2014 In Review. A glance at Mission:180's year!

From a distance, looking good!

Dear friends and supporters of Mission:180! Happy New Year! We wanted to take a moment and reflect back on what accomplishments we have realized in 2014. We want you to know what we have been up to, and we want to thank you for the huge role you play in all that we do!
To say that it's been a busy year would be a serious understatement. To say that its been a successful year would be accurate. Of course, this will depend on your definition of success to some degree. Let's see if we can bring some definition to the word success in the next few paragraphs.

Success Definition #1 Little Lives Saved:

From 1 to 4 homes! God is good!

We entered 2014 with one little angel in care. She was just 2 months old at the time. She had already stolen our hearts, baby Marjorie, but she  has quite literally taken ownership at this point. Early on in the year, in January, we were asked to care for Connor and Ashley. They are adorable twins, and are getting cuter by the day if this is possible. In March Douglas, (Dougie) came to live with us. He was a bit of a surpirse. We were told he was 10 months old. He walked through the doors potty trained and talking up a storm. He is 3 years old.  He has assumed the role of official hospitality manager and greeter. His beautiful smile and sparkling eyes will capture you from the first meeting.   Then in April a very tiny baby Moses came to stay with us! He has turned into a giggling, laughter inducing, smiling little gem full of personality. We returned from Canada and met Robert, whose eyes will melt your heart. He came to live with Mission:180 while we were away. Since our return to Kenya we have had another 6 come through the doors.   Frederick, whom we all refer to as our little old man because he looks like a worried old man when you look at him. Then there is Raymond who is so very tiny, Angel and Samuel whose story is extra heartbreaking, and Bramwell and Samson who have since been reunited with their struggling parents.  If success is measured by little lives saved, we have had a successful year.

Success Definition #2 Property and Resource Development:

Our new water solar water heating system.

We entered 2014 with 2 homes, only one furnished and occupied. Now there are 4. 3 of them are furnished and lived in. We have also been able to add Solar Water Heaters on the roof of each home. This is a green solution. Great for the environment and keeps more "green" in Mission:180's account to be used for more important things!

The garden is huge now!

Improvements to the water project.

The cow shed and chicken coop!

The very reliable new mini-van!

The long awaited power!

Another HUGE accomplishment, one that will be lost on most of you in Canada, we have electricity from Kenya Power! This is a difficult task to accomplish here. It is done, and the night staff are especially thrilled! Now we can run our refrigerators and microwaves and lights etc. We have built a small guest cottage that allows us to have guests stay for a few nights at a time while volunteering. We have purchased a Toyota mini-van and a much needed 4X4 pick-up for the various projects. In the garden we have expanded from a little corner of the project to almost 3/4 of an acre of growing veggies! We have planted 320 trees!  Papaya, banana, mango, and Cyprus just to name the species! We have hired a farmer to care for this and the animals! That's right, we have animals. 12 hens laying 9-10 eggs a day, and a dairy cow who will have a calf in January.  At the water project, we have built a fence around the water troughs. This gains us a little more control of the animal traffic.

Cyprus Tree!

Faith the very pregnant dairy cow!

There has been a lot of change out at Mission:180. It has the staff and the community buzzing. They don't seem to be used to this speed of accomplishment. If bettering the property and increasing our capacity to care for up to 40 little people is the measure of success, then it has been a great year!


Success Definition #3 Staff Staff Staff:

Our Awesome team!

We entered 2014 with 5 staff. Now there are 16 full time employees. All this growth and development requires a great team to care for  babies, maintain the property and run the farm. Our on site managers Simon and Agnes help us to keep it all organized and running smoothly.

Such a great bunch of people!

If empowering and employing 16 Kenyans full time, enabling them to care for their immediate and extended families is a measure of success, then I suppose it's been a successful year.


Success Definition #4 Volunteers:

Our guest cottage.

