Missions and Orphans

BRAZIL, South America

In 1999 we began working with Pastor Orlando Boone in Vitoria. He has now started five churches in the Vila Velha and Vitoria area. In 2002 and 2004 we visited the churches to do mission work and offer help to many to overcome various drug addictions and alcoholism. Boone is also working with the street children (those whose parents have died of AID's or on drugs or alcoholism) to provide food, shelter, clothing and education. Presently he has about 40. Last time we were down there we also visited one church in Sao Paulo and two churches in Porto Velho.

Last year we hosted Pastor Boone, his wife, Maria, and Pastor Gerhard Schulze from Sao Paulo. It was Orlando and Maria first visit to the US. We hope they can return again in the future. We are planning on sending another team down there in 2007.

KENYA, East Africa

We are working with Bishop Francis Macharia in Nakuru. In 1999 he started with about 30 orphans (whose parents were killed in tribal wars, died of AID's or drug addiction) providing food, clothing and medical care. Many of the children had to be farmed out with members of the congregation until he was able to provide an adequate home for them. He began teaching them the Bible but soon realized the some of them were ready to go to school. You have to pay for everything in Kenya, uniforms, books, pencils, etc., on top of food and medical supplies. It was very expensive. In 2000 five of them attended school. Then the question was what could they do to work, as some of them were older. He started a vocational school to teach them gainful employment such as a tailor and seamstress, carpenter, and painting, etc.

His work now is primarily among the villages on the coffee plantations of Kenya. They work for $20.00 a month (US funds) and many do not get paid until the coffee is sold. They live in houses made of mud and straw with thatched roofs, no plumbing or electricity, and in many cases do not have an adequate supply of food. These people must first be fed as you cannot preach the gospel to people who are hungry.

In 2000 he was elected as the first International Field Representative and Bishop of the Harvest Network Churches in
East Africa and as such oversees the work of 162 congregations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. He hosted the first conference in East Africa in 2001.

In 2002 they were able to purchase 10 acres of land to raise a garden. However, the drought made it impossible to raise a good crop. Then in 2003 they were able to buy a well across the road from this acreage which now makes irrigation possible and they can raise a two crops each year.

Each year Bishop Macharia visits the US and will be with us again this year.