Two clinic days and a flat tire in Meru National Park

In January, I led a team of 14 to Kenya to introduce people to Sodzo’s work. Our team included first-time visitors to Kenya, longtime Kenya veterans, and even members of my own family. Experiencing this work together, on the ground and in real time, was both humbling and deeply affirming.

One highlight from the trip was hosting two outreach clinic days in very remote areas. In partnership with our Sodzo staff and the Maua Methodist Hospital team, we served more than 800 patients in just two days. Nearly 300 people received eye exams, and 150 were fitted with glasses, many for the very first time.

One local physician shared how moved he was that every patient card included prayer requests, and that every single patient was prayed for by a member of our team before seeing the doctor. Care for the body and the soul went hand in hand.

Stranded in the park

We took 28 boys from our Watoto wa Ahadi Rescue Center (ARC), along with 20 staff members, on safari. Although many live only a few kilometers from Meru National Park, most had never been inside.

When our vehicle blew a tire, we were stranded for nearly three hours, fully aware that lions and other wild animals roam the park. I have to admit, I was quite uneasy. The spare tire was flat, too!

And yet, in the middle of that uncertainty, the young women with our team got the boys to start dancing. What could have been a moment of fear became one of joy, reminding us that God often meets us in the unplanned. Despite everything, our boys had the time of their lives!

What comes next

ARC remains a cornerstone of our response work, serving between 65 and 100 boys each year through short-term residential care that includes trauma-informed support, education, and intentional reintegration planning with families.

At the same time, our prevention efforts continue to scale. Over the past year, Sodzo’s KPJ groups expanded from 35 to 72 villages, now engaging nearly 16,000 adults every week. These groups are strengthening household resilience, increasing economic stability, and reducing the risk factors that lead children to migrate to the streets in the first place.

As we reflect on 2025 and look ahead, we celebrate lives changed, families strengthened, and communities leading their own transformation. Through it all, we gave and received the love of Jesus, and I cannot wait to return to Kenya again.

If you’d like to travel with us, get in touch.