Christopher's letter

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post. We left Missouri at noon on Saturday. Thanks Kevin and Pam for extending the invitation to stay another night. The morning conversation was great, hence us not leaving at 8am. We then drove straight thru to Oklahoma City to visit Florence, she is Gideon's (from Nice View Academy) sister. We had a late dinner with her around 10pm, stayed until about 1am then took off for home-Phoenix, Arizona. We arrived in Phoenix around 5pm Sunday night. I hope that explains why no posts the past few days!

But as I had mentioned before, here is a picture and part of a letter from Christopher at Mercy Child Foundation.

"I thank you for your help because with your help we are going well with education, we have our daily food, and we have good health...I have this chance to thank you for your help in my life. From that time up to now I see there is change in my life. You are blessings in my life. So with your support I am very far in my life. The God whom Israel were praying is one we are praying...We are praying for you everytime and I hope God had eared our prayer and we are waiting for super natural thing that you never see in you life...because our God is living God and will provide."

This letter shows how your support is helping and the faith Christopher has that God will continue to provide.

We recently sent funds over for food purchases and Christopher, along with all the children at Mercy, Nice View and Eldama Ravine, do not have to worry if they will be eating tomorrow, or going to school.

Please consider becoming a $12/month supporter through The Change Campaign. Our goal is 1000 people (as of this post we have 15 people signed up) at $12 a month which will allow us to continue providing food, education, medical attention and shelter for the three orphanages. It will also put us on the ground in Kenya so we can show them the love of God in action and put into motion some self-sustaining projects.

During our trip we had some great conversations and ideas brought to us and we are very excited to return to our family and friends in Kenya to begin implementation. We are waiting on God's timing but as Christopher said in his letter, "our God is living God and will provide."

For those of you who continue to support Saved By God's Grace-thank you! We know you sacrifice to ensure the kids in Kenya continue to survive, we thank you for that sacrifice. Because of you the Gospel of Jesus is being presented daily to the kids in Kenya as they eat, are clothed, being sheltered and receive medical attention.

How glorious our God is to meet the needs of the children through His people.

Struggles still continue

Talking to friends in Kenya today and it's always a mixed bag of emotions. Happy to hear their voices, sad to hear their stories, impatient to be there and thankful for the chance to encourage them.

Our friend Ruth is working from 4am until 9pm at a hotel. For clarification, a hotel in Tala means a restaurant. They open at 6am and serve small food items in the morning like mandazi, which are like donuts, and chai tea. Then they sell fish, chapati, ugali and other Kenyan foods in the afternoon and into the evening. Since food prices are so high they are struggling to buy the food and many people in the area are not working so they don't have many customers.

Ruth had malaria a few weeks back and is still weak from that, plus now she has the flu. But she doesn't have a choice to stay home, she must work to make what she can so she can afford to eat a little bit. Please keep her in your prayers for strength, providence and encouragement.


I also talked with Annastacia and, along with Ruth, I wanted to be sitting next to them talking. I want to be near them so we can pray together, talk and encourage each other.

Annastacia said the children are all doing well but they are missing smokies (sausages) and spaghetti! They haven't had any since we left in November of 2008. I told her we would see what we could do, but I reminded her that food prices are very high and we have to be good stewards of the provision God sends our way. He has been faithful in providing what's been needed to feed the children, however work on the school, search for a bus and other projects have been put on hold until funding is available.

Our prayer here at Saved By God's Grace is that The Change Campaign will bring that providence for Mercy, Eldama Ravine and Nice View not only for the basic necessities, projects to be completed and to be on-site longer but also so they can have smokies and spaghetti once in awhile.

Thought about doctors lately? I have...

When was the last time you went to the doctors? Did any of these cross your mind as you made the appointment - will I have any money to pay the doctor, will I have any money to pay for transport or will I have to walk there, will I have any money to pay for medicine if I need it?

These questions usually don't enter our thought process. Even for those of us who do not have health insurance, there are agencies, free clinics, etc. to help - you just have to find them. Or we have family who can help.

But for our friends and family in Kenya these are questions we have to ask each time someone gets sick at one of the orphanages. There are no agencies to help, no free clinics, no family to turn to because they are in the same situation.

The funds coming in to Saved By God's Grace is covering food costs (because of the famine situation and rising food prices), so sometimes those funds have to be stretched to cover other necessities, like medical attention. Many times our friends, Gideon and Pauline (Director of Nice View Academy in Tala, Kenya and his wife), will ask the doctor for a "favor" to see the children without being paid at the time. The doctor has met us, he knows us and knows that we will get him paid.

Right now Chuck is working with an organization to help one of our daughters, Madina, at Mercy Child Foundation in Kenya. She was diagnosed on our last visit with elephantiasis and we are in the process of getting that diagnosis confirmed and getting her treatment.

If your child were sick what would you do to get them help? Saved By God's Grace is working to get Madina the help she needs. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter.

Your support will help change the lives of these beautiful children.

A few Yeah God's!

Annastacia (house mom from Mercy) called today. Actually she "flashed" us - meaning she called us and hung up after the first ring. That means they want us to call them because it is cheaper to call from the US to Kenya than from Kenya to here.

She told me they are all doing well and getting ready to go back to school on Monday - yeah God!

Benjamin, who was sick recently, is better after getting the medication he needed - yeah God!

They planted maize, skuma (spinach like veggie) and beans at Mercy and Annastacia said they had "a lot of rains" - yeah God!

Annastacia is feeling better after receiving malaria medication and cream for an eye allergy - yeah God!

I thanked her for her on-going strength and faithfulness to God and to the children at Mercy. It brings me much comfort knowing she is there loving the children and letting them know it is God who brings them providence through Saved By God's Grace. I told her how very much we love her and the children, and I pray she sees that by our continued support.

Christopher asked me when we would be returning and I asked them to please pray with us so that God will show us when is the proper time for our return.

Annastacia said "I am very happy that you continue to care for us and have not forgotten us. I pray Jesus will meet your needs." A woman (she actually seems more my daughter) who has nothing but the love of Christ in her heart is praying for our needs to be met - it was a humbling prayer and I thank God for allowing me to be a part of Annastacia's life.

Please consider donating to Saved By God's Grace - may He meet your needs so you may help others through your abundance. Thank you for your support.