As we are in the midst of this rainy season in Kenya, one of my favorite things is falling asleep to the rain crashing down on my tin roof. Growing up in California, I didn’t experience many thunderstorms - it was something so foreign to me. To paint you a little picture, the downpour I encounter in San Diego is about equivalent to Kenya’s sprinkle. The storms here are earth-shaking, powerful, yet so beautiful. Through the rains, power-outages, roaring thunder, and chilly nights, I am learning so much. I am learning to both love and endure these storms. I am learning just how powerful and mighty our God is. With simply a whisper, He can call the rains, calm life’s storms, and bring clear skies. Because of this, I am learning that an incomprehensible peace follows the storm and His mercies truly are made new every morning. (Lamentations 3:23). 

Our world is a broken place, filled with broken people. Our lives are full of storms and struggles; and our individual storms in life all look very different. Some of our storms involve: feeling purposeless, unworthy, not enough; facing unemployment, divorce, idolatry; overcoming illnesses, addictions, relationship difficulties. These storms can appear without any warning or caution. Similar to the physical storms I’m experiencing in Kenya, life’s storms can also be muddy, messy, and uncertain. They bring fear and doubt. But when the rains cease and the clouds are rolled back, there is immense clarity, healing, and grace. The repercussion of rain leads to cleansing, growth, restoration. The land becomes green, fruitful, and lush. The old is thrown off and a new beginning is created in mercy. My prayer is that we would receive this mercy that He has poured out so perfectly and that we would remember that He is a great provider of refuge when life’s storms prevail. After all, He provided the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I could have our greatest needs met. ​

We are so excited to visit friends and loved ones across the United States in April and May! Check out our schedule below to see which cities we'll be passing through. 

Keep track of the nationwide adventures of Brad, Irene, and Monicah as they tour across the United States. 

Their signs read, "From street survivors to future leaders... Will you help us get there?" 

Last week, MITS brought in our first intake of new students from the streets. We bring in students in groups for several reasons: 

1) It's easier on the students. Leaving the freedom of the streets and entering a new school where you don't know anyone is a scary experience. When we bring in new students in groups, the shock of being the "new kid on the block" is lessened. Though they are not always the same age as one another, frequently our new students develop fast and deep friendships with the other students in their intake group—much like your class year in grade school. 

2) It's easier on the staff too! New students mean new bedding packs, tours of campus, orientation, and answering an endless amount of questions about life at MITS. It's a lot easier (and more fun) for the staff to welcome several students at a time and help them start their new life away from the streets. 

3) It helps us find sponsors. See those seven fresh faces? (Eight if you count the baby.) Their days on the streets may be behind them, but our work supporting them—teaching, feeding, loving, and mentoring daily—has just begun. After assigning them a bed, a uniform, and meeting their needs, our next step is to prayerfully match each of them with a sponsor who donates monthly toward the cost of caring for each of them. Might that sponsor be you? Visit our Sponsorship page to learn about our student sponsorship program and—if you feel led—register to support one of these seven precious new students during their time with us at Made in the Streets. 

Want to learn more about Winn's experience in Kenya, working with our students as a therapist? Listen in to her interview on the Core Stories podcast.