In Matthew 25 Jesus says that how we love others will be visible by our actions; "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, thirsty and you gave me something to drink...sick and you looked after me..." More so He says that how we love others reveals our heart towards Him; "whatever you did for the least of these...you did for me." Isaiah 58 says that God desires for us to: "loose the chains of injustice, set the oppressed fee, share your food with the hungry, provide the poor wanderer with shelter and cloth the naked".
These are foundational scriptures for our ministry. New Hope was established as a result of God's call upon our hearts to 1) love God 2) love others and 3) to share the love of God with others. In a world full of despair and hurt caused by poverty, illness, abuse, broken relationships and spiritual darkness we know that Christ is our one true HOPE!
As the founders of New Hope, Joanna and I have spent years responding to God's call by serving stateside in our home churches, volunteering with non-profit organizations, serving on short-term mission teams in various countries and through serving in Kenya with local churches, ministries and organizations.
When we look back at just the past 6 years of serving in Kenya, we see God has been more than faithful and has enabled us to live out His call in amazing ways. We are thankful and blessed to have been able to:
- Deepen our personal relationship with Him
- Love hundreds of people as we share the Gospel and our lives with them
- Establish 2 schools
- Sponsor school fees for over 100 students
- Provide text books, school supplies, uniforms, sock & shoes for school children
- Build a pharmacy in the Kiambiu slum and provide free medical services
- Provide life skills training & income generating programs for women living in poverty
- Give away 100's of free Bibles
- Facilitate Discipleship training and Bible studies
- Serve with medical outreach mission teams both in the city slums and remote rural areas
- House and feed up to 25 students
- Provide clothing and food for those in need
- Open a community resource center / library
- Support adult literacy classes
- Cultivate relationships with neighbors and local community leaders
- Host seminars advocating basic health, hygiene and HIV prevention
- Serve with Kenyan and American brothers & sisters at; Missions of Hope, Global Outreach, Christian Mission to Learners, Msamaria Mwema (Good Samaritan), Glory Outreach Assembly, Nairobi Pentecostal, Kakwara Baptist, Clarence Mathey and Malachi Ministry, THEM, Starfish Charities, Heart for HIM and Strategic Cell Ministries.
Now consolidated under New Hope we presently continue to follow the Lord and actively share His love with others in word and deed!
- Joanna is finishing three + years of service with Mission of Hope later this summer and will continue to be actively involved with Starfish Charities and Strategic Cell Ministries. She has also begun work with a new church plant in Nairobi called Life Community Church (LCC), where New Hope will possibly partner with the Compassion Ministries programs.
- I continue the preparation process for returning to Kenya on June 18th after a wonderful and much needed Sabbatical. My time in the US has allowed me to draw aside with the Lord, care for my mother following her stroke and do the necessary work to set up our new ministry and obtain 501c3 status for New Hope.
As for the future - wherever He leads us we will go. In the next few months we will explore partnerships with LCC and Strategic Cell Ministries and are scheduled to help serve at a free medical clinic in one of Nairobi's slums. We will also be learning how to conduct home cell groups. Most importantly, wherever we go we carry the ministry of transformation, reconciliation, healing, restoration and peace..... the Gospel of good news that brings new hope!
Thank you for being part of this journey with us!
Thank you for being part of this journey with us!
Below Joanna is giving certificates on behalf of Starfish Charities to Maasai ladies that completed adult literacy classes.They can now read the Bible and help their children with homework!
Denise & Nic Miller triaging patients during a medical mission
with THEM ministry in the Rift Valley.
Joanna & Denise with Monica, one of the students we assisted with school fees. After graduating from high school Monica worked as a teacher at the CML Academy until getting married last year.
Free Bibles donated by Rev. John Thompson for students given during a CML Discipleship Camp
School children co-sponsored for school fees , uniforms and text books.
Joanna & Denise helped sponsor, develop and implement the first CML Discipleship Camp.
Below is the first group of girls from that Camp in 2007.
Denise continued co-sponsoring and teaching at
Discipleship Camps through 2011.
Denise conducting skill training sessions with the Kitere Ladies group.
Denise served with the Msamaria Project in 2006 and 2007,
providing care for people with HIV/AIDS and orphans.
School children at the Msamaria Project were
built new classrooms and provided uniforms,
shoes and text books.
The new school built in Jan . 2011 with CML , consisted of five
classrooms and enrolled over 100 students!
Two pictures below, the students enjoy the daily feeding program and
receiving free toothbrushes! .
The resource library opened in 2011 provides books and
learning materials for the local community, Pastors and students.
Weekend women's retreat & outreach Mission with Heart for Him ministry.
Over 250 ladies attended and received a free Bible!
