reported this issue to the neighbor and led him to where her mother had hidden it.

According to Happiness’ statement, her mother had been a thief for several years. Happiness had often asked her to stop this vice, but her mother despised her words. In the end, Happiness decided to disclose her mother to the public, hoping that the shame of her actions would help her reform from that habit. The mother of Happiness was found guilty and was ordered to pay a fine of KSH 5000. Happiness had revealed the theft and was the witness of the case against her mother to the end.

Because of all of this, Caroline rejected her own daughter, and sought to kill her by poison. However, close neighbors convinced her not to do any harm to her daughter. Nevertheless, in November of the year 2017 the mother Caroline seriously and thoroughly beat Happiness almost half to death! Happiness was 11-years-old at the time.

Caroline was reported to the Ibencho police station, but she quickly disappeared to avoid being arrested by the police officers. Caroline was nowhere to be found until when she was announced dead in the news. Her body was buried in the cemetery since she did not have a home.

For these past years, Happiness has been greatly thankful for shelter, food, clothing and education. She is happy to attend school that could have been a great challenge if she was in the street. She has forgotten how her mother rejected and mistreated her and even beat her.

This girl always prays to God to protect and guard the family of Pastor Donald and all well-wishers. She likes teaching the Word of God and she has a passion to be a teacher of the Word after school. She also likes Agriculture, English and Kiswahili (the local language). 

She enjoys working with the poultry at the orphanage, and along with Malvin, Happiness is learning to sew by hand, making sweaters. She is also very athletic. She enjoys helping the little ones in many aspects like coaching them in sports, teaching them the Bible truths, training them new songs and teaching them about prayer.

Here is her testimony written only several days ago:


Hello! I am Happiness Nyabuto. I am one of the form four students (the graduating year of the secondary school) from Log Orphanage in Sengera Kisii-Kenya.

My life here in the orphanage has been wonderfully good! This is the best environment that I have ever lived! It is by the grace of God I found myself in such nice place!!

As a girl child my life was to be in a great danger outside this precious home. By this time the devil could have destroyed my life with bad company, which was the case of many my age in the community who lost hope of life when they were abandoned or became orphans. Some entered into prostitution, others in drug addiction and others in habits of fighting.

I am sure this is where I could be this time too!! Thanks to the Lord for giving me an opportunity to be in Log Orphanage where I am given good care and all my basic needs are supplied. God bless everyone who works hard to improve our lives here in the Log orphanage Kenya. Amen.

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If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

 


Wednesday, February 7, 2024

A NEW VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

When I first went to Kenya in 2016, the orphan children who I met were all just little kids. It was at that point when we decided that we must begin our orphanage. It seems to me to be like yesterday, but now, in 2024, some of those same kids have grown up, and we have our first graduates from high school—four of them. I will introduce you to them in the upcoming days.


What will they do now? We certainly knew that this day would come and the question of what happens after this point as always been before us. It is not that we have neglected planning for this day, it is just that for these past years since we began, feeding the children, giving them clothing and paying their school expenses has been our main concern. We have done what we could do with the resources that were available.

About a year ago we began building a school building. It is a huge project, and we are doing it as God provides. However, we do have the ground floor finished, at least to a certain extent. We are presently finishing one of the rooms by installing windows and a door, and finishing the floor and the rest of the interior.

As I have written before, we intend to temporarily use this room to house the boys of the orphanage, since the place where they sleep now is very cramped (25 boys of various ages in a room 10ft by 17ft) and with almost no ventilation. This room in the school will be much better for them. We know that this is a temporary situation, but it will allow us to make use of the new building even before we are able to complete it entirely.

We are now talking about finishing the other rooms of the ground floor. What we are planning now is more in line with our original thoughts for the school building. In response to the needs of our graduates, we are working on beginning a vocational school.


This is a big step for us, and we feel it is a necessary one. But it is also exciting. It entails many aspects, and we will begin small. We are just in the beginning discussions about what to do, but for now, we will pattern the classes that we offer around our four graduates—focusing on the subjects that they are most interested in.

As it was for Zerubbabel in the beginning of the reconstruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, we also are in the days of small beginnings. We will see how the LORD completes it.

For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the eyes of the LORD roaming throughout the earth. (Zechariah 4:10)

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If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

Saturday, January 27, 2024

DORM PROGRESS AND OCCUPATIONS FOR GRADUATES

The work on the room for the boys to have for sleeping is progressing. The video shows an electrician installing the wiring, but it also shows the walls, ceiling and floor almost completed. The rocks outside are intended as a drainage system, but will later be covered with concrete.



We now have four orphans who have graduated from High School, and we are praying about the next step in their lives. There are two types of occupations that we are focusing on: animal husbandry involving both cattle and chickens, and sewing. I will be writing more about that in the future.

Some of the graduates would like to study for ministry, but we do not have the money for that at the moment. We will see what God has in mind for the future. We have always prayed that these orphans whom we have cared for over the past years will be future servants of God for Kenya. Please pray with us in this.

This past week I sent out all of the donor receipts for 2023. We are so thankful for all of you who have donated and continue to do so. If you do not receive yours, please contact me.

Please remember that I am only able to give an IRS tax deductible receipt for the checks made out to the Log Church, with "Kenya orphans" written on the memo line. We are not allowed to make out a tax-deductible receipt for money given to me personally or for checks made out in my name.

However, for all moneys given, you can be assured that it is used 100% directly for the needs of the children of the orphanage. It is with a great sense of responsibility that I accept this money from you, and I assure you that it is all being used for the kids. We take nothing for office expense, wages, travel, or any other thing.

Thank you all so much and may God continue to bring blessing!

**************************

If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.

Send it to:

 The Log Church

PO  Box 68

Tripoli Wisconsin 54564

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!