Kingdom Cares International Mission Center

Jake is just finishing out a trip to Ghana right now and I wanted to share these photo updates he has taken of our Kingdom Cares International Mission Center! Since 2009 it had been our vision to build a home in Ghana where vulnerable, neglected, voiceless, orphaned children could be cared for, educated, and given opportunities they otherwise would not receive. Last year our church, Cornerstone Church of Ames, helped to initiate our vision by gifting us $40,000 to begin construction on the home. From there God has kept the donations coming in jaw-dropping style as He is becoming rather famous for doing! The full vision of the project is to develop five acres of land into an entire youth complex that will include the children’s center, a school, and a recreational area that will have a soccer field, basketball court, and playground. For now, we are focusing on Phase I – the children’s home aka mission center - which will also house our long-term missionaries on staff. There is also a little section of the home reserved for short-term missionaries and for when our family visits. :) The mission center is on track to open this August! Many of you have asked me about individual child sponsorship. We did try out a sponsorship program for a 1 year trial period, but decided it was not the most effective strategy for how our organization can best impact the community. It has since been replaced with the 1200 Club which you can find more information about here: http://www.kingdomcares.org/donate/1200-club/  Donations from the 1200 Club fund projects just like this one. Pretty goosebumpy to see this vision coming to fruition…

Exterior view

Zoomed in view of front porch

Living room looking out to front entrance

Hallway to children's rooms

House Mother's room

Kitchen

One of the eleven bedrooms

They left a palm tree for me in the landscape :)

View from front porch looking out to the rest of the land God has allowed us to purchase

Water bole hole has been drilled!  Electricity goes in this coming week and then we will have running water in the entire mission center!

Our God-fearing full-time staff member, Wisdom, helping to prepare the land surrounding the mission center for farming.

When you feel a sting of pain this Mother's Day...

Our bedtime talks. "So did anything make you sad today?" The floodgates opened. Sobs so deep her shoulders shook. "I miss my Mommy in Ghana." Thankful that I have been graced for this moment right here. I knew what to say. Words that the Lord has whispered to my own heart time and again. Our every longing, every ache in this life is really just our hearts crying out for heaven. For the day when broken families won't exist. And we won't ever have to feel this kind of pain again. This day is a blessing for many. But sometimes life breaks you, and sometimes Jesus takes you DEEPER when all along you had expected to go higher, and for some, this day brings a sting of pain. For the sons and daughters who are growing up without the mothers who carried them in their womb and birthed them. Because families are broken. And adoption is only a bandaid. And sometimes days like this re-expose the wound. For the woman who has grieved through the turbulent waves of infertility, and this is a dreaded day that suffocates her and sends daggers through her heart. For the day I complained about the piles of laundry and God flashed Dawn Grooters in my mind and whispered "she would love to be doing Kael's laundry again"...for the mothers who have experienced the loss of a child and will never again feel the same on this day. For the single moms who've been abandoned by their husbands and never expected to be doing this parenting thing on their own. For the woman chained to the regret of her abortion. For the birthmothers who have given up their children in love and will never get to see them again. For those whose mothers have passed away and this day just brings more heaviness and more grieving. For the Momma who feels like she's messed up just one too many times and feels unworthy of receiving honor on this day. Yes. Stingers. This Mommyhood thing is the highest of callings. And sometimes I think that's why it can hurt so much. Learning myself that OUR BROKENNESS DOES NOT DEFINE US. God does. Let Him remind you who you are today. ❤️

For the Momma who is feeling just a little too imperfect today read this:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2014/05/why-mothers-day-is-really-just-for-the-birds/


For the Momma who needs to be reminded of her worth today watch this....with some kleenex nearby:



For the Momma who needs a change in perspective today watch this: