Hope

I have had a very long, unvoluntary break from the internet due to typical Kenya power/phoneline-stealing crooks.  It was a break I had no idea I needed, but it feels great to be back.  I have so much to share, I can barely type fast enough or keep my thoughts straight.  God has been so sweet in his patience with our family as we transition and try to find our place here in Kitale.

To start, what I am constantly learning is that God is good-no matter what.  God’s pace is always perfect and I’m so thankful he chooses to use broken, dirty, imperfect people like me, like our family, to Glorify Himself through us.  I am humbled by all that we have been given here- the opportunity to live in a country that has such drastic contradictions of wealth and poverty, to share HOPE and Truth to the people of Kenya who so desperately need hope.

You remember me talking about Priscilla some time ago.  Priscilla has been in our lives since 2002, when I started sponsoring her, the first time I came to Kenya.  In 2003, my then-boyfriend, now-husband, met her and we knew after spending time in LTK that she would always hold a special place in our hearts.  Fast forward 10 years to today.  Priscilla is living with us along with her 2 yr old son, Daniel.  It’s been a beautiful picture unfolding.  Seeing her as a grown woman now, a mother, and not a child anymore.  She is a wonderful, responsible mom and a very hard worker.  She found a job 3 days after she moved to Kitale washing clothes at a local guesthouse.  She wakes up everyday and is out the door by 7am, happy as a lark, and returns home the same.  She loves Jesus with every fiber of her being and her joy is contagious.  Having her son, Daniel in our home has forced us to quickly learn basic Swahili.  He is a bubbly, snarky, sensative 2 yr old boy.  He loves his mom.  He loves cars, crayons, soccer balls, new clothes, and mud.  He fits right into our family and we have seen him grow leaps and bounds physically since being here.

Priscilla has a deep passion to reach out to the other single moms who live here.  Priscilla will be sharing some of her personal stories here in the near future, because she wants you to know what it is like to live in the slums in Nairobi, be a child who used to live on the streets and be a single mom in Kenya.  I took her to Kipsongo a couple of months ago to introduce her to Sarah, Selina, and Maximilla and Tabitha.  Her heart broke as it brought back many painful memories of what her childhood was like.  Through discipleship, prayer, and lots of time in God’s word, Priscilla has found healing and joy in many areas of her life that were so, so painful.

Priscilla has shown such grace and dignity and love to people she barely knows-such as Sarah, whom she met just weeks before her death, and attended Sarah’s funeral to ensure that she had a proper burial and all was well and nothing was taken advantage of.  Priscilla has always lived with the moto “give 1/2 away” and continues to give 1/2 of everything she earns away to someone less fortunate than her.

I could go on and on.  I cannot wait for you to get to know her more here.  She has many stories of healing and redemption that will bring you into rejoicing to see what God can do.

With God, ALL things are possible, even in your life.

Stay tuned!