Thursday, October 24, 2013

Meet Trina



Another new blessing has fallen into the care of Precious Kids Center. Meet Trina. 




She is four years old and was born with mild cerebral palsy. Only her right side is affected. She is an active, sassy little girl who is shy at first, but quickly warms up. It’s interesting the way that God works. I met Trina years ago on my third trip to Kitale. She was living with her father in an area of town called Kipsongo. So many people had told me about her case and it was never the right time to take her into the home until now. 

Trina’s father has been sick for a long time and is no longer able to give her the care that she needs. He had Tuberculosis of the spine years ago and it left him with some very severe spinal issues. He can't bend well and if he sits down he needs someone to pull him up into the standing position. He is getting weaker and it is hard for him to care for such an active little one. 
Trina and her father, Peter.
Her right hand has less strength than the left and is a little difficult for her to move. However, it doesn’t slow her down a bit. She works to use both hands which is great because she will continue to gain strength. The physical therapist at the house will be making her a splint for her hand to help it stay in the position that it needs to be in for her to continue improving and will continue doing therapy on her leg to ensure that her gait continues to improve. We had an extra leg splint at the house that is the perfect size and bought her a new pair of shoes that fit the splint perfectly. The splint is working great and helping her balance and gait improve.
The search for the perfect pair of shoes. 

She is fitting into the house great and loves having so many other kids around to play with. She is such a joyful little girl and we are blessed and excited to have her as a part of her group. Please keep her father, Peter in your prayers and pray that his health improves. Also pray for Trina to continue making a smooth adjustment to living at the house.
Trina and all of her new friends!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Back to Our Roots



In times when I feel like my house is too full or I have too much on my plate, God always finds a way to bring my focus back to him. He humbles me by showing me why I came here in the first place and brings children into my life that are living in situations harder than I could ever imagine. This week, I’ve been going around town with friends, focussing on doing day to day activities the way we did when I first came, going back to our roots. We’ve been going into areas where people rarely go to help and meeting new faces at every corner. Not knowing who we will find that day that will break our hearts and leave us not knowing what our next step will be. We take comfort in the fact that God put them in our paths for a reason and will show us the way forward. 

One new face we met this week was Japheth. We  got a call from his neighbor a couple weeks back and had so many other things going on that we never made it out there. Today we went to meet him. When we walked into the house we saw a cute, healthy 6 month old baby named Joy sitting with her father. Then we heard another child screaming behind a curtain in the living room. They brought him over to see us and we began to talk to the family. Japheth’s father recently married and had a new baby with his wife. He had previously been with another woman, who had Japheth and he left the baby with her. Japheth had been staying with the grandmother, who brought him to their house and left him when she heard that his father was now starting a new family and neglecting his old one. 

Here in Kenya life is difficult when you are a child living with your stepmother. The child from another mother is never treated the same as the other kids and always feels a little left out. When the child has a disability the situation is so much worse. We were asking the parents questions about things that any one should know about a child that they are living with and they couldn’t give us any answers. Japheth’s stepmother even threatened to leave her husband because they both have no idea how to handle him. The family is well off. They live in a nice house, with electricity and a television. Joy is well taken care of and Japheth is totally neglected and ignored. Japheth is malnourished and it is clear that he is not receiving the care he needs. He is three years old and does not walk or talk and is not receiving physical therapy. He stays on the bed, behind the curtain, hidden from the world all day and night. He is a sweet little boy who just wants to be loved like every child does. Please keep this sweet little boy in your prayers and pray that God shows us what our next step for him should be. 

Today we also met Samuel. His family lives in a slum area called Crossroads where we pass frequently. Today we felt a little tug on our hearts to slow down and say hi to them on our way home. His father sits at the corner everyday repairing people’s shoes to earn a few shillings to try to feed his family. 

He has three sons Kemboi, Patrick and Samuel. The older two boys are fairly healthy and were playing and running around with their friends. 
Patrick

Kemboi

Then we saw Samuel, sitting on a little piece of plastic next to his father. He is two and a half years old and doesn’t walk or talk. It doesn’t seem like he has any disability, but he is just so malnourished that he doesn’t have the strength or energy to place with the other kids. His legs are red and swollen so even if he could walk it would be painful. He doesn’t smile or show any emotion, but just sits and stares. 
Samuel

Once again I will say that God put this family in our path for a reason and He will show us the way forward. When we view things from our human perspective things seems impossible, but God’s perspective shows us all the possibilities and options that we have in and through Him. I know that God will continue His work that he started in our hearts and I pray that we will cling to him as we wait for his answers on how to help these two children who the world may overlook, but God holds them close.



Building Projects


On top of meeting so many new faces we also have some exciting building projects underway at the farm. We have built a temporary structure where we moved in a caretaker and his family to watch over the land as we prepare for construction projects to being. Richie is honest and dedicated to his work and is excited about having a place to stay. 




We would like to say thank you to Cody Fields for purchasing a cow for Precious Kids Center.Now we have milk coming to the kids house daily and don’t have to buy it in town. We are also hoping to breed her next year and get a little herd started. Richie named her Sofia and she already turns and looks when you call her name. We moved her out to the property this week and constructed a little area where she can stay at night and is let out to graze during the day. 
Sofia!


Augustus and Richie with Sofia.


Next week we will be constructing a gate on the property to make it more like a little compound. This way vehicles can pass through easily, but it will soon be secure and ready for us to start getting construction underway. We have been blessed and we are thankful for the funds that people are sending towards are construction projects and excited to see them get underway and getting closer to having a place for the kids to stay where they can have enough place to play and continue growing.