Orphanage News. Breaking News from Kenya.

The situation in Kenya is looking better. Since the results of the Presidential election there has been unrest. We have decided to remove some of the personal information from these messages to protect the writers. Hearth to Hearth Ministries is trying to raise money to feed African children.

The opposition wants the president to resign since it is believed that he rigged the election to get to power. Seemingly the president isn't ready to step down.

Kenya may now not receive aid from donor countries until the presidential poll results dispute is resolved. Our economy will be affected so much, experts say.

The African Union (AU) chairman recently came here to lead mediation talks between warring factions but nothing was achieved. Also the American assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, Ms Jendayi Frazer, came over but she also was unable to resolve the dispute.

Many people are currently camping in churches and police stations. It is not safer for them yet, being in these places. For example some 200 kilometre away from where we are, some people who went to seek refuge in a church, were attacked at night by a huge gang (of about 800 people) that closed all the church's doors and windows and then poured petrol over it, and lit fire. The church and the 'occupants' were reduced to ashes. It was tears when we watched television as little children, the disabled and women cried for help until they died. These are the mostly affected group of the society.

Today we are expecting the former U.N secretary general, Koffi Annan, the Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, to arrive in the country to lead the mediation talks. We don't know what will happen.

I didn't inform you earlier because the situation of insecurity in Kenya is so terrible so I didn't have a good chance. Even now situation in Kenya is so tense for us refugees and also for the Kenyans at large because of this I am writing this letter to inform you that we have been evicted from our houses and we are now staying in a school where we have found shelter. We now request from you, please assist. We request assistance in terms of finance because of hunger is very much against us before war and we put all our trust in you for available assistance. Communication in terms of buses is out because buses are being set ablaze by rioters from Nairobi to Kisii and vise versa.

Please I will be in touch with the computer to check your email. It is the help of brethren and my family at large. God bless you and good health, we awaiting for this situation to cool down we are together.

Although the price of things have tripled 3 times higher that it was, the situation has cooled down now & most of the stores & shops are opened & it is like everything is turning to normal with security everywhere. Thank you all that have even given us food & helped us in any way, My the Lord remember you for that.

So please we really need prayers & if possible help us & also the people that have lost their homes.

On Saturday I bought Bread 60 loaves & milk, I took them to the police station to the people & children that are suffering there without food & shelter & their situation really broke my heart please pray for them & help them if you can. My church members, some have not eaten from 27th up to date, please pray for them, I gave some a meal yesterday & made them smile. Please we are pleading for your prayers & help.

The pictures of the burned vehicle below are from near my area not only those many many vehicles and buildings were burnt. Particularly in my area at Yamumbi farm has more than 1000 residents and half of the houses have been set on fire. People don't know where they will start after this problems, Today some shops are opened and maybe by tomorrow 80% will be opened, but people are still vacating their house going to the refugee camps since the tension is still high. Now that the leader has agreed to reconcile the banks are operating and even western money transfer offices are also operating.

Praise God that we are alive as we ask you to contribute emergence assistance to assist victims of clashes here in Kenya I have managed to take some photos of victims who were burnt in the church building, and some people at the refugee camp at the police station. Here you will find that I am trying to help children at refugee camp in Eldoret police station and from there I marched to the Hospital and managed to help some victims, Please stand with us during this hard time. Remember this request is for only those who have mercy because we have seen that our own people have no mercy.
Pastor P (We are working on setting up a way to collect and then send funds to help those in need.) (Below are pictures Pastor Peter sent. There are more at the bottom of the page.)

In Uganda we are fine physically though oppressed in transportation and food prices. The cause of these transportation and food price increase because Uganda is a landlocked country. All its imports are through Kenya, such as fuels and others. So since Kenya elections and before 24th December up today no fuel trucks are entering Uganda and this has caused fuel prices in Uganda to go high 4 times the normal prices. Petrol was 2,500= a litre but now is at 10,000= per litre and in black markets not on petrol stations. Our country privatized everything, so it has no way of controlling prices because it has no reserve petrol tanks.

