My Grown up Christmas List
(2nd annual)
Tis the season! No better day than “Giving Tuesday” to roll out my 2nd annual Grown up Christmas List! Even though this year we will have the joy of celebrating Christmas in America, our hearts and minds are still with our Kenyan friends and neighbors. Throughout the past few years, our vision has grown bigger, our passion deeper, and our excitement greater about what God is doing in East Africa through Tenwek Hospital, our PAACS graduates, and our local Kenyan church. Although it has been humbling and challenging to live and work in an area of the world with such great need, it has also been rewarding beyond measure. I know that our blog has been silent since our return to the US this past summer. We have found it difficult to express in words the ups and downs of living between two “homes.” Returning to the US with fresh eyes has been interesting! Maybe we will share more in a future post about the good, the bad, and the ugly of this fresh perspective. But one surprising outcome of our experience so far in serving as “missionaries” is the amazing way that God has allowed us to connect so many people within our circle (and even beyond) to His work in the world. Ironically, even though we have “less” by the world’s standards now, we have been able to GIVE even MORE…by being conduits of your blessings which have been given so generously. We have been continually amazed at how God has used YOU (our community in America) to bless our community in Kenya! So in this season of giving, we wanted to again highlight some needs near to our hearts. If you are hoping to make a real difference with your dollars this Christmas season, instead of more online shopping for more “stuff”…consider one of our wish-list items below!
1. EDUCATION for an orphan..
Schooling in Kenya is not free…One year of tuition and required school fees (books, uniforms, food, etc.) costs about $500 per child. Orphans are especially at risk for not progressing through school due to lack of financial support among other factors. Access to education for orphans and vulnerable children has been directly linked to improved health, wellbeing, and long-term outcomes. Our local children’s homes care for about 350 orphans who rely on donations to provide this critical opportunity for education. Could you give a child the gift of knowledge and opportunity this year? If you can’t give $500, any amount does help! If this need speaks deeply to you and you have interest in a commitment each year to sponsor a child’s schooling, please contact me for more information.
Donate directly at Tenwek Orphan Scholarship Fund
Mary Taylor playing with a friend at a local orphan home
2. An ULTRASOUND machine for surgical use…
Ultrasound is a vital tool for patient care at Tenwek Hospital. Our radiology department does about 50 patient scans per day, leaving little availability for ultrasound use in surgery, in evaluating trauma and critical care patients, or in teaching residents these important skills. We are in dire need of an additional ultrasound machine devoted to these purposes. We are raising funds to purchase a Sonosite M-turbo portable machine. Sonosite has offered a generous discount, and Friends of Tenwek organization is contributing 50% of the needed funds! Could you help us in raising the additional 50% needed to acquire this important tool for improving patient care and training?
Donate directly to this need at Surgery Dept. US Project
Family medicine resident, Elijah, evaluating a pediatric patient for pleural effusion
3. A TEACHER!
OK, so this isn’t something that money can buy at all, but it is my biggest wish! Our Tenwek community is in need of two teachers committed to helping with educating our missionary kids. This important job impacts our ministry in such a big way! If you or someone you know is a teacher licensed for elementary or middle school with a heart for missions and a willingness to consider serving with us in Kenya, please contact us! Help spread the word!
Tenwek MKs playing on a beautiful Kenyan afternoon
Thank you for considering supporting our Kenyan community and our work at Tenwek Hospital. We look forward to returning to Kenya in 2017. Thanks to our amazing partners, we have 95% of our needed monthly funds for our return already committed! Are you interested in joining our support team? If so, contact us to learn more, or donate directly toward our ministry . We are in currently Knoxville, where Heath is doing additional training in critical care at UT Hospital, and Angela is working to juggle our family’s transition. If you would like to connect, please contact us!
Our family’s last hike up our local “mountain” before our return to the US this summer
All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.” ~2 Corinthians 4:15 NLT
Into the Deep 
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