Who are the Children?
The children are boys and girls, all accepted into the orphanage between the ages of 3 and 9. All but a few are full orphans. The majority have lost their parents to AIDS and its related illnesses.
Who are they now? They are bright, loving, happy kids who have maturity beyond their years because of what they have experienced in their short lives. They love singing, they love praying, they love playing. And their hearts and minds are being redeemed by the love and grace of their Heavenly Father.
Here are some of their beautiful faces and stories:
This is Luka. Now this little guy is a character! He’s always the first to come up to visitors, wanting to play. He came to the orphanage with his older brother in January 2005, after his mother died of AIDS in 2003 and then his father, also of AIDS, in 2004. Luka and his siblings were left under the care of their uncle, but he was already carrying a heavy burden. On the orphanage application, their uncle pleaded, “I humbly request for your assistance because I don’t have any income to support this child. Secondly, I have a big family of my own (8 children) and those of another deceased brother (6 children)”. This is the plight that AIDS forces many Kenyan families to face.
This is Beatrice. After her parents died, she began living with her extended family where she was mistreated. When she came to the orphanage, she was often found in tears, tormented by the memories. When she shared with her new parents, they began telling her of the love of Christ and the grace of forgiveness and how it could bring her peace. Several months later, the families and guardians of the children at the orphanage were invited for a visit. During the event, Beatrice’s guardian took her aside and asked for her forgiveness. Beatrice said, “I already forgave you.” Now her tears have stopped and Beatrice says she has peace—a peace that surpasses understanding.
This is Leonard, looking debonair in his school uniform. Leonard’s parents died of AIDS. Before coming to the orphanage, he was being cared for by his older brother. His younger brother, Emmanuel, is also with him in the orphanage. In a letter to his sponsor, he drew an airplane and wrote that he wants to be a pilot. Imagine how excited he was when we took the children for a field trip to the airport and he got to go into the cockpit of an airplane!
This is Ruth (affectionately called Ruthu). When she first arrived at the orphanage, she would NOT smile for her sponsorship photo and she was understandably afraid of her new surroundings. Even to get this picture, she had to be standing with her older sister, Susan.
This is Ruthu several months later at the opening and dedication day of the newly built playground. Talk about a turnaround! These days she is all smiles, full of laughter and fun.