Help St Athanasios Orphanage in Kisii, Kenya
Donation protected
POST LENT UPDATE!!!! Before Great Lent started, the orphanage was without power and needed $1500 to get a battery to have power again. On April 8th, I was notified and sent pictures that showed that they were able to get power back on! They recieved a large private donation that covered about half of the cost! Father Josphat notified me that he would like to build a kitchen and afterwards, a chapel for the orphans to be able to go into an pray. Through your prayers and donations, this orphanage is thriving and has been blessed with so much! All of the things they have recieved, we already have access to in abundance. If you would like to give regularly to help with this cause, please message Father Josphat or I. Giving regularly on this fundraiser will partially remove your donated amount for taxes. Please pray for this orphanage and the orphans all around the world. I have video called Father and the orphans a couple of times now, and have gotten to see their beautiful souls via Zoom call. Please share this fundraiser with other Orthodox brothers and sisters. God bless you all! ☦️
"Through the donations we have been receiving we were able to do a list of to things.
1. Plastering girls, boys and administration office.
2. Building of a dinning room and study room for our children.
3. Digging up a well for freshwater for our children.
Buying food, clothes, books, paying school fees and paying of workers e.g matron, cook and teacher.
Thank you so so much for your continued support "
Updates:
4: Purchased 3 milking cows, one of which was pregnant (her name is Theodora) and she gave birth to a calf!
5. Purchased land to grow grass for food.
6. Built shelter for the cows.
I am member of the Eastern Orthodox Church. As we enter into and strive to grow in our faith during this period of the Great Fast, I have been blessed to encounter Father Josphat Ondoro Ouru, Fr Josphat runs an orphanage/foster home that is struggling to keep up as there are so many children who either live there or come because they are in need of food. This is a message he sent me on Facebook:
"Our church of St Athanasios Orthodox is a small church with 50 members. We're having an orphanage of 25 children without parents and some are partial orphanage. It's registered with Kenyan Government, and it pays tax. It has a KRA pin. We're really facing great challenges since we're boarding some orphans in our home, and some stay with there guardians because of lack of enough space but they usually eat at the orphanage. I know you're really overloaded kindly requesting if you may find a person who may stand with us. Thank May God bless you abundantly."
I have already participated in giving to Josphat, and can reassure they are not fake people and are people who are struggling to give everything they can to help others seek their salvation in Kenya. If you don't feel comfortable donating to him via this fundraiser, I can connect you directly with him. It would be a blessing to see this goal reached and I know if that we, Orthodox, do our part in giving alms this Lent, that goal can be met and exceeded by God's grace! If you cannot contribute any funds, please keep Fr Josphat, his parish and church, and orphanage all in your prayers and please share this with all that you know. We do not realize how well we have it until we hear about someone walking 25 miles to go to a faithful parish. We must count our blessings and give them freely to those who need them more. I can speak for the gain seeing the impact this makes on the heart.
All funds will be sent directly to the priest on WorldRemit as soon as they are withdrawn from the fundraiser.
"We must give lovingly, with a respect for the person of our neighbour, willingly, gladly; for it is natural that love should rejoice when affording help to the beloved."
Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
My Life in Christ p.141
Likewise by ascetically exerting the God-human virtues: faith, prayer, fasting, love, meekness, thorough compassion and giving alms, a man consolidates himself in this union and preserves himself in its sanctity, personally experiencing Christ both as the unity of his own personality and as the essence of his union with the other members of the body of Christ, the Church.
St. Justin (Popovich) of Chelije
Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ p.24
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. ☦️
"Through the donations we have been receiving we were able to do a list of to things.
1. Plastering girls, boys and administration office.
2. Building of a dinning room and study room for our children.
3. Digging up a well for freshwater for our children.
Buying food, clothes, books, paying school fees and paying of workers e.g matron, cook and teacher.
Thank you so so much for your continued support "
Updates:
4: Purchased 3 milking cows, one of which was pregnant (her name is Theodora) and she gave birth to a calf!
5. Purchased land to grow grass for food.
6. Built shelter for the cows.
I am member of the Eastern Orthodox Church. As we enter into and strive to grow in our faith during this period of the Great Fast, I have been blessed to encounter Father Josphat Ondoro Ouru, Fr Josphat runs an orphanage/foster home that is struggling to keep up as there are so many children who either live there or come because they are in need of food. This is a message he sent me on Facebook:
"Our church of St Athanasios Orthodox is a small church with 50 members. We're having an orphanage of 25 children without parents and some are partial orphanage. It's registered with Kenyan Government, and it pays tax. It has a KRA pin. We're really facing great challenges since we're boarding some orphans in our home, and some stay with there guardians because of lack of enough space but they usually eat at the orphanage. I know you're really overloaded kindly requesting if you may find a person who may stand with us. Thank May God bless you abundantly."
I have already participated in giving to Josphat, and can reassure they are not fake people and are people who are struggling to give everything they can to help others seek their salvation in Kenya. If you don't feel comfortable donating to him via this fundraiser, I can connect you directly with him. It would be a blessing to see this goal reached and I know if that we, Orthodox, do our part in giving alms this Lent, that goal can be met and exceeded by God's grace! If you cannot contribute any funds, please keep Fr Josphat, his parish and church, and orphanage all in your prayers and please share this with all that you know. We do not realize how well we have it until we hear about someone walking 25 miles to go to a faithful parish. We must count our blessings and give them freely to those who need them more. I can speak for the gain seeing the impact this makes on the heart.
All funds will be sent directly to the priest on WorldRemit as soon as they are withdrawn from the fundraiser.
"We must give lovingly, with a respect for the person of our neighbour, willingly, gladly; for it is natural that love should rejoice when affording help to the beloved."
Righteous John, Wonderworker of Kronstadt
My Life in Christ p.141
Likewise by ascetically exerting the God-human virtues: faith, prayer, fasting, love, meekness, thorough compassion and giving alms, a man consolidates himself in this union and preserves himself in its sanctity, personally experiencing Christ both as the unity of his own personality and as the essence of his union with the other members of the body of Christ, the Church.
St. Justin (Popovich) of Chelije
Orthodox Faith and Life in Christ p.24
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. ☦️
Fundraising team (2)
John Duffy
Organizer
Blue River, WI
Josphat Ondoro Ouru
Team member