ALERT: There is someone in Kenya who is attempting to solicit for funds in the name of Capstone Ministries. We do not know this person and don’t know how far he (they) have gone in misrepresenting Capstone Ministries. If you have been contacted by anyone for the purpose of seeking donations for Capstone Ministries please verify/notify Dan and Patty Schmelzer directly at capstoneministries@gmail.com.
It has been a hectic but extremely satisfying week. We finish tomorrow with Parents Day. We expect all the parents and guardians to attend. I hesitate to mention any hilight because there were so many: 10 Baptisms today, Wonderful Scout leaders, terrific attitudes from the kids, The Jesus video with all the children saying the prayer at the end, watching shy boys come out of their shells and grow spiritually, games that left everyone laughing, down time with the boys with antics that left your side hurting from laughter, a community service program with street sweeping in town with all 18 boys working hard and leaving many in town commenting on the “good boys of Capstone”, songs sung with enthusiasm. To be sure the boys will sleep tonight and dream good dreams.
God bless,
Dan
Theme this year is “My son…was lost…is found” from Luke 15:24. Capstone Camp is an annual camp with 20 selected boys who were formerly on the streets of Kisumu and now have gone home. Each year about 20 new boys participate. We particularly target those who have remained at home and in school despite some challenging circumstances. The camp is designed to enrich the body, mind and soul with scout activities, Bible study and games.
Here is a recent update from our Kenya Team. They have already held the Marriage Conference that Jamie referred to, and it went very well, with 9 couples attending. She reported that men are men, and women are women in all countries! We always find that to be true, wherever we go.
Right now, we have a big problem. Jamie, Sharon and Barbara are due to fly through Amsterdam this week, but all flights in and out of Europe are currently cancelled because of the volcanic dust coming from Iceland. We have no idea how they are getting home. Please pray hard for them to find flights. Maureen is flying to India, so hopefully, she should be OK.
Pastor Deuel, The Sending Place
www.TheSendingPlace.com
Hello Family and Friends,
Our VBS was a wonderful day. We had over 50 kids at the Capstone Transition Center. We had their 7 kids from the center as well as at least 50 village kids. It was a great day. We had the kids do dramas of the lessons they learned. Sharon’s group did the Prodigal Son, and the kids took the role of the pigs in the story very seriously. They were hysterical!!!!
Barbara and Maureen had great groups as well, and as usual they all did a wonderful job teaching, playing, and loving the kids. Kids are kids all over the world, it’s impossible not to fall in love with them.
The staff at Capstone is just wonderful. God has clearly selected a group of people with a heart for Him and these kids to work together. It is long to explain in an email, but the vision Dan and Patty have, their work, their staff, and of course most importantly the work CHRIST is doing through them is just incredible. What an honor to see 
all that is going on.
I’ve noticed a big difference since the last time I was here. Before, all the street boys were thought to be orphaned, abused, or abandoned. And that is true of some. But some actually like the freedom of the street, or have parents who just ignore them so they leave. There are many that can be reunited with family, who can return to school, and who can group up with their families. It is AWESOME to see the work that is going on here, and to see how God is so clearly in the lead. Dan and Patty’s faith and that of their staff is just Awesome…..
We are all doing well. We are preparing for our marriage conference tomorrow. It is very exciting, especially since we have a good relationship with the staff already. We will also be having a VBS for 200 kids on Saturday, and other ministry during the week…..
The last couple of nights we’ve had some crazy weather. Pouring down rain, lightening, thunder. It is great to watch from the safety of our hotel…..
FUNNY STORY:
Today I’ll start with Maureen……. Last night the women were all talking in our room, Patty included, and all of a sudden there was a HUGE sound of thunder. One of those that is right over the top of you. It took Maureen all of one second to jump off her bed and into the arms of Patty who was on Jamie’s bed. She’s a brave one for sure. hahaha
Dan may need some extra prayers, he’s now surrounded by five women. He’s doing good, but I’m sure many men can relate to the need for prayer…. hahahhahaha–Oh he’s fine….
Thank you all for your prayers. We are staying healthy and have been blessed with safety. A couple of the ladies thought the hour ride to the transition center was an event, it was a little wild. So keep those prayers for safety coming….
Our love to you all,
Jamie, Sharon, Barbara, and Maureen
CLICK HERE to see photos!
Hi Family and Friends,
We arrived safely in Kisumu, Kenya, after lots of travel and a long but pretty drive through the countryside. Always an interesting trip. Dan and Patty as usual are a joy to be with.
Today we attended church, which was very nice. Tomorrow we will be with them for their weekly event with the street boys. They come to the church and can spend much of the day doing laundry, taking a shower, having a snack and playing games. We will then have a sort of VBS with them. This is a weekly time that they have with the kids. It is sort of the step one stage of getting to know the boys and see who wants to try to go home.
It is actually pretty amazing all that is being done in this work. All the nationals that are involved and the successes that they’ve had. God is truly working in them and with their ministry.
I had the pleasure of seeing two of the boys that Dan and Patty were working with in 2003 when I was here. They are now wonderful young men, going to school and preparing for their futures. They call Dan and Patty mom and dad and it’s amazing to see the work that God has done in their lives through the work and gifts that He has given Dan and Patty.
