A Heart Dream Come True

OOOH HOW AWESOME IS SCHOOL!!!!!!               

Two of the cuties that attend school now

David Koech showing the classroom off

 We love Pre-School

5 years ago David and Sarah Koech, directors of Kenduiwa Children’s home asked me to pray about building a school at the Children’s Home.  At that time our thoughts were to build a school that could educate K-8……well that seemed a little daunting to us. As time went on and we continued to see the suffering of the local children in the surrounding area we prayed that we could do something to assist not only the small children at Kenduiwa but also the little ones in the neighborhood. 

Lydia hauling wood for the new school building

When I say a heart dream come true it is.. thanks to a workteam from Massachusetts we were able to take down an old school building and use the wood to make a new (sort of) school.  We even had enough wood to make 2 buildings!!!!

A stuffed but fun classroom

Please pray for these young children. Our mission goal for the school is to have the children know the love of Jesus, know that He watches over them at all times. We are grateful that the children can come "as is" no uniforms or shoes are required at this school.  If you know me and talked to me about school uniforms then you know it is one of my frustrations about living here. So I won't go into my tirade about it now. We are also giving the children morning chai, and a nutritious  lunch.  Most of the neighborhood children wander around seeking food while their mothers are away picking tea or fetching firewood two hours walk away from their home.    We have asked that the parents not pay any school fees, but bring what produce they can to assist us in making meals for the kids. We have emphasized to them that if they don't have they do not have to bring.  We just want the kids to be fed at least one good meal a day. 

Blessings

 We are so grateful for the teachers that have been awesome in teaching these young ones. Thanks so much to L&B for providing a salary for them.  I meet with them weekly to discuss how the children are doing.  We also have one more teacher who is currently finishing up her social work degree, she will then come and be the head teacher for the school.  We will also be using her skills to assist us with other community needs.  

Our faithful teachers

If you would like to contribute to our orphan scholarship fund which is in great need now, please link to our support page.  

Thank you all so much for your patience with my lack of writing and your faithful prayers for our ministry here.  

THANKFUL

From our family to yours

We are Thankful for all of you.

Our family would like to thank all of you for continuing to love and support us here at Tenwek Hospital. As we are approaching our 11th year here we thank God for his provisions and care for our family.

I wanted to share some highlights of the past 5 months and I am praying that I will keep you all up to date better!!!!!

Daddy returned home after being in the U.S. for 4 long months. The kids begged him for a picnic lunch on top of our land cruiser! you would have thought that they asked for a trip to an amusement park. 

 Thankful for daddy's return and for the little things that make our kids happy!

These three goofy kids are all doing well in school.  

Thankful for a great school for abby and david to attend and for our homeschool co-op here at Tenwek for Lydia and the rest of our bunch.

Hannah's second/third grade class taking a trip to endoscopy and yes they all loved the gory pictures of inside the intestinal tract!!!

 I love teaching science!

The pre-school class on the first day of school! 

Esther, Shadrack, and Elizabeth become United States Citizens!

Thankful for God granting us the privilege of having these three blessings added to our family.

Also for paperwork being finished!!!

Most of all we are Thankful for our Lord Jesus who by His ultimate  sacrifice for our lives.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Hope for the Holidays

 Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."

While most people are spending this holiday season wondering what to give that person who has everything. Here are some ideas of what to get those who DO NOT have everything...

 

Isaiah 9:6 
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

$30 a month will feed a family of 8 healthy food and milk

$50 a month can send a child to school

  10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

If you would like to give to any of these projects you may donate online by clicking on the link below

 The Tenwek Orphan Fund

or copying the following link into your browser 

https://www.wgm.org/tenwekorphans 

Please know that all donations made through the WGM website are completely secure. 

If you would prefer to send a check, please make checks payable to World Gospel Mission and specify "Tenwek Orphanage Project" in the memo line. All checks may be sent to 

World Gospel Mission

P.O. Box 948

Marion, IN 

46952

We wish you a very merry Christmas and a very blessed new year

love the Bemm Family

USA Here we come-Are!!!!!

USA

To some of our family that is a foreign name! To some it means food! To others it means we are away from "home." While we all are not the same we are grateful that God has made us a family. I want to aopolgize now for not being "on top" of things to inform everyone that we were on our way.

I was a bit overwhelmed with trying to pack and prepare for 9 of us this time to head to "Merica" as my teens call it!!!! Over all the flights were good without anyone getting sick, which is my biggest worry! The little kids were very good and slept well when we wanted them to. Thank you to all who prayed us through this trip.

It was difficult to say goodbye to our friends and family in Kenya.  We knew we would be back in 5 short months.  I wanted to share some of the highlights so far on our travels back to the states.  Also some surprises as well.  We were not in the country 24 hours when Hannah ran out on a bike path and was hit head on by a speeding biker.  She was so sweet about the whole thing and said, " It wasn't his fault, I ran out in front of him." "I'm just glad it wasn't a car. " So were we! We are grateful to God that He protected Hannah from serious injury. She did chip her tooth and have a pretty swollen eye for a couple of weeks. 

From left to right Esther, Hannah, Shadrack,and Ellie on Grandpa's jet ski 

We have enjoyed seeing family and catching up with old friends.  It has been fun watching the kids enjoy seeing new and exciting things! The biggest thrill is the emergency vehicles and helicopters around.  

Lydia and Abby have discovered they love Starbucks coffee thanks to generous people who gave them gift cards!

David fell asleep in the sand so his siblings buried him!

Oh yes he did emerge eventually!!!

It seems that the new discoveries have been drinking fountains, libraries, and parks across the street!
We have been very blessed by Uncle Dale as my kids call him by his generosity of letting us stay in his big house. We all will have great legs when we get back to Kenya from climbing up to the 3rd floor many times during the day.

We want to thank everyone for welcoming us back to the States and for all the lovely meals that have been brought to us.  Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! We all say when a hot meal appears at the door.

fun times tye dying with  cousins!


If anyone needs to get in touch with us we would love to talk to you while we are on home ministry assignment.
You can call us at 412-626-2297 (Chuck) or 412209-9123 (Amy)

The Change-God gives and takes away

Many people have said that they have not had a chance to read Lydia's post: For me this is a must read and a re-read for those who have already had the opportunity to read it.
The Change-God gives and takes away

The Change- God gives and takes away

Guest blogger: Lydia Joy
My 3rd born!!!

I went to visit the Baby Centre this past weekend for the last time before we return to the states for furlough. After my baby Ruth died, visiting the Baby Centre has always been hard for me.
I see her picture on the mantel of the Baby Center. It gets tears in my eyes. I always want that to be a lie. That when I go in the room she will be there. That I will grab her and hug her. Then she will play with me and I can just be with her, but that's just a dream. I will never see her until I go home (Heaven).  Sometimes I just want to go right now with her. I want to see her adorable, cute face just one more time. 

Ruthie enjoying some uji at the Baby Centre
(Uji is ground millet, sweetened and used as a breakfast cereal) 

    Seeing her picture or talking about her brings me back to that day in the hospital when she was laying in the ICU. She couldn't move or even do anything. I cried out to The Lord to heal her body and to make her normal again. One morning she started squeezing Hannah's finger and I thought that she was getting better. Soon she was to have surgery on her intestines. At about 2:00 she had it. 

Her sweet smile with her two little bottom teeth makes my heart ache
and I wish I could hold her again

Aunt Carol asked me to pray. I started to, but then I began to cry. I thought to myself why? Why would I pray for Ruthie when God is not doing anything for her, but I said to God that I would do anything for her to get better. I even said that I would die for her. Everyday after the surgery I  just prayed and cried.  Ever moment of the day I was free I would go and visit her. My mom and Hannah switched places in the ICU day in and out, spending the night sleeping with their heads down at the foot of her bed. I was still in school so I had to go to class, but I was distracted. I didn't really pay attention to the teachers. All I ever wanted was to be with Ruth, and to be there when she woke up. When I was there in the ICU some nurses came up to me and said that she would be ok. I was like how could you say that. She is half dead, but then  I heard God say " I love you Lydia I am watching over you and Ruthie." On that same day Agneta come over to Ruth's side. She prayed for her. She said something to me that just touched my heart. She said "God has a plan for her It is God's will if she wakes up, or if He takes her Home." I wanted her to wake up, but that was what I wanted; maybe God had a different plan. When I was laying in my bed about 12:00 midnight I thought to myself that God might be punishing me. It was me he was teaching me an example to. He was getting me ready for the future. My mom and dad and Hannah helped me through this heartbreak. If God wasn't there by my side I would have never got through this alone. He talked to me every step of the way.

