Christmas has come and gone, but the stories of grace, love and kindness are still impacting us!
Most of you who follow Ndoto have heard about three sweet young boys (Mcquin, Leon and Gift) we met in September of 2012. They were severely malnourished, especially their youngest brother Gift, and all the boys had to take 5-10 different medications to get healthy. The boys had been living out in the rural areas with their mom and family when mom passed away. Upon arrival for the funeral a few months prior to our meeting, their dad’s mom, who lives in Obunga, saw that the boys were extremely ill, so she brought them home with her. She didn’t know how she would provide for them, but knew she had to do something.
It was a complete act of God that the boys came across our path. Board member and pediatrician Dr. Emily Sloan was visiting Kenya, and the boys happened to come into the Ndoto compound with some friends. Dr. Sloan noticed that Gift, who we later learned was 1.5 yrs old, looked like an infant because he was so skinny and so small. Because of Dr. Sloan’s experience and observations, we were able to find their grandma and get involved. After a long stay in the hospital, and nutrition supplements from Unicef, Gift went home on a very healthy track, and his brothers had finished their medicines and were happy and healthy as well.
Mcquin and Leon are now sponsored students through Ndoto and have stolen the heart of their sponsor Britanee N. Gift is now walking, laughing, and growing strong. However, their grandma has grown very ill in the past few months. She is being treated and we are praying and hoping she will recover well and very soon.
Due to her illness and inability to work for a time, the boys were struggling at Christmas. One of our newest staff members, Alice, otherwise known as Mama Bon, took it upon herself to provide the boys with a small Christmas party. She cooked, bought soda, and bread, and gave them quite the feast. She did all of this on her own accord, with her own finances, because she has grown to love these boys as family. The boys ate their fill, laughed, smiled and enjoyed every moment with Mama Bon. It was truly a Christmas for them to remember.
At Ndoto, we are a family, and one of our goals is to provide a sense of family where there is none, or in this case, where family was absent due to health problems. Seeing the joy on their faces and the amount of work and sacrifice that Mama Bon put in so that some of our family were well looked after is a true blessing. These are moments where we realize that God has brought Ndoto to this place, for this time, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in whatever way He shows us. It is not just about sending students to school, but about making the gospel known among the community of Obunga, even through feasts at Christmas.
