Life-Changing Opportunities!

After a recent third visit to the hospital 013for examination concerning the growths on Anthony Mirundu’s wrist, we are very glad to inform you that, though the growths are cancerous, the cancer has not yet metastasized and remains localized in the wrist area. This was somewhat unexpected, as he has been nursing the swollen wrist since late 2011. Thank you all who kept him in prayers!

After extensive scanning and consult with the surgeon, the recommendation was for an amputation at the elbow as the best and only option. While we are happy to have this option available to halt the spread of the cancer, of course this will be a significant change for Anthony, who is the sole provider for his wife and three young children. Even so, Anthony has agreed that the amputation is a must and it is scheduled for July 13.

099Thus far, however, the funds which have been earmarked to Anthony from your generous donations were only enough to make an initial diagnosis and recommendation for treatment. We have no funding available to go forward in meeting the amputation  and follow up examination expenses. According to best estimates, the whole process will cost at least $200.

007Also, a new urgent medical need has been brought to our attention, the case of Ferdinand. He is the young brother of our “man of peace,” Silas, a dear brother in the Lord. (As the oldest in his family, Silas has taken responsibility for caring for his Mom and siblings on the family shamba; his father died when Silas was just a boy.) We sent Ferdinand to our local clinic last month for an examination of his leg; it looked like varicose veins but because of his youth (he is only 15) we were skeptical that this would be the case. He was referred to the District Hospital, where it was, indeed, confirmed to be a case of severe varicose veins. Ferdinand has been suffering from this condition for the last four years, and reports that he is at the point of feeling ongoing discomfort and pain when he lays down to sleep at night.

008There are several methods of treating varicose veins, including injection therapy and surgery. Injection therapy is mainly used to treat small varicose veins below the knee, and surgery is often performed to treat larger veins. Due to Ferdinand’s age and the progression and pain involved with the deteriorating veins, the recommendation is for a ligation surgery. Essentially, they will make small incisions in the skin and cut and tie off veins that are not functioning. Since these veins are on the surface of the skin, once the dilation is done, the blood will begin to find new routes along deeper veins. This surgery has a high rate of effectiveness and is done on an out-patient basis. This will be adrastic change Ferdinand, and we rejoice that we would be able to offer him this opportunity!

Up until now, Ferdinand’s care has come out of our regular medical budget, but now with a surgery recommended, we must request special funding to proceed. The procedure has already been scheduled for June 22, so we are looking for willing donors to fund the approximately $200 that will be needed.

Join with us in changing lives–the young man Anthony, who will have a new lease on life with his wife and young children with the removal of his cancerous tumor, and the youth Ferdinand, who can experience healing of his painful veins! Either need can be met by giving at www.kingdomdriven.org/donate. You can earmark to urgent needs/medical and there is a place to note at checkout if you would like to give for Anthony or Ferdinand, if you would like.

 

 

 

May Medical Updates

Here at Kingdom Driven Ministries, we know very well that without our donors and well-wishers nothing could be furthered, nothing could be accomplished, and nothing could be achieved. We hope you will be blessed by this brief report of our May happenings for those in our community and fellowships with medical needs.

The month of May  had its own ups and downs, especially in the medical department, but nevertheless the end was good and worth reporting about. As usual, the burden of dealing with various patients falls mainly on the old shoulders of our church deacon, Mzee Timothy; however, he enjoys the assistance of other brethren and ministry administration.

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Church deacon, Mzee Timothy Sitati

This month, our focal point was on two major cases that were brought to us by local administration, that of Micah Juma and Anthony Mirundi. I believe most of you are familiar with these two young people, whom we have long been laboring to assist; one, with long-lasting impacting from road injuries, and the other with bone cancer in the arm.  In case you are not familiar with their cases, please visit our previous articles, Sympathize with the Needy and Extend the Circle Of Compassion

IMG_1374After few months of moving to and fro with Micah Juma, seeking a right medical facility that could help to 116remedy his broken leg and examine the conditions of his urethral dysfunction, at last, this month we found redemption for him at one local hospital. He was attended two weeks back, and we are happy to inform you that the whole process of surgery went well, without any major problems, and Micah’s leg was finally repaired. The surgery to hold the broken bones together by insertion of plate and screw in between the fractured tibia, lasted ten long hours. Unfortunately a few day after the surgery, he was reported to have some minor discomfort, which forced us to return him back to the hospital again. He has been  re-admitted for one or two more weeks, but it is our prayer and desire that he will finally emerge a healthy and strong young man.

