September 2025

Jambo Everybody!

I hope you are all well, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing! We are healthy and happy here in Kenya, trying to take one day at a time with whatever God has put before us to do that day.

Honestly, some days I feel like my life is just one “thing” (challenge to face, conflict to resolve, issue to deal with, request to fulfill, etc.) after another and I find myself taking joy in the smallest, most simple things in life. Things like cooking a meal for people I care about. The excitement of the little kids when they see me coming to say hi to them. Watching a baseball game on TV with a fire in the fireplace and a rainstorm pounding outside. Sometimes I feel like these are the rewards for getting through the “things”… and what wonderful rewards they are!

One thing I’m receiving a lot of joy from at the moment is tomatoes! You know the kind I’m talking about…the bright red cherry tomatoes that burst with flavor when you pop them in your mouth and bite down? The kind that are so juicy that you have to make sure your lips are closed before you chomp? Yes, those!

Why do these tomatoes bring me so much joy? Because around here, it’s pretty tough to find anyone who has ever seen any variety of tomato other than Roma tomatoes. Also, most people have never considered a tomato as something to eat fresh. (Pretty much every recipe they cook starts with sauteing onions and tomatoes, though.) It has been so much fun to see the look on people’s faces the first time they try them! LOL! The kids also absolutely love them, so when I have more than I need, I take a big bowl of them down to the kids and they literally jump for joy before getting themselves settled in a line, ready for their treat! It’s so fun!

I am so proud of our college kids! It is such a blessing to watch them plan their futures and strive to make lives for themselves; heading toward a time when they can live independently, without relying on donors and well-wishers. I find it interesting that each of them has chosen a different college course; counseling, agriculture, teaching, social work, pharmacy, technology, nursing, nutrition, entrepreneurship, and human resources. What a variety of interests and ambitions!

I’m enjoying watching them develop their own styles! All their lives, they have been required to wear school uniforms. Even hairstyles (or lack thereof) were dictated by what was considered uniform. At home, they wore whatever they were given. Of course, there was a little bit of choosing between what we had, but never in their lives had they gone into a shop, or even a market, to buy clothes for themselves. It’s the same with shoes! It seems they all love shoes! Here at home, they always had a pair of school shoes and a pair of Crocs. They never complained! It was just life at In Step! But now when I see them, they are wearing very fashionable sneakers or sandals! I love it!

Today, I reached out to them and asked them each to send me a picture of themselves that they like. It has been fun receiving the pictures; seeing their individuality, seeing what they like about themselves. They are posting the pictures on our Whatsapp group and complimenting one another, encouraging one another, telling each other how they look forward to Christmas when they will all be together! I’m looking at my phone and shaking my head. Are these really those timid, unsure kids that left here not knowing how they would ever make it outside the gates of In Step? It’s amazing to watch!

I definitely see a shift in attitude and outlook on life when our kids leave home. When faced with the “real world”, they seem to gradually gain an understanding of just how fortunate they were to grow up here. The fact that God plucked them from the muck and mire of whatever unfortunate circumstances they were born into becomes more of a reality for them.

The understanding that people from the other side of the world, most of whom they will never even meet this side of heaven, cared enough for them to make sure that they had hope for a future, begins sinking in and blowing their minds! They themselves become more giving, reaching out and helping each other, even referring to one another as brothers and sisters….as family. My heart just wants to explode as we begin to see God’s plan for their lives unfold before our eyes!

The new kitchen is almost ready for occupancy! We (and there are several people that make up this “we”) really put a lot of thought into the design and functionality of this new space. We have tried to rectify the things that didn’t really work in the old kitchen. Things like getting rid of wooden cupboards and workspaces, and replacing them with stainless steel! We have also installed skid-free tiles, instead of the smooth, slippery ones we have in the old kitchen. We have always had ventilation issues in the old kitchen. My prayer is that the new design will take care of that problem!

The best part about the new kitchen is its location! It is parallel to the dining area, so we were able to incorporate serving windows with slide down shutters (still waiting for the shutters to arrive from China)! There will also be a window for returning dirty dishes! I can only imagine how much smoother mealtime will be! A huge thanks to all who were part of making this happen! This year’s Christmas feast is going to be a much smoother operation!

All is well at the children’s home and academy. A few new kids have joined our In Step family…I’ll catch you up next time. In Step Academy continues to be one of the best schools in the area….one of the few schools who have the resources required to fully implement the Competency Based Education curriculum! High School kids are struggling to finish the academic year strong, and very much looking forward to the long break coming up in just a few weeks. Me, not so much, lol! I tell you, there is never a dull (or quiet) moment during school break!

Thanks for your prayers and other support! You’re probably tired of hearing me say that God has put together an amazing team on behalf of these kids! But I never get tired of saying it because none of us could do this without each other! Thanks for accepting the challenge with us!

God Is Good All The Time (GIGATT),

Mama Carla