A Year With Naomi’s Village
This month I’m reflecting on one full year of working at Naomi’s Village. I have been a part of so many incredible projects, reports, designs, stories, and campaigns on this team, but I keep returning to the remarkable people who brought me here & the ones who’ve changed me along the way…
An 11-year-old girl with a warm smile, kind eyes, and an even kinder heart. A girl who hugs like her life depends on it every single time.
Three brothers who are similar in appearance and share qualities of compassion and inclusion, but each have their own powerful stories to tell.
A six-year-old boy with so much confidence and some of the boldest facial expressions. He will make you laugh until your cheeks & stomach ache. Every minute with him is worth your time. He has so much to teach us about how to savor every moment with the people we’re with.
A teenage girl determined to achieve her wildest dreams. Who fought hard to keep her heart soft amidst all that life threw at her. Now, she confidently tells her story and longs to make her life one that yells from the rooftops that everyone has a place to belong.
Another teenage girl with the most authentic laughter erupting from her core. She runs after the people she loves just for an opportunity to hug them tight. She has never shied away from sitting with people in their pain, but instead wraps them in her arms, loving them anyway. She is also the first to come running toward a new baby on their homecoming day. There is love seeping from this magical girl.
A sweet mama at NV who beautifully cares for and is raising four small boys while life continues to swarm around her. There are many like her who make sacrifices every day to raise these children.
Two videographers I prayed would not only create beautiful work, but more than anything, would see our children for who they are: children of God who are brilliant, beautiful, and unique individuals worthy of love. They exceeded every expectation and were so intentional, returning home to tell the story of NV in an extraordinary way.
A community in Pennsylvania committed to vulnerability and loving big. I now consider many of them family.
A family in Georgia who cared for me and showed me incredible grace from the very moment they welcomed me into their home.
A girl on a team my very first trip to Kenya, before I was working here, that I now call my “work bestie.” When my to-do list is piled above what I can see, she's a life saver time & time again. There is always a Starbucks giftcard waiting in my email when I get off a plane from her, too.
Coworkers who have stepped up to take things off my plate during some of the most difficult times of my life. It is because of their sacrifices for me that I could be where I needed to be and with the people I needed to be with.
A friend the Lord sent in timing only He knew we both needed. She knows the depth of carrying hurt & hope like no one else in my life, and opened this conversation with me as I was entering a season where I would come to know how the two dance together. I have clung to her for dear life since the moment I met her, and she’s someone I will call a sister forever.
It is these people and so many other moments, places, and memories I couldn’t even begin to write down in one place. I am thankful to know and love this place, the hearts of the ones who call it home, and to be just a small part of it all. It is forever a piece of my heart, and part of a much bigger story God is weaving together for years and years to come. ❤️