She awoke to the sound of laughter in the bedroom. She had fallen asleep on the couch, the book still somehow held tight in her hands across her chest. She yawned and stretched and looked around her humble home. Humble and relatively small, it was still a castle in her own estimation. Compared to what she lived in before. Compared to what she had grown up in. Nothing more than tiny mud huts, suitable for animals, but not humans. Dirt floor. No windows. Just an opening where a door should be. She was beyond thankful for her new home. Sometimes it still seemed like a dream and she half expected ..read more

She sat down on her couch and leaned back into its soft, welcoming comfort and breathed out a long sigh. A sigh of contentment. A sigh of accomplishment after a long Sunday with her two boys who were sleeping peacefully in a warm bed in the adjacent room. The soft glow of a lantern illuminated the entrance to their room, but beyond that, darkness. She could hear one of them snoring softly and she smiled. She knew which one it was. It was a comfort to hear him snoring; so sound asleep. She sat up and reached under the couch and pulled something out and carefully unfolded the paper that surround ..read more

I may be telling the same old story. But that is because it is the truth. Over the last 23 years of writing 10 stories per year for the newsletter, it’s very likely that I have repeated myself a few times. I am quite certain of that fact. And I know that I am also preaching to the choir for the most part. But the truth is, not only do we consistently have new partners in this mission, but you just never know who needs to be reminded of why we do what we do. It’s also the same old story because we are fighting an endless battle. We have to accept that fact. Endless… but very worthwhile, and in ..read more

It’s hard to believe, but the ever-hungry “father-time” has insatiably devoured the better part of another year. Be that as it may, it has been a very good year here al O.L.I., largely thanks to you. Your compassion in action has resulted in a record number of orphans and widows receiving life-changing care. We have expanded our programs in both scope and scale and none of this would have happened without you. So, with the fact that it is November, the month of Thanksgiving, I felt it was an appropriate time to be giving thanks to all of you that make this mission possible, and all to the Glo ..read more

Meet Isaac. We are praying that Isaac is the shape of things to come. And we know he will be. Isaac lost his father when he was very young, when he succumbed to the health-ravaging effects of AIDS. His mother is alive, but also suffers from the disease and was unable to take care of the numerous children her husband left her to care for. Isaac’s mother and father are the antitheses to our goals here at O.LI. Their lives represent the exact thing we are endeavoring to prevent from happening to the children we care for. I don’t know the history of Isaacs parents in terms of their childhood. But ..read more

This is Why. It’s been the theme of our stories and other content in The Voice of the Orphans this entire year. And “This is Why” began as my own thought on one particular moment in time. They were the words that popped into my head when I saw the heartbreaking picture of a widow and her three children. I took a good, long look at that picture. I looked at their tattered clothing. I looked at their distended bellies. I looked at their feet and fingers, literally mangled by the infestation of parasites. All of it sad. As sad as sad can be. But, all of that aside, it was their eyes that it made ..read more

I think life is like a mountain. Moreover, a series of mountains. Some of them easier to climb, with comfortable scenic paths and easy summits and with immediate satisfaction. Others, are far more difficult; with many treacherous and precarious portions within the climb. Simply put, while life can be a wonderful adventure, it is often fraught with challenges and trials for us all. I think we often find ourselves clinging to a sheer face, not sure which path to take and full well knowing that down is not a good option. Not only can you not see the handholds and footholds, but even if you succee ..read more

They say a picture is worth a thousand words…but whose words? Whose thoughts? What do different people see when they look at a picture? This picture is deceptive in many ways. Some, perhaps most, would simply see an adorable girl, hanging her freshly washed, stuffed animals on the line to dry. They may or may not even wonder why. They may or may not notice and therefore question the old building to the left and behind the adorable girl. They are seeing what their mind tells them to see based on their unique perspective. When I look at this picture, I of course recognize that this girl is ador ..read more

Sometimes in life, you just have to hit pause for a moment. Stop and take it all in. Stop and smell the roses. This is one of those moments for us here at Orphan’s Lifeline. It would simply be wrong if we didn’t hit the pause button for a moment, because it has been a very busy and amazing six months here at the home office. And in taking it all in, there is only one place we can place the blame for all that’s gone on for the last six months. That “blame”, such as it is, lies squarely on your collective shoulders. Let’s just take a quick look at what you have done so far this year. You have c ..read more

In rural Kenya, there sits a field. It is flat, and as of now, void of much structure. It is surrounded by a make-shift fence, and in the center there are trenches dug into the soil and a concrete and rock foundation protrudes from the soil. It has no apparent significance at this point. Nor is there anything apparently special about it. But looks can be deceiving; because it is special. Very special. For very soon it will become a place filled with dreams. A Field of Dreams. Now, all dreams have a seed of origin. Planted in our minds by someone or something of great personal influence. Dream ..read more