This is a picture of Ruthie in the ICU
Even though she looks lifeless and it hurts my heart to see her this way
I still think she is beyond cute even with all that medical stuff on her.

Then I fell into a big canyon and was stuck with no way out. Ruthie started coding. My heart nearly fell to my feet. God helped me walk every step that very moment because I knew right then, God was taking her home. The nurses rushed over and tried to make her come back. Thankfully they got her to start to breath again and her heart starting beating again. Praise God, but  I began stepping on sharp rocks and thorns in that canyon. I fell and stumbled every step of the way, but God picked me up. God was gentle when He spoke to me. He didn't say, "Lydia you are taking this too serious and you are worrying too much." Instead he softly said, "Lydia I'm here for you always just call on me and I will be there for you." 

Later on, I sat at the table playing with my food. My dad was there and I asked him, "Dad, why does God take away the ones we love?" He paused for a while and said it is God's plan to give and take away. I still didn't believe that he should take ones we love and care about. That reminded me of a song " He Gives and Takes Away." It still didn't make sense. I hated death. It is terrible. I wanted to scream to God and yell at him for doing this to me and my family and everyone who knew Ruth, but then I stopped and prayed and asked to go and see Ruth. Hannah took me up. I held Ruthie's hand and cried. "WHY? WHY?" I said. God cannot do this. I love her. I felt like I was being ambushed with sharp knives and spears. I was going into a dark cave with scraps and tears rolling down my eyes. I asked God if this was a good idea to enter into the dark cave. He said "Trust Me" and so I did and I stepped into that cave. That changed my life.
    I was in class and Hannah came to get me for some reason. I went and Hannah said that they might take Ruth off the breathing machine that kept Ruthie alive. We went into the ICU hand in hand. And mom said it was time for her to go home, to heaven. I screamed and said NO! You can't take her away! I burst out in tears. I hugged my sweet, adorable, loving, little Ruthie. I wanted to stop Aunt Carol from doing it. Hannah took me outside the ICU with my dad and I cried the hardest I ever have in my whole life. I didn't feel God's love. I didn't feel like He loved me or Ruth. I was so angry and devastated. When we went home I ran to my room and slammed the door. I put my head in my pillow and cried and cried. I wanted to stay in my room for ever. My sweet mom came in and I hugged her tight. When my mom was hugging me I heard God say that he loves me and all the people of the world including Ruth. I said to God "Thank you God for relieving Ruthie of her illness and for helping me on the way." Ruth is safe in Heaven with You" I cried out. Even though I didn't want Ruth to go away I said "Yes Jesus I Love You"

                           I knew that this would change my whole life forever!!

Toddlers and Teenagers

Goofball 

Esther Gloria is the youngest Bemm child. I have been blessed to witness her personality blossom in the past few months. For a long time we described her as a quiet, bump on the log. Although she still won't miss an opportunity to sit on someone's lap and snuggle, she is much more vocal and has turned into a complete goofball.  She is always singing, she is ticklish all over and has the best belly laugh. She is the definition of Mommy's little helper; and unless she is in cahoots with her brother and sister she is very obedient and loves to make people smile. She is my saving grace between the three midgets always loving on you when you need it most, or disrupting the chaos with a funny comment. We gave her the nickname babushka, because she tends to show some grandma like qualities in the way she walks and talks and how she loves her sleep. Her goofiness comes out in very few words and lots of giggles and is very spontaneous; but her timing is always perfect. At nap time she is always the first one in bed, sometimes even skipping her lunch and going right to sleep. Esther is our accessory queen. When she is sitting on your lap she will play with your necklace and earrings, ask to braid your hair, and she always has to carry a purse. She loves wearing bracelets, shoes, and she loves to have her nails painted. She changes her shoes about 10 times a day and most of the shoes she wears are not hers and extremely big for her. This causes her to trip and fall multiple times throughout the day which brings about the need for a bandaid whether there is actually blood or not. 

