What exactly do we do??

I am often asked by people, "What do you do when you go to Kenya?", but I must first say that even when I travel by myself, it is not what "I" do, but rather what "we" do...

My family was first introduced to the children of the Virginia Home in March 2011, by our friend Tom Stickney, Executive Director of African Christian Outreach.  We gave some money while there for them to buy food.  Together with Tom, we quickly realized that giving money directly to the Virginia Home director was not a good idea.  Either through ignorance (and I mean just not knowing any better) or sketchy practices, the food distribution was sporadic and too quickly exhausted.  Food that should last the children for a month was gone in a week.  It really bothered me that these children were not eating everyday.  Tom came up with a budget, and for about $1500/month we could feed up to 150 kids and Virginia Home staff two meals per day plus pay the ACO staff to manage the operation.  This was definitely doable!  I could not stand to see and know that those kids were eating maybe once a week.  Tom was instrumental in getting the reluctant Virginia Home Director on board with our coming in and feeding the children.  I know it sounds crazy but Phillip, the Director, wasn't sure he wanted us to do that. In less than a year, Phillip has not only gotten on board with our presence there, but has embraced it!  Slowly, things are changing around the Virginia Home.  The children have all put on weight and there is now a bit of a sparkle in their eye.  Their grades have gone up as they are able to focus on schoolwork and not on hunger.  There are more teachers at the school now.  The teachers still don't get paid, but they work hard there for the two meals they get per day.  They now have a full time "Night Mum" that sleeps on property with them (they didn't have that before and stayed by themselves...).  I will post some before and after photos in a future blog post so you can see the difference in the children.

I have traveled back to Kenya four more times since that first trip and my main goal each time is to make sure that the children are in fact eating everyday.  It's just so hard to see that from a continent away.  While I am there I try to minister to the children through Bible Study and nurturing as well.  I feel confident in the Kenyan staff ACO has put in place to work with the Virginia Home:

Julius (top photo) is the liaison between ACO and the Virginia Home.  He visits the compound several times a week to oversee that things are running smoothly and also purchases the food each Monday for the week.  We can only buy a week's worth of food at a time so it's not exhausted too quickly.  Rosemary (bottom photo) works on the front line of the Virginia Home every day.  The children LOVE Rosemary!  She is like their mum.  Rosemary helps to prepare the food, bandages up wounds, settles squabbles and whatever other needs may arise on a given day.  The two of them have had to educate the cook at the Virginia Home on rationing and portioning of the food.  The children were literally eating too much at their meals and then not eating for many days because of poor planning.  We are so thankful to have Julius and Rosemary.  From time to time, we have glitches in the system due to language or just general differences in our cultures, but we sort it out.  

As you know, we have taken on a new project for the children: funding the school fees for the new high school (Form 1) students.  Julius and Rosemary have been crucial in this project as well.  It's hard to explain the Kenyan school system, but these kids basically had to find a high school to attend and they have all been accepted thanks to the help of Julius and Rosemary.  We have all but two of the kids sponsored for this year, but I know those two will be sponsored soon!  God will provide!

We have come SO far in just a year, but I look down that long road ahead and know there is so much more to do!  I can't walk away from that long road, it's a part of my life now.  I can only make the progress I can make (partnering with friends, family and of course ACO).  What's next?  My "wish list" is a mile long, but the items at the top would be as follows:

Breakfast (of more than just tea) to be provided

New Uniforms

Better school books

Cleaning up and repairing of the compound

Soccer balls and other items for daily physical activity

So there you have it.  That's basically what we do.  We modify it as needed and my brain seems to always be coming up with new dreams!  I think I wear Tom out with my ideas, but he and ACO have been real troopers!  So come along and dream with me!  :)

Drumroll please!

I told my friend, Terri Birchfield, that I would reveal the Form 1 student her family is sponsoring this weekend.  So, I will say again, "Drumroll please...."

Meet Gad Wesonga!

Gad is one of my favorites.  His name is pronounced "god" and admittedly at times you feel awkward calling him god, but it is his name.  Gad is very bright.  He's an extremely talented artist.  He also likes to dance and sing.  He's one cool kid!

While we've got that drum out, let's have one more drumroll, please....

This is Issah Ibrahaim

Issah is being sponsored by Roy and Ginger Battle.  Issah loves to read novels, they help him with his English.  He's also a very good soccer player.  Issah is sweet and funny.  He's not quite as comfortable with his English as some of the others, but he tries (I'm not very comfortable with my Swahili so I totally understand...)!  

So that leaves three more kiddos this year that still need sponsorship to go to high school.  I am hopeful these kids will get sponsorship for the next four years at $500 per year.  It is my hope, and the hope of ACO who I work with, that these kids will be able to complete high school, go on to University and upon completion of their schooling, will be in a position to give back to their country and help it restore to a better place.

