Today we went back to the Rescue Center to spend the afternoon with the kids and none of us were prepared for what we found once we got there.  Sunday evening, a baby had been brought by the police to the home after being left alone by her mom.  She is called Valentine and is supposedly 2 months old, but its so apparent that she can't be more than 3 or 4 weeks old unless she was born extremely premature.  I've never seen a baby so small and malnourished before and it completely crushed me.  Cradling her in my arms, I could just feel how fragile she is, and I never wanted to let her go.  The whole situation made me question how any person could ever leave this helpless baby alone, and just walk away. I want to find the mom and just shake her! How could you do this to your baby girl??!! I couldn't help but cry as I stared at her little face pressed against me.

I started to realize, though, how much of a blessing it really is that Valentine was brought here.  Whereas she had been neglected and hungry, here she would find love and a full stomach.  Though she had been in a seemingly hopeless situation, she can now have a bright future.  She'll be going to court on Thursday of this week to see where she will be sent to permanently and I know God has a plan for this life.  Her life is a miracle and I'm seeing how much of a miracle it is that God has taken her out of a hopeless situation.  Please be praying for little Valentine as she is nursed to help in the next few weeks and that God would cradle her life in His hands.  (pictures to follow)

Psalm 40:17

"As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me."

Yesterday, we visited a children's home called Karibu Centre in the dusty town of Thika.  The unique thing about this home is that they only have children up to 3 years old.  At this point, they have 20 babies, the oldest being only a year and a half.  It was heartbreaking hearing some of the stories these babies have, most having been abandoned, some left at hospitals and others left on the side of the road.  One baby was left buried up to her neck in the dirt and another was wrapped in a blanket and tossed in a ditch.  I couldn't even imagine how someone could do this to their child, these little bundles of joy.  Their faces are so beautiful and it was an amazing experience being able to hold them close. I pray that they will grow up feeling the love around them, never feeling that they were unwanted.  I'm so thankful for this home where they are cherished and nurtured.  Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures but their faces will forever be in my mind.

Over the past month, God has been showing me so many things.  Some of what He's teaching me has taken the whole month to make me accept and understand.  One such lesson is the meaning of "mission" and what it really means to be doing mission work.  For my entire life, I've understood missions to be solely going and preaching the gospel to people.  This is our command from scripture but I had a skewed view of how we are to carry out the command.  I've come to realize that missions is also about going and loving people, that they may know the love Christ through our love for them and investing in their lives.  Spending time with the people here, especially the children, I'm learning the importance of investing in people's lives, establishing relationships with them and sharing Christ with them while also relating to them personally and on a deeper level.  We see in scripture that Jesus spent time with people, meeting them where they were and truly loving them.  He stepped outside of the social norms of the culture and changed people's lives.  And I'm a witness to how that love is changing hearts and lives here in Kenya.  God's love is what this world needs. And I feel so blessed and priviledged to be called to share that love with these people.

I've noticed that here in Kenya, the gospel is common knowledge to most people.  They have a basic understanding of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection and the salvation He has provided for all mankind. Students even learn about Christian values and principles in a " " class in public schools.  But even with this knowledge of the gospel, there are so many lost people who are willfully rejecting Jesus Christ. It's heartbreaking to meet so many young people who have been drawn away from the truth by the flesh.  In speaking with some of them, I see that they have all of the head knowledge, but it hasn't become real to them.  Many, maybe even most, kids grow up in the church but are drawn away once they reach high school.  And there seems to be a mindset that church is for old people and is just boring for young people.  Some are pushed away from the church by being hurt or feeling unwanted or rejected for something they've done.  This breaks my heart because this is not the love of Christ.  I'm praying that there will be a revival in the youth of Kenya and hearts and lives would be changed!  There is so much potential here.