Oscars & updates

Didn't catch the Oscars but we are definitely hearing the buzz about Lupita Nyonog'o's inspiring speech. 

"No matter where you're from, your dreams are valid" 

❤️Love. Love. Love. ❤️

It is the same message we are currently sharing with children living on the streets of Kenya. 

Our goal is sustainability. We don't want to be the people who come, help and then leave. We are working in Kenya to change the culture/mindset of the local people. Instead of overlooking children starving & dying on the streets we want community members to see a need and meet it. 

This is Bradley. He is 12 & lives in a children's home. He is technically an orphan. The tiny boy in the front isn't so lucky. He lives on the streets of Kakamega, Kenya trying to find food and stay safe each day.

Bradley is one of the people making a difference. A 12 year old boy who is looking out for, playing with, & encouraging other children when they come to our program to eat. 

Bradley is just one of a group of people making a difference in the lives of others. He doesn't have money. He can't drive to pick up children. He isn't even allowed to cook but he is serving and encouraging his peers who aren't as lucky as him. He is using his own time to make a difference in the lives of others. 

What are you doing to make a difference? 

Tell us on our Facebook page 

www.facebook.com/2911inc 

Make a difference by donating 

www.hopeof2911.org 

Kenya Experiences ~ Jennifer

There is just something about finally giving in to the will of the Lord and seeing him make big things happen. That moment when you finally surrender and put your hope in him and things start falling into place.  I think hope is a universal language. We have been putting our hope in the Lord for years. Hope for the kids we've come to love. Hope for the kids we hadn't even met yet, only seeing them on the streets as we passed by. Hope that this dream we have would make a difference in the lives of kids around the world. 

   I saw hope on the faces of the kids we met at the first meal hosted by 29:11, Inc. and the kids of Victorious Children's Home and Mission to the Fatherless. I saw it when they played with a brand new soccer ball, and brand new Frisbees they had to be taught to throw. I saw it on faces of kids who, even though they've grown up in an orphanage, were proud to be able to serve others that day. 

  I saw hope on the faces of my friends, both American and Kenyan, when on that hot, sunny, Kenyan afternoon we cooked, played, danced, sang, and spoke with the kids we had wanted to reach out to for years.
 HOPE. Sometimes it comes in the form of a dream coming true. Other times its just a smile, a hot meal, a kind word, feeling like you matter, or a bar of soap. 

     

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Kenya Experiences ~ Kara

It's amazing what God can do and WILL do when you are willing to move in obedience . Let's get real for a moment; the trip to Kenya is not cheap. Playing musical children and arranging for care for three kids at home is not easy. Taking time off work and preparing my household to be gone for that extended period of time doesn't come without trials... But it comes with blessings! God has blessed me over and over for doing what He has called me to do . Stepping out in faith towards the bigger picture of what God has in store for His children is big....very big...like B.I.G big. God has a plan for these sweet children. He has already proclaimed it, a hope and a future. He needs me to carry out His plan. Me. A measly West Virginia girl with a lot of faith and a heart for His work. He needs all of us. I know in my heart that God is not calling every one of us to get on a plane and fly to Kenya ( or any of the other countries we hope to journey to). He is though calling each of us to do our part. Spend some time with him, in prayer, and let Him tell you where He wants you. We are all a piece of the puzzle. Spending time with those precious children, with my Kenyan friends and alongside my 29:11 Inc sisters has shown me that we each have a piece of the puzzle and each piece is needed to complete Gods greater picture.  This isn't just about a feeding program in Kakamega Kenya... It's about actually listening to what God wants us to do. We need to open our hearts to hear what He is telling us our role is... Because He will tell us and when He tells us He will expect us to act on it. The action is the hard part...but it's our piece of His puzzle.

Kara

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Kenya Experiences ~ Rhia

                           

   My main goal on this trip was to NOT get sick.  The past 2 trips to Kenya just about landed me in the hospital both times.  The first was food poison. I honestly don't remember the trip back home, which is probably a blessing.  The second was last year when I boarded the plane to Kenya with an ear infection which turned into a huge fiasco when the infection entered my bloodstream. Needless to say, everyone was wary of me taking this trip.
    I should have known better than to think that my God couldn't handle this.  He had big plans for us on this trip and that included me not getting sick! :) There were so many things we wanted to accomplish on this trip and I believe we we were very successful.
    The best part for me hands down was being with all those street children that joined us for a wonderful meal. Seeing all those babies with plates overflowing with food was the greatest feeling. Our first trip as 29:11, Inc. was a success. It was better than we could have imagined. But of course with all the wonderful, there is also a bit of heartache, growing pains you could say.  But again, our God is big enough to take care of all that, too!

