JUNE 2025

As we begin to count down the days until the end of our time living full time here in Kenya, our hearts are drawn once again to Jesus’ words in the Great Commission:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19–20

Too often, we only hear the first part: “Go and make disciples.” And while gospel proclamation is absolutely vital, Jesus made it clear that discipleship goes further, it means teaching others to observe all that He has commanded. That brings us to the question: What did Jesus command? We find the answer in Matthew 22: 37–39: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. ”

Love God and love your neighbour. Jesus illustrates this idea of loving your neighbour in one of his most famous parables, the Good Samaritan. At the end of that parable, Jesus asks:

“Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10: 36–37.

From Isaiah’s call to “defend the cause of the fatherless” (Isaiah 1:17), to Paul’s charge in Galatians to “remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10), a key message of the bible, from beginning to end, is unmistakably clear: God’s people are called to show mercy and care for the vulnerable and those in need. 

Decades of research affirm that child sponsorship is not just an act of mercy, but it changes lives. A major study published in the Journal of Political Economy found that sponsored children are far more likely to complete school, find stable employment, and become leaders in their community. And over the last five years at Naomi’s Village we’ve seen this firsthand. We’ve watched children grow into young men and women full of hope, purpose, and faith, future leaders who will shape their communities. To have played even a small part in their journey and see the impact on these children who are educated, equipped, and empowered is hard to put into words. The holistic care and education they've received at Naomi’s Village and Cornerstone Preparatory Academy allows them not only to survive but to thrive. And now, as they head off to universities across Kenya and even the U.S., or join mission teams to other African nations and beyond, we see the fulfilment of the Great Commission: the next generation rising up to proclaim the gospel in both word and deed and serve their communities with the love of Christ.

In 2026, Naomi’s Village will celebrate 15 years since the opening of the Children’s Home, and 10 years since the launch of Cornerstone Preparatory Academy. Hundreds of lives and families have been transformed in that time, and we’re praying for hundreds more in the years to come. As we prepare to leave Kenya and move back to London, it is a joy to continue this work through Hope Begins and to remain a part of all that God is doing through Naomi’s Village.

We arrived in Kenya in 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic, and while we have witnessed countless lives changed by the power of the gospel and the fulfilment of the Great Commission over the last five years, we are only too aware that our lives have been changed too. We are so, so grateful to those of you that have stood with and partnered with us on this journey.  Asante sana.