---

This week my husband and I celebrated our son’s second birthday. Daily he makes us smile and we are humbled at the responsibility of raising this little person. On my very first date with my husband I told him, “You need to know I don’t want to have any children. I want to adopt but not to produce my own”. He was cool with that since he had been adopted as a young boy.

One day after our wedding that motherly instinct kicked right through the doors of my heart and a rush of desire to have my own baby rushed in. I had mercy on my man and waited a whole day to tell him of this newfound longing. Upon hearing my joyous news he looked at me with eyes as wide as saucers and asked me, “Who are you and where is my wife?!”. Luckily his heart also held that desire and ten months later our baby was born in Kenya after an urgent taxi ride to the hospital.

I realize the responsibility and honor of being a parent. I work with many children that do not have a mother to tuck them in at night. Who do not have a parent that speaks words of wisdom or encouragement over them. Who long for a mom or dad that would take them out for ice cream for their birthday. Who would tell them to clean up their room or make sure they were doing their homework. Some of these kids have become the caretakers of their younger siblings once their parent’s passed away. Thus, my urgency to continue to help provide basic necessities for them through International Treasure House Ministries is ever increasing.

I have been blessed with being able to be a parent to our sweet Maggie in Kenya. Maggie’s parents died within a month of each other when she was little. She and her two sisters were separated and from that time until we met Maggie she was told she was a burden and useless in the family. After taking her in at 14 years of age and being able to send her to boarding school for her high school education we have seen this little, shy girl turn into a beautiful young lady. She will celebrate her 20^th birthday on May 1. She has graduated from high school with good grades and is applying to study at the University of Nairobi. Currently she volunteers teaching 2^nd grade at Spring Valley Academy, sings in the church choir, is a youth director and takes a computer class. She has been able to grow and flourish not only due to J and I being able to provide her a home and be a family to her but because of supporters of ITHM. Due to people that donate to our general fund there have been enough school fees to cover her education. (Thanks also for the Petty family sponsoring her for a couple of years!). She is only one of 8 girls that we sponsor. Thank you dear sponsors for improving the lives of these young ladies! Please keep them in your prayers as they face all the challenges that our kids here in the USA do, and more.

We are also celebrating the progress on the Talitha Koum rescue center. It was so great to be able to travel back to Kenya and walk in the halls of the ground floor that soon will become offices, a sewing room (where they will teach the high school girls how to sew), the medical clinic and storage room. The next floor’s construction has begun. Pastor Stanley and Alice are hoping to take girls in as soon as June. Thanks to all who donated towels and sheets and finances.

Pastor Stanley told me it is hard for them to choose which girls they will take as there are many desperate cases. One of his younger students recently told him that when her mom comes home she usually brings 2 men into the their one room home...one for the mom and one for the teenage daughter. Stanley wanted to go rescue those two girls that day but was not able to because as of yet, there is no place to take them.

Another teenage girl told of the atrocities of having to flee her home area after the last elections. She witnessed her uncle being murdered and a pastor being sliced open and his intestines and heart removed in front of a crowd. These are things that some people pay to go see on a movie screen. Not these kids…they have had to live through it. Alice wants to be able to assure this girl that she will never have to go back to that area by giving her a safe place to live.

I want to help give these kids a reason to celebrate! Together we can.

For Easter we were able to purchase trays of eggs from Into Abba’s Arms orphanage for Spring Valley Academy children. For $33 we were able to purchase these eggs, blessing Into Abba’s Arms with the money and blessing each of SVA’s children with an egg. One may think an egg is not a big deal. It is a big deal to receive something special on a holiday and for many of the kids an egg is a special treat.

As you go about life today and each day, look for your reasons to celebrate! Hot shower…reason to celebrate! Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks?? Reasons to celebrate! Love from a family member? Reason to celebrate. Privacy? Reason to celebrate! Relationships. Reasons to celebrate! Cash. Reason to celebrate! The fact that you are in the position to give to a non-profit and not in the position where you have to receive from a non-profit. Reason to celebrate! A relationship with Jesus? The Most Awesome reason to celebrate!

If you want to donate towards the rescue center where a lot of celebrations will take place, or towards our general fund which helps various people in need celebrate in different ways, please make your tax deductible check out to:

ITHM

23223 South Warmstone Way

Katy, TX 77494

THANK YOU!

---