Building HOPE and a Playground...

Finally....

A video summary of our trip to Kenya this past July

to BUILD HOPE and a PLAYGROUND for 200+ amazing orphans!

"If God only used perfect people. nothing would get done.  

God will use anybody if you're available.

-Rich Warren

The Next Chapter in the Journey

There has been SO much going on in the Perkey House these days, sometimes I am not quite sure if I am coming or going!  God is doing amazing things... and very often I feel like I am RUNNING to try to keep up!

The past 3 years have been an incredible journey in building our FAITH...  by learning to TRUST the PROVISION, SOVEREIGNTY and FAITHFULNESS of God.

I have not been good at posting on my blog since returning home from Kenya this past July.  For many weeks it was because I honestly 'had NO words'!  For those of you who know me well, I am sure you are thinking that is close to impossible.  All kidding aside... coming  home from that trip was very hard.  Bret & I thought his month of being on the ground in Kenya and then the two weeks our entire family had there would be a confirmation of what we strongly felt God calling our family to.

Strangely though, we came home more confused and questioning many things, instead of feeling the strong confirmation we had hoped for.

Therefore... 'NO words'.  

Just hours of searching the scriptures, spending time in prayer and focusing on 'listening to His voice'.

After many weeks and an evening 'away' for Bret & I to really talk things through. We were amazed at how God had united our hearts as to the direction we felt He was laying out for our family.  Honestly, we don't have ALL the answers.  He hasn't shown us the 'over-all master plan' (wouldn't that be nice!).  But He has given us the next step in this journey.  And that next step is the launching of a new non-profit called EQUIP1 Ministries (Equipping & making a difference for 1 orphan at a time).  This is in the beginning stages, but already we are watching as God is BLESSING our meager efforts and orchestrating meetings, contacts, donors, and in-country orphanage partners... beyond what we could ask or think!!  DAILY we are blown away by His FAITHFULNESS!

 EQUIP1 Ministries exists to:

• RESTORE: Meet the basic physical, spiritual and emotional needs of orphans and disadvantaged children
• PREPARE: Supply educational resources and facilities to enable the development of vocational skills
• EMPOWER: Meet transitional needs as senior orphans graduate and begin careers and life beyond the orphanage

So....WHAT does that really MEAN, and WHAT does that LOOK like??  
Currently, we are:

• Seeking sponsors ($40/month) for teen orphans to help cover the costs of transportation and supplies for their vocational/trade school training.
• Raising funds to complete the construction of a trade school at the orphanage in Kenya.  
• Bret is returning to Kenya and Uganda in February to meet with several orphanage directors to discuss HOW best EQUIP1 can partner with them to be a blessing to the children they love and serve.
• Planning a trip June 2013 to the orphanage in Kenya for the purpose of educational training, construction of the new trade school, and medical assistance for the children.

Each day is a step in the path that God is laying out in front of us.  After spending time on the ground in Africa and walking with these children, who have so little but who are rich beyond measure in their love, joy and passion for God... God has "ruined" us for all that we once pursued!  EQUIP1 Ministries is our meager response to what we have seen.  We cannot ignore the passion God has put in our hearts.  Therefore, we are compelled to step out of our comfort and work to make a difference in the lives of these precious children.

  What does the future hold for our family????

Only God has that 'master plan', but for now we will walk each day by FAITH... trusting and OBEYING what He is calling us to do.  

Will you join us?  For more information message us at:  info@equip1.org

(our website is still under construction)

Breaking News....

We are finally ready to launch the next chapter in the journey

God has for our family.

Click HERE for more info

Trusting He will make our paths straight as we walk one day at a time....

Almost Time....

The blogging silence is about to be broken....
Much reflection & processing has been going on, but it is now almost time to speak.
So sorry for the long delay in finishing the story of the playground, but that will be the first thing to come...
.... very soon!

A new day in Kenya....

Sleep came very easily to 24 weary travelers... but then the morning came bright and early to some - as our bodies are still on US time and therefore we were wide awake at 4:45am.

We had a busy day Tuesday -  taking a tour of the grounds, surveying the playground in process and sorting 25+ bags full of donations.
On Wednesday, Pastor Benson, myself and two others headed to town to do some shopping for additional supplies needed... and of course more BOTTLED WATER!

We had a very fun but busy day walking and riding a TukTuk from shop to shop.

