It's 5:00 am and Phoebe and Quinter are already on their way to school.  No bus is coming to pick them up.  It's dark.  The sun will only be up for the last half hour of this 11 and 8 year old's two hour walk. Through one dangerous slum and down a busy highway to another perilous slum is the route that takes them to school from their aunt's shack.  They've been staying with her since the violence resulting from last year's contested presidential elections.  It was then that their mom was hacked to death with machetes as she returned home from work.  Their father was also lost during the violence.  These two girls went from a home with two parents, a rare thing in Nairobi's slums, to being orphaned and living with their aunt who is struggling under the weight of being the sole support for six other children.

The sadness in the story is all too common among the students at the Raila Educational Center.  After hearing repeated stories of sexual abuse, hunger, neglect and other horrible ways orphans were suffering while living in whatever chance housing they found, First Love committed to rescuing these children.  Feeding over 700 students every day at school is a great work that fills stomachs and convinces parents to send their girls to school instead sending them out to find money or food.  For some though, a feeding program just isn't enough.  They need to be removed from the dangerous environment they live in.  The answer: a beautiful five acre property in the suburbs of Nairobi.

 Fortunately, we learned of Phoebe and Quinter's story this fall as we were gathering a list of orphans who were to enter a new girl's home just finished this January.  As you can imagine January was a busy month both in our home and at work.  The first two weeks were spent preparing for the 35 member team which arrived mid-January.  We were thrilled to not only welcome the team to Kenya, but four members of Tyler's family.  Tyler's dad Eric, younger brother Chris, and maternal Grandparents, Ron and Shirley Russell made the trek to serve with the team.  

Here are a few of the things we were up to:

• Half of the team put on a "Kids Club", vacation Bible school for several hundred children during the two weeks here. (Shirley, Tyler's grandma, is pictured below)

• We are now employing three women for the card projects that come our way.  These three women completed an order for almost 300 of the hand-made cards for the team in just over a week!  We had the opportunity to present the cards to the leading Nairobi fair trade store which is now selling them... and they keep ordering more!
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Tyler and Eric trained First Love graduates how to use a walk behind tractor and plow to help develop the available acres on the property – some land for agriculture, some for recreation for the kids.  They also fabricated a drag harrow used in preparing the soil for seeding.
  
  
  
• The Lund men (Eric, Tyler, and Chris) spent several days in the rural areas surrounding Nairobi visiting and working with business owners.  Eric also conducted a financial management course for 50 members of Gitithia, a Partners Worldwide affiliate.
  
  
  
• We also had the incredible opportunity to travel to the coastal city of Mombasa for a day with Tyler's grandparents.  We visited an orphanage they helped get off the ground less than 10 years ago.  It was quite impressive, with 87 children in a healthy, clean, and loving environment.
  
• Tyler continued meeting business owners, hearing their stories, counseling where appropriate, and definitely getting his hands dirty...
  
  
  (to see more pics of Kenyan businesses check out http://www.lundline.com/tyler'slundline)


• Tyler and his colleagues met with Gitithia's Board of Directors to help focus their attention on several priorities for managing the growth of the 2,500 member Christian business group.  You can read more about Gitithia in one of Tyler's blog posts - http://www.lundline.com/tyler'slundline

One of the most meaningful days in Kenya thus far was last Friday.  The team had worked so hard completing the new home for the girls.  21 beds with clean sheets, freshly mopped floors, and flowers placed in the entrance of their new home awaited the girls.  As the van pulled in carrying the 21 orphan girls – it was humbling to think that for many of them this day was almost unimaginable.  They were being taken from dirt floors, abuse, hunger, and fear into a home in which they would learn how to sleep in a bed, be fed three meals a day, and loved, so that one day they can love a family of their own.

As the honorary mzee (respected elders) and committed supporters, Tyler's grandparents cut the ribbon to the girls home after an emotional ceremony.  What a blessing to see the girls' excited faces as they entered their new home and a new chapter in their young lives.

 (Lydia and Francisca playing with the gifts left on her new bed)

Praises:

* A successful trip for the team from the States.  Thank you to everyone who was involved in any capacity with that team!

* Continued health for both of us here, Lydia was briefly sick after the team left but recovered quickly.

* A great transition so far as the girls in the home get used to their new sisters, Mama, and Aunties.

Prayer Requests:

* Wisdom as First Love seeks to expand the card project and other facets of the Compassion Ministry.

* We will be traveling to Ethiopia to renew our visas the first week in March, safety for that journey.

* That Tyler and Partners Worldwide would find effective ways to combine business and spiritual counseling.

Thank you for reading this far in the update!  Thank you for your prayers and continued interest in what God is doing here in Kenya.  We are only able to serve here because of your overwhelming support and encouragement.

Love,

Tyler and Lydia Lund

(If you aren't sick of all the photos and would like to see more from this last month, check out the slide show below)