God knows the desires of your heart.
For years, I have wanted to not only travel to Africa, but to also be able to do mission work there. Last month, I was blessed with the opportunity to do both alongside my husband.
We were fortunate to be able to stay with a friend of ours, Maureen, who happens to be a native of Kenya. Her family so lovingly opened up their home to us, located in a countryside village. After expressing our interest to get connected with a local orphanage during our stay, our friends immediately found one near their village and notified the orphanage that we would be coming to visit. From there, I began collecting donations. Not long after posting a message to several of my social network groups, I was being brought bags and bags of donations. Daniel and I were completely blown away by the number of people that reached out to us. We were given tons of clothes for all ages, shoes, belts, boys ties, girls hair bows, stuffed animals, books, blankets, toy cars, and even a money donation. The night before we left, I laid out all of the donations on our living room floor, and prayed for the kids as I folded little onesies, and stacked story books. We packed it all in our largest suitcase, and weighed it. It was at the heaviest weight that we were allowed. We flew out on Thanksgiving Day, and I thought of how fitting that was. I couldn't have imagined a better way to give thanks.
Our friends drove us out to the orphanage on our first full day in Kenya. It was located out on a luscious green farm full of banana trees, rows and rows of growing vegetables, a few roaming cows and chickens, and a small cinderblock house that housed the 26 orphans and the woman who had raised them all. Our van pulled up to the front of the house, and I felt the excitement wanting to burst out of me. "This is it." I thought. I had dreamed of doing this, and I was finally doing it. Daniel and I gave each other a huge smile, and laughed as kids started to run up to our van, looking through the windows. I opened the car door, and the kids stepped back and stared at us for a few minutes. "Hello!" I said as we exited the van. We quickly realized that this may be the first time they were seeing white people. They began to bashfully laugh and smile at each other. The owner of the orphanage came out of the house and excitedly hugged us and welcomed us in.
The owner told us that it was her and her late husband's dream to open their home to orphans, and after he had passed away, she continued on their dream. She explained that she is currently in the process of registering her home as an orphanage, and when asked if any of the children had ever been looked at for adoption, she said no. The children are surprisingly not up for adoption. After completing the orphanage registration, she plans to adopt all of the younger ones who are still considered eligible to be adopted. She explained that she had raised all of the children since they were infants, even the orphans she had there who were in their teens and twenties. She was the only mother they had ever known.
For years, I have wanted to not only travel to Africa, but to also be able to do mission work there. Last month, I was blessed with the opportunity to do both alongside my husband.
We were fortunate to be able to stay with a friend of ours, Maureen, who happens to be a native of Kenya. Her family so lovingly opened up their home to us, located in a countryside village. After expressing our interest to get connected with a local orphanage during our stay, our friends immediately found one near their village and notified the orphanage that we would be coming to visit. From there, I began collecting donations. Not long after posting a message to several of my social network groups, I was being brought bags and bags of donations. Daniel and I were completely blown away by the number of people that reached out to us. We were given tons of clothes for all ages, shoes, belts, boys ties, girls hair bows, stuffed animals, books, blankets, toy cars, and even a money donation. The night before we left, I laid out all of the donations on our living room floor, and prayed for the kids as I folded little onesies, and stacked story books. We packed it all in our largest suitcase, and weighed it. It was at the heaviest weight that we were allowed. We flew out on Thanksgiving Day, and I thought of how fitting that was. I couldn't have imagined a better way to give thanks.
Our friends drove us out to the orphanage on our first full day in Kenya. It was located out on a luscious green farm full of banana trees, rows and rows of growing vegetables, a few roaming cows and chickens, and a small cinderblock house that housed the 26 orphans and the woman who had raised them all. Our van pulled up to the front of the house, and I felt the excitement wanting to burst out of me. "This is it." I thought. I had dreamed of doing this, and I was finally doing it. Daniel and I gave each other a huge smile, and laughed as kids started to run up to our van, looking through the windows. I opened the car door, and the kids stepped back and stared at us for a few minutes. "Hello!" I said as we exited the van. We quickly realized that this may be the first time they were seeing white people. They began to bashfully laugh and smile at each other. The owner of the orphanage came out of the house and excitedly hugged us and welcomed us in.
The owner told us that it was her and her late husband's dream to open their home to orphans, and after he had passed away, she continued on their dream. She explained that she is currently in the process of registering her home as an orphanage, and when asked if any of the children had ever been looked at for adoption, she said no. The children are surprisingly not up for adoption. After completing the orphanage registration, she plans to adopt all of the younger ones who are still considered eligible to be adopted. She explained that she had raised all of the children since they were infants, even the orphans she had there who were in their teens and twenties. She was the only mother they had ever known.
The children began to filter into the large sitting room that we were in, and all piled onto the couch that was across from us. To break the barrier, Daniel and I went over and sat with them. They didn't speak very good English, so our friend Maureen helped by translating in Swahili. She told them our names, and they answered back with theirs. The kids told Maureen that Jordan was too difficult of a name, and that they would just call me "Jo".
