Wonderful Visit to Happy Life!

Visit to Happy Life - July 2016

It was another great trip to Happy Life Children's Home in Nairobi, Kenya! I traveled solo this year, and after arriving in Kenya, joined my friend Julie and an amazing team of 6 other women from Texas. We had a wonderful time serving together and loving on all the precious children at Happy Life!  

Our Team 
Jeanette, Emily, Schelley, Julie
Lindsay, Cindi, Cheryl, Cindy 

It was such a blessing to return and see friends and familiar faces from last year, and also meet new friends and all the precious children that have joined the Happy Life family over the past year!

One of the highlights of this trip was seeing little Eric, the abandoned baby we helped pick up from the hospital and bring to Happy Life last year. He's happy and thriving, and is such a sweet-natured little guy! 

I was so thrilled to hear the news since returning home that Eric was adopted into a forever family this month!

Picking up baby Eric from the hospital last year

Little Eric

Holding little Eric again during this visit

There were 24 precious new babies in the infant nursery this year, and I treasured every opportunity to hold, feed, and love on each one of them...even at the 5am feedings!

It was such a joy and privilege to work alongside the wonderful Kenyan Mothers who lovingly take care of all the babies for 12-hour shifts, and also the older Happy Life children who assist the mothers each day and the other volunteers that come to help out from the local University, and from all around the world.

Julie and Mother Margaret

Mother Jane

Mother Ann

Me, Emily, and big sister Leah
helping with feeding time

Big brother Freddy helping out with the babies

Volunteers from Iceland

Volunteers from the local University

Our team was able to bless Happy Life again this year by bringing extra suitcases full of clothing, shoes, diapers, wipes, school supplies, musical instruments and more....thanks to all the generous donations from our supporters and the Missions Department at Woodlands Church! We also purchased nursery supplies while in Kenya, along with a new refrigerator, water filters, a copy machine, paint and other items for the school with the many generous cash donations we received!!

This year's Donations

One of the greatest joys of this trip was seeing sweet little Gideon again, the precious little guy that captured my heart last year.  He is getting weekly physical therapy and being treated for a heart condition and the malnutrition he came to Happy Life with...and is now growing and thriving! We had a sweet time together...and also had fun taking some selfies. 

Little Gideon

We visited Happy Life's Juja Farm Center School again this year, and had a great time playing with the children, watching a presentation they put on for us, and celebrating one of the staff's birthday with the children.

Children's Presentation

Enjoying time with the children

Celebrating Pastor Peter's Birthday

Two women from our team, who have a background in education, had a special time staying at the Juja Farm Center School to help teach classes for a couple days .

Cheryl with her Happy Life class

It was exciting to watch construction of the new Medical Center that is currently in progress onsite at Happy Life! The Jesse Kay Medical Center is projected to be completed late next year, and will serve the children at Happy Life and also the local community of Roysambu. 

We enjoyed visiting with Happy Life's Kenyan Directors, Bishop Peter and Faith Ndnugu again this year, and attending one of their dynamic Kenyan worship services at Overcoming Faith Church. We also had the pleasure of meeting Happy Life's U.S. Directors, Pastor Jim and Sharon Powell, while they were in Kenya on one of their annual visits to Happy Life. 

It was a special treat having the opportunity to spend time with these two wonderful couples and co-founders of Happy Life Children's Home, and getting to know their beautiful hearts and dedication to Happy Life and the orphaned children of Nairobi!

Saying farewell to Pastor Jim & Sharon Powell 
and Bishop Peter & Faith Ndnugu

I am so thankful to everyone that partnered with me and helped make this trip possible, and look forward to returning to serve with this wonderful organization again next year!!

      

                               "PROVIDING THE ABANDONED CHILDREN OF KENYA 

 A HOME AND A HOPE FOR ADOPTION"

                  To learn more about Happy Life Children's Home, visit their website at:  happylifechildrenshome.com or visit happylifekenya.blogspot.com for news and updates.

Sponsor A Child...

Follow this link for information about sponsoring a child:

happylifechildrenshome.com/sponsor-a-child.html 

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, 

plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future" 

~Jeremiah 29:11~

Leaving for Kenya in One Month!