Kim's Passion Ignited

I've told you about my friend, Kim Morris, who accompanied Harrison and me to Kenya in March...

Last fall, she was complaining about wanting to be passionate about her work.  So, being the good friend I am (ha, ha!) I put my thinking cap on and tried to figure out Kim's passion.  Isn't it nice to have friends like me?  I'm kidding!  Anyway, I have known Kim a long time and I knew she had always had an interest in owning a store, either with bed and bath linens or some other home decor items.  I also knew that she felt there was a need for a bakery in our town.  During my August trip to Kenya, I met some missionaries who were partially supported by a store called Back to Africa Store, based in Niceville, Florida.  I started thinking about Kim.  When I returned home, I approached her with my plan for her passion...again, ha, ha!  (Disclaimer**I love talking about Africa, but I try not to be annoying about it.  I usually wait until I'm asked!**) My proposal went something like this:  Kim, I think you should either consider opening a bakery in Coppell or an online store with eventually a storefront selling home decor items and give all of the profits to Africa, namely Kenya, and even more specific possibly the Virginia Home?

She dismissed the bakery idea fairly quickly, didn't really want that kind of responsibility and cost of an immediate storefront, but I could see a bit of spark regarding the online store.  I don't think it was a coincidence that she was planning a trip to see her grandmother the very next week to of all places...Niceville, Florida!  She visited the Back to Africa Store showroom while she was there, and talked with the nice and helpful ladies, and the spark was igniting!  Alas, within a month, the idea of The Burlap Heart was born!  

The Burlap Heart online store will go live next month.  Kim has selected items directly from Kenya as well as some handmade items from her own two talented hands (and the hands of some very talented friends) to feature at The Burlap Heart. She will be giving the profits to the Virginia Home in Nakuru, Kenya for such things as new uniforms, playground equipment, and who knows what else God has planned!  It's exciting!  She will be having an Open House, May 8th and 9th to showcase all of the wonderful items she has found (or have found her).  You should stop by!  

It's been fun watching her passion grow.  When I approached her in the fall, I didn't know what would happen.  I mean, I've been passionate about Kenya for over a year, but I know that it's not for everyone. Her love for home decor items was already there and the excitement of the online store was definitely fun, but Africa?  Why Africa?  She was intrigued because Africa was so important to me, so she decided she needed to check this place out.  She not only jumped right in with both feet, but she took the ball and ran with it, and SHE SCORED!  She came to me the other day with some exciting ideas for the Virginia Home in the next year.  Stay tuned for those!  She will be raising money for these ideas, but all of us really need to support The Burlap Heart (and get some cute new things in the process) because that is more money to help these precious faces:

For details to Kim's Open House, send me a message.  I'll be there for sure (I'm her best worker!) and we can talk about Africa if you want!  Incidentally, so many people have asked me two things this past year: How can I help and/or when can I go?  This summer, probably in July, we will hosting an evening to discuss both questions.  I am hopeful my friend, Tom Stickney of African Christian Outreach, will join us. Would love to see you there!  

Let's continue to watch Kim and her igniting passion together!  You go girl!

April Showers

Well, the Kenyan school children are on break in April, and I guess I chose to "break" with them!  I just realized it's been a couple of weeks since I posted on here.  That's too long, I'm sorry!  While the children are out of sight right now, they are really never out of my mind.  I think about them daily!  It could be their photo reminders all over my house, or their Facebook messages they send to me...the one thing I see in their faces and their words is that they do have hope now.  There are few things in this world more wonderful than seeing hope in children!

This is Everlyn Achieng

Everlyn is a Form 1 student who has been sponsored by the Tatum family (I am thrilled because we have three kiddos who have not yet been sponsored this year)!  When we first met Everlyn in March of 2011, she was so quiet and rarely smiled.  She had a lingering look of haunting sadness about her.  Look at her now!  She's grown into a beautiful young woman with a joyful smile.  There is definitely still a story behind those eyes, and maybe someday we'll know it.  She has started talking and interacting with us especially during our last visit.  I am so glad she is able to continue her education.  I can't wait to see what God has planned for this one!

The rains have come to Kenya.  Praise the Lord!  With the help of some sweet families who paid for water trucks to deliver water to the Virginia Home and now with the glorious rains, the water tanks are full (for now).  That means the children have plenty to drink, water for cooking and bathing, and a sparkle in their eye!

Let's talk about sustainability...how can we keep this wonderful "sparkle" going?  I rack my brain daily trying to come up with a solution or new ideas.  I would love to hear yours!

Have a GREAT weekend!  And appreciate the rain if it's coming your way! :)

He is Risen!

Today is Easter.  Today we celebrate the hope that Jesus has given us because He is risen!  Whether you are rich or poor,  educated or not, you can have hope.  Jesus has given all of us hope.  I have hope for Kenya.  I have hope for the Virginia Home in Nakuru, Kenya.  I have hope for Ann, Alvin, Ayleen, Brighton, Nehemiah, Paul...

