Gospel News — Jan-Apr 2013

I want to briefly tell you their story... Gideon lives with his family. His father is still alive as well as his brother who is married and has 3 children. His sister and her husband died leaving behind a son who also lives with the family. They are very poor and haven't been able to provide the basics for the children in the family.

Gideon was baptized in 1999. After struggling through school because of lack of finances he was finally able to finish high school in 2003 at 20 years of age. Then, even though he had excellent grades, for 6 years he sat at home with his family just trying to find enough food to eat for the day.

In 2009 he was enabled to apply to the `Atashinda' program through Agape in Action. This program enables Christadelphian young people like Gideon a chance to get some education so they can get skills to be able to support themselves, their families and their ecclesias.

Gideon joined teacher's training college and in August 2011 graduated with very good results enabling him to secure a job with the government as a teacher.

On a recent trip to Kenya he was talking about his plans God willing. He hoped to save some money to enable his older brother to also get some education so that he can support his own three children. He then plans to help other kids from the ecclesia with schooling. He says now, as he works as a teacher, everyday he sees these teens coming to primary school, very bright students, but without books, without a uniform and he says it always reminds him of himself growing up and he wants to be able to help these young people.

In February of last year when a family of Bible students from the Mwandeo ecclesia migrated to their homeland of Kalalani which is 2.5 hours towards the interior, Bro. Gideon made the commitment of visiting this remote, hot, dusty place to do regular Bible studies with the family and the group they had started there. This involves a dusty and extremely hot motorbike ride, off road to get to this remote place.

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With God's blessings, I was privileged to see the first baptisms take place here thanks to the work of Bro. Gideon and some others from the Coastal region of Kenya. His education has helped him in so many ways!

In addition, he is engaged to Sis. Elizabeth who has a similar story. She still has both of her parents but is the second youngest in a family of 8 children. In her family, her brothers and sisters were not even able to go to high school and now all struggle with their own families to feed their own kids.

Elizabeth was sponsored through high school and through a community health worker program and is now working. The skills she has learnt are very valuable to the ecclesia and the community. She is determined to help her family now that she has been given this opportunity.

In 2009, Gideon and Elizabeth officially became a couple after `a long talk' said Gideon. They plan to be married in August 2013 God willing. Partners in the truth, partners in preaching the gospel, and partners helping their brothers and sisters in need in these last days!

Thank you to all who contribute and sponsor one of these young people in the Atashinda program. --DEB

What Is The Atashinda Education Fund?

Atashinda is a Swahili word meaning `he/she will succeed, he/she will overcome'. This education fund has been created to support sponsored children and their siblings pursue a high school education or a trade. Atashinda is a central part of the Christadelphian, Agape in Action's mission to improve life, provide opportunity and instil hope amongst the neediest of our family around the world. These young people are eager to learn and be in a position where they can support not only themselves, but also others in need around them. Agape in Action is committed to seeing these children complete their education. Without a high school education or trade, these