Mocha Club Purpose Project: Linking Arms in Education

As we’ve slowed down for the summer, packing up school supplies and paperwork from a successful year of Kindergarten, I’ve been so moved by how blessed we are in this country to have the educational opportunities we have. Whether our children are homeschooled, attend public or private school, we are blessed. Blessed with freedoms, resources {both financial and practical}. . .with time and support. We can focus on educating our children because our other basic needs are met, often in abundance.

I do not ever want to take these blessings for granted. Yes. . .our school system needs work. It isn’t perfect. But we.are.blessed. Period. We cannot forget that.

I spent 9/11 in a slum in Kenya. We walked through a small village of shelters, made of trashed pieces of cardboard and tin. We traveled dirt “streets” covered in waste until we reached a large shelter. The church. . .the schoolroom. We worshiped with those that gathered and we loved on them that day while back home, our country was being attacked. We returned to our missionary house that evening to the news that both towers had fallen. It was a heavy day, to say the least. I’m still not sure what was more devastating to my heart – the lack I saw or the lack I would return home to the next week.

Almost 13 years later we’ve done a lot of rebuilding here in the US. Nothing will ever make up for or undo what was done to us that day, but we’ve rallied. We’ve linked arms. And we’ve rebuilt with pride and with the resources available to us.

But that slum just outside of Nairobi. . .it still stands. Children are born into it and wander out of it often. No matter how much they work to change their lives, they are often left in the same plight.

Unless. . .

Unless someone with the heart and resources to help reaches their arms across the globe to offer a better way.

Unless moms who are thankful for the education they receive in their country link arms with those in a less fortunate region to support and build up.

We are so fortunate to have the educational resources that are available here in the US – both homeschooling helps in our cities and online as well as a public school system that far surpasses that of other nations. It is our heart at Grace for Moms to supplement our educational resources through this online community, helpful articles and faith-based curriculum for families. We hope we have encouraged faith-education in the home through our Truth for Tiny Hearts guides. As we dream about developing those resources even further, we want to first, take some time to reach our hands across the globe to help our friends in Kenya with their educational endeavors.

In partnership with Mocha Club, the Grace for Moms community with be participating in a purpose project throughout the month of June. Our goal is to raise $600 to send one child to New Dawn School in Nairobi, Kenya. When we reach this goal {and hopefully far surpass it}, we will move forward in taking the Truth for Tiny Hearts curriculum to the next level! You’ll be enjoying our Fruit-Filled Summer series here over the next two months with posts to help you share the fruit of the spirit with your kids. As you use these resources, we ask you to pray about partnering with us and Mocha Club to reach our goal of sending a child in Kenya to school for an entire year!

At the end of June when we reach our goal, we’ll take one Truth for Tiny Hearts guide {your choice!} and have it completely updated, designed and available for download FREE to the Grace for Moms community!!

Y’all, we’ve never done anything like this before. And it makes me a little nervous. . . asking you all to consider giving your resources to help our friends in Kenya. But we cannot let fear drive our actions. That is one of the foundational truths we communicate here in this space. Fear as a mom or as a kingdom-minded believer.

As we walk together through the Truth for Tiny Hearts Fruit-Filled Summer series, please pray about joining us in linking arms with our friends at Mocha Club and New Dawn Educational Center.

If we raise just $600, we can send a child to school for an entire year! $600. With over 2000 active members and tens of thousands that visit this space monthly, that is a small goal. But we want to start small and hopefully blow this out of the water. We know you all have a heart to give and to serve. We ask that you consider joining us this month.

Skip a coffee for a day or two and give $10.

Pass up that mani/pedi this month and give $50.

Eat at home instead of out after church next Sunday and give $25.

Encourage your kids to do a lemonade stand and give the proceeds to this cause.

I am believing as we are led by the spirit in kindness and love this month, we will be driven to send not just one child to school but maybe even 2 or 3 or 5! Let’s link arms in education with our friends in Nairobi, Kenya!

More information about New Dawn Educational Center:

• The slum communities of Huruma and Githogoro, both in the suburbs of Nairobi, Kenya, are home to thousands of potential high school students. Until the birth of the New Dawn Educational Centre (NDEC) in Huruma in 2004, most of these students would not have had an opportunity for a high school education.

• Irene Tongoi, educator and stay-at-home-mom, provided the visionary leadership along with community leaders from Huruma. The mission of NDEC is to provide a Christ-centered education for poverty stricken students and their families.

• New Dawn is home to 160 students, many of whom are orphaned.

• New Dawn has a solar-powered computer lab and agricultural center where food is grown for the school to use in the cafeteria.

• In 2012, following extensive program monitoring and evaluation by African Leadership, NDEC opened a three-story Educational Learning Centre that provides a 200 seat multi-purpose hall, library, computer lab, chemistry/physics lab, and a biology/agriculture lab.

How our Purpose Project works:

Pray about what you can give this month. Click this link to give your gift.

When we reach our goal of $600 {or far surpass it, Lord-willing} we’ll ask YOU which Truth for Tiny Hearts guide you would like to have in an all new, freshly designed and expanded ebook edition. FOR FREE!

That’s it! Such a simple way to make a HUGE difference.

Will you join us?