Jeremiah 29:11

The difference was immediately apparent. The kids coming in to the courtyard to greet us were clean, well clothed, and excited. They still have stories of living for years on the streets, of beatings and abandonment, but the kids at The Farm in Kamulu, about an hour from where we're staying in Nairobi, have changed.

Make that transformed. As we talk to them in small groups and hear their stories of how they came to Made In The Streets in Eastleigh, and then how they came to MITS' facility in Kamulu, I'm struck by how they see that God has made a difference in their lives. Could these be the same kinds of kids who stared blankly back at me, a bottle of glue hanging from the corner of their mouth at the Calif base? The kids in my group talk about what they're studying while they're at The Farm: computers, carpentry, auto mechanics. And it strikes me - they're talking about their future - a future of hope, of dreams, of a life the way the Lord meant them to live it.

On the streets, they think about what they're going to do to get money for their next meal - purse snatching, robbery, collecting scraps. They're thinking about how to make it through the next night without getting killed. Days turn into months, which turn into years - and there's no thought of future, or education, or hope. This is what's so striking about seeing the kids at The Farm the day after seeing similar kids at the bases in Eastleigh - they have hope.

The Farm is really a working farm - they grow much of the food that they need to sustain themselves - and the extra they sell to help support themselves. Victor is the farm manager, and he shows me around the roughly 15 acres, we see lots of maize (corn), sweet potatoes, tomatoes, kale, spinach (looks more like chard), bananas, plantains, mangos, macadamia nut trees, oranges and avocados. They're raising tilapia in one fish pond, and are expanding to a second pond. They rotate crops to prevent soil degradation, they compost when possible, they use drip irrigation and water during the cool of the morning/evening - it's clear to me that they're doing the right things, and they're doing these things very well.

I like what I see with MITS' ministry. They're there to meet the immediate needs of any kids in Eastleigh that need help. They work with the street kids to introduce them to a non-street way of life. And for those who choose to change, they provide The Farm where they can develop, go to school, learn a trade, and prepare for life. Not a life on the streets, but real life.

Many on the team are struck by the fact that many kids' futures are outwardly focused - they want to go on to become teachers and pastors. If they could, they would build more organizations like MITS, and more places like The Farm. Some, like Victor, devote their lives to ministry. This clearly shows that Jesus has transformed them, and thanks to the people at MITS, I know they'll continue to offer transformation in the years to come.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11