At the same time, reality has hit, the fact that I am really gone. Not forever, but for awhile. I miss all my Kenya peeps so much already! The boys and the babies.... the ladies and the aunties..... I miss them! I am so thankful to have a great staff and have a strong management support there to oversee things. Rebekah, our business manager is there, along with a wonderful missionary friend who is a huge support. She is a "missionary to the missionaries" in Nakuru and spends a few days each week at my baby house and with the leadership staff of HCO Kenya. Knowing they are there makes things much more bearable in being away.
Here are all "our people" the day I left.
Haven of Hope babies and aunties
We currently have 10 babies (Sam is hiding in the picture and we have added one more since I left) and a full time staff of five aunties (including full time cleaner and cook who cooks for staff and CH ladies as well). We have had 16 babies come in and out of HOH in the past year. Haven of Hope Baby Center is a busy place these days!
Cherished Handworks Ladies
We have eight widows/single mothers in our Cherished Handworks program. We have trained each of them in the trade skill of knitting and crocheting and now employ them full time. This is their only means of income and caring for their families. None of them had any job before entering our program and becoming part of our HCO family.
Our Boys
These are a special group of boys, aged 12-17 (with the exception of little brother Collins). These boys either lived on the streets or were floating around with extended family or well-wishers who would let them sleep in their homes from time to time. None of them had been in school in over a year, most longer. Now, they are all living in a garage room at my house, enrolled in school and enjoying every aspect of their new lives and opportunity.
God has truly blessed the ministry of HCO in the past six months! Though I miss my HCO Kenya family, I am so excited to be back in America and share what the Lord is doing! I pray that I have many opportunities to share the story of these amazing kids and women and allow new friends to be a part of it all!
3 comments:
missing them too but I hope this time away gives you the perspective you need :)
I MISS THEM SO MUCH! all of them. every SINGLE one of them. who is the woman behind eunice?? and DAVIN! i honestly had to look closely to figure out who she is with that hair! :)
can't wait to talk SOON! hopefully wednesday? soon! it is definitely needed.
Susan, that's Christine. We hired a full time cook because the ladies are now full time and eat lunch there. Too much for Julie/Suzy to do. Wow, so much tell! Yes, I will call tomorrow. It will be in the afternoon. We are leaving town to go visit my grandparents so I will call while driving there.
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