Current Grace Family Updates

Dear Family and Friends,

Come close, let me tell you something sweet. Our God is good. Our Father in heaven has provided for Grace Family in Kenya and the Cheromei family as we have transitioned to living in America. David is enjoying his head coaching job of Cross Country and Track and Field at Emory and Henry College in Emory, VA. God has been providing so many sweet people to fill our home with furniture and kitchen supplies. We are thankful for how He has orchestrated this move. Our mailing address is: PO BOX 223 Emory, VA 24327.

A breath of fresh air, a renewing, from God has been sweeping through Grace family. God has been restoring and encouraging the children and caregivers. 

Praise God from Whom all Blessings FLOW:

·     Pastors and Leaders Training: We hosted our first organized spiritual training, involving a 4 day and 3 night accommodations for participants from greater distances in Kenya. A team of 7 (6 from Highlands Fellowship and 1 from Tanzania) joined us in Kaptagat, Kenya, in offering the introduction to the Purpose Driven Church model. 102 dedicated ministers in Christ completed the 4 day training. Participants expressed their gratitude and genuine desire in learning new ways to apply God’s truths and direct, systematic ways of sharing the “good news” in their existing or potentially newly formed churches. EVERYONE is looking forward to the next level of training. Also 365 children from surrounding communities enjoyed the 4 day adventures of the “Bible Team” with the Grace of God Children’s Centre acting out scripturally based examples of the fruits of the Spirit and of how believers are equipped with the armor of God. Participants of the leadership conference helped with the children’s ministry programs and folks from the immediate surrounding communities volunteered their skills and talents in getting every job done in order for this conference to be completed. During Sunday’s worship, the final day of celebration of completion with awards and certificates distributed, approximately 20 adults and children gave their life to Christ. A laying of hands on these new believers in Christ was such an inspiring and highly emotional witness of The Holy Spirit being IN ACTION right to the end! 

 Grace Family Fellowship (The new adult church). We officially announce to you all about our new adult church that has been added to the already established children’s ministry program at Grace Family. All those who got saved during the leadership conference are currently attending this new church. We currently have about 40-50 members with two volunteering pastors (Senior pastor and children’s pastor-youth pastor). God is moving in mighty ways, keeping this community connected with Him and sharpening their skills for the next years training! Giving God all the glory for every detail of Kenya Missions! We are praying for permanent pastors! May the Lord grow this church and use it to reach out to the lost souls in our community and beyond.  

·     The Well:The Well is complete, all pipes are connected to the houses and various buildings we have on the property, but the devil is still trying discourage us. The control panel for the pump from the well is very sensitive and has needed a lot of specialized electricians to come figure out why it is not consistently working well. The pump currently stopped working. It needs to be pulled out from 610 ft…it is very frustrating. We have spent a lot of time and money on it. We know God is going to provide if we need to purchase a new pump and control panel.  May the Lord help us on this. 

·     Grace Family Educational Centre:Building has been going on for about a month for 3 more classrooms for the school! Can you believe it?! We need your prayers and financial help to keep the project going! We have the outside walls up and now trying to raise money for the roof and finishing on the inside of these three classes. The walls of the 3 classrooms will have accordion doors. The classrooms will also be used as a multipurpose hall for the church and as a leadership training hall. We are excited for the expansion of the school. We currently have 110 children attending Grace Family Educational Centre and we know that we will be able to have more children join us next year when classrooms are completed. We also have 7 qualified and committed teachers! We are praying for teacher’s sponsorship so that we can enroll needier children. We pay $80-$110 per teacher. Children get two meals at our school (breakfast and lunch). God continues to use our school to provide the children with quality education, spiritual nourishment and physical growth in a wonderful environment. Our four youngest children (Kipchumba, Mercy, Moses and Ian) continue to enjoy going to school at our property. 

·     Community Hall.We completed the construction of the community hall in our community in Cheptigit Centre. It looks great. We want to thank the team from Community Advent Church from Roanoke Virginia for the dedication and for their wonderful construction work. The community is very thankful. You guys brought light to the community. This was a true way to show love to our community in Kenya. The hall is already in use. They are holding community meetings, prayers, youth gathering, leadership training, local government, administration events, etc.  

·     Kenyan Board Members.We have a new Kenyan team of advisory board members which God appointed for us. They are currently helping in overseeing various programs and projects in Kenya while we are in America. Please pray from them! May the Lord give them wisdom and help us to work together to grow Grace Family for His Glory!