This week some of the things we will be doing include; leading a marriage conference for the capstone staff and their spouses, holding a VBS for the kids that are at the transition center at Capstone, and holding a VBS for about 200 kids in a village about an hour away.
Everyone is staying healthy. The weather is super humid and so hot. We are sleeping under our mosquito nets and spraying plenty of bug spray. So far so good.
FUNNY STORIES:
Well sadly I will start off with myself. Now I need to give a little history. I NEVER take my phone to church, I am always shocked when someone has a phone go off in church. That said,,,,, last night Patty gave me a phone “just in case” we needed to get ahold of them. So we are sitting in church, as it’s quiet and the pastor is praying. I hear this music, I think who on earth has their phone in church? Only to my horror do I realize the music was coming from my purse. FROM PATTY’S PHONE….. Of course in my horror I couldn’t find the phone, it rang and rang and the pastor prayed and prayed and I just about died…… Of course the team thought this was just hysterical, I was not so impressed.
BARBARA: Weeeeeeeeell lets see. As we were driving to Kisumu we are driving by the gorgeous tea fields that cover the countryside. To which Barbara brilliantly says, “Is this Kenyan tea?????” Hmmmmm you mean tea growing in Kenya is Kenyan tea? No, this is Idaho tea and they are just renting the Kenyan fields…… I’ll give her a break here and say it was sleep deprivation that caused that lack of thought. hahahah
SHARON AND MAUREEN are being very careful not to be a part of the funny story category. Which of course means I should have something to report fairly soon…..
Our love to you all. Thank you for your prayers.
Jamie, Sharon, Barbara, and Maureen
The team visited our Capstone Youth Center and shared time with the boys on the street who come there for food, washing, sharing, counseling and to here Bible Stories. The team shared from the Parable of the Prodigal Son and served the boys food (a simple meal of bread and bananas). It was a great day and a good experience for the team.
The Lutheran Special School will be closing for the term break this week. We have decided to keep James there for a few more weeks. When James first arrived at the school he was not use to the fast pace of the other children or even knowing how to navigate a sidewalk. James fell and cut open the back of his head. The wound required stitches. Last week James fell again and opened the same wound. They were not able to stitch it again so the school nurse is watching carefully to keep it clean and covered. James is on antibiotics to ward off infection and we’ve decided he will remain at the school for a few weeks to be sure he receives proper wound care and medical attention.
Otherwise our special little boy is doing so well! Here are the small changes that are mountains rather than mole hills:
1. James will sometimes respond to his name and come when called.
2. He understands what the bell means and can go to the appropriate place.
3. He will make eye contact.
4. His stomach has gone down after deworming.
5. He is beginning to feed himself properly.
6. He smiles and makes sounds but no words yet.
We are so happy for the progress in only a few weeks! God bless, Patty
James 29th March, 2010
You may have read recently about a little boy named James. In 2007 we rescued a boy named Mark from the streets of Kisumu and took him to live with an Aunt and Uncle. After several visits to the home we discovered a very small boy living there named James. James is mentally handicapped. It’s very common in the rural area for a child with a disability to be kept away or even worse. Such handicaps are thought to be a curse on the family so out of shame and fear of ridicule a child is hidden.
A report about this child came to the Capstone staff meeting because Mark was very unhappy living in this family. Mark was made to care for the boy by changing his soiled clothes. James at about 8 years old is not toilet trained so Mark was given the chore of cleaning up his messes. I asked the staff to investigate and give a more detailed report on James. Their assessment was the child seems to be mentally retarded and deaf. We decided to bring him to Kisumu for a formal evaluation, the parents agreed.
James was diagnosed as autistic but not deaf. He is also malnourished; he has seizures and some respiratory problems. Our church, ELCK in Kisumu runs a school for the mentally disabled and has a very good class for autistic children. Dan and I decided we would sponsor James in the special school.
James was finally admitted into the school last week. It was an exciting day. Every time I see James it amazes me to see a child in his condition. I’ve never interacted with autistic children; James is not at all engaged or interactive in this world. He has no response to anything around him. He doesn’t even know how to play with a toy. He eats like an animal. The only thing that James is attached to is a rock. James will show emotion only if he is not holding a rock in his hand. Dan wants to paint the rock and put Jesus on it. I think its a great idea!
My mother instincts kicked in the day James was admitted, I was so concerned that he would show some signs of distress being put into a completely new and foreign environment but he showed no reaction at all. I wish I could say he is adjusting well but it’s impossible to tell. I’m not sure which concerns me more, a child who cries because he misses his mom, or a child who is unable to feel anything and doesn’t know he should be missing his mom. I think the latter is most heartbreaking.
I’ll keep you all updated on James’ progress. He will return home for the month of April (school break). The people who made the initial assessment on James gave a talk to the parents to change their attitude about their son and to teach the mother to care for James in the right way. We’ll make weekly home visits during the break and continue to educate the family on proper care and attitude towards their son.
We are looking for a sponsor for James. His care in the school and seizure medication will come to about $250.00 to $300.00 per year.
