Mahali pa Maisha certainly lives up to its name, which means in Swahili "A Place of Life." The babies who live at MpM for the first months of their lives (from newborn up to 2 years) are truly still alive only because of God's mercy and the passion of His servants, Jen and Dave Bell.

Babies arrive at MpM a variety of ways, but most often through a phone call from the local police to come pick up a baby that has been abandoned at birth, just left to die. The babies are brought back to the Center, where they are cleaned up, cared for, prayed over, and loved on...and eventually adopted into their own Christian Forever Family.

Since its beginning 5 years ago, MpM has seen 113 infants, most of whom have become answers to prayers for families wanting to adopt a child of their own!  

There are so many wonderful stories of miracles and God's provision...this little guy is one of the more recent.  Due to tribal taboos, he was about to be killed by his village but the chief saved his life and took him to the police who called the Bells.  Born with a severe malformation of his legs and feet, doctors believed he would never walk.  But God had other plans for this precious little one, and the day he joined his own Forever Family he was able to run into their arms!

Each one of these little ones has his/her own story...each one miraculous in its own way.

Each one a precious creation of God...and it's impossible to spend any time at MpM and not fall in love!

So I thought I'd share a glimpse into daily life at MpM...

This gal is a trained social worker and the main staff member at the Center. She's Jen's right-hand gal, organizing and overseeing the care of the babies.

The number of babies is always fluctuating...new babies coming in and others being adopted out. When Kim and I were there in September, MpM was home to 23 babies...17 infants and 6 toddlers.

Lots of feeding...

...and diaper-changing in the course of a day!

Each baby has its own basket of supplies.

Toddler bath time...

I'm a little partial to this set of twins...Kim and I are monthly sponsors for them!  (If you want to become a Baby Booster too, I'll tell you how at the end of this post)

All those babies create a LOT of laundry!

Some of the gals who are on staff at MpM...

Seriously...how can you NOT fall in love?!

Kim and I are blessed to serve on the Mahali pa Maisha Board of Directors, and I am the volunteer US office administrator. If this ministry pulls at your heartstrings, there are many ways to get involved. Of course, we always welcome donations of any amount from churches, organizations, and individuals. PRAY for these babies and their caregivers! And if you'd like a personal connection to one or more of the babies, you can become a Baby Booster.  We will send you the profile of a baby for you to "sponsor" through your gift of $50/month. If you'd like more information on becoming a Baby Booster, you can leave a comment with your email and I'll answer any questions and send you what you need.

We all want to truly make a difference in the world, don't we?  I can assure you that this ministry is literally SAVING LIVES of some of the world's most innocent and vulnerable children. Every single penny donated is used towards that end. 

Mahali pa Maisha truly is a place of life...

...with babies, babies everywhere!