We have learned that "hope" can be delivered and seen in lots of different ways. For some young men in a slum village close to where we live, hope has been provided in the form of Bicycle Taxis (or known locally as "Boda Bodas" ). As an early Christmas project, we were able to provide numerous bicycles to some eager young men. After having absolutely no employment options, these strong young men will be carrying passengers short distances and making up to $5 a day! Talk about excitment. :-}

Check out some pictures of the delivery of the new Bicycle Taxis

These are definately BIG days for the children that we support here in Kenya. November is the season of final exams for the grade 12 (form 4) and standard 8 (grade 8) students as they must take mandatory exams. I don't think you can overstate the importance of these exams as they simply dictate the direction that these students will go. One boy in particular, Stephen, is a young orphaned maasai that we have been able to support and meet both his physical needs and also be able to support his beginning of seconday school. Next week Stephen will write the KPSE (Kenyan Primary Standard Exam) and we are hoping and praying that he does well and will be able to attend a strong secondary school.

It has been an absolute joy to be able to help and support these students. You will be reading more about these students soon.

After nearly 18 months of waiting and diligent efforts in visiting the Kenya Power and Lighting Company, Pehucci Childrens home has a quality 3-phase electrical power source! It was truly an awesome experience to see the power "on" with working lights and outlets throughout the institution. You can only imagine the benefits this will bring to the lives of the kids who call this place "home" and to those who are day students. As Lucy, the Pehucci director, said to me "God is great, this brings the institution so far ahead in seeing the lives of the kids improved."

David, Lucy and all the staff passed along a warm “Asante Sena” (Thank you so much) for making this possible. It is a tremendous blessing to have people like you who care about the well-being of these children. The visit was also special as I was able to deliver and distribute some sports equipment and clothing that my dad was able to pick up in Canada. Thanks Dad!

You can see some pictures of the presentation ceremony by clicking on the "Power For Pehucci " scrapbook in the "Gallery" section of the website.
God Bless You.

We recently travelled to the Pehucci Childrens Home to deliver the first shipment of books for the secondary school. I wish you could have been there. We were able to deliver a couple of hundred textbooks covering the entire range of subjects. What was astounding to us is the level of excitement shown by the teachers! They were so grateful as they shared with us that up until today many had only one textbook for the entire class. For the student’s lessons, they would write out sections from the book on the chalkboard and had students simply copy them. One teacher, Mr. Kimani, shared that now he will be able to have his student’s research their own work. Even one hour after presenting the books, all the secondary school teachers were studying their new books and corresponding teachers guides.

David and all the staff passed along a warm “Asante Sena” (Thank you so much) for making this possible. Thank you so much for partnering with us, we can assure you that this relatively simple act has the potential to make a lasting difference in the lives of these children.

You can see some pictures of the presentation ceremony by clicking on the "Pehucci Education" scrapbook in the "Gallery" section of the website. A video will be available shortly.

God Bless You.

In Kenya, if there is anything that can provide hope from the grip of extreme poverty it is education. We have been seeing first-hand the benefits of this with the adult training project we/you are sponsoring for the community leaders in Maji Moto (rural Massai). To extend some assistance to families by providing additional school supplies for their
children would certainly be an unexpected gift/blessing to them. Although the need is great, even helping a few people will be so rewarding, especially to those few.

During the last 2 years, we have partnered with you, our friends, to make a difference in the lives of farmers in Maji Moto and construction of a cafeteria at Pehucci orphanage. This year, we are asking you to consider partnering with us in delivering educational materials for two schools; the school associated with the Pehucci Orphanage and a rural maasai school in Maji Moto. Both schools have well over 500 students, mostly from families who struggle to pay the nominal term/semester fees. What is remarkable is how the students share textbooks and school supplies, often 1 book for 10 students, if they have them at all. It would be awesome if we could provide some quality textbooks and miscellaneous school materials such that the children have all they need to achieve their best in school. The cost is so affordable too, both science and math texbooks cost approximately $8 each!

You would have loved being there. Last Saturday morning we delivered the finished tables and chairs for the cafeteria at the Pehucci Orphanage. The kids and leaders (David and Lucy) were so excited to see that project completed. We solicited the help of some strong young boys and were soon amazed how the new tables and chairs stretched and filled the entire area! Soon all the students came and they sat down and began to spontaneously sing and laugh and pound the tables in rythme to the songs. It gave me goosebumps!

Special thanks to Mark Nicholas, our missionary builder who managed the building project.

