In the summer of 2007, the call of Kenya drew me across oceans to the sun-warmed coast of Mombasa, where the air carries the scent of salt and mango, and the earth wears the deep red of life itself. There, in the bustling township of Bamburi, I stepped through the gates of Restoration Orphanage—an oasis of hope set amid the hum of markets and the cadence of Swahili greetings. My task was simple in form but rich in purpose: to help shape a school for children whose eyes shone with curiosity and whose laughter threaded itself through the days like a hymn.

From my home churches and cherished colleagues, generosity flowed like a river—desks to open minds, books to widen worlds, medicines to soothe hurts, food to fill hungry bellies. These gifts became more than supplies; they were offerings carried on the wings of faith and love. Through my blog, I hoped to weave together the miles, drawing my Williamson Middle School students and friends into the vibrant tapestry unfolding before me.

Then, on July 18, the earth itself spoke—its deep voice rumbling beneath the long stretch between Nairobi and Mombasa. A tremor, 6.1 in magnitude, rose from the depths and left its mark upon the walls we had planned to call our school. Yet, out of the fracture, the spirit of Kenya shone even brighter. Young hands plunged into wet clay, shaping bricks with laughter; older hands, worn yet steady, rebuilt what had fallen. It was as if every palm, young and old, understood that hope itself was being molded there. That moment became the sermon I carried home —a parable of resilience and grace that I titled “Baba Ni Hapa: God’s Presence, Our Surrender, and the Making of Restoration.”

Still, the stories do not end there. They rest like seeds, ready to be shared—stories of faces that taught me love without measure, of voices that lifted the weight of days with song, of faith made deeper by the dust, the sun, and the tender embrace of a people strong, proud, and endlessly giving. Here, I offer you a few of them, in the hope that the heartbeat of Restoration might somehow become part of your own.

Visit: Jambo Restoration, Rainy Days, The Water and the Rock, A Lesson in Extremes, To the Beach, Asante Sana, Kwaheri, Marafiki