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March 2, 2010
When Michael Tesh traveled abroad on a mission trip during high school, he discovered a passion for mission work. Three years later, in 2003, Michael found himself traveling to Africa to help establish an orphanage along the Kenyan coast. As part of the “Called to Mission” segment of our Second Tuesday Moravian Lunch series, Michael and his wife Cecelia, traveling with their infant daughter Blessing, were invited to share their call story and the work they are doing with orphans in Kenya.
Working with Ray of Hope Ministry, Michael is one of six staff members running the Children’s Center, an orphanage located just south of Mombasa. Twenty children who lost a parent or parents to AIDS, malaria and tribal clashes currently live at the center and are provided with education, clothing, meals, and healthcare. On Saturdays, the center swells to nearly 150 children who travel to the community for a meal, healthcare, and other support.
Cecelia, a native Kenyan, works with the pre-school program at Ray of Hope. She and three other teachers are responsible for nearly one hundred children, ages 3-7. Many of the children live an hour away from the school and make that long walk each day by foot. The majority of the students are from Muslim homes. Typically Muslim children would not attend a Christian-based school, but many of their parents choose Ray of Hope because it provides a high quality education. In preparation for higher grade levels, school is held for four hours every weekday, and each child is taught Swahili and English, along with their mother-tongue.
The orphanage, pre-school, and local programs at Ray of Hope Ministry are funded through churches in Winston-Salem and Virginia, as well as the Moravian Board of World Mission. Local church teams around the US have been planning trips to Kenya to help support the mission, building water pumps, installing solar panels, bringing medical and education supplies, and leading devotions for the children and local community. In the six years that Michael has served at Ray of Hope, what is evident is the positive impact he and Cecelia have made on the orphans and the local children in Kenya. |
