Sponsor Spotlight

Teen changes a life with her allowance

When teenager Adelyn Cox of Pittsfield, Ill., came home from a Christian youth conference in April 2014, she was ready to do something to make a difference.

“One of their ideas was to fund some kind of mission, so she decided to use her birthday money,” said her mom, Wendy Cox. “Her grandparents suggested sponsoring a child and gave her a list of several organizations to check out. She liked that idea. Since she knew (CMF missionaries) Megan and Michelle Moss from our church (The Crossing Church in Pittsfield), she decided that CMF would be the best choice.”

Choosing a child to sponsor was a difficult task for the 14-year-old Adelyn since there are so many who need sponsorship, but she looked for a girl close to her own age.

“We found Sekele Tumokionoi, who is only six days older than Adelyn,” said Wendy.

Sekele lives in Tanzania but goes to the Kenya Government School, a good boarding school just across the border, not far from her home.

“Adelyn has Sekele’s picture as the screen saver on her iPad so she can remember to pray for her when she sees it,” said Wendy. “It has been neat for her to learn the differences in culture and schooling through her correspondence with Sekele.”

Adelyn continues to pay for Sekele’s sponsorship with her allowance money.

“If I can change a young woman’s life, I’m not going to let that chance slip by,” said Adelyn. “Spreading God’s love is the greatest thing to be called to do, and I’m doing it.”

From Mathare to Toronto!

MOHI student receives full scholarship to study abroad

It’s a long way from the slums of Mathare to Toronto, Canada, but former MOHIstudent Clyde Mukanzi has made the big leap, thanks to the start he got when he began attending the Missions of Hope schools in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2007.

After high school Clyde attended a local university, but soon got the word that he had been granted a full scholarship to attend the University of Toronto and study economics and computer science. He left for Canada in August. He is the first MOHI student to get an opportunity to study abroad.

Clyde and some of his mentors at MOHI share the journey he has taken in the video below.

‘I want to sponsor them all!’

Tanzania child sponsorship is a family affair

Mary Moss went to Tanzania in May 2014 to visit her daughters, CMF missionaries Megan and Michelle Moss. She returned in July 2015, but this time she went to see not only Megan and Michelle, but her sponsored child, Mary, as well. And she took along her son Jason Moss, who wanted to visit the three children that his family sponsors.

“During that first trip in 2014, I met a young girl named Mary,” said Mary Moss. “When I returned to the U.S., I kept thinking of my time in Tanzania and decided to sponsor her. When I returned in July, I got to spend a whole day with her!”

“I also met her grandmother, who is her caretaker,” she said. “She was so grateful that someone would love her granddaughter and help her get an education.”

Humbled

For Jason Moss, the trip was an emotional experience.

“I met three of the children we sponsor: Megoyo, Niini and Pendo,” he said. “I love that we’re able to support them with food, education, clothing and hygiene supplies and health monitoring, in hope they might have a life that offers them more. But I’m humbled by their smiles. I’m humbled by their reverent respect. These kids don’t even know that they’re poor.

“I saw a boy, Oltinga, whose name was changed from “Worthless” to Joshua after being sponsored through CMF, as though this somehow enhanced his perceived value to family and community,” he added. “His mother is the very poorest and the community thinks she shouldn’t have even had a child.”

Mary Moss was surprised that she was able to see such big differences between sponsored and unsponsored children.

“It’s incredible to see that such a small donation can make such a big difference,” she said. “These children are not only getting benefits now, but because they are able to get an education, sponsorship is impacting their entire futures. Knowing this, it’s difficult not to just up and sponsor them all!”

Church visitors

Two staff members from the Mosses’ home church, Madison Park Christian Church, Quincy, IL, also went to Tanzania with Mary and Jason: Scott Bates, who works in the Facilities and Serve ministries, and Tammy Ehresman, who serves with the Women’s Ministries.

Tammy made the exploratory trip to see how the Madison Park’s women’s ministries could partner with Megan and Michelle’s Maasai Widows Project. She was impressed with the way both children and widows are being helped in Tanzania.

“Michelle and Megan are two of the most organized young women I have met, and their enthusiasm is very contagious,” she said. “It truly was a wonderful trip, and the people were some of the most hospitable I’ve ever met. What a joy!”

Six trips to MOHI

What can a business management guy do in Nairobi? As it turns out, quite a lot!

Eric Stellmack didn’t really know how he’d be able to contribute at Missions of Hope when he accompanied his wife, a dental hygienist, on a 2012 medical trip to MOHI sponsored by Traders Point Christian Church, Whitestown, IN, but he went along for the ride to support his wife and to meet their sponsored child.

Six trips later, Eric has definitely found his niche and has made huge contributions, providing business and management training for the business development team, teachers at Bondeni and Joska schools, and other MOHI leaders.
 

MOHI STAFF gather for a leadership workshop in Nairobi led by Eric Stellmack.

Why does he return?

“I love the people I get to work with at MOHI. Going back is like going to visit dear friends,” said Eric. “When they ask me to provide a certain type of training, it has generally been topics that I have previously used with my employer.”

Eric is a senior manager and assistant vice president with a firm that provides financial service to individuals and businesses around the world. He travels constantly, but has still found the time to make trips to MOHI and served as the team leader for two of them, which is a big job.

“As the leader of a trip you have about six to nine months of preparation,” he said. “It’s like having a second part-time job! I can say that it is worth the investment of my time, though. I’ve made lasting friendships and have been a witness to seeing God use team members in an incredible way.”

Changes in Mathare

Eric was encouraged by many of the changes he saw in the Mathare Valley on the most recent trip he led for Traders Point in June.

“I saw government-sponsored efforts to clean up the valley by employing young people to pick up trash in their communities and plant vegetable gardens in bags with clean soil,” he said. “New power poles were being installed for electricity to homes and new roads were under construction.”

Mostly though, he continues to be impressed by the MOHI staff, and that’s what draws him back, time after time.

“I was so encouraged to see so many of the MOHI staff that I have worked with over the years, since 2012, still diligently working to serve the poorest of the poor in Mathare Valley,” he said. “I’m inspired by their dedication and love for their fellow man, but also their dedication to Jesus and desire to share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.”