Rhia

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More pics and stories

A Letter From Vicki ~ 11/11/13

 

It up lifts our hearts to hear from Vicki & to know that she and her family are doing well. 

Vicki has been sharing her story in the United States for several months now and we are glad to report she is safely home with her family. 

Here is the message we got this morning:  

    Dear friends and family in Christ,

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for having me in your homes,churches and utmost in your hearts.

I will forever be grateful for your unfailing love for me and for the kids at the Victorious home.Thanks alot for your tireless generosity and steadfast prayers.

I had a very great time and feel very much rested and refreshed to continue working in our Master's Kingdom.

I just wanted you to know that i made it safely home and the kids sent their kind regards to all of you. They  will al l  be home for school break from the end of this week and will go back to school in January.

Kindly keep our eighth grade candidates in your prayers,today they had rehearsal for their National exams that will will last three days commencing tomorrow tuesday and ending Thursday the 14th.thanks in advance for your fervent prayers.

                 In HIS Grace,

                        Vicki

Did you catch that..the kids will be home when we get there. We know our mission isn't necessarily to spend time with the children we ❤️ but it's also hard for us to plan a trip 1/2 way around the world not knowing if we will get to see them. 

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. 

We take off in 5 days! 

For trip updates and general information check out www.hopeof2911.org or www.facebook.com/2911inc 

T&T ~ Homemade Eye Cream ~ Whitney

Okay so if you're like me you may have some *laugh~happies (aka wrinkles) around your eyes.  You may also be like me if you absolutely HATE that word, hence the term "laugh~happies"  It helps me remember that I have those little lines because I laugh, a lot which means I have amazing people in my life (and that I'm so gosh darn funny!!)

With that being said, I also hate chemicals, meaning store bought eye serums & creams are out of the question.  My solution to this dilemma...homemade eye cream.  It is super easy, organic & completely chemical free! How can you not love it already?!

You only need 3 ingredients & 1 container!

The only items you need are organic coconut oil, vitamin E capsules, lavender oil and a container to keep it in.  You can use a baby food jar or a small jelly jar to keep at home.  I like using a contact lens case because it is small & easy to use/carry with you.

1. Scoop out a spoonful of coconut oil

2. Use a safety pin to poke a hold in 2 vitamin E capsules & squeeze contents into mixing bowl

 

3. Add one drop of lavender oil

4. Mix together thoroughly







5. Empty contents into your container
















Afterwards, I put mine in the refrigerator so it can set.  Once it has set up, it does not need to be kept in the fridge unless you use a lower temp coconut oil.  The one I use is medium/high heat so it doesn't liquefy at room temperature.

What eye creams do you use?  Let us know on our Facebook Page

T & T ~ Apple Custard Pie ~ Kara

 Apple Custard Pie

(adapted from this terrific recipe found at http://www.eatboutique.com/2013/02/04/rustic-apple-custard-pies/#.UhLD4z-M7pz )

 So my oldest needed to make an apple dessert for our county fair and his 4H clubs bake auction entry. Each club member was to make an apple dessert to be combined together in a cute little apple crate and auctioned off to raise money for their club

(I know cute, right ?!?).

 I decided we would do some type of mini pie in a mason jar so it would stay intact for the process. I found the above recipe that the author had already adapted herself. My family isn't really a fan of walnuts like the original called for... plus so many allergies and such recently so I just decided to nix the walnut crust. Whats the next best thing? Good, old, faithful graham cracker crust of course :) So I threw together a quick recipe for graham cracker crust simply using a manual food processor to grind up one package of graham crackers, almost an entire stick of butter melted (roughly 6-7 Tablespoons... just enough to moisten), a few shakes of cinnamon and about 1/3c of sugar. Mix it all together until its all moistened but not pic of crust in the bowl). 
                                                                      

                   

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:                                                           Custard:

one package graham crackers run                                           2 cups sugar

through a food processor until smooth                                   1/4 c all-purpose flour

6-7 Tablespoons melted butter                                               6 large egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar                                                                          1 cup heavy cream

few shakes of cinnamon                                          4 cups diced apples

Then spoon a few spoonfuls into the bottom of 9-10 pint mason jars that should be placed without lids on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Then my son and I realized we needed a way to press the mix into the bottom of the jar tightly.... hmmmm.... I found an old souvenir shot glass so we used that to press all the crust down into the bottoms of the jars. 

