Agape Children's Ministry

News

Updated Thursday, February 14, 2008. 1:00 p.m. PST

This past weekend our missionary staff was temporarily evacuated to Tanzania: Mike and Karen Herscowitz (and Paul); Tom and Marg Tucker; and Steve and Dianne Warn. Our director, Blake and Esther Gibbs, flew to Tanzania to meet up with them. All four couples will be meeting these next few days to discuss the various options before us as a ministry. Please pray for wisdom and guidance as they try to determine the best decisions for the boys, the staff, and the ministry. Please also continue to pray for resolution between the political parties and the clashing tribes.

The Agape boys who have family or friends were sent home last week. The few remaining boys who have no where to go are being cared for by Agape staff members. All schools in the city of Kisumu have been temporarily closed for the protection of the children and staff. The missionaries in Tanzania are in communication with the staff as to ensure we are continuing to provide for the boys the best we can.

We thank you for your prayers and support on behalf of the ministry. Please continue your prayers.

Updated Friday, February 1, 2008. 11:00 a.m. PST

We want to thank the many of you who have been praying for Agape, our boys, and our staff during this time of upheaval. The situation in Kenya seemed to calm down for a few weeks, but recent bouts of violence and unrest has worsened the situation. The political struggle has given way to deep-rooted, ethnic, tribal hatred. Despite the meetings between former UN Secretary Kofi Annan, President Kibaki, and opposition leader Odinga, a peaceful solution seems far from over. Within the past week, two members of parliament for the opposition party were assassinated. This in turn caused additional protests and violence.

If the situation continues to worsen, plans are set in place temporarily to evacuate all of our missionaries to Tanzania if needed (Mike and Karen Herscowitz, Tom and Marg Tucker, and Steve and Dianne Warn). We ask for your continued prayers for their safety.

In the city of Matoso, we have delayed the opening of The Farm for vocational training. The boys who were staying at The Farm are safely home in their villages. In Kisumu, we have been operating our primary school on an adjusted schedule to allow our staff and the boys the ability to get to and from home when it is safe. Traveling through town can quickly become dangerous due to protestors and gangs of thugs roaming the streets. Due to the recent outbursts in violence, we are considering sending all of the boys back to their villages on a temporary basis for their safety. The boys who do not have any families to return to will stay with Agape staff members.

If we decide to temporary close the Agape campus, we will continue to provide what support we can to the boys and their families. Please pray…
·         Continued protection for our boys, staff, missionaries, and for the boys still living on the street
·         Access to adequate food and supplies to feed the boys and staff
·         The Lord will continue to provide the resources we need to meet the substantial burden of extra expenses the unrest has caused
·         The Lord’s peace to settle on Kenya, and that He would open new opportunities for ministry and spreading the gospel

Updated Monday, January 14, 2008. 3:00 p.m. PST

Many of you have asked about the situation in Kenya and how Agape is doing during this time of crisis and upheaval. Thank you for your prayers on behalf of our missionaries, our staff, our boys, and the children on the streets. We are grateful to report the Lord has protected all of our Agape family. They are safe and our campuses have been protected as well.

Kenya has been in turmoil since the presidential election in late-December. The elected President, Mwai Kibaki, has been accused of rigging the election and people have taken to the streets in protest. What began as a political struggle has triggered long held tribal hatred and animosity. Rioting, looting, burning and killing have erupted. More than 600 people have been killed across the nation. In Kisumu, where we have our main campus, over 80 percent of the businesses have been looted and many of them burned. The people are suffering terribly. Fear dominates every moment. As of today, relative calm has been restored. But further protests have been called for the next few days and the government has vowed to put these protests down. We are very worried there will be bloody confrontations and the country will spiral into renewed violence, destruction, and chaos.

Dianne is returning to Kenya this week, Mike and Karen are back in Kisumu, and Tom and Marg are heading for The Farm. We are praying no one will have to be evacuated again. Please pray for Kenya and for our Agape family. We are asking everyone to pray the Lord will continue to keep them safe and to intervene in a miraculous way to bring peace and resolution to this crisis. We need prayer for safety for our missionaries, staff, and boys. We need prayer for the children on the streets. We need prayer for the people of Kenya. We need prayer for wisdom and guidance to know how to best care for and support our missionaries and staff.

The mindless mayhem and destruction that has occurred present us with major challenges as we face the future. Food, fuel, and other essential supplies are extremely difficult, in some cases impossible, to obtain. Prices have more than doubled for almost everything; feeding, clothing, and caring for our boys will cost substantially more than ever before.

In addition to caring for our boys, it is our intent to reach out to the community as much as possible. We want to demonstrate Christ’s love and compassion in tangible ways as people endeavor to care for the wounded, to feed their families, to rebuild their businesses, and to put their lives back together.

Thank you for praying for our Agape family and for Kenya. Thank you for your continued financial support. If you would like to help cover some of the added financial burden this tragedy has placed on our general fund, it would be a blessing and would enable us to do that much more. We will continue to keep this site updated. We thank you for your prayers on behalf of the boys, staff, and missionaries of Agape Children's Ministry.

Updated Wednesday, January 9, 2008. 10:30 a.m. PST

We are currently asking for individuals, churches, and prayer chains to lift up Agape Children's Ministry. As many of you have heard in the news, Kenya is currently in political turmoil due to the recent election. Most of the businesses in Kisumu, where Agape is located, have been burned and looted. It is being reported over 500 people have been killed due to rioting between tribes. Thankfully, all of the boys at Agape are “home” right now due to the holidays. Periodically throughout the year, we send the boys home to help with their integration back into society. The boys stay with relatives, friends of the family, or staff members.

All of Agape’s staff was advised to remain home during the election time. We have spoken with several of them and have received reports that everyone is home safe. Our missionaries who were in Kenya at the time – Tom and Marg Tucker; Mike and Karen Herscowitz; and Steve Warn – are all safe. The Tuckers and the Herscowitz’ were evacuated to Tanzania, where they are currently staying. Steve Warn is with a family outside of the city. The rest of our missionaries – Tom and Julie Westfall, Blake and Esther Gibbs, Shelly Heida, Dianne Warn, and Allison Hernandez – are all home in the States.

The Agape compound and our vocational training center are okay as of the last report. Both properties have guards who have been faithful in protecting the premises. Please pray for safety for our guards and our compounds. We have heard reports from some of our national staff that families are running out of food and water and there is limited access to stores. Due to the road blocks, it is difficult to bring in supplies. Most importantly, please pray for everyone’s safety and protection. Please also continue to lift up the situation in Kenya.

We will continue to keep this site updated. We thank you for your prayers on behalf of the boys, staff, and missionaries of Agape Children's Ministry.

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