Jill, Nellie, and I arrived in Kenya, a week ago (yes, before the snowstorm hit Michigan). Rahab joined us in Nairobi and together we drove to Narok. Our first stop was Ole Tipis Girls’ High School. What a difference a year makes! The girls are growing and thriving. Each one more confident today than they were in 2018.

We brought them letters of encouragement from friends and sponsors in the USA. You couldn’t wipe the gleaming smiles off their faces if you tried. As we handed out the letters, each girl clutched her envelope like some precious momento; eager to read the encouraging words from some kind “mystery friend” in America.

And then, in collaboration with another international ministry, “It’s Our Mission. Period.,” we decided it was time to dip our toes into the whole idea of “Female Fitness.” A great BIG shout out to Mary and her wonderful team of dedicated women at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, in Caledonia, Michigan, who not only took time to teach me how to sew sanitary pads, but also donated 50 packets of these washable, re-usable sanitary pads to Esther’s Hope Ministries. The girls were blown away by such generosity (see picture above). I will be returning later in the year, to teach them how to sew these pads. And just as they have freely received, the girls at Ole Tipis have agreed to freely give (donate) the new pads to the next school. We plan to continue this receiving and giving process, across all our schools.

To cap our visit to Ole Tipis, I preached a message from Joshua 2: 1-24 titled, “God Knows Your Name.” I reminded the girls, that though Rahab was a prostitute and a non-believer, God knew her name and he enlarged her influence and his protection to the rest of her family. And just as he knew Rahab’s name, God knows each one of them by name, and wants to expand their influence on this earth; and his protection in their lives through the blood of Jesus.

We are very grateful for all the prayer warriors who bombard heaven regularly on our behalf. Our God is good and gracious, and we are completely humbled by his love.