Family Keys International is a family ministry started by the Horace and Phyllis Leister family with the aim to restore God’s original intention for His family on this earth. FKI exists to empower the body of Christ globally to understand God’s love as every member of His family should. Our passion is to see all people recognize the acceptance, adoption and love our Father offers. There are no orphans in God’s family and our father lacks nothing. It remains our part to believe and walk hand in hand with our father and the rest of His family to see His intention realized on earth.
HISTORY
Horace and Phyllis moved to Kenya in September of 2007. They arrived with 4 of their 8 children and a young lady in her 20’s all with great expectations to help orphaned and vulnerable children in the Eldoret region of Kenya. With years of caring for foster children in the USA and having adopted 5 American children the Leisters were well equipped for the challenge.
After surviving the demoralizing post election violence of 2007-2008 in Kenya, Horace and Phyllis fully committed to nurture the next generation of leaders. To do that they set out to establish more then an institution for orphaned children but instead a home and functioning family. Tumaini Children’s Home is a product of that vision and devotion.
While Horace and Phyllis were changing the world one orphaned baby at a time their oldest son Joshua and his new bride Rachel extended the vision in another direction. Desiring to help the helpless and make roads into difficult situations Joshua pursued a medical education in Kenya. After four years he and Rachel emerged triumphant as the only known westerner to graduate as a Registered Clinical Officer in Kenya. This allowed Joshua to serve and teach in a variety of medical settings caring for the most vulnerable.
As these two different aspects of the Leister family vision worked to assist each other in day to day survival and the pursuit of something greater the idea of Family Keys International was born. Founded by the Leister family it functions to communicate and fund the ever expanding Leister family vision to disciple the nations.
Board Members
We have a loved and trusted team on our board.
Jeph and Jaclyn Chavez are Pastors of Hope Chapel Lewiston. They have faithfully worked behind the scenes for the Leisters and the growth of Tumaini Children.
Alan Coons has been a trusted friend to the Leister family for years. He has mission experience in multiple countries and continues to serve with River City Church also in Lewiston, Idaho.
Horace And Phyllis.
History: Horace and Phyllis Leister grew up in the Pacific North West of the USA. They were married in 1975 and have 8 children, 16 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter. They were foster parents for 18 years and fostered over 100 children. After receiving Christ as Savior in their 20s their life mission has been to give their lives fully to follow Him. Horace and Phyllis Leister have a God given love for children and a passion to provide Home and Family for those with out. They now have lived in Eldoret, Kenya since September 2007.
Horace is a builder by trade and has worked as a Union carpenter, house builder, and heating and air installer. Acquiring these skills has enabled him to do just about any kind of building for the kingdom of God, which is his heart.
Phyllis has always been a home maker even when she worked in and out of their home as a preschool & kindergarten teacher, school bus driver, foster parent recruiter and counselor.
Horace and Phyllis have served the body of Christ for the last 25 to 30 years in many different forms. Horace serving in their local church as a deacon, an elder, and finally being ordained as a pastor in 2001. Phyllis also served as Superintendent of Sunday School and Children’s Ministry for 8 years. She was also part of the general and pastoral intercessors teams.
They held leadership roles and taught 12 week marriage group seminars for a international marriage ministry (MMI) for five years.
While continuing in this endeavor, Horace and Phyllis attended a conference with some other church leaders in Kelowna, BC, Canada and heard a presentation done on providing homes for children around the world. During this meeting, God spoke to Horace about going to Africa to do this kind of missionary work. Horace at first questioned this word. He had never desired to go to Africa that was their eldest son Josh’s dream. But when God confirmed this word to him in another meeting several months later, they began to make plans. They sold their home of 16 years and everything else they could to follow what they felt was a call of God on their lives.
In 2006 Horace and Phyllis visited Kenya with a another Lewiston church pastor and his wife. This couple conduct Schools for Pastor’s in Eldoret, Kenya. This visit confirmed where they would be and within a year Horace, Phyllis, and their three youngest children moved to Eldoret to begin the work that is now know as “ Tumaini Children’s Home”.
Our vision: To see children, and people in general, who have been orphaned or abandoned know that this is not their identity. Giving them a new truth. Their identity exist in God their father and Creator. Their future and potential is as large as He is. We hope to bring about this new knowledge of identity, potential and a promising future by creating a loving, Godly home and family environment for those who have been set aside and discarded. Giving them value and worth by our actions and sacrifices as Godly parents.
Mission Statement: Tumaini Children’s Home exists to provide a family setting for small children who have been orphaned and abandoned, for the expressed purpose of creating a sustainable identity and steady foundation that will bring about a a secure, reproducible pattern for their own future lives and families.
You can also find us on facebook – Tumaini Children’s Home or on our blog – Leister’s Kenyan Life.
Tumaini Children.
Advancing God’s kingdom through His love of family and the generations! ”The message is not just for you but for your children and all who are far off” – Acts 3:39
Tumaini Children’s Home exists to provide a Family Home setting for small children who have been orphaned and abandoned for the expressed purpose of creating a sustainable identity and steady foundation that will bring about a secure, reproducible pattern for their own future lives and families.
You can also find us on facebook – Tumaini Children’s Home or on our blog – Leister’s Kenyan Life.
THE ARK.