My son Harrison arrived home from Kenya last night.  He has hope for Kenya.  He has amazing hope.  He feels hope for the "glue boys" we met who live on the streets of Kenya.  The glue boys deeply disturbed me, as they literally have bottles of glue hanging out of their nose or their mouths as they walk up and down the street asking for money.  No one seems to pay them much attention.  Admittedly, I had to look away from them.  But Harrison has begun to do research on them.  He has learned that it is mothers trying to feed their own children who supply the used industrial glue to these boys for about 10 shillings (less than a dime) a bottle.  One mother will supply about 30 boys a day...that makes my heart sick.  Harrison learned that peer pressure leads to many boys becoming glue boys or "street boys" as early as age 5.  He has learned that while we saw probably 5-6 regulars out in front of the cafe where we eat lunch daily, there is a street in Eldoret that has about 1000 of them lined up and down the street.  I am not sure what Harrison and God have in mind regarding these boys, but I do know that Harrison has hope for them.  I am very proud of him.  I will continue to pray for him and for them.  I hope that you will too!

I am sincerely moved by the number of people who have read my words and seen my photos of Kenya with appreciation and a desire to know more and help out.  Thank you for sharing my passion, and have a blessed and glorious Easter.

Brighton and Nehemiah

Well, my sleep is finally getting back on track.  I've been home five days and this morning I actually slept past 4:00 am.  Unfortunately my die hard "workout King" hubby set his alarm for 4:44 am so I didn't get to test out how long I could sleep.  That's okay, I admire his passion.

This is Brighton.  Brighton is a new friend of mine at the Virginia Home.  I don't know much about Brighton, except that he is sweet and has an awesome smile!  On the day we made lunch for the kids, Brighton tucked his Oreos and his Ginger "biscuits" in his shirt pocket.  While I was chatting with him I saw the bulge under his sweater, and joked about it with him.  He told me he was ready to "relax" after his big meal and I told him it looked like he was saving some of it for later in the day!  He just smiled big.  I'm not really sure when he finally ate that snack, but several times throughout the rest of the day,  I'd check on it and it was still there!  Each time he just smiled.  I look forward to spending more time with Brighton on my next visit.

This is Nehemiah.  Nehemiah is one of our "longest known" friends at the Virginia Home.  He is a family favorite.  My younger son Hudson met him the first day of our first visit to the Virginia Home.  Then he captured my daughter Hayley's heart with his eloquent prayers.  We were all drawn to Nehemiah with his charismatic personality and sweet spirit.  You would never know he was only 10 years old.  Nehemiah had a sister at the Virginia Home named Jemimah.  Jemimah always battled Alvin (I've posted a photo of him in an earlier blog post) for the #1 position in Class 8.  Jemimah is now at a boarding school in a town nearby.  Boarding schools typically are thought to give a child a better education.  I have been to Nehemiah's house and shared Arrowroot (which I did NOT like at all) and tea with his family.  They live in the slums near the Virginia Home.  Nehemiah is so bright, he could do anything he wants in life.  I truly believe that.  You want to know why?  Nehemiah has hope.  I can see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice.  Nehemiah has hope!

Home Bittersweet Home

Well, I am home now.  Still a little tired, but it was a relatively non-eventful journey (which was nice).  It's bittersweet because I miss the children and I miss the lifestyle in Kenya.  Sometimes my "American brain" gets frustrated with their laid back attitudes and the way Kenyans think about things, but I love how different it is there.  No TV, no "keeping up with the Joneses", no real hurry to be anyplace...it is so simple and refreshing.  There are many things that make me sad about Kenya: the poverty, the glue boys, the little half naked children standing in the streets, the children left by their families at places like the Virginia Home, etc. etc., but I feel calm there.  I feel at peace.

Here are a few random photos of some of the children I'll be blogging about over the next few weeks. Their little faces all have a story to tell, and I hope to be able to tell you a part of their story.

Paul

Mercy

Andrew

Dancan (Mercy's brother)

Stephen and Abraham (brothers)

Brighton (a new friend I met this time) and Nehemiah

There are many many more, and since I love to talk about Kenya, I hope to tell them all.  Although it's overwhelming at times, I do know my efforts are making a difference in some of their lives.  There is still so much more I want to do.  So much more.  I am thankful for so many wonderful family and friends who share in my joy and passion of Kenya through their time, money and prayers.

One last photo I have to include is of my friend Kim.  Her first (and hopefully not last) trip to Kenya was life changing.  She dove in head first and made a true impact on the kids and I think the expression on her face says they had a true impact on her as well.

Pray for my son Harrison who is still in Kenya this week.  While he won't be visiting the children, he will be visiting with some college students.