Thanks for checking out our recently updated website.  We have just added a photo gallery with pictures of our work and a news page to keep you up to date.  Please check back frequently to stay up with what Lifebread is working on in East Africa.

Dusty

February 19, 2010

Today I'm attending the Nootbar Institute on Law, Religion, and Ethics seminar titled "The Role of the Church in Doing Justice", held at the Law School of Pepperdine University.  The day includes speakers such as the president of World Vision and executives from the International Justice Mission.  Events such as this seminar help Lifebread continue to ask the question, "where is the church in all of this?".  As Christians, we should be leading the charge and setting the bar in bringing justice to the marginalized communities of the world. 

Theology of Justice:
Does your life look like the God that you worship?  God's justice must be reflected in our lives. 

February 3, 2010

Brand new: a collection of shots from our trip three weeks ago by director JJ Starr. The full-length documentary is currently in the editing process. JJ's talent and dedication has been amazing! 

Click to watch video:
http://vimeo.com/9028839

January 4, 2010

I'm currently in Uganda, visiting new locations to build ovens at this summer.  I've made some great connections in villages and slums that are in need of a program like ours.  Tomorrow, I head to western Uganda to visit the Ft. Portal church and discuss plans of building an oven at their location.

I'm humbled at the amount of need I find in Africa.

November 1, 2009

Dusty visited Webster Elementary School last week for their annual career day. You can imagine the unique careers Malibu moms and dads have to offer on career day: the Grumpy Old Men movie director, a UCLA medical center brain specialist, an FBI agent, an actor, and the list went on. When Dusty was asked to speak to a couple classes about Lifebread, he had no idea it would be such a smashing success.

October 25, 2009

Lifebread is currently featured on the Pepperdine University website.  If you have a minute, please check out this link: http://www.pepperdine.edu/calling/feeding-the-spirit.htm

October 2, 2009

Today, I had the opportunity to speak at a public high school here in California. I traveled to Big Bear, which is a small mountain town 3 hours from Pepperdine. I spoke in front of several different classes of juniors and seniors. I shared Lifebread's work and showed a slideshow from our most recent trip to Kenya.

A main focus point of my talk was on making intentional choices rather than letting your life be guided by inertia. The students were very bright and had many questions not only about our work but also about starting and running a non-profit organization. 

Each time I have the opportunity to do something like this, I am encouraged and given hope for the future of our world. Today's youth and young people are brighter and more internationally aware than ever before.  

August 23, 2009

I just received an email from Lourent.  Things are going really well with the ovens and the cooking classes.  They have been using the ovens to bake bread, which was then distributed on the streets to the orphans.  Lourent also informed me that three of his cooking students just received internships at an internationally known restaurant, The Carnivore!   

August 19, 2009

During our May trip, one of Lifebread's goals was to connect with someone who would be able to be in charge of the ovens and the bakery we were setting up.  God answered our prayers in Lourent Mugambi.  Lourent has quite an amazing story.  Born in Kenya, Lourent grew up on the streets, living the life of a street kid.  As a young homeless nine year old, Lourent had the responsibility of providing and cooking for his younger siblings.  After being rescued from the streets by Made in the Streets (MITS) and spending four years learning about God, education, and vocations, Lourent graduated from the orphanage and was helped to enter into a cooking and catering school at the University of Nairobi.  After graduating from cooking school, Lourent received a coveted job in the University of Nairobi kitchen.  This job provided Lourent, his wife, and young child Raymond, with a livable salary and even insurance (very uncommon in kenya!).  After working for the University for many years, Lourent decided he wanted to give back to his roots.  In January, he began volunteering as the cooking teacher at the orphanage which rescued him from the streets many years before.  I first met Lourent on his first day back at the orphanage in January and we struck up an instant friendship.  I instantly knew that God had orchestrated our meeting and that Lourent would be the perfect fit for Lifebread to support.  Working through and alongside MITS during our May trip, Lifebread agreed to financially support Lourent's position as head of the catering school at MITS.  Lourent will be teaching all of the cooking and baking classes, using the ovens constructed by Lifebread. 

 Not only is Lourent a great chef, but he's a great Christian husband and father.  He serves as a great role model to the other young street kids.  Keep him and his family in your prayers. 

August 11, 2009

During this past May of 2009, I had the amazing opportunity to lead a team of nine students from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California to East Africa.  These students were selected through an application process to lead a bakery building project in Kamulu, Kenya, which is a small village outside of the capital city of Nairobi.  After months of planning, food sanitation certification training, prayer and excitement, our team converged on Kamulu. 

Working alongside the orphan ministry Made in the Streets (MITS) (www.made-in-the-streets.org), our team was able to construct three ovens on the orphanage's property.  This orphanage rescues homeless street kids, ages 14-18, from the streets of Nairobi.  They provide housing, food, and education for these orphans.  The eduction program includes literacy, Bible, and basic education combined with a vocational training program.  This is where Lifebread was plugging in.  Our ovens were constructed next to the orphanage's Catering facility, which is a new program they are offering. 

During our four weeks in Kamulu, we constructed three "oil drum ovens" and taught numerous baking/cooking classes.  These classes ranged from basic food sanitation techniques to more intricate braided bread making.  We were also blessed to have Chris Chesnutt, a Master's of Divinity student at Pepperdine University, on our team to teach some Bible classes.  Combining our baking and cooking talents with the spiritually filling message of Jesus enables us to stay true to our mission of feeding more than just the physical hunger.