009We also took our patient, Anthony Mirundu, to one of the local mission private hospitals for initial examinations. Anthony came to us with growths on his wrist, which we learned was a malignant bone tumor. Unfortunately the doctors at Dreamland, being unable to do a likely necessary amputation, referred us to Webuye Hospital. Therefore, this month our Mzee Timothy has been a frequent visitor in Webuye Hospital! After Anthony’s blood test, to find out if the malignancy has spread to other parts of the hand, we will meet and discuss treatment options with the surgeon. His followup appointment is scheduled for Wednesday, June 8; please keep that in your prayers.

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Anthony at Dreamland Mission Hospital

As far as regular medical needs, perhaps our most disturbing case this month was that of four year-0ld Brandson. Unfortunately, it is culturally the norm here for a man to take more than one wife; when he does, his children typically remain with the first wife or her family. In the case that no caregivers are available for the children of a previous wife, they are taken into the second family circle but are typically not well-treated.

Imagine a mangy cur, unwanted and tolerated only because he provides some minimal security to a family (also common here). This dog is beaten when it approaches people for attention; it is tossed a meager portion of scraps from the family table and expected to forage elsewhere to satisfy his grumbling stomach. He coat is matted and sparse; his ribs betray the reality of his condition. Such is not far from the condition of a step-child.

Bradson’s young body was full of dark scars as a result of beatings, burning, biting and worst of all, it was reported that the step-mother had inserted a thread needle into his back. The boy was weeping uncontrollably as as two church wazee rushed him to the District Hospital, where the operation was conducted and the needle was removed. Perhaps in incidents like these, the prophecy of the apostle Paul is being fulfilled: “at the end times, people will be godless, unkind, cruel and lovers of self.”

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Brandson after discharge

And of course there were the usual  cases of malaria and typhoid, as well as dog bites, severe headaches, stomach upsets, and joints dislocations. Most of these minor needs were treated at our local clinic. The cases of malaria and typhoid–names to put to your prayers and our thanks–are Benjamin Makhoha, Naomi Naliaka, Florence Nafuuna, Junior Wafula, Silas Juma, Annet Nafuna, Brenda Nanjala and many others.

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Kingdom Driven Ministry thanks all of you who have supported us this past month of May; receipts totaled $636 this month—one of our biggest in recent history. You have helped us to serve and bring hope to all those that came our way. Let us enter a new month of June with the same zeal and strength.

 

Micah Juma: Looking to the Future with Gratitude

It is a great honor for us to be able to present this briefing to all of you who are partnering with us in expanding the kingdom of God and serving “the least of these” here in Africa.

Finally, a new day has dawned for the young man, Micah Juma. In our previous report, Sympathize with the Needy, we shared his tragic story. Micah Juma, at age 23 (the year 2011), was involved in two  road accidents which left him with serious physical disabilities. Though his family managed to scrape together some money to begin to address the problems, they quickly ran out of resources and options, leaving young Micah permanently incapacitated.

After he was sent to the Kingdom Driven Ministries by the local chief for medical assistance, and we in turn asked our faithful brethren for support, several gave with great generosity and concern for Micah’s condition. We are glad to report that together we have finally been able to make some headway with his care.

In his first accident, Micah’s back bone and urethra were badly damaged; in the second accident, his right leg was severely broken. Both conditions were only minimally treated, leaving him for the last five years with a useless leg and a permanent supra-pubic catheter.

Since he came to us two months ago, we have been doing all in our ability to bring relief and hope to Micah and his family. We have encountered some challenges with the medical options available to us, but the Lord has provided solutions as the needs arose. We had to move from doctor to doctor, from office to office, from hospital to hospital, but at last we found a haven of good hope in one local hospital, Webuye County Hospital. After years of suffering, Micah’s broken leg was finally repaired this week! He was officially discharged on Friday.

