When I first met these beautiful people, I never could have imagined what an impact they would have on my life. They went from people across the globe to people that I think about every hour of every day. I went from calling these boys and girls “marafiki zangu” to “familia yangu”.
It all started with Leah Libese. She was my first friend in Kenya in 2019, and she called me her sister (dada yangu). It took a little bit, but by the end of the trip I was calling her my sister as well. I starting calling them my family and soon their role was much that of a family. When I would receive letters from the orphans, they were full of encouragement and love. Since I was already thinking about them all the time, I figured why not put a couple pictures up of them. It started by two pictures in my room, but ended up being 37 in my room, 13 at my school desk, and four in the restroom. Would you call that a bit extravagant? 😉 On my past trip to Kenya (January 2023), I told many people that it felt like I was just on a trip to visit my family. That is exactly what it was. Nimewamiss SANA na nawapenda SANA!!!
-Vanessa Brooke
Upendo Ministries 
Leave a comment