LOVE FROM MARY

Thank you to everyone at Discover the World who raised funds to provide fast relief for our broken water pump! With all 200 children at home during the general elections, a broken water pump would have been a crisis. With your generosity, we were able to not only fix the pump, but also stock up on dry cereals, maize, sugar, cooking oil and toiletries.

We are constantly amazed at the Lord’s protection of His children in Kenya and the endless generosities from you, the DTW donors!

MAY GOD CONTINUE TO POUR HIS BLESSINGS UPON YOU!!

Mary, Executive Director at Shelter Children Center

Friends of DTW, Jesse and Jay, are staying at Shelter Children’s Center in Ngong, Kenya to help out for awhile.

“We are doing great and enjoying our time out here in Ngong. I am sending a couple pictures for you guys. A few photos to show some of the progress of the foundation for the new boys’ bathrooms. They finished the foundation this past week. Another photo is of us on a hike where we went with the kids near the shelter. There is also a group shot of the volunteers preparing for a water fight yesterday we had with the kids for Kenya’s Independence Day. One of the volunteers rented some bounce houses for the day which was a lot of fun. I have a lot more pictures I can get to you when we get back. Hope everyone is doing well”

Jesse

The wonderful thing about visiting Obadiah (and all of our other sites) is that I walked in and felt like I was meeting up with old friends again, even though I had not met many of them before this trip. Even through his hardships and near-death experience with HIV, he never stopped smiling and seemed to bounce around his compound. I can’t think of a more perfect person created to care for and lift up these vulnerable children.

This was a different experience for me compared to the other homes simply based on the number of children. Many of our sites have fifty or more kids yet Kimplwas only has sixteen. The children were so eager to hang on to our hands and crawl into our laps, yet never fully warmed up to us or the camera. Not too many words were spoken by them! Yet it was such a simple, meaningful interaction. These children don’t care for words, only touch and love. I’m so grateful for the way this last day really snapped everything into perspective for me as I head home.

I want to thank each and every one of you for following along with our journey! I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed interacting with you while halfway around the globe! As we head into the craziness of this Christmas season, I was constantly reminded at each site of the true meaning of this time of year, it is a season of miracles. I know I am returning home, so excited to enjoy this time with my family and friends, and so thankful for this life that I have been blessed with. I hope each of you carry that sentiment into this season as well.

God bless and a very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you! See everyone back in the States!

Trish

It was astonishing to me to see the joy reflected on the faces of these children. Hearing their stories and the horrendous situations that they were rescued from is enough to damage a child for life. Yet all day smiling, laughing, joyous children surrounded us! There was one small girl who stood out to me today. Her name is Sylvia and she could not have been more than a year old. Her head was disfigured due to a malnourished mother while she was in utero. She did not speak a single word the entire time we were there, yet if she made eye contact with you and you smiled at her, she would break into a smile that lit up the room.

The other thing that struck me was the strong sense of family at each site. As I watched the men who run each site playing with the children, it made me think fondly of rough housing with my own father at that age. That type of relationship is so precious, especially for young children, yet is such a rarity for them. It warmed my heart to see these children being raised by loving and affectionate parents, such as my own. I know what an impact it has had on me growing up and I know how invaluable that will be for these kids.

It’s difficult to see and hear where these children come from and it’s very easy to get caught up in the distress and extreme sadness. Yet today reminded me of the bright light shining in the lives of these children. Each child that I saw today was secure in the unconditional love the directors lavish on them and so excited for the future, knowing that God has something better in store for them.

It was yet another amazing day in Africa, hopefully it is an amazing day for each of you as well! Tomorrow will be our final update of this trip before we head home to the States.

God Bless!

Trisha

The following photos and more posts are also on our Facebook page!

We arrived in the scenic Ngong Hills in the morning and were immediately greeted with hugs from the children and staff at Shelter Children’s Center. A home to almost 200 children. I thought I was a great hugger until I hugged Mama Mary today. If ever there were a physical expression of God’s love, her hug would be it. The joy emanating from Mary, her staff, and the children was infectious and indescribable. It amazes me how children who have never met you before are so willing to jump in your arms; yet another reminder of their burning desire to simply be loved. We began the day with a tour of the facilities; the staff was very amused when we got to the rabbit coops and I was alarmed that they were food instead of pets. I guess that’s one sign you’re no longer at home in the States!