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Admitted to the hospital

The next big step that awaits him is the urethral surgery, which will hopefully come a few months from now. This period of rest will allow the body to gain sufficient strength and permit the wound and bones to heal. Micah will also receive physical therapy. We pray and trust the Lord will make these next steps possible (and safe).

I would love to pass across the words of gratitude from Micah’s family, especially his father. This is what he told me when I visited him at the hospital after the surgery:

“My family and I would love to express our sincere gratitude and great thanks to all those individuals who have stood with us, and supported Micah. We feel like the big stone that was hindering us from seeing the love of God has been removed by the servants of God. Though  we have nothing to repay them, but still we have something to offer them. We will remember them in our prayers, and ask the Lord to shower His blessings on them, so that they can continue in good work, and help many more who are suffering in deep distress. God bless you.”

The prayer of the poor is no small thing; God is attentive to the cry of a poor man. In the same line of gratitude, we at Kingdom Driven Ministries give thanks to all our brethren for making our duty and service both possible and enjoyable.

In recovery after surgery
At home after surgery!

As Micah recuperates, we plan to take him for a scan, which will be brought to his next consultation with the surgeon so that they can assess the damage to the urethra and see if it can be repaired at the same facility that performed the leg surgery. We have approximately $700 remaining that is earmarked for both physical therapy and the next procedure. Because we needed to pursue next-level care to get the leg surgery done, we are operating with less funding than anticipated going forward. As the future needs become clear (based on consultation and best estimates from the surgeon), we will let you know if further assistance is needed. In the meantime, Micah, his family, and the team here at Kingdom Driven Ministries are thankful for what we have been able to accomplish on Micah’s behalf. Please pray for his recovery and for the future use of his leg.

Celebrating Victor’s Life

The brethren here in our local fellowships have pulled together in an amazing way over these past few days to honor the life of our brother, Victor, who recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. We are more than thankful for the saints from afar whose financial gifts have made all of these arrangements easier, removing a large burden from both Victor’s family and the church at this time.

The burial took place yesterday (Wednesday, the 18th of May) at the home of one of Victor’s relatives. Our church’s wazee and deacons faithfully managed all the details, from food for the mourners, to transport for various brethren, to tents, chairs, PA system. Many of our church’s ladies volunteered their time from Tuesday onward, to prepare the massive amounts of food that would be served after the burial.

Here are some photos from the day’s activities:

Victor suffered for about six years from cancer. Neither his family nor various government agencies could help him, but our local chief asked Kingdom Driven Ministries  for help about two years ago. Because of our involvement in his care, Victor heard the message of the Gospel, repented of his sins, and was baptized into Christ. Eventually we helped Victor find a new home, where he lived in close contact with several other brothers and sisters in the Lord. Though occasionally discouraged because of his illness, and particularly at the end, because of pain, Victor always had a ready smile and rarely complained. He regularly attended the weekly “wazee” (elders) meeting; though he was still a relatively young man (only in his 30s), he was welcomed by the wazee because he had experienced ill health and suffering, which gave a different perspective on life than other youth. When called upon to teach during Discovery Bible Study or share a testimony during the weekly fellowship, Victor did so with an understanding of the Scriptures but even more, with a sense of deep relationship with God. Though of course not a perfect man, he was quick to repent when he fell short. We will miss our brother’s dedication, his friendship, and his warm smile. Thank you again for all you’ve done to assist with his medical needs and improve the quality of his life for the time that he remained with us. We praise God that Victor will enter into our Father’s rest.

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Victor’s Death

Greetings saints,

It is with much grief and sorrow that Kingdom Driven Ministries has to report the sudden death of our dear and beloved brother, Victor Simiyu Wambani. Brother Victor has been struggling with serious chest cancer (Fibro Sacro of the anterior chest wall) for over a period of 6 years. Today, he fell asleep still under medical care; his next hospital appointment was due early next month and we were, in fact, trying to arrange something for as early as next week, as we saw his condition deteriorating.

018Victor’s family struggled to care for him in his lengthy illness, eventually believing that he was beyond remedy and assistance. Some three years ago, our village chief introduced us to Victor, and Kingdom Driven Ministries was blessed to not only assist him medically in his time of need but also to share with him the Gospel of the Kingdom, baptize him, and disciple him through many hard times.

