Moreen, our oldest girl at the orphanage, has had a hard life.  She's only been with us a few years and before she came to us she had no schooling, seemingly no positive adult role models, plenty of frightening and wierd "religious" practices and beliefs and little love. 

Now, She is having a lot of trouble with school, authority, life in Kibera and more. A week ago she got in a fight with Eva who is caring for the home. Eva had been working hard to help Maureen even when others in the area had given up on her and that situation caused Eva to ask the question, "Is this too much for me?" The other options are all less than ideal. To make it more complicated, so many people have given up on her that she believes she is a failure and is just waiting for us to give up on her to and we dont' want to appear to be doing that.

The option that has arisen is to send her to a boarding school far away from Kibera. We are looking for a school that is pretty strict but also that is based on Christian principles. The hope is that she will be able to improve her schooling, to forget some of the things from her past. To learn more about God's love for her and to be in a controlled environment. Now the challenge is to find this school.

The other challenge will be that we can't send her until schools open in January. That leaves us two months still and we feel strongly that there is a better option than for her to stay in the orphanage for these two months. If she didn't have to finish school this year we would immediately send her out of Kibera to live with some friends that can love on her and take care of her apart from the setting she is now in. Because that is not an option we have spoken with her pastor and he seems to have an idea of a solid, godly woman she can stay with for a limited amount of time where we can monitor her attempts to improve her behavior, which we've told her is crucial to us being able to send her to a boarding school. We are walking this process out in much prayer.

One other thing you can be in prayer about. We are pretty sure that she is in need of counseling and much prayer. It is our hope that as we get her into a safer environment she will be in a position where God can heal her spiritually and emotionally as well. Please pray that God will show us how we can help facilitate this healing as well.

The short version is that we love Maureen and we don't want to give up on her.

My heart just breaks for her. Tonight Scott and Eva and Moreen had a meeting and some very hurtful things were said by Moreen directed at Eva and Eva is now really reeling. Tomorrow they are making some decisions and it's hard. Tonight Moreen was told that she'll be moving.

Pray for unity and peace during the situation and for the other kids who are watching this situation to see how we will treat this broken and messed up sister to see if we really love them. Wisdom and guidance from the Lord is what we all need above all.