House Dedication

Today was the culmination of a four day effort to build an AIDS Orphan Home and the team dedicated the house with the help of the local tribe. The house was built for two young boys and their grandmother after they were orphaned by the loss of their mother who died of AIDS.
The dedication was a very moving ceremony that involved the elder women of the local village who sang and praised the house as a gift from God. Our friend Stanley Gitari, the director of community services at Maua Methodist Hospital, helped to lead the ceremony with prayers and scriptures that allowed for everyone involved to really feel connected to the God that brought us here. It was incredibly inspiring to see all the women and children singing and dancing in praise and gratitude, it was enough to bring you to tears.
Toward the end of the ceremony, everyone present laid their hands on the house and offered a prayer to bless the home and further the idea that a community must come together to raise children in need.  Mr. Gitari then presented the house key to the family and a certificate of dedication which showed how this building was built with the help of the Lord and erected in his name. The community came together to bring new mattresses and blankets to make the new house as a way to truly give this family a new beginning. Upon receiving all these item, it was quite clear that the Grandmother was incredibly grateful for the blessing bestowed upon her and her grandchildren. We were all immensely  humbled by the gratitude we received and our lives were enriched by the entire experience.
As we left the village, the women and children formed a line all the way from the work site to the buses to bid us farewell. We all hoped to see them once more in our future endeavors as we continue mission work in Kenya in the coming years.