Saying goodbye is always hard

We had our final visit (this trip) with the children at Mercy Child Foundation and it was a sad goodbye. We know that the children at Nice View had that feeling that we might not come back, but we returned to them this trip. But the children at Mercy have been abandoned many times before by people who said they cared and yet didn't provide for even their basic needs. So they felt that we were going away and forgetting them like everyone else. We told them that, God willing, we would be back in February and during now and then we would still be helping them and providing for them as much as we can. Your help is needed to show these kids that someone cares and by caring are going to continue to provide for them. Please consider a donation today to show these precious kids they matter and God will always provide for them. I was reading in What Jesus Meant by Garry Wills "Our test for entry into heaven's reign is whether we fed Jesus in the hungry, clothes him in the naked, welcomed him in the outcast." This doesn't mean works get us into heaven, but if we don't have works do we really know the Jesus we say we believe in? Even if you don't contribute to our ministry - do something for the less fortunate by putting your faith into action.

It was especially hard saying goodbye to Annastacia. She has seen so much hope for her and the children over the past couple of months and is afraid we'll forget her. We told her over and over that we could never forget them and when we get back to the States we start talking about all of them to everyone that will listen! Her faith really humbles me - with the little she has her faith is set completely in the faithfulness of God for her and the kids. She's had a hard year but has always kept her faith. Even without food she always knew that God would provide somehow. The time we first contacted her they were without food for three days - God provided for them and she came a little closer to Him because of her prayers.

It's hard to explain the need here, but I've tried through pictures and the blog and I hope you can see even a small pictures of the poverty here. Your support is what will continue to help these kids. Thank you for considering us in your giving.

Seeing hope

I can't believe three months has passed already. So much has been done and yet there is still so much to do! God has provided in marvelous ways and I've seen the way the kids have responded to Him. How can I describe the hope I see in their eyes now? They aren't worried about eating today, tomorrow or the next. So that allows them to concentrate on their future. The kids at Mercy Child Foundation had their first day of school last Thursday and they were so excited! Even though they know they are far behind that doesn't deter them from wanting an education and what a blessing it was that God allowed us to be a part of sending them back to school.

We also saw hope in Annastacia's eyes when her new furniture was delivered. Her old couch, as you can see, was basically wood covered by cloth and not very comfortable to sit on and her cabinet was broken down with no doors or shelves. Remember she hasn't been paid for her time here or given any pesa (money) for personal use. She has been given grace by God to stay here with the kids and make the most of what they have. She sees hope now in a full food store, a comfortable place for her and the children to sit - there is no electricity here so at night when it gets "crazy dark" they sit in Annastacia's room with one lantern - if they have the kerosene - or a torch (flashlight) and listen to a battery operated radio, water being piped to storage tanks. What a blessing it is to see their eyes sparkle with excitement and to hear their delight over any and everything that has been brought into their lives over the past couple of months.

Please consider a donation and/or sponsoring a child from our website today. Your support will help feed, clothe and educate a child along with giving them the hope to see a brighter future for themselves.

Such concentration!

Our coloring project is finally over. Ruth was a huge help to me in that area. I was updating the website a bit (check out the new students who are looking for sponsors at Nice View Academy) while Ruth went to a couple classrooms for me. We have some wonderful artists and I loved the concentration of the Nursery students!

I've also handed out a few more beanies! They are a huge success - I'm keeping a few here for next trip (but I'll always take more!)



The younger ones don't really understand the passage of time, but the older students do and they are asking us to postpone our return flight for a few days! Especially the Class 8 students who won't be here next year for school. It's sad but I told one girl that I knew no matter where she was she would do something great with her life as long as she trusts God to lead her. I see future leaders in these kids and it's exciting! I pray that you can see the difference you have made in their lives. Thank you for your continued support of these kids, Eldama Ravine and Mercy Child Foundation.

Back to school!

All the children (except Daniel who will begin school next year) at Mercy Child Foundation are back in school! 17 of the children were able to go to school for 1 term this year, the rest had not been in school all year because of lack of funds. Remember their school year is from January - December. They were so excited to go back to school! Don't they look smart!? Chuck met with the Head Master of the school (Koma Ranch Primary) and the school committe to negotiate the fees (not fees for school but fees for the building project). Plus we had to purchase desks for all the children at 500 KSH per desk. It's standard here for students to pay for their desk. They came to an understanding and the kids were able to go back to school on Thursday!

