Mashiah Foundation

Uncle John

Mary Beth — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:39:52 +0000

The school children love to flock around Uncle John. Once a week, he teaches the children about different parts of the world. We will be sad to see him leave in the next couple of months as his family returns to New Zealand.

Women of Hope at Work!

Mary Beth — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:17:07 +0000

The Women of Hope sure are keeping busy these days! In recent days, our women have been asked to produce:

–120 tote bags for a summer conference

–25 flags for different countries (12” x 18”)

–50 queen-sized quilts with a host of our other products

The women are beyond thrilled–this is like Christmas in March! The women have rarely been pushed to work to their full capacity. They love to have work to fill their time—and their purses.

Math Drill

Mary Beth — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:47:02 +0000

Foundations Academy will be hosting a Math Drill for students on Spring Break during the last two weeks of April. We have discovered that our students are greatly lacking in basic math knowledge. All students will be drilled in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well as some other basics such as rounding and place value.

The teachers are currently undergoing training for the Math Drill. We plan to teach the students through games and fun activities. We are confident that once the students master the basics of math, they will be able to excel in their further study of math.

Foundations Academy

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:31:52 +0000

Foundations Academy began in 2005 as a small home-school to try to bring orphans up-to-speed and then integrate them into local schools. However, during the summer of 2010, we tested many of our students (orphans) who had been in local schools, and discovered that they lacked the basics for success in school. We realized that we just had to expand to our own full-fledged school.

We kicked off with about 25 students and five teachers for the 2010-11 school year. We have about 70 students and 15 teachers this year. It has been exciting to see the students grow in their knowledge.

Many of the children in the school are orphans or partial orphans while others come from the community around us.

Orphan Party

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:31:10 +0000

Every December we host a party for all the orphans and partial orphans we work with. They love to come for the entertainment, fun, food, and gifts. For many of them, this is the only Christmas they will have.

We had collected a lot of used clothing throughout the year and all of the children were able to get a few articles of clothing. Clothes are more important to them than toys.

Precious

Mary Beth — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:37:29 +0000

Precious comes to the sewing center with her mother at least twice a week. She's still at an age where she can get by with a laundry basket for a little crib. I feel happy every time I see this precious baby. You see, her mother was near death when I first met her more than five years ago. I thought she only had weeks to live. But HIV can change course when the proper care is taken. This includes: taking antiretroviral drugs, eating well, and accepting your status and going on with life. Precious' mother has done just that, and the entire family is thriving now. Unlike most Nigerian infants, Precious is not being breast-fed due to her mother's HIV status. Precious has a good chance of not having HIV. We are thankful for all of the recent medical advances which have allowed these children to grow up healthy.

What a Transformation

Mary Beth — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:28:15 +0000

My name is Joe. I am the last boy in a family of six. I attended Banjolat Friendship Academy, Ipetu- Ijesa, Ogun State then I came to Jos to finish my secondary education at the Royal Ambassadors College, Jos. While in secondary school, I kept bad friends—we would drink and go to parties. As a teen, I loved girls which I thought was normal but I never had sex with any of them because I was scared.

In 2008, I came to Mashiah Foundation because my parents saw a friend that I sometimes relate with in the neighborhood. He is very different from the other friends I had and they (my parents) saw that he was good for me to mingle with. I found out that he works at the youth department of Mashiah Foundation. He introduced me to the training centre. My life changed through the discipleship teachings I’ve been getting. I stopped drinking, chasing after girls and was able to start seeing them as I saw my sisters. I also stopped partying. Coming to Mashiah Foundation has really increased my focus in life, made me know God the more.

I am still a student and I am trusting God for admission to further my education in any of the universities or polytechnics around. I am ever grateful for being part of the family.

God Changed My Life

Mary Beth — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:23:21 +0000

My name is Chollom Choji. Before I came to Mashiah Foundation Leadership and Computer Institute, I was into partying and taking alcohol at these parties I attended. I loved girls and enjoying having girlfriends around me. I can miss church just to go partying or clubbing.

Now, whenever I hear my friends telling me to go to a party with them or telling me about the parties they have attended, something in my mind keeps telling me to be strong even though I miss going to parties. The thing which I strongly believe is the quiet voice of God telling me to stop and check my life and change my behaviours for good. The teaching I have received and am still receiving from the Institute reminds me daily of the need to change my life. Anytime my friends come to ask me to go with them, I ask them to go away. I now go to church, not only on Sundays, but I try to go daily.

I believe and am trusting God to complete that which He has started in my life.

Stephen

Mary Beth — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:12:16 +0000

Stephen is an orphan who lost both of his parents to HIV/AIDS and was abandoned by relatives. He is one of the children being taken care of by Mashiah Foundation and during his holiday he prefers to spend most of his time meaningfully by doing some art work rather than playing around like other kids of his age. He is a very intelligent and hard -working boy, who is presently living in the Mashiah Foundation care home called Bezer home.

A Young Man’s Testimony

Mary Beth — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:25:13 +0000

I’m 21 years old. I used to find it difficult to forgive. When I had a quarrel with my dad, I thought I could not forgive my dad. I have learned to forgive my dad, and I’ve also learned to love due to the teaching I’ve received during the discipleship class.

I also fought with myself on the spirit of pride which under God I’ve been able to stop and now see the good in others. Due to my pride, I wasn’t able to see the need to say sorry and I held a grudge against someone in my house for over a year.

I’m grateful to the Youth Ministry for being part of the positive change in my life. Now I can say sorry when I wrong someone without feeling or holding any grudge against that person. I’m also grateful for the patience of the instructors in the computer laboratory. Because of them, I can now operate the computer.