Jambo! Update from Belwop!

Jambo! Hello, from Belwop!

I'm finally here and it is amazing...really no words can describe what it is like, but amazing will do for now.

When Lauren, David, Sammy, Veronica, and our driver Charles picked me up from the airport I could hardly believe that they were standing in front of me. I hadn't seen Lauren since New Years 2010 and I had never met any of the others, only seen them in pictures.

Almus, Lauren, and Jane.

Lauren, for those of you who don't know is the sort of leader of the pack. I met her on my mission trip to New Orleans in July 2009 and we bonded because we had a mutual friend, Geoff Spencer. From that moment on we have been friends and even as God called me to New Orleans Lauren and I stayed in touch and she continued to talk about Belwop and Veronica. This is Lauren's third trip to Belwop, although much shorter than her last two trips (1 month and 5 months)

David Martinez with Peris

David, has also played a large part in helping Belwop, being sort of the green thumb of the group. Helping with the shamba (farm) so that the kids can feed themselves with food they plant. This is his second trip and he is also the wonderful boyfriend of the wonderful Lauren. Sammy, a friend of Lauren's from La is on his first trip to Belwop, just like me!

Sammy teaching (L to R) Sharon, Irene, Caroline,
Sammy, Michek, Moses, and Zipporah.

Veronica Mumbi (Mum)

Lastly, VERONICA, also known as Mum, is the Mum of all 23 of the kids that live at Belwop as well as 5 of her own kids, and of course she has adopted all of us who come here to visit as our Kenya Mum! Meeting Veronica has been the most surreal, she is in a sense famous, well at least to me, because I had only seen her in videos, pictures, on the webstie and of course on facebook. She is an incredible woman of God, her faith is unfailing and continuous. Her laugh is beautiful and her smile is infectious, and most of all her unconditional love towards everyone she meets is incredible.

The first few days here has been busy. We have visited another farm, planned out what we want to do with our trip, played with all the kids, gave them their gifts, started building a dehydrator (something they can use to dehydrate the food that comes from the shamba (farm)). Sunday was so special, we held church at the orphanage and the kids lead the whole thing. It brought me to tears to see these kids worship God. A lot of them have been through so much...from abuse to neglect to abandonment but through Christ using Belwop and Veronica they have found joy and peace. This is an incredible place. Below is a picture of everyone with all the clothes, toys, and supplies that ya'll have donated!



Originally I thought this trip would involve a lot of moving the kids to the new house, but in Africa you have to pay off the entire cost of the house. So, before we can do that we must raise the remainder of the money. At the beginning of this month we had 30,000 left to raise in order to completely pay it off, as of today, we have only $2,900 left! God is good.

So, perhaps, with your help we will be able to move them after all! You can help us by either buying some belwop kicks here: belwopkicks.blogspot.com or by donating belwopproject.com/give.

Lastly, I want to send my prayers and love to those in New Orleans who are dealing with Hurricane Isaac. All of us over here in Kenya are lifting you up.

Na Upendo (with love),

Heidi sMiles

Leaving on a jet plane....

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

It's finally here! Thank you so much to the Teitelbaum's, the Baldwin's, Jack and his parents from church at Vintage, to Liz, Meredith, Grace, Anna, Phoenix, Grandma/Grandpa Miles, Lauren and Robert Hance, Beth and Joby Lucca, Dianne Weber, and Kirt for helping me by either donating their time, money, or clothes/toys for me to bring over to Africa! Below are pictures of all that I will be bringing over because you gave!!

After putting this all in suitcases I had two large suitcases full of stuff for the kids!

Close ups on the suitcase and other items! We were able to get everything from shirts to pants, sweatshirts, to batteries and glow sticks to jewelry!

And now here are the details of my trip! I am leaving on a 7pm flight to Atlanta and then from there heading to Amsterdam where I will have a nice 8 hr layover then fly to Nairobi, Kenya arriving this Friday, August 24th at 6:25am where I will be greeted by Lauren and David in the van. We will then drive a little over 2 hours to the BELWOP orphanage where I will get to meet Veronica and all the kids!! And of course please be praying for safe travels!

