Introduction

Dear friends and family, 

I want to start off by saying that I am so thankful for each and every one of you. If you are receiving this, you are part of “my people” who mean the most to me. Thank you for who you are and for all you do for me. I love each and every one of you. 

I would like to start off by rewinding to 2013, when I had the incredible opportunity to visit Kenya on a medical missions trip with my family. At twelve years old, my life changed in incredible ways throughout this experience. I spent time working with my Dad at the hospital where he was performing surgeries and loving on the local community. The highlights of the trip, and the most impactful of my experiences during my time in Kenya, were the several times I was able to visit Naomi’s Village in Maai Mahiu. Naomi’s Village is home to over 100 beautiful children from all over Kenya. Many of these children are total orphans, meaning neither of their parents are alive or identifiable. Their stories are heartbreaking and sobering. However, the children are full of boundless joy, contagious smiles, and a love for life and others that cannot be described. The joy that they have in spite of their stories is a testament of the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the redemption we are promised in Him. At twelve years old, my heart was forever changed by my time with the children at Naomi’s Village. From playing soccer, to dancing, to enjoying Chai tea every afternoon, the days I spent at Naomi’s Village were full of joy and love. Unfortunately, our trip drew to an end and I had to say goodbye to Naomi’s Village. While I have not had the opportunity to visit since, I have remained in touch with the organization, specifically through a fundraiser I coordinated as part of my sophomore project at CCES, where I spent time educating lower school students about the orphan crisis in Kenya and coordinated a race to raise support for Naomi’s Village called “Striding for Hope”. However, my desire to return to Kenya remained. 

Flash forward to the present, and I am so excited to share with you all that the Lord has opened up the door for me to return to Kenya this semester. After a semester of online classes and restrictions at UVA, I began to pray for guidance as to where the Lord is calling me to be this semester. I am so excited to share with you that I will serve as an intern at Naomi’s Village this Spring in place of classes. I will be in Kenya for roughly ten weeks and will serve in many different ways throughout my time; from teaching art classes, to working at Cornerstone Preparatory Academy where the children attend classes, to working alongside short-term mission groups serving at Naomi’s Village, to coordinating community service projects. Most importantly, I will be loving on and caring for the awesome people who call Naomi’s Village home. The Lord has placed Kenya on my heart and I could not be more excited to begin this journey. In a season where most doors have been closed, the Lord has raised up this opportunity and has worked in my heart to bring me to where I am today. The Lord’s faithfulness and provision has been so evident in this journey, and I know he is just getting started. We serve an awesome God. 

I ask for your prayer support for my time at Naomi’s Village over the next few months; pray for my safety and health; pray for the children who call Naomi's Village home; pray for the staff I will interact with; and most importantly, pray that the Lord would be glorified throughout my time in Kenya and that the Lord will work in and through me in incredible ways to touch the hearts of the Kenyan people. 

I am so incredibly excited for this season. I know the Lord is going to work in incredible ways in my heart and that he will move mountains throughout my time in Kenya. I am thrilled to share in this journey with “my people”. 

With love,

Porter