Happy Holiday Greetings to All!

The past couple of weeks have been so amazing and so full of hard work coupled with miracles. We come home each day absolutely exhausted, dusty, sweaty, hungry, and filled with so much love from the children and people we have met here. Yes, the needs are many, and yes, we feel overwhelmed at the task at hand and we know that with God, all things are possible. We have been doing a lot of work cleaning up the facility to get it ready for the new term,which begins Jan. 9. We have washed windows, swept floors, and washed walls. We also paid to have some renovation work done on the cement floors that had been damaged. The school building is now looking "very smart", as they say here.

The orphan children of Pistis Academy are having a Christmas like no other, thanks to the incredible outpouring of love and concern for these kids, most of whom were living on the streets until 3 years ago. Volunteers from far and wide have come to Pistis, bringing hope, new ideas, and generous donations. Community members are opening their hearts to the needs of these children.

The girls had their hair done by professional stylists, thanks to the generosity and heart of a new friend of ours here in Nakuru. Thanks to our friends at home, the children will all have new shoes, which we will be distributing tonight, Christmas Eve. Clothes and food have also been donated, along with other goods and services from the community. The parents of one of the volunteers have sent money for a special Christmas dinner, which will also take place tonight. Yesterday, a news crew from the local TV station came and filmed and interviewed. Bosco was among those who spoke. We had spent the morning making decorations for a Christmas tree and the chapel. The kids had fun making paper chains and other colorful decorations.

We are taking some time off next week. We will travel to Nairobi on Monday and then Thursday we will return to visit the Njagaa Children's Home, which we visited about a month ago. The kids there were so warm and welcoming -- we can't wait to see them again! We will be there for a couple of days.

The following week will be our last full week in Nakuru. It is already getting full with invitations for lunches and dinners with our new found friends here. It is hard to believe that our time here is nearing an end, especially when there is still so much to do. We will certainly be back and hopefully bring some of you with us next time!!