Ch. 4-And the Rains Came Down

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With a sigh of relief the diligent Kenyan farmers look to the gray clouds looming overhead. Each drop of rain that falls to the ground bursts into a drop of hope that the soil may be saturated and the crops just may have a chance. People are hungry because the rains are late in coming and the crops are struggling. For some, rain is the determining factor as to whether the family will go to bed with satisfied bellies or gnawing hunger pains. So we all say, “Let it Rain!”

It has not only been raining outside but the blessings have been raining down on our hearts and homes. Due to generous people back home some funding has come in to help feed the 200 children of Spring Valley. A Bible study has provided a cow for HOREC’s 21 children, meaning they will have a fresh pail of milk each day. They are still in need of the $1,000 which will get them moved onto their own property. Once they move they can purchase the cow. Such a simple thing as having milk to drink can help a child not only physically but mentally. Only the poor of the poor do not get to drink the traditional tea and milk. When a child can have milk they know there are others worse off. Not having it is a reminder of just how poor they are. I find it such a foreign concept coming from the land flowing with milk, honey, coffee, tea, alcohol, Red Bull, fresh juice, boxed juice and anything else one wishes to have.

Into Abba’s Arms children and staff are doing well. We are blessed daily to watch our children and our garden growing before our eyes, to witness the progress on the baby dorm, and to be showered in the love of our 20 beautiful kids. We also were able to purchase a small piece of land on which we can extend our garden and grow more food.

Ruthie

We have been worried about our 3 yr. old Ruth due to the fact that her speech is progressing very slowly and because emotionally she has the ability to shut us out in an instant. Mama Jane (as we affectionately refer to our founder and the Mama of the project) came for a visit and when she went home she told her fiancée (now her husband) of Ruth’s issues. Ron started praying daily and diligently for Ruth and his prayers were like the clouds that forced the rains of healing to fall upon her. Within one week our distant Ruthie started being our little love bug. Watching the transformation that has been taking place within her is like watching winter turn into spring. She also got her hair done and we are pretty sure that as they weaved attitude in right along with her extensions. After 3 hours at the salon her peach fuzz was transformed into long pigtails that she proceeded to fling with a smile on her face. If she could talk clearly I am sure she would have been saying, “Watch out world, here I come!”

Along with the prayers and hair, she is making progress due to visiting an ear, nose and throat specialist. He found that her ear canals were completely blocked with hardened wax. As we have been treating her this week with special drops I believe her hearing is improving which in turn is helping her speech improve. Within the matter of 6 days her vocabulary has increased.

Ruthie is only one of the hundreds of children being helped by these programs established and supported by compassionate people with hearts of Gold. Each time you give to a ministry through your time, your finances and prayers you are showering these fertile fields of children, strengthening them and helping them grow to their potential. A fertile field is so much more beautiful than a field plagued with drought. I’ve seen those kids too and there is a world of difference between the two.

Baby Dorm

We were able to start purchasing some furniture for the baby dorm due to the generosity of Kentucky Christian University College students. We have to keep the furniture in storage until the dorm is further along but simply bringing the items to the site makes this vision so much more a reality. One year ago there was a piece of garden on the plot, today there sits a huge dorm in progress and in less than one year from now, if all goes well, there will be cries and giggles of more children finding the joy of having a home.

I visited another orphanage today that has 30 babies…she said daily they are asked to take more. There are babies that have been abandoned, whose parents have died and who are left needing a home. We are anxious to open!

“Suddenly”

Sometimes I sigh in delight and think to myself, “I love my life”. The other day was one of those days. I was going about my business running errands and suddenly I saw a posted add for used appliances. When I called I spoke to a lady who said they needed to get rid of the items quickly because they were moving. We arrived at their beautiful home and discovered that Eleanor, the wife, and her husband work for the Israeli embassy. Shahar, the husband, is the Deputy Ambassador and one of the funniest men I have ever met. I was thrilled to meet this couple but sad that I’ve met them one month before they move to the states. In the process of purchasing appliances we started talking about Into Abba’s Arms. He was very interested and suddenly decided he wants to introduce me to the Israeli Ambassador and his wife, as she is also involved in humanitarian work. He hopes to get some type of partnership going between IAA and the Israeli embassy as they often have humanitarian workers, artists, and health teachers travel to Kenya to volunteer.

Along with the appliances I got baskets of baby clothes and shoes. Ruth is pretty much set until age 5. This comes as a huge blessing as we gave away our entire surplus of clothes and shoes to the internally displaced peoples after the conflict. Keeping 20 kids in shoes and clothing is sometimes a stretch. We no longer can walk to our storage room and pick out something for the kids, however, as I saw yesterday (and see quite often), God always provides!

