A year ago…and now!

WOW! One year ago today, Dana and I were in our car headed to Nairobi Hospital's Emergency Room, Dana was paralyzed from the middle of her chest down. The first picture below is a picture I took in her hospital room the day before she went under emergency surgery to remove tumors in her spinal column that had totally blocked her spinal cord. The spinal cord had been totally compressed for more than 4 days before the surgery could be attempted.
















This picture was taken today the 28th of June. Here is Dana walking outside and playing disc golf here in our yard at the Baby Centre.



    The emotions have been all over the place this week, recounting what took place a year ago. We have been and continue to be so thankful for the divine touch to Dana's body. We know that God was with us throughout, He never left our side. We felt His presence even in the hours of the unknown ahead. We didn't know at any stage if this would be it, or would she continue to recover more and more? God has touched her body in a mighty way!! And we are so thankful for all of the wonderful care that she received everywhere she went. Many said along the way, that she would not recover, but Jesus is the only one who gets to decide that. We are grateful for every day that we have, none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
   We will be back in the States in July for Dana's bi-annual check-up. We are believing that God is not done yet, He continues to touch and heal her body each day.
   Thank you so very much to all that have prayed for Dana and the rest of the family. It is great to see her walk into a room of people that had been praying for her, and to see their faces, for they truly have seen a modern day miracle of God.

Blessings, and much more to come!

D&D

Grain Bin and More...

   
     Here is a look at what our new grain bin looks like.  It was just stood up on its legs today. (this is a few weeks ago)  
     As previously posted we already have the grain to put into it and fill it up so this is a real blessing!
     Thank you to everyone that helped by getting it here and erecting it.

Mercy Grace

Naomi

Angel

     We have been very busy with Babies coming and going.  Little Mercy was collected by Irene and Dan at the Central Police Station in Nakuru. She had been on her own for some time. She is now adjusting well to being here and we are certain God will provide loving parents for her.

     These two beautiful girls were picked up from somewhere in Naivasha.  We were called because they too had been abandoned.  They are very beautiful and now both are thriving.

Purity

     Purity and Esther are sisters and we collected them from the Nakuru police station.  Talia was able to come with me along with Irene.  The girls were in rough shape and it appeared that Esther had been run over by a motorbike.  Both girls have been looked over very well and are doing wonderful adjusting as you can see in Purity's smile.

Esther

Millicent with her new mommy

Naomi with her new family

     We have also had several new families formed and some very happy Mamas.  Millicent and Naomi came to the Baby Centre the same day a year ago and they left the Baby Centre within a week of each other.  God is so good!!!!

In-country Team

     We have also had many teams over the last two months.  Many in-country teams as well as over-seas teams.

Nappanee Missionary Church Youth Team

Liam Karl

    Back to more babies coming in.  Liam came at two days old and was found in the back seat of a Matatu.  He has awesome hair!!!



Hadassah Rose



Micah Abram

     Hadassah also came to us at just 3 days old from right here in Nakuru.








     On a Friday night at about 9:00PM, we got a call from the Police Station that they had an abandoned baby boy of about three months.  Dana, Carson and I went into town to pick him from the Central Police Station.  He is actually about 10 months old (they are not very good at guessing).  He has had a very rough start to life, but is doing very well.  For those who know Robert our nurse here at the Baby Centre, he looks just like him!!

Carson's 16th Birthday!!

    We celebrated Carson's 16th birthday on May 24th.  Although he turned 16, when asked if he wanted to start learning to drive he said, "Here in Kenya?? No thank you."















     We have had many visitors over the last two months.  We had Verle and Marcia Hochstetler, we had Tommy and Laverne Anderson and team from Northern and Southern Ireland, some of the Bethel Medical Team and several VIAs.  So far this year we have had 8 VIA's, 3 international teams, and more in-country teams than I can count.

     Dana continues to do very well and is walking with no help most of the time now.  She is practicing walking outside on the rocks and uneven ground.  One day very soon she will be able to walk all over without any help!  We praise the Lord for this answered prayer!

     We are very thankful that God has blessed us with the honor of serving Him in this ministry.

Blessings,

D&D

Update 15 April 2014

     It has been awhile since our last post.  There is so much happening at the Baby Centre that we just have not had the time to get an update done.

     Dana continues to gain strength and movement. Everywhere we go, they are amazed at the miracle that she is. God has truly touched her in a mighty way for this season of her life. It is hard to put into words the essence this entire experience has been. It definitely goes beyond the vocabulary that we have.  We have gotten to witness many miracles with our own eyes. What a powerful God we serve!!

     We have a lot of pictures to put on this post to show what all has been happening.

     At this moment we don't have any VIA's at the Baby Centre.  Though we've had 4 already this year.  We posted about Jackie and Kim from Northern Ireland.  While they were here we also had the privilege of hosting Sarah and Luci, also from Northern Ireland.  They came and helped out for 2 weeks and were such a blessing to all of us.  We had a wonderful time with all 4 of our 

Northern Ireland VIA's!  They are all greatly missed!