·     College and High School students:It is very hard to believe that our oldest child, Hillary is currently sophomore in College. Wow! Where did the years go? It goes by fast. All the children are growing fast. We also have 7 children in High School (Christine, Sharon, Winnie A., Winnie K., Ian, Vincent, and Naomi). We are praying for more financial support or child sponsorship. Their High School school fees is an average of $500 per year. We are praying for Dennis, he is sitting for his national examination to qualify him for High School at the beginning of November. We believe that he will join a National level School. 

·     New Security House:At our main gate we added a better watchman house for our security guard which also has a separate room to have a small shop to sell goods.

Upcoming Events and Future Projects:

·     December 2018 Ian, Vincent and Dennis will participate in a training/celebration turning into manhood.

·     August 2019- 2^ndpart of the leadership conference based on the Purpose Driven Church model. 

·     A medical team will visit the second week of August to help the Kaptagat/Cheptigit community.

·     Medical team from Roanoke area is planning to come in the later part of 2019.

·     Future Projects: Build a greenhouse to help grow the foods necessary to help sustain Grace Family and our farm animals. Build a small shop to help further our goal of becoming self-sustainable.

Thank you for all your prayers and your continued support. We are so blessed having you in our lives. May God bless, together we can make a difference. 

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10

David Speaking at Leadership Training

 

Community leaders-leaders-Patners

 

Graduation

 

 

 

 

 

My  Cross Country Team at Emory and Emory College

Thank you Lord for your many blessing

 

SURPRISES

God is full of SURPRISES! As most of you know, we were in America this summer enjoying time with family and friends. We also had the great opportunity to visit churches who have been supporting us. We loved connecting with the body of Christ. We appreciate so much your prayers and financial support of Grace family over these blessed years.

We were less than a week away from our departure from America, heading back to Kenya and Grace family, when David had some news to share with me (Laurel). It was one of God’s big surprises that makes you go wide-eyed and speechless. David said something to the effect of “We are not moving back to Kenya right now because God has been opening up this door, and I feel we need to focus on our family right now.” 

(I feel I need to preface this by saying that in my quiet times leading up to this big surprise, God wanted me to focus on surrendering my plans to His plans for our family and to have a deeper trust in Him by reading His Word and praying.)

As David shared with me this shocking and surprising news that we will be living in America, I felt God had been preparing my heart for such a time as this. Peace surpassed all understanding. I was able to sit with my man and listen to him with a calm mind as he shared his heart of how God had been working in the last few weeks to orchestrate this big surprise.

The big surprise is not only that we will be living in America but that David is going to be the Head Coach of Track and Field and Cross Country at Emory and Henry College in Emory, VA (Exit 26 on Interstate 81)! He will start the beginning of September. The Athletic Director at Emory and Henry College supports our vision for Grace Family so they allowed David to go to Kenya for the month of August to finish up the well project, to complete the finishing touches to the second story of the big house, and to finalize all of the other projects God has given us. Grace family has been well taken care of while we have been in America over the summer, and they will continue to be cared for while we live in America. We are not closing down Grace of God Children’s Centre nor our Primary School on the property. Our school, Grace Family Educational Centre, will continue to be led by our Head Teacher. Our school continues to grow as more children attend from the community. 

As the reality has set in that we will be in America, I find myself becoming anxious to know what is next and how this or that will work out. I have to remind myself: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6  If our Father in Heaven wanted to orchestrate this grand surprise for our family, He certainly knows the good plans ahead, and I have to just trust and go with God’s flow. It is a wild ride for sure, and we appreciate your prayers and support as we continue on God’s journey for our family.

“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8

God Bless, Laurel

Pastors Training

We have a great opportunity for you all to partner with us and Highlands Fellowship (https://hf.church) in Virginia as we host a Pastor Training at our home. This will be our first introductory Kenyan G3 (Global Glory of God) conference during August 1^st-5^thwhere we will do pastor/leader training. We have invited 50 pastors to come stay with us from all over Kenya to join us and our community pastors/leaders who will join us during the day for training! (over 150 pastors/leaders are expected).  It will be a great full house of men and women coming together to learn the Purpose Driven Church Model for churches. Luke 19:10 says, "For the son of man came to seek and to save the lost."  These pastors/leaders who are coming have a passion to seek and save the lost.  We will also have children program (Vacation Bible School) in the evening. We are expecting over 500 children to attend. On behalf of Grace Family, we are so excited to host this vital program. We are still in need of the following items to be able to train, accommodate and feed pastors/leaders, and children: 

Food: ($Total :( ($608)

Cooking oil: $40

All Purpose Flour(Unga): $40

Beans: $200

Rice: $120

Green Grams: $18

Potatoes: $20

Sugar: $50

Cooking pots: $120

Supplies and beddings:( $3,300)

Rental Tent: $100

Tarp: $60

Plates/Cups: $120

Buckets: $100

Blankets: $1200

Mattress: $1600

Cooks/General help: $120

Please use this donation link to make your donation of any amount:  Use General Giving: http://www.graceofgodchildren.org/give/( Please click add special instruction on the PayPal button and type “2018G3”.With the help of donations from supporters such as you, we will continue to see more lives impacted, more orphans and children; and adults succeed in life. We are committed to using all contributions to work wisely and effectively; we ensure that all gifts entrusted to us have maximum impact. Your donation is tax deductible under section 170 of the Code under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We have more pictures on our Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/graceofgodchildren/and our blog : http://beesinkenya.blogspot.com/

We are currently in the U.S for the summer until Mid-July.  Have a blessed day and we would love to hear from you all, David and Laurel Cheromei (+1434-258-4908). Here is our 2018 Grace Family YouTube Update : https://youtu.be/lphv0W2xRxs

"Seeking and Saving the lost"

Community outreach

Day to day mode of transportation in Kenya

Let me touch, You feel different ...

Spirit of the Lord on the move at the local church in Kenya

Sharing gospel in Kenyan Schools

Grace Family

We are very thankful for the clean water...will be ready soon

 S

Matatu-Pulick Transportation

Moonshine!!!!

Mission trip experience with the with the thankful locals

Laurel reading to the children at Grace Family

Moses smiles!

Zion Sharing  at Grace Family"Let children come to me"

Travel

Hello Grace family supporters. We are currently traveling back to America. We would love to visit your family or church to share about what God has been doing at Grace Family. Please let us know soon if we can visit because we are only in America for the summer. Keep us in your prayers as we travel and also for all that God wants us to do. Let us also know if anyone one of you might have a car we could borrow while we travel around America.  God bless

Thank you so much for your prayers, donations and support to the ministry. May the Lord bless you in a mighty way!

Clean Water is Here

Thank you, Lord! We have been praying for a long time for a source of clean and steady supply of water for Grace Family and for the community. God has answered all the prayers, the water drilling happened the beginning of March! We want to thank you for the many blessings. The well drilling extracts water from aquifers, which are underground layers of earth, gravel, or porous stone where ground water accumulates.

This job was bigger than we ever imagined! We had some ups and down during the drilling process. The geologist surveyed that sufficient water should be obtained around 328ft and a maximum of 541ft would need to be drilled to find a good water source. Anyway, we are not God and the geologist made the mistake of not surveying our land properly and according to procedure. We ended up drilling 689ft to find sufficient water! This was very heartbreaking because drilling is very costly and we had already used all our resources for the geologist to survey the land and all the cost associated drilling. However, the drilling company, Hydrotech, was a God sent company. They were willing to work with us, they even said, “God sent us here. We are not leaving you with no water, we see all your great work for the orphans, needy and the community. We will drill your well until we find sufficient water and will work something concerning payment plan later”. This was a huge blessing!

We owe the drilling company $3,000. 

They have already finishing the drilling and casing; they only need to perform test pumping within the next few days. We would also need to buy a pump to stay down in the well and a water storage (tank) after finishing test pumping. We won’t know the type of pump until they complete the test pumping. We are thinking we still need to raise $6,500 for the entire water project to be completed! We are trusting God to provide, we know it’s going to be a blessing to have clean and steady water supply for Grace Family and for the community. We are going to create a water kiosk where anyone in the community can come fetch clean water, right outside the fence of our property. We are also thinking of sharing the water with our nearby dispensary (medical clinic), depending on the amount of water to be pumped daily. We should know this in the next few days after test pumping is complete. We just want to thank everyone who has been praying and encouraging us through this crazy progress. We can use any amount of donation to help complete this wonderful, impactful project.  Here is the link to make donation of any amount https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=SWLBFC6XGDHA4.