April has been a busy and exciting month at Embrace.
It began with a well deserved staff day planned by our missionary team for our hardworking Kenyan staff team. We spent the day at a nature park which was a much needed change of environment from the centre where the team spends most of their time. Our program consisted of devotions, fellowship, prayer, games and a special appreciation lunch. Altogether, we conducted a thorough analysis of all the areas of our ministry, discussed challenges and improvement ideas. It was a unique opportunity when the entire team was gathered and everyone finally had the chance to share their experiences over the past 3 months. Everyone found the time spent together encouraging and necessary for the ministry to grow and become more effective. Our visitors and volunteers lead the daily program for the boys at the centre, making the staff day possible.
On April 4, we took the opportunity to celebrate the true meaning of Easter with our boys. An interactive devotion at the cross helped them to understand God’s love, Jesus’ sacrifice, and the power it can have in their lives today. They were encouraged to confess their sins and nail them to the cross if they wish to put their faith in Jesus to help them overcome their sins and addictions. They enjoyed a special lunch with chicken and Kenyan holiday staple foods.
Afterwards, they enjoyed an extensive Easter themed photo quest where they worked in teams and used their Bible skills to find clues and take creative photos.
We currently have 17 boys who are undergoing the rehabilitation program and are being prepared to be reintegrated back home. However, we continue to remember over 75 children who have been previously reunited with their families through the Embrace center in Kitale. Our social worker who is responsible for the boys and familiar with their situations and home locations spent the past 2 months in Western Kenya. He visited many of our boys, following up on their families , encouraging and supporting them with basic needs when necessary. A number of families shared they are passing through challenges related to unemployment such as lack of food consistency at home, especially in larger families. Need at home and idleness during the times schools are closed tempt some boys to run back to the streets.
However, reports of most boys who remained at home, feedback from their families about their improvement and seeing desire for spiritual growth are a great encouragement for our team. We are reminded that God is at work in their hearts and lives after the boys leave Embrace and move on with their lives at home.
This month, several more improvements were made around the centre, including covering our field with gravel rocks which helped tremendously in reducing the amount of dust and dirt we previously experienced. Covid related restrictions have been lifted and our social workers can now freely travel outside of Nairobi city for home visits and family tracing with our boys!
We wish to thank our partners who lift our needs, our team and our boys in their prayers. Though we continue to face the challenges and struggles we shred last month, God is faithful in providing continual strengths and encouraging us through the positive changes we see in our boys. During several opportunities, they testified how their lives have been transformed since coming to Embrace. They also share openly about their occasional temptations to run away back to the streets so please continue to fight for them with us in prayer.
God is at Work Shadrack has been part of Embrace since the very beginning, even before our doors officially opened. We started working with him during the early outreach days, spreading the word about the center. We’ve prayed over his case for many years, and now, after three long years, we have finally seen a […]
Dear Embrace partners, we are excited to share with you our latest ministryupdates and prayer requests. Life at the Center Our boys have opportunities to try a variety of new experiences during their stay at Embrace. To encourage academic development, we organized a Spelling Bee for the first time at Embrace where boys practiced spelling […]
Reunion Camp For the first time in Embrace history, Kenyan Embrace staff, in partnership with a team ofvolunteers from Canada, organized and conducted a reunion camp for boys and their parentsor guardians.The vision for this camp, summarized in its name, aimed to create a space forthe boys and parents to “Re-connect,” while being exposed to […]
Staff Trip Before the end of year busyness set in, our team had the opportunity to go on a staff trip and spend a few days away from Nairobi to rest, fellowship and experience new adventures. Comprising missionaries, day and night caregivers, counselors, social workers, cooks, guards, and support staff, the Embrace team encompasses a […]