That smile..

Cheeseball Queen

Ellie is the second youngest. Her real name is Elizabeth Mercy, but we call her Ellie (which is very fitting to the little person she is becoming.) Although she is older than Esther she is much smaller in size. When I think about words to describe Ellie the words spunky, feisty, energetic, mischievous, and smart come to my mind. She is a thinker and a quick learner, always picking up new concepts and ideas. Ellie is full of energy and spunk. She is constantly moving, running, dancing or flipping. When you go to tuck her into bed at night you almost always find her upside doing a headstand. She loves to climb, hang on my back and be flipped upside down. She is a complete monkey. Ellie has a high pitched giggle and is one of the best snugglers I know. She knows exactly how to get under her brother and sister's skin and when caught in the act has a fairly convincing innocent smile. She loves to sneak off to the Kelley's house and play with Baby Hannah's toys all by herself. Although, she loves her alone time she is quite the conversationalist. She just talks and talks and talks, then pauses to take a breath, and then talks some more. When Ellie talks, if it weren't for her squeaky little voice one might assume that it is an adult talking and not a toddler. She has a very large vocabulary for her little three year old self. She also loves to sneak off and usually eat or drink something she is not supposed to. Just the other day we were all outside and Ellie went inside to go to the bathroom. After she was gone for longer than it should take for someone to use the bathroom I went inside to check on her. I found her under the dining room table with her hand in a huge tub of cheese balls and cheese all over her face and fingers. When I asked what she was doing she just smiled at me and took another bite. She is the cheese ball queen. I find that she is the hardest one to reprimand because she is just so cute, even when she cries. 

Shaddie and Ellie pretending to be Chuck and I.
In the car on the way to Nairobi
to get some gummy bears

Shadrach, or Shaddie as we call him, is the oldest of the midgets. I am forced to adjust to the way a toddler boy shows love as opposed to the girls. When Ellie or Esther want to show me that they love me they usually grab onto my leg or crawl on my lap. Although, Shaddie does this too sometimes, most of time he shows his love with a head butt or a punch in the leg around 7 in the morning. Behind the head butting he has a sweet, tender heart and is constantly looking out for his younger sisters. Shaddie is very protective of Esther and Ellie. He is very animated when he speaks and we are fairly convinced he will be a comedian when he gets older. It's not in just what he says, but also in how he says it and the delivery. He loves to play with trucks, motorcycles and trains just like any other 3 year old boy; but we also often catch him wearing his sister's bathing suits, dresses and asks to have his nails painted. We are convinced he needs another brother to toughen him up. For now, Levi Kelley (the youngest Kelley boy) is assigned to that job. He is very particular and detail oriented. If something is not the way he likes it he voices his opinion, usually pretty loudly and multiple times. He smiles at you and tells you he loves you at just the right moment. 

Yes, Shaddie is wearing Hannah's bathing suit, backwards.
Yes, we are still praying about another brother for him

Hannah on her 2nd birthday!

Hannah is the fourth youngest; we like to call her the tall midget. Hannah is very independent and adventurous; and sometimes these qualities get her into a little bit of trouble. Such as climbing up too high in a tree and getting stuck. Like Ellie, she is full of energy and always on the move. She was a pretty chubby baby but has long since outgrown that. She is now skin and bones and has an impeccable speed for a six year old, which is a given because she's Kenyan. She has a very compassionate heart. If she sees that someone is upset she immediately feels their pain and tries to comfort them. She doesn't like it when people are sad and certainly hates to see people upset. Not only does she sympathize with people in pain, but also in joy. She has a contagious laugh that echoes throughout the house and even the compound. She loves to share with everyone. Anytime someone gives something to her or shares with her, she turns right around and shares with someone else. She has a sweet tooth just like her mommy; which is evident by the crumbs and wrappers you often find in her bed. She is outgoing and quick to make friends. It seems to me like she is friends with everyone in the neighborhood. Hannah has a knack for art and math and tends to combine the two. She is very gifted artistically and creative. In the mornings, when mostly everyone is asleep she can be found in the basement do some  craft or another. When she does her schoolwork you tend to find more drawings on her paper than answers to math problems. Being six years old and given her personality she is distracted very easily.

