Flora’s Story

Flora’s Story

December 10, 2020

We ignored him, don’t make eye contact, Anna had said. He was drunk and yelling at us as we walked into the narrow ally followed by a curious, non too happy crowd.

You ask why were they angry? We wondered why too. We had just come to help. But the man who followed us out later, also angry and yelling, said we should have helped the old man. The old man followed us too and after I had shut my car door and started the car, to my surprise, he opened the car door and tried to push himself in, still fussing at us. I told him that at seventy seven I was probably older than him and he should back away from my car!

It was a bad area of town and we worry about Anna going into these areas to find a woman in need. God please protect her.

Flora is eight months pregnant; she has two children and was begging around town for a place to sleep.

A man let her sleep in a house being constructed and she left all her belongings there and went to the market to buy or beg for food. When she returned all her possessions had been stolen.  When we arrived what we found were a few pieces of rags, torn and dirty, on a small piece of foam on the mud floor.  The women selling vegetables in the market had given her something to eat and then called Neema Village to ask for help for this poor woman. 

As we listened to Flora’s story Anna began to cry first. She was interpreting for us through her tears. It is hard to hear how cruel, abusive and unfeeling we humans can be to one another. 

Flora is 26 years old, Joseph her son is seven and Faith is five. No matter how bad life got she said she would never leave her children. 

We feared for her safety after we left, afraid that the angry men would return and retaliate against her. Kelle had left her a little money and we were sure the men would take it from her.  We knew we had to get her out as soon as possible. And we did.

Today we went to visit a new woman. (above) Flora, safe and secure in a new home rented for her by Neema Village’s MAP program, has a big smile now; her kids are laughing as they welcome us.

Kassie Stanfield and Kelle O’Pry Samsill gave Flora lots of hugs and a welcome bag of fresh veggies from our garden.

I just could not help but think of the passage in Psalms 30:11 as I saw the stark difference in these pictures.

“You have turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sack cloth and clothed me with joy..”

Flora has a new big bed now with a soft mattress and blankets and sheets where all five of the little family will sleep together, and a gas cook stove, dishes and good food. Her children have not been in school because they did not have money for lunch or uniforms.  Their faces are expectant and bright now with hope that we will help them. God willing, we will. 

Back at Neema our baby love couch was full for a couple of weeks as we welcomed our first after-Covid volunteers. Ali Maddox, Kelle Samsill, Kassie Stanfield and Ashley Berlin with four of the sweet Neema babies pictured above.

With 49 babies at Neema Village, Kelle was doing double duty. Below she was welcoming our newest little one. Michelle at 2.05 kg was brought in from Social Welfare by her Maasai great grandmother after the death of her mother.

You may think you have heard Flora’s story before. Yes, you have, this story is being repeated almost daily in the lives of abused and abandoned women in Africa.

By God’s Abundant Grace sometimes we can help.

The MAP women’s craft store opened this month, five of our babies were adopted in the last few weeks and one little triplet girl returned home. By God’s Grace it’s been a good month.

It’s December of this crazy year 2020 now. Merry Christmas to all and may you have a soft mattress, a warm blanket and lots of good food for your Christmas table!

Michael and Dorris