Our Third Field was Just Planted

This morning I woke up and looked outside expecting a normal gray Seattle day… and instead it was snowing. In March!

The funny part is that most of the snow fell on one of our days off from school. I guess sometimes things just work out that way - or as my grandma likes to say, “that’s how the cookie crumbles” (but she says it in Russian). Either way, it was pretty amazing to see everything covered in white this late in the season. The above picture is a bridge over a stream in my town of Issaquah. It's where the salmon spawn.

While the weather here has been surprising, this week also brought some really wonderful news for our work in Bungoma.

One of my favorite people in Snoqualmie - who very kindly asked that I not use her name - made a huge donation to support our project. Because of her generosity, we were able to plow, buy seeds, and purchase fertilizer for a third field. This is a big step for us and it’s going to make a tremendous difference in our crop yield.

The long rains in Kenya make it possible to plant fields at different times. This third field means we can grow much more food for families who need it most.

Patrick Wesonga, the farmer who organizes our efforts in Bungoma, sent this note of thanks that I wanted to share:

“Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for your generous donation of the maize seeds and fertilizer for the third field. Your kindness and support mean a lot to us.

Because of your help, we are able to plant and grow food that will be shared with needy families in the Bungoma community. Your generosity will truly make a difference in the lives of many people.

May God bless you abundantly for your compassion and willingness to help others."

Again, I want to thank you for believing in this work and for being part of this journey with me.

I also want to wish you a warm and happy spring!