Lovelies, I have something really special to share with you today – have you heard of Mercy House? If you haven’t, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to browse their website and learn about what they do – such a wonderful ministry to women in need!
They provide a safe haven for mamas {and their babies} in Kenya, as well as education, counseling and life-skills training, all the while in a nurturing and loving environment. So far, “more than a dozen girls have been rescued from the slums of Kenya and shown the love of God, and a dozen babies have been born, healthy and thriving” – isn’t that amazing?!
From their site:
The Issue:
- Annually, 21,000 women are hospitalized from having an illegal, unsafe abortion in Kenya. (Center for Reproductive Rights)
- Abortion is a volatile topic in Kenya.
- 13,000 Kenyan girls are kicked out of school for being pregnant. (Center for Reproductive Rights)
- 25% of pregnant women in Kenya are HIV positive (ObGyn in Kenya)
- Every 30 minutes, a woman is raped in Kenya. (Nairobi Women’s Hospital)
- Mothers often force their daughters into trading sex for food in the slums (CNN)
- More than 20,000 children are sex trafficked in Kenya (Human Trafficking)
- 1500 women die in childbirth every day across Africa (WHO)
“The Vision of Rehema House (supported by Mercy House):
- Provide a safe place-a guarded home with at least 12 maternity beds
- Partner with local churches
- Prenatal Care- checkups, medical assistance for healthy deliveries
- Proper Nutrition-protein and regular healthy meals
- Counseling-post abortion/prostitution, rape recovery
- Ministry-prayer, Biblical teaching, regular devotions
- Education-help catch girls up in school thru 8th grade, then continue on to high school, or vocational tract
- Livelihood Skills-cooking, jewelry-making, art, sewing, etc
- A nurturing environment in-which to give birth and breastfeed babies
- A safe place to stay and learn and heal until they graduate
- An account to start small business or go to school (from products they make and sell)
“The Plan:
Our residents are invited to stay in the program for a minimum of two to four years, but our desire is to support each mom and baby throughout their lives. Each girl earns money through our Sustainable Skills Program and it will be dispersed over a long-term period to continue their education and even start a business as a part of our Graduate Program. Since our residents are at-risk- abused and even orphaned, we will assist them for as long as needed. We want to be their forever family and will tailor our help to each girl’s situation. Our goal is quality, not quantity and total discipleship.
It is the desire of The Mercy House team to fulfill Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good: And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and love mercy, to walk humbly with your God.”
Their blog about the House has wonderful updates about the ministry, the mamas and babies, and ways that you and I can help. Also, you can follow along with Kristin Welch’s {the founder} blog here.
So now I have a lovely set of prizes for someone to win – the Large Red Funky Paper Bead Necklace pictured (a $25 value!) and a $20 e-gift card to the Mercy House shop!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
– All prizes are supplied by myself, and the photos and text are used by permission from Mercy House. One winner will be selected to win the giveaway bundle listed above. This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on Sunday, March 1st at midnight PST. The winner will be emailed on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2014.
With all this coziness, you almost don’t notice that the actual fireplace isn’t there :)
For me, a cozy fireplace spot is made up of a great chair, complete with welcoming warm throw and cushy pillow, a spot for a warm drink, soft glowing light, and a mantlepiece {and, of course, a fireplace ….}.
Notice I was able to pull together all but the fireplace? The photos I needed were for some new Christmas products so I added in some garland, a tinsel tree and lots of candles. Candles have been my answer to not having a fireplace for years {here and here}! 
I just love how the luminaries glow, and how the light reflects off of the gold shimmery banner!
It was so fun to put this little area together, and as soon as I can get our Thanksgiving decorations put away, I’m going to put all of this back up. :)
And of course, having a bottle of wine to share with your love as you get cozy together is wonderful! {and with our new leather gift ties, they’re a pretty fun hostess gift, too!}
What do you think? Do you have a fireplace that you’d like to cozi-fy a bit? Or do you need to create a faux fireplace in your home, a place to get cozy and rest in the midst of the holiday hubbub {and winter chill}?
