2010 03 Kenya Team Picture

Front Row: Janelle Prenkert, Kristin , Sydney Koontz, Amanda Yoder, Kaitlyn McFarland
Back Row: Cody Cline, Nick Berkey, Derry Prenkert, Kayla Koontz, Jamie Lengacher, Brittany Lengacher, Tim Berkey, Brant Nine

Having very little time to be on the computer, I will direct you to Pastor Derry's blog: www.derryprenkert.blogspot.com. He has updated often.

Those Who Cannot Speak

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute….defend the rights of the poor and needy.” ~Proverbs 31:8-9~
Normally our updates are full of photos of smiling, chubby-cheeked babies. We love those kinds of photos. They are fun and joyful and make us smile back. They remind us of the reason we are here. Today I don’t have a photo of a smiling baby to send. But this photo reminds us even more of the reason that we are here.
Moses Kibet (yes, he’s our second Moses Kibet) arrived from a town a few hours away. A children’s officer phoned to say there was a baby who had been abandoned and was in need, so we said, “Bring him.” We are so glad that we did. Moses is approximately 4 months old, but weighs only 3.5kgs. He is very malnourished and in great need of some good food and loving care. Little Moses has arrived to us truly “destitute,” and we pray that Jesus will enable us to provide for him all that is his right as a child—good food, a warm bed, some happy play time, and especially loving care.
So as the day draws to a close here at AGC Baby Centre, we are full once more—36 precious little lives in our hands. Each child has the right to be cared for, to be loved. For those of you who are partners with AGC Baby Centre, THANK YOU for defending the rights of Moses (and others like him). THANK YOU for speaking up for them through your prayers, your giving, your encouragement, your work for us!
On behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves,
Staci Keter

He Does All Things Well!

We just received this news from the director of the baby center. The October NMC team was concerned about Elijah and many have been praying here in America as well!

18 March 2010

“People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well,‟ they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.‟. ~Mark 7:37~

I often tell people that if you want to learn very many things about God and His Kingdom, then you should spend some time with us at AGC Baby Centre. It is not that we are especially holy people—no more so than any other followers of Christ. It’s not that we are more schooled in theology or have known more than the average Christian. It’s just that God is daily doing things here in and through the lives of these children that cannot be explained any other way apart from His working. And so it is that on many days the veil is pulled back, and we get to see a glimpse of the reality of how His Kingdom is to be.
One such case that has happened recently is the healing of our Elijah. Our medical staff here were quite certain that Elijah was deaf. In fact, Elijah was deaf. He didn’t respond to any noise in the way that babies do. Hand clapping, key jingling, even loud construction noises that would startle every other baby here—those would bring absolutely no response from Elijah. Our staff began to pray. Just a few weeks ago, Elijah started responding to noise, and even now answers to the calling of his name! We simply asked for healing in the name of Jesus, and He did it! Some people may say, “Maybe he was never really deaf. Maybe he just wasn’t responding at the time.” But we will not steal the Lord’s glory by explaining it away as something else. We prayed, the Lord did a miracle, and we praise Him!
We have seen a very personal testimony that “He even makes the deaf hear.” We ask that you join us in thanksgiving for Elijah’s healing and also that you join us in prayer for another baby. After several attempts at testing, we have seen that baby Grace is not hearing at all. Will you join us in prayer for her? We ask for healing, but whether or not her hearing is restored, we pray that her life will be guarded and her soul preserved for the One who does everything well.
Trusting in the One who does everything well,
Staci Keter
Director
e-mail: director@agcbabycenter.org
Thanks to Cason and Colleen Wittig and Kristy Mikel for the pictures of Elijah and Grace!

A Princess Finds a Home!

10 March 2010
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light.” ~1 Peter 2:9~
Yesterday our Sarah went home. The name Sarah means “princess” and couldn’t be more appropriate for her. She is such a special girl—bright, outgoing, and beautiful. She has been so excited since her mother first came for bonding—telling everyone that she is leaving. She has really felt like royalty the last few days of preparing to go home, knowing that she was chosen and is loved by her new mommy.
We believe that Sarah and all our other babies deserve to feel special and loved, to know that they are “royal” and “chosen.” We have seen testimony after testimony of children being brought out of the darkness of sickness, abandonment, desperation and being brought into the light of the love of Jesus through His healing and through the work of His people here who care for them.
As you think of AGC Baby Centre today and celebrate with Sarah, also pray for our other babies who deserve to be chosen and loved by a family. Pray that in the midst of the waiting, they will feel the love of the Father and know that they are already chosen to be His, that they belong to Him. And thank God today that even you are chosen and loved by Him!
Resting the Truth that we belong,
Staci Keter
Director
e-mail: director@agcbabycenter.org
Thanks Erika for the picture!

Written in Your Book!

