 Visiting Africa was something I thought I would only experience through books, movies, and pictures. However, that changed when my church took a mission trip to Dave and Jen Bell’s rescue mission for abandoned babies. I had the opportunity to travel to a fascinating land that would allow my boundary lines to fall in safe places by traveling with experienced leaders and friends to Mahali pa Maisha where I saw firsthand some of God’s precious babies that had been rescued and given the opportunity to life.
The MpM compound is an amazing and beautiful place! Each day was like stepping out into a summer day with the warm sunshine and birds chirping everywhere. Dave and Jen Bell both have been given a unique, specialized skill set that allow this rescue facility to be effectively managed. How do you care for 14 babies at a time? Ask Jen to help you organize a schedule! The baby center provides tender loving care that let infants thrive. Our team would help with feeding time each day – it was a privilege to help the women who care for these babies every day. It was clear from the workers’ faces that they loved every one of the these babies! How do you keep a property efficiently maintained AND help your surrounding community become a better place? Ask Dave because he keeps things running like a well-oiled machine and has a heart for building relationships for the Kingdom. When our team was not helping at the compound, we enjoyed meeting many different people in the community. Whether we visited the local Maasai men and women, or children in the orphanage or village, the common factor with all of them was the joy that radiated from their faces, voices, and music. This joy is what my Western world needs. Every day brought work, fun, and fellowship. I loved the experience of going to church and being moved by the Spirit eight thousand miles from home. We ended our trip by going on safari - seeing so many zoo animals outside the zoo was awesome…and fun! However, the highlight of each day for me was dinner time when Dave, Jen, Ethan, Selah, and Shaddy would join us for supper. Nothing replaces food and fellowship with God’s people. It is an encouragement to see what God will do when His people are obedient to His calling. Amy Roeder 2022 In December of 2018, Brea and Sandie Oravec were blessed to join the Bells for two weeks at Mahali pa Maisha. A lot of time was spent loving on the babies at the Infant Rescue Center.
A highlight of the trip was being able to help with a health clinic in the Inkito village. We were able to share the Christmas story with the children from the point of view of the shepherds, being that the Maasi are shepherds.
Although the infant rescue center is the focal point of Mahali pa Maisha, there are also other ministries that radiate outward. One of those is working with area villages to help establish a fresh clean water supply for the children and the rest of the village.
In 2013, my husband Kim and I traveled as part of a mission team from our church to Kenya to serve alongside the Bells. After two weeks of falling in love with the ministry and babies of MpM, the rest of the team left and Kim and I stayed for a few days longer. The joy I witnessed the day after our team left will forever remain one of my sweetest memories of the trip.
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