Sarah and Luci

     Also, since the last post we had our annual WGM retreat in Malindi.  As always it was beautiful weather, very hot and very humid.  Our speaker this year was Reverend Stan Key.  He was absolutely wonderful teaching us out of the book of Jeremiah. We also got the opportunity to spend some one on one time with him. What a great man of God.

Stan Key and Dan

Family photo on the coast of Indian Ocean

As you can see by the photo of us below, my beautiful wife was all over the place, even going down to the beach and walking in the surf!

     When we arrived back to the Baby Centre we had a youth team from our home church here.  It was great to see some familiar faces.  Carson had a great time since it was a youth team most of the kids were around his age so he got to hang out with them.  They even joined in the daily soccer game (pictures below).  Everyone had a great time.

NMC Youth Team

The NMC youth team did several different outreach ministries, but spent the bulk of the time loving on our babies. It is always great to have teams come and experience holding, feeding and playing with these children. Their greatest need is to be loved.

This week we had a surprise from one of our neighbors here in the village of Ngata. They called and said they had something for the babies. Please click on the short video below to see what an amazing gift this was!!!

60 weeks worth of maize!!!

 



Some other things that are happening, the babies are all on the National Health Insurance Fund now, we are working on getting our tax exempt status completed, we are also working on getting our Value Added Tax or VAT exemption filed which would help us tremendously financially.

 

We are currently at 50 babies here at the Baby Centre. We have had ten adoptions already this year. We have another that has been matched and is coming to bond with their new baby in the next couple weeks. We have not had very many admissions so far this year, partly due to some new government changes that have slowed the process.

 

Thank you for tracking with us, praying for us and the Baby Centre, and supporting us in so many ways.

 

Blessings,

D & D

First Month Back - 17 Feb

     Well, it has now been one month that we have been back here in Kenya. In some ways that is hard to believe, and in other ways it seems like we have been back for much longer! It is all in a good way, there has been a lot of things happening.
    Dana is doing very well. God continues to heal her and strengthen her in a miraculous way!!! She is walking around the house now, mostly without her cane. We are able to resume almost all of our normal activities. She has been very busy putting together the new Baby Centre calendar for 2014. It should go to print by the end of this week. She is also updating the Baby Centre website and we are hoping to launch it before the end of the month.
    The babies are doing well. We are working on a Child Care Policy Manual with the staff, and should have that completed by the first of April. This will ensure that are babies are getting the best and most consistent care we can provide. We are also working on a new campaign that will give us different ways to support the Baby Centre. We continue to look at ways to reduce our budget, and be more self-supporting. The challenges with this are great. I can't be more specific than this because some of the items are directly government related, but please be in prayer for the Baby Centre.
    Carson is doing well and so is Hope. We are slowly getting started with her paperwork, this will be a long process in which we must have great patience. Something that Dana and I have been learning over the last year.
    We are looking forward many teams and visitors coming to visit the Baby Centre this summer. We are also working on many areas of training for the staff. We are also doing some worship and teaching each morning in our daily staff meetings. The response in very positive, and we are seeing staff members growing in their roles. We thank the Lord for the team He has assembled for us.

Much more to come..........

Blessings

D & D

6 February 2014 Update

     We are blessed to have two wonderful VIAs from Northern Ireland with us at this time.  Kim is an artist and she is doing marvelous murals on the walls in the Wings as well as the office area.  She is an extremely talented young lady, as you can see in the photo below she has painted Jesus holding a little baby on the wall in the office area.  She is now working on animals and letters in one of the Wings.  She has a servants heart and is willing to help in whatever area she is asked to.  She is a blessing to everyone here.  Kim is also enjoying spending time interacting with the children each day.

Kim Mailey

     Jackie is also with us as a VIA.  Jackie was here last May with a team and felt God calling her to come back and serve for a longer period of time.  Having had Jackie with us previously we knew her heart and the love she has for these babies and were thrilled that she wanted to come back.  She has been a blessing to us, the staff and the babies.  She has a sweet, gentle spirit.  Jackie is a nurse so she has enjoyed helping our nurses weigh the babies, help with paperwork, and with meds, etc.  

Jackie Burton

     Both girls have also been helping with VBS, walking the older kids to school and back, and just loving on the children.  They have both been wonderful and we are glad that we have them with us for another couple months.

     We have many VIAs scheduled to come and serve at the Baby Centre this year.  Some have been here before, some have not.  We are looking forward to seeing what God does in each of their lives while they are here.  We are so thankful to the Lord for putting the Baby Centre on the hearts of others and for the VIAs, teams, etc. that He sends our way.

     We are all doing fine.  We have been very busy.  Dana is very quickly putting together a 2014 Baby Centre Calendar.  We plan to take it to the printer today.  We have been working on Baby Centre promotions for this year.  We will be doing something new.  We are putting together very specific care packets for the babies.  These packets include formula, diapers, etc.  There is much more to follow on this.  These packets will be distributed throughout Kenya and all other areas around the world that sponsor the Baby Centre.  This will be an exciting way to get more intimately involved with what is going on at the Baby Centre.

