The Kenya Foundation

Hi all,

Sorry it has been forever and a day since my latest update.  Things have been crazy with Dave in the DR and us moving around like a little gypsy family all the time. :)  But we are super blessed, Kenya is healthy and happy, Santa and Dave got home safely, and we continue to be blessed by SO many people who love us, support us, pray for us, encourage us, and of course give sweet little gifts for Kenya!!  I can't even imagine where we would be now without the love, prayers, and financial support that has been poured onto our family, and I can't say enough how your support has helped us SO much to get through these past couple of months.  We have been blessed so immensely that we even have some money leftover for the time being.  While it is tempting to give it all away at once because there are so many great causes out there that are near and dear to our hearts, we are still saving for any future medical needs for Kenya, and because it looks like I will need some surgeries in the future (related to the birth complications) that I don't know will be covered or not.  But in the meantime, we want to put some of the money that was donated to our family into a foundation in Kenya's honor to help other people, especially those in situations like ours.  We are not sure how to start a foundation yet (I am open to ideas and suggestions!), but for now we are going to put some money into a fund where interest can grow so we will have more money to give, so that your gift you gave for Kenya can keep on giving.  Each time we use money from the Kenya Foundation to help out others, I am going to try to put a little post on here with the details for people to read about (please be patient with me though as Kenya's needs come before blogging which makes it slow for me sometimes! :)  The reason I am going to write about the various causes we give to is not to ask you for more money, but so you can see how the gift you gave to help Kenya has not only helped her, but continues to give and help others all the time.  And I will always post a link for more information if you are interested in getting involved with the cause.  Even though we are not able to be in the DR doing the mission work we had planned, we are excited to be able to continue to help others, and it is because of your help that you gave to us!

I got the whole idea to start this the other day when I came across a story on facebook so similar to ours that it brought me to tears.  Here is a short version of the story I found on their facebook page:

This is the Orrange family.

 

"Brent, Courtney, Sam (7) and Brooklyn (8) Orrange moved from Colorado to Sierra Leone in August 2012 to work with a safe house for women/children who are coming out of human trafficking. Brooklyn became ill shortly after their arrival, and did not improve with medicine. On Friday morning, September 14, her kidneys began shutting down. She was flown from a hospital in Sierra Leone to a hospital in Ghana in order to receive dialysis and get her more stable.  The next step is to get her to London for further care. Our hope is that she will be stable enough to go on Monday morning, September 17." 

I couldn't believe when I read this that another missionary family, also in another country to help with anti-trafficking and safehouse mission work, also with a daughter (and a daughter whose name is also a place for that matter), also having to be flown out of country on medical emergency, who is also going through a life-threatening condition, and also having people pour out around the world to help her.  It reminded me so much of Kenya that we just had to help and share, like so many have helped our little Kenya!!

There have been more updates on their facebook page here - Pray for Brooklyn, and it looks like she is starting to heal, just as God has healed Kenya, but the family still needs a lot of support.  So helping Brooklyn's medical expenses was the first small financial donation made on behalf of the Kenya Foundation.  And we are praying for little Brooklyn here all the time, and ask that anyone reading this would stop and pray too!!

To find out more about the Orrange family, you can read their blog at www.fighttrafficking.org.  They have also asked others to wear the color orange to let them know you are praying and support them, and many people are walking and running races in Brooklyn's honor. (I will have to leave the running and walking part to Dave ;)  Please stop wherever you are to say a prayer for little Brooklyn, and feel free to check out these links to find out more about her status!

Kenya and Daddy showing their orange to support the Orrange family!

Thank you again to all of you who have helped to support our family, and have made The Kenya Foundation possible. 

Love and prayers,
Kristin, Dave, and Kenya (and now Santa is with us too! :)