Kenya Update!

Tickets to Kenya are booked!

Thanks to everyone who has generously donated towards our mission trip so far, I was able to purchase airline tickets this month!  Our team has grown to six, as we have another friend and her 16 yr old daughter joining us.  We all have our flights booked and will be leaving for Kenya on July 4th and returning home July 17th. 

We've started planning our itinerary while at Happy Life and are looking forward to loving on all the precious babies in the nursery AND are excited to be spending a few extra days staying with the children at Happy Life Christian School this year.  

I'm especially looking forward to seeing little Gideon, who I meet as an infant on my first trip to Happy Life five years ago.  He is a happy and thriving 5 yr old now, and attending school at Happy Life Christian School. 

Gideon "2015"

Me with Gideon "2018"

Gideon at school "2019"

I am raising funds for the remaining costs of my trip.  If anyone would still like to partner with me and donate towards this trip, you can send funds to my bank through Zelle to Cindy Gross: cindykgross@yahoo.com or 972-567-9474 or through Venmo to: CindyGross @ Cindy-Gross-5.

I cannot wait to see how God is going to use us to bless and share His love with all the precious children at Happy Life!

To learn more about Happy Life Children's Home and the difference they 

are making in these orphaned children’s lives…

Check out their website @ happylifechildrenshome.com 

or view their blog @ happylifekenya.blogspot.com

. 

Happy Life 2020!

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm excited to share the news that I am returning to Kenya in July!

I’m organizing a small team from Texas and will be connecting with my friend and former YWAM roommate from New Zealand when we arrive in Africa to volunteer for 10 days at Happy Life Children’s Home in Nairobi, Kenya.  

This will be my 5^th mission trip to serve at Happy Life.  It’s such a blessing to be able to return each year to come alongside Happy Life's loving and dedicated staff to help feed, care for, and love on all the precious orphaned children in their care!

I was looking forward to seeing little Levi, my sponsored child at Happy Life on this visit but recently received the wonderful news that he has been adopted by a Kenyan family, along with another child from Happy Life. I met this precious boy on our 2018 visit and he immediately stole my heart 💗 I've been praying for him daily and am SO happy he now has a forever family    

                       Me & Levi "2018"

I'm raising funds to cover the cost for my trip, which will be approximately $2,000. This includes round-trip airfare, Kenya visa, ground transportation, accommodation and meals at Happy Life. *My goal is to have enough funds to purchase airline tickets (approx $1400) by the end of January. I’m trusting God for provision to cover the costs for this trip just as He has faithfully provided in past years!

If you would like to partner with me on this mission trip by giving a tax-deductible donation, you can send the funds to my bank using Zelle with my registered email: cindykgross@yahoo.com or phone #: 972-567-9474. 

~or~ you can send your donation to Happy Life Children's Home through PayPal, noting the donation is for: Cindy Gross - Mission Trip July 2020. 

I am grateful for everyone who has partnered with me over the past 5 years as I've served with this wonderful organization, and would be SO blessed to have you partner with me this year to help make this trip possible!

 Happy Life "2018"

I'm so excited for this opportunity to return once again to serve and share the Love of Jesus with the staff and all the precious children at Happy Life!

Love and blessings,
Cindy

 To learn more about Happy Life and the difference they 

are making in these orphaned children’s lives…

Check out their website @ happylifechildrenshome.com 
 or view their blog @  happylifekenya.blogspot.com

Happy Life 2018

Texas Team 2018

Another awesome trip to Happy Life!

I'm so grateful for the opportunity God provided to go love on all the precious children at Happy Life Children's Home once again. It was an extra special blessing serving with such an amazing team of women! 

The highlight of this trip was reuniting with some of my special little sweethearts from previous years and seeing them all healthy, happy, and full of smiles!

Gideon - 4 yrs old

Kenneth - 2 yrs old

John Mark - 1 yr old

...and sweet little Cindy - 1 yr old

There were 15 precious babies in the nursery  
for us help take care of and love on this year!

AND lots of adorable toddlers too!!

