Reflection.

I have been watching this video over and over again and REFLECTING. It has spoken many different things to me each and every time I watch. I am filled with a wide range of emotions as I look into the eyes of the individuals and see the surroundings. In the midst of my reflection, I am learning more about who I am!

Update on the Neema Construction

Hi All!

I know some of you have been waiting for the latest news from Kenya. There was a slight break in construction while we worked on getting more funds together for the project.

Since the last update, all the doors and windows have been put in and the brick work is finished. The next stage is putting in the cement slab floor and plastering the walls!

This is the dormitory building which will house up to 15 girls in the Neema program. The classes are well under way and the girls are doing great! Thanks to those of you who have purchased items made by the girls, bought a brick, and made donations. This is really happening. :)

Neema Girls in School

So, for those who have been following me for the past 5 years you know that I have invested a lot of time and energy into raising awareness about the Neema Project. From the onset of this program that Transformed International began in 2007, I fell in love with the girls, the staff involved in the project, and the hope for a better life it offers. Immediately I began dreaming, along with TI, of ways that we could help more girls. The hope was always to expand and be able to reach more girls from the Kitale area and now that is beginning to happen.

It was exciting to be there this summer to see the new Neema school being built and then to follow it up with photos and stories of others there has been great. BUT, I just kept waiting for the photos and stories from the launch of the new school opening in January 2012. While, I desperately wish I could have been there to see it all happening, the photos and stories of others who are there bring me such joy.

On Friday, Ray Smith (a friend of mine who went to Kenya with the first team I lead there and is now there for several months), went out to take photos of the girls first day of business class for me. THANK YOU Ray!

For this first semester, the girls enrolled in the school will be learning sewing/tailoring (monday, tuesday, wednesday), on Thursdays they will learn general life skills, parenting and receive counseling, and on Fridays they are learning business skills. I love the changes that are being made to add that into the weekly classes for the girls. The Transformed International staff care so deeply for each one of the girls that come through this program, and that is demonstrated in the way they teach and care for the girls.

Here are some photos from the first week of class:

Business training with Eric (TI National Director)

Eric Teaching

Girls working on an assignment from Eric during their first business class

Eric checking their work

The girls taking a break to stretch

(many of the girls are teen moms and some bring their babies to school with them)

THANK YOU to all who have contributed generously through donations, purchase of scarves, handmade bags, jewelry, and crafts. YOU are what makes all this possible!

More to come........

Buy A Brick

So back in December, as part of Advent Conspiracy, we allowed people to buy a brick to help us raise the remaining funds for the dormitories at the Neema Project. We are waiting for the final numbers but we might have done it!!! Thank you Providence Church for helping us accomplish that goal.

On top of that there are businesses that offered support, many individuals who purchased and helped sell the items the girls made. We raised close to $10,000 in 5 months! This was nothing short of a miracle in my mind. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Below is the latest update from Adam, our friend from NY who is overseeing the building of the Neema Project. The school is now filled with beautiful girls who have the hope of a new future learning a skill and finding value in who they are as moms.

Here are the latest photos from Adam:

Where In the World Are We

So, I have a wide variety of tasks on my job description as Global Missions Director. As much I as I love to travel and walk on the soil of foreign countries greeting, I am just as happy to send others out. For this Sunday, I enlisted the help of Lindsay to create a little map that shows where people from Providence are serving (around the world) this month. Some of them are involved in short term work using their gifts of medicine, finance, art, photography, teaching, evangelism, encouragement, and LOVE! Others are committed as long term missionaries committed to discipleship with the next generation of missionaries, evangelism, and using their time and talents to meet the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of broken people all over the world. They are serving with various organization and missions agencies that are committed to seeing the love of Christ reach all the world.

PRAY for these as they serve!

**Joe: will be heading back to New Zealand late this month

**Kearston: is currently doing World Race and will be in several different countries throughout the year

NEEMA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

Thank you for your continued generosity! Over the past several months we have been able to raise over $9,000 through Mosaic Designs sale of Neema items and other items. Those sales along with donation through Advent Conspiracy at Providence Church have allowed for the Neema project dormitories to be built. The school is completed and the dorms are well on the way, just in need of the bricks. Here is the latest update from Transformed International:

After a few weeks off, Adam and the construction crew is back to work at the Neema Project working on the dorms. This week they finished the roof and the foundation, next step, bricks, bricks and more bricks.

We are looking forward to launching this pogrom this month and seeing the lives of young woman transformed.

The Roof is Up!

Hi All!

This morning I had great news awaiting me. The latest update from Daniel at Transformed International announcing that the roof has gone up on the Neema School. It shouldn't be long now before the school is finished and ready to open. Please be praying as they begin seeking out the next group of young women to enter the program. It is certainly exciting to think about new lives being changed. My heart is bursting with excitement! Here is the update from Daniel.

Adam, the project manager at the school, also posted a recent update with new photos. You can read more about it here:

Return to Kitale Kenya: The Roof is Up and On!

Thanks for sharing in our excitement and in the changing of lives!