On the 8th August 2014, 19 willing volunteers boarded a bus in Ahoghill, Northern Ireland and set off on their journey to Kenya where they would spend one week at the VisPa schools and orphanage.
The team was composed of people of all ages, gifts, talents and occupations but all had one thing in common – a love for the boys and girls in Kenya and a wish to help them to grow and flourish.
We were so fortunate to have Cheryl, an artist and art teacher on the team. She had big plans for her time in Kenya and put in lots of time planning arts and crafts projects that the boys and girls would love and that would allow us to spend some quality time with them. With the help of Kerry, Sophie, Liz and the builders, they helped the children to produce some really beautiful work!
Our favourite project of the week was the 3D butterfly mural which now has pride of place in the orphanage! Both butterflies and trees can represent so much – new life, growth and hope.
A few of the guys on the team (Stephen, William, Ian, John and Trevor) came to Kenya to help with all things practical and DIY around the school and orphanage. As you can imagine they were kept very busy throughout the week!
They helped to construct polytunnels (which the school will use to grow food for the children), they worked on the electrics and tiled a kitchen. However, one of the most exciting things that the guys accomplished throughout the week was to install a light in the boys’ dormitory at the orphanage as they had previously been using torches and candles to see in the dark. The boys were delighted with their new lights and were so excited to be able to play games with each other and read before bed. Have a look at some photos of them in action and check out the smiles on the boys’ faces!
The holiday bible club was also a highlight of the week for both the team and the kids! Megan, Johanna, Jenalee, Louise, Liz, Cheryl, Alison, Colin, Kenny (Shug), Jackie and James all played their part in making it a week to remember. The kids love to sing so there were plenty of choruses (actions were a must!) followed by a short talk, group time, memory verses and lots of fun and games. It was great to get to know the children better and be able to try to answer some of their questions (including a few asking how Jenalee did her hair!). Some of the team members had been to visit VisPa before and it was so lovely for them to see these children grow, not only physically but also in grace and faith.
You don’t have to spend too much time at VisPa to realise that the boys and girls love to see themselves on camera. Danny came to Kenya to help us to capture the day to day lives of the kids at VisPa in photo and video. The children were more than happy to oblige and gave us some really great footage. Watch this space – we can’t wait to show you all!
I’m sure the whole team will agree – VisPa is a welcoming, exciting and hopeful place to be. The love that the staff and helpers have for the children is obvious and the potential that there is to continue to change the community for the better is huge. We are really excited to see what God has got planned for the future of VisPa, and privileged to be part of it.