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John 10:10 "...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Life...

I am sorry it has taken me long to post an update.  My time has been very limited, as we have had two and even three teams here at a time.  In addition, we now have two interns hard at work.

I will begin by saying that this has been a challenging season in my life for a variety of reasons.  First of all, my grandmother is not doing well back home.  She has been in the ICU for a number of days with internal bleeding and head complications.  Please continue to lift my fam up in prayer during this difficult time.  Beyond that, we lost one of our dear WEEP women.  She left behind three kids.  AIDS is a relentless disease and we are mourning the loss of this loved one.  Along with that, we got word this morning that a one of our staff lost a newborn.  They are not sure of the cause as the baby was born crying and then did not make it.  In addition, I have been fighting off some consistent stomach problems along with a nasty head cold.

Ok that is enough of that…  Now on to the good, no the great!  We celebrated HEART’s 10^th anniversary last Saturday!  It was an amazing celebration and so many people came to affirm the work of HEART.  I was asked to speak on “the next generation” which was an honor.  We have such an amazing staff here at HEART.  Along with that, I had the privilege of leading perhaps the best team I have seen in the last four years.  It was a group of 27 high school students and teachers from Colorado.  They worked so hard and blessed to many during their time here.  I was right in my sweet spot working with young leaders for Christ.  This team gave me so much hope for the coming generation.

I have also had the opportunity to continue teaching both in churches and in villages.  I love to communicate truth.  These opportunities have stretched me in new and amazing ways and for that I am grateful. 

Lastly, I have been/will be working on the implementation of an income generating cyber café for some of my best friends here in Kenya.  My best friend arrives next week and we will be working hard to complete this before we depart in late July.  I will keep you posted… 

Thanks so much for all your prayer and support.      

A time to pray

This morning our hearts are heavy as we read about the senseless violence that took place yesterday.  I would ask you to pray for this country.  Pray for her leaders.  Pray for her people.  Thank you.     

"Innocent blood has been shed by people with evil desires, and we are calling upon the police to take action," Ruto said. "The decision of whether we are going to have a new constitution or not belongs to the people of Kenya, and they have the right to say this or not. Those of us who are saying `no' have committed no crime."

Explosions kill 5, wound 75 at Kenya rally - Yahoo! News

Stand by me...

Music is inspiring.  Creativity is compelling.  What do you get when you combined the two?  

Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around The World

We Celebrate Together!

After three days of the US Secret Service visiting and surveying our WEEP centers along with the Kenyan Criminal Investigation Department (CID), we were approved!  We are one of two USAID projects to receive a visit from the United States Vice-President’s wife Dr. Jill Biden.  

Tomorrow morning we will celebrate as our amazing Kibera WEEP center is recognized.  The real heroes in this story are our WEEP ladies.  They have come from death to life and are an undeniable source of hope and joy to the largest slum in Africa.  They now have skills in beadwork, sewing handbags, clothing, school uniforms and they are even trained as peer counselors!  There is something beautiful that happens in a human being who knows they have something to offer that matters. 

This meeting is to ultimately show just a small piece of what the federal aid from the States is doing.  If this aid were to be removed or even reduced by the current administration, many lives will be lost.  I would invite you to join us in prayer tomorrow as our ladies share about the new life they have been given through the assistance of USAID and HEART.

Thank you!   

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
-John Wooden



Thank you, John Wooden, for your example of life and leadership.

Band Aid or Bridge?

After reading through my blog from last year, I felt compelled to re-post a portion of my journal as it so accurately describes the conversation that is still taking place in my soul.  


...Time seems to pass but the weight of the suffering remains.  How do we stop the bleeding while creating a sustainable solution? How do you provide a band-aid while helping to build or discover a bridge? Is feeding a starving child enough? Should we be more future focused on the bridge even at the cost of human dignity and life? How do we live in the moment from the future?


It’s when I’m seated at a wheelchair distribution event watching innocent human beings, in their twisted bodies, being liberated as they are placed in their new means of transportation. Band-aid or bridge? What is the price of human dignity? Or perhaps it’s when I’m holding a 3 week old abandoned baby who was found just after birth in a trash pile with rocks jammed in his nose and mouth. Though stigmatized and disconnect from society, this baby will now have a chance at life in an orphanage. Band-aid, bridge or both?

I can't tell you how fulfilling it is to be a part of building a bridge of hope here in Kenya. This, however, is secondary to igniting the creative potential within these young people.  I have found that in the arena of human suffering, dreams and imagination are vital.  As Skye Jethani writes: “Without imagination, any solution we conceive will be rooted in the very system that we must transcend. How can a prisoner plot his escape if he doesn’t believe a world exists outside the prison walls?” I believe that it is here, in the fertile ground of our dreams and imagination, that both solace and solutions are found. What a challenge, what an opportunity!

-S