    

Take those beautiful baking apples and core, slice, peal and dice them until you have 4 cups 

Next mix the egg yolks, sugar, flour and heavy cream until smooth.. .only a min or so... then add the diced apples and stir to moisten. Spoon mix into the prepared jars until half full. Place the cookie sheet carefully into a 450 oven and bake for 12 min. After 12 min lower the oven temp to 350 and bake another 20 minutes. The custard will be golden brown on its edges when you remove it. Let the entire cookie sheet with jars cool until completely cool before you put the lids on. Honestly I'm not sure how it would turn out if you went ahead and added the lids and let that heat "set" your jar lids.. .maybe you would be able to keep them for longer? .... maybe on my next blog post :) 

Send us your fundraising recipes!

T & T ~ Keep Berries Fresh ~ Whitney

Hey Hey!!
If you're anything like me your house is stocked with fresh fruits and veggies all the time!  The problem is, in order to keep fruit fresh I have two options:
1. Buy a lot and pray it doesn't go bad before we have a chance to eat it
2. Buy small amounts - resulting in multiple trips to the store & spending money on things I didn't need but decided to *pick up because I was there or just in case...UGH!

So here is the tip:
When you bring home berries put them in a solution of 1 part vinegar (white or apple cider will both work) 10 parts water.  The amount you use depends on the amount of berries you have.  Drop them in, swirl them around for a minute then drain them.

    

  I only rinse raspberries because of their shape.  The rest don't need it.  I let them air dry and keep them in these containers in my refrigerator.  The vinegar kills mold and inhibits its growth so your berries stay fresh longer.    

I've been doing this for a while & it is super simple.  I can't give you a time frame for how long it works (because we love to eat!) but I can say I have noticed a big difference in the freshness of our berries.

International Day Center

Our goal at 29:11 Inc. is to help communities worldwide better meet the needs of their orphaned and homeless children.  We don't want to help once, we want to equip communities, churches and volunteers to better help those they are serving (or to help them serve those they currently aren't)

We are currently focused on a project in Kakamega, Kenya where we would like to start a Day Center where children can come to get food, love,  medical attention, encouragement...

In the past, we have worked together with Deliverance Church, providing VBS to children during their annual Woman's Conference.  This allowed some women to come who otherwise couldn't, as well as providing VBS truth & fun and a meal to other local children.  

Working with church members to feed children attending VBS.

Each day our numbers would multiply because word would spread that Americans had gifts (VBS craft) and food.  While we loved serving this community it hurt our hearts knowing that we would soon leave and the children would no longer have a place to go to receive the love, truth and encouragement we had been providing all week.   

Someone near and dear to our hearts, Pastor Wambua has always directed us to tell those asking for help to seek out the church.  Even when he is out in public and people ask him for assistance he tells them to meet him at church and that there they will help. He wants the people in his community to receive assistance and he wants the church to serve them just as Christ would.   This is kind of how we came up with the plan for our day center.  

Okay, so look past the beautiful picture of Jennifer and her amazing son Archadius and see the building in the background.  This is the current Sunday School building for Deliverance Church.  It is currently used on Sunday mornings to teach children.  

Inside of one of the rooms.

Our goal is to finish the building so it can be used to support orphans and street kids during the week.  It will also be more suitable for teaching classes on Sunday mornings.  We want to complete the building so it is suitable for large numbers of children, and able to operate in all types of weather.  We also want to employ a staff of locals (including church members) who can carry out daily operations.  We want the children in this community to have needs met by people who are also sharing the truth of the Gospel with them.  

We also pray that while children are having needs met at the Day Center, their parents and families will see Christ through the actions of those at the Day Center, recognize it's connection to the church and have their needs met at Deliverance Church.  

At 29:11 Inc. we see this as being a positive opportunity for all involved.  The church will have a Sunday School Building that is more complete and functional, the children in Kakamega will have a safe place to go for nutrition, medical needs and support and the people in the community will see Deliverance Church as a place to go for support, love and truth.  

