Oh, what fun!

Dennis, smiling
Originally uploaded by Boyznberry

Click on this picture of Dennis to see more photos of the ELI Children's Day celebration of last week.

This Friday has been declared a "Day of Love" at Kipkaren Children's Home. Community members have been encouraged to "adopt a child" and to come and visit the child as a family. Community members are also digging into their pockets to buy new shoes and clothes for all the kids.

Unfortunately, I will not be here on Friday to take photos of the events. Nevertheless, you can be assured that the children truly will be loved!

ELI Children's Day 2007

This day, judged by the kids' comments, was an enormous success! Kenyan grown-ups love speeches, but I had asked the kids what they wanted to do, and they said, "Play!" So we cut the speeches to the absolute minimum, and made as much time as possible for playing.

And did the kids play! There was volleyball, basketball, and football (soccer.) Though Ilula's teams easily defeated the younger Kipkaren team in the first two sports, they had to work hard for the champions' trophies of the day: Football Champions. Kipkaren has already vowed to go and bring back the trophies next year.

And the kids and staff alike already talking about having the next Kids' Day in Ilula. "Can the children pleasee spend the night here?" one girl was asking the director as they walked their friends to the bus. Of course, it wouldn't be possible. But the girl immediately decided that "Next year, when we go to Ilula, we'll have to spend the night."

The games were fun. The food was incredible! (We had slaughtered a VERY large bull for the occasion.) But I think the best was simply to see small groups of kids playing, or sitting in various spots around the Kipkaren campus, visiting. Some kids hardly left the hand of their new-found friends all day!

I wish I could be a fly on the wall the next few days as the children relive today. Many (two entire rooms) were literally up out of bed by 3 am today, simply too excited to sleep any longer. So they got dressed, clean their rooms, and waited for the bus to bring them. And with them already talking about the next time, I'm pretty sure they'll be falling asleep with smiles on their faces today, knowing that they all made new friends today.

McCright Girls: Overdue Update, At Last

habari! its sunday afternoon and this is the first time ive been able to contact for a while. my apologies. kelly and i are well. for the last few weeks i have been working at the clinic mostly, giving injections, mostly for malaria. I saw a patient yesterday that was suffering from a very serious form of malaria that attacks the cerebral spinal fluid and permanently disorients its victim.
so far about 4 cases of tb have been through the clinic this week.
i learned how to screen for hiv yesterday. it is commonly found when tb is present.
i assisted in the birthing of a beautiful baby girl yesterday,it was a complicated pregnancy their nurse, Magan and i were the only ones working, so when the the baby wasntpresenting properly and the m other quite pushing just after the head presented, magan was forced to manually push the baby out externally, and i had to gently pull out the little babe. it was crazy awesome. i hope to be involved in another soon. at least one baby is born in the clinic a week and its hatching season. speaking of chickens, i walked into a friends hut early this morning, only to find a chicken on chair just chillin out. it hopped off the chair and out of the hut, leaving behind an egg freshly laid right on that chair!! haha!
anyways, times going by fast, and kel n i are getting excited to see our stars and stripes, but still enjoying village life. we miss you all very much. love you all. xoxox allison joy felter mccright (chepkoech)

Kipkaren kids

I took individual shots of the Kipkaren children earlier this week and thought I'd take a fun group shot, too.

Olesya Boreyko: Thoughts on Culture

It's less than a week left for me here. So strange, I'm praying to value each moment. Yesterday Chelsey left - the other intern. I went to her good bye party. So sad to say good bye, and, though sometimes I really miss my comfort and communication I have in Kaliningrad with my family or in LCC with my friends, I know that this experience is changing my life forever. God is opening doors of new opportunities for me. He is showing me what He sees and feels while looking on these people and their struggles. And one cannot be ignorant once he or she saw Africa through the eyes of God. My life is a tool which God will use how He wants. And He wants to do so much for these people!

