Why Now?

I've been asked to explain all the updates we are doing and why it is necessary now. Currently we are trying to feed our village while at the same time do necessary projects around Mercy Home and Mercy Christian Academy. Having a full time ministry means there will always be needs, repairs and for me, hopes and dreams; big hopes and dreams!

Sneak peak at a DREAM of mine! 😍

One of the main reasons we are doing so many projects right now is because they NEED to be done and that is the simple answer. We have a list forever long of things that need to be done and things that we want to get done. Over the past few weeks I've been watching my Facebook friends knockout extra projects around their homes because of the lockdown and I have been a bit jealous. Sometimes when I think about our to-do list I feel defeated because it is so long and as sure as you get one thing marked off someone adds 2 more. We are still a relatively new ministry, especially when you consider that we built everything from the ground-up. As you can see from the pictures below we started with a blank slate.

Completely undeveloped land.

This is where Mercy Christian Academy is built now, looking towards the main road from the home.

The owner had recently harvested his corn just before we started building Mercy Home.

Pathways, rain gutters and giant tanks are actually a need in our situation. When we moved onto what is now the Mercy Ministries property the front part (where the school is now) was 2 small dirt homes and several trees. The back part (where Mercy Home is built) was farm land. This land was not walked and played on daily by 100+ people and regularly had crops planted on it. Right now when it rains parts of our property wash away. We have a trench through the home property where water runs under the gate and out the back of our fence. We need to control the water before more and more of our land washes away. Another issue we have is mud, the mud is so slippery and causes children and adults to slip and slide.

Just behind the tall tree you see on the left is where the pavilion is now built.

This is where Mercy Home is built.

Now we have several sets of laundry lines where you see the workers working.

Before the Coronavirus restrictions were put in place we were in the process of registering the home and school. Part of the registration process is going through various inspections. We've had 2 for the school so far and we were given things that we needed to do. A flag pole area, trash pit and landscaping were on that list. Part of landscaping is putting in paths to create order and boundaries. Without pathways the children will walk, run and likely trample anything we plant. Without gutters and tanks the rain would likely wash away what the kids didn't trample.

The flowerbed area to the right, just on the other side of this pain pathway, will be our flagpole area.

Part of the new Kenyan school curriculum is incorporating more and more hands on learning. In part of their curriculum they are to learn how to "beautify the school" and plant and care for flowers, vegetables and bushes. Learning agriculture is an important part of the education process. We are responsible for providing a classroom outside of the classroom for our students. All of the flowerbeds that the pathways have created will also be for learning. We are trying to be intentional with our space and use it the best way that we can to get the most out of it.

The area on the left, next to the pavilion, will be for bushes, flowers and sukuma wiki (collard greens).

Some of you may be looking at the work we are doing around the home and school and wondering why we would do this while many around us need food and medical care. The short answer is there will always be needs in our church, home, school, and village. What makes the feeding program such a pressing need right now is the rising costs of food. Due to the Coronavirus restrictions, locusts and flooding in parts of Kenya, most foods have risen in cost. We have to keep keepin' on so to speak. We want to keep giving glory to God, order is important here. Keeping what God has built here in good condition is important. So far we haven't had to choose pathways or food, we have had donors donate specifically for pathways and some specifically for food. God keeps providing for our ministry needs. Just as an example the last couple of days Jeff and I have discussed the 2 people we have in the hospital and what the bills will look like. Both have been in the hospital for over a week and one of them has had minor surgery. Neither of us really know what to expect and I'll be honest and say I've started feeling nervous about what the total could be. Today someone donated money specifically for medical needs. God knows, I don't have to.

Sometimes I don't know why, and I often don't know how, but time after time our needs are met. I've learned when we start a fundraiser and it doesn't get met right away to not panic because if it is a need it will happen. Thank you for believing in us to do the right thing, that isn't something we take lightly. Thank you for helping us meet these needs. Thank you for helping feed our village. Thank you for allowing us to be in a place where we HAVE to fully rely on God. Thank you for helping provide medical care. Thank you for trusting that we are seeking His will. 💜

500 of the 1,000 tracts and bags of food that we handed out last week. Thank you a million times for helping make all of this possible.