We have had several volunteers come from Canada, a couple of young ladies from South Africa, a number of teachers from Rosslyn Academy where our son Joshua attends school, and even one young adult Kenyan volunteer for various lengths of time. A highlight for us in 2014 was hosting Rosslyn Academy's 9th grade Cultural Field Studies team. They stayed out at the property for several nights and helped with a major tree planting project as well as volunteering in the children's home. It was so great to see these young leaders in action and a real privilege to be a part of their educational development. If giving people from various parts of the world an opportunity to serve is a measure of success, then we are on the right track by that definition as well.

Success Definition #5 Hampers Of Hope:
In 2014 Mission:180 delivered a total of  210 hampers weighing 28,165 lbs or 14 tons of food!  Since 2011 Mission:180 has delivered a total of 85,751 lbs or 43 tons of food through our Hamper of Hope program! These Hampers O Hope not only provide emergency food relief to families in desperate need, they also give us the opportunity to share our faith and pray with thousands of people every year. If alleviating hunger and rekindling hope in the hearts of thousands of needy people is your measure of success, well then we were on the right track in 2014, and we will continue to be into 2015 and beyond!

Success Definition #6 It's you CANADA!!!
If engaging awesome Canadians from a variety of different walks of life in an important work that is literally saving and IMPACTING lives in Kenya is a measure of success, then high five to you Canada! You are successfully making it possible for Mission:180 to exist and grow.  That's right, all the above success, all the above growth, all the above accomplishments are yours as well as ours! When it comes to the success of Mission:180, you take some ownership Canada! We cannot do this without you! This is your work as well as ours! These successes are as much yours as they are ours. Your financial contributions, your words of encouragement that always come at just the right times, and your prayers that literally sustain us on the toughest days, all of those ways you support Mission:180 make the definition of success as much your definition as it is ours. This summer we were in Canada meeting with many of you, reporting on what's been accomplished so far and asking you for help! It was so good to spend time with you. Your hospitality was amazing, and your response to our requests was overwhelming! 


One last time, let me ask you to consider a special year end contribution to Mission:180. We need your help to end 2014 in a good financial position and enter 2015 with confidence in our ability to accomplish our goals and meet our obligations.

You can contribute through PayPal by clicking the donate button located on the right hand side of this blog page, or by mailing a cheque to our office in Canada, located at 160 Delaronde Road, Saskatoon Saskatchewan, S7J 3Y4.

Donations dated and postmarked December 30, or 31st will be reciepted for 2014 income tax purposes.

The Mission:180 Family is growing!

Mission:180's "Family" is growing, and we continue to grow at a steady rate these days.

This picture was taken December 6th. We have added 2 children and 1
more house Auntie since this photo was taken, to ensure we
have sufficient caregivers in place around the clock.

As many of you know, we have had significant growth out at the Children's Homes in terms of our facilities and staff.  We now have 16 full time staff here in Kenya. We are blessed with a great team. We have also grown the facilities thanks to the generous contributions of fellow Canadians who believe in what we are doing and who are behind this important work with their prayers, their encouraging words, and their finances.   We now have 4 homes ready to be lived in, and houses 1 and 2 are occupied and very busy with 12 babies! Yes, you read that correctly, we now have 12 children in our care!  Over the course of just 5 days, between December 5-9, we rescued 4 very needy children! Below you will find the stories of these most recent rescues!

Exciting News About 4 New Children in Our Care!!!

Bramwell and Samson's story:

On December 5th we received a call for help from our District Children's Officer (DCO) about the need to find a place for two little brothers who have been abandoned by their parents.  These parents are unemployed and unable to care for the children. They are very young as well and unmarried. The mother had left the father some time ago and left these two precious little boys with him. He in turn dropped them off with his sister. Not too long after the sister returned them, telling him that, "we all have to carry our own burdens".  One thing is for sure, at Mission:180 not one single child is considered a burden, but rather that each life is a gift of God to be loved and cherished! The DCO had tried in vain to reintegrate the children with their parents, even attempting to give the parents some help to provide for the children. On the day when things were supposed to come together for this reunion, neither Mom or Dad showed up. The boys are officially considered abandoned now. That's when Mission:180 comes in to the picture. Meet Bramwell  and his younger brother Samson.

