July has been full of wonderful blessings. We started the month with a young lady named Amber from Denver that came to stay with us for 7 weeks. She was a wonderful blessing to have in the house. She began right away with going to the orphanage we help from time to time. The same place we got Moses from. Abraham and Florah took turns going with her to spend the day playing with the kids, helping with school work and just being an extra pair of hands. There are over 70 kids at the Nest today and they are always in need of help.
As the month started a friend from Canada came named Arnold. He has many hopes of bringing housing, medians, public restrooms and vitamins to orphans. So we spent quiet a little bit of time meeting with government officials to help lay out a plan of getting things going. He has a big heart for kids so we went and spent some time in some of the high schools down in Dandora. Dandora is where they take all the garbage for Nairobi. It is said to be the second biggest open dump in the world. It is a very hard place. Michele and I have spent time in the past helping out with food and also speaking at their schools. Arnold, Amber and myself each took time sharing at each school. What a blessing it was to see over 100 kids stand up for Jesus. There is such a great need for them to hear that anyone cares for them. They have asked if I could be coming on a weekly basis to help counsel them, as so many have been through so much. This was also one of the hardest hit places for violence. Please pray for the youth of Kenya. They really need hope.
Next was one of the blessed times in a parents life, the time that Michele and I where able to bless Abraham and fully recognize him as a young adult and not just a boy. It was great fun as the night started with Abe tied to his mom. She blessed him and his sisters blessed him then she cut the cord releasing him to go through the advancement of manhood. We had eight men with swords lined up across from each other. The first two men had only toy sword showing he started as a boy. When he came to the two men they put down the sword to stop him and then each of them took turns blessing him as the Lord led him. At the end of the line I stood with his 39 inch sword from Spain. A real knight’s sword. We had his full name engraved on it along with the meaning of his name. On the other side was 25 Scriptures that we felt talked about him as a man. They also included the verses many of you sent as well.
I wish you could have seen the look in his eyes as I handed him his sword and prayed a fathers blessing over him. What a gift that was to me to see what others could not. It reminded me of watching my first child being born, words are not enough. They brought a chair and lifted him high into the air with a shout "This is my son in whom I am well pleased!" We were blessed with having over 30 there to watch the blessing. One of the families is new to being a Christian. They come out of the Sikh religion. The wife said she had been praying all day why were they invited to come and watch. She said that she began to weep as God show her and her husband putting their hands on their children and blessing them. Praise God a cycle of blessing is born. A friend from Ethiopia said ”because of the blessing you have given your son, your home and family will always be blessed." There were families from all around the world at the blessing party. We were told that many of the families will now be having it in their homes as well. Praise God.
We ended the month with a full house. We had a team of nine doctors and nurses from Canada and South America, two girls from Southern Cal, Amber and our family. They had come for rest and for a little fun. We took them to the Nakuru Game park and around to many of the things to see here in Nairobi. But that was not the only reason they were here. One young lady said, “As soon as I stepped into your house God began healing something inside me.” Another young man needed to hear a Fathers blessing and receive a bit of healing of his own. To think God would bring people half way around the world that they might hear something from Him. That God would help restore what this world has tried to kill in each one of us. Thank you Jesus! How blessed we all are to have such a loving Father who cares for us and wants us to be complete in Him.
The Saturday morning fellowship keeps on growing. We have had around twenty or more every week with more asking if they can come. How wonderful for the family of God to come together and break bread, encourage each other and pray for each other.
These are the reasons why we are here. To reach out to Kenya, to be a door way for missionaries coming and going. To be a place of healing and rest for all who come. Thank you so much for all of those of you who faithfully pray for and help support us in helping others. There is no way I can tell you thank you enough for what you have done to help others and to help us. There is also no way I can even begin to tell you all of the great things God has done this past month. But know this God knows who you are and when you stand before Him you will hear Him say well done, well done, come in and enter into your rest. When you see the crown that He holds out for you and you see the faces of those who are also there because of you, then and only then will you know just how much you have done. May God bless you as you have been a great blessing!
PRAYER NEEDS
Real peace in Kenya
For healing in Zimbabwe
For our family
The means to do the work here
The car needs repairs
Yours and His,
Todd, Michele and the kids
