 Bungoma districtChallenges in the Bungoma District
Bungoma district lies in Western Kenya and reaches to the slopes of Mt. Elgon, which actually lies astride the border into Uganda. The whole area is rural but heavily populated by subsistence farmers - each family trying to grow enough maize, kale and other vegetables to live on. Most homes are still without electricity or their own running water, and life is tough. There was no free public schooling until 2002 and even today, schools, hospitals and other public establishments are of very poor quality. In spite of a lot of Christian influence (apparent in names of businesses and large number of churches and ministries) it is obvious that this is just a thin veneer, as deception and corruption are commonplace, and a very large proportion of the population is HIV positive. Malaria and typhoid are also commonplace and claim many lives, and unfortunately Mt. Elgon is infamous for tribal clashes that often result in killing and burning of homes and even churches.
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 Mike with his twins doing children's ministryMike Mwanikha
Rev. Michael Mwanikha has over 15 years experience of ministering to children in Western Kenya. He began as a teenager, and in spite of being alone with his vision to reach children with the Gospel and train them as servants of God, he found God’s call upon his life for this ministry grew ever stronger. After graduating from East School of Theology in Kisumu in November 2001, with a diploma in Bible Theology, Mike completed several training courses in children’s ministry. He has also organized many different children’s events including camps, rallies, crusades and retreats, in addition to teaching regularly over 100 children in Sunday school. He has also served since 2003 as head of the children’s department at district and sectional levels for the Kenya Assemblies of God Church, where he is recognized as an ordained minister. More recently the Lord has opened new doors of ministry for Mike, both in local churches and ministries of various denominations, and also in local schools (both public and private Christian schools). Mike has named his ministry "Christ's Children Ministries of East Africa", and has already ministered on numerous occasions in Uganda and Tanzania in addition to Kenya. Mike's testimony
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 CCM leafletChrist's Children Ministries East Africa
CCM East Africa, is an affiliate of Joy with Jesus children's ministry, part of IMOF Inc. and its foundational scripture is Luke 18:16: Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples: "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children."
Mike’s ministry is also under the local covering of Christco Church in Kimilili, and a number of local pastors can give recommendations regarding his ministry and seminars. He has taken on the responsibility of making Joy with Jesus resources available locally, and also teaching training seminars. He travels out from Kimilili in the Bungoma District of Western Kenya, and frequently teaches seminars in other districts also. In 2007 he made a ministry visit to Kampala in Uganda - which began an extension of his ministry into various districts of this neighboring, impoverished country. He is willing to travel and teach seminars to groups of interested church workers, as long as he is reimbursed for the cost of photocopying the materials and his travel expenses. He also needs to be provided with a place to stay, meals and a love offering. It is suggested that pastors have an initial meeting with Mike to discuss the vision and need for children’s ministry in their area. Then a seminar can be planned, usually lasting two days to allow ample time for those attending to not only receive teaching, but also practice with puppets, participate in the games and races, learn how to manage large groups of children, and plan specific events to meet the needs of the church and area. Contact us if you would like to get in touch with Mike or send an e-mail: Mike Mwanikha For more details: Areas of ministry
 Students at bible studyStudent-led bible studies in schools
In August 2012 Mike preached in a local boys Catholic boarding school, where over 200 boys gave their lives to Christ. There was a huge revival with the boys returning many books and other items they had stolen, and also burning piles of pornography and ungodly materials. The school officials asked Mike to start teaching weekly bible studies in the school (beginning with the Book of John). In the ensuing months, as Mike has continued to preach in various schools (many of which are boarding schools) there has been a growing interest among the students to develop small bible study groups to be able to really understand God's Word. As a result, we have developed some simple bible study guides that can be easily photocopied for each student, and we have been able to send him funds to buy bibles to provide at least one for each study group. Mike holds regular meetings with the student leaders of the groups to train them and discuss any issues, and as of May 2013 he reports that in one large girls school there are now 25 student-led bible study groups, and there are at least SEVEN other schools wanting to start similar groups! Each bible costs about $6 to buy there, so if you would like to help with this exciting new ministry, contact us for details!
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 Mike with Pastor John at Hopewell churchPartnerships in other parts of Kenya and East Africa
We continue to receive contacts from pastors and ministers in other areas of Kenya and East Africa and often connect them also with Mike. This photo shows Pator John Maloba of Hopewell Baptist Church of Eldoret who visited Mike and now keeps closely in touch. Several such churches in Uganda also have gone on to do this, learning more from Mike about how to utilize our materials and develop new children's ministries. During subsequent months several have been able to actually meet up with Mike, and Mike has in fact made several trips to Uganda to teach seminars and share the vision.
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 Mike's homeMission trip Oct 2006
In January 2004 we first received a letter from the young man, Michael Mwanikha, involved with children’s ministry in Western Kenya. He had received some of our children’s ministry materials via England, and was eager to learn more. He became the first student of our correspondence course, and he began praying that Shirley would be able to visit him one day in Kimilili. On August 31st 2006, we received a phone call from one of our ministry partners who excitedly reported that after 25 years of praying, she had finally sold some land and she wanted to bless us with money so that Shirley could go to Kenya!! The Lord miraculously worked everything out and so she left on the trip early in the morning of Thursday September 28th 2006! It was her first trip to a truly 3rd world country and left an lasting impact on her life. Details of visit
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