Samson, age 17 months

Bramwell, age 2 1/2 

They came to us quite afraid and quite unsure of what is happening. Their little lives have been filled with unpleasant changes and uncertainty and shuffling around from one poor caregiver to another. When the DCO first became involved, Bramwell and Samson were so malnourished they had to be hospitalized for 2 months. They are still lacking the strength and development to stand or walk. We are thrilled to have them at Mission:180 where they will be loved and cared for in a healthy, happy home environment. They are already showing marked improvement!

Samuel and Angel's Story:

On December 9th we were called by a Good Samaritan in a local village about 25 kilometers away about a case of a brother and sister, Samuel and Angel, who needed our help. This is a heart breaking and difficult story to tell.

Samuel, age 2 years 10 months

Angel, age 6 months

Their Mom is 18 years old. She was not quite 16 when Samuel was born. Now she also has Angel who is just 6 months old. This young mother has had 2 babies outside of marriage or even a stable relationship, before the age of 18.  She is desperately poor, and is herself an orphan with no one to help her. We don't know if she had prostituted herself or was raped, (both very very common scenarios) or what the circumstances, but she has had 2 babies from different fathers. She is suicidal and has on 4 occasions attempted to take her own life. On 2 occasions she has also attempted to take the lives of her children, once by strangulation and once by poisoning them.

When our team went to do a visit and investigate the situation, they were greeted by this young mother and her aunt. Auntie has had these two left with her for months at a time, but she told our social worker that she has no job and 4 babies of her own to try to feed. She refuses to take in Angel and Samuel.  Their mother told our team, "Take them away, I never want to see them again, and I don't care where you take them. I don't want to know". She also said, "It's better you take them than me killing them". She was very happy to sign them over to our care and we are very happy she did. These precious little lives are not an accident, God loves them, and so do we. Now they are adjusting to life in our care. What a privilege to be able to rescue these little ones and give them safety, security and healthy lives!

What can we say to you, our Canadian friends, family and supporters? The words thank-you ring hollow. When we sit with these little ones, wrap our arms around them and hug and kiss them, our entire reason for being here comes into very clear focus! We LOVE them, and we love our calling to be here for them. We wish you could all be here to experience these moments that are so touching and heart warming. Knowing that we have played a role in changing these little lives and giving them a hope for a future is such an honor and privilege. We cannot be here without your support. 

All four of these little people need sponsorship. Each child has 4 sponsorship slots of $40 each. In other words, its costs about $160.00 per month, per child to have them in full time care. To sponsor one of these little angels, for one or more of these slots, please send Jennifer an email at jennifer@mission180.ca and let her know how you would like to help!

And please, keep these children and all of our staff and children in care in your prayers. Also, please keep Samuel and Angel's mom in your prayers. We are very concerned for her as she is alone and suicidal!

Mission:180 celebrates 1 year anniversary, a new rescued infant and our our hamper program options

The blue house is the first built, followed by the yellow one.
The other two are 95% complete right now.
Just waiting for some paint!

What a momentous time for us at Mission:180 here in Kenya. We have been very busy since our return in August.  We have seen the construction of 2 new Children's Homes thanks to some generous and committed donors in Saskatchewan.  We have built an enclosure for a dairy cow, which we are on the verge of purchasing, and we have a large chicken coop that will soon be full of hens-a-laying! We have taken the garden from approximately 1/8 of an acre to a full acre and hired a full time farmer!  We have also seen our staff increase to 15 full time employees!  The goal in all of this progress and development is to create a self sustaining facility.  None of this progress that we are experiencing is possible without the generous contributions of our supporters.  It is so humbling for us to have all of you behind us and believing in us and the work we are called here to do. Thank-You hardly scratches the surface of the gratitude we feel!

This past October 17th we celebrated the one year anniversary of Mission:180's children's homes!

Celebrating Mission:180's Children's Homes
1st Anniversary!

Many of the staff were on hand for the celebration!