Unfortunately, early this morning Victor was found dead at the building owned by KDM, where he has been staying for the past year, after being evicted from his father’s house by his step-brothers. Indeed, it was dark morning for all the saints here and our village in general. A couple of brothers gathered together at the premises after the death incident was reported at around 2 AM. The body was brought to the local mortuary for preservation. Our church’s deacons and several wazee are working out the details for the burial and funeral program.

Members of his family and the church have met earlier today to discuss the way forward and make further arrangements. It’s our hope that together we will be able to give brother Victor a proper and honorable burial, which all the saints deserve.

According to Africa traditions, burial is an open ceremony where all members of the community are free and welcome to attend. Mourners are fed by the family, which is typically a great burden to those already poor, but in Victor’s case, Kingdom Driven Ministries is hoping to take on that financial responsibility, as he has been a much-loved brother.

We were hoping to raise at least $500 toward this need. Even before this report was published, brothers who knew Victor gave $100, so we’re working on raising the remainder. We humbly request for your support and donation to meet this special need. To do so, visit www.kingdomdriven.org/donate and select the option to give to  Great Commandment needs (medical/urgent needs). The burial will be early next week.

The entire Kingdom Driven Ministries team wishes to express our sincere gratitude to all our partners, and brethren who have stood with us in meeting Victor’s medical needs over the years of his suffering, as well as providing for some of his practical needs like food and housing while he was unable to work. Through your holy prayers and compassionate donations, the Lord has brought Victor this far. We all are part of Victor’s eternal story in the world. May the Lord God think kindly of you, and remember you in all things of life. Though we are sorry that Victor has passed on, we rejoice that he is no longer suffering and that the Lord allowed him to see the Kingdom of God.

 

 

 

 

April Medical Update

These days, Kingdom Driven Ministries is fortunate enough to have a deacon who oversees our churches’ and community’s medical needs, so we don’t directly meet all those we help. We also don’t always know their stories, which is somewhat of a disappointment since we have been so personally involved in this aspect of the ministry since our arrival in Kenya in 2012. To compound the slight disconnect, we’ve also recently been blessed to be able to hire an office staff member, who has been charged with various administrative tasks. This includes taking photos and interviewing patients post-treatment, so that we can give a good update to our medical ministry partners.

As we looked forward to preparing the April medical report, I asked our trusty reporter to take some representative photos and see if he could get a few good stories. He brought back some photos, but shook his head sadly, saying, “There are no stories this month. Everyone just had malaria.”

We did have a few special cases that were referred to the District Hospital, but diagnoses are rarely provided in those cases, so reporting is difficult. As well, it is hard to follow up with those patients who are farther away or may not be well-known to those who work with the ministry. I thought that later on, as I looked at the month-end receipts from the clinic, I might be able to suggest a specific follow-up. But when the time came, indeed—with only two exceptions of pneumonia—everyone was, in fact, treated for malaria.  Sometimes “malaria, and…” typhoid, asthma, or what have you; but the initial diagnosis was always malaria. It must just be the season. But we thank God for the support that enables us to treat all these sick folks. Believe me, malaria is no fun. The local population has such a high resistance to malaria, and such strength in enduring it, that by the time they come asking for treatment you can be sure that they are miserable. Many were elderly or young children, so their treatment was a particularly pressing need.

Two of the sweet girls who were treated for malaria

Thus, though we don’t have any particularly touching stories, I can assure you that all those who were treated in their time of need are grateful for the assistance our partners so generously provide. Our month-end regular medical expenses totaled almost $400 for the treatment of 20 patients.

We also addressed several continuing special medical cases. Five-year-old Michael Wafula was finally able to be fitted with a new brace to help correct his spine after a bout with spinal TB. Praise the Lord!

The young man Micah Juma, who has some pressing injuries resulting from a road accident some time ago, has spent the last six weeks or so on a regimen of antibiotics, in anticipation of his body healing enough to perform required surgery on his leg. He returned to the hospital recently for a consultation but, in spite of traveling to the appointment and waiting for some time, the surgeon turned out not to be available. We are tentatively going to consult with a different hospital to see if the leg surgery can be performed elsewhere.

