Sometimes I look at New Beginnings as a love story that God is in the process of writing. When God writes a love story, you know it is going to be beautiful and inspiring. When I left New Beginnings two months ago, I was happy to come back to America to see my family but felt a sadness about leaving my family in Kenya. No matter how different life is and the struggles we often face, I must admit I have fallen in love with the children and maybe even the community.
It is exciting this time of year to be able to go and prepare for the missionaries that will come to join us this summer. To see the changes that take place from month to month and year to year is nothing short of a miracle. A miracle from God.
To think that 5 short years ago we almost lost everything we worked so hard for, including the children. At that time things did not look very promising, but we knew we had the promise of God that he would not forsake us if we would serve Him and fight for His children. We knew that Jesus could move that mountain.
Now, 5 years later there is an orphanage that serves 150 children. A primary school with over 200 students and a secondary school with just under 100 students. All three thriving and growing is proof of a loving God who loves and cares about His children and their needs. He has not forgotten nor forsaken the orphans and He will take care of them and no one will stop Him from proving His love to them. What a beautiful love story that God has brought me into.
As we move into this 5th year of New Beginnings (9 years in Kenya), we invite you to come and join us. Come and witness the miracle on a hillside in far off Kenya. Come and be part of the love story. We have opportunities for those who want to come for a short two weeks or for one month.
We have intern opportunities for those who would like a less hectic schedule and want to become part of the staff who work every day to serve the children at New Beginnings. Come for 1-6 months. For those who are looking for a place to serve the Lord full-time, we also offer our long term mission experience. Come for 6 months or longer.
Don't want to leave the USA permanently but want to serve longer? Consider our 6 months on, 6 months off option. Live/work for 6 months at New Beginnings, then return to the USA for 6 months. The best of both worlds. Thinking about long term but not sure, come for 1-3 months and see what life in remote Africa is like. You will never regret that you took the challenge.
Visit our Missions Page for more information about our missions opportunities!
Reach the world! Touch a life! Fall in love! Be the difference!
If you can never leave the USA, know that we covet your prayers and financial support for these precious lives. Join our prayer team or donate to one of our building projects!
You are ALL part of the Miracle of New Beginnings.
Summer Mission Team: Please pray for our team that will serve the children this summer.
Saturday September 17, 2016 at 5 PM: SCM Mission Reunion -- Join us at the Makrias' for a picnic, games, and bonfire. This is open to all who have traveled with Shalom Christian Missions in the past and anyone who is considering learning more about this amazing opportunity. Bring a side dish to share and come join the fun.
Friday November 11, 2016: Benefit Dinner for SCM in York, PA--Four Points Sheraton. Please plan to join us there.
January Winter Mission Team: Please pray for the team as people begin to make decisions to join. Lots of space available!!
Would your small group, church, Sunday School, VBS, or organization be interested in hearing about the challenges of serving orphans in a remote part of Africa? Perhaps becoming a prayer partner with us?
Please email or call us to schedule a date!
We will be accepting donations of the following items throughout the year (donations can be brought or mailed to our headquarters):
June
Sneakers (new or gently used) and flipflops (new)
July, August
School supplies--pencils, pens, notebook paper, rulers, etc
September, October, November
Donations to Christmas Shoes to purchase each child a new uniform, socks, and shoes for 2017 (cost, $25 per child)
"What will I do on a mission trip?"
That is often the question people ask.
The answer: What is God calling YOU to do?
From construction work to Bible school, to medical care, gifts for the impoverished, to sharing the Gospel.
Our teams have done it ALL!
What is God calling you to do?
Not sure...take a step of faith and see what God shows up to do.
It will be more than you ever dreamed or imagined.
Our missionaries stay in missionary housing of brick construction, on the secure grounds of our children's center, in a very beautiful, remote area of Kenya.
Spend time immersed in the culture and lives of those who call New Beginnings Children's Center HOME.
Show the love of Jesus to the community.
Change their lives AND change your life...FOREVER!
Youth groups, families, singles, are all welcome.
Summer 2016 Trip
July 16-July 31, 2016 This trip is closed and preparing for their departure. Keep them in prayer.
2017 Winter Applications being accepted!
January 23 - February 7, 2017 (2 weeks): $1500 + airfare
January 23 - February 23, 2017 (1 month) - $1900 + airfare
*Airfare during the winter months generally costs less than during the summer.
Winter trips include a Safari to Nakuru National Game Park OR a game drive at a local park with some of the New Beginnings children.
2017 Summer Applications being accepted!
July 15-31, 2017 (2 weeks): $1500 + airline ticket
July 30-Aug 14, 2017 (2 weeks): $1500 + airline ticket
July 15-Aug 14, 2017 (1 month): $1900 + airline ticket
All of the July/August trips include an overnight safari to the world famous Masaii Mara Game park.
Travel as a group OR travel alone and make new friends who will travel with you.
Make plans to bring your whole group!
Discounts for leaders and we do all the training/planning.
Set up the dates now while there is plenty of space open.