  Our team was split up into several groups doing a variety of things...

some at Nelly's - loving on babies
some at the school - thinking they were going to observe and ended teaching the classes
some in the field - pouring cement around the bases of the swing posts
some in the storage room - packing 250 backpacks for the kids

Below is a quick re-cap of the progress of the playground over the past few days.  My blog is not wanting to load pictures quickly so we have not been posting every day.  If you want to see daily pictures, please "FRIEND" me on Facebook.... and you can see them there.

So many amazing stories to share.... but need to get some rest.

More soon - providing the internet will cooperate!

It took an hour just to load these pics.

Thankful for all your prayers... keep them coming!!

On African soil once again....

After 24 hours of planes, airports and African buses....

WE HAVE ARRIVED IN AT FIWAGOH

to lots of cheering, singing, smiles and hugs!

SO thankful to be back on African soil.

Lots of stories to tell and pictures to share,

but for now... SLEEP!

Friday in Kenya

Week #2 - Friday

Bret & Liz are getting tired... ready for the reinforcements to come!!

Below is what Friday looked like in Kenya....

Kind of like our highway projects at home . . . one guy working and four guys watching

  They run the big tire down the hill and try to knock the guys off the pile

Guess who . . . the girls pulled our favorite pink orphan in and dressed him up with a scarf

FIWAGOH's version of a motorcycle gang . . . 

Finishing the joists for the first floor

 Seriously . . . this has gone too far . . .

Liz supervising . . .

  Seems sturdy

 Oops . . . ran into a snag . . . had to take the joists out and reinstall

We have the beginnings of stairs for the little ones to get up to the "slider"

Fish lips . . . works with kids on any continent . . .

End of day five . . . Nash helping me pick up the jobsite

  Almost looks like we know what we are doing . . .

Glad I came two weeks early, slow going when you are on Africa time

 I am still AMAZED at what Skype can do... Bret walks the laptop down to the field where the playground is being built so that I can see the progress.  There waiting is a group of kiddos!  They are so excited (and I think a little baffled) that they can see Emma and I all the way in America!  WAY too cute!!

... and yes, after packing 13 more bags (a total of 21 now) I would say 

WE ARE READY TO GO!

Next post... will be direct from Kenya!

Appreciate all the prayers for safety, smooth check-in, on-time flights

and LOTS of good sleep on the plane!

Definitely feel honored and humbled tonight as I go to bed...

that He would choose to use us.

New life...

Week #2 - Thursday

Today was a very full day in Kenya.

Bret & Liz started the morning at Fiwagoh

doing some painting on the first level platform of the playground, 

and planning for tomorrow.

Getting a full coat of paint on the first floor.

Yes, BLUE....  Pastor Benson's favorite color 

plus a local business donated 200 gallons they couldn't use anymore... 

so blue it will be!

The peanut gallery . . .

Look's to me like they are up to 'something'!

Then they headed to Haven of Hope to meet Nelly 

and see her home where over 30 infant-Kindergarten age children live.

 Part of our team is planning on spending a good amount of time at Nelly's

rocking, feeding, playing and loving on all these little ones.

There are also plans for us to PAINT several rooms of her house,

including one of the 'little ones' rooms and add some wall murals.

Bret & Liz were able to meet Nelly for just a short amount of time as she was heading out the door to the doctor's.  Nelly is pregnant, due the end of August, and has been on bed-rest the past week due to pre-term labor.  The doctor sent her directly to the hospital, and I learned this evening that Nelly had a baby boy in the middle of the night (Kenyan time) weighing in at 3.9lbs.  He is in an incubator doing well and mommy is exhausted after 9 hours of labor with NO pain medication.

Please PRAY for Nelly, this precious new life, 

and all the little lives who call Nelly - "Momma".

Pray that God will use our team to minister to Nelly 

and Haven of Hope at such a time as this.

A time where we can step in the gap 

and fill a need for a Momma who GIVES...

200% of herself to all of these children who have no one else.

Please also PRAY for the final preparations for the rest of our team as we depart very early Sunday morning to join Bret & Liz in Kenya.  

The enemy is always at work to distract, discourage, 

and frustrate when we are 'on-mission' to be His hands and feet to orphans.  

Pray His FAVOR on our Team... that we see MORE of HIM and LESS of ourselves.