We continue to provide for pain medication and other needs for our brother, Victor, who is struggling with cancer. Though he recently visited Uganda for another round of radiation and followed up with an oncologist here in Kenya, the assessment was that the radiation might not be effective and that palliative care may be the only remaining option. Indeed, it appears the cancer has metastasized and Victor continues to suffer. Please keep him in your prayers. We are discussing next steps and looking for consultation on providing some sort of hospice care for our brother.

All told, our special medical needs amounted to approximately $360 during the month of April. We thank all those of you who continue to provide for all these needs!

 

Extend the Circle Of Compassion

005Anthony Mirundu, age 32, a resident of Muungano village, husband to Agnes and the father of three children, is one of the patients who has recently been sent to us by the local government authority seeking medical assistance. Brother Anthony is a very poor man who has been suffering from a serious wrist wound which started in early 2011 as a small sore infection, but slowly grew and became a terrible problem to him and his entire family.

Late in 2011, he was admitted to Kakamega General Hospital for a while, and due to financial constraints he was discharged from the hospital without receiving any medical assistance. His relatives and friends contributed a little money and took him to another local hospital, Kitale District Hospital, for examination. After a wrist X-ray, it was reported that there was “an expansible osteolytic soap-bubble lesion of the distal radical metaphysics.” There was also large soft tissue mass and minimal soft tissue ossification; the conclusion of the report was radial bone neoplasm, likely chondrosacroma, which is the cause of Osteosacroma disease (a malignant bone tumor).

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Being without any source of income, Anthony was unable to seek for further medical assistance, and instead he visited the local chief’s office to find help. In turn, the chief also sought compassion from Kingdom Driven Ministries.

Our desire is to show compassion to Anthony and alleviate his suffering. But as we all have our own limitations, it is not always possible to do good at all seasons and to all people. Perhaps it is good if I borrow the wise words of Cyrus the Great, the ancient prince of the Persian people, to drive the point home:

“And I think that no virtue is practiced by men except with aim that the good, by being such, may have something more than the bad; and I believe that those who abstain from present pleasures do this not that they may never enjoy themselves, but by this self-restraint they prepare themselves to have many times greater enjoyment to come.”

As Christ-followers, we know that as we sacrifice to meet the pressing needs of others, we indeed store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. These works should be directed by our God-given compassion. Albert Einstein said,

“A human being is part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest- a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty.”

It is true that we so often see what is immediately before us and concern ourselves with those closest to us. Yet we should all challenge ourselves with the words of Jesus himself: if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?” So in a case such as Anthony’s, perhaps you can help us to extend our circle of compassion. If you would like to donate to help us assist Anthony with his medical need, please visit www.KingdomDriven.org/donate. You can earmark to Urgent Needs/Medical or note that it is for Anthony. May God bless you for your generosity and also for your much-needed prayers as we seek a way forward.

 

 

 

Medical Missions Report–March 2016

The month of March was an interesting one for Mzee Timothy, our church’s deacon who oversees our medical program. Timothy typically goes shopping on Wednesday for the malnourished children that we serve, then packages up their weekly food supplements on Thursday, and distributes them on Friday. All of these steps are more time-consuming than you might think, so he appreciates the help of two of our church’s wazee (“old men”), Cosmos and Samwell, who escort patients to various hospitals or appointments as necessary. However, on one Thursday this month, Timothy’s work of bundling foodstuffs was interrupted by an emergency: a 20 year-old woman with a hand injury. Apparently, she and her husband were visiting Kenya from Uganda and had found day labor; however, they had gotten into an argument and he attacked her with a panga (machete). Timothy reported that the husband had intended to slice his wife’s throat, but “thankfully, she diverted, and he only cut her hand, but very deep!” He added, “It’s very important that we help the foreigner. The Bible says so. But there are no wazee to take her, and I am busy. What can I do?”