Thank You again to those who partnered with us to see this project completed. You have made a difference in the lives of those kids and they, and we, are so grateful. With the left over funding, we are pricing out the cost of a solar lighting system such that the kids can study and have power during the evenings. God Bless You!

We are excited about the launch of the building project at the Pehucci Orphanage. During the Christmas season we asked you, our friends and family, if you would be willing to partner with us in building a cement pad for the children of the orphanage. Your generosity was amazing! Not only are we able to build a cement pad, but also we will be building a roof and desks and chairs enough for all the children - an all-weather place for the children to sit down and eat their meals. Any remaining funds will also allow us to assist the orphanage in meeting the needs of the children. Awesome.

We have secured the help of a missionary builder who has already ordered equipment and supplies and we will be starting construction on February 6th. This coincides with the arrival of a short-term team from our home church who will be helping on the project. We looked forward to updating you with pictures and a video as the building progresses.

Thank You so much and God Bless You! We can assure you that your support towards this project will help to make a lasting difference in the lives of the children who call Pehucci home.

This Christmas we hope to better the living conditions for the children from “Pehucci Orphanage”. Pehucci is located about 45 minutes from Nairobi and is a combination school and orphanage. Currently there are 90 children who live on a permanent basis at the orphanage and live in very tight surroundings. There are approximately 60 beds for the 90 children. What is needed most is an upgrade to their kitchen and eating area. In the rainy season, the children walk from the dorm to the kitchen shack in thick mud. We hope to simply create a cement pad between the dorm and this area and, if funds allow, build a simple all-weather sun/rain covering over that entire area.

It really would be an awesome privilege for us to represent you, our friends and family, and see this project completed. We will make sure we provide ongoing updates and ensure your support is well managed. We have created a video (entitled “Christmas Project”) and a picture scrapbook (entitled “Christmas Project 2005”) both of which can be found at gallery section of this website and will give you a better idea of the project.

Please see our latest newsletter for more details. Have an awesome Christmas season!

Greetings! Nabaat Miir – this is the Somali greeting commonly used in the North-East of Kenya. My (Linda) travels over the last few months have seen a number of trips up to this region of Kenya, which is largely desert with temperatures between 35 to 40 degrees Celsius – very hot with more camels than I have even seen before!

I have been asked to help coordinate an initiative that brings nutritional support to People Living With HIV and AIDS (know as PLWHA) and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (known as OVCs) in this area. This involves training of hospital and health clinic staff, organizing relief food and looking at other ways to sustain this food (e.g. small scale agricultural and micro enterprise efforts). My most recent trip involved training agricultural extension officers in ‘Nutrition, Food Security and Care for those affected by HIV and AIDS’.

On a repeat field visit to a community that has been heavily impacted by HIV and AIDS, there are many vivid images. Sitting with community members and agricultural staff from the area, there is a noted absence of anyone that would be a young adult. The elders say ‘we have lost all of our young people’. Indeed that is the picture as we start to hear about how many grandmothers are caring on average for 3 orphans each as a result of their sons and daughters dying, of child headed homes and of adults caring for large groups of children as they care for their own children plus the orphans of their siblings.

Remember those who suffer from HIV/AIDS, they need your thoughts and prayers.

Asante Sena (A Big Thank You)! This week between Christmas and New Years we travelled to Maji Moto to distribute the seeds which you, our friends donated to help the Maasai people of Maji Moto. After purchasing 360 KG's of corn (maize) seed and 120 KG's of bean seed, we met with community leaders and distribue the seeds to needy farmilies/farmers.

We began to transfer the seeds from the larger bags to smaller ones ensuring that each held 2 KG's of bean seed. Here is a hint for you - NEVER pour chemical treated seeds inside a house! Needless to say, we fumed ourselves out of the house and transfered the remainder under the light of a propane gas lamp while enjoying a HUGE golden full moon off our right shoulders.

By 9:00 a.m. the next morning we had about 75 Maasai men around the front of the mission house waiting the receive the seeds. Before passing out the seeds, Linda spoke generally about the people from North America who had a heart to help the good people of Maji Moto. Linda thanked them for allowing us into their community and for being apart of the the Shamba (garden) projects. I (Rob) prayed for the people and asked God's blessing upon their homes, families and Shambas. As Pastor Stephen read each name, they came forward one-by-one to receive 4 KG's of Maize and 2KG's of bean for each family.

The Maasai men were so VERY thankful and it was truely humbling to be representing you to these families. A special thank you to all those who partnered with us in this initiative, we know that much good will come of it.

As a final note, as we were leaving Maji Moto the clouds were gathering and you could definately sense rain (God's blessing) in the air. For more pictures of the distribution, click here