“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
There is something about waking up in a new place after arriving in darkness the night before. The landscape and beauty of a place is a mystery until the sun rises. Waking up in Nairobi felt like the new mercies of the Lord as we saw the beauty that is Kenya. Acacia trees, lush grasses, blue, blue sky. Just the beauty of God’s creation.
Today on this fine Saturday our team had the privilege of spending time at 2 GOA children’s homes. Beat the Drum was our first stop, a home for children with HIV/AIDS. Many of them have been made orphans by the disease, and others have families who cannot keep the food and medicine regimens needed to properly care for them. Peter and Josephine have been house parents here for many years and under their care several of these children have moved into a state of health with numbers so low they are considered not able to spread the disease. The hope they had was shining on their faces. They were confident in the love of their house parents, and looked at the future with hope and expectation. What would they do after high school? Many of them were making plans already. Since we are here in April, we get to see the high schoolers as well as the younger children. High School in Kenya is primarily boarding school, but everyone is home for the month long April holiday. The children were so kind to us, taking our hands and showing us their bedrooms and their garden. They won in a Beat the Drum vs. Visitors volleyball game. Then soccer and crafts took over. Working side by side with them gave us the chance to have little conversations and show them we care. Their style and personalities came through quickly and it was a joy to be with them.
Next up was Strong Tower, just up on the hill overlooking the Rift Valley. This home has 75 children during breaks, and Paul & Martha manage them with love and grace. They also have a large garden as well as farm animals for fresh milk and meat. The children would look out for each other and the older children would translate for the younger children. More soccer, more crafts, so many smiles and shared stories. Being with children is so life giving!
Some of our team members were able to meet their sponsored children at these homes for the first time. Some kids knew then right away, and some were shy. Some more English others. But each time it was amazing to know one picture and one page of information about someone and then see them in real life and see their friends and where the sleep and live. They are already excited about exchanging letters in the future.
Thank you to our prayer team! We couldn’t ask for a better trip so far!
Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
There is something about waking up in a new place after arriving in darkness the night before. The landscape and beauty of a place is a mystery until the sun rises. Waking up in Nairobi felt like the new mercies of the Lord as we saw the beauty that is Kenya. Acacia trees, lush grasses, blue, blue sky. Just the beauty of God’s creation.
Today on this fine Saturday our team had the privilege of spending time at 2 GOA children’s homes. Beat the Drum was our first stop, a home for children with HIV/AIDS. Many of them have been made orphans by the disease, and others have families who cannot keep the food and medicine regimens needed to properly care for them. Peter and Josephine have been house parents here for many years and under their care several of these children have moved into a state of health with numbers so low they are considered not able to spread the disease. The hope they had was shining on their faces. They were confident in the love of their house parents, and looked at the future with hope and expectation. What would they do after high school? Many of them were making plans already. Since we are here in April, we get to see the high schoolers as well as the younger children. High School in Kenya is primarily boarding school, but everyone is home for the month long April holiday. The children were so kind to us, taking our hands and showing us their bedrooms and their garden. They won in a Beat the Drum vs. Visitors volleyball game. Then soccer and crafts took over. Working side by side with them gave us the chance to have little conversations and show them we care. Their style and personalities came through quickly and it was a joy to be with them.
Next up was Strong Tower, just up on the hill overlooking the Rift Valley. This home has 75 children during breaks, and Paul & Martha manage them with love and grace. They also have a large garden as well as farm animals for fresh milk and meat. The children would look out for each other and the older children would translate for the younger children. More soccer, more crafts, so many smiles and shared stories. Being with children is so life giving!
Some of our team members were able to meet their sponsored children at these homes for the first time. Some kids knew then right away, and some were shy. Some more English others. But each time it was amazing to know one picture and one page of information about someone and then see them in real life and see their friends and where the sleep and live. They are already excited about exchanging letters in the future.
Thank you to our prayer team! We couldn’t ask for a better trip so far!