After 37 years in the Midwest, the fall has felt much different than usual.  October and November usually bring cooler weather and changing colors which bring notice that Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming

 The temperatures here in Kijabe have fluctuated about 10 degrees, with the highs for each day being between 65-75 since we arrived back in July. This holiday season has a different feel for our family as we start new traditions and new feelings of  “normal.”  One such tradition that Naomi’s Village has had for the past few years is taking the kids on a “family” vacation to the beach in Mombassa on the Indian Ocean.  We were so thankful to be able to join the NV family vacation this year and are glad to be starting this new tradition.  There were about 70 of us all together and it was such a privilege to witness some of the NV staff and kids see the ocean and the beach for the first time ever! They were in awe of the water that seemed to “just keep going”!

It was neat to see them understand more fully the bigness of God in creating such unimaginable things like the great expanse of the Ocean.  We got to swim in the pools with the kids and help teach them to swim, splash in the ocean, go on a boat ride, and share in laughter and meals together.

 

The monkeys were in the trees and all over the place!

The monkeys were often just a few feet away from us

Each morning Mark gave a devotional for the kids ages 8+  that centered around Col. 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  By watching Jesus and studying his life we can understand who God is.  We looked at Jesus’ mercy, compassion, and power.  As a youth pastor for 13 years we always took a big summer trip.  The main point was to bring the teens to a new place, away from distractions so that they could see God in a new way in hopes that they would follow Christ with their lives.  Our trip to the beach with the NV kids served the same purpose.  Throughout the day we pointed out glimpses of God and helped the kids to see the bigness of God in this beautiful place. 

Cornerstone Preparatory Academy Update:
An assessment team was formed and 2 groups were sent out looking for students in the community around Cornerstone called the Longonot area that would be eligible to attend Cornerstone when it opened in January.  The list is around 50 students which means with the NV kids and the new students, the school will have around 100 kids prek-8^th grade!  The vision is to one day have 700 kids attending this school.  With the new building almost complete we will be able to hold around 400 kids.  We will be slowly growing to that number over the next few years trying to learn and make adjustments each year to accommodate more students.

There is still some funding needed to complete the school.  We are excited to announce that there is a $400,000 matching grant so each dollar that is given is doubled.  Some of the items needed are school furnishings, security fencing, athletic facilities, and teenage housing for the teens at Naomi’s Village 

Please click here if you are interested in learning about ways you could help us.

Josiah wanted to share what he has learned at school in preparing for the Christmas season.