Spread Joy Over the Ocean

I am so pumped!!!! Grab your kids and join me for an awesome project led by Kylie. We’ve really never joined forces together on a family project, helping ONE specific group – and I think this is the ONE. Join me! Let’s blow the doors off this one. – Courtney

by Kylie White

This month has been so fun in our family talking about JOY each night. The first few nights we were just making the distinction between happiness and joy. I love the definition: CHOOSING to praise Him in all things. We have had a framework this month to talk about when we chose joy, and when we ignored the joy in our hearts and chose self or bad attitudes (me included!)

One night we were talking about joy and our oldest son said “Mom, its kind of like you can’t have joy without having gratitude and after that, generosity just comes out.”

And there it is my child. Truth spoken by a sweet 6-year-old boy. We had done the virtues of gratitude and generosity in November and December, and without any prompting he put it all together. God is big like that. Moving in the hearts of little ones as we do our best to put his word in their hearts.

We also talked about we can choose to praise Him in all things because we are anchored in our hope in Jesus; Hope that so many people do not know.

So, there is something I want you to join me in as your joy spills out…

Back story: Almost a year ago we rallied our community and together funded the start of a new Care For Aids center in some of the most poverty-stricken slums of eastern Nairobi, Kenya. The funding came in amazing ways. Now, we are traveling as a family, my husband and I and our two 6 year olds and 8 year old, to see all God has done in these 90 clients that are the first graduating class from our center.

For 9 months these 90 families have gotten connected to the Care for Aids program through their local church. They have received spiritual counseling, skills training so they can break the cycle of economic poverty that is causing orphans and kids that cannot attend school, they are receiving health counseling and access to AIDS medications so they can raise their children and live to see their kids have kids. This is a holistic approach to the AIDS crisis and orphan prevention at its finest.

So where do you come in?

We will celebrate with these 90 families at their graduation this April. We are going to speak at their graduation about the importance of their story and how when we look back at God’s faithfulness in our story, lean currently into our God given community, look forward and let God hold the pen of our stories, he does his best work. John and I will be giving each graduate a journal as a graduation gift (they will receive a Bible as well).

We wanted EACH client and family to walk away with a handwritten note of congratulations and encouragement for the journey ahead. So we thought… why not, again, rally a community of prayer warriors and encouragers around these 90 Kenyan families who are venturing out to let God change their story, to impact their community, and to leave a legacy for their family. We would LOVE if you would write a note to a graduate and include encouragement, celebration, scripture, and JOY!

Spread your joy across an ocean and to a heart that longs to feel accepted, a heart that needs to hear encouragement for the journey ahead, a heart that longs to serve and love their family. We can do this! Such a small gesture will make a lasting impact. Your note will be a reminder they are not in this alone, there is another family across the ocean cheering them on, praying for them, and wanting to show them love. AIDS comes with a strong stigma still in Kenya, many of these people have been cast out of their families and communities because of their diagnosis.

This letter could be a powerful reminder of how valuable they are and how they belong to a perfect father. It doesn’t have to be a grammatical masterpiece. Even get your kids to join in the fun as they draw pictures or write an encouraging note as well.

Want to write letters with your family?

If you want to get involved, please email me HERE at Kyliebwhite@gmail.com and I will get you an address to mail your letters to! We will hand deliver them to each person on the 1^st of April. I need all letters no later than March 18! Thanks for spreading your JOY across the ocean!