Posts By Tammy Donahue
Victory! What do you need victory over?
Two definitions for the word victory are, “an act of defeating an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or other competition,” and “success in a struggle against difficulties.”
For the street boys who we love and help, victory for them sometimes means finding some food to eat before they return to their “base” or “kipanda (fruit stand)” at night. And it can mean making it through the night without being harassed by people who are up to no good. Those are their most common every day victories.
For the former street kids in our program, victory is often having the courage to stay in school when they are 18 years old and in eighth grade. And having the patience to stick it out in a shelter or children’s home when they’re not used to having rules to follow.
For the kids we help and for you and me we can all be assured victory as we walk with Jesus and trust Him to help us overcome the obstacles that could hold us back from the abundant life He desires us to have.
2 Corinthians 2:14a says, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ,”. That is great news. No matter what struggle we may be facing or “enemy” or “opponent” might be troubling us, we can be assured of victory. How does it work? Well first we need to trust in the free gift of salvation through Christ’s work on the cross. When He did that He defeated every demon, power and principality. And when He is in us and we’re in Him we share in that authority and victory. So as we continue to spend time with Him and trust Him to protect and help us in this life, we can rest in the fact that we have what we need to overcome difficulties in our life.
Watchman Nee writes, “Christ is our life. This is victory! This is holiness. The victorious life, the holy life, are all Christ!” 1 John 5:4–5 states that, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world And this is the victory that has overcome the world‑our faith.” So be encouraged and stand strong in knowing that when you are a child of God, “… you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God,” according to Colossians 3:3, and there’s no safer place to be.
If you are in need of prayer and/or encouragement for a trial you’re facing please feel free to contact us with your request. If you would like to sponsor a former street child or contribute to our ministry you can do so through the “donate” button at the top of this page. God bless you! [contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]
Survived the streets & now having victory in school.
Good Friday & the Tree of Life
When I worked in South Africa for 3 years I liked how at Easter time when I would teach the kids at the feeding program and
ask them which holiday we were getting ready to celebrate they would always reply with “Good Friday!” We put on a big
conference every year at that time, it was always so powerful. People were saved, set free and touched by the Lord in wonderful
ways. On the cross, on that Good Friday, Jesus did all he needed to so that people can be born again, set free from bondages,
healed of ailments and so on.
Galatians 3:13 says that “cursed is every man that hangs on a tree.” I’ve read that Roman upper class could never be crucified on a cross in that day because of a crime, because it was considered so very shameful. Reserved for the lowest, most vile criminals. So thecurse and shame that Jesus willingly took on on that cross He took on for us so that we’ll never have to. All of our sins are forgivenbecause of what he did. So that tree that Jesus willingly laid down His life on for our sakes has become for us a life giving tree. Jesus is the one Who has given us the opportunity for rebirth and for a Kingdom abundant life.
This coming Easter my adopted son here in Kenya is planning to get baptized as well as 3 of our other former street boys are wanting to as well. We are very excited for them about their rebirth and commitment to Christ. We are praying that each of them is filled to overflowing with the Spirit of God and that their walk with the Lord get stronger each and every day. We love that they want to get baptized on Easter. We hope and pray that you too have a blessed Good Friday and Easter and fall more and more in love
with the Lord as we think about all of the goodness and love that He poured out for us all on that day.
Martin and Brian being baptized in 2014.
Surgery for Eva
Praise God! After nearly 4 years of suffering regularly from the pain of fibroid cysts, our precious and beautiful Eva can finally face life without the worry of that pain, and without the need to take strong, expensive pain killers on a daily basis.
As a Kenyan it’s not an easy task to raise the funds necessary for such a surgery. But by the grace of God and generous people whose hearts He touched, money was made available for the operation.
Eva spent 7 days in the hospital as they changed the date of surgery after being admitted, but finally they performed the surgery. I must say that after Eva awoke from surgery I learned the Swahili word for “pain”, as she was repeating “chungu, chungu.” I asked her brother-in-law if that meant “pain” and he said yes. Poor Eva. But eventually that pain subsided and now she is quickly on the mend. I think it must have helped also that her mum didn’t eat for 7 days until she had the surgery. Maybe because out of 14 children in her family there are 7 that remain.
So we praise God and think you for your prayers and support that helped our friend here in Kenya, Eva, have a much needed surgery and be able to enjoy her life to a much fuller extent now. We know that God is fullness of everything good and desires us to live a life full of everything good that He has for us.
“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.” John 1:16
Eva, the day after surgery.
A story of Eva ~ shining her light for the Kingdom in Kenya
Jesus said in Matthew 5 verse 14, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” If He lives inside of us then we have a heavenly light within that wants to shine. In the world in which we live there is darkness that threatens to overtake and sweep away the souls of people, into places and situations that are destructive and potentially eternally damning.
In Daniel 12:3 an angel said to Daniel, “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven. And those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” What a glorious thing to shine so brightly. I know some people who shine brightly like what is described in this verse I believe. They seem to stand out in a crowd, have wisdom that doesn’t come from earth, but from heaven, and they have a gift of making the world around them a more loving, gentle, heavenly place. I am very grateful for such people.