So excited to be returning to serve at Happy Life next month!!  

My Kenya visa has arrived, and I am making final preparations to leave on July 12th for our 10-day mission trip to Happy Life Children's Home in Nairobi. Thanks to all the generous support I've received, only $100 more is needed and all the costs of this trip will be covered!  

I can't wait to hold and love on all those precious babies again!!!

We have started packing up all the donations and supplies we've collected.  We are so grateful to everyone who donated supplies for this trip!  We have received clothing, shoes, diapers, wipes, formula, and school supplies.  Also, 125 recorders and music were donated for the school's new music program, along with funds to take the children on a field trip. 

It will be such a thrill to see the children's happy faces when we visit the Happy Life Farm school in Juja!

Here's an update from Happy Life along with some prayer needs....

Thanksgiving 

We take thank God for hearing our cry on the local adoptions that had been halted by the government.  Local Adoptions have resumed; our kids can now again join "Forever Families!"
We also thank the Lord for wonderful and generous donations received from our friends and partners in the last few months.

School shoes sweaters from  Happy Life friends

Zakai, one of the kids adopted in 2015.

Prayer Needs

1. Pray for all the sick children
2. Elizabeth who needs to thrive
3. Gideon who has a heart condition
4. Mathew and Sophie who have stomach problems
5. Provision for our school which is growing daily now with 105 kids
6. For the success of our upcoming projects: the Bakery and Children Medical Center
7. Pray for Grace and strength for the Staff

Baby Gideon 

Your prayers are so appreciated as we partner with this awesome organization on this mission trip!

Kenya 2016!

Back to Happy Life Children's Home in 2016!

I'm excited to share the wonderful news that I will be returning to Kenya this year!  In July, I will be joining my friend Julie and 8 other women on a 10-day mission trip to volunteer and serve again at Happy Life Children's Home in Nairobi.  We will be bringing needed clothing and supplies, and will stay in guest rooms at the orphanage while helping the staff care for and love on all the precious orphaned babies living there. We will also be visiting the children at Happy Life's Juja Farm School again and taking them on another fun field trip to the Giraffe Center....and hopefully have an opportunity to visit the Elephant Sanctuary this trip. I can't wait to see all of the children's sweet faces and hold those precious babies again!

I'm also happy to announce the news from Happy Life's latest newsletter that my special sweethearts at Happy Life, twin babies Mark & Max, were adopted into a forever home in August, and sweet little Gideon, who came to Happy Life very sick and malnourished shortly before our visit last May, is healthy and growing strong!

Mark & Max

Gideon

To learn more about Happy Life and the difference they are making 

in these orphaned children's lives....

check out their website @ happylifechildrenshome.com. *Be sure to click on the Our Children link on their homepage to read the personal stories of each of these precious children and how they came to Happy Life. 

Their photos and stories will melt your heart!

We are so thrilled to be returning to serve with this wonderful organization!!

The cost for this mission trip will be approximately $1,500 per person, including airfare, meals, transportation and accommodation. I am starting to raise funds to cover costs for this trip, and will also be collecting clothing, supplies, and donations for the orphanage in the months before we go.

I would be so blessed if you would like to partner with me on this mission trip through your prayers and support!

If you would like to partner with your support by sending a tax-deductible donation....please make your check payable to Happy Life Children's Home, with my name in the memo line, or make your check payable to me and mail checks to:

Cindy Gross

4018 Coltwood Dr.

Spring, TX  77388

Your partnership through your prayers and support are SO appreciated!

Visit to Happy Life Children's Home - May "2015"

"Dear Children, Let us not love with words or speech
 but with actions and in truth."
~1 John 3:18~

Amazing Week in Kenya!

Abby, Julie and me at Happy Life Children's Home 2015

I've returned home from our mission trip to Kenya with a full heart and feeling totally blessed for having this opportunity to return to Africa and spend an amazing week loving on all the precious children we met there!

 

We had a wonderful stay at Happy Life Children's Home in Nairobi.  It was a blessing and joy to meet the staff and serve alongside the African "Mothers" who care for the children.  

