I received an email from Bret Van Leeuwen, the founder of Koins for Kenya which touched my heart. When we have gone to speaking engagements together, he has told about a little girl named Hope. He said he loved to visit her family, they were kind of his favorite. He said he usually doesn't take individual gifts to the people in his village which he sponsors, but he sneaks a few special dresses in for this family. The last time he went to Africa, he stopped by to visit and everyone ran outside excitedly to see him. After a few minutes he asked where two year old Hope was. Her mother pointed and said, "There is Hope." Bret said he looked where she was pointing and saw a little mound of dirt not far from their porch. It was covered with briars and thorns to keep the animals from digging up her body. She had died from dysentary. Bret's heart was broken. If he had only known she was sick, he could have gotten her help. He said he is especially sad because he doesn't have any pictures of her. The only thing he has is his memory of her in his mind.
He took a picture of her sisters in their new dresses from Baba Brett and he sent it on to me so I could see these beautiful little girls. Their names are Phyllis, Lucky and Nancy. Aren't their smiles amazing?
This story touched my heart because it helped me realize that even though times are tough and we may not be able to buy our children a bunch of material things for Christmas, we have good health and each other.
I am so grateful for all that I have and for friends like Bret VanLeuween that help remind me that my life is so blessed because I have a comfortable bed to sleep in, my children can go to school, we have clean drinking water with the turn of a handle and we don't have to walk miles and miles to get medical help.
Thank you Baba Brett for all that you are doing for the African people, but most of all for helping people like me realize that our blessings are overflowing, if we just stop and look.
Merry Christmas everyone!
This story touched my heart because it helped me realize that even though times are tough and we may not be able to buy our children a bunch of material things for Christmas, we have good health and each other.
I am so grateful for all that I have and for friends like Bret VanLeuween that help remind me that my life is so blessed because I have a comfortable bed to sleep in, my children can go to school, we have clean drinking water with the turn of a handle and we don't have to walk miles and miles to get medical help.
Thank you Baba Brett for all that you are doing for the African people, but most of all for helping people like me realize that our blessings are overflowing, if we just stop and look.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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