It has been a full year since we received our approval from the government of Kenya to rescue and care for these precious babies. What a year it has been.   Of course our one year anniversary also coincides with the first birthday of Marjorie,

Marjorie looking festive at her birthday celebration!

the first baby we had the privilege of rescuing. Marjorie has been part of the Mission:180 family since the day of her birth, and she has a firm hold on the hearts of all who know her. What an angel! Since that first day, until as recently as this past Wednesday morning, we have been taking in new babies. We now have 8 in residence. The story of our most recent rescue appears a little further down in this
post.






Meet Baby Raymond!!

Baby Raymond. A very happy and very tiny little guy! What an
honor to be chosen care for these little ones.

This past Wednesday we were asked to pick up a baby boy from a local hospital. He has been dropped off there by the police after he was found thrown away on the side of the road in a very busy market area in Nairobi. He was 8 days old when we picked him up. He weighs in at 2.4 kilo's or just over 5 pounds. He is extremely cute and feels so tiny in your arms when you hold him. I went to the hospital to pick him up, and as always that experience alone was overwhelming. It is not a good place for anyone, especially an abandoned baby. This particular hospital has a notorious reputation for patient neglect, and what I saw there only served to confirm this.
Baby Raymond is now happy, well fed and receiving much one on one love and attention thanks to our loving and dedicated staff. These rescues are only possible because of your kind and generous financial support. Thank-you to all of you who are regular supporters. If you do not already make a pledged monthly contribution to the work of Mission:180, please consider signing up. We need your help. The costs keep increasing, and we need to see the income match it.

Hamper News:

This year we have 3 options:
1.  Baby Formula / Food Hamper

Essential supplies for the babies in the Children's Homes!

For a donation of $40.00 you can provide one of our children’s homes with 3 cans of infant formula as well as 4 packages of infant cereal. If you would like to purchase a Baby Formula / Food Hamper please email Jennifer at jennifer@mission180.ca for more information.

2. Mission:180 Children's Home Hamper

Food items to feed the children and staff in one of Mission:180's
Children's Homes

For a donation of $50.00 you can provide one of our children’s homes with enough food for the children and staff for about one week. We currently have 8 children in full time care plus 9 full time employees that work around the clock to take care of the children. We expect our number of children in full time care as well as our number of staff to increase considerably in the coming year. If you would like to purchase a Mission:180 Children’s Home Hamper please email Jennifer at jennifer@mission180.ca for more information.

3. Hampers of Hope.

The contents of a Hamper Of Hope!

For a donation of $70.00 you will provide 133 lbs of staple food to a very needy family in Kenya. Mission:180 works with local leaders and pastors who connect us to the neediest people and then we personally deliver each and every hamper. We will provide each donor in Canada with some pictures of the delivery and a short bio on the family that received your hamper. The deadline to sign up for a Hamper of Hope is fast approaching. You only have until November 15th to participate.  Please email Jennifer at jennifer@mission180.ca for further details on how to sign up.

Joshua came to me today with a bible verse he has decided he really likes. I want to close this post by sharing it with you. It is  very appropriate. When you partner with Mission:180, you are doing what this passage says we should be doing. Thank-you So much for your part in what we do!

Isaiah 58:10-11 from the New Living Translation.
  10  Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
11 11 The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

And Then there were 7! Meet Baby Frederick!

I met this little guy today!
Super cute!

We would like to introduce you to Frederick. He is one month old, but he is very underweight. We got the call last Friday asking if we had space for him. Frederick'smother has passed away from HIV AIDS.  She was the second wife in a polygamist marriage arrangement.  Here in Kenya polygamy is a common and totally legal practice. However, in all the families we have met with multiple wives, we have not found many that are healthy! In the case of Frederick's family, it is no different. Wife number one will not take the baby of wife number 2 into her home, and it seems dad can't be bothered to fight for his son! Frederick's maternal grandmother is 65 and is unable to care for him. Someone needs to give this little guy a fighting chance. Enter Mission:180 Children's Home. With your help we are able to operate these homes and rescue these precious little lives, literally snatching them out of the jaws of death.

For us, these are the moments we are
in Kenya for.