I had gone to the rural area in Kiboga to visit 3 of our widows. I used to get means (transportation) at 15,000= but now it has increased up to 30,000= single route without return. Everything in markets has increased claiming that transportation is high.

The government has now negotiated with Tanzanian government to transport fuels from there through Lake Victoria. So by tomorrow fuel prices might come down a bit, otherwise we are suffering.

We are praying for our brothers and sisters in Kenya that the Almighty God should intervene to cool down the situation. In Kenya they had never experienced such a situation apart from the tribal clashes concerning land and cattle wrestling only but in 2 to 3 days ends not a nation wide as it is now.

In Uganda such stations have become cultural, so to the brothers in Kenya we are worried of their lives. Ugandan boarders Busia and Malaba are well coming hundreds of Kenyans as refugees daily.

Since the 27th day of Dec 2007 when we went to polls, we have never went to work. The reason being that there is chaos here, and there that is now threatening to go into a full blown war. Even on Sabbath we had no alternative but to remain in doors. Most would have died of bullet if we went out. Again there is looting everywhere and homes being burnt if you don’t belong to the correct tribe. I get reports even my shop along the main street has been looted. I’m afraid to go and check out! I have never witnessed a bullet state before only hearing of it on the neighboring states in Africa and the world! Kenya has been peaceful from independence V 1963!

Now two homes belonging to 2 brethren have been burnt down! They ran away hiding in the bush! Today a sister came back after many hours of dodging and arriving safely in my house with her two children on the back. She was a widow. I can not locate another brother whose home was burnt for he doesn’t even have a phone. I only hope and pray he is fine with the children! PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR US FERVENTLY. There is no way we can run upcountry for there are no vehicles on the road. Petrol stations also being burnt and there is again risk of the fire.

We being people who do menial jobs for survival as well as business cannot attend to work. There is curfew here with people only allowed to go out at specific time only to buy food. But again it is hard to get the food. Prices have gone up and the food is rare. Supply to town is now cut because it is not safe to walk. Police also appear to have taken sides and shoot without a blink at people who are not tribally correct. They favor only the Kikuyu tribe that has rigged their way into power. People are also not relenting. They continue with the civil disobedience till the Government (as they hope) will run away. The result is gunshots rending the air and teargas choking people. Here they are killing about 15 daily and wounding several more. Other places also worse! I have not received report of any of our members dying in the war yet.

Should this continue for even three days from now, we will be dying of hunger as none works. Our source of income stopped from 27th till today. Some of the members have come to me for assistance. I too don’t have more to live on for four days from now. I therefore kindly request you and the members who may be willing to assist us with funds with which to buy meals as you continue praying for our
situation.

All banks are not working. They are all closed up until further notice. Western union was working today morning until noon when chaos started and it was closed up. Maybe tomorrow it might work.

Things here are not so good. Like today was the worst. Thousands of people died in Luo land. This problem we don't know when it will come to an end since the people chose Raila and Kibaki took power by force. Kenya is facing at a very bad situation.

I am worried about anyone coming to Kenya since the situation is so bad and we don't know when peace will be in the country. We need to be careful. Tomorrow I will let you know if the western union is working.

I wanted to inform you of what has happen and what is still going on in Kenya. I traveled back to Mombasa and I also had a voting card for Mombasa and I had to vote. After elections riot started in Kenya and the plot that we are staying was sent on fire as a revenge to others whose houses were burnt.
I’m writing this letter in hurry because of insecurity. I can not reach my things they were burnt, my clothes, phone, books, and other documents. College fee structure was also burnt but I will pick another one from the office once they will open the school.
We were almost being burnt in the house. Only one person was burnt into ashes in the same plot. Please tell our sponsors to pray for our country to have peace.
Everything has been doubled life is so expensive, like an egg that we use to buy @ksh.9 is 20, packet of flour was 2kg ksh. 45 now is ksh.120. Life is not the same so far.
please can I have some cash?

