Throughout my many trips to Kenya, I have come to a deeper understanding that joy and sorrow are always intermingled.  With Christ, there is always joy, often hidden in sorrow. It is the way of the cross. The way that makes no sense to the world, but the way that leads to life and peace […]

Stigmatized        Cast out Shunned                         Misunderstood Feared Worthless      Shamed Such are the words used to describe what it felt like to be HIV+ in 2006.  Little was known about HIV/AIDS, myths abounded and Kenya was infested with fear. People were afraid of being tested—for the stigma and shame of being HIV+ was great. […]

I am finding my way home through the back door of poverty, disease, despair and sorrow.  These are places where the darkness is pierced by a small window of the noonday sun, or dimly lit at night with a flame from a tiny tin of paraffin. I’ve been invited in through narrow doorways made of […]

The weather is finally changing here in Northern California. It’s November and the long, hot days of summer have given way to cold nights and mornings, and the rains have arrived! I’ve bundled myself up in layers– turtleneck, sweater and scarf, while my suitcase is packed with breathable lightweight clothes, sandals for the heat and […]

A few days ago, I visited a family who recently welcomed their third child into the world. This family had sat vigil for several days waiting for baby Ryan to be born. Their time of waiting ended in great rejoicing. And as I cradled this newborn in my arms, I could feel my harried-ness of […]

Mother’s Day 2020 is different. (That’s an understatement, with a twist of sarcasm.) Me, mama, Greg and Mark. Note the bun warmer on the stove. I still have it! I’d been dreading this Mother’s Day–my first without my mama. I remember many years ago, a friend of mine whose mother had just died, told me […]

Dylan. A sweet 15 month old who lives in love at the Udom rescue center in Pokot Sunday 26 January 2020 It’s funny how time moves when traveling. Sometimes, the days hurtle by and other times, it seems as if time is standing still.  Mostly, things are moving at a rapid rate here in Kenya. […]

Please be sure to watch our new video at the end! Way back in time (2006) Pamela and Deaconess Mary building a mud wall. Back in the day when I first traveled to Kenya in 2006, cell phones with the capability to make cheap calls home were not an option. The iPhone had yet to […]

Along the red dirt roads of rural western Kenya, the foliage is so thick in places that car windows need to be shut tight to protect occupants from scratches by thorns and branches that slip through even the slimmest of cracks. These roads wind endlessly, deceiving me into thinking, “I’m in the middle of nowhere”. […]

I’d like to say the moment I stepped off the plane in Nairobi on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at 10 P.M., I was on solid ground–normally when I land in Kenya, that’s how I feel.  However, traveling internationally during the pandemic adds a layer of insecurity to each step. And the steps are many: extra […]