Message from the Executive Director Ashby

It’s really amazing to look back over the past ten years and see how far God has brought us. It’s also exciting to look forward and wonder, what will Visible Grace look like ten years from now?

God has faithfully carried us through many challenges and changes in ten years. I am so encouraged by the staff at Visible Grace, and the donors in the US, who believe in this vision and believe in these children. Without them, we would never have accomplished this work.

Since 2013 we have filled two homes with more than twenty orphaned and vulnerable children who were in need of a stable environment. Today some of those children are in high school and some are still in diapers. We’ve built three homes, bought a van, dug a well, installed a solar energy system, cultivated a farm, and bought a cow. We’ve repainted our fence, repaired our sofas, and re-established rules for safety and care of the children. We’ve attended trainings, seminars, retreats, conferences, and countless church services. We’ve celebrated birthdays, attended funerals, welcomed newborn babies, and said too many goodbyes. The VG family has laughed, cried, worked, rested, played, and dreamed together. We are proud of how far we’ve come and we are hopeful about where we are going.

I see the children at Visible Grace thriving. Many of them were struggling when they came to us, and now they are bright, happy, responsible, healthy, and full of energy. I see so much potential in them and look forward to seeing who they turn into as they grow up.

I’m also very encouraged by the unity among the VG staff. The people caring for our kids are loving, attentive, hard-working, open to learning, and determined to raise children who are rooted deeply in God’s love. I am convinced these children will go out from VG and become a catalyst for change in Kenya.

My dream for VG was always for a school. The idea to build a home came later when I realized that the children would need a safe and healing space in which to thrive before they could do well in school. The VG children have been at CITAM school for years now, and we are thankful for how well the school cares for them. But my vision, for a Christ-centered and child-focused school on our own property, is still very real.