Do you have a heart for orphans? Have you ever wanted to travel to Kenya? Today I’m delighted to share the ministry that my sister, Cindy, and her husband, Kyon Yi, have taken on. Come with me to Kenya–a beautiful country I haven’t actually seen–but through this blog post, we’re both visiting virtually!

Twenty-two years ago, Kyon’s mom, Elaine Yi, witnessed the plight of street orphans in Kenya when she visited there with World Vision. Previously, Elaine had partnered with her church and founded a non-profit organization in her hometown of Lake Elsinore, California, reaching underprivileged and at-risk children.

Now her heart felt tugged by the need in Kenya. At age 59, when most of her friends were planning their retirement, Elaine thought, Why don’t I move to Africa? So In 2001, she sold her house and disposed of all her possessions except those that fit in her two suitcases.

With the help of several Kenyan staff members, Elaine set up ROCK Ministries International in Kisumu, a large city on the bank of Lake Victoria. The ministry eventually purchased land in the town of Malava. The children’s home moved from the big city to the beautiful countryside where it remains today.

In 2020, Elaine turned over the directorship to her dear friend and accountant of fifteen years, Teresa Boyani, who is faithfully carrying the vision of the ministry into the future. Currently, there are twenty-four children under the care of ROCK Ministries ranging in age from four to twenty-two.

Pictured on the right, the chief of Malava shows his support for Malava Christian Academy. His assistant is on the left, and in the middle are Cindy and Kyon Yi, and Teresa Boyani, the director.

The children’s home has a warm, family atmosphere and meets all the needs of the children including emotional, spiritual, social, educational, and physical. All the way through young adulthood, the kids receive encouragement and emotional support. They also get much-needed assistance with trade school or university as they launch into independence.

A fun evening around the campfire with some of the students and staff, my sister, Cindy,
and the founder, Elaine Yi, front and center.

The Vision Grows

Five years ago, Elaine decided to start a school right on their campus so they have the ability to teach the Bible along with government-approved Kenyan education. Malava Christian Academy began with a preschool and soon added grades one and two. In 2023, grade three started.

Elaine and Theresa saw such a need for solid, Christian-Kenyan education that they invited children from the surrounding area to attend. Ninety students are currently enrolled.

The goal of the ministry is to keep adding classes and eventually offer education through high school, called secondary school over there. The twenty-four staff members of the children’s home and school are Kenyan, and many of them have been hired from the local community. All of them have a passion for education and a desire to see these children succeed in life.

The staff of ROCK Ministries and Malava Christian Academy including teachers, dorm parents, support staff, and guards

In order to follow through with this vision, the board of directors of ROCK Ministries has come up with a plan to construct a school building. Right now the classes all meet in three huts and a divided multi-purpose building.

The ministry is funded by donations from loving and generous individuals. In time, animal projects (chickens, pigs, and cows) will be introduced to help subsidize donations. This is the first step towards the ministry eventually becoming self-funded.

In June of this year, at the age of 81, Elaine passed away. Following in her footsteps, her son and daughter-in-law, Kyon and Cindy Yi, are the current project managers of ROCK Ministries. Their desire is to honor Elaine and give glory to God, as they wholeheartedly support this ministry.

To see the website and the full gallery of photos, click here.

If you have questions about ROCK Ministries, please feel free to email my sister, Cindy, at theyiclan@gmail.com. If you’d like to support ROCK Ministries through a tax-deductible donation, click here. But, honestly, there’s no pressure to donate~no worries at all! I just wanted to share this information.

Also, If you’re interested in following the news of the children at the orphanage and school, let Cindy know. She can add you to the list of people who receive their monthly newsletter.

Our family is grateful for the many friends we’ve made through the years … from California to Nigeria and back again! Each one of you, my dear readers, is very precious to us. If you have any concerns or prayer requests you’d like to share, please comment on this post or reply to this by email.