I sat and thought about who might be available to bring her to the District Hospital, as our local clinic does not generally do stitching. I offered a couple of suggestions, but it looked like everyone was already busy with patients, or other day-to-day personal tasks. Abruptly, Timothy said, “I will go! I can finish my bundling tonight. I will work late.” (You must understand that when one visits the hospital, there are no appointments, and the wait is long. It was already about 11 AM, so between transport, waiting, and receiving the necessary care, we both knew he’d return late in the evening.) Such is the dedication of our Mzee Timothy! Off they went, and the stitching was gratefully accomplished.

IMG_0982One Saturday, another of our church’s deacons, Silas, approached us with a unique problem: a 5 year-old boy and his age mates were horsing around and decided to see what would happen if they put some of the milky excretion from a local plant on each other…and it ended up on the boy’s private parts, which almost immediately swelled and became painful. We brought him to a local health center, which referred him to the District Hospital. Silas took the boy (with his mother) for treatment, and by the next day, with some anti-histamine and other drugs, the boy was thankfully feeling better.

We are blessed to see how God has worked through our medical missions team here, to serve the needs in our community and our fellowships. Just this month, our regular budget for medical was doubled through the generous gift of one of our partners; this means that we can do even more! We are happy to report that this month, our regular medical expenses amounted to almost $400, and despite a couple months’ shortfalls for medical, we had earmarked money for all these needs! We praise God and are so thankful for all who make this possible.

We also had some special medical expenses, including ongoing cancer treatment for our brother, Victor, who visited Uganda again for a follow-up with the oncologist.The boy, Esau, with the enlarged spleen, returned to the hospital for blood tests to evaluate for sickle-cell, and received more medicine to treat for malaria, “just in case.” We’re still without a firm diagnosis for this poor boy! Our team also organized treatment for Metrine, a young mother with severe pain and disability and one of her hands. After several scans and a consult at a private hospital, she was diagnosed with a rather generic “arthralgia” an d given several medications as well as some suggestions for ongoing physical therapy that might improve both the pain and her range of motion.We’re still waiting to be able to treat Micah Juma’s badly broken leg. Despite two trips this month to the hospital and being on an antibiotic regimen for several weeks, they still have not cleared him for surgery, due to an ongoing infection. Please keep him in your prayers. These special medical expenses amounted to just over $500, and again, we are thankful that God is meeting these ongoing needs with provision through His people!

 

 

A Centre Of Hope: Working with Solonamu Clinic

Kingdom Driven Ministries’ goal is to minister first, to people’s spiritual needs, and then, to their physical needs. In fact, one can be a gateway to the other. As Jesus went about teaching, he also healed those who were infirm, and he told his disicples to do the same. We do believe in miraculous healing through prayer, but we also know that many here see it as a “miracle” just to have someone help them with the financial burden of visiting a health center. And the motto of our local clinic rings true: “We care and treat; God heals.”

The local government, non-governmental organizations, health institutions, physicians, local discipleship, and KDM donors all play important roles in our medical missions as we serve those in need in our fellowships and our community..

We, of course, recognize the vital role of physicians and modern medicines as well as the traditional and natural medicines. But as KDM’s Marc Carrier has said, “The only reason that God allowed the physicians and medical institutions to exist, is to give every  man an equal opportunity to invest in heaven. Both the saints and the physicians are the servants of God.”

Also from the ancient text, the Wisdom of Sirach, declares this truth:

Honor the physician with the honor due him,

           And also according to your need of him.” Sirach 38:1

” The Lord created medicines from the earth,

          And a sensible man will not loathe them.” Sirach 38:4

” And keep in touch with your physician ,

      For the Lord created him;

And do not let him leave you,

     For you need him.

There is a time when success is also in their hands,

      For they will pray to the Lord to give them success in

bringing relief and healing, for the sake of preserving your life.” Sirach 38:12-14

Kingdom Driven Ministries is driven by great zeal to alleviate the sorrow and distress of sickness by encouraging healthy living in the villages of East Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. To attain these great goals it a must for us to establish a strong pillar of relationship between our ministry, physicians and donors. Our focus is primarily on quality, affordability and moral values. Our approach is:

  • Creating strong methodology that will help to educate the community on the values and necessity of healthy living (i.e., HIV education).
  • Identifying diverse health care facilities and physicians that are also driven with compassion, quality and morality.
  • Designing, testing, and spreading methods to improve healthy conditions and reduce the risk for  acute conditions, including  preventive care and reducing readmission (such as by encouraging families to use mosquito nets and providing community clean water sources to reduce the spread of water-borne illnesses).

