Surprise!

I'm home!  My Texas home, that is.  A surprise trip to America is not an easy thing to pull off.  My parents knew that I was coming home for our first "With Thanks and Giving" HCO Benefit Dinner next weekend, but they had NO idea I was coming home (to Midland) for Thanksgiving! 

I stayed in Kenya for the holidays last year and it definitely did not feel like the holidays to me! So this year....I'm home!!

I was home for my brother's first attempt at frying the Thanksgiving turkey.  And home for Grandma's traditional turkey.  And home to watch Kenan learn to carve the turkey.  And home to eat the turkey. 

 

 

And home for family time.  I had a great time with my mom's family on Thanksgiving Day.  Then, a little shopping on Friday before my mom and I joined my dad's family to watch my cousin perform in "A Christmas Carol" at Midland Community Theater.  (Great job, Ryan!)

I miss my babies terribly, but I am so happy to be home with family.  Thanks to everyone who helped pull of the surprise!

Kids Club Sunday

I haven't posted lately about the Bible Club.  It is going well and we love having the children come each week.  The past few weeks, we have had a few new boys join us.  They are the most intriguing little guys.  We have lots of cute kids come, but these three guys have totally captured my heart.  I didn't know anything about them, but I knew that their eyes just screamed out for love and attention, although there was still a flicker of light and hope in those same eyes. 

There is something that draws me to these three little guys.  Dadi, Toogo, and Julee.  They are so very needy, but not in a "needy" way.  I have sensed that there is a story behind them.  Today I learned their story.  In many ways, it is typical of many Kenyan children.  That does not make it any easier to hear when it is someone you know and care for.  

These boys' father left them last year.  Their mother was left alone with them and overwhelmed with the responsibility and not able to care for them.  Rather than abandoning them somewhere where a well-wisher might find them, she chose to drop them down a pit latrine.  Yes, a pit latrine. 

The oldest boy, Dadi, tells us that he was the first to be forced down the hole, too big for his mother to simply drop him down.  He also said that he told the little one not to cry and be heard but he did anyway.  That is how they were found.  They were then brought to the grandmother who lives just down our road.  

As these boys come to your mind, I would ask you to pray for them.  Their story is not uncommon in Kenya, but perhaps seeing their faces will be a reminder of the many hurting children here.  Please also pray for wisdom and discernment for me.  I face such circumstances regularly and need the Lord's guiadance in knowing how best to help.  We have several children with horrendous stories who come to our Bible Clube.  Please pray for all them.  They are truly precious in His site.

Friday's Favorites

My Favorite Faces....

that I will miss SO much when I go home for Christmas!

 

 

 

 

Picture Day - Take Two (or 3, or 12, 37)

Is it even possible to get a good group picture with 7 kids under the age of two???

It may not be possible to get a good picture, but it sure is entertaining!  (For some of us, anyway.)

  

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday (yeah, I'm a copycat)

 

 

 

Got Goats!!!

Finally, our long awaited goats are HERE!!  It has been quite an ordeal to actually GET them here.  With all these babies on formula, the goat milk will really help us.  The milk from these particular goats is very high quality, great for our small babies and HIV+. 

I'm SO excited to have goats at our place!

This was taken from my balcony as they were unloading the goats.

Mama Gracie Goat (already named) & her baby boy (not yet named)

 

 Ellie Goat (named affectionately after Karen Ellis & family)

Simon, one of our resident Maasai, is thoroughly enjoying having goats around.

 Thanks for all the prayers as we tried, waited, tried, waited and finally HAVE our goats with us!

Jesus Loves the Little Children

I was sitting in my living area this morning trying to do a little work in preparation for leaving HOH to go to America for the holidays.  If you know me at all, or have been here to work with me, you know I can be easily distracted. It seems as if the most common distraction is the babies.  Big surprise.

This morning, my door was cracked and I heard the sound of familiar music coming from downstairs.  Cedermont Kids.  Something different caught my ear as I heard some non-Cedermont kids singing along.  I went downstairs to find the older kids lined up watching a DVD and "Jesus Loves the Little Children" playing.  

Julia was singing right along and practicing her new skill of clapping.  So absolutely precious!

 I know I am too easily distracted from the "work" side of things, but I am so fortunate to be BLESSED by such beautiful distractions.

Here are a few more of this morning's "distractions." 

Friday's Favorite

One of my favorite moments this week was Elizabeth's physical therapy session yesterday.

She is making great progress! She does not always enjoy it, but I have no doubt that her hard work is paying off. Edmond, the PT at Heshima is doing a great job as well.

And the girls are home are working hard with her as well. They do her stretches daily and try to follow through with the home therpy program.  They all get so excited at even the little progress she makes.

I hope you can see the genuine care and concern on Irene's face as she consoles Lizzy during yesterday's session.

Lizzy is such a sweet little girl.  Please be praying for her future family. She so deserves to have a family who will love and care for her and nurture her as she becomes a strong, healthy little girl. 

Terry was a member of the Serv team that was here a little over a week ago.  She stayed behind to spend some time with us and a few of their other partner ministries. Here we are with all our adorable little ones!

Terry has been a huge blessing as we have done a lot of "little things" that I tend to put off. And selfishly, she has been such an encouragement to me...talking, working, helping me solve problems and make decisions.  It is so great to have people come who help me not feel so alone in this.
p.s. Steve - She has already filled my freezer with homemade soups! I am getting spoiled!