water was piped in and there is now a functioning bathroom.
a new wing with 5 rooms was constructed and roofed in the past two months. the kids are painting murals on the walls.
all 25 kids have been getting 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.
teachers were hired and the kids are learning history, math, english, swahili, and social studies; as well as trades such as sewing and woodworking.
a couple weeks ago, margaret, the director of the orphanage, invited all former students back for a reunion party (women taking care of the world, as usual). there were easily 150 alumni, many of whom have gone on to successful careers. they were all ecstatic with the upgrades to the building and the new opportunities for the current batch of kids.
we hired a dj for the party and the kids loved dancing. it was very humbling to see them temporarily forget their circumstances. the poverty, the sickness, the loneliness melting away and evaporating into thin air.
the girls' great pride in their first new dresses; the infectious happiness of a young boy who had lost both parents to aids.
for all my friends and family, i want you to know everything i've done there was done in your honor, and is your christmas present.
thank you for the impact you've all had on my life.
6 comments:
Paddy,
How do I begin to acknowledge what was once a young Irish Catholic kid's prayer in grade school, just a short 45 years ago? My meager attempts with pennies, nickels and dimes, as well as door to door Christmas seal sales, and second collections at Mass to those "unknown Missionaries in Africa" has now become a real, personal answer to my youthful prayers. How was I know to know of God's faithfulness.... and plan....to fall in love with a beautiful Irish lass, who would bring three beautiful amazing lives into this needy world!!! (Including an aviator with a heart of gold for God's poorest while working in Africa!)
Both the Old and New Testament record a total of 258 occurrences of the following two words... ...."If only". Matthew 10:42 and John 7:37 provide a great starting point for a simple yet profound phrase "IF only"....How my heart swells with wonder of how God works in the lives of everyone who believes!!!
Romans 12:12,
Dad
whoops.....edited version
Paddy,
How do I begin to acknowledge what was once a young Irish Catholic kid's prayer in grade school, just a short 45 years ago? My meager attempts with pennies, nickels and dimes, as well as door to door Christmas seal sales, and second collections at Mass to those "unknown Missionaries in Africa" has now become a real, personal answer to my youthful prayers. How was I know to know of God's faithfulness.... and plan....to fall in love with a beautiful Irish lass, who would bring three beautiful amazing lives into this needy world!!! (Including an aviator with a heart of gold for God's poorest while working in Africa!)
Both the Old and New Testament record a total of 258 occurrences of the following two words... ...."If only". Matthew 10:42 and John 7:37 provide a great starting point for the simple yet profound phrase "IF anyone"....How my heart swells with wonder of how God works in the lives of everyone who believes!!!
Romans 12:12,
Dad
Thank you Paddy! You are actually doing and living it.
Thanks brodo, good stuff.
Dear Paddy,
I am humbled and so appreciative of all the things you are involved with. Reading your journal actually gives me some hope that humanity might make a turn for the better thanks to people like you.
John K.
Nice work brotha, proud to call you my friend.
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