Finally, a joyous update from our friend Joe Peterson, the former Demon basketball assistant coach (1999-2001) serving as a teacher and missionary at Christ's Gift Academy in Mbita, Kenya:
"...Peace at last!
On Thursday, February 28th the two presidential contenders finally signed a peace agreement. It came in the nick of time. It seems like God sometimes waits for the darkest hour when all hope seems lost before he comes in and does something that only He can do. The mediation efforts had broken down on Tuesday and the talks were suspended as the hardliners on both sides were not willing to give up their positions. Kenya was preparing for war as small militia groups all over the country were being trained and planning for their attacks. Youths were constructing crude weapons and wealthy businessmen were purchasing arms. The country was close to slipping into a state of anarchy and following the path that many other African nations have taken over the years. I still don't understand how President Kibaki finally agreed to what the opposition and many other countries such as Tanzania, the U.S., U.K. and E.U. had been pushing for.
All over the country people immediately took to the streets again. This time they weren't protesting, but instead they were rejoicing in spontaneous celebrations. The opposition leader Raila Odinga will be given the post of Executive Prime Minister, in charge of government business. Both sides will share cabinet posts as they work together in a coalition. There is still a long road ahead though as they still want to review the problems in the December election, overhaul the constitution within the next year and try to fix the land problems that have plagued the country since independence. The biggest task ahead though is unifying a country that has been deeply divided along tribal lines in clashes that has seen over 1,500 killed and close to a million people displaced from their homes. It also will not be easy for the two sides to work together in Parliament and the Government with all of the mistrust they have had in the past. I experienced one of the best times of worship in church this morning with signing, dancing and shouting. People are breathing a big sigh of relief, and praising God for what He has done!
CGA has now been in school for 4 straight weeks without interruption. It has been a busy time though. We have recently discovered some unethical challenges in some of our orphans homes. It requires the CGA staff and local authorities to intervene on certain occasions. Currently we have temporarily helped one of those situations, but are frantically looking for a safe place for some of these children to stay long term, either with a family or an orphanage located outside of this immediate area. There are three children in this family that desperately need your prayers.
It seems like I have spent a lot of time in the last month at the local clinic, sometimes for good things such as our assistant Pastor's wife giving birth after having been barren for their first 8 years of marriage. But most of the time has been because of the sickness and disease here. Yesterday morning I was at the bedside of the Principal at Mbita High School as he passed away from heart failure. He has been a very prominent figure in our community and throughout the region for many years. I had gotten to know him well over the past year as seven of our former students are attending his school. In fact, he was the one that saved CGA from attacks by the demonstrators last month. He had boldly and confidently stood while the mob was stroking his face with machetes and threatening to burn down his school. Somehow he convinced them to leave and even convinced them to not go to CGA ...."
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