In April of 2002, I traveled to Kenya, Africa. I am sure you may have heard me mention this, especially since this trip played such a vital role in inspiring so much of the "Songs From The Potter's Field" album. Yet you may be wondering why I made this trip to someplace so far away. Well, the answer lies at a place called The New Life Home For Abandoned Babies.

You see, in Kenya, when a child is born to a mother who has AIDS or is HIV positive, the situation often seems quite hopeless. The mother is often ill and unable to care for her new baby. Villagers often reject the child. Hospitals refuse to treat them. All too often, these precious children are simply "thrown away". Left by the side of the road or sometimes in someplace worse, it seems these little ones have no one to care for them.

But there is a place that is bringing hope to the hopeless. At The New Life Home, babies are taken in, given food, shelter, medical care, and above all - love. I was privileged to be able to travel to Kenya with the mission organization Mission of Mercy, to visit this amazing place. We went to The New Life Home to film a documentary that would tell its story, and what a story we witnessed.

Currently, their are 42 babies at the home and each child has a story. Ricky was brought to the home after being stoned nearly to death because he was an unwanted child. Two school children rescued Ricky. They took him to their teacher, who brought him to New Life Home. Now Ricky is a bouncing toddler and he is no longer unwanted. He is cared for and loved and is learning that he truly matters in this world.

Each day, volunteers come to the home to show children just that. The babies are held as much as possible so that they can grasp the love that is felt for them. Volunteers come from all over the world...some for an hour, some for a day, and some stay weeks or months. These men and women are simply being the arms of Jesus here on earth, wrapped around his precious creation.

But what about the AIDS? Well, this is another amazing part of the story. You see, a large percentage of the children who arrive at the home have been born to mothers who are HIV positive. But what I didn't know, is that babies born to HIV positive mothers don't automatically develop the disease themselves! I was a little skeptical when I first heard this, thinking, "How can this be?" But after doing research and talking with doctors, I found out that it is true! With proper medical attention, nutrition, and prayer, these babies' immune systems are stimulated and they actually have a huge chance of living life disease free. What a story of hope that is!

Yet the story doesn't end at The New Life Home. The story doesn't end until these children are adopted into loving homes of their own. Over 300 children have been adopted so far...and I believe many will continue to be in the future. As The New Life Home seeks to grow in its capacity to help children, it is their goal to expand so that eventually their will be a New Life Home in each of the eight provinces in Kenya.

I was so inspired by what I saw at The New Life Home. Aren't we commanded to love the unloved and to bring hope to the hopeless? That's just what is happening there. Just imagine what would happen if we all sought to live in such a manner every day...what a difference it would make!!

If you'd like to make a difference in the life of a child, or if you would like to learn more about and/or support The New Life Home, why not contact Mission Of Mercy today?

Also, keep your eyes open because in the very near future "As Long As It Takes", the documentary about The New Life Home will be available. You won't want to miss it!

Mission of Mercy
P.O. Box 62600
Colorado Springs, CO 80962
www.missionofmercy.org
800-964-0200