We have many difficult days here, but our time with these little people is a harsh reminder of why we are here. And time spent with them seems to erase some of the frustration. They are precious little people. I have been thinking a lot lately about Psalm 32:8. (NLT) The Lord Says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."
It would seem in Frederick's case, and Marjorie's, Connor, Ashley, Douglas, Moses and Robert's case, Mission:180 has become a part of their pathway! Its a responsibility and trust we do not take lightly. There will be more, many many more. What a privilige to be called to care for them. We are so grateful for the help of people like you who make it possible for us to do this with your generosity!

From all of us at Mission:180,

THANK-YOU!

A long overdue Update......with some big awesome news!!

Hello Friends and Family,

This post is long overdue! Its been an incredibly busy summer, and an even busier return to Kenya!!! However, we are home in Kenya, and very happy to be here!!!

We last posted an update on July 2nd. Thanks for your patience, here is a rundown on what we have been up to!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION HERE:

Our mailing address in Canada has changed: It is now 160 Delaronde Road, 

Saskatoon Saskatchewan, S7J 3Y4. 

We landed in Saskatoon on May 9, and we left for Nairobi again on August 6. That is 89 days in Canada. Its strange for us, because when we leave Kenya, we say we are going home, and when we leave Canada, we also say we are going home.

During this time we drove approximately 20,000 Kilometers, visited 14 churches, 5 of them new to us! On our travels we stayed in 14 different homes, (thanks for your hospitality, the great meals and warm beds were greatly appreciated), we spent 23 nights in 13 different hotels, we spent time in 20 different towns and cities. We changed our location 41 times! In all this travelling we made 17 formal presentations!

The Sheppards, with our honorary Sheppard
 and much loved Jacqueline!

As many of you know, when we come to Canada, we are there to work, and work we do! This summer was incredibly busy, yet in all that we enjoyed many visits with so many wonderful people! We loved having Jacqueline Schoenfeld working with us this summer as an intern. Jacqueline continues to work with us from Canada, and she is a valued member of team Mission:180! She is also an honorary member of our family! We miss Jacqueline very much!

Our summer was very fruitful and productive. We were able to raise funds from new sources as well as to report to all you who are already regular supporters of Mission:180! We came to Canada hoping to see an increase of $2,500.00 per month in pledged giving. The kind of donations we can actually budget on. One time contributions are a major help and blessing, please don't stop giving whenever you feel like you can or should, however we really need pledged regular support! While we were there many of you made pledges and started to give as a part of our monthly support base! We were able to see about half of our goal accomplished! Thank-you everyone who signed up!  If you are still considering it, please know we need your help! Every dollar counts as we strive to make an IMPACT in the lives of the neediest Kenyan's! 

Now For Some Big News!!!

Breaking ground on houses 3&4! Very Exciting!

Thanks to the generous contributions from Concentra Family & Friends, an employee led & sponsored initiative, house #3 is under construction! And, if that isn't big enough news, house #4 is also under construction thanks to a special couple in Saskatoon who know what it means to exercise generosity! We are well on our way to being able to rescue as many as 40 babies! Canadians, you are a generous group of people! I said this at a special presentation at Concentra this past summer, and I want to repeat it again here; Canadians really do put their money where their hearts are! Jennifer and I and the whole leadership team at Mission:180 are humbled and so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and generosity you continue to show the people of Kenya through your support of Mission:180!

I love watching a dream become a reality! 

It was a beautiful day! I also love watching heavy
equipment at work!

From left to right, Douglas, Connor, Ashley, Robert, Moses
and our very first rescued baby, Marjorie! 

I want to close this update with some news about our little people! The babies are growing so quickly! They are healthy and happy as they receive a very high standard of care and love from our team here in Kenya! Marjorie, Connor and Ashley all have teeth! They are sitting up on their own and are very,very close to crawling. It kind of looks like an army crawl on their bellies right now.  When they want to get somewhere, they manage! 

This is our happy place!!!

THANK-YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT, WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND PRAYERS!

We cannot do this without you, and we are not going to try!!!

Jason, Jennifer and Joshua Sheppard, and all of us at Mission:180.

