Hi, I’m Blake, and I’m going to tell you about my adventure at the Nest Children’s Home, but before I do that I’ll give you a little background of my life before that. I was born in Washington State and moved to Nairobi, Kenya in 2006 with my family as missionaries. I had a great time in Middle School and High School at Rosslyn Academy, a Christian International school, and graduated in 2012. I decided to attend Northwest University in Washington State for Fall 2012. It was an unforgettable experience, but after a semester I decided to give school a break, and ended up volunteering at the Nest Children’s Home (orphanage) in Limuru, Kenya. The Nest gives shelter and food to children who are either abandoned or physically harmed by their parents, most of whom are in prison. Most of these children have been traumatized, some to the extent that they can’t talk or communicate well, so it can be hard to bond with them when they first get here. My family and I have developed a good relationship with the Nest (first hand exposure to babies) since our first year in Kenya, because we have fostered extremely malnourished and needy babies from the Halfway House, which is an extension of the Nest, and we have visited the Nest in Limuru numerous times, so I was familiar with the organization. Coming to the Nest to stay and volunteer is most definitely a whole different experience than just visiting from time to time, because you’re able to develop relationships with the children and the staff. So far it’s a been a fun and exciting time, and spending every day with little kids is what I love to do, but it’s a little bit more rewarding to be giving love to kids who really need it, and who otherwise wouldn’t feel that. My days here are mostly spent hanging up/folding laundry, washing dishes, and generally taking care of the children, but all of this work is volunteer, so I don’t get paid anything. Please help me help these precious kids through prayer or financially!
