John Stanko

I seldom ask the background of any of the orphans we support in Kenya. I know Alice and trust her judgment when she takes someone into her orphanage. On this past trip, however, I asked about one of the young girls, whom I will not name in this update. Alice told me a sad but moving story of redemption in the midst of evil.

This little orphan is the ninth of 10 children. When Alice rescued her from her family's situation, Alice was able to take our orphan along with her younger sister. Shorlty after Alice took them three years ago, the baby sister died. An autopsy revealed that although she was only three years old, she had been raped and died of AIDs. Her older sister was not raped and does not have that fatal disease.

Just last year, Alice located the mother of our orphan, who was living as a prostitute in a village. Not only was she a prostitute, but she had involved her two older daughters in the practice, and one of the daughters had already had two abortions. The father, who is HIV positive and believed to be the one who raped the baby daughter, is an alcoholic who is living with a woman and her six children.

I hesitate to share this story for the simple reason that it tends to portray Kenyans in a bad light. As a pastor for 40 years, I can assure you that I have heard stories about sinful behavior similar to this one in every country I have visited, including the U.S., the country where I live. This orphan's story does not describe an exclusively African problem but rather a sin problem that plagues all of mankind in every country and culture.

Our little orphan is a brilliant student and soon we will send her off to boarding school, which will cost us some money. Yet education with God's help is the only avenue that can help this little girl not continue the sin cycle in her family. Her mother is doing what she has to do to live and exist but we are believing for better things for her daughter - and pray that the mother can find the saving and delivering power of Jesus.

Alice told me other stories that I won't write about or repeat here, for they only serve to sadden the reader. Yet we cannot ignore the urgent work that is being done by many wonderful believers in Kenya. They are on the frontlines and what happened with this little girl makes me think of Amos 4:11: "You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire." God did indeed snatch this little one from the fires of destruction and we want to see and help Him snatch even more. Will you help?

You can give toward our work in Kenya through my website using PayPal or by sending a tax-deductible Easter contribution to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Your contributions go directly to Kenya with no administrative fees or overhead taken out. God has provided for us, now let's provide for those who are less fortunate, even desperate for the help that only you and I can give. Thank you and God bless you for your generous support.