Christmas for 25

Last March we visited Cheryl's Orphanage in Narok, Kenya to do an Operation Christmas Child distribution. It is run by Rosemary, a receptionist at the Africa Inland Mission offices here in Nairobi. We really enjoyed visiting the children there and letting our children interact with them. For several months in between our visits, we have given Rosemary money to purchase food and clothes for the children. Each Christmas we like to find a way to give that's bigger than just our family. This Christmas we decided to take gifts and food to the children at Cheryl's orphanage. We used some of our Christmas money, Nana and Poppy Roberts donated money, and so did Mimi and Papa Cheek. Yesterday morning we picked up Aimee and Justin Maier and headed to Narok. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story. It was an awesome day!

 Here are 17 of the 25 children that live at this home. Most of them have on new clothes purchased with money we donated to them last month from Pleasant Home Baptist Church in Millers Creek, NC. They we getting together to sing for us.

 This is Josephine and her son John. She is one of three volunteers at the orphanage who cook and clean and look after the children.

 The orphanage has 2 sections. This is the second part that hasn't been completed yet. Usually a building will get started and then the money will run out. You have to wait until you have more money or people donate materials and labor before you can continue construction. That is what Rosemary is waiting on here. The orphanage currently houses 25 children and there are 120 more on their waiting list! 

 This is the room all the children sleep in.

John was checking out where they were preparing lunch.

 A panoramic shot of the orphanage. Rosemary has great plans for this home. She told us quite a bit about it and we would love to help her with her dreams. The home does not have a septic tank or electricity. She realizes electricity is pretty much out of the question but she really wants to get a septic tank installed. They also need a fence around the home because there are wild animals that can harm the children. A fence will also protect the girls from being taken and sold for wives, a custom in the Masai culture. Yes, even these 10 and 11 year old little girls.

 While we were waiting for lunch to be prepared, Aimee pulled out a bottle of bubbles. The kids loved them!

 Sharon is 15 and the oldest at the orphanage. She was called upon to help in many ways while we were there and had such a sweet spirit.

 These 2 guys were cute. The one on the left is Stephen and the one on the right, I can't remember his name. A lot of them are Masai and their names are very hard for us to remember much less pronounce. 

 Having lunch. The children sit on the floor for all their meals. Rosemary has asked us to bring plastic chairs for them, but we just haven't been able to come up with the money for them yet.

We were the guests and were seated at the table.

 Aimee made homemade iced sugar cookies for the kids. I doubt they've ever had anything so sweet in their life! Rosemary said they were eating Christmas. We thought that was cute. 

She was such a cute little girl. She kept asking to have her picture taken, but every time we took a picture she would never smile. Right after the picture was taken, though, she was all smiles. It's part of the culture not to smile in pictures, though.

 They really enjoyed the cookies. Nathan said he even saw one little boy turn his cookie bag inside out to lick the inside. 

 Ruth "eating Christmas" with little John.

Then as Rosemary was showing us where she wanted to put the septic tank, Aimee taught the kids Duck, Duck, Goose. They were so funny playing it.

Rosemary and Justin talking about what needs to be done at the orphanage while we were playing with the kiddos.