And Then there Were 6! Meet Baby Robert Andrew Bahati

Hello Friends and Supporters of Mission:180
On May 9, we landed in Saskatoon after a long journey that took us from Nairobi, to Istanbul Turkey, through Chicago and finally back to Mission:180's headquarters in Saskatoon. We landed to a blustery cold night of +3. That is the coldest temperature we have felt since December 2010! Since May 25 Jennifer, Joshua Jacqueline and I  have traveled more than 8000 km by mini-van, not to mention air and ferry travel! We have presented Mission:180's work in 7 churches on 7 different Sundays, hosted our semi annual Silent Auction and Info Night, presented in businesses and to informal groups in homes. We have slept in different beds almost every night. Its been pretty much non-stop travel and a routine of set-up, share, take down, and then do it again and again! It is a tough schedule, and we are far from done. We return home to Kenya on August 6. As difficult and demanding as it is, we do it all because of little guys like Robert Andrew Bahati.

Last week we got a call about a baby boy who had been abandoned in the woods. The police were called to the scene where a baby boy had been abandoned. He was found naked, bruised, and covered in ants. It is suspected that he spent his first 24 hours alone on the forest floor. He was rushed to hospital in what doctors called "rough shape". He spent seven weeks in the hospital, and then Mission:180 was asked to take him in.
This is exactly why we are in Kenya, To rescue these little ones who are completely unable to care for themselves. What an honor to be able to love these babies!

Robert Andrew Bahati

A happy little boy!

All bundled up and cozy!

Without the help of generous supporters like you, we cannot do what we do! Please accept our thanks for your support.

If you are not already a part of Mission:180's financial support base, would you consider making a commitment to help us with a monthly contribution? We are here in Canada raising funds so that we can continue our work inj Kenya, as well as grow the scope of that work. Our goal this summer is to see our pledged monthly support grow by a minimum of $2,500.00 per month.
One time, or occasional donations are always welcome, however we cannot budget on those. Our pledged support gives us the basis for setting the budget and knowing what we can do. Please consider making a pledge. No amount is too small. When many get involved, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE!

To make a monthly pledge that comes directly out of your bank account, please email jason@mission:180.ca, and Jason will get back to you with the details about how to make that happen.
To set up recurring donations through PayPal, please see the left side of this column near the top. Enter an amount, then click Submit. It will walk you through the process.

Thanks again, for making it possible for Mission:180 to do the important work we do in Kenya!

We're Baaaack!!! Mission:180's Summer 2014 Home Assignment Schedule

Mission:180 Ministries Silent Auction Fundraiser

A few of the items available at the Auction this year.

 

Hello Canada! We want to invite all of our friends, family and supporters  in the Saskatoon area to please join us on June 5th, at Horizon College for the Mission:180 Semi Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser! Come and hear all about the progress of our work in Kenya! There will be coffee and donuts, videos and pictures, and of course a chance to support Mission:180 through purchases made at the auction! There will be beautiful Kenyan art, crafts, and a few great items donated by local businesses as well.
Horizon is located behind Sobey's on 8th street. The address is 1303 Jackson Avenue. This event is a very important part of our summer schedule. It is the best way for us to say hello to many of you, and it is a very important part of our fundraising campaign! Please make the time to join us if you can. We would love to see you there.

We are back in Canada! On May 9 we arrived in Saskatoon, 2 hours late, to a balmy  +3 windy night! It was a cold welcome.  We were up and working the morning of the 10th. On May 11 we shared about the work of Mission:180 with  Saskatoon Christian Chinese Church.
When we are on home assignment, we keep a very very busy schedule that includes a lot of road travel, and some air travel as well.

If you live in nor near one of the communities we will be visiting, we would love to see you at the church we will be speaking and sharing at. Email us for more details about the time and place, and come have a visit!

jason@mission180.ca or jennifer@mission180.ca

Here is a peak at our schedule, not all the details, but where we will be each weekend:
May 9 - Arrive in Canada
May - 11 Saskatoon
May 15-22 Los Angeles
May 29 - Saskatoon
June 1 -  Fort Nelson British Columbia (up north on the Alaska Highway, an 18 hour drive from Saskatoon)
June 2-6 Saskatoon
June 6-7 Regina
June 8 -  Beaubier, Southern Saskatchewan
June 15 - , Estevan, Southern Saskatchewan
June 22 -  Carlyle, Southern Saskatchewan.
June 29 - Pender Island British Columbia, just off of Vancouver Island, close to Victoria. This one requires air, car and ferry travel!
July 5&6 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
July 13 - Thompson, Manitoba
July 20 ??
July 27 - Sioux Lookout, Ontario
August 3 - Winnipeg Manitoba
August 6 -  Travel to Nairobi Kenya, HOME!!!!!

