Don’t you love the fifth step?!
By: Milton Jones & Paustine Kigen
It’s the fifth step that gets to me. First of all, a child like Judy is identified by a CRF director in Kenya and is put on a waiting list. Secondly, Judy’s picture and information about her are sent to our office in Amarillo. The third step happens when we make a promo for Judy and put her information on our website. Then, fourthly, one of you decides to sponsor Judy. The fifth step? Our director tells Judy that she is sponsored. She gets to go to school. She gets food. She gets lodging. She gets clothes. She gets spiritual training. Can you imagine how Judy feels when she hears this? Some days I just sit back and try to imagine how she feels.
Before sponsorship, Judy Jebet lived alone with her two sisters in Samabul, Kenya after the death of her parents. At first, they were left under the care of their grandmother. But she died too. As a result, the three sisters had to take care of themselves. A well-wisher gave the children a small house. Judy’s oldest sister had to drop out of school to take care of the younger sisters. But eventually, the oldest sister was overwhelmed and abandoned the two young girls.
A good Samaritan, who knew about CRF, took Judy to Living Hope Educational Center, our school in Samabul. Soon after her arrival, Daniel, our CRF field worker, visited Judy’s home and informed her that she had been sponsored. It was a time of rejoicing for Judy. She no longer had to stress about her daily meals. And she was admitted to a boarding school to keep her safe.
Even though Judy’s sister, Jackline, wasn’t sponsored, she was allowed to come to the school as she waited for sponsorship. The two girls have a long journey ahead of them as they try to recover from being abandoned and the loss of their parents. But Living Hope is now giving them a place they can call home.
I know one of you will reach out to Jackline and sponsor her. Wouldn’t you like to see her face when Daniel tells her, “You are sponsored!”? The fifth step just gets to me.
