Dr. Harrahs Malinda: Interim Chair, HCD Africa
	Dr. Malinda Harrahs making a presentation during the summit themed "Putting aflame and harnessing the potentials of the 4/14 window for Africa's transformation" See Dr. Malinda's profile

REFLECTION FOR DAYSTAR UNIVERSITY CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE

Ministry to children is a prophetic call from the Lord. In 1 Samuel 16:1-13: we read about the calling and anointing of David. David represents the many children who are out there is the desert, in the streets, in orphanages, neglected in the homes and society. It’s a prophetic call to a generation forgotten and neglected by man, parents, brothers, sisters, society BUT chosen of God.  We have many children in the desert. In the desert, children are exposed to many challenges. The bible captures these challenges vividly as “lions and bears”….challenges to the physical, spiritual, socio-emotional and cognitive development of children. For example, in the desert, there is no food, water, shelter, school, church, family, security!

As an academic institution, Daystar University  has a prophetic call to allow the next generation to experience the anointing of God through their parents( Samuel) so that the “King  inside them can be unleashed!  We know that God is calling us at Daystar University to equip professionals in Ministry to Children to help facilitate children so that the king inside them….that is their full potential is brought out.  The Child Development program has a God given mandate to equip professionals in ministry to children to ‘go and call David in the desert, and not to sit down until he arrives (vs.11b). Children have the innate potential to develop and grow…all we need to do is to ensure we limit and remove the obstacles on their way. To remove them from the desert.

David was chosen of the Lord at a tender age. At his adolescent age, he was anointed as a leader/ king.  This message is very prophetic for us at Daystar Child Development Institute. We have to “go and call the child herding in the dangerous desert to come and take leadership to transform their world for the next generation”. For any generation to succeed, it has to focus on children. God uses generations to carry and pass his message. This is shown clearly in Psalms 78: 5-7. “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so that the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God, and would not forget His deeds, but would keep His commands” (Psalm 78:5-7).

Focusing on children is a prophetic call for us at Daystar as it is all about repositioning our attitudes and thinking about children and the place they hold in the Kingdom of God. This kind of change in attitude is evident in the scripture too. When Jesus was born, the wise men (Mathew 2:2) came asking ‘where is the one who has been born King? Look keenly at the wording here..they did not ask, where is the one who would become king? They saw the child as king already! They showed this attitude too in the way they presented themselves to the child. They brought him gifts that reflected Jesus status as king! Like David, we at Daystar Child Development Institute recognize that the crown for leadership of the church, nation, world..is with the child. Our focus on the child is about the change we would like to see in the world, change in the church, community, society in the way we do business, governance, run homes and families, work etc.

We also recognize that we are the Caleb and Joshua to go and deliver children for Christ, release them from poverty and the challenges in the dangerous desert. This is not easy work. The Lord has one strong message for us   and we recognize that the crown is within the child. We have opened our spiritual eyes to the realization that children hold the key to the challenges the world if facing today.
Working for children ministry is not an easy task. Just like the parable of the lost sheep in   … a good shepherd should go out and look for the lost sheep. Incidentally, the sheep (child) is lost in the desert, wilderness….where the sheep (child)  is in danger of ‘ lions and bears..which symbolizes enemy. As faithful stewards of God’s creation, we know we have to go out and call David (children) from their challenges and not rest until David..the neglected child..comes before Samuel for anointing as king.
We are the Caleb and Joshua to take the ministry forward. There are many challenges, but the battle belongs to the Lord. No matter our situation, the Lord is there for us. We get a lot of encouragement from the book of Numbers 14: 9 “Only do not rebel against the Lord.  And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with you. Do not be afraid of them”.
God chose’s the tested and faithful to work with his children. Through the challenges and pains, God’s chosen servants learn strategies to conquer and succeed amidst threats. By being in the desert herding, David learnt how to sense, protect his father’s sheep, himself and his life from lions and bears. This ‘training’ in the desert is what gave David the courage, wisdom, faith and knowledge to fighting with lions and bears. As faithful workers, we will protect God’s children and rescue them from bears and lions…that is poverty, disease, war, abuse, rape, abortion, illiteracy and spiritual stagnation. By doing so, we will have brought the children, just like David, before Samuel to be anointed king, in Jesus name!
 We welcome you all to train with us, change your attitudes towards children and help unleash their potential. All children, even the ones in the desert, rejected, hungry, in danger, sick, vulnerable are capable of becoming kings! Our business at Daystar Child Development is to make children become kings by equipping professionals in Ministry to children with the right skills and knowledge to  go our and call children in the desert and bring them to Samuel for anointing! We train professionals who will not sit until the child in the desert is brought to Samuel for anointing. These are professionals dedicated to working with children with compassion, love and dedication.

Written by Dr. MALINDA

Download the this document in pdf

Go back to HCD Newsboard...

................................................................

..................................................................

..................................................................

Oxford Journals
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Springer e-Journals
Interscience Journals
Daystar University

"CI country director, Mr.Joel Macharia,during the 4/14 Summit"

"Mr. Fredrick Mukhwana and Dr. Malinda at the 4/14 Window Africa Summit: The two are the leaders of HCD in East Africa. Mr.Mukhwana, a graduate from the Child Development Institute, Daystar University, is the HCD leader, Uganda Christian University...."

"Dr. Louis Bush making a presentation during the 4/14 Africa Summit in Ethiopia..Dr. Louis Bush is the 4/14 Window author; along with Dr. Dan Brewster(below), the two co-founded the 4/14 Window Concept."