You know, I see my life now not like a combination of random events, but a goal-centered logical path where everything happens for a reason. My life is planned ahead for me by God. And it's not like I don't have a free will, but rather free to obey Him and come into complete satisfaction and happiness, or search for something till the rest of my life in the pursuit of things which don't matter in the long run. So, I am open to obey God, and do the work He planned for me. You know, we can do incredible things! We can change the world and give the glory to God!

Yes, I'm leaving in a week, but I'm taking Africa with me in my heart. And though I really enjoyed seeing animals on the safari, Africa is not about them. Like I've already said, Africa is people. I've been thinking a lot about our differences and simularities lately. Yes, I am and I will always remain a mzungu (white person). I guess i know how black guys feel back at LCC in Lithuania when everybody stares at them. Yes, people stare, and point fingers screaming mzungu sometimes. But there is more to it. I've heard a saying - God is colorblind. I wish we ourselves would forget about our colors and expectation of the society and community, but look on ourselves theough the eyes of God 'cause we are created according to His image.

There are many cultural issues I've been observing during my time here, one being how women are treated. It is astonishing. Yes, culture is on the first place in the lives of Kenyans. And to change their lives one would need to change his/her approach toward Kenyan culture. I could speak hours about that 'cause it's in my heart right now. But for us, I just wish we would not be ignorant of the world around us for now. It's a first step in a change that will take lifetime.

Chelsea Bentley: The End of the Beginning

It is so hard to believe that I only have two days left here in Ilula. I had to start saying my goodbyes Sunday in church, and my brief goodbye at the end of staff devotions today had me holding back tears. I am going to miss this place so much. It has absolutely become like a second home to me, and the people here have become my family. Though I am very much looking forward to seeing all my family and friends back home, I can't even imagine what life is going to be like without 50 smiling little Kenyan faces and hugs every morning and every night. And what will it be like to have something besides ugali almost every night for supper? I think I may actually miss ugali, and I know that I will miss drinking chai all the time!

The past week has been really wonderful. I have spent a lot of time just enjoying the company of my kids, and I have learned a lot from them. It is hard to believe that I have only known them for six weeks. The days of feeling like a complete stranger here are long gone - these children are my brothers and sisters now, and I absolutely love them, their parents and all of the staff here. I love laughing with them. I love dancing and singing with them. I love praying with them. I love talking with them. I love serving them. I love serving God with them. I love them!

God has taught me so much in the past six weeks, and above everything else, I think this journey has really cemented the desire and drive in my heart to spread the gospel and bring the hope of Jesus to those who have lost all hope in this life. I don't know exactly what shape this calling is going to take or where the path is going to lead me, but I know these six weeks were only the beginning of a lifetime of international cross-cultural ministry. I praise God for the beauty and the diversity that he has created all over this earth. While on safari this weekend, I was able to really see some of that beauty in nature, and I have seen even more of it every day in the hearts and the faces of the people of Kenya.

Click here to see more photos of the safari.

God has been so good to me, and I cannot praise him enough for the blessings I have received from him during my time in Kenya. I pray that he will continue to use me and mold me as I return to my "comfort zone" with a completely transformed outlook on the world around me. Bwana asifiwe!

Chelsea Bentley: Heartbroken and Hopeful

This week, I discovered what it really feels like when God breaks my heart for something or someone. I thought it had been broken for Africa and for the lost a long time ago, but this was a whole new experience. I met a family of four neighborhood children face-to-face for the first time on Friday, but Adele had told us all about them a week or so before that. If you want their full story, you can look at her blog. It brought me to tears just hearing about the conditions these little ones were living in, but they completely captured my heart after seeing them and interacting with them for just a few hours on Friday.
When Olesya and I went to take them their medicine on Saturday evening, we found only the two young boys in the house. The boys are only four years and eighteen months old, and they had been left alone in a dark house with the embers of an open cooking fire still glowing on the floor in the corner. As I was giving the boys their medicine, their father returned. He had been out looking for the two girls, whom he hadn't seen since he arrived home from work. We waited a few minutes at the house, hoping they would return, and when they didn't, we went back out onto the road and tried to look for them. Their dad went with us, and we asked neighbors and people we met on the road if they'd seen the girls. By the time we made it back to the ELI compound, there were still no signs of them.

