I was given a swift kick in the “judgement seat” today.  Ever since our kids have come to live at C4KK I couldn’t get over the fact or even completely understand the guardians of these kids.  It seemed they just sent the kids off with someone and didn’t care what happened to them.  How can this be?  I know, it happens all over the world but that doesn’t make it any easier to comprehend.  I also know there are several reasons why this would be…lack of funds to care for the child, no place to live, elderly grandmother can’t cope with all the children but the guardians didn’t seem to take any interest in the kids at all.

Recently the kids asked if they could visit their relatives during the December holiday (they are off school that entire month).  To be honest I wasn’t thrilled….why would the guardians/parents want to see you if they’ve made no attempt to do so throughout the years (before at another home and now here at C4KK)?  We discussed it as a group, wrote up a letter informing the guardians of the children’s wish to visit and asked them to help with the transportation costs.  To my utter amazement all (so far) have agreed!

I asked Peter, our social worker, about the situation.  He told me the guardians were told by a corrupt pastor their kids were at a boarding school and the school was sponsoring each child at 26,000/ksh per month schooling fees and they simply had to come up with 2000/ksh/month in order for their child to stay in school (which the guardians paid directly to him) AND if they went to see their kids or ask questions the child would be sent home.  All untrue and the guardians were afraid their kids would no longer receive an education if they asked questions or requested to see them.  I was happy to hear the guardians were genuinely excited to see their kids and couldn’t wait for the school term to be over (and yes they agreed to pay the transportation costs)!

Lord forgive me my rash judgement of this situation, may I learn from this and not be so quick to judge….get the true and entire story first.

I’m actually quite excited for the kids!  They get to spend time with their families, some of whom they haven’t seen in years!  Please pray the arrangements go along smoothly (or as smoothly as they can go here in Kenya) and each child have a wonderful time visiting their families.