The vision of The Maisha Project is to “bring hope to the hopeless and light to the darkness.” We believe one of the best ways to achieve this is by giving our kids a spiritual foundation to build their lives upon. Recently, The Maisha Project was able to take a big step in seeing this dream become a reality.
While children are taught religion in the Kenyan school system, it does not lead them to a personal, deep, lifelong relationship with Jesus, which is what we desire for each and every one of them. We have felt the need to give the children a resource that truly teaches them the reason behind everything we do – Jesus.
The goal of the Maisha Academy is to provide quality education with a Christ centered emphasis. The curriculum combines the elements of the Kenyan education system, one-on-one tutoring, and sharing the Gospel.
The Maisha Project launched a new project in July, The Gospel Project. With the help of Bridgeway Church, we are now proud to say our kids are being taught the Gospel twice a week. The children who attend the Maisha Academy will be taught their weekly lesson each Friday.
The Gospel Project is a three year study plan that goes through the Bible chronologically and shows that Jesus is the center of everything. It is a product of Lifeway and is currently being used at Bridgeway Church.
God has provided for The Maisha Project to use and share The Gospel Project free of charge. This has proved to be a blessing on both ends, because this is the first time The Gospel Project curriculum has been used internationally.
The Bridgeway team spent three days training 10 volunteers who are now teaching The Gospel Project to the community in Kenya. During the training, spontaneous worship erupted from the group, and everyone joined together singing praises to God.
One of the major concerns with implementing The Gospel Project was making sure the leaders on the Kenyan side truly understood the curriculum. The language barrier could have prevented the children from learning the Gospel. However, divine intervention took place and the Kenyan leaders were just as excited to teach the material as we were.
When trying to show the teaching materials for the first time, the sound system went out. This did not pose a problem, because once again, God provided money for us to get a new sound system that will give Maisha the extra ability to rent it out and bring in money.
The Gospel Project will also be shared with the community in our weekly church services held on Sundays at our Maisha Center. Adults and children alike will be taught the same lesson taught to the children each Friday, reinforcing the message.
A giant timeline of the Bible and Jesus’ life will now decorate the walls at the Maisha Center, providing a visual enhancement of what the Gospel looks like. As the Maisha community continues to walk in the three year study, the timeline will continue to grow.
We would like to thank Lifeway, The Gospel Project, Bridgeway Church, and everyone else who helped form the partnership between The Gospel Project and The Maisha Project. This is a great step for helping show the Maisha children what the Gospel looks like. Giving our kids the ability to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is just the beginning to change Kenya and even the world.
Check out this video from the people at Maisha showing their appreciation, as well. http://youtu.be/sJWC2dThYFA
For more information about The Gospel Project, visit http://www.lifeway.com/n/Product-Family/The-Gospel-Project?intcmp=gospel-project-erdr-314. Read a blog written by Seth Stewart, Bridgeway team member, at https://www.maishaproject.org/index.php?blog&a=view&article_id=35.