I went to find Adele to tell her that the girls were missing and found her with the team and some of the staff as they were finishing supper and debriefing time with prayer. I tried to be respectful and join them in prayer, but I just broke down crying as my thoughts continued to dwell with the kids. Adele took me outside, and I told her that we couldn't find the girls. She said they were probably sleeping in a field somewhere, and it completely broke my heart. We prayed for them, and there was nothing more we could do. I felt completely helpless. I went and said goodnight to my kids, and when I returned to my room I continued praying for little Nancy and Joanna out there alone in the dark.

On Sunday morning, I was given the opportunity to dance in church. It was a dance that I had done many times before, but I have never felt so completely connected to it as I did on Sunday. I was nearly brought to tears as Ray Boltz' "Watch the Lamb" played and I danced and acted my way through the story. Thoughts of the kids were still laying heavy on my heart. Adele left in the middle of church to go get them. The girls were not home yet, but she brought the boys to church for the first time. Toward the end of the service, the girls showed up, and my heart was completely rejoicing.

Our kids from the children's home really reached out to all four of the children. One of the most incredible sights I have ever seen was that of a small group of our girls taking Joanna, the oldest girl, and washing her hands and feet for her. WOW! How much more like Jesus could they have possibly been in that moment? The children ate lunch with the team, then Alisa, Adele, and I took them home.

Yesterday, I took the kids their medicine in the morning. I was still quite a distance away from them on the road when I saw Nancy and Joanna sprinting toward me with wide open arms and huge smiles on their faces. I thank God for the joy and healing that he has brought into their lives in just a short time. I have learned so much from them, and God has really put them in a very special place in my heart. I hope and pray that someday I will come back to Ilula to find them completely healthy, educated, and, above all, loving Jesus. In the short time that I have left here, I intend to do all I can to be God's hands and feet in the lives of these little ones. God has brought me here "for such a time as this," and I intend to make the most of it for Him.

(For photos of these children, click here.)

I only have about a week left in Ilula. My kids and my house parents are already begging me to stay longer, and there is a big part of me that wishes I had the resources to do it. However, I know that God placed me here for this short time so that he could use me and teach me and mold me into the person he wants me to be. I have learned so much from the people here, and I pray that I have been able to bless them at least half as much as they have blessed me. I pray that God will continue to use me as the time speeds by and my departure from Kenya approaches. I pray that he will make me a blessing to the children here, to the staff, and to the community and that I will have an impact for Him that will last far beyond the brief time that I have been here.

Olesya Boreyko: Karibu - Welcome Home!

Karibu is welcome in Swahili. And indeed, the welcome K received here was the most warm, loving and amazing welcome I've ever received in my life. I've arrived in Kenya on Monday, and it's been a blessing for me since. Today is Friday - my day off, so i have an opportunity to go to the town and use Internet cafe.

I cannot describe all the emotions I have from the last several days. I feel like I'm watching a movie with me in it because it's still so surreal and unbelievable that I'm here in Africa working as an intern in Ilula children's home with 50 boys and girls.

I've arrived safely to Nairobi, though it was a hard trip with three plane rides and one car ride of seven hours. In total, I traveled for almost two days, and when I finally came to Eldoret, I was exhausted, but happy that I'm here at last.

The most amazing thing was the greeting I received in Ilula. When I came there in the evening, I was greeted by 100 children and staff of this home. They were lined up singing songs and greeting me. I went from child to child, shaking their hands and hearing over and over again - Welcome home! That was so surreal, it almost made me cry because I was so overwhelmed. Africa, as one of me friends here said, is not animals - it's people. And that is true indeed. People I've met here are the most friendly, warm and loving people I've ever seen. They welcomed me to their family from the first day. Every child is been a great blessing for me, and the house parents are the huge encouragement and example of faith and love and strength.

