GROWTH, CELEBRATIONS, FAMILY & GAMES!

Greetings again from Kenya!  Over the past couple of months our kids and our Village have been growing!  Open Arms recently received the funding to build 3 new Children’s homes, and construction has begun!

In the meantime, our babies have grown up into curious little (some not so little!) toddlers.   They love running down the road outside the Baby Home and coming to the office for a sticker from Auntie Renee, or sometimes even a sweetie (candy)! 

While I was gone back to Canada for the Holidays, the Village celebrated Christmas with gifts from our Sponsors, games, and lots of food!
They were able to have relatives and community members (from their home communities) come to share this special time with them, and then some of them got to go back to their home villages for a short holiday. 

In January, our Class eight kids (young adults) received their National exam results and were sent off to Boarding School (Secondary) with a Thanksgiving Celebration. 

And, then in February, one of our staff, Metrine, and a Volunteer from the UK, Elliot, got married!

A large group of our kids, families, staff & volunteers attended the festivities to congratulate the lovely couple.  I made the Wedding Cake – first time doing that, and maybe the last!  It turned out fine, but wow, a lot of work!


Our children have enjoyed the dry weather, but we are all anxious for the rains to come to water our crops. Seven of our kids in Open Arms Academy have been qualifying in Intramural Sports and have reached the County Level in Volleyball, Netball and Football (soccer)…next is Regional, and then National level!  We are very hopeful that a few of our kids will reach National Level – that would make them something of a celebrity to their peers!  Sports are very important here in Kenya!

 

THANK YOU ALL for your continued and loving support and prayers! 

Love from Africa with Open Arms,

Renee