New Year, New News!

Last month I travelled to Kenya with Willis to celebrate Christmas with our immediate families. I spent a wonderful time with delicious food – really a feast! – surrounded by loved ones and friends.

I enjoyed passing pen pal letters on to two nieces and and nephew from my students here in Dallas and having them write return letters back. I was able to video them reading the letters to share with my students here in America.

Visiting family was not the only purpose of our trip. While there, Willis and I arranged to meet with a local architect and engineer regarding our Ageno building project. Together, we visited the site and laid out a rough visual plan of how the buildings will fit on the piece of land. First, they were impressed with the quality of the parcel of land. Thank you Lord! They advised us we will need to get approved for a change of use permit from agricultural to commercial. Please be in prayer that this process will go smoothly and not cost too much extra. We have engaged someone in Kenya to handle this for us.

I’m even more convinced that an Ageno facility is what is needed for our students and my heart yearns to serve these little ones with a safe place. I learned, yet again, one more of our Ageno students passed away. Since we started Ageno in 2013, we have seen 4 children die. It is painful to consider the rate at which we are losing children with disabilities in my home community. Something has to be done quickly to protect our children. They need proper nutrition and care. The children we serve don’t just have a “disabilities” problem but misunderstanding and even neglect and from their families, not to mention most of these families suffer from poverty. That is why it is so important that we are serving and teaching not just the children but the parent, usually a single mother, as well. Ageno truly serves the “least of these.”

After we arrived home, both Willis and I discussed how soon we could return to Kenya and God provided us with a great airfare deal we couldn’t pass up! We are working hard to start the construction as early as possible. We had planned to start in mid-June, but we hope and are working to that end, to move this up to early May.

Because of generous friends like you, who have supported us and our mission, with prayers and gifts, we have about 50% of the funds needed for construction. Please prayerfully consider helping us with the remainder by giving today.

Lydia