The following is a blog entry from the Stunz Family (formerly of Lake Jackson TX, now living in Singapore). This story captured our hearts and attention because it is the essence of holistic, family participation! We asked the Stunz family permission to share this because we thought you’d be blessed by their journey into full-circle family missions:
FULL CIRCLE – Kenya 2011
One of the main highlights of our recent trip to Kenya was getting to see our Daraja kids. I could go on and on about stories with them but I won’t. They captured our hearts in 2008 and are forever a part of our family. This timeline will give you the “cliff notes” version of our Kenyan journey. So far…
June 2008, our oldest daughter, Tori, took her first trip to Kenya.
October 2008, we hosted 3 beautiful girls and the choir leader of Daraja Children’s Choir. They stayed in our home for 3 days when they came through our hometown on their fall tour. Our hearts were forever knit together.
December 2008, we began sponsoring Mercy (pronounced Marcy) for her basic needs.
June 2009, our oldest daughter and son, Jakeb, went to Kenya. Tori’s 2nd trip. Jakeb’s first.
August 2009, some of the Stunz family were blessed to be in Texas to get to worship with Daraja again.
March 2010, we began sponsoring Mercy for her secondary school education. She was given the opportunity to go to a private boarding school so this sponsorship opened up and we grabbed it.
June 2010, Jakeb took his 2nd trip to Kenya.
August 2011, as I was looking on the Brightpoint website, I realized that Gladys had lost one of her sponsors so we began sponsoring her basic needs. There is no way that any kid of ours is going to be in need of something if we can help it!
October 2011, Anna and I took our trip to Kenya and got to see all three of our girls and another adopted member of our family, Christi. If she was on the sponsor list, we’d sponsor her too. We pray for her constantly. Her passion for these kiddos and what the Lord is doing in their lives and in Kenya is more than inspiring.
October 2011, we began to sponsor Rahab for her Daraja leadership needs. This sponsorship opening is such a blessing for us because we now sponsor all three of our girls in some way which makes it much easier to keep in contact with them through letters and photos. We’ve never stopped praying for them. Ever.
I’m pretty sure we will make it back to Kenya somehow, someday. Tommy is now the only one of the Stunz Family 5 who has not been and it shot up to the top of our “must go to” places. Together. It would be absolutely amazing if the Stunz Family 5 were able to all go together.
It feels as if between June 2008 and October 2011, we have sort of come full circle.
Time for the rotation to begin again.
Round and round and round we go. Where we stop, nobody knows.
Disclaimer: I am in no way trying to sound conceited or puffed up in a “look what we’re doing” sort of way in this post. I’m just trying to tell the story which is what our blog is all about. Any amount of good we could do or money we could give with/to Daraja, 410Bridge or Brightpoint For Children has proven to give us much more in return than we could ever dream of giving. It’s a God story, not a Stunz story.
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If you think you might be interested in sponsoring one of the Daraja Choir members, there are several children in need. It’s super easy. Not much of an expense, only $39/month, and the rewards for you and for the child are eternal. Please prayerfully consider and check it out here.