And Then there Were 5!

Meet Baby Moses!
Today was a very long day. I was up at 5:00 A.M. and I did not get home till 7:30 P.M. I had to go to court with Marjorie, our very first Infant rescue. When an infant is abandoned, the courts put them in care for a 6 month period while the police do an investigation and search for the mother and or a living relative. After this 6 months, we have to go back to court to see what they want to do next, what the plan is for each child. It was a nerve wracking morning, not really knowing what would happen with Marjorie. Things did not happen at all.  We were told to come back on May 8.

On the way out of court, we were chatting with our district children's officer.  She asked us if we could take another baby. We said a resounding YES! I had no idea when I left the house today that we would be rescuing another infant.  We were introduced to Baby Moses. His mother tried to sell him!  Here is his story, a clipping from one of the national papers, called "The Nation".

When his mother met with the children's officer and undercover police, whom she thought were the buyers, she was carrying Moses in a plastic shopping bag. He is underweight, and its a miracle he survived his first 3 weeks of life spent with his birth mother.  She fed him water with added sugar and salt. 

He is soooo tiny, and very cute! What an awesome privilege to be a part of God's plan for
these precious little lives!

It's too bad you can't hear a picture! He was screaming! He is very light, because he
quite malnourished.

When you partner with Mission:180, you help us rescue and raise these precious little ones. We know what happens if they are not rescued. We thank you for helping us give them a chance to make it. We know God has a plan for each one, and your generosity is a part of the plan!

Meet Douglas! And Now There Are Four!

Recently Mission:180 was asked to look into accepting a 10 month old baby boy who had been abandoned in Western Province, Kenya. After some time and effort, young Douglas came to Kona Baridi and took up residence in Mission:180's Children's homes!

A little bit about Douglas:

That smile is contagious and its always followed by giggles!

                                 
To start with, he is not 10 months old! He is at least 2! And, I will warn you before you watch the video posted below, and look at the pictures, HE IS SUPER CUTE!!! He has immediately taken over the role as chief of the welcoming committee, and he is also the life of the party!

                                   

The thumbs up pretty much summarizes how Douglas feels about
his new life at Mission:180's Children's Homes.

Douglas was abandoned as an infant at the gate of a very poor elderly grandmother in a very rural area of Kenya near the small town of Kakamega.  His mother hoped this old grandmother would try to care for him.  The grandmother already had 4 children that she was caring for, and Douglas overwhelmed her abilities! After doing her best for 2 years, she started looking for help.  Her meager resources were stretched to the limit.  This story is all too common in Kenya. Elderly people are often found raising the children of their deceased or very, very ill children. If its not a grandparent caring for the babies, its often children living together trying to care for each other. Life is a battle for these precious little children. Out of that battle, Douglas comes to Mission:180! He is very happy!

He stole my heart with the first smile he gave me!

                         
Evidence of the struggle remains however, seen especially at meal times.  He eats with one arm around his plate or bowl, protecting his food should someone else try to steal it, and he eats very quickly. Slowly he will learn that he does not have to fight those old battles anymore.

VIEWER ALERT: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO IS VERY CUTE!!!

Thanks for making what we do here
possible! We join Douglas in giving you
this very happy thumbs up!

To make a contribution to the work of Mission:180 in Kenya, you can either click on one of the Paypal buttons on the top right hand side of this page, or send us an email. jason@mission180.ca, or jennifer@mission180.ca. We are working to expand our pledged monthly contributions. If you think you can help us by making a monthly donation, we would be very grateful. Together, we are making an IMPACT!!