The call is being made...

Ok everyone we have a better idea of our schedule for our tour of The Change Campaign and we are asking for your help.

As you can see from our Calendar of Events we will be in Los Angeles, CA June 24, 25, 26 and 27. If you or someone you know would like us to present Saved By God's Grace along with The Change Campaign please contact our Executive Director, Chuck.

We will then be in Michigan for a couple of days before heading to New York City where we will be staying from July 4th - July 12th. Again, we will be happy to speak to any size group or if you'd like to have a fundraiser while we are in the area please contact Chuck and he will be happy to work with you on arranging the schedule.

After our stay in New York we will be traveling back to Arizona with possible stops in Georgia, Oklahoma and Florida. We would love to meet some of you in our travels and answer any questions you may have about this ministry.

Please help us spread the news of The Change Campaign so we can bring change to our Kenyan kids.

Last day at the Academy

These are sad photos for me because 1) they were taken our last day in Kenya (our first trip) and 2) my hair is way too short!

Since then my hair has grown out and we had another trip (at the end of 2008) to visit the kids at Nice View and meet the kids at Mercy and Eldama Ravine.

Our prayer is to get back to Kenya on a more permanent basis and The Change Campaign is one way of getting us back there. Please visit the website and prayerfully consider becoming a $12/month supporter.

Thank you and have a blessed weekend!

Printers and socks...

What these two have in common is how long it takes to fix/purchase each in Tala, Kenya.

As some of you may have noticed on my Twitter the printer was finally fixed at Nice View Academy in Tala, Kenya. This was in the works for about two weeks and I received word today that is was accomplished!

Getting the printer fixed took the efforts of Pauline (here with Gideon who is the Executive Director of Nice View Academy) calling people, having someone come to figure out what was wrong with it then fixing it. Needless to say it isn't as easy as taking it to the local office store.

We had the same issue with socks, uniforms, mattresses, sheets and so many other items that here we just run down to the local store and pick up these items in one stop.

We planned days in advance to head to Nairobi for these items. Then we had to make plans for them to be transported back to Tala where we have a storage room for the orphanages supplies.

We were able to buy the uniforms in one store (pictured) but we were in this store for about 6 hours - counting and recounting uniforms, making sure we had the right colors/sizes/amount! Their backpacks, however, were very expensive. So those had to be purchased at another store, then we had to go to another location for books, another for mattresses, another for sheets, etc. It made for a very long day and we usually only crossed off one or two items from our list. Meaning another 1 1/2 to two hour drive into Nairobi, finding our items, getting them back to Tala and then the three (possibly five hour drive if we get into a traffic jam) back home.

After our return home to the states we were brought to tears when we needed socks. We got into the car, headed down a few miles to the local store, drove the smooth/safe roads and bought a package of socks. We had just come from planning for days to buy socks and here it was so simple - taking just an hour or less.

Sometimes I feel like complaining when I need to get some milk or other item from the grocery store (it's too hot out/I'm comfortable/I just don't want to go out/I just want to get home etc.) but the Holy Spirit convicts me and reminds me of our brothers and sisters in Kenya who do not have that opportunity.

God's perfect timing!

Chuck received an email from Fransisca (Eldama Ravine Children's Village) and she said the children are all doing well. She says the children have returned back to school and are improving in their studies.

I was brought to tears however with the following:

"Please tell Tammy her children miss her soo much and any time they talk of her they shade tears of joy knowing though they dont have parent mothers God has given them a caring mother to fill the gap."

I want to be there so badly to talk with them, hug them and just be there with them, but we are waiting on God's timing. And, as usual, my reading today spoke to that issue directly! Galatians 4:4 says "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son..." Since God knew the perfect time to send His Son then I have to trust He knows the perfect time for us to return to Kenya.

The children in Kenya are also praying, "we are still praying for you about your coming the soonest." We thank you all for your support and prayers.

Saved By God's Grace is waiting and trusting in the Lord for His perfect timing - Amen!

Kenya is still Kenya

Chuck passed an article along to me that made me laugh but yet was so truthful and to the point I had to share a quote or two. The gentleman wrote this in 2001 but it still applies today!

" Kenya roads are just about the same. With the exception of worse Nairobi traffic jams, things are the same as 20 years ago. Matatus drive just as badly with just as many people hanging out the doors. Trucks drive just as badly and spew just as much black diesel smoke as they crawl up the hills."

and

"Kenya dust is still the same. After ten years in Canada, it is hard to recall just how pervasive the dust is around here. This fine volcanic dust gets everywhere. It is in houses, throughout cars, and coats anything in the vicinity of a road. There is no end to it! I'm continually amazed at the dirt around here.

This took me right back to Nairobi in a flash! I can see the people hanging out of the matatus (mini-van taxis), the traffic jams everywhere and the dirt and grim in the air.

Our trips to Nairobi were few and far between - we only went when we had to get supplies. Nairobi is about 36 miles away from Tala to the west but that trip could take up to two hours getting there and depending on the traffic jams up to five hours for the return trip!

It's not like running down to your local convenience store. Trips were planned out for days before hand to make sure we had everything we needed on the list. We had to plan for buying socks, uniforms, school supplies and many more items not available in the local villages.

Your funding helps make getting these supplies possible. Thank you for your donations and support.

Counting down the days!

Praise His Holy Name! Greetings everyone. The packing has started! Chucks mom and dad have been busy little beavers packing everything! Thank you Father for a loving and supportive family. We have 16 boxes packed so far and anticipate taking our entire allotment of 20 "packages". Chuck and I will have one luggage apiece and the rest are boxes filled to the 70lb limit with Bibles, books, clothes, medical supplies and an abacus! Please pray that all the packages arrive with us in Nairobi at the same time!


This last week will be a busy one. Our prayer is that it will continue to go smoothly and God will always be our focus even in the hecticness of preparation.



Please keep this mission trip in your prayers and all those who are being helped through God's Grace.

The Countdown Is On!

Praise God for His mercy and grace! He has been so gracious to us while we are preparing for this trip. Our house looks like a storage unit right now until we can get everything packed and ready to take with us on the 3rd. All the bibles have arrived, supplies have been bought and last minute details are being ironed out. I've had a couple of emails with Pauline, Gideons wife, and we are both very excited to finally meet each other face to face. We are sisters in Christ and it will be so wonderful to be with her and her family. What an exciting time too when I can finally meet the children at Nice View. I will be getting a photo of each child and posting those to the website along with any information I can obtain about the childrens birthplace, parents, etc. Plus I have approximately 60 hours of video tape available and I plan on starting that soon in order to have a video journal of our trip, from begininng to end! So keep an eye on our website (http://www.savedbygodsgrace.org/) for upcoming video.

We are putting our trust and faith in our Creator and we know that He is guiding our steps along the way of His path. Psalm 25:4 - "Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths.." Please continue to pray for this ministry and for everyone involved to always seek God's will and direction in our lives. I pray for God's blessings to be with you and your families.

"...whoever is kind to the needy honors God." Proverbs 14:31