December 9, 2024
As I step out my door every morning, the view almost takes my breath away.
I am simply astounded at the beauty of Neema Village.
Not just at the verdant green of the grass and morning songs of the weaver birds in the trees but at the purpose of it all. We are here to save babies and mothers. Can it get any better than this?
As one of our recent volunteers said, “I would rather hear the laughter of these happy children and watch them as they swing or ride their bikes round and round than most anything in the world.” Me too, Wade Morris.
It amazes me that we get to do this! Michael and I are 81 years old, God has been faithful all these years, we have not always been. Mine has been rather a roller coaster ride of faith most of the time but thank God I married a man of solid rock faith who never wavers from the path.
These years at Neema are our time of giving back to a Faithful God who has never left us even though we have wandered. We have had people who have asked to support us personally and we have always refused. We have all we need in our retirement; it is fun to think of this time of such great beauty as a time of giving back.
As we look toward the baby home where more than 450 abandoned and orphaned babies have come and gone on to forever families, we cannot but shout “Hallelujah!” Hallel meaning “Boasting in”and Jah for Jahweh. Hallel Jahweh!
God is so purposeful and glorious at Neema Village we just have to boast a bit about Him!
Would you believe this is how the property looked when we first pulled that old red Prado onto the ten acres of pristine goat pasture?
Neighborhood boys were playing soccer on a cleared off dirt field with a rolled ball of plastic bags and string. Today they still come every Saturday morning to play soccer in just about the same spot on our paved driveway while we wait for the grass to grow on their new soccer field.
We have a pretty fierce girl’s soccer team now too because girls who play soccer are abused less and will make more money.
Is this a road or a cow path?
We went out to a dry and thirsty land on Friday to check on a new water well. This was our road. It brought me back to remember that most of Africa in contrast is starved for water and the land is dry and cracked.
You gotta wonder what those cows are eating!
We love to give out water and candy or sandwiches when we have them to the little boys who spend their lives guarding the family cows.
Thank you to the incredible people in Nacogdoches, Texas who gave us the water well rig. Every day now it is busy turning dusty Maasai land into rows of healthy food for mothers and babies. Can you just imagine what their day will be like when they do not have to haul buckets of water from miles away?
They will have time to think of better ways to grow healthy crops for their babies, maybe even time to dream of someday owning a small business and sending their kids to school. Great things can happen when they have water! (Neema’s vegetable haul last week.)
Christmas is coming and I wish you could have seen our nannies and their talent show at payday. I tell folks, “Don’t mess with our nannies!” You will get a kick out of the cute video below of our nannies singing to the babies.
We have gotten some money in for the Nanny Christmas bonuses but not nearly enough. Help if you can. If you can’t pray that others who can will have open hearts.
Great Blessings of Joy and Peace in this Christmas Season.
michael and dorris
