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!