     Another exciting thing that is happening is that the daily football (soccer) game that Carson started is still going strong, though beginning today a slight change has been made.  Now every Thursday instead of playing football, they will be having a mens Bible study during that time.  This football game has been so instrumental in bringing the men together and creating a bond with them.  It is exciting to see them begin a Bible study together.

Blessings,

D&D

Back Home

  Dana, Carson, Hope and I made it very well back to the Baby Centre on Sunday afternoon. We arrived to a large group of staff and children singing, waving balloons and flowers to welcome us back. We were very moved. Dana got out of the van in the parking lot and walked into our home, with the staff following us. We felt very welcomed. We had some difficulties in getting our internet up and running, but as you can tell we are on-line once again.
  The trip went very well. We had great seats and a very good flight to Amsterdam. We got a day room at a hotel attached to the airport for our 14 hour layover. It was great, we could rest and shower and have a good meal before moving on. The second trip was also very good, it was also an overnight flight, but on this one Hope decided not to sleep. It was still a good flight. When we arrived at the airport in Nairobi, we had to disembark out on the runway. Dana had to walk down that long flight of stairs and did great. We were met by our good friend and long time driver Francis.
  On Tuesday, we had the Baby Centre Board meeting. That went very well. Per the Board I have officially taken back over the job of Director. Manu, Cate and Pius did a wonderful job while I was away. There are many exciting things coming for the Baby Centre in the next several months. I will start working with the staff on getting up to speed on these new ideas, and how the Baby Centre moves forward. The babies are doing well, and we are set for a good year of adoptions, and of seeing many more babies rescued. Dana and I are currently working on updating the Baby Centre website. We are also working on a new promotional campaign to be used both in country and internationally.
  With each day that goes by, there seems to be new obstacles to saving babies and sustaining our Baby Centre. Praise God though, we can take refuge in the fact that our God is bigger than all of these obstacles, He is in control, He is the One who gives us the victories. We need not fear governments or corruption, God is in control.  God continues to bless us both as a family, and continues to shower the Baby Centre with His provision and love.
  We look forward to seeing where God leads this next few months. Thank you for your prayers and support, they are greatly appreciated.
   Lastly, but by no means least - Dana has been doing phenomenal. She has been navigating the house by herself, walking everywhere in the house without my assistance, and even sometimes walking without her cane. I am going to have to restrain her :). We praise God for this and the miracle it is. We are truly blessed to have experienced this first hand. It does not matter what tomorrow holds, that fact is, for this season in Dana's life, she has been restored!!! To God be the glory, great things He has done!!

Blessings,

D&D

A Look Back at 2013, A Look Ahead at 2014

    What a year it has been! We have been blessed in so many ways. We have 
attached two pictures that tell a great deal of the story for 2013. The first 
one is of Dana in the Hospital in Nairobi July, 2013. The second picture is New 
Years Eve 2013 at Concord Mall. We praise God for all that He has done in our 
lives this year. We have seen His hand in miraculous ways. We feel that this has 
been a confirmation to our call to Kenya, and to us returning to finish what the 
Lord has called us to do. We are very open to see how He leads us through these 
next months as we return to Kenya and continue in our ministry to the Orphaned 
and Abandoned children.
    Dana will have a PET scan on Monday the 13th for her first in a series of 
PET scans to monitor how her treatments are doing. This is part of her ongoing 
maintenance program that she will need to have performed every six months. On 
the 14th of January we meet with Dana's doctor to get her official release to 
return to Kenya. We have already been given the verbal release. In reaction to 
that and to our release from WGM headquarters, we are very pleased to tell 
everyone that we have our tickets purchased and we will be departing for Kenya 
on the 17th of January.
   In the excitement, there is also much sadness as we leave our families once 
again. Dana's mom continues to improve from her apparent stroke, but the 
progress is slow. She still cannot speak and this weighs heavy on our hearts. We 
are blessed though to leave her knowing that Dana's dad and two sisters will be 
here to help out. Please pray for Les and Bev (Dana's parents), Harry and Nancy 
(Dan's parents), Nathan, Tiffany and Audrey (our son and his girlfriend and her 
daughter), Andrea, Mike and Elisabeth (our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter), 
and our daughter Talia as we leave all of these behind once again.
   There are all of the emotions here at work as we now have the date and we 
prepare to leave. The one constant through  all of this is that we know how much 
God loves each and every one of us, He wants what is best for each of us, and He 
is always there for us. We cannot out-love, out-think, out-work, out-spend our 
God. He is the same God yesterday, today, and will be the same tomorrow. On that 
promise we can be assured.
   Thank you for all of your prayers, and thank you for how so many of you have 
loved on us while we were here. Thank you for the cards, the food, the gifts, 
and the financial support. It has truly blessed us.

Blessings,

D&D