AUGUST 2021

We spent most of August visiting friends in America. We visited Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. It was great to be able to connect with so many friends and was a brilliant holiday. Being able to fly to America and explore new places, while travel to and from the UK is still so limited, seemed a bit surreal at times. We feel very fortunate and are so grateful to have had the opportunity for a break.

We are now back in Kenya and having experienced all the comfort, conveniences and privileges that come with being in America we landed with a bit of bump! Post holidays blues are never fun but the contrast between here and there has only made that more difficult. Having had a break and fantastic holiday but still not having been 'home' has added to that. However, as the new term kicks off and routines return to normal we are readjusting to the rhythm of life here. The boys started school this week and they are both excited. The school, Rift Valley Academy, is around a 10 minute walk from where we live and is a Christian school that serves around 500 missionary children from across Africa, representing 30 nationalities and 80 mission organisations and churches. It follows the American system which means Jonah is now in 2nd Grade instead of Year 3. Caleb would be going in to Year 1 but instead has joined Kindergarten; not many children get to start school twice! 

Sean went back to work at Cornerstone Preparatory Academy last week. CPA is the school that is run by Naomi's Village. The school serves all of the orphans from the children's home who are of school age as well as children from the surrounding community. The pupils from the community must meet the criteria from the poverty assessment carried out by Naomi's Village social workers in order to gain a place. Only those who are most vulnerable and are least likely to be able to go to school otherwise can enrol at CPA. This week we received an email from one of the community outreach team who had gone to visit a pupil who had been absent. It was an encouraging reminder about why we are here. 

"We later prayed for the boy and wished him quick recovery as the mum testified of how she is so grateful and the fact that CPA has changed their lives and she has witnessed a great change in her kids, not just physically but also emotionally, academically and psychologically. She added that the ministry has helped her a lot since she lost her husband a long time ago."

The mission at CPA is to provide all that is necessary for every child so that they will grow up to be world-changers. It is in that context, in a community ravaged by generational poverty and children who are considered the 'least of these' that CPA is raising Kenya's leaders of tomorrow. In 1 Samuel 2: 8 it says "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honour."  AMEN.