Another highlight was our trip to Juja Farm to visit the school children and being there for the dedication of their 
new donated school bus. 

The team getting a ride on the new school bus

Dedication of the new school bus

Reunited with our friend Leah
(Standing in front of the construction site of the new basketball court)

Helping the children learn to journal 
using the SOAP method 

Having fun with the kids after school

I'm so thankful for God's protection and no serious injuries after a fall and bump to my head, and an unexpected field trip to the hospital for a CAT scan on our 2nd day in Africa. Scan results were clear and we were in and out of the hospital in less than 30 minutes, with a total bill of only $61...God is Good!

The two lovely nuns we met at the hospital

The wonderful staff at Happy Life take such loving care of all the orphaned children in their care and it's always such a privilege to come and serve alongside them!

My friend Sarah, Happy Life's Administrator 

Baby Levi's mother gave him up for adoption and he was brought to Happy Life so they could care for him, and help him find a forever home.

My new sponsored sweetheart, Levi 💗

Thanks to everyone who partnered with me to help 
make this trip possible!

Our Team at Juja Farm School

happylifechildrenshome.com

happylifekenya.blogspot.com

Leaving for Kenya next month!

Our team leaves for Kenya on September 8th and we've been busy the last two months collecting donations for Happy Life and getting ready for our trip!

It's exciting to see all the supplies that have been donated for the Children's Home so far...we'll have no problem filling all the extra suitcases we're planning to bring along with us! Through the generosity of the missions ministry at Woodlands Church, we've been given an abundance of shoes, clothing, bedding, diapers, and school supplies to take with us to bless the children at Happy Life!

We've also received some generous cash donations to provide a basketball court and new desks for the school. The funds have been sent and they plan to have the basketball court finished by the time we arrive in September. It will be such a joy to visit the school and see the children having fun playing basketball on the new court and enjoying their new desks! 

It's always a special treat to see the precious little ones we've met on previous visits...it's a blessing to see how they're growing up into such beautiful children! 

Kenneth from our 2015 visit
now 3 yrs old

We're looking forward to visiting Happy Life's new Children's Hospital which opened in February. The five-story hospital is located on the property across from the Children's home and is serving the orphans at Happy Life and providing affordable health care to the local community. Most of our team will be staying in the new volunteer guest rooms on the 5th floor during our visit this year. 

A huge thanks to everyone who partnered with me and donated toward my trip! Through the generous donations from friends and family, all the expenses for my trip have been paid for...God is always faithful to provide!!

I can't wait to Go and Love on all those precious 

children once again!

Happy Life 2017

Kenya Update...

"Leaving for Happy Life in 3 months!"

Our team is getting excited as the time gets closer for us to leave for Happy Life Children's Home in Kenya! 

God has put together an awesome group of women for this year's trip and we are looking forward to serving together! We have started meeting to pray and plan for our trip, and each member of the team has taken on a different leadership role as we prepare to go. 

We have already begun collecting donations of clothing, shoes, baby items, and school supplies. Our team will be getting together in the weeks before we leave to have a "packing party" to fill all the extra suitcases we will be bringing with us to bless the children at Happy Life.  

I recently received the Wonderful news that sweet little Jesse Kay, my sponsored child has been adopted. I will miss seeing him on our visit in September, but am SO happy he now has a forever family!

Me and Jesse Kay
"2016"

Me and Jesse Kay
"2017"

I'm also thrilled to share that through the generous donations I have received so far, my airfare has been paid for AND I am a little over halfway to having all the remaining costs of my trip covered! 

God is SO faithful, and I am trusting that He will provide all that is needed to make this trip possible...and can't wait to GO and love on all those precious children again soon!!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

"Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I.  Send Me!"

~Isaiah 6:8~

Happy Life 2018!

Texas Team
"Happy Life 2017"

Returning to Happy Life!

I'm thrilled to share the news that we are returning to Happy Life Children’s Home in Kenya this September! Our team of 10 will be traveling from Houston to Nairobi on September 8th to spend 10 days volunteering at Happy Life Children’s Home and Christian School.  

