BEFORE YOU READ THIS
POST, SCROLL DOWN AND READ THE PREVIOUS ONE! THE INFORMATION IN IT WILL BRING A
LOT OF CLARITY TO THIS ONE!
If you've decided to skip my instructions and
keep reading, I will fill you in on what we talked about. First of
all, I introduced our non-profit, named Venture Corps (often referred to as
Venture or just VC). Venture is an organization that seeks to empower people to love the poor,
marginalized, and neglected through acts of service in Jesus' name. This can look like
providing financial support for today’s needs in our partners’ ministries while
planning with them so they become self-sufficient for tomorrow. This is a very basic but
robust understanding of who Venture is and what exactly we do. However, because
I know you're wanting to invest in this blog I will go deeper into it.
Venture has several partners in East
Africa, one of them being Springs of Hope located in Machakos, Kenya. Springs
of Hope is a ministry that began as a safe haven for children who were in
terrible situations, abandoned, or just in need of a home to stay. Over the
last 8 years, many infants, young children, and teenagers have been ministered
to through this children’s home. The ministry head is a woman from the area
named Mary Musyoka and in telling her story she says that she has always had a
heart for children, specifically those that she could minister to and help understand
their relationship with Jesus as Savior. Her passion for those in need is
unparalleled. We are thankful to have gotten to know her over the years, not
only as our partner but as our friend.
Venture's relationship with Mary began
when a member of our team, Julie Mitchell, and her son traveled to Machakos for
a visit. Julie's son had previously worked with Mary and Springs of Hope so
this was the initial interaction with our team. Venture’s personal connection went
into play when Julie returned to the U.S. and we heard her stories about Mary
and her ministry. Mary’s mission and her stories captured our attention
and the way she ministered encouraged us to become a part of what she was doing. Mary's picture is below:
This is all important background
information to understanding our long-standing relationship with Mary!
A part of Mary’s ministry at this point was
fundraising money to run the home and care for the children —this is
sponsorship. We as Venture Corps have a
strong emphasis in purpose and vision toward the sustainability of our
partnerships, therefore our relationship with Mary has changed over the years
as the needs of the ministry has changed. For example, whereas we started with
individual child sponsorship, this year we have shifted to overall home
sponsorship because Mary and her team do such a good job at finding adoptive
homes for the kids of Springs of Hope. And as Venture Corps has focused more
emphasis on self-sustainable initiatives, Mary has felt more open and
encouraged to explore and discuss with us what these initiatives look like for
SOH. Our partnership has evolved from solely monthly sponsorship (to meet
short-term needs) to discussion and fundraising (long-term initiatives) that
will help SOH become more and more self-sustainable in the future. This has already
been seen in Mary’s newest aspect of her ministry — Bridgehead School.
The whole idea behind Venture Corps
is that we want to empower people to create change. Bridgehead school is doing
just that (and of course we feel equally if not more empowered by Mary and Bridgehead
school!). The school is a beacon of hope for an otherwise daunting way of
living, specifically for the women in the area. It is a means of building a more
stable life; building a life that has a better financial direction. Not only
that but the stability it brings to self-worth is amazing. Mary has updated
that the school has created a mental/emotional shift within some of the girls
who were previously stuck in a depression-filled place. What a beautiful image
of Christ that Mary has been given to build! The school is based off of
Christian materials as well. This is a huge step! Christian education has
always been an aspect Mary has desired to be a part of her ministry, and if it
can be income-generating as well, then it’s a win-win!! Right now she is
building the infrastructure for the kids in SOH to go to Bridgehead, but they
are aiming to invite the public to come. Their school fees, standard in East
Africa, will cover not only the cost of the community’s kids AND SOH kids to
attend, but a portion of each fee will also go to the Development Fund to further
expand on the new land they have. Right now they are renting, but they want to
build a new home, school, medical clinic, etc, on this land so that they can
own and grow and all that good stuff. This is self-sustainability at its core!
Mary is an incredible person with
an outstanding vision for ministry. Don’t miss this – she has seen well over
100 children pass through Springs of Hope and move into foster or adoptive homes
or return to their families. From the beginning when her ministry involved
taking care of infants, who in some occasions had just been dropped off at her
ministry, to her creating an educational environment that fosters intelligence
alongside a pursuit of God, Mary is building the Kingdom of God while serving
in it. We are so thankful for our partnership in Springs of Hope and the
relationship that has been crafted over the years! We are beyond excited to see
how her ministry grows and the years of partnership ahead.
We’re
grateful to be serving Mary in any way possible. If you feel as if you would
like to be a part of this ministry please visit our website – www.entertheventure.com and contact
us through email! This is something you will never regret!
Here’s to Springs of Hope!
Ethan Dean
Social Media Director
www.entertheventure.com
