Update on Children and Request for Help

It's been a while because we were in Kenya from November 17, 2025 to January 16, 2026.  We had a great trip with challenges that God helped us to overcome and learn from and victories that touched our hearts hugely as we saw the love of Christ so clearly.  As we lived among these people, whose culture is so different, we learned many lessons and, not for the first time, struggled to try to understand their ways.  But God uses all of these things to make His word come alive, to grow us, and to show us His tender and unfailing love. The Bible verse that best describes our time in Kenya is:

Romans 12:15-18 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  Never be wise in your own sight.  Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all."  

There will be more stories on this trip that we are going to share little by little.

First, we would like you to meet the children we were sharing about before we left.  In the video, they are from L to R, John, Sammy, Mary, Grace, and Alice.  These kids stole my heart from the very first.  Their stories are heartbreaking.  They are grateful for the support and love that you have given them. There is definitely abuse that has occurred in their lives.  Each kid responds to it in a different way.  John is quiet but loving and a silly boy when the wazungus (white people)  are not watching.  Sammy is a hard worker and you can tell that he had to take care of all the children.  He commits himself to a job; he completes it and goes directly to something else that he sees needs to be done.  No one has to tell him.  Mary is reserved but quickly comes up for a hug and some reassurance.  Grace is a puzzle.  She will sit a distance from me and give me a big smile and wave with such passion but if I come close, she screams and runs away.  She still cannot understand my white skin.  Towards the end of the trip, she could force herself to hesitantly take a lollipop from my hand.  It was with GREAT trepidation, but the lollipop was worth it.  And Alice just desires love.  She will run from across the compound and throw herself in your arms.  She attaches herself to you until you leave and then when she sees you arrive the next time the scenario repeats itself.  The whole family gives John the credit for saving them because he was the one who would go out and beg or steal food after they were abandoned by their mother.  He would sometimes have to go to homes repeatedly and that is what alerted the villagers that the kids were staying on their own.   We want to thank the couple who sacrificed to help take in the kids for the last months of 2025.  Sammy, John, and Alice are in school.  Mary and Grace are at the center learning with the young children of the teenage moms. They are a part of our family now and we still need support to help them.  According to our vision and Lord willing, we will see these kids through their primary, secondary and then further education.  The commitment made in taking a child in is a long-term commitment. It requires much prayer and honesty in understanding the financial needs of each child.  We trust that God will provide.

Now for the help we need.

Things in Kenya are changing.  The government is establishing a community-based care program that may ultimately do away with Children's Homes.  We continue to communicate with the Children's Department in hope that their policies may change.   We are trying to earn the spot as the one Rescue Center in Laikipia County, Kenya who will be allowed to remain open.  God knows that in our hearts, we are quite rebellious against the government's new plan.   We see the plight of these kids first hand.  We know the lack of stable homes that can act as foster homes.  The level of poverty makes foster homes a hard thing to establish.   Add that to the fact that most women are single moms and a family that consists of a husband and wife is hard to find, the task of finding foster homes is near impossible.  So God, in His perfect way,  sent a visitor to our home early one morning.  She was a grandmother and while not elderly she was very poor.  She had four grandchildren who were somewhat abandoned to her care.  She told her story very carefully.  The mother of these children (her daughter) had passed away.  The father asked her to keep the children and promised he would  come for them.  He never has shown up.  The father is an alcoholic so the question of safety in his care is of utmost concern.  The children have been out of school and now school is opening and she was looking for help for them.  The one thing she said that stuck in my mind was this: "I love them.  I wish I could care for them, but I cannot. I can feed them, possibly, by doing casual labor jobs, but I cannot put them in school".  

Ken has always been adamant that we would never just pay school fees and leave these children to the fate of whatever life threw at them.  We must have relationship.  As I went, with a heavy heart, about my chores to get ready for the day, I kept hearing this woman's words and then the still small voice that I have learned not to ignore came forward.   This woman loves the children but feels like her hands are tied because she can't provide school for them.  We need relationship to assure that the children learn about Christ and His love and sacrifice for them. They need to know that there are dangers in the streets of their villages that they should avoid...dangers this grandmother will never share about because culturally it would not be right.  And the plan for the future within the guidelines of the government unfolded.  We can leave these children in their respective homes if they are loved and cared for.  We can have social workers go out and visit them and track their school achievements, their safety and their adherence to the requirements of our program.  We can have parenting classes that openly address the challenges children face in their local villages.  When the schools are closed, the children can be required to attend the discipleship programs at both the girls' and boys' buildings to learn about the Gospel and the challenges they face in their culture daily and how to respond to each in a safe and moral way.  I shared the idea with Ken and he liked it.  The staff liked it and the children's officer liked it.  But it came with some downfalls.  As mentioned above, we make a huge commitment when we take a child in.  A commitment of years of education, food, healthcare and clothing.  Even though these children would be in their families' homes, challenges will arise that must be taken care of.  So far, our numbers have been low and God has provided.  However, we still have to give serious thought before we make a commitment of that kind.  As the government has changed its way even into the school rules, we have had an influx of kids that need help.  We had a meeting on Saturday and we had to turn down two girls because we couldn't make the long-term commitment at this time.  Then God showed us again that He will provide.  No sooner had we hung up the phone with the Kenyan staff than my What'sApp messages statred flowing.  Our two directors, Florah and Patrick,  had taken it on themselves to try to provide funding for this year's education for the two girls.  Patrick has worked with the Hudumu (Government) Center he works at to hold a walk to raise money for their school fees and uniforms.  Florah is working with businesses to try to get them to donate the supplies the girls need to attend school.  This is the flier that they have put up all around to help with the cause:

This was one of those things that we just couldn't not do.  We had to help.  This is not a long-term commitment but helps these girls be in school for this year.  Time is of the essence as they are falling behind as they wait.   So we are sending this out to any of you who wish to help.  If you donate to Two Burning Candles and mark your donation for the support of Zipporah and Jane, the funds will go towards helping them attend school this year.  You may also wish to support Two Burning Candles on a regular basis so that we can take in more girls and boys long-term and commit to their future. At present there are 63 children that Promise Springs is responsible for.  Zipporah and Jane are the first ones on the waiting list.  The total cost listed on the flier comes to $918.29.  That covers their school fees and uniforms.  There are other needs for boarding school. The Kenyans are asking 1000 people to donate 100 shillings ($1) each.  That speaks to the level of poverty of the people they are requesting help from.  Let's make this our Valentine's Day project. Our goal is to raise half of the funds for this project and show the Kenyans that we are behind their efforts.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and your support.  May God bless each one of you as you remember us, the staff and the children of Promise Springs Rescue Center in your prayers.