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” ~Psalm 139:15-16
On Wednesday of last week, another one of our big boys, Meshack, was blessed to go home with his new mommy and daddy! We are so thankful for the way Jesus has answered prayers for our bigger children to be able to get a home. After Meshack went home, we were down to 35 babies. On that same day, however, we received a call from Tenwek Hospital that just the evening before a small baby girl was abandoned at the hospital. So on Friday, with the arrival of baby Rose—a healthy one-month-old—AGC Baby Center is once again full!
As I thought of how God knew just when space would be available for baby Rose, I remembered that Meshack arrived almost the same way more than two years ago. The day that our precious Abigail went into the hospital before passing away, Meshack was left at our gate. We had been full, but God made a way for him to be safe with us. It’s amazing to think that before even Abigail or Mesh or Rose was created, God had already ordained and arranged all the days for them to be healthy and safe. Before Abigail was created, God knew He would take her home before she reached one year of age. Before Meshack was created, he knew just the right day for him to come here and just the right family for him to have. Before Rose was created, God ordained for her to come to us at just the right time! And He does the same for each and every one of the babies here! Let’s thank Him together for how He orders the steps of our babies!
Trusting Him to keep leading us ,
Staci Keter

(Thanks Erika for the updated pic of Meshack and the new pic of baby Rose)

While they are yet speaking...

We received the following exciting news from Staci this morning:
24 February 2010
“And it shall come to pass, before they call, I will answer and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18
It is with very great rejoicing that we are happy to share that our dear MoMo (Moses Kibet) has gone home with a new mommy and daddy! For many days and weeks, we have prayed that God would bring just the right family for our big boy and today we saw that Jesus has answered. MoMo’s new mommy and daddy began the application process for adoption nearly one year ago, so truly God heard and was answering our prayers before we called! Both of MoMo’s parents are very excited to have their new son and told us of all the ways they will teach him to know Jesus.
While we rejoiced with Moses, there were some others of the big kids who were a bit sad—sad to see their longtime friend leave, sad that they were not the ones getting a mommy and daddy. For those ones, we hold on to the promise of God: “I will not leave you as orphans.” Let us call out to God for those children who remain, believing in faith that He is already answering our prayers and upholding His promises!
For the AGC Baby Centre family ,
Staci Keter
Director

NMC had a special prayer time for Mo Mo on Sunday, February 14th. Ngata AGC had a special prayer time that day for Mo Mo as well! We prayed that VERY SOON a family would come for him. How exciting to see God answer that prayer so quickly! Thanks Cason and Colleen for the pictures!

Showers of Blessings

We received the following email from the director of the Baby Centre today:

18 February 2010
"Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.'" Jeremiah 14:22 (NIV)
In Kenya, rain is a blessing, and when a visitor arrives during the rain, you say they have brought blessings with them. Yesterday in the midst of heavy rain showers, we drove back from Nairobi with a new visitor to AGC Baby Center—baby Hope who is approximately 10 months old. The blessing of rain came with her, and so we gave her the second name of Nafula (a tribal name that means she came during rain).
For baby Hope and all the other babies, we continue to put our hope in the God who sends down showers. We pray He sends showers of blessing for each child in the form of loving parents who will teach them to follow Jesus. Truly He is “the one who does all this”!
Pray for Hope to be strong and well, as she currently has a fever. Please continue to pray that God will send showers of family blessings to these little ones.
Putting all our hope in Him ,
Staci Keter
Director
e-mail: director@agcbabycenter.org

Greetings from Kenya

Jamie sent this message from Kenya:

Here are some great facts about the baby center for 2009. 25 babies were admitted during the year. 27 babies were placed for adoption or foster care. During the month of January of this year 5 babies were admitted to the center! Three babies are to be placed for adoption or foster care this week. Things are moving quickley and we give our Father in heaven all the glory!

The Baby Center board ask me to thank all the people of NMC for their support of the center. They are grateful for your passion and compassion for the throw away kids of Kenya. Your support has been the difference in the lives of not only the children of Kenya but adults as well. The Baby Center has become a symbol of what God can do when Christians come alongside Christians!

As Dave was talking about India last week and sharing about the fruit of NMC in that country I was thinking the same about Kenya. Your gifts, travels and prayers for the people of Kenya have provided fruit beyond belief. We are approaching 80 babies who have been saved from death. Countless jobs have been provided in a country where unemployment averages above 40 percent. I cannot even begin to count the number of lives who have been changed because of your obedience to the Holy Spirit.

We will not rest on the successes of the past but instead continue pressing on ,trusting in the future plans our Father has for us.

Jamie

It's a new record!!

With the addition of Michelle and Seth our total number of babies residing at the baby center is 33, breaking our previous high of 32! Although we'd like to be even higher in numbers, we praise God for each little life he has given!

Kids at Sunday School

Margie wanted to have all of the older kids attend Sunday School at the Ngata Africa Gospel Church. She said: "They don't interact real well yet with the other kids, but hopefully they will over time. Sarah, Mesh, and MoMo participate sometimes. It's fun to watch." What a great idea! They need the interaction with other Kenyan children. And they are starting to learn how to cooperate in a large group