The children opened up my heart in ways that I didn’t think were possible and I found myself doing everything in my power to hold back the tears for most of the day. We handed out gifts from many of our generous donors, and the children were so beyond thrilled that they ran out of the room, changed into their new outfits and immediately ran back in and requested a picture to send back to you all. One of the girls who is in university came up and asked for me to record a video of her singing a song to everyone. We walked over to a quiet corner and to my surprise, she began an awe-inspiring rendition of “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban, dedicated to her family and sponsor. Again, I struggled to hold the camera still as I teared up.

One of my favorite moments of the day was connecting with the many children. So many of the younger kids seek you out and simply want to be held. It took me back to six years ago when a two-year old boy who could not speak English placed himself in my lap and wrapped my arms around him, there were no words needed in that situation. Two of our young girls today, who are newly sponsored, sought me out and declared that we were now buddies. I have never been more excited to have new friends.

Kenya and its inhabitants never cease to amaze me and put my life in perspective. I’ve been so honored to have represented each of our faithful donors the last couple of days at Shepherd’s Home and Sheltered Children’s Center, yet am very much looking forward to a respite this weekend! We move Sunday to Eldoret and will begin visiting our projects on Monday with a visit to the Tumaini Drop-In Center for the street children and a tour of the slums. We will continue to update you with stories and photos!

All my best,

Trisha

The following photos and more posts are also on our Facebook page!

]]> http://discovertheworld.org/day-2-mama-mary/feed/ 0 http://discovertheworld.org/we-are-in-kenya/ http://discovertheworld.org/we-are-in-kenya/#comments Fri, 30 Nov 2012 07:45:53 +0000 admin http://discovertheworld.org/?p=3524 Continue Reading]]> After 20 hours of flying we have finally arrived in Kenya! We are completely exhausted yet beyond thrilled to be here with the children. Thank you so much for all of your prayers that guided us here, as well as, the many gifts that were dropped off before we left!

Today started with a threat of rainstorms but turned into a gorgeous, sunny day. We hit the ground running at Shepherd’s Academy by visiting with the girls and boys who have suddenly morphed into thriving young adults. It is astonishing to see how much they have grown over the past ten years, truly a testament to your dedication and God’s amazing will. Being back at the Shepherd’s Academy brought back all of the memories of my first trip there six years ago; it was such a treat to see the rooms that we had painted and worked on years ago.

We had the great fortune of being present for the annual Christmas Luncheon. You have never seen so much excitement, joy, singing and dancing in a single room before! All of the children came up to us to make sure that we passed their blessings, prayers and love to you. It never ceases to amaze me how grateful these children are in spite of their difficult upbringings. The one prayer request that we heard today was about Mac and Nelly Kiiru. Unfortunately, Nelly has been admitted to the hospital with very high blood pressure and partially blocked coronary arteries. We ask that you all join us in keeping Nelly, Mac and their family in our prayers as they weather this difficult situation.

Please enjoy a handful of the many pictures that we took today! We treasured our time with the students who had not yet left the academy for the Christmas break. It was so special to see our flagship site and its children doing so well today! Tomorrow morning we are headed out to Mary’s Sheltered Children’s Home in Ngong. Stay tuned for more pictures and updates then!

Many blessings on you all!

Trisha Ashford, Donor Services Manager

The following photos and more posts are also on our Facebook page!

Today started with a threat of rainstorms but turned into a gorgeous, sunny day. We hit the ground running at Shepherd’s Academy by visiting with the girls and boys who have suddenly morphed into thriving young adults. It is astonishing to see how much they have grown over the past ten years, truly a testament to your dedication and God’s amazing will. Being back at the Shepherd’s Academy brought back all of the memories of my first trip there six years ago; it was such a treat to see the rooms that we had painted and worked on years ago.

We had the great fortune of being present for the annual Christmas Luncheon. You have never seen so much excitement, joy, singing and dancing in a single room before! All of the children came up to us to make sure that we passed their blessings, prayers and love to you. It never ceases to amaze me how grateful these children are in spite of their difficult upbringings. The one prayer request that we heard today was about Mac and Nelly Kiiru. Unfortunately, Nelly has been admitted to the hospital with very high blood pressure and partially blocked coronary arteries. We ask that you all join us in keeping Nelly, Mac and their family in our prayers as they weather this difficult situation.

Please enjoy a handful of the many pictures that we took today! We treasured our time with the students who had not yet left the academy for the Christmas break. It was so special to see our flagship site and its children doing so well today! Tomorrow morning we are headed out to Mary’s Sheltered Children’s Home in Ngong. Stay tuned for more pictures and updates then!

Many blessings on you all!

Trisha Ashford, Donor Services Manager

The following photos and more posts are also on our Facebook page!