In the extremely poor village of Kijabe, Kenya, there lives a crippled widow named Mary. After her husband died of AIDS a few years ago, she struggled to find food.
While she suffers from HIV, too, Mary’s greatest challenge is a nerve problem in her legs. She has to use crutches to walk and can’t move very far. Most of the day, the pain keeps her seated, so she spends hours reading her Bible while her children are at school.
Mary’s two young children, Robert and Elizabeth, were getting a meal every day through Forward Edge’s feeding program at the local primary school. Every once in a while, there were enough leftovers to bring some home for Mary.
Most days, though, Mary went hungry. She had become stick thin and constantly worried where she’d find her next meal.
Then came the pandemic. Quarantine measures forced our program to pivot from its normal food service at schools to delivering food packages to homes. That’s how we discovered Mary. God used the pandemic to bring us to her.
Immediately, our staff made sure Mary had consistent, nutritious meals. In time, they were even able to build the family a new home and buy Mary a new stove.
Today, months later, Mary’s anxiety is gone. She’s much healthier, has regained lost weight, and is happy again. She even has the strength to go sit outside her home and bask in the sun.
God reached out to Mary with His tangible love not just in spite of this horrible pandemic, but through it. A sweet reminder that no matter what hardships you face, God will work through them.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
-Romans 8:28
“Every Saturday, my heart was filled with joy,” says Elvin, reflecting on the love and care he found at Cornerstone Kosova. Growing up in the harsh realities of Kosova, Elvin once faced a life full of hardship. But through the community’s love and the teachings of Jesus, his life was transformed. Now 15, Elvin’s journey of hope continues, and he’s sharing that same love with others.
Bold Obedience In life, some moments stand out as divine interventions, where God’s hand is unmistakably at work. Mission trips are often such moments, where lives intersect with purpose, and hearts are transformed in ways beyond measure. Jilese’s recent journey to Oaxaca, Mexico, serves as a testament to this truth.
In Zaachila, on the outskirts of Oaxaca City, Mexico, live many impoverished families who’ve traveled from distant areas in search of more opportunities and a better life…only to find themselves confronted with the same devastating and debilitating effects of poverty: hunger, joblessness, water-borne illness, lack of education, gang violence, drug
Our children’s programs had wonderful Christmas programs full of food, music, celebration, and the true meaning of Christmas – in fact at least 13 people were saved through these programs! Oaxaca Haiti Kenya Uganda Ghana Cuba Oaxaca Haiti Kenya Uganda Ghana Cuba In Oaxaca, families were invited for a delicious
12 yrs. old
Entered the program: November 2025
Hawa lives with her mother and 3 siblings in one room of a rental house. The home is constructed of cement blocks, roofed with aluminum and has a concrete floor. They cook outdoors with wood and share a latrine with the other tenants.
Hawa’s mother is a single parent. She is unemployed and relies on assistance from other people to take care of herself and her children. They sometimes have only one meal a day. Hawa’s father abandoned the family, re-married, and moved to a another community. He doesn’t support his children, and meeting their needs, especially educational, is very challenging. On several occasions, Hawa has been sent home for non-payment of fees. She often does not have food to take to school. Hawa’s performance is affected due to the lack of textbooks for studying.
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