Vol. 5, No. 10
“…ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40
October 2006
Our Very Own “Mother Teresa”
By Esther McDaniel
Nearly everyone has heard of Mother
Teresa of Calcutta who is known world-
wide for her work among the dying, the
lepers and the orphans of India. Few, how-
ever, have heard of our Mother Teresa of
Kenya. Though she will likely not become
famous in this world, her work for orphans
will nonetheless be recorded in the books
of heaven and she will receive her reward.
Teresa is the administrator of our new-
est orphanage, brought about because of
thirty-one children who were brought to
Hope Center in March, by the Kenyan gov-
ernment. As you will recall, these children
were left homeless when the government
closed down the orphanage they were stay-
ing at, due to neglect of the children.
How frightening it must have been
for these children to be separated from
many of their friends, to stay at Hope
Center for a few days, and then to be
taken out into the African bush to stay
with a lady who really had no room for
them. Even so, what a warm welcome
Teresa and her family have given them!
Their new home has been named The
Good Samaritan Lwanda Children’s
Home. When asked the meaning of
“Lwanda,” Pastor Maurice explained:
“Lwanda means ‘The Rock.’ This is
a name which was given to the area
where Teresa lives. Just like you live in
Pineville, West Virginia, that place is
called Lwanda, Homa-bay. So Teresa
lives in a place called Lwanda. Not really
a city or town, but a village.
“The name was given to the village by
the first pioneer of the Seventh-day Ad-
ventist Church in Kenya. He was from
the US. That was way back in 1906. He
had preached a sermon entitled, ‘Stand-
ing on the Sinking Sand or on the Solid
Rock.’ Many people were converted into
the faith and they promised to stand on
the ‘Solid Rock,’ which is Christ.
“Because those were the first days that
Christianity was entering Kenya, and Africa
at large, people were surprised at his sermon
and called him, ‘the white man of the
Rock.’ The village then received the name
Rock and people there were known as peo-
ple who follow ‘the Rock.’ So, the word
Lwanda is a Luo term meaning, ‘the Rock.’
“Even the nearest school there is
called Lwanda. The nearest river is
called Lwanda River. And in all, the term
refers to Christ. This is interesting.”
Many of you, way back in March
when we first learned of these children,
stepped out in faith to sponsor some of
them. It has taken a long time for us to get
their histories, but you have been faithful
and God will bless you. We are thrilled
that you have now, finally, received the
photos and histories of your children!
Teresa does not speak English so Pas-
tor Maurice has engaged the help of Moses
Owilli to help in administration of this work
and, most especially, to communicate with
us. Teresa also has the help of a woman
named Monica to assist her with the chil-
dren, and a man who brings them water. All
of these people are just donating their time
at the moment, but soon we must help them
with some stipends for their own needs.
A letter from Teresa
Recently we received a letter from
Teresa to you. I am sure you will appre-
ciate hearing her story in her own
words, as translated by Pastor Maurice:
“Dear Friends in America and Aus-
tralia and the rest of the world.
“I am very happy to take this opportu-
nity to write to you about the children I am
staying with. I will first introduce myself
Hearth to Hearth Ministries’
Mother Teresa of Kenya.