Daniel began showing them pictures on his phone, and they immediately started leaning in, and hovering over him to see. Sitting next to me was a little girl who was covering her face with her hands. We were told that she was deaf and mute, and covered her face when new people came around. I rubbed her back and talked to her some, and she started to laugh while still hiding. After a while of talking, we got the kids to come outside with us to play some games in the yard. Daniel and I demonstrated how to play "Duck, Duck, Goose" and the kids laughed hysterically as we chased each other around the circle they had made. We spent a long time playing different games out in the yard, and exploring the land as the kids showed us around. We were introduced to the older kids who were outside cooking an authentic Kenyan lunch for us to enjoy later in the day.
I thought of the donations sitting in our suitcase in the back of the van, and grabbed a few of the books from inside. The kids sat with me in the grass as I read them stories. I know they probably didn't understand everything I read, but they listened intently and were mesmerized by the pictures.
Daniel began showing them pictures on his phone, and they immediately started leaning in, and hovering over him to see. Sitting next to me was a little girl who was covering her face with her hands. We were told that she was deaf and mute, and covered her face when new people came around. I rubbed her back and talked to her some, and she started to laugh while still hiding. After a while of talking, we got the kids to come outside with us to play some games in the yard. Daniel and I demonstrated how to play "Duck, Duck, Goose" and the kids laughed hysterically as we chased each other around the circle they had made. We spent a long time playing different games out in the yard, and exploring the land as the kids showed us around. We were introduced to the older kids who were outside cooking an authentic Kenyan lunch for us to enjoy later in the day.
I thought of the donations sitting in our suitcase in the back of the van, and grabbed a few of the books from inside. The kids sat with me in the grass as I read them stories. I know they probably didn't understand everything I read, but they listened intently and were mesmerized by the pictures.
Missing those little hands holding onto me as I read.
After reading a few stories, we decided to bring the large suitcase inside the sitting room, and show the owner of the orphanage and the kids all of the donations we had brought. They all excitedly gathered around the suitcase and the adults helped us sort out which clothes would fit each child. The children immediately began putting on their new clothes, right there in the sitting room. The boys started putting on the button-up shirts, the ties, pants and belts. The girls all put on clean shirts and shorts, and headbands with flowers and bows. We helped the little ones get into a new outfit, and handed out the stuffed animals and toy cars, showing them how they could race across the tile floor. It wasn't long after we started handing out the donations that the owner of the orphanage stopped us, and brought over one of the little boys. She told us that she's taught all of the children about the power of prayer, and that each child had been praying for something specific. She started pointing the children out and naming their prayers, and then put her hands on the little boy's shoulders and said, "And he has been praying for new clothes." He gave us a big smile. She told the children that we needed to take a minute to thank God for what He had provided for them. So, they all stopped what they were doing, bowed their heads, and the little boy said a prayer out loud thanking God for all of their new things.
After reading a few stories, we decided to bring the large suitcase inside the sitting room, and show the owner of the orphanage and the kids all of the donations we had brought. They all excitedly gathered around the suitcase and the adults helped us sort out which clothes would fit each child. The children immediately began putting on their new clothes, right there in the sitting room. The boys started putting on the button-up shirts, the ties, pants and belts. The girls all put on clean shirts and shorts, and headbands with flowers and bows. We helped the little ones get into a new outfit, and handed out the stuffed animals and toy cars, showing them how they could race across the tile floor. It wasn't long after we started handing out the donations that the owner of the orphanage stopped us, and brought over one of the little boys. She told us that she's taught all of the children about the power of prayer, and that each child had been praying for something specific. She started pointing the children out and naming their prayers, and then put her hands on the little boy's shoulders and said, "And he has been praying for new clothes." He gave us a big smile. She told the children that we needed to take a minute to thank God for what He had provided for them. So, they all stopped what they were doing, bowed their heads, and the little boy said a prayer out loud thanking God for all of their new things.
After each child had been dressed in new clothes and were excitedly playing with their toys, Daniel and I decided to go to the back of the house to see how lunch was being prepared. We were amazed at how all of the teens and young adults were working together, and seeing how the food was being cooked was so interesting. All of the vegetables they were cooking with had come from their garden, and they raised the chickens that they made fried chicken with, along with using the eggs they had produced. To snack on before the meal was ready, the older kids handed out plates of rice to the younger kids, and they all walked around happily in the yard as they ate their plate of rice. Daniel and I got to feed the littlest one and enjoy getting to hold her.