In our mission to improve and boost quality and accessibility of health care, we have been very closely affiliated with a local health center, Solonamu Medical Center, since 2012.

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It was founded the same year Kingdom Driven Ministries started its operation in Kenya, 2012. Though it still a small medical center, its dedication and devotion to serving the community and promoting healthy living cannot be understated. In our experience, it has been  the most affordable medical center in our area, with a good price for the quality of care and with capable, concerned workers.

Currently their main services include:

  • Out- and In-patient care
  • Family planning
  • Maternity
  • Laboratory
  • Pharmacy
  • Circumcision (Westerners might not see the value of this service. Male circumcision is a tribal practice that many Christians wish to avoid; however, they also do not want to suffer the stigma of not circumcising their sons at the appropriate age. This service is for them.)
  • Minor Theater (surgical procedures)

Solanamu Clinic is currently a small-sized facility, with 3 wards, a lab, a pharmacy, 2 consultation rooms, a kitchen, and one office. They are  envisioning to expand their facility to be able to meet the growing demands of special treatments, i.e dental and optical services. Currently they have limited health personnel. The staff is made up of three qualified doctors and five dedicated nurses. They provide 24/7 service, which many facilities do not. That has been a blessing to our ministry, as we have addressed many emergency cases in the late hours of the night.

Oftentimes, small-scale facilities such as Solonamu struggle to acquire equipment to provide advanced medical care. Though a relatively new facility, Solona has a microscope for malaria testing, a centrifuge to perform typhoid tests, sterilization equipment, and a suction machine for venom extraction.

In a period of a week’s time, Solonamu will receive at least 5-10 patients from Kingdom Driven Ministries; they keep accounts until at the end of the month, when the ministry will clear the outstanding balance. (This is an unusual arrangement in Africa, where medical care is pay-as-you-go. We are blessed by the cooperation of Solonamu in this regard.) This tiny and efficienct health center serves an average of 20-30 people a day.

This facility has been our a great companion in creating a healthy community, especially dealing with small injuries and minor diseases. In major and chronic cases they will refer us to larger government hospital or private medical facility. By the help of these physicians we have been able to accomplish much good for the community and the people we minister to and serve. They have proof the fact that none can do great things in the world but everyone can do small things with great love.

People of means, or those used to first-world medical care, might enter the doors of Solonamu and reason in their minds, ” What a poor center for the hopeless people!” While on the other hand, the poor and hopeless passing at the gates of Solonamu, reason in their minds, ” What a lovely center! A center of hope for the poor and hopeless.” Indeed, with the resources that they have available, Solonamu is a quality care center in all regards, and we have been blessed to partner with them for the last four years.

020Brigit, a health worker and administrator at Solonamu Medical Center, drive the point home: ” Here at our facility we are driven with a higher and different purpose. It is not about money, it is about service to the community. We give our best of service to both the poor and the wealthy alike without discrimination. We don’t send away the poor who cannot afford to pay their bills. Where will they go? Of course to die and suffer at their homes. Working with Kingdom Driven Ministries has really helped us to learn deeper service and develop compassion for the poor and needy in our community. When we serve the afflicted and the distressed that the saints sent to us, we serve knowing we are serving Jesus Himself.”

Many thanks to all of our faithful supporters who pray for the medical needs in our community, and give so generously to make this work possible! We hope you enjoyed this peek into our partner facility, Solonamu Medical Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Church Servant

Unfortunately, some people believe that their standing before the Lord is determined by their power and influence, that their worthiness in the Kingdom of God is a result of their titles and positions, or that their greatness in the Kingdom of God is determined by their huge estates and wealth. They must perish the thought, that is not true. Our Mzee Timothy Sitati, a deacon and an elder in the church, understands the concept of greatness from a very different angle. Indeed, he understands it based on Jesus’ point of view.