This will be my 4^th year to make this trip and it's a privilege & blessing to return each year to come alongside Happy Life's loving and dedicated staff to help feed, care for, and love on all the precious orphaned children in their care!

Baby Dedication Day 2017

I’m especially looking forward to seeing little Jesse Kay, my sponsored child at Happy Life. I first met and fell in love with this precious baby back in 2016…I was so thrilled to see on our last visit that he’s thriving and growing up into such a sweet, handsome boy!

Jesse Kay 2016

Me and Jesse Kay 2017

Our team will be collecting donations of clothing, shoes, and baby supplies again this year to take with us for the children, along with cash donations to purchase needed items locally in Nairobi for the Children's Home and School. Last year we brought extra suitcases filled with over 600 lbs of donations and were able to purchase many needed items with the generous donations we received, and we're hoping we can to do the same this year to bless the children and staff at Happy Life!

2017 Donations

I'm so excited for this opportunity to return once again 

to serve and share the Love of Jesus with the staff

and all the precious children at Happy Life!

Happy Life 2017

I'm raising support to cover the cost of my trip. Costs including Kenya visa, airfare, transportation, meals and accommodation will be approximately $1,500.00. 

My goal is to have my airline ticket paid for and all fees to Happy Life paid by June 15.

If you would like to partner with me on this mission trip by giving a tax-deductible donation, please make your check payable to Happy Life Children's Home with my name in the memo line – or you can make your check payable to me, and mail checks to:

Cindy Gross

21031 Gold Candlestick Dr.

Hockley, TX  77447

I am so grateful to everyone who has partnered with me as I've served with this wonderful organization over the past 3 years, and would be SO blessed to have you partner with me again this year to help make this trip possible!  

To learn more about Happy Life and the difference they 

are making in these orphaned children’s lives…

Check out their website @ happylifechildrenshome.com 

or view their blog @ happylifekenya.blogspot.com

Great trip to Happy Life!

Happy Life 2017

Back home from Kenya!

Our team has returned from Kenya with full hearts and wonderful memories of our time at Happy Life Children's Home and Juja Farm School!  It was another great trip this year with a wonderful team. Our hosts at Happy Life were so pleased to have us back and said how thankful they are for our teams from Texas.

We were able to bring 12 large suitcases full of donations this year and were also able to purchase many needed items in Kenya with the generous donations we received including food, medicine, diapers, wipes, school books and supplies, two cook top stoves and a refrigerator for one of the new homes at the Juja Farm school, and a commercial dryer for the Children's home...and more! Thank you to everyone who generously donated and allowed us to bless Happy Life with these much needed items!

2017 Donations 

Stove top for new home at Juja Farm School 

Refrigerator

Lots of diapers!

We all had so much fun feeding and loving on all the precious little babies in the nursery...and playing outside with the older babies and toddlers between feeding times. 

The mothers SO appreciated all the extra helping hands!

It was a special treat to meet baby Cindy!  I was so honored to have one of these precious babies named after me!             

Me and baby Cindy

Feeding baby Cindy

It was an extra blessing to see my sponsored child and little sweetheart Jesse Kay from last year, and little Gideon from 2 years ago.  Gideon came to Happy Life so small and failing to thrive, but is doing much better and is growing and finally learning to walk, thanks to all the loving care of the Happy Life staff! 

Jesse Kay

Gideon

We enjoyed our visit to Happy Life Juja Farm School and playing with the school-aged children for an afternoon.  These beautiful children captured everyone's hearts as they sang songs and had fun taking lots of pictures with us!

It was great to see the progress on the construction of the new Jesse Kay Medical Center and get a tour. What a beautiful facility which will be a huge blessing to Happy Life and the community!  It is close to completion and scheduled to open in November.  

Jesse Kay Medical Center

View from the rooftop of the new Medical Center

We are so thankful for the opportunity to partner with this wonderful organization in caring for and loving on these precious orphaned children!

Happy Life Team 2017

Thank you to all who contributed 

to help make this trip possible!!