The Mama Helen's Story

Over the past month I heard of several people asking about my Kenya blog. This made me very glad that people were interested in what are doing over there. At the same time, it made me feel a little embarrassed because I had nothing posted that was deserving of what I witnessed and took part of in Kenya. I hope this can give you a rough sketch of what I saw on the trip.

At Mama Helen's Rehabilitation, there are over forty boys who have lived there no more than three years. Before that, they lived on the streets. Each of them has their own story, but there is a theme to their pasts that are similar. Most of them had one or both parents. Most of them had siblings and a house. All of them had these things taken from them.

Some of the boys lived in homes plagued by violence, disease, and addiction. Others lost their homes to aids. Whether by choice or for lack of alternative, all of the boys made their way to the streets.

On the streets, these boys faced trials and struggles. Most of them found that while they could not afford adequate food, they could afford furniture glue. They found if they dangled this glue from their lip, they could inhale the fumes and they would no longer feel their hunger. They became numbed and almost zombie-like.

A man, Pastor Jackson, saw these children and knew he had to reach them. He invited them to come to his church, and they came. He would take their glue bottles and throw them away. He offered them food and the word of God. He told them about a God who loved them more than they could imagine and wanted to know them personally.

Pastor Jackson continued to serve the boys in this way for some time. Eventually, he heard God tell him to take some further steps in serving the boys.

Pastor Jackson found Port City Community Church on the internet and emailed Mike Ashcraft, the pastor. Mike, suspecting an internet scam, deleted a number of Pastor Jackson's earlier emails. But Pastor Jackson felt that it was God's will for Port City to help him minister to the street children in Nakuru, so he kept emailing until he got a reply.

After two years of corresponding, Pastor Jackson flew to America and began the partnership that God has used to redeem the boys at Mama Helen's.

If you would like to read more of the story of Mama Helen's click here