I came across these words today.. written in a notebook from my summer internship in California.  All of these quotes seem to be weaving along the same thread…

“We can’t control our circumstances.. but we can control who we will be in those moments.”

As some may know, we are partnered with an organization in Kenya called Huruma Children’s Home. It’s an orphanage that warmly opened their doors to me during my time in Kenya. It was started many years ago by a vibrant woman named Mama Zipporah. She felt a calling from God to take one orphan into her home.. and roughly 10 years later.. she is the Mama to over 150 orphaned children!

It’s a unique home, because all the children live under the same roof as Mama and her family. It was built on the land of her husband Isaac, who gave her the land so she could pursue her calling. This is quite unheard of in Kenya.. but he was a man who believed in her vision. He has supported her all along the way, and has been instrumental in bringing them to where they are today.

Recently, I got an email from Mama. ‘Papa Isaac’ as he was affectionately called by children and friends alike, passed away about two weeks ago. He died of a heart attack while running errands for the home.

The following is an excerpt from an email that Mama sent me:

All that week before he was taken by the Lord we were together. We talked alot about our life and our children. We took breakfast together and then he told me to be seeing our son as a man, for men do not give up. We later parted and he left with our pick up to go to Nairobi to pick up food donation. He came back and met me with friends from bank and he prayed even with them. together we escorted them and waved them bye. From their he got the attack and never made it to hospital. We shall miss him so much but God also needs people to make him happy in heaven. we laid him to rest on Saturday the eighth. Lots of friends of Huruma turned up even though it was raining all the day.

Please keep them in your prayers as they struggle with the loss of a man that brought much joy, strength and balance to their home. If you’d like to support Huruma Children’s Home during this time of need, there’s a few things you can do.

1. Visit their website and make a donation.  Papa Isaac was a huge source of fundraising for the home, and this next chapter will be very challenging for Huruma.
2. Send your thoughts, prayers and encouragement directly to Mama Zipporah at mamazipporah@yahoo.com, or their daughter Caroline naisy80@yahoo.com
3. Give of your time and energies to the children of Huruma directly, by volunteering in June 2009.

It’s been one month to the day that I arrived in Toronto.  The dream of The World Awaits has been constantly on my mind, and I’m finally in a position to pursue it with the passion and urgency it deserves.  I came across this quote sometime last year, and it’s always been a deep inspiration to me.  Since arriving in Toronto, I have not been able to commit myself fully.  One month later, that opportunity is before me.  Please pray that I don’t shrink back from the challenges ahead.

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.

A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s couplets:

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!

- W. H. Murray, from The Scottish Himalayan Expedition (1951)