TESTIMONIES

Amy Daniel

This will help give inspiration and insight into the impact of Go Near Ministry. These people have been transformed by the work God is doing through Go Near Ministry. Read and see for yourself!

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Cheryl Willams at Uzimatele Educational Center

Cheryl teaches at Uzimatele Educational Center

"Beautiful...Perfect Masterpeices"

April McMorran

Why am I opening my home for a jewelry party next week?

Because Christmas is the perfect time to wrap ourselves around a wonderful worthy cause and bring Glory to God by loving and supporting widows in Kenya! As believers we are called to care for widows. Together we can do that on December 9th.

Please help me show these beautiful faithful women that God loves them and will reward their efforts. We can take the message of Christmas to them this year. By purchasing their jewelry, we are telling them That God sent His Son to love and save them. We will be telling them that He cares enough about them that He will provide for them and the children in their care. We can be an answer to a prayer.

I will forever be changed simply because I met these women. I fell in love with them and was warmly blessed to be in the presence of such amazing women. If I had to summarize my experience in one word it would be “beautiful”.

God creates us “in His own image” and everywhere I looked despite the poverty and hurt… I saw perfect masterpieces. Perfect in every way! Perfect examples of God’s creativity and design. When God makes each of us, and it says so in His Word that He does, it is so that we will bring glory to Him. We are to glorify God through our existence alone! Why would He bring someone into this world only to be hungry and lonely and hurting? To bring glory to Him. The Kenyans I met do just that! How they must make God smile!

They have such a pure relationship with God. It’s raw and so very pretty. They know God and praise Him for everything. They trust Him to provide. They ask and believe with all their hearts that they will have clothes on their backs and food in their bellies.

For so many, God is ALL they have! I praise Him that I have never known desperation. I’ve always had more than enough and am guilty of excess and waste. I have all that… And yet I found myself envious of those I grew to know and love a world away from mine!

I learned more about God and His attributes from 4, 5 and 6 year old children living in poverty!

Everything we need is God
I long to be able to simply walk with God minute by minute.
To praise Him despite my circumstances.
To depend on Him and then know that it was by His grace and love that I am provided for at that moment.
May I be able to glorify Him.
May I be able to recognize and never forget that all that I am and everything I have comes from God!
May others see my walk with Him as pure and trusting…. And desire to know Him like April does!
Beautiful are the people in Kenya.
Perfectly planned masterpieces designed and created by a loving God.

My heart will forever be grateful to those I met and who allowed me to enter into their world.

May I never forget for a moment that EVERYTHING I will ever need is God!

"I have seen it!"

Cheryl Williams

On my last day in Nairobi, Kenya, Melody asked me if I would be willing to write down my thoughts about my experiences while there. My first thought was…I would not know where to begin. Moments later I was reading in Psalm 140. When I reached verse 12, I knew now where I would begin.

“I know that the Lord upholds the just cause of the poor, justice for the needy.” (Psalm 140:12) I know because I have seen it…I have seen it.

Studying about missionaries, giving to mission causes, and lifting prayers for those who serve have always been part of my life. Though I have personally longed to travel abroad as a missionary for many years, my mission field has been here in my country, in my state, and in my town with my family. In this new chapter of my life, the empty nest, God has given me permission to go…I will NEVER be the same!

For years, I have followed the story of God’s plan unfolding in the lives of Lewis and Melody Taylor and Go-Near Ministries. They and their children lived in Nairobi and God led them to partner with Kenyan believers in serving the poor, orphaned and widowed. Relationships were established, connections were made and God continues to bless what He began through Go-Near. While traveling with them in June 2012, I witnessed the love the Taylors have for the Kenyan people, but also the love the Kenyan people have for them. I have seen it.

While in Nairobi, we were honored to serve alongside believers who are making a difference in the lives of those in need.

At the ‘Baby Nest’ orphanage, we witnessed women working tirelessly to make sure 21 orphaned babies were fed, changed, talked to and loved. I saw a precious woman named Emily minister to disabled children, believing they can learn and progress.

We saw the tireless efforts of Mama Tancy at ‘The Nest’ Orphanage at Limuru. She is firm, but very loving as she is ‘mother’ to these orphaned or abandoned children. She believes God for orphan and medical care in her home town someday. Such faith…I have seen it.

There are many more stories that could be told about God’s faithfulness in the lives of these Kenyan believers. The most encouraging thing was to see their complete trust and faith in God’s provision for them. They BELIEVE God for their future, because He is their PROVIDER. Their trust in Him was humbling to me and an encouragement at the same time. I am so glad to have seen such faith.

Upon returning home from Kenya, God has continued to show me countless verses in His Word about the importance He places on His love for the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the foreigners. In partnering now with Go-Near Ministries, I look forward to more opportunities to return to Nairobi. I want to go near to these precious friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. I want to lift them in my prayers, support them financially, and most of all encourage them in their faith as they have encouraged me.

Whether it is through Go-Near Ministries or another ministry, please know that you are honoring God when you love and serve the ‘least of these’.
Proverbs 14:31, “The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker, but one who is kind to the needy honors Him.” So glad to have seen it.

One of the biggest lows for me during trip well I can’t think of any lows truthfully it was amazing. My view for the world was changed on this trip so much. I really learned how big the world is and how God is so creative. This trip completely changed my view on “things”, people, and lots more. One of the most awesome things when I was in Kenya was the kid’s faces…they were all so happy! Even though they had so little they had all their faith in God.

On the first day we were with the children I noticed how much faith they have in God. Some of the children had more faith than a twenty-year old Christian longtime believer.What was also really cool, while we were there you could constantly see the miracles God was doing. On one occasion, we gave our lunches to the staff and children at Uzimatele. There were only 20 sandwiches so we divided them up and fed over 100 children. Then we had more leftover so we could feed all the staff. Somehow, we even had more so we fed the construction workers. We didn’t have enough food for all the children at first, but God made the sandwiches keep coming. It was a true miracle!

I really see this trip motivating me to do more good for God this year than any other year. Really exited for what God has in store for me. I want to still be connected with the bamboo project. I really do want to go back and help more and maybe stay longer. My main question coming out of this is “God what do you have in store for me now?”.

One word or phase for me to describe my experience is God powered.It was truly a life changing experience.

During the trip we were able to go to The Baby Nest, Uzimatele School, RedHill School, Pastor George’s church, The Widows Sewing Project and The African Bamboo Center and many more awesome places.I was the most impacted by the bamboo project and I really do want to do more to help the people working there. I also want to sell the bamboo here in the US. I really saw what they were doing with the help of God. It is really cool to see men in the slums empowered.

Felix, one of the main guys, taught the men how to build bamboo products. They can build over 1,300 products with the bamboo. They also came up with an idea that does not use any screws or nails and makes the product last up to 30 years. All the guys on the trip want to help them and sell the first shipment of 100 chairs in the US. We are developing a website called kenyanbamboo.com.

The biggest high of the trip for me was for sure going to crescent island and then getting to go to the Nest afterwards.

"God what do you want me to do now?"

Ryan Mc'Donnell