We will keep you updated on progress, plans and needs.  

Please be praying for us as well as those who God would have be involved in this mission. 

Invite your friends to like our Our Facebook Page so they can get updates & be praying 

You can also like Deliverance Church's Facebook page

School

In less than a week it will be August which means school is right around the corner. 

 As you are back to school shopping with the children in your lives & preparing for a new school year, please take some time to pray for children in places such as Kenya. Children who don't go to air conditioned classrooms with SMART boards, games, computers...

...children who attend schools like this.

They look very different from the schools we send our children to.  Most of us wouldn't dream of sending our children to a school that resembled this one (and we definitely wouldn't pay tuition to send them!) but in Kenya, children are just happy to have a school to go to.  Wouldn't you love to be a part of a school improvement project in Kenya, India or even in the United States?

At 29:11 Inc., we may not be ready to open a school or pay tuition for orphans but we can help ensure that children in Kakamega, Kenya have a day center where they can be fed, encouraged and receive medical care.  This is what we are currently planning for and if you would like to help visit our website and click on "Donate Today"

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

T&T ~ Shrimp & Grits Recipe ~ Rhia

Your Tips & Tricks Tuesday post comes from Teacha Rhia today.  She is a southern girl who wanted to share a recipe that is near and dear to her heart!  We hope your tummies & your hearts enjoy!

Hi guys! 

Today I'm taking it back to my southern roots. I made my famous shrimp and grits for dinner tonight. This is one of my husbands favorite meals...ever. 

Ingredients

•                            1 bell pepper chopped                                  2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
•                            6 green onions chopped                                1 1/4 cup instant grits
•                            1 clove garlic minced                                    4 cup chicken broth
•                            2 tbsp butter                                                   3/4 tsp salt
•                            1 lb frozen shrimp                                          1/4 tsp pepper
•                            1 can rotel

I really hope you guys enjoy my famous Shrimp & Grits.  Let me know how it worked out for you and your families!

Love ~ Rhia

Thinking of trying this recipe?  Let us know how it goes through comments, e-mail, Facebook or Twitter

Love, peace and full tummies!

Pinterest!

We absolutely love this!
I hate it when I see something I love on Pinterest and I don't pin it because I always have such a hard time finding it again!!

There is this one video of a lizard trying really hard to jump from one shelf to another.  He gets all geared up & looks like he might just have enough in him to make it.  Unfortunately, all the hype was for nothing because he doesn't even clear the shelf he is jumping from.  Poor guy...

BTW - if you know which Pin I'm referring to please please please link it to me in the comments - I love that little guy, trying his hardest and barely moving!


With that being said, sometimes we feel that way.  We get all geared up, do a ton of prep work, cross our t's and dot our i's and then...BAM...we come crashing to the floor.  Well not actually crashing to the floor but it feels like it when your social media isn't out there like you had hoped or your website isn't getting many hits.

So, if you haven't guessed it yet, 29:11 Inc. is now on Pinterest!
First of all, the ladies over here all have our own accounts, boards and pins (sometimes its excessive) and secondly, with so many people on Pinterest, we couldn't miss the opportunity to get out who we are and what we're doing.

So, check us out on Pinterest (we aren't sure we've linked it enough in this post) and if you like what you see PIN IT!

Happy Pinning!

Jeremiah 29:11
 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Statistics & Saddness

I know that anyone can make a statistic say whatever they want and that you should always "proceed with caution" when someone gives you a number or a percentage.  Therefor, this is a link to the Orphan Coalition with their information, numbers and where they got them.

Now for the heavy...

This hurts my heart.

For some people, it is easy to think of societal ills such as homeless, orphaned children and human trafficking as distant problems but these things, while highlighted in third world countries, happen everyday in the U.S.

I was shocked to read the number of orphaned children in the United States - 123,000

and then the number of children moving throughout the foster care system - 463,000

Here, at 29:11 Inc. we think that even one child without a permanent home is too many. While many of our pictures and stories are of children around the world, in third world countries, we NEVER want to forget that there are children here in need of hope and a future.

This is where you come in.  

We want to be encouraged by what you are currently doing in your own community to help homeless and orphaned children and how you think 29:11 could help.  Comment below or contact us with your thoughts and ideas and as always SHARE us with your friends, family, co-workers...anyone who has a similar passion to help those in need here and around the world.

As always

Jeremiah 29:11
 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."