We all want to be seen, don’t we? Psalm 33:13 above says that God sees every person that He created. What an amazing truth! Sometimes God shows us we are seen by using the voice of other people. That is just what happens at our postcard party!
All our children – both young and old – wait eagerly for the postcard party to arrive each year. It is a time of celebration where each child receives:
- Gifts – in a bag with their name on it
- A picture of themselves
- Ice cream
- A note from a supporter in the United States
These heartfelt messages are filled with encouragement, love, and Bible verses, along with hopes and prayers for the child’s future. I imagine you enjoy receiving a note that someone took the time to write by hand and send to you. So, for the children to hold a postcard written just for them that traveled all the way from the U.S. – well, it means more than you know.
In the past we have filled the gift bags with many small items, but this year we did something different. We purchased larger items chosen with care by our leadership team in Kenya. It makes the most sense that the aunties and uncles who understand and love our children would know which gifts they would cherish.
For the girls – all ages received a purse. Now, the little girls’ purses were disguised as stuffed animals, but the bigger girls were excited too! Many of them mentioned that they had never had a handbag before.
For the boys – the little ones received a “monster truck” and the older boys, a wallet. You can see that Charles was in dire need of a new one.
Psalm 33:13-15 reminds us that, “The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do.”
It is such a comfort to know that God sees each one of us and that He understands what we do, who we are, and what we need – all of us – those in the United States and those in Kenya as well.
We are inviting you to experience the joy of the postcard party! Click the video below and witness the fun!
Auntie Risper Emali started working for Children of Hope in 2013. She has two sons – her oldest just graduated from university and her younger son is in tenth grade. She has held two different jobs in our Kikuyu home, housekeeper and house mom. Her attention to detail, her love for the children, and her strong work ethic maker her a true asset to our home.
“Auntie Risper, we love you and are very grateful for your dedication. You do your work with diligence, honesty, and love – that is very clear. You don’t say much, but when you do speak, you speak love. We value you and are so thankful that you have been a part of our team over the past 13 years. May you and your family be blessed.” ~ Uncle Abraham Kiboki
In Risper’s Words:
It’s an interesting story of how I came to work at Children of Hope. I used to work as a housekeeper for a local hotel where visitors of Children of Hope would stay. They noticed the care and attention I gave to the guests and Uncle Abraham said to me, “If you want to come and work for a children’s ministry, you are invited to work at CoH.” When the time came for me to change jobs, I took Uncle Abraham up on his offer. There was an opening for a housekeeper and I was hired. After a few years, I was promoted to house mom and worked in that role for three years which I really enjoyed. When there became a need at the home for a talented, dedicated housekeeper – which is my gifting – I returned to the role which has been a good thing.
The job of housekeeper consists of many things: cleaning the dining room and bathrooms, keeping the floors mopped, and doing laundry – lots of laundry. Once clothes are washed each morning, I lay them out to dry on the bushes. I am proud of the hard work I do and if you can believe it, I know which clothes belong to every child! Once the sun has dried all the clothes, I fold them and return them to the house for the mom’s to put them away in the children’s rooms.
Working at CoH is such a pleasure because my main job is to be a parent to the children. This role is so dear to me. The way I express myself to the children is by love and fairness. Justice is very important to me and I give all the children equal opportunities. They appreciate and love this about me. It endears us to one another. I just love these children so much.
The child who really touches my heart is Jessie. He came to us when I worked as a mom and he was just a few days old. I cared for him like he was my own baby boy. Even now, he still calls me mom! Jessie joins my family each December, spending the month in my home with my boys and me. We celebrate Christmas together and it’s like a family reunion. I am so encouraged to see Jessie joyful and settled, growing into a fine boy.
Just like every place of work there are sometimes challenges here. What I love about CoH is that when we have an issue, we work together as a team to solve it. We brainstorm all together and can usually find a good solution. Thank God for this opportunity and these people who are all working towards the same goal of caring for these children.
Here at Children of Hope, we raise children with love and give them an opportunity to reach their full potential. It is up to them to dream and achieve whatever they have in their hearts. We, the aunties and uncles, dedicate ourselves to supporting and encouraging them to succeed.
~Auntie Risper, you are a peaceful, God-fearing woman who is filled with grace and kindness. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate every little detail that you take care of to make sure the children’s home is clean and tidy. You are an incredible blessing!
