Tomorrow we are heading to Ilbissil.  Over the next few days we will spend time
surveying the finished borehole project complete with tanks, piping, and pump. 
But mostly we are excited to spend a few days with 15 girls that YOU have
provided education for through our Girls Sponsorship Program.  We’ve packed
your letters and a few other goodies to pass along to them (soap, toothbrushes,
toothpaste, maxipads, books, etc).  We will spend days checking up on each one,
talking with her, finding out more about each girl’s story.  We will love them
and encourage them all the ways we can.  We will talk with them about the
sacrifice individuals and families have made to sponsor their education.  We
want them to know that this is a true gift, and we pray their education will
change families, communities, their children’s lives and even their country.  We
will remind them that in return for this sponsorship, we expect our girls to be
hard workers and exemplary in good behavior.  We look forward to visiting with
Pastor Kiroka and his family, and to worshipping with his church on Sunday
before continuing our journey.  Ilbissil won our hearts long ago, and I’m sure
these girls will make there way into our hearts and minds even more.

Today we spent with Charles Mokaya from Help a Child Africa.  Some of you met
him while he was in the states last month.  We talked business, and set
processes in place so that while we are not here our project---  be it water, or
sponsorship--- are in trusted hands, with accountability and transparency while
we leave.  We talked about giving a hand up not a hand out.  It is our utmost
desire to not create dependency, and that is on the forefront of our minds as we
push forward.  Today was a day for clarity.  Charles has a way of making things
so much fun, and we are always grateful for his guidance and wisdom.

Since Friday I have been at the Cassell home, and whenever I am here I feel so
loved.  They are here with their six children, and there is never a dull moment
with them.  They are amazing examples to me of how to make a great mark in this
culture so far from my own.  Ashley is almost over the jetlag.    I am so
grateful to have her here, and make this journey with her.  We are a constant
stream of conversation….  most of it revolving around COME UNITY…. how we work,
why we work, bringing a team here, transparency, fundraising, supporters,
stories of heartbreak, and stories of joy.  We believe God is leading the way
and feel so humble to participate in such amazing life changes.  We are full. 


In my book, I read these words by Brad Corrigan,
“You may not know their names, you may not know where they’re from.  but they
beautiful simplicity is that they are family, or at least we can choose to see
them that way.  We can also see them as strangers and walk away.  But those are
really your only two choices--  see them as family and then what would you not
do, or see them as strangers, which means they’ll probably look back at you as
just the same.  It really is just a process of deciding that they are family.  I
didn’t mean to, but a girl in a trash dump in Central America has given me
everything.  God has used a little girl in a trash dump, a place where they have
less than our definition of nothing…  they are living in what we have
discarded…  When you walk with people who are smiling and laughing in the midst
of a place like that…  you will say…. ‘how could I possibly want?’

How could I want?