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<\/a><\/p>\nYou see, I believe in a God who breathes stars into existence, makes beauty out of ashes, shines light into the darkest places on earth and into the deepest corners of our hearts. This God has turned a barren hillside adjacent to a dump into an oasis of learning and love. The children who were born at that dump can now eat, learn, and play. That is the miracle of the Maisha Mapya* Preschool in Nakuru, Kenya.<\/p>\n
Miracles are happening in the lives of children who were born into the harshest of circumstances. These children have climbed into the lap of Jesus, they have heard of His salvation, and they are experiencing His love through the tender, kind hands of the staff at the school. They are growing. They are healthy. They are learning. They are hopeful\u2026and many are thriving!<\/p>\n
Personally, it has been amazing to see how God has been able to support this preschool through a small handful of committed people. Our monthly support consists of three churches that each give an average of $300 a month, and 16 individuals and families. With my whole heart, I\u2019d like to thank each one of you. Some of you give so sacrificially that it humbles me and challenges me with my own giving. The fruits of your generosity have changed the lives of the children today and have given them hope for tomorrow. Those who once spent their days scavenging through trash heaps now have a safe place to play, explore and learn. Sounds of laughter and joy now fill the air.<\/p>\n
Two hundred children have attended Maisha Mapya Preschool since it opened in January 2014. They\u2019ve learned English, Swahili, and math. They\u2019ve learned how to sit in class, get along with each other and be prepared for first grade. They\u2019ve learned practical core values and skills, some of which include: family structure, how a doctor can help them and the benefits of simple hygienic practices, like washing their hands. They\u2019ve learned experientially that food comes from our farm and milk comes from our goats. We\u2019ve served well over 30,000 meals, provided uniforms and shoes, dental care, and nursing visits. We have even taught them things that most children in the States learn at home, like how to use a toilet and hold a spoon. In addition to caring for and educating the students, the school provides gainful employment for eight Kenyan staff members which benefits their families\u2014supporting another 35-40 people. All of this has happened because Jesus has worked in the hearts of a handful of people who were willing to say, \u201cYes, I will help.\u201d I can only imagine what Jesus could do around the world if the 250 million professed Christians in America were willing to commit and say, \u201cYes, I will help.\u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps the greatest miracle of all is that God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus brought this message of salvation in hope that all would believe in him. He demonstrated his authority with some miracles that simply defied the laws of nature. He turned water into wine, walked on water and calmed the sea with a single rebuke. Most of his miracles not only showed authority, but demonstrated his loving character by
\nrevealing his compassion. They eased human suffering and led to an even more abundant life. He healed the sick, made the blind see, cast out demons and raised some from the dead.<\/p>\n
God has told me, \u201cThat is my gospel, Dave. Love your God. Love your neighbor. Don\u2019t just love Me\u2026but love others as well. Whatever you do for the least of these you do for Me. Live and preach a full gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jesus is challenging us to believe that there are more miracles in store for the people living in and around the Gioto dumpsite. He is asking us to bring his full gospel to Nakuru, Kenya.<\/p>\n
We are going to follow Jesus\u2019 example. Here\u2019s what we are going to do:
\n\u2022 Care for the least of these \u2014 Jesus said whatever you do for the least of these you do for me. We are going to continue to serve the children in the area by completing another classroom, allowing 75 precious 4 and 5 year old children to attend school.
\n\u2022 Heal the sick \u2014 As Jesus healed the sick, we are going to build a wellness center with a full time doctor, dentist and staff to serve the dump community.
\n\u2022 Help people see \u2014 As Jesus helped the blind to see, we will help those with vision problems improve their sight through our vision clinic.
\n\u2022 Help with women\u2019s health issues \u2014 The Bible tells us that a woman who suffered from 12 years of bleeding was healed by simply touching Jesus\u2019 garment. We will be opening a pregnancy clinic to assist with women\u2019s health issues.