I pray that i would do everything God wants me to do here, and I would serve as a channel of His blessings for these people. So far, I have been the one who has received love and care, and who has learnt a great deal from these incredible people.

Chelsea Bentley: Joy, Love, and Peace

I usually write my blog entries on Fridays, but I just didn't know what to write about when it came to that time this past Friday. I had a wonderful week last week, but there was simply nothing stirring in my heart to write about. Now that a few more days have passed, I feel like I can write something meaningful.

Last week was full of all kinds of joys, and if I wasn't already in love with this place and these children, then last week certainly did it for me. The children and all of the people here are so loving and welcoming and such a joy to be around. I love working alongside them and even just being handed work to do for them, because I can see on their faces how grateful they are and how much God is using me to bless them.

I spent a good part of my time last week in the office organizing shelves and taking inventory of all the supplies. I also used some of the supplies that the APU team brought and some of the things that others had donated to make school kits for each of the children. I never dreamed I would sit on the floor of an office in Kenya surrounded by 1,000 crayons for 3 hours, but I did. And it was wonderful! The joy and awe on those children's faces when they opened up those bags and started pulling things out were worth every moment of the work that went into putting them together.

We said goodbye to the APU team on Friday morning and celebrated their time here with a big supper on Thursday night. It was wonderful to hear about all the work they had done and the little ways that they had blessed everyone. Personally, I was blessed by the simple fact of their presence, their smiles, and their constant encouragement. Thank you Zack, Diana, and the team for everything that you did. The kids are still talking about you guys and praying for you just like they said they would.

I got to work on some more dances with some of my kids on Saturday. I am teaching them some of our old ministry team mimes and dramas, and they really enjoy learning and laughing at me as I am teaching them. They love to dance, but their style of dancing is so much different from mine that everything I teach them strikes them as quite comical when they first see it. They seem to be having a lot of fun with all of it, and I am hoping that we will be able to take it "on the road" somehow before I leave here.

Sunday was an interesting day. I was feeling really homesick and discouraged after church for some reason, and I ended up just sitting in my room sobbing and telling God that I was ready to quit and go home. I don't really know what brought it all on, but Satan was really trying to keep me down. I slept for a few hours that afternoon and didn't return to the kids until devotion time. That was when God decided to remind me why I am here and why I can't go home yet. The kids were just singing and praising God, and since the parents weren't around, I was in charge. I let them sing for a while and watched them, and I saw them through my Jesus-eyes and loved them so much for the way they were freely praising God. Later that night, all the kids were singing together to welcome a visitor, and I was so blessed again by their joy and their unashamed, undeniable love for God. I have felt his presence by my side in such a real way since Sunday evening, and I know that he is guiding my every step and using my time here in a mighty way to bless the Kenyans and to teach me more than I could ever have learned at home.

Last night when I received word from my mother about a death in our family back home, I was sad, but God was with me. He was holding me up with his victorious hand, and he has continued to do so throughout my day today. I have so much peace in spite of the fact that Satan is using every trick in the book to try to distract and discourage me. This is such a peaceful place, even in the midst of raging thunderstorms, and God is using his people and his Spirit to teach me about that peace. I am not afraid, and I am not letting Satan's lies interfere with God's voice of truth. I have a peace that surpasses understanding, and I am resting in the knowledge that God, who has already won the war, is fighting every battle on my behalf.

Chelsea Bentley: Rain Down on Me

In church on Sunday, the APU team taught us this simple little song:
Holy Spirit rain down on me
Like the African rain
Rain down on me
I am thirsty; rain down on me
Like the African rain
Rain down on me

Thanks to the stormy weather we have had most of the week and the fact that the kids sing it all the time, I haven't been able to get that song out of my head. It is such a simple little chorus, and there have been several occasions this week when I have prayed those words and been so blessed by the Spirit of God.