Today we received three emails from Kenya. The first one is from a family that we have been sponsoring. Peter's father has died so he calls me dad. He feels responsible for his mother and the other seven members of the family. He has pretty good writing skills because he completed two years of college before he had to drop out due to lack of funds.

I am writing this to let you know that Kenya is now in a big trouble. Since the announcement of the presidential poll results which were held last week, there has been chaos throughout the country. Many people have killed and the war is still on. It is felt that the government rigged the election to retain power. So there is tribal wars. People of a certain tribe are now not allowed to enter a different tribe's region. Thousands of people have been displaced and so many houses torched. Leaders have failed to come out and preach peace!

Due to this chaos, there is no food in supply. The little that is available is sold at a very abnormally high price. We are begging you to help us with $1000. Can you imagine that it may not last us two weeks if this continues! At the moment we have no money left for use.

The next two emails are from http://orphanages.ws contacts. These had to be edited slightly because their English skills are poor.

Suddenly our nine Church members and seven orphans were attacked pitifully by a gang of people, our people are very sick indeed and police is taking care of other people. I escaped according to God's mercy, but our properties were destroyed, they stole Kshs.68500 that was for caring for our orphans and now we are praying our God, King of Kings, to calm war in our community and entire country Kenya. Please we need prayer support since 19 people have been killed in our Society, now war is all over our Province Nyanza. We are very hungry and without meals today. May God have mercy upon us and we look forward to hear from you soon.

Yours servant in Christ

May the Lord God bless you so much for your great heart of prayers, I am also grateful for your care & concern, Things seems cooling down, here in Kakamega. But some of my members are still in the Police & we don't know what might happen today because the party that has a problem with the government, is going to hold a meeting in Nairobi today & the police are all over Kakamega town.

You have all been hearing news from Kenya about the violent election situation in Kenya. We have heard from Pastor M regarding this unrest. He feels Kenya is on the brink of civil war unless something happens very soon to change the course of events.

Earlier we had heard from Mo that food costs have risen by four times as much. Unless God intervenes for our children, they will starve while our money is sitting in their bank accounts. This morning we heard further from Mo. Here is what he says:

The situation here is getting more worse and no food all over and those who have food are selling it very expensive. In Kenya we have never experienced this kind of life. We kindly need your prayers. Let us hope that things will work better soon. Pastor Maurice can't even come out of the compound. I have talked with him this morning. He told me things are growing worse in Luo land. This is a serious situation but God is there and He will protect us in all means. The Banks did not open today and we don't know about tomorrow. We have food for only two days. Pray that the banks to be open and we get some money.

We believe this is the most serious situation we have faced in our work with the orphans. We must all pray very earnestly that God will intervene and that His will be done in the country of Kenya and in the lives of our children at the orphanages.

Jan 2 Orphanage News. Here is another report on the breaking news from Kenya.

Grace & peace be with you all in the name of Jesus!! Thank you all for your prayers over our election which was very peaceful, but after the announcements of the results, there was a great problem riots began & people were fighting with the Police, Bullets where being short everywhere, 10 people were short dead near my house, no one went out, we have no food, because all the shops & stores are closed down, Churches are burned with fire, I believe our church building is ok, for I have just sneaked in town & found one cyber caffe opened half way & decided to let you know what is going on here & see how I can ran back home, Some of my members houses are burned down & the are rescued by the Police & now they are in the police they have no place to sleep, they cant eat, we cant eat neither, so please we need you lot prayers, Many things are damaged, Thank you all who called me to check on how we are doing, Truly we need you calls & encouragements, we have never experience such a thing in Kenya before.
Otherwise God bless you & we wish you a new year full of great opportunity & opening of great doors.
All shall be well.
We love you & pray for you. Thank God me & my family are all of, I believe the orphans too are ok, I cant call in the home because Pastor Ja, the one that stays with the orphans lost the phone I bought him, so pray so much
Your Brother
J