A new child was brought to Mercy last week. His name is Ben and he was found living on the streets of Nairobi with his older brother. They had fled their home in Eldoret from an abusive father. A well-wisher knew about Mercy Child Foundation and asked Pastor Wychera to take him in. The need for homes is so great and many children are living on the streets. Not just in Nairobi but everywhere in Kenya. This child is one reason we are always putting the needs on the website and blog. Using the funds we receive to help feed, shelter, educate and love one more child is our responsibility as children of God.

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40

Here is a classroom from the kids' school. (it's like a "where's Waldo/Chuck"!) They can have up to 50 children per classroom per teacher! But many of them have up to 70 kids in one class with one teacher. They sometimes sit three to a desk (except we bought our kids desks so they have one to themselves) and the desks are just lined in the classroom because there is no room. That's the reason for the building project - getting more classrooms. These are a few reasons we would love to find a way for the kids at Mercy to come to Nice View. They would get the attention they need since being out of school for so long. Please pray for the kids as they go back to school that they can adjust and learn quickly and not get frustrated.

I thought this was an interesting picture - young children using machete's to draw lines in the sand! Believe me, it's a completely different culture of what's an ordinary way of life!

With all the differences though children are still children no matter which continent. They are hungry and need food, they are naked and need clothing, they are uneducated and need education, they crave love and give it so freely. I was with a child today at Nice View who wrote a letter to her sponsor and I gave her a big hug from her sponsor (Aunt Alma she loved the hug!) And she was smilig so big and she kept saying how happy she was. It takes such a small amount of time and money to give a child this kind of happiness - the happiness of knowing someone cares for them and their future. Please consider sponsoring a child today. Your help is needed to bring happiness to one more child.

Spaghetti and smokies - YUM!

We brought the kids at Mercy spaghetti and smokies because Annastacia said they hadn't had them for over a year and they were missing them. When we arrived the next day they were eating spaghetti and smokies and everyone was happy. Annastacia told me she loved smokies so much that she could probably eat 10 in one sitting! The kids kept coming into her room to get another smokie and when there was only one left she put it on her plate to eat. But like any other mom Pius came in and asked for the last smokie. Without hesitation she gave him her smokie. It just reminded me that these are her children and she loves them very much. All the improvements (including this new water tank stand to accomodate 6000 liters of water!) have meant so much to her because it is helping her kids have a quality of life that they deserve. Thanks for any help you can give to Saved By God's Grace - may God bless you in all your endeavors.

"Smart" choo's!

The choo's (latrines) are finished at Mercy and the kids are very excited! They were telling us the choo's look smarter than their home! We told them to go polepole (slowly) and things would continue to get better for them. All of these improvements take cash and your help is needed to continue these projects. A few of the projects we have in mind are bringing electricity to the home, hooking up the indoor toilets and showers, expanding the building, getting the shamba (garden) going so they can feed themselves instead of buying vegetables, a new kitchen...there are so many things that can be done, but again, it all takes money. We aren't asking for luxuries, these are needs. They have been living here for one year under these conditions and to see the kids get so excited over toilets makes me sad that we aren't able to change everything right away. I know that God will take care of them, but I also know He works through people to help those less fortunate. Help us to show these children and those at Nice View and Eldama Ravine how much they are loved by their Creator and that He is faithful to their prayers.

Chatting it forward...

We had a lot to catch up on when we returned from Eldama Ravine and we spent some time looking over the new building. Chuck and Gideon are looking to the future for these kids - by providing them with healthy food, safe shelter, quality education and the knowledge they are loved and wanted here. The Class 8 students are using the new classroom and they are so proud! I asked them if anyone else was allowed in the room and they all shouted "No, just class 8 students!" You can see the excitement in their eyes and I thank God for giving them this opportunity to shine!

