October 2026

Jambo Everybody!

In my twenty-three years of writing these newsletters, I don’t think I’ve ever written one that focuses so much on me instead of the kids and the ministry. But I’ve had a lot going on lately – things that have affected me personally and, in turn, affected my family and the ministry – so this month I’m going to do something a little different and share a bit of what has been happening in my life.

I traveled home to Washington State on the first of July, after receiving a message that my friend of more than 50 years, Wendy, was in the hospital and was not expected to make it. I had already planned to come home at the end of July, but with the news about Wendy, Jeff immediately got on the phone and changed my plane ticket so I could leave right away.

Wendy had been a wonderful friend to me for 52 years. She was loyal, a true confidant, and when Wendy loved you, she loved you fiercely. I count it as a blessing that I was able to spend several days with her in the hospital. For most of that time, she was lucid and very aware of what was happening. Although her body was shutting down, her mind was sharp. We reminisced. We watched baseball. We talked about life, death, and heaven. I thank God for that special time together.

While I was home, I was also able to make a trip to Colorado to spend a few days with my friend Jessa, who is also a friend of the ministry. She has come to Kenya a number of times over the past few years, blessing us with her “math geek” skills in the classroom!

During her last trip to Kenya, Jessa offered to help me with QuickBooks, so we planned to get together at her home in Colorado, the next time I was in the states. Estha, our Executive Director, met us there and we had three wonderful days of bonding, working, eating charcuterie (so we wouldn’t have to cook), and preparing for our upcoming Safari to Kenya fundraising event. Jessa and I tackled the QuickBooks situation and figured out what our system would look like going forward. 

There are still certain parts of QuickBooks that I’m doing, but Jessa is taking over the lion’s share of the data entry! I am over the moon excited and honestly don’t even know how to adequately express how much I appreciate her willingness to do this. Having someone who understands both the work and the ministry step into this role is such a gift.

Another fun thing about my trip to Colorado was being able to reconnect with William, an old friend from high school, who just happens to now be a good friend of Jessa. It’s one of those “crazy small world” stories! He and his wife met us for an early dinner and it was just so much fun to catch up!

That trip ended up being such a meaningful mix of work, friendship, and a little bit of fun. From there, it was time to shift gears again and start thinking about getting back to Kenya. But this time was different. For the very first time, I was blessed to be able to travel back with two of our granddaughters, Keegan and Ava, who have both just graduated from high school. We wanted to grab that little piece of time between high school and college, the job market, or whatever they decide to do next, and have them all to ourselves for a while!

The three of us met Jeff in Nairobi and spent a day there trying to adjust our body clocks, then headed out on safari in the Maasai Mara. It was wonderful!

I think we saw just about every animal on the Mara! As wonderful as the animals are, one of my favorite things about going on safari is that you are literally all together in a vehicle for hours at a time. Because of that, a lot more happens during those hours than simply watching animals. There is time to talk, laugh, ask questions, and to just be together.

When the safari was over, we came back to the children’s home, and it was amazing to have our granddaughters as guests in our home. We’ve had some good friends stay with us for a couple of days at a time, but this was the first time we have been able to have family here.

I think the biggest blessing of the visit was having the opportunity to get to know our granddaughters on a more individual basis. We’ve been in Kenya their entire lives, and even though we go home to visit as often as we can, it’s usually only for a few weeks at a time, a few times a year. And when we’re together as a family, we’re ALL together. The cousins love spending time with one another, while the adults are usually hanging out in a different room. It’s a blessing and a lot of fun to be together as a family, but the opportunity to build personal relationships with our grandkids just hasn’t been there.

Honestly, I had always thought about it mostly from my own selfish perspective – wanting that individual relationship with them. I hadn’t really stopped to think about the fact that our grandkids have never had the opportunity to get to know US personally either. Both of the girls have expressed how meaningful it has been, which makes my heart very happy!

After such a special time with our granddaughters in Kenya, it was time for Keegan and me to head back to Washington, where another very meaningful part of the ministry was waiting for us – Safari to Kenya.

I’m not always able to attend, but this year was especially significant because it marked the 20-year anniversary of the ministry! Believe it or not, Rehema Grace turned 20 years old in July!

The event was held at a beautiful winery with lovely facilities, and as always, these events are emotional for me. It’s overwhelming to walk into a room and see so many people who care about our kids. These are some of the people who want to make sure that our kids here in Kenya have a future – a real opportunity for a good future.

To sit there, surrounded by so many people who care about this ministry and care about our kids, and who came together not only to say that they care but to demonstrate it through their generosity – was mind-blowing!

I was once again reminded that we are not “out of sight and out of mind” just because we’re all the way across the world. That knowledge gives us strength. It encourages us to keep going. It reminds us that we are not doing this alone.

And it reminds us that God is in charge. God has got us, and God has got these kids! He’s going to continue doing wonderful things through the people who came together that night, as well as so many others around the country!

By the way, I plan to attend two gatherings in May, 2027! One will be held on the west side of Washington State, and another in New York State! It may seem like we’ve been having more fundraising events lately, and the truth is, we have! As more and more of our kids enter high school, graduate, go on to trade school or university, and begin making that transition into adulthood, the cost of caring for and supporting them is higher than it has ever been. It’s an exciting season of growth, but it also means we need more people to come alongside us as we help these kids finish well and step into their futures. I hope to see some of you there!

I mentioned that I traveled home with Keegan. Ava stayed here in Kenya with Jeff, which is another great blessing! She’s been helping in the Stepping Stones department, which is where we care for our special-needs kids. She also loves going to play with the toddlers, who get so excited when they see her coming! 

We sure are blessed people! LOL! And that blessing has continued with Dan and Laura Woodruff, who are also here overseeing the network upgrade project. That project is in very good hands! We really appreciate them being willing to come and spend a few months here to make sure everything gets done right! It’s way over our heads, but we will sure enjoy the end result. I’m told that we will actually have wifi coverage across the entire campus! What a luxury that will be!

Before I finish, I want everyone who is reading this letter to know how much you mean to us and to our kids. The kids really do understand how this works. They know that there is a wonderful group of people in America who care about them, even though many of those people have never met them. That makes them feel special. It makes them feel chosen. It makes them feel loved!

So, yes, this newsletter has been a little different. For twenty years I’ve talked mostly about the kids, the ministry, what’s happening on campus, and what God is doing here in Kenya. But lately, I’ve felt like the things happening in my personal life have helped me to find some much needed balance: Losing Wendy has reminded me how precious relationships are. Having time with our granddaughters has reminded me how remarkable my family is. Catching up with an old high school friend has made me appreciate all my beautiful friendships, both old and new. Having Jessa step in to help with QuickBooks has reminded me that I don’t have to carry everything myself, and sitting in that room at the Safari to Kenya event reminded me that we don’t carry this ministry by ourselves either.

There are so many people who have chosen to be part of this story! People who pray, people who give, people who come to Kenya and serve, people who encourage, people who quietly work behind the scenes, people who work their tails off full time to make sure our kids have everything they need, and people who do all of the above!

I want you to know that we see you. We appreciate you. And our kids know that you are there for them!

Thank you for being part of our family, for loving these kids from halfway around the world, and for helping us continue to give them hope for a beautiful future!

We couldn’t do this without you, and we wouldn’t even want to try.

God Is Good All The Time (GIGATT),

Mama Carla

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