Lydia loving on baby Eden

Abby and Lydia
Turtle Bay 2013

Lydia Joy is 12 going on 20. I promise you, she looks older and grows more everyday. She is loud and feisty and loves to cuddle with her younger siblings as well as agitate them. When we were at the beach a month or so ago, I watched her splash and jump through the waves as she galloped along the shoreline. I remember being envious at her ability to be so playful and so in love with life. Lydia is not afraid to be her own person and speak her mind. She has a great imagination and doesn't necessarily like to read, but loves to be read to. She is outgoing, loves to laugh and makes friends easily. She has a caring heart for babies, children and children with special needs. Although she seems feisty at times, she has a way of comforting you and making you feel loved when you need it the most.  She loves to care for people and animals and knows exactly what kind of little actions or things to say that can turn your day upright. As she continues to grow, it has been amazing to watch her discover who she is as a daughter of the King. It has also been a blessing to watch her relationship with her older sister, Abby, grow. In the past year or so they have gotten closer to each other. Lydia admires her older sister and it is beautiful to witness them grow together. Along with Hannah and her mom, she has a sweet tooth;and you can tell by the large bags of candy and Cheetohs she has stashed away in her closet. She won't admit to you that she likes school, but you can tell that she does by how hard she tries to do her best in everything. She is strong-willed and determined in everything she sets her mind to. When I watch her ripstick up and down the hallway or make a funny music video, it makes me miss being 12 years old and care free. I pray everyday that as she discovers who she is in Christ and continues to grow that she will never lose her sense of adventure and she would fall even more deeply in love with life and with Jesus. Over the past couple months she has dealt with some very painful deaths. She taught me to find the joy in pain. She showed me that it was okay to cry, but it was also okay to be joyful even in suffering. I witnessed God stretch her and shape her heart as she relied on God for strength instead of herself.

Our oldest 3
Turtle Bay 2013

David doing what he loves.

Deep sea fishing with Dad
Turtle Bay 2013

David is second from the top. As a 14 year old freshman in boarding school for the first time he is just trying to figure out who he is and where this life is taking him. He is strong and tough on the outside, but behind the tough guy he has a sensitive heart and he is very protective of all his sisters. He plays, lives and breathes rugby. This is his first time on an official team, but he has been waiting for these practices and games for what seems like forever. He is determined to do his best. His leadership abilities really shine on the field as he encourages and guides his teammates. He shows you he loves you by teasing you until he drives you crazy. We always thought he was shy, but his friends tell us a different story. After he made the adjustment at RVA his personality really shined through and he is friends with almost everyone. We are convinced that he grows in his sleep. Every time we see him I think he is at least an inch or two taller. 

Abby playing JV volleyball for RVA

Abigail Faith is going to be 16 years old by the end of June. She continues to ask if she can get her drivers permit when we return to the states. We are very hesitant because we are fairly positive she would lose her head if it wasn't attached to her body. She is also a freshman at Rift Valley Academy. After she made the adjustment to boarding school life she also flourished and made friends very easily. She is bubbly and friendly with everyone no matter who they are. She is one to observe your heart before she observes your outfit or your make-up.  She played on the JV basketball team earlier in the year and is currently a member of the JV volleyball team. She loves sports and she is motivated in athletics as well as academics. She said to me one day, "I might like to be a neurosurgeon..." we are still talking that one over with her. Not sure she is quite coordinated enough for the job. Hopefully she will end up in the research field of neurology. She is a night owl and loves to take naps. She loves playing banana grams with her mom and big Hannah. Just like her mom she has a great sense of humor. One may often refer to her as an airhead or a goober, but she embraces it beautifully and never refuses to laugh at herself. She is so in love with Jesus and you can tell by the way she cares for other people and loves them regardless of their faults. She strives for a deeper intimate relationship with Jesus and is His voice to many of her friends at school. Although we miss both her and David dearly while they are away at school we absolute love watching them grow and transform into the people God has created them to be.

You could say they're pretty good pals

  

There they are. All my teenagers and toddlers and one in-betweener.