As lunch was brought out and set-up buffet style, all of the kids pulled up chairs and filled up the couches. The older ones went around with a pitcher of warm water and poured the water over our hands. The water landed in the large bowl we held our hands over. This was how each person cleaned their hands before eating. Once everyone was seated, the owner of the orphanage looked at us and thanked us for spending our day with them, and bringing all of the donations. She told us that she felt like we were angels sent to them as an answer to their prayers of having help for providing for their needs. Daniel and I told them how they had truly blessed us by allowing us to spend time with them, and we thanked them for sharing their lunch with us. One of the little kids volunteered to say the blessing for the food, and during his prayer, he also thanked God for Daniel and I coming to visit them. We all lined up to grab a plate of food. Everything was delicious! After lunch, one of the older girls led everyone in a beautiful worship song, and I felt so privileged to be witnessing this scene.
After lunch, the adults cleared the room and the teens and young adults wanted to sit with us and get their chance to talk, since they had been busy preparing lunch for most of the day. Daniel and I both pulled up a chair and faced them as they all sat on the couch together. They all spoke good English for the most part, but there were a few that were a little shy, so others would ask questions for the whole group. They asked us things like, what countries we both come from, where we live, why we came to Kenya, what we thought of Kenya so far, and how Daniel and I met. Daniel showed them a map on his phone of where the UAE is in relation to Kenya. We asked them to tell us what a normal day for them looked like, and what were some of their future goals. A few of them said they would like to go to America.
They told us that they were so thankful for what we had done for them, and for coming to visit them. We made sure we emphasized how blessed we felt to have been able to spend time with them, and witness their love for the Lord. We expressed our gratitude to them for preparing lunch for us, and then we all made our way outside to say our goodbyes.
We thanked the owner of the orphanage for allowing us to come visit and spend the day with them, and told her how amazed and happy we were at seeing how she has raised all of these children to love the Lord and be such caring and grateful individuals. We told her that more than gifts and donations from generous people, the gospel message is the biggest gift that these children could receive. That knowing Christ and having a relationship with Him is the most important thing she could teach them, and we're so thankful to know that she strongly believed that as well. It was refreshing to see her relieved reaction when we mentioned the 'gospel'. We also told her that we are so thankful for her heart. It's amazing to see how this one woman is raising all of these children and loving them like her own, not knowing how all of their needs will be met, but trusting that God will provide. She thanked us over and over for blessing them with the donations, and then she prayed for us.
Everyone was gathered in the front yard, waiting to say their goodbyes. We took a group picture, and then hugged each and every one of them tightly before we got back into the van.
"Goodbye Jo" I heard little voices say. We waved goodbye through the windows until we could no longer see them.
That one day left such a huge and lasting impression that I will always remember and hold very dear. An experience like that is one that changes you for the better. You view the world in a new, more loving way, because you've seen what abandonment, suffering, and struggling look like. But, you've also seen selfless love, unimaginable amounts of faith, and those who have so little, yet are so rich. They lived such a simple, quiet life, yet were so rich in love, compassion, thankfulness, and joy. They showed us what it meant to take care of your brothers and sisters in Christ, and what putting your complete trust in the Lord looks like. Daniel and I are incredibly thankful to have had this experience. It has left us forever changed and a lot more sensitive for those who are hurting and in need. It also made us see the importance of the ultimate gift of salvation that only Christ can give. We are so grateful for all of the donations we were able to bring with us. Thank you again to all who donated and helped bless this family.
We thanked the owner of the orphanage for allowing us to come visit and spend the day with them, and told her how amazed and happy we were at seeing how she has raised all of these children to love the Lord and be such caring and grateful individuals. We told her that more than gifts and donations from generous people, the gospel message is the biggest gift that these children could receive. That knowing Christ and having a relationship with Him is the most important thing she could teach them, and we're so thankful to know that she strongly believed that as well. It was refreshing to see her relieved reaction when we mentioned the 'gospel'. We also told her that we are so thankful for her heart. It's amazing to see how this one woman is raising all of these children and loving them like her own, not knowing how all of their needs will be met, but trusting that God will provide. She thanked us over and over for blessing them with the donations, and then she prayed for us.
Everyone was gathered in the front yard, waiting to say their goodbyes. We took a group picture, and then hugged each and every one of them tightly before we got back into the van.
"Goodbye Jo" I heard little voices say. We waved goodbye through the windows until we could no longer see them.
That one day left such a huge and lasting impression that I will always remember and hold very dear. An experience like that is one that changes you for the better. You view the world in a new, more loving way, because you've seen what abandonment, suffering, and struggling look like. But, you've also seen selfless love, unimaginable amounts of faith, and those who have so little, yet are so rich. They lived such a simple, quiet life, yet were so rich in love, compassion, thankfulness, and joy. They showed us what it meant to take care of your brothers and sisters in Christ, and what putting your complete trust in the Lord looks like. Daniel and I are incredibly thankful to have had this experience. It has left us forever changed and a lot more sensitive for those who are hurting and in need. It also made us see the importance of the ultimate gift of salvation that only Christ can give. We are so grateful for all of the donations we were able to bring with us. Thank you again to all who donated and helped bless this family.