Greetings from Kenya! Though our initial flight from Pasco to Seattle was canceled, we made it to Kenya without any major hiccups. We arrived at In Step Children’s Home on Friday evening. The children greeted us with hugs and excitement. They were thrilled to see many members from South Hills Church returning. Our board treasurer, Valarie Yoder, is on the team and my heart melted when I heard a group of boys run up to her, shouting, “Auntie Val! Auntie Val!”
On Saturdays, the school offers a study hall for students who need or want it. Meanwhile, I walked over to the main house and stumbled upon the babies and toddlers getting haircuts. Those who were waiting or already done were dancing. You have not lived until you’ve seen babies dancing to praise music in a language you can’t understand!
Several of the ladies and I accompanied the babies to the playground. New rescues Bianca and Salome fell asleep in my and Joan Schwan’s arms (Joan is our board secretary).
Speaking of playgrounds, the men on our team are building a new (to us) playground for the older kids. We’re dubbing it “the middle school playground” – it’s much taller and is more of an agility/climbing style. I can’t wait to tell you more about that.
I’ve been working for RFK since 2018 and due to health issues and COVID restrictions, this is my first trip, but it’s exactly what I envisioned. I feel almost a sense of homecoming in this land I’ve never been. My heart is bursting, and I already know my life will never be the same.
~ Tori Costello, Operations Manager Rehema for Kids