One such person as this whom I am very thankful for is my friend and ministry helper, Eva. She has a great deal of insight and I’ve seen her be very effective in leading many to righteousness. She tells people about the love of God and their need for salvation in a way that people listen to her very intently and come to realize their need for a Saviour. One recent time when I was privileged to observe this, a woman decided within about three minutes to receive Jesus as her Saviour. Eva had talked to her before about salvation and this was harvesting time.
Eva grew up in Western Kenya in the Sango area. She is the second to the last born out of 14 children. 7 of the children have passed away. Her father also passed away in 2008. They were very poor growing up. They lived in a small tin house and struggled to find enough food. Oftentimes they were given just 1 meal per day to eat and sometimes that was just vegetables and maybe ugali, which is cooked white corn (maize) meal.
They also had a difficult time coming up with school fees. There wasn’t enough money for her to finish high school so 15 years after she should have graduated she returned and finished high school. Now she has also obtained a diploma from a Bible college and a certificate in ECD (Early Childhood Development). She is currently working on achieving a diploma in ECD through night school. She’s also been trained in Christian counseling.
Since October of 2010 she’s been suffering from painful fibroid cysts. In spite of, and in the midst of, her pain she’s continued her work of assisting impoverished children in Kenya attain to new heights in their lives. Since 2013 she has been helping me with the work of rehabilitating street children. She’s done a truly amazing job of finding great schools for them to attend, reconciling them with their family members, counseling alcohol addicted parents, as well as tutoring and discipling the children. And much of this while being in intense pain due to the cysts. One time she could barely make the walk home after taking some of the sponsored children in my program to school. She is also the leader of the Kenyan branch of a Canadian drama ministry called DRIME. They regularly perform wonderful dramas that explain the Gospel to people.
Eva
She has visited several doctors and had 4 ultrasounds performed. Each time the scan showed the existence of cysts, the last one showed the largest cyst is 4.5cm. We’ve learned that the doctors can perform a surgery to remove the cysts. The surgery costs 80,000 Kenyan shilling, or approximately $1000 US dollars. She has managed to raise 30,000 shilling thus far so is still in need of 50,000, or about $600 US. It is our big hope and prayer for her that she be able to have the surgery and carry on with the valuable work she’s doing for the Lord and her fellow Kenyans, without having the pain of cysts.
If anyone would like to contribute to surgery for Eva you can send tax-deductible gifts to:
Sheltering Wings
P.O. Box 29565
St. Louis, MO 63126
~just make a note on the check, or attach a note, stating that it’s for surgery for Eva
or if you don’t need a tax deduction you can send a check to:
Julie Caples
4180 Avery Lane
Bridgeton, MO 63044
~with an attached note stating what it’s for
Thank you very much. Keep shining your light in the darkness for Jesus. He’s coming back soon. May you lead many to righteousness and shine like the stars of heaven forever. God bless you!
Tammy
Reaching out to the Samburu tribe
The Samburu people are a beautiful tribe of people in nothern Kenya who need to hear more about the extravagant love that the Father has for them. They are nomadic herds people who live a wonderful simple life of caring for their animals and loving their families. They live in sall groups of huts called manyattas in a hot, dry climate. They were born out of the Masaii tribe after fighthing within the group decades ago. Last year we took a 13 hour trip north from Nairobi to visit them and share Jesus with them. Many there have heard the Good News of the love Father God has poured out on them though there were children I talked to who hadn’t heard. We are hoping to take another journey there this year to tell them more about the Father’s awesome plan of redemption. Last year we sometimes used puppets in ministering to them and they loved that, as they had not seen puppets before. We can utilize that method again this year as well as hold crusades, camps for the children, and visit them in their homes. Last year we were blessed to witness a wedding ceremony there, it was amazing. And even more amazing is the love that Jesus has for His Samburu bride. Please pray that we are able to spread more of the His love and truth to them this year.
Feeding impoverished students in the Mathare slum
One of our projects is to help feed the 400 students at Loving Concern Mission center in the Mathare slum. This slum is the second biggest in Kenya with a population of at least 500,000. Pastor Luke Wanyama has the founder of the mission, which has been in the slum for 15 years now. The school offers education to children who couldn’t otherwise afford to attend school. Even though in Kenya primary school is now “free”, there are still many fees attached that make it difficult for families in the slum to send their children to school. Especially high school which is quite expensive.
One reason the children are so happy to go to the school is because they receive lunch there. So we are happy to assist them with funds for the food to give the kids a hot lunch. The mission also hosts a medical clinic and sewing center.
Short term missions opportunity
If you have a desire to reach out to very needy children in Kenya we welcome visitors. Come help with feeding program to street kids, teaching Bible and outreaches to various communities, slums, hospitals and schools. If you’re interested in serving for a short time in Kenya, email me at Tammy.Donahue@sheltering-wings.org and I’ll send you a visitor’s form.
Transformed Lives in Africa (Image Carousel Post)
Kenya has been hard hit in the past few years by terrorists who have been trying to destroy the country and people’s faith through bomb blasts and shootings. It can be easy to get discouraged as a result, especially in a land that was already weary from tribal wars, poverty, disease and droughts. What a perfect time and place for God to pour at His love and power to display His immense love and care for the people there. We are more than happy and privileged to be His hands and feet on the ground to bring hope through feeding, providing medical care, bringing children into shelter, placing them into schools, and ministering through puppet and drama ministry. What a perfect time to go and put smiles on faces and joy in hearts. There’s always hope with the Father.