The weekends are always a neat time at the Academy because the kids are relaxed and playing outside. They do have study time on Saturday mornings until around 1pm, but after that it's playtime (at least until one of the adults tells them to take a bath!). I love just watching everyone play and go about their business. It's wonderful to see the changes in the kids since our last visit. They are looking toward the future. There is still a lot to do here and time is running short for us. We already have a "to-do" list for our next visit - Mungu akupenda (God willing). Please remember this minsitry in your prayers and we can always use donations to continue with these projects and many more!

Beanie Baby madness!

The Beanies have been a great success - thank you to all who dontated those cute critters! I feel a bit better by handing out those instead of sweets all the time. While we were staying with the Brooks' (thanks Kate and Johnny again for your hospitality!) we played a game with the Beanies and everyone received one. In Tala I had one little girl who cried when I tried to hand her a Beanie. Then the older kids saw that she was scared of it so they decided to run after her with them and scare her! I hope she eventually got over it so she could play with hers.

Again we were without electricity for a couple of days in which time my computer battery and phone battery both went dead. But that's life in Kenya and it reminds me that all around me people are living without running water or electricity on a daily basis. It makes me think of how we take those items for granted - we expect water to come out of the faucet, we expect the lights to turn on when we throw the switch, we expect the refrigerator to be full when we open it. Everytime I eat here I pray for those who have nothing to eat and ask that I be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's push to help. Please remember those who do not have in your prayer time and perhaps pray for God to show you a way to help.

Update from Eldama Ravine

I think this is pretty awesome - because really how often do people cross the equator?! Everytime we travel to Eldama Ravine we cross it going and coming back. I never checked the swirl of the water going down the drain though!

Here are some photos of the finished projects (these were started on our last visit). The new water tank, the new store (with food stored to last through November!), the functioning toilets and showers, the new covering for the dining tent (the old one was leaking all over), the new metal boxes for each child (per the request of the District Children's Officer) and the repairs of the existing buildings. They also ran water pipes and a faucet to the dish washing area, now the kids can wash their dishes and clothes without hauling water from the tank (here they are trying to get a drink!)

Wow, that's a lot of stuff happening! Praise God for His faithfulness to this orphanage. The kids here were asked by Francisca the other day "what don't you have?" They all answered "we have everything!" They are confident they will eat tomorrow and they aren't worried about where their meals are coming from. They are assured of a place to sleep. They have people who care about them and their welfare. They have everything! They humble me in their faith that God will continue to provide for them everyday. I had thought before this trip about how God's mighty hand would work in these orphanages, but He doesn't wave His hand and make things perfect. He is working through His people to make small changes in these kids' lives yet they are enormous gifts to them. To see their smiles when we show up and to see their tears when we leave shows me that even through language difficulties God's love shines through it all.

Please remember Eldama Ravine Children's Village in your prayers. Pray for the strength of the board to continue to keep the children's welfare a top priority, the health of the children and for the house mom and dad that they will continue to love the children and guide them in life with the help of the Holy Spirit.

I know that God told us at the beginning of this ministry to just tell people the needs and He would move hearts. By giving you the updates and the on-going project needs - I'm telling. Please prayerfully consider helping us in this mission to help the watoto (children) of Kenya.

Sorry so long for update!

Hello everyone. Sorry it's been awhile since my last entry. We've been quite busy with the second floor pour at Nice View, the latrines at Mercy and travel plans to Eldama Ravine. Plus our internet was having problems.

The second floor has been poured and it’s an exciting time for everyone. Watching the construction finish a little more and knowing the kids will have a beautiful new school to attend is wonderful and we thank God for His provision in this endeavor. The new desks arrived for the new classroom so it’s really beginning to look like a real classroom. The Class 8 students are anxious to do their testing in that room and begin a new year in Form 1 there.

The latrines at Mercy should be finished by the end of this week. The finished latrine is to be used by everyone until the six stall latrine is completed, then the water project will begin. We will be traveling to Eldama Ravine at the end of this week to see the progress there. Watch for those updates coming soon!

Please remember these projects all need funds to complete - consider a donation to Saved By God’s Grace to help.