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest, Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand by his side. Then he said to them, ” Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all-he is the GREATEST.” (Luke 9:46)

016Mzee Timothy is not a perfect man, but he is a blameless soul: sober-minded, a man of one wife and household that fears and loves the Lord, a man to hang around with and learn from. His mode of life and simplicity is unequaled and unattainable by many elders  in our circle of local churches and community in general. His love and adoration of God is very evident in his commitment and service to the church and the needy.

Before he discovered the secret of the Kingdom he was a committed and faithful member of the Salvation Army church. Two years ago, he met with a disciple-maker and teacher of the Kingdom gospel, Marc Carrier, who shared with him the gospel of Christ. He yielded to the message and accepted to be baptized in many waters after the process of confession and repentance. This was a very new and unique experience for him. In his old church, baptism was nothing but passing under a special church flag. But that was not what Christ taught, rather he was conforming to the teaching and traditions of men.

Jesus answered, ” Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” ( John 3:5)

Years have gone by since he entered the Kingdom, and the fruits of the Kingdom have steadily emerged in abundance for all to see and partake. Mzee Timothy is a man with many responsibilities and duties both at his home, church and community as a whole. Being a retired school master, many people regularly seek his advice and counsel, but these days his total focus, allegiance, and commitment is to the Kingdom of God and service to the church.

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Mzee Timothy shopping for malnourished children

 

 

 

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At Eldoret Hospital with Micah

 

 

 

After many days of preparation and discipleship, Mzee Timothy was officially ordained and appointed to take the position of a deacon. This ordination was organized and approved by elders and leaders of the church. Surely none could ever imagine that Mzee Timothy was capable enough to take the office of deacon considering his age and the demands and responsibilities attached with the office. But as the ancients taught, “wisdom is with the gray hair.” He has not only met the expectations but has performed all his tasks excellently and perfectly.

Here’s what you will find Mzee Timothy doing on any given day:

  • Supervising and taking care of premises where the Kingdom Driven Ministries office is located. This includes collecting monthly rent for those who pay it, noting repairs that need to be made and organizing for the work to be done, and generally keeping peace.
  • Maintaining and supervising the community water pump, which is located right outside the KDM building.
  • Managing KDM’s publicly available library of materials, and ensuring that the evangelists and teachers have access to teachings materials and literature.
  • Maintaining the prayer and meeting room, to ensure that the room is clean and in order before any meeting.
  • Overseeing the entire malnourished food program: purchasing food, packing and distributing, and taking all the children and their caregivers to the hospital’s nutritionist on a monthly basis.
  • Distributing food (typically maize) to the widows and the poor and keeping proper records. (Being a local, he is very familiar with the struggling families.)
  • To the patients with minor sickness, malaria, flu and headache, he is always ready to give pain killer and other medicines that we keep on the shelf. For those with more serious problems, he organizes with local medical health centers for their treatment.
  • He manages funds for malnourished, medical patients, and mission needs.
  • He helps in dealing with church discipline issues and solving disputes among brethren, along with our group of wazee.
  • As a church deacon, he initiates special collections for needs among the brethren that are brought to his attention.
  • Currently he helps Victor Simiyu (a brother with cancer) to manage and budget his food funds and take his medicines properly, and offers him fatherly guidance and support.
  • He visits the HIV/AIDS patients and ensures they don’t fail to collect their transport to go to the government health center for medicines.

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Mzee Timothy with malnourished family at Matunda Hospital

 

 

 

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Distributing food to the widows and poor

 

 

 

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Washing the saints’ feet

 

 

 

Mzee Timothy has been a great blessing to the ministry and the Kingdom of God. He has been a great help to the missionary Marc Carrier, as he has relieved him from all these labors, which initially were all performed by Marc or others in the ministry. He is a great blessing to those that he ministers to and serves everyday. He is truly a light to the community. Let us always remember Mzee Timothy and other faithful servants in their work of service to God and men; remember them in you prayers and supplications.

 Mzee Timothy was faithfully serving in many of these areas before his ordination in our fellowship. Because, as a deacon, he has taken on many tasks related to the administration of KDM’s service programs, he is receiving a small salary for his full-time labor  from the KDM general fund. This is just one example of how your financial gifts are used within the ministry. God bless you!