THANK YOU so much to those of you that gave financially online on indiegogo.com! There will be pictures to come of where your dollars are going! I will be trying to blog about 3-4 times while I am away so be sure to check for updates.

Lastly, I just want to say thank you to the Vintage and Harbor Church Communities for supporting me in prayer and helping me prepare for this trip!

Love ya'll and see ya when I return!

Heidi Smiles

Hey Friends!

Over the past year or so, I am sure you have heard me mention wanting to go to Africa! Well, this summer God has made this possible! I am finally going! I will be joining a great friend of mine, Lauren Cray, as well as some others on a mission trip to help move orphans into a new home. My adventure, from New Orleans to Africa, actually began before I met Lauren on a mission trip to New Orleans. This journey begins with a woman named Veronica!

The short version of the story
Veronica gave up everything to follow her calling to give hope to the neglected, orphaned and abused children of Africa. And thus, the birth of Belwop Rescue Center, an orphanage in Nyeri, Kenya. For the past 4-5 years, Lauren and a young lady Kate Johnson, have been joining together with other friends here in the US to support the needs of Belwop. Through hosting fundraising events, putting on dinners, camps, video online campaigns, True Religion concerts they were able to provide for most of the needs of Belwop. However, one large need still remained: SPACE. Belwop had grown and no longer had any more room for children who came daily in need of a home!

But, HOPE has a home, and this year Belwop was entered into a contest through Cultivate Wines and in March WON the $50,000 that enabled them to finally purchase a place to call their own! While the Belwop Project and Friends of Belwop, Inc. are still working to raise the final $30k for a matching grant (to fully pay off the home's balance), Lauren Cray, her boyfriend and other friends of Belwop are headed out this summer to help move the babies into the new place! It's in the small town of Nyeri, Kenya, can be easily expanded as Belwop continues to grow and is perfect for what they need right now! Best part is - Belwop OWNS it! No more renting!!! Everything from here is expansion to welcoming more children into a loving home!

Here is how you can help
So, I am sure you are thinking, how can I help be a part of the Belwop Story? Well, what we want to do is figure out a way to help furnish the new house as much as possible! Turn the house into a HOME! I already bought my plane ticket, as did the rest of the team and have saved up enough to sustain ourselves for the 16 days we are out there! So, here is where you come in! We need your help in 3 simple ways:

1. Through PRAYER. Prayer for travel, safety, provision for what Belwop needs, for Veronica, for the team while we are there serving their needs, for the children through the move and for us to be effective in helping fulfill any needs of Belwop that arise while we are there.
2. Through SPREADING THE WORD. Tell your friends and family about what we are trying to accomplish. Share this post, share the video I have linked to below. Show them how they can be a part of someone else's story far away from our world just by giving of their prayers and/or finances.
3. Through GIVING. You can be a part of financially helping Belwop house become a home and here is exactly how! http://www.indiegogo.com/back2belwop

• 15 new bunk beds ($200 each = $3,000)
• Lights = $300
• Wall decor and paint supplies = $200
• A fruit and vegetable stand = $500
• Contribution for the getting the new children in the home/school expenses = $1000
• OR donate shoes, toiletries, pants, shirts, socks, undergarments, sweaters, blankets, pillows, sheets, books, toys to the children who are already in the orphanage, but also to those that will come in the future.

Please drop off or send these items to my address:

2334 Chippewa Street

New Orleans, LA 70130

If you would like to commit to pray for us, please email me at address below with your mailing address and I will send you a reminder card.

heidismiles157@gmail.com

So, please, consider committing to pray for us before, during, and after our trip, giving financially, and/or just plain telling others about what we are trying to accomplish and how they can help! Together, we can make Belwop a home!!

Below are a few links if you would like to learn more about The Belwop Project.

1. http://www.indiegogo.com/back2belwop - Where you can donate financially towards the items above!

2.http://belwopproject.com/story - The documentary some friends of Belwop (Geoff Spencer) made last time they were there. Please watch this! As it is an incredible story and will definitely show you why God has put this project so heavily on my heart

3. http://friendsofbelwop.org/Friends_of_Belwop/About_us.html - Where you can learn more about Belwop and the kids that currently live there

Thanks to all you friends and family who have always supported me in my adventures! Can't wait for this one!

Love,

Heidi Smiles