I have started a fundraising project at Nice View, thanks to the idea of a supporter. I am joining each class and having them draw pictures that I can bring back to the states for various fundraising ideas (calendars, t-shirts, etc.). We have some good artists here and it’s going to be a difficult job narrowing the choices down. The kids have had a fun time so far and when I introduced the idea to them they all clapped. I think they liked the idea of getting out of studying for an hour.

Our days are drawing near when we will be leaving Kenya and there are so many things yet to be done. Your continued support is helping to complete the projects in progress and starting new projects as the need arises. Thank you for your help, support and prayers.

Another trip to Mercy today to check on the progress of the choo and it’s going very well as you can see. Yesterday we brought them meat for dinner and the kids were very happy and excited to have meat. Annastacia couldn’t remember the last time they had meat to eat, so they were blessed last night. Another blessing is the fact that no one at Mercy is falling seriously ill. We’ve had several kids and teachers at Nice View getting malaria, bronchitis and pneumonia. But God has kept His hand of protection on the Mercy children because they have no way of going to the doctor because of lack of transportation.

They all looked so happy today, the boys were outside playing a jumping game and the girls were inside washing the Barbie dolls we brought yesterday. It was like a typical day at home and that was an amazing sight to see here!

Work is beginning on the water project at Mercy, so hopefully by next week or so they will only need to pump water once a week (instead of three times). Plus we will look into putting a water line into the area of the building used for storing food and washing dishes, so they can wash dishes inside the building. Now the kids’ main concern is going to school. Which I think is great because they aren’t worried about if they’ll have food or if someone is concerned about their living conditions – those needs are being met and progress is seen at the facility. Fifteen of the children have missed this entire year so far (their school year starts in January and ends in December) due to lack of funds for school fees. We are looking into options for these children. One option is bringing the kids to Nice View for schooling. Please pray on where and how God would like this situation to proceed.

The pour for the second floor at Nice View has been postponed until probably Monday. Problems arose with the machine needed.

As I’m sitting here the doctari has arrived to check on some more students who have fallen ill. And a line of about 15 kids are ready to see him! Please pray for the health of everyone here and that God will put His healing hand on everyone.

More updates

Today we went to Mercy to see the progress on the choo (latrine). This is the old latrine that is being fixed so they can use this one while the "six seater" choo is being worked on. It’s going well, and again, the kids are seeing they are loved by the fact that someone is taking an interest in their lives. They also see that food is still there for them to eat, firewood is there to cook the food and today we brought toys for them to play with. They were so excited because they have NOTHING here to play with. Whenever we would visit them they would be sitting in front of the building – just sitting because there was nothing for them to play with. So we brought jump ropes, football, jacks, dolls, hula-hoop, trucks and baseball gloves and balls. They dug through the bag and went outside and played the entire time we were there (about three hours!) I felt so happy to see them so excited! Doesn’t a mom always smile when she sees her children enjoying themselves? And it was done with something as simple as a few toys. We also moved beds around but found we still need to get a bunk bed fixed so all the kids will have their own bed. Your support is helping to bring joy and a sense of worth to their lives. Please pray they see God's hand in their providence. God will continue to work here through the providence of His people, please pray over your involvement to help support these and many more projects (the new building at Nice View, the water project at Mercy just to name a few). We received some great news from Eldama Ravine. The equivalent of Child Welfare went to the facility and “graded” them. Their previous grade was only a 30% (out of 100%) because of lack of funds to upgrade the facility to the required level. But this time, about two weeks ago, they received a 98%! They were told the only reason they didn’t get 100% was because a couple of kids were still sharing beds (we bought more beds) and the kids didn’t have a “personal space” which is a metal box they can put their stuff in and lock (we bought those also). So the next time they should get 100%! How awesome is that!? This means that the facility meets the requirements and they (Eldama Ravine Children’s Village) are keeping the welfare of the children their top priority. It’s a blessing to be working with people who really care about the children and want what’s best for them and their future.



By the way, Chuck is getting a Kenyan drivers license! Pray he stays left on the road!

The pour for the second floor should begin on Saturday. It's very exciting here to see the building getting closer to completion. But it's not finished - meaning funds are still needed! Thanks for considering a donation. Please also pray for the health of the kids and staff, an outbreak of malaria has hit and many are sick with malaria and also coughing related to pneumonia/colds/bronchitis.