We were thrilled to be able to bring almost 400 lbs. of clothing and donations with us to bless the children and staff at Happy Life!  We were also able to provide 2 new washing machines and purchase school books for the children through the generous donations we received.

         

We spent the most part of each day in the infant room during feeding times, helping the mother on duty with feeding the babies and prepping them to be changed, bathed....and my favorite part, giving the babies some extra love and attention before putting them back down to bed. 

Me and baby Max

Infant Nursery

With 10-12 babies in the nursery we joked with one another that it was like a baby "assembly line" getting them all feed, changed, bathed, snuggled and loved on....and back to bed!  It's hard to imagine how one momma  takes care of all these little ones on her own for a 12-hour shift, so we know what a huge help and blessing it was to have 3 extra "volunteer mommas" on hand in the nursery for the week!! 

Happy Life would love to see more overseas volunteer teams coming to help throughout the year, but they are blessed to have student volunteers come out during the week from the local University as part of their Community Service Program. It was great to meet some of these young people and see them invest their time in the lives of these precious little ones and be such a blessing to Happy Life!

Student Volunteer with baby Max

We had the opportunity to visit the Happy Life Juja Farm School one afternoon and had fun meeting the children and playing with them during their afternoon recess...and taking lots of pictures! 

We enjoyed taking 26 of the younger school children on an outing to the Giraffe Center to feed the giraffes and have a picnic lunch. This was a blast for all of us!

We went into town on Friday afternoon and shopped for souvenirs and gifts at the Maasai Market in Nairobi, where the locals sell their handmade artwork and jewelry. Our driver, Paul helped us bargain with the merchants for good deals.

Maasai Market

The highlight of the week was having the special privilege to go along with Happy Life's Administrator and Social Worker, Sarah to pick up a baby from the hospital who had been left there by his mother, and bring him to his new home and "family" at Happy Life.  It was awesome to see how much the doctors and hospital staff loved and cared for baby Eric during his one month stay....this was a very moving experience for us!

                                                       

                                                   

Happy Life Children's Home is a wonderful place where the children are loved and cared for as a family. It was such a joy to serve there!

Julie with baby Eric at Happy Life

It was a pleasure meeting Bishop Peter and his wife, Pastor Faith, who oversee this ministry, and all the wonderful staff who serve there....and I look forward to the opportunity to return to serve and share God's love in this wonderful place again next year!!

Me with our driver, Paul and his wife,
Winnie & baby, Joy Vision

Me with Bishop Peter and his wife, Pastor Faith

"But I trust in your unfailing love;

    my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for He has been good to me."    

~Psalm 13:5-6~

Ready to leave for Kenya!

 Bags are packed and we are ready to leave for Kenya!! 

SO excited to be leaving in just two days to go serve and love on the precious children of Happy Life Children's Home in Nairobi!         

The really exciting news is...not only do we have our own bags packed and ready to go, but we were able to collect enough donations of clothing and supplies for the children to fill 6 large suitcases to bring along with us...thanks to all of our generous supporters!!!  

We will be leaving this Friday, May 15 and arrive in Nairobi on Saturday evening and will be staying and serving at Happy Life Children's Home for 9 days.  We will be staying in guest accommodations at Happy Life, which is a 4-story complex just outside Nairobi City Center.  

 

Happy Life Children's Home, Nairobi

Juja Campus

We will also be visiting the children at Happy Life Christian School, at their Juja Campus about an hour away.  The school is open to the community and teaches the children from a Christ-Centered perspective. They currently have 67 children attending the school. 

Happy Life Christian School, Juja Campus

We are planning to take the children on outings to a Giraffe Park & Nature Preserve and a nature walk in the Nairobi National Park, where the children can feed the giraffes and monkeys, enjoy nature...and just have fun.

I can't wait to see the many ways God will use us to bring LOVE, JOY, and HOPE to these precious children and to the orphanage staff as we are His hands and feet....AND what He will do in our hearts as well, as we serve Him!!

    

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"
-Matthew 19:14