January 2026

Jambo everyone!

It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me! As usual, things have been very, very busy around our place!

Before I jump into everything happening now, I don’t want to forget to tell you about Christmas. We had a wonderful celebration, as we always do – and this year was extra special. Not only did we share a big feast together, but it was also the very first time we were able to prepare and serve food from our brand-new kitchen!

The kitchen is fully finished and decked out with stainless steel everything, serving windows, and all the space and equipment we’ve been dreaming of! Being able to use that new building for the very first time on Christmas Day felt incredibly meaningful and was such a gift to all of us.

Our Christmas feast was plentiful and joyful – barbecued chicken, chapati (flatbread), fruit salad, mokimo (mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables), sausages… it was a lot of food and a lot of fun!

The kids put on a Christmas drama – actually, a couple of Christmas dramas – and they did a fantastic job. Our soon-to-be college students even organized and led the church service, which was especially meaningful to watch. It was a joyful, memorable day, and we felt so blessed. I hope each of you had as wonderful a Christmas holiday as we did.

After the holidays, all of the kids were home from school for a long break, and now the new school year has begun. That means a big transition for some of our students. Our ninth graders, who just finished junior high, will be heading off to high school next week. We’ve been scrambling (in a good way!) to get everyone placed in the right schools so they can be ready to learn and begin adjusting to the high school environment.

For many of these kids, this will be their first time away from home. They’ve grown up in a very protected environment, and now they will begin learning how to navigate Kenyan society more independently. As I’ve shared before, this is a key part of our exit strategy – helping the children gradually move from the safety of our home into the wider world. Sending them to boarding school allows them to take those first steps toward independence while still being under our care and protection.

This year, we have 67 children enrolled in high school, which is both exciting and humbling.

We also have 16 students who graduated from high school in November. They will receive their final grades next week, and once those are in, we’ll begin the process of helping them apply to colleges, universities, trade schools, or other training programs – whatever they qualify for and feel called to pursue.

On top of all of this, we are currently hosting a mission team from New York – a wonderful group of 16 people who have brought so much energy and expertise with them. The team includes a dentist and two dental hygienists, along with others serving as assistants. They are providing dental exams, teeth cleanings, and small procedures like fillings for all of our children. This team comes every other year in January, and their visit is always such a blessing.

They are also working closely with the school on a hands-on science project: building electric cars. This is a project they’ve done before, and the kids absolutely love it.

We are also blessed to have Dean and Tammie Myslivecek here with us once again. Just like the past two years, they have been an enormous help! Dean, as superintendent of the school, continues to challenge and encourage our teachers to integrate technology into their lesson plans and to use a greater variety of teaching methods. His passion for education inspires the teachers to grow and to be the very best they can be in their careers.

Tammie, of course, is absolutely instrumental – beyond instrumental. I honestly could not do what she does for our college students. From helping them choose courses that truly fit who they are, to guiding them through registration and requirements, she is simply amazing! We have come to rely on her greatly, and we are so thankful for her dedication and heart.

We are also incredibly proud of In Step Academy! It has truly become a community school. While our children’s home kids attend school there, so do many children from the surrounding community. In fact, we now have about twice as many community children as children’s home kids enrolled – and that is such a wonderful thing.

This brings us favor within the community and gives us a meaningful way to serve beyond our walls. It allows our children to build friendships with kids outside of the children’s home, and I also believe it is making a difference in breaking the stigma of being an orphan. Community families pay school fees to attend, which helps offset the school budget, making the model beneficial for everyone involved. It’s truly a win-win.

It has been such a joy to watch our kids grow, discover who they are as individuals, and find their place in the wider community. We’ve waited many years to see this day, and now it’s happening right before our eyes. We are watching our children become young adults – integrating into society, serving in their communities, and stepping into their futures – and it makes me incredibly proud!

Thank you for continuing to pray for us, support us, and walk alongside these children as their stories continue to unfold.

God Is Good All The Time (GIGATT),

Mama Carla