The Karaus

I apologize that I have been so bad at keeping up with the blog lately. It’s not that nothing has been going on worth reporting on, it’s that there has been so much happening in our lives on every level that when I finally get my sweet girl asleep at night, the last thing on my mind is the blog. I want to read, or knit, or watch Alias Season 1. Thank you all who faithfully check in from time to time. I won’t share everything that has been happening, though another day I will, but I want to share an amazing gift we had at the last of last month. Most know, Brendan and I met in Kenya in 2001. During the 7 week trip, we and other college students were split into groups of two and three and sent all over Kenya. Brendan was sent to Mathare Valley Slum to teach and work at a church in the slum. He lived and served along with a couple named Pastor and Mama Karau. They became his heroes that summer. Since that time, our dear friends the Karaus, have started an orphanage called Sanctuary of Hope. They have taken 21 children out of the slums and moved them into two different homes where they parent them, teach them, love them, and give them a second chance in a world that dealt them a cruel hand. Imagine having 21 children! To speak of the beauty and redemption that we have seen through the Karaus would be speaking of the life of Jesus lived out in very real ways. We have been blessed to know them. And we were blessed to have them come and stay in our home last month. They spoke at our church and at InterVarsity about what they are doing in Nairobi. It was such a blessing to us to share life with them for five days. It was a reminder of what really matters, of why we are adopting a child from Africa, of who Jesus is and who He calls us to be. I encourage you to check out the most recent YouTube Video about Sanctuary of Hope (and shameless plug- the song is written and sung by Brendan).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGNFDV9vKME

Here are some pictures from their visit:

We love you Karaus and are so thankful for all you do and who you are!