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The Potter's House at a Glance |
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Page 3 of 5 International Ministry InitiativesThe outreach efforts of Bishop Jakes and The Potter’s House do not tarry at the doors of the church, or even on the shores of the nation. Additional attempts to contribute positively to society include financing and initiating the construction of two Habitat for Humanity homes in conjunction with the ManPower 2003 conference, and making a $107,000 donation to relocate Dallas citizens from an economically and environmentally disadvantaged area in 2003. The ministry is also responsible for contributing to the construction of a much needed hospital in Belize, Central America, and has sent missionaries to northern Mexico, the Republic of Guyana, and other areas of the world where people are living under perilous physical and spiritual conditions. Also very mindful of Africa and passionate about doing what he can to contribute to the well being of the continent’s people, Bishop Jakes, his partners, and The Potter’s House sponsored the construction of six water wells and five water stations throughout the arid, drought stricken areas of Kenya in 2005, supplying desperately needed purified drinking water to people and livestock as well as valuable irrigation for crops. Wells were drilled in each of three Kenyan districts: West Pokot, Sigor, and Baringo. September 26 – October 2, 2005, Bishop Jakes dedicated the new sources of water during a weeklong humanitarian missionary trip that included than 300 African Americans, including a skilled team of medical professionals, and The Potter’s House’s 140-member mass choir. More than 6,000 Kenyans received medical care from organized teams of doctors and nurses. Medicines valued at more than $200,000 U.S. dollars, as well as 7,000 pairs of eyeglasses, were distributed. While in Kenya, Bishop Jakes and his team served alongside the healing team of Melchizedek Hospital, located in a slum area called Kawangware, and sponsored the construction of six water wells and five water stations throughout the arid, drought stricken areas of Kenya. The mission trip culminated with worship services led by Bishop Jakes in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park. On March 18, 2006, Melchizedek Hospital officially dedicated the T.D. Jakes Wing to facilitate a maternity ward, intensive care units and an operating room. In October 2006 a delegation from The Potter’s House commissioned by Bishop Jakes returned to Kenya to establish a computer lab at Kawangware Primary School, the first of its kind in a slum school. Contractors remodeled a unit of the school and equipped it with the latest technology, and on October 6, 2006, the unit was dedicated on to the memory of Bishop Jakes’ late mother.
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