The King’s Embrace

Bungoma, Kenya

David and Linda Fischer are members of Tree of Life Lutheran Church in Conroe, Texas. They had been supporting an orphanage in Kenya for 15 years when they visited Bungoma. There they noticed school-age boys roaming the streets. They asked about the glue bottles in their teeth. Their driver and translator, David Wesonga, explained the glue-sniffing addiction was a way to combat hunger and cold.

When they returned, The King’s Embrace was launched, with David Wesonga as a General Manager.

Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Seven acres were purchased in 2017, and work began on a 20,000 square foot residence to house 80 boys. Some of these boys are orphans. Some have left abusive homes. This week Pastor Emmanuel Jackson (Living Word Lutheran Church in Katy, Texas) and I visited them in Bungoma.

What follows are photos of and reflections on what we saw.

https://www.thekingsembrace.org

Monday, August 26, 2019

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Thursday morning we went out to an area of town where the (homeless) street kids hang out. Every Thursday morning they pass out bread and drinks.

Afterwards, a quick trip to the market. Colgate clearly has a corner on the market.

When they built the well for The King’s Embrace, they decided to share the well with local community. People from the neighborhood used to get their water from the river, where people also bathed. They women would walk a mile with a 50-pound, 5-gallon container of water on their head, then have to boil the water. Now they walk over to The King’s Embrace and get water. I tried to lift the water to my head and couldn’t, at least not without hurting myself. I then watched a young woman do it quite easily.

In the evening they held an awards ceremony. Awards were given for students who were first and second in their class, and most improved. The kids also received gifts of drink bottles and pencil bags with their names on them.

Afterwards they sang. Two things struck me. First, the kids really sang well. They sang their lungs out, and on pitch. It was heart-warning. Second, they know many of the praise and worship songs we sing. I have found the same in South America. The neo-Pentecostal movement has given us the gift of a Christian worship hymn repertoire that has become global. 10,000 Reasons, God Of Wonders, I’m Tradition My Sorrows, Revelation Song and others were sung in both English and Swahili.