Hello! We are excited to start our blog about our mission trip coming up this summer! For the month of June, God has offered us the opportunity to go to Kenya
with Operations Deaf Orphans (ODO), a non-profit organization headed by Alex
and Alexa Abenchuchan. This mission trip will include seven other deaf
individuals and it is ODO’s plan to spend the month of June in Kenya and the
month of July in Uganda. For us, we feel a month’s trip to Kenya best fits our
schedule and availability.
There are many orphans in Africa; based on UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), there are 53 million orphans, and many of them are deaf. It is common that African children have a higher prevalence of illness that will lead to hearing loss: typhoid, malaria, and high fever. WorldVision has found that Kenya and Uganda each have 2.5 million orphans. Although there are several organizations that are committed to work with orphans in Africa, we would like to give our support to these established organizations, giving them a boost!
During our month’s stay in Kenya, we will be visiting Lance’s Deaf Orphans (LDO), headed by Lance McWilliams. Lance himself is a deaf gentleman who resides in Colorado, but manages the orphanage that is located at Kisii, Kenya. Kisii is approximately four hours west of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and about two hours from Lake Victoria. LDO was originally established by a gentleman in 1997, but passed onto Lance in 2008-2009. The orphanage currently holds 14 orphans between the ages of 5 and 10, and is held together by a few staff volunteers.
LDO has the potential to foster more orphans, but is at a financial limit to successfully take care of only 14. We intend to serve LDO through a month-long summer camp during our stay. This summer camp will contain various activities that will contain His word. We want to teach these children about God, and his power and love. We also want to see these children achieve goals in their future by showing that as Deaf individuals, we are still capable of accomplishing many things.
We would like you to help pray for us and for our team. We will need prayers that God will prepare us for our trip and bless our efforts. We will also need prayers that our financial needs will be met. We have a fundraising goal of $7,500, where $3,000 will go to airfare for the both of us, $2,000 will go to room and board, and $2,500 will go directly to the orphans. Upon arrival in Kenya and visiting with LDO, we will use the $2,500 for various projects to support the camp and provide needs for the orphans. For example, we know for a fact that LDO is in a great need for a new water tank for the orphanage, but that is among one of the many things they are in need for. We feel we can best use the money when we arrive LDO and actually see what they are in great need of.
Here is a current picture of the orphans and volunteers at Lance’s Deaf Orphans. Lance is in the middle back row. You will be able to count the 14 orphans in this picture!
There are many orphans in Africa; based on UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), there are 53 million orphans, and many of them are deaf. It is common that African children have a higher prevalence of illness that will lead to hearing loss: typhoid, malaria, and high fever. WorldVision has found that Kenya and Uganda each have 2.5 million orphans. Although there are several organizations that are committed to work with orphans in Africa, we would like to give our support to these established organizations, giving them a boost!
During our month’s stay in Kenya, we will be visiting Lance’s Deaf Orphans (LDO), headed by Lance McWilliams. Lance himself is a deaf gentleman who resides in Colorado, but manages the orphanage that is located at Kisii, Kenya. Kisii is approximately four hours west of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and about two hours from Lake Victoria. LDO was originally established by a gentleman in 1997, but passed onto Lance in 2008-2009. The orphanage currently holds 14 orphans between the ages of 5 and 10, and is held together by a few staff volunteers.
LDO has the potential to foster more orphans, but is at a financial limit to successfully take care of only 14. We intend to serve LDO through a month-long summer camp during our stay. This summer camp will contain various activities that will contain His word. We want to teach these children about God, and his power and love. We also want to see these children achieve goals in their future by showing that as Deaf individuals, we are still capable of accomplishing many things.
We would like you to help pray for us and for our team. We will need prayers that God will prepare us for our trip and bless our efforts. We will also need prayers that our financial needs will be met. We have a fundraising goal of $7,500, where $3,000 will go to airfare for the both of us, $2,000 will go to room and board, and $2,500 will go directly to the orphans. Upon arrival in Kenya and visiting with LDO, we will use the $2,500 for various projects to support the camp and provide needs for the orphans. For example, we know for a fact that LDO is in a great need for a new water tank for the orphanage, but that is among one of the many things they are in need for. We feel we can best use the money when we arrive LDO and actually see what they are in great need of.
Here is a current picture of the orphans and volunteers at Lance’s Deaf Orphans. Lance is in the middle back row. You will be able to count the 14 orphans in this picture!
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| Lance's Deaf Orphans |
Would
you consider supporting us with a donation? You can either make a check
(payable to Deaf Missions, with “Moises & Kristina Arteaga” on the Memo
line) or pay on-line via a debit/credit card through www.deafmissionsstore.com/odoteam.html, and in the Comments box, PLEASE indicate
“Donation is for Moises & Kristina Arteaga”). If you are donating for our
mission trip through Deaf Missions, you will receive a tax-deductible receipt!
If you have any additional questions or are curious about our trip, please don’t hesitate to contact us by leaving a comment! Feel free to visit ODO’s website (www.odeafo.com), LDO’s website (www.lancesdeaforphans.com), or our blog. We look forward to hearing from you!
With His love,
If you have any additional questions or are curious about our trip, please don’t hesitate to contact us by leaving a comment! Feel free to visit ODO’s website (www.odeafo.com), LDO’s website (www.lancesdeaforphans.com), or our blog. We look forward to hearing from you!
With His love,
Moises & Kristina
Praise God! He has a plan for everyone.
ReplyDelete"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18