I am learning to appreciate the simple things in life,especially all the things that we take for granted as Americans. Since we couldn't do much work outside in the pouring rain this week, I learned how to mend clothes and spent three days in the office with the sewing machine and huge piles of my kids' clothes. In America, most of the clothes that I was mending would just be thrown out or shoved in the back of a drawer somewhere, but when you are a child in Kenya who has only one drawer of clothing to begin with, it is a different story all together. I am not an experienced seamstress by any means, but to them it doesn't matter. As long as the holes are closed and the garment is wearable, they don't care what it looks like. These kids are so appreciative and consider themselves so blessed to have a single drawer full of clothes, three full meals each day, and a school where they can go and get a good education. They are teaching me so much about how blessed I am, and in turn how I should be thanking God by blessing those around me each day.

There are times when I wonder what kind of an impact I am really making for the Kingdom as I am ministering in a place where everybody already knows Jesus. Then I walk up to the house and have a whole group of children just waiting to give me a hug or a high-five or ask me "Will we dance today?" Jesus didn't just say, "Go and save people and then leave them to figure their faith out on their own." He said, "Go and make disciples," and that is the work that I am doing. God has already saved them, but he is using me to continue the work of turning these children into fully devoted disciples so that they can go out someday and do the same for others. I know that teaching them dance and drama is going to open up a whole new world of possibilities for ministry after I leave here, and I pray that God will take those possibilities and use them to make an impact in this community and beyond. "Holy Spirit, rain down on me and on these children like the African rain. Bless us so that we may be a blessing to others." That is my prayer for the next four weeks.

Ilula Intern: Karibu Nikole -Welcome Home!

It is so wonderful to be back in Ilula. Since I was last in Ilula in December 2005 my relationship with the Lord has deepened immensely. I now know what it is like to live every moment with God. That was a concept that the Kenyans had taught during my first trip and over the last year and a half I have worked hard figuring out how to live every moment with God in the western world. So I was excited when God led me back to the place where he first truly taught me what it is like to be with him all the time.

As I approached Ilula, the children were all lined up and singing their welcome song. At first I was a bit nervous that they didn’t remember me because they were so shy. However, after the numerous speeches and prayers, they all came running to me. “Nikole, do you remember my name? Do you remember when we played kickball? Remember when I chased you with grasshopper?” – They were delighted when I could answer their questions.

I sank right back into the life here. Getting up early to serve chai, peeling potatoes for lunch, napping in the afternoon, and devotions at night. Devotions are some of my favourite times: I call it "goosebump time." It is the most moving experience to have fifty African children singing at the top of their lungs in a small gazebo where the sound just echoes. I get goosebumps every time. The children can repeat memory verses by the dozen. They have the most amazing memories. Something that I strive to acquire.

God has given me a heart for the older girls. I see so much beauty in them. It’s an inner beauty that can only be achieved by God. His light just shines through them and I continue to pray that they grow up to be mighty women of God and the best they can be in Christ. I am excited to see what God has planned for their lives.

It is a known fact that white people don’t have nearly as much rhythm as Africans. Even if we are clapping on the beat, it still looks funny compared to the Africans. One night I was in one of the girls room and they were mimicking the way white people worship. It was hilarious because they hit it right on. They began to sing their own worship songs, singing and dancing all around the room. All of a sudden, one of the girls burst into tears. The Holy Spirit, in that moment, had touched her. It went from mimicking wazungu to actual worship. Thank you Lord for showing this girl how real you are and touching her heart in that moment. I walked home crying because I felt so blessed.

My journey has barely begun and I have already learned a lot about the Kenyan culture. I am thankful that God has given me a heart for this nation and I pray that I fulfill the mission that he has brought me to Kenya for.

Asante sana, Yesu!

Ilula Directors' Update | April 2007 (Exerpts)

Holiday School Vacation & Children Coaching
Children attended school for two weeks extra coaching with the rest of the children from the community from the senior classes. They were also able to help around the home by doing gardening, taking care of cows and did lots of chores on their compound.

