Upendo Ministries

Upendo Ministries started out as a dream. In February of 2019, I had the privilege of visiting Huruma Dolor Orphanage, in Stellah, Kenya, and that was the beginning of so much more…

My parents are missionaries and have been since before I was born. Since I was little, I had always dreamed of visiting the orphanage. It was a part of my life then, but it is so much more a part of it now. It was a normal occurrence for me to find my mom at the dining room table working on correspondence to the sponsors and the staff at Huruma Dolor Orphanage. It would be a normal occurrence to see my dad going to the bank to wire money across the ocean, to feed hungry orphans.

Now, I am the HDO Social Media Manager, and I frequently write letters to my Kenyan family at the orphanage. It makes me so happy, that even while I am a teenager, I can still have a small part in the big picture. I have been to Kenya four times in the past four years. Every trip gets better, and my dream gets bigger! I have a passion for the children/teenagers of Kenya, and I want to be able to point them to Jesus. I want to be a positive influence in lives. I am so extremely thankful that I have the privilege to be able to go to Kenya.

The life dream that God has placed on my heart is to move to Migori County after I am done with my studies. He has allowed me to get some experience and learn more about the Kenyan culture. I love the people and Kenya is such a beautiful country. Once the beauty of Kenya is born in your heart, it doesn’t leave! I pray daily that God will work in and through me and that I will be a blessing to those around me and as I correspond with the children and young people at HDO.

Upendo Ministries website will be my mission trip blog. I will share my dreams as they grow, and when I go on my mission trips, I will record the events that take place and when I return back to U.S. soil, I will share them on my blog. For more information about Huruma Dolor Orphanage and other missions that my parents have assisted in, visit the Africa Mission website.

-Vanessa Brooke