All dates are tentative until airfare is booked.
This is a unique opportunity to experience life in a very remote part of the world. Don't pass it up!
Applications being accepted for 2017!!
Check out our Missions page or call 717-586-6945 for more information.
1-3 month internships and long-term mission opportunities available! Read more about these opportunities at our missions page or contact our office for details!
Our Summer Mission team is ready to GO! They have been planning and preparing for several months and now anticipate their departure date. We have two groups preparing to serve the Lord this summer. Some will travel for a little as 2 weeks, while others will be going for 3 months. What a blessing to have those who want to come and serve the Lord and love the children.
Please keep everyone who will serve in your prayers.
Want to join us in January? Applications now being accepted!! Visit our Missions page and begin planning TODAY!
Both our primary and secondary school are back in session and are very busy working to achieve their goals.
Please keep all the students and staff in your prayers.
The Primary students always enjoy this semester with the extracurricular focus being on The Arts. That means lots of singing and dancing AND traveling for those who compete and do well.
We had more than eight divisions move from the local competition to the sub-county music festival. Three divisions performed so well at the sub-county Music Festival that they are eligible to move on to the County Music Festival.
What excitement for these students. Many have never been outside the area and to be able to travel a little is exciting in itself, but to be an orphan from an impoverished area and to score well enough to compete with other teams from around the county, makes for an adventure they will never forget.
Thanks for all your prayers and please continue to pray. Follow us on Facebook to hear first hand about how they are doing.
Our choir rehearsing their number. They took 1st place. All glory to God!!
Our secondary school is back in session and the students are working hard. Recent exams show that they are stretching for the goals they have placed before them
They are excited to have their own secondary offices, Science Lab, and Computer Lab available to them. A secretary for the school has been hired and we are in the process of building housing for our teachers.
In order for New Beginnings to keep qualified teachers, we were in desperate need to have some housing built for them to live. For now the houses will be built with metal sheets with a foundation that will make it easy to convert to brick in the future.
Thanks to those who have given to make this possible.
Our New Science Lab
We are so grateful for all the donations that made the secondary offices, Science Lab, and Computer Lab a reality for our staff and students. A miracle on the hill! Praise God!
Our second dorm room has been completed for the secondary students. The boys will move into their dorm as soon as a dorm monitor is in place to keep a watch on our the boys. What a blessing this room will be for everyone. Thanks for those who gave to make this possible. Another Miracle on the Hill!
We needed to move the need for our secondary teachers housing to a priority need. We were finding it difficult to hire and keep qualified teachers because there was no place for them to live in our area. (Not too many rental units in an area that is mostly mud huts.) Three houses, a latrine, and a bath house are currently under construction. At this time we have 4 teachers living in one house. Can you help us get our college graduated teachers out of one small house and into better living conditions? We need $500 to finish the job. . .
Still waiting for the government approval for the new kitchen. The new kitchen will meet all government codes for health, etc. It will make it easier for everyone to access and will also place it where it is much more visible and make theft much harder. Our kitchen seems to be one area that is our highest theft loss.
We hope to completely replace our sheet metal kitchen with a brick kitchen but only if the funds become available. This is our biggest NEED at this time. We are estimating that it will take $10,000 to build the kitchen and give us some more economical wood burning stoves for our kitchen staff to use. Anything you can give to help us build the new kitchen will be a true blessing. Please pray for this and all the building happening at New Beginnings.
We are still awaiting the paper work from the government to move forward on the building of the new primary classrooms. Please keep this in prayer so that we can soon move forward with this building.
Then there is our night security living quarters. These guys work so hard each night to make sure things are secure and that the children are where they need to be. Their living quarters at New Beginnings are right next to our primary school playground. We need desperately to move their house to one of the far corners of the compound so that they can sleep during the day without being interrupted.
Please Help us replace our current kitchen with a new kitchen!
Finish Secondary Classrooms for Form 3: Completed
Primary Classrooms: One Completed. Construction of additional primary classrooms delayed due to government paperwork.
Secondary School Improvements: Completed
Permanent Boys Dorm: Completed
Praise God to all who gave to complete this phase!!
We are excited to say that we are now collecting donations for Phase III of our building!
| Phase III Projects | Cost | Donated | Still Needed |
| Primary Classrooms (2) at $10,000 each | $20,000 | $0 | $20,000 |
| Permanent Kitchen Building | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| Secondary School Offices | $3,000 | $3,000 | COMPLETED |
| Boys' Dorm for Secondary School | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
| Medical Clinic Renovations in big house | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
| Teacher's housing, latrine, and bath house | $2,000 | $0 | $2,000 |
| Girls' dorm and bath house for secondary | $2,500 | $2,500 | COMPLETED |
| Water Harvesting needs (tanks, gutters, etc) | $2,500 | $0 | $2,500 |
Phase IV:
Dining Hall/all purpose room
Finish Primary Classrooms (6 classrooms and office),
Permanent Guard house
Secondary Boys' Dormitory
Phase V:
Smaller Housing to accommodate children in family settings
Medical Clinic/Pharmacy/Store
Staff housing
Can you help us Build for their Future? To donate online visit our One-Time Gift page (choose Building Fund!) Online donations are processed through Paypal.
"Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness." 2 Corinthians 9:10
Please join us in praying for all these projects!
Charlet is 5 years old and has recently come to live at New Beginnings. Charlet was born as the result of a rape. Her mother attends New Beginnings secondary school and was being forced to choose between leaving school to care for her daughter or continuing in school, knowing that her 90 year old grandmother was unable to care for her.
Her mother asked if there was some way for Charlet to live at New Beginnings. We accepted her in and continue to help her mother with her education BUT Charlet is in real need of a sponsor.
Charlet has adapted very well to her new environment and has made some new friends with the other girls at New Beginnings. Please pray for Charlet to remain healthy and especially for Charlet to find a sponsor. She is in need of a full sponsor or 2 partial sponsors. To sponsor Charlet online, visit her sponsor page.
The rainy season seems to have stopped for now but not before making everything green and beautiful. Our gardens are growing and will once again supply the children of New Beginnings with lots of vegetables to eat. Pray for this farming community that relies heavily on the rain and the sun to survive.
We have had a few new people join the staff of New Beginnings this past month. We welcome two new members of our security staff who will work to cover the night security. We have also brought on two new people to our facilities department who will work to care for transport, grounds, and maintenance.
Our kitchen welcomed Molly as a part time worker this past month. Recently our staff said their farewells and prayed for Lydia who has enlisted in further training in hopes of finding a job closer to her family. Lydia was the head of our social welfare. We pray for her as she moves to advance her life and career.
New Beginnings welcomed four new children this past month. Beatrice came in as an emergency case. Her brother Brighton (who is cared for at New Beginnings) brought her to us because her guardian was no longer caring for Beatrice and she was no longer attending school. Both she and her brother are total orphans. Her brother was begging us to help his sister. Beatrice is 10 years old and is in grade 5. She, like her brother, is a very bright student. Please pray for Beatrice.
The second child is a teenager named Faith who came to us through our local police. Faith is a defilement case and is pregnant. She will remain at New Beginnings, for her safety, just temporarily until she gives birth and then will return to her family. Please pray for Faith.
The third child is Jackline who was on our waiting list for over 2 years and finally found a sponsor. Recently Jackline was given to a teacher (by her older sister who could no longer manage to care for her) and it is suspected the teacher was defiling her. It was a very risky situation for Jackline and the police were brought in on the case. We welcome Jackline to New Beginnings. She seems to have adjusted very well. Please pray for Jackline.
Norah also found a sponsor this past month. She too has been waiting a long time to hear those special words. Norah's family live in great poverty next to New Beginnings. Norah was excited to be able to move to New Beginnings to study with her classmates especially since she will sit for her first national exam this November. Please pray for Norah.
Denis is 15 years old. He is a total orphan who is in need of a partial sponsor. Is God calling you to become a partial sponsor for Denis for $40 per month? If so, visit Denis' sponsor page!!
A child is praying...are you the answer?
100% of all sponsor donations go to help the children
Rose is about 13 years old. We have no background on Rose except to know that she is deaf. She was brought to New Beginnings by the local police who found her wondering the streets. She is very sweet and enjoys her life at New Beginnings. Rose needs a full sponsor.
You can sponsor Rose or another child by visiting our Sponsorship page.
A child is praying...are you the answer?
100% of all sponsor donations go to help the children.
Roberto is 12 years old. His father is deceased and his mother struggles to care for him and his siblings. Is God calling you to help Roberto?
Roberto needs a partial sponsor.
You can sponsor Roberto or another child by visiting our Sponsorship page.
A child is praying...are you the answer?
100% of all sponsor donations go to help the children.
You can BE THE DIFFERENCE in the life of a child!
Shalom Christian Missions is a 501(c)3 non- profit organization,
dedicated to serving children in need throughout the world.
All donations are tax deductible.
A & R Rental Center-York, PA
Freedom Wireless - York, PA
H & R Block - USA
Test Products Inc. - Exton, PA
Ann Downing Ministries - Hendersonville, TN
Christ American Baptist Church Youth - Spring Grove, PA
Christ American Baptist Church - Spring Grove, PA
Crestline UMC - Crestline, OH
Eagle Christian Ministries - York, PA
Elisha's Home and Ministries - Montrose, PA
First Baptist Church - Smithville, TX
First United Church of Christ - Schuykill Haven, PA
Harvest Chapel - Abbottstown, PA
Helping Hands Ministry - McAllen, TX
Hope For Women - Tempe, AZ
The Worship Center - Lancaster, PA
May God bless you as you pray and give to help the children!
Donations may be made through paypal or you may send your donation to:
Shalom Christian Missions
1255 Mill Creek Rd
York, PA 17404
(717) 586-6945
These two children are at the top of our list of children needing sponsors. Click one of their pictures to read more about them.
Meet more children in need