Another “suddenly” happened a few weeks back. I had a sponsor in the states ask me to find another girl that needed sponsorship to go to high school. As I was with Ruthie at the salon (Which is a tiny cement room, dimly lit with a very loud radio blaring Kikuyu music and many women’s fingers tirelessly braiding) and there was a young teenager there watching. Ann, one of our staff members told me that the girl’s name is Mary and that she is a relative to one of our children. I asked what she was doing and Ann told me “not much because she can’t go to school”. I was curious if she wanted to and Ann said, “Of course, but there are no school fees”. We gave Mary a ride home and along the way I asked her if she wanted to go to school. She looked at me shyly and stated her whole family wanted her to go but they just couldn’t afford it. I had a feeling my prayers of finding the right girl had just been answered. We turned off the main road down the dirt path back to her little wooden house to wait for her parents. We walked into their tiny shelter of dirt floors and basic stools on which to sit. Her three younger siblings were home and the eight year old backed up with WIDE eyes looking as if an alien had just walked through the front door…the alien being me, a white girl. She was peeling potatoes for dinner and stopped just long enough to attempt to shake my hand. The four children sat and stared as I asked questions and Ann translated. Ruthie walked around flipping her new hair trying to catch the dust particles floating in the rays of sun shining through the small window. The parents arrived and we talked and they were all smiles. Suddenly, here was a chance for their daughter to have a higher education (being high school), and a chance to have what they can not provide because someone’s heart in America was moved to make a difference. The father makes about $3 a day. Within three days Mary was enrolled and staying in boarding school.

If you want an idea of how grateful these girls are to get to go to school read the following letter from Ann. She is sponsored by a family in the states through ITHM:

"I am writing this letter to thank you for the way you have supported me in my education. I don’t know how I can but only to say thanks to you and may God bless in your life. You make my life to have hope because my life was hopeless. I didn’t see anything that can help me except education. I can’t be able to explain the joy that is in my life even I can’t be able to measure it. Thank you, May God bless you and be with you in your life. I can’t pay you but only God who can pay. I was crying day and night asking God to help me to join secondary school (high school). Thank you because God answered my prayer through you and you agreed to be used by God. May His blessings reach you. I will not forget until I die. Thank you! Thank you!...
I would also want to thank you for your courage and caring. I can’t explain how I am feeling because when my parents died I saw like I have left alone but now I have two parents and not only parents but parents who care and who are concerned with my life. Now I don’t see like I’m orphaned, I feel very protected. Thank you for providing me with everything I need and coming to persevere in my life. May God bless you and add you more and more. I am so happy because of you, I don’t see what I can say or what I can give you but God bless you because He is the one who can pay you."

Thanks again over and over and over to all who help us to help the less fortunate. Maybe someday you can come see the plentiful harvest that is being produced by the showers of blessings you rain down upon us!

Below is a list of needs. If you feel led to help with any please earmark your tax deductible check and send to:

ITHM
23223 S. WARMSTONE WAY
KATY, TEXAS 77494

1. HOREC-(see last blog): $1,000 to move into permanent home. 100 people chipping in $10 gets them a new home!

2. IAA-Baby dorm: Supplies for baby
Dryer-$439
Tiles for bathrooms, kitchen- any amount
General supplies- any amount

3. GUREC- 90 high school for children of the slums
$600- food and supplies for a week (That is only $6.66 to feed a kid for a week…$.95 a day!)

4. School fees: We often encounter teenagers that are sent home due to the fact that their parents can not cover a term of school
fees.
Any amount- one trimester runs from $150-$250
(Basically the cost of movie tickets for 20 people can keep a kid in school, or dinner and a movie for 10!)

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Photos

Cabbage
Our fertile garden at IAA

LAND!
Christine and workers standing on new plot of land.

Cheese!
Solomon and Ruthie's sweet smiles.

Big Kid's holiday
The kids came into Nairobi to hang out with Aunt Jen for a few days.

Our Little Boys
All the kid got their turn to come to the city. Our little boys got to go to a fun park and play with a friend.

Take Note Boys!
Gracie posted her sign on the bathroom doors:
Girls only, and sometimes boys. Close and flush after use! Use tissue well and never leave pee on the toilet seat.

Margaret and Ruth
Maggie came to visit from boarding school. She LOVES school and is so thankful for the priveledge to go.

Ann, Nelson and Grandmother
Sitting in the G'ma's house that has newspaper, wrapping paper and calendars as insulation to keep out the cold.

July 2007
Marking the plot for the baby dorm.

May 2008
Windows frames were recently put in.

Baby room
Still some more work to be done. Do we have any painters that would like to come?!

Comments

[Heather Urban]

Hey !
Hi, my name is Heather Urban. My uncle, John Davis, told me about your blog. I just graduated high school and my dream is to one day start an orphanage of my own in the Ukraine. Reading this is so inspiring to know that it can be done. Sometimes I always think that maybe my dreams are too big. I would love to know more about you. Like what made you decide to start an orphanage ? and did you go to college ? If so, what did you major in ? I'm planning on attending the University of New Mexico this fall to major in Elementary Education. But I'm still not really sure if that's the way I should go, since I what I really want to do is to have an orphanage. Please, email me back and tell me anything and everything about having your own orphanage !! ( [e-mail] ) Thanks ! -Heather