We still have the problem of school bags. The children, parents and teachers have been praying for all the children to get school bags especially during this wet season of the year.

Over 40 children had their uniforms and shoes replaced because of size and aging.

Renovation of Parents’ Huts
Parents’ huts were renovated. Putting up ceiling boards and repainting was done. The parents and their children were extremely grateful and appreciated the work. The funds however are exhausted leaving one hut, David and Priscah’s ceiling in their hut not constructed nor repainting done. The prices of goods went up from last year’s budget we made.

Parents on Annual Leave
The 24 children of Philip and Ruth were taken care of by the assistant parent (Peris) and Nelson and Dorcas (in addition to caring for their own 26.) It was the first time we did that to cut the cost of having to hire an extra couple for the two weeks they were away. It worked well and the children were happy and disciplined though we do not know how it will be when they will be fully in adolescent stage.

Visitors
We had a group of 4 women including Professor Margaret Kamar from Moi University visit the children donating jackets to all the children including the biological children.

Jens Bergmann from Germany and Michael Maito made a one-day visit to the children’s home.

Some visitors from DRC Congo and Mumbai, India visited the children’s home while attending training at Ukweli Training Centre.

A team of 8 from California lead by Don Rogers visited the children’s home before and after going to Sudan.

Sunday School
The Sunday school teachers held an evaluation meeting and to talk about current and future challenges.

25th Wedding Anniversary
The children’s home directors Laban and Angelina Rono celebrated their silver jubilee anniversary in the month. It was well attended and a blessing to the couple, their children and all who attended. The kids, too, learned a lot from it as it was seen from them writing to their sponsors that their "grandpa and grandma" celebrated their anniversary.

Birthday Celebrations
A birthday celebration was organized by Adele and the house mothers for those kids who had their birthdays between January and April. They cut a cake and received cards. About 35 kids celebrated their birthdays by sharing a cake prepared by Mary and Ruth. We will be celebrating birthdays once a month for the children celebrating in each month.

Borehole
We are planning on digging a borehole on the orphanage property. The orphanage would benefit from having not to pay for city water for both irrigation and washing purposes.

Child Sponsorship and Letters
Some children received e-mails and some letters brought to them by Don Rogers. It was a month busy with writing lots of letters to be taken to the US by Don Rogers. Over 80 letters were written by children to sponsors. All the letters and email replies were taken back to the US office by Don. Three children received cards and gifts from their sponsors brought to them by Adele. They wrote thank you letters.

It’s great and motivating to see and read what the kids learn and share to their sponsors every time they write to them. They love sharing every simple thing they learn daily in their lives. It's amazing that most sponsors even know or have read about their kids’ teachers yet they haven’t met them.

Kitchen Garden
The kitchen garden is green with vegetables since the long rains have begun. The children from the western wing harvested sweet potatoes from their imitation vegetable beds behind their huts and they were happy for their as they copy and duplicate what is done at the training centre.

Ilula Guardians' Day 2007

In the words of Caroline, secretary of the children's home (and big sister to the kids)...

"Our third guardian's day was great. We had over 450 visitors who visited our children. We were very happy because most of the children who were not visited last year were visited this time round.

Collins and Diana who are with the Kosgey family have never been visited during guardian's day. They have been visited only once since they came to Ilula. We waited for their guardians and when it was about 3 in the afternoon, we despaired. Thank God because at about 4 o'clock they arrived. The guardians were welcomed with mixed feelings by their children. Diana cried so much on seeing her guardians especially her grandmother. All the other relatives who
accompanied her grandmother started crying when they saw her crying. It was actually a sad and happy moment that though it had taken them long to come, they showed up at such a time where most children get to be visited.

Apollo was another child who cried most of the day because his grandparents didn't show up. We didn't understand why because they have been the first to arrive during guardian's day. We had someone to represent his guardians and he was happy at last. We will share more about the function when you'll be back just wanted to highlight a few things to you."