\n\u2022 Open a counseling clinic \u2014 Jesus cast out demons and set people free. We will help those imprisoned by addiction break their chains by having a full time counseling clinic.<\/p>\n
Yes, it\u2019s a BIG vision. But I believe in a BIG God. It may take some miracles for this to become a reality. But our Jesus is in the miracle business.<\/p>\n
I knew nothing about running a preschool before we started this ministry; and I wasn\u2019t alone, neither did any of our other board leaders! But we all believe in a miracle-working God who can do anything He desires through His people. We are a spirit-led group of leaders willing to take on the task that God has laid out before us. I thought it was a daunting task to start this preschool, but our God is faithful. He has delivered again and again. He is now asking us to take on an even bigger task \u2014 the creation of the Maisha Mapya Wellness Center. <\/p>\n
Establishing a full time clinic is another area I know little about. I am not a doctor, dentist, optometrist, pregnancy nurse, or counselor. I am not connected to any networks that would know of anyone who would like to serve in that capacity in Kenya. But I am deeply connected with the miracle-working God. I trust in Him. I know He will provide us with the people we need to fulfill His vision to bring His full gospel to the people of Gioto. May His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.<\/p>\n
It feels a bit strange to write a letter about a new project and not say, \u201cWe need money,\u201d but at this time we don\u2019t. We will have significant financial needs in the future and if God is placing it on your spirit to give, please do. But, here\u2019s what we do need now:<\/p>\n
We need prayer for wisdom. We need the mind of God to rule in all aspects of this ministry.<\/p>\n
We need to identify spirit-filled, qualified candidates in the following positions:
\n\u2022 medical missionary
\n\u2022 dental missionary
\n\u2022 eye care missionary
\n\u2022 pregnancy and women\u2019s health missionary
\n\u2022 facility management missionary
\n\u2022 social worker or counselor with expertise in addiction (we are looking for a Kenyan to fill this position)
\nEach of the missionary positions would raise their own support. We will build the clinic. The community will provide the patients: those who need love. We are looking for a handful of people who have the skills and hearts to serve these forgotten people. We need you to share this vision with your church and small group. Email this to your friends and family. Post it on your social media. You may not immediately think of someone who can serve as a medical professional or facility manager, but perhaps
\nsomeone in your sphere of influence will. If all of my 300 Facebook friends share this post with all of their Facebook friends, over 100,000 people will be reached. Then \u2014 prepare to praise God as He goes to work!<\/p>\n
So, as our organization enters its 10th year, God has brought His miracles to my mind. In a world where I am surrounded by realists, Jesus keeps reminding me that He is very real and that He is in the miracle business. Everything about Jesus is miraculous. He has said to me, \u201cRemember my miracles. Remember my message of salvation, my healings, my easing of suffering. Remember all of them. That is my gospel, Dave. Now, go and do likewise.\u201d I can’t help but think of what St. Francis of Assisi said, \u201cAlways preach the gospel, sometimes even use words.\u201d<\/p>\n
Please join me in believing in miracles once again! Feel free to call or email me at addresses below. Thank you in advance for helping me get the word out. Thank you for all of your prayers, financial support and friendship. Happy New Year! May it be filled with love, peace and joy. There is joy in a miracle.<\/p>\n
Grace and peace,
\nDave Hatfield
\nFounder & Director of Encouragement
\n209-768-9536<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Angels Camp, CA…It was called the \u201cmiracle on ice.\u201d You may remember the amazing upset in the 1980 Olympics where the US Hockey team beat the heavily favored Russians. I can still hear Al Michaels\u2019 voice in the final seconds exclaiming, \u201cDo you believe in miracles?\u201d Yes, Al, yes! I do believe in miracles! You […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1599,"featured_media":30664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,20,1,139],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-angels-camp","category-featured","category-news","category-religion","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/10275539_1595729603986957_650311099218898817_o.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1599"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30663\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}