The End of Our Term

We have reached the end of our term here in Kenya.  We will be flying out late Tuesday night, October 20th.  Nicole and I are going through a mix of emotions as we are preparing to leave.  We are very excited about seeing our family and friends as well as being in our own culture again.  I personally have been really craving pickles and pretzels.   But we are also leaving behind many friendships we have made with missionaries and Kenyans, and of course, we are leaving the babies at the Baby Center.  We have become so attached to them over the past 9 months.  Saying goodbye will be very hard.  There is so much that we will miss about Kenya: the beautiful animals, the inspirational stories of the missionaries, the smiles, laughs, and sayings of the kids, and the many adventures of Kenya, where you never know what exactly to expect.  I am sure we will never see guards in America carrying bows and arrows or a man walking in the city with about 20 chickens strapped upside-down on his shoulders selling them.  We feel so blessed to have been able to work at the Baby Center, and it has been a privilege to work beside many people who have dedicated their lives to being servants of God.  I am beginning to understand a little more fully what Jesus meant in his favorite phrase found throughout the gospels: “If you keep your life for yourself, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life.”  My wife and I came here to serve as best we could, but we have received so much more than we ever could have given.  As St. Francis of Assisi says truly in his famous prayer, “It is in giving that we receive.”  My wife and I have been blessed in more ways than we could ever have imagined, and we are grateful for all of our supporters who have made this experience possible through their generosity.  Thank you so much. ~ Jeremy

Before & After

One of my favorite parts about living and working at the orphanage is watching how the babies change so rapidly once they are here getting food and attention. Below are pictures of Jesse upon arrival to the Baby Center in March when he was almost 4 months old and weighing only 5 pounds.  Myself, our social worker, and another missionary picked him up from a hospital in Nakuru where he had been abandoned and awaiting a home since birth.

Jesse after 6 months at the Baby Center:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~Nicole

Triplets

Last week we got orphaned triplets here at the Baby Center. They are pretty darn cute.  There are 2 boys; Caleb and Benjamin, and 1 girl; Lydia. We are hoping to be able to find a home where they can stay together, but obviously taking on 3 infants is a pretty big task.  They are about 7 weeks old and are small but doing really well. ~Nicole