STUDENT CORNER

30 November 2007

The Coulstons have developed classes for many years called LifExciting. The idea is to use passages from the Bible from which “practice principles” can be developed. The students learn the Scripture and practice the principle during the week. Then the next week each student makes a short talk to the class on “what I did to practice the principle, what happened, and what I learned from it.”

The series of classes on Sunday afternoon this time are from 1 and 2 Peter. The theme for this week was “Make God’s choice of you permanent.” The kids wrote during the week about their lives at home and on the streets, especially about what kind of people they were. Then in class they wrote about “what I am now” and “what I will be.”

Here is Francis Cugia’s “what I will be.”

My Life in the Future

I want to have a job and a family that loves me. I want to be a good father of my children. So that they will not go to the streets like I did and teach them to live the way that God wants them to live like. And to help poor people in Nairobi and get my family out of Mathare Valley. And live like God wants me and family wants.

Nancy Wanjiku also wrote about “what I will be.”

In the future I would like to have a good job or even my own salon and be able to manage it by myself. To have a good family and stay in a good place. To be able to manage my family also to be an important person to the Word of God. To be a perfect woman. I would like to move my family from the place they live right now and to open a business for them.

Sarah Aono has set out a “bullet” listing of what her future will be.

• I just want to be the biggest cooker in the world.
• I pray to God to help me so I will help the poor.
• I pray to God to help me be a Christian forever.
• I pray to God for the biggest hotel in the world.
• I pray to God so that I can help my family.
• I pray to God when I am baptized to help me change.
• I pray to God to help me stand strong.
• I pray to God tht our country will be always safer.
• God thank you for everything that you have given me.

Stephen Omondi looks to achievement.

I see myself becoming a good man who can serve and help other people in time of need. Mostly I see a good future, good job, house, family and good friends and through those so that I will be able to achieve them. I need to put Jesus first and soon as possible achieve all.

We are really proud of the kids and the vision them have of the future. As they grow, they also do not display bitterness about the past. Most of the kids have a sincere aim of helping their birth families, and all of them want to have a good family. They have seen models of love and close relationships at Made in the Streets – the Coulstons, Francis and Maureen Mbuvi, Jackton and Milly Omondi, John Wambu’s love for his family – all of this creates good expectation in the kids of the future that is possible for them. And of course God is teaching them also.