Third Annual Guardians' Day

Today, grandparents, distant relatives, neighbors, or simply anyone who cared for the orphans at our Ilula Children's Home after the passing of the kid's parents, traveled to Ilula for the annual guardians' day celebration.

Unfortunately, I'm not yet home to cover the event. Someone had given the children's home a digital camera, so I hope to post some photos once I'm back in Ilula (right after Easter.)

For more on last year's event, click here.

Sudan Orphanage Update

Construction has begun of our newest childrens's home in Southern Sudan. Parents have been hired, and orphans are eagerly awaiting moving into new homes. All of the orphans at this facility were born during the war, and children have lost their parents to the war. These kids have this far spent their lives either on the run or in refugee camps.

A team is going to Sudan in April and will bring back some pictures.

During the construction of the school, additional classrooms will also be built at the adjacent school.

Please join us in praying that the construction is completed before the rains return.

Ilula Directors' Update | February 2007 (Exerpts)

Rift Valley Fever

• In January, there was a scare from Rift Valley Fever, a disease carried by cows. The government has things under control, but for safety, our children are still not given any beef.

New Vehicle

• A donor blessed us with the gift of a much-needed new vehicle for the children's home. The children sang songs of praise and dance with joy when the vehicle was donated.

Dairy and Kitchen Garden

• The dairy cow, Nokia, calved a healthy heifer that is giving us up to 25 litres of milk per day. Our children now drink 30 litres of milk per day.
• This month, we planted 6 varieties of banana trees as well as some avocado, orange and mango trees.

Visitors

• Michael and Emi visited us. This California couple took video clip and photos and did interviews with the children and staff.
• A team from a nearby orphanage came for a 2-day training on orphanage management and childcare. Their goal is to bring all their staff to our home for training.
• A nearby church group visited the children and brought two bags of maize. They talked to the children and prayed for them.
• We also had another group of visitors who are interested in starting an orphanage. They were impressed with the work God is doing in our midst and gave us a donation of Kshs. 2,000 for food to the kids.
• NewSong team visited from California. They had a great time with the kids and conducted training for the parents. We all appreciated their visit. The team brought mail from sponsors and took with them reply letters from the children to be mailed from the US office to individual sponsors.

Housekeeping

• We've had trouble with the roof of the gazebo on the east side. It's been leaking, causing the East Wing families to have to eat in our kitchen. Supporters sent a gift to replace the roof. The children are excited to be back in their own gazebo for meals and devotions.

School

• The children recently took their mid-term exams--their first exam in their new grades. They all did very well.

Spirituality

• The older children have been assisting parents with conducting evening devotions and leading songs in Sunday school classes. Some are able to share from Scripture and encourage others.
• Men’s fellowship is on Tuesdays. The orphanage mom’s prayer group still meets on Mondays, while Bible study meetings with assistant parents are done on Tuesdays. God is moving and blessing staff as well as the children.
  

Beautiful pictures of our kids

Photographers Michael and Emi Heddens recently visited Kenya and took breathtakingly beautiful pictures of our children.

Visit their blog to see some of their photos.

The kids continue stealing visitors' hearts

A team from NewSong Church in San Dimas, California, recently visited both of ELI's bases in Kenya. Here's an excerpt from their closing entry:

We are going to miss their infectious laughter and precious little smiles. Each night, Daren has led them in a few songs that they have come to enjoy... "Noah's Ark" and "Waddley Acha". We wish you could share in their sheer glee, as they laugh hysterically at the goofy faces and animal noises. It is impossible to escape the grasp of them stealing our hearts.

Ilula has shown us the success that the children's homes are having in raising up intelligent, beautiful kids who will undoubtedly impact the future of Kenya. Each child has a their individual dream according to their giftings... some desire to become a pilot, a nurse, a doctor, an engineer, a farmer, a politician, or some other wonderful career. We are confident they will succeed in reaching their goals. Even the young ones seem to know what they want to do and are making tremendous strides in that direction.

Read more about the NewSong team's experience.