Leadership in Kenya
Becky Adams
Hello there, my name is Rebecca Adams and I was raised along the west coast of the United States, the last being California. I was privileged to be around extraordinary beauty, open-minded and creative people, and opportunities to do anything I set my mind to. I was fortunate to have parents who taught gratitude, love for all equally and responsibility to be part of what I wanted to see changed in the world. Most of all they taught me about faith in God. I witnessed amazing results when operating in faith and hard work. I participated in community service, local volunteer work, and lived in Haiti for a year. Although meaningful, it did not fill the longing to be part of a profound change in the world I lived.
Life in Kenya is both challenging and rewarding. I can’t say I fell in love with the country or the people nor was I imagining a return when I first visited. However, I fell in love with the children and grew to appreciate the country and its diverse cultures. It was the sick, confused, and abandoned orphaned children who motivated me through the tough times and sometimes harsh conditions.
The past twenty-five years has been amazing, and I am thankful that I have been a small part of the transformation in the lives of those who have been part of this journey. Those children surrounding the tent in the beginning (1997) as well as others who were assisted outside of the home are now leading their own lives. Opportunities led to education, college degrees and now there are many teachers, nurses, office administrators, contractors, financial consultants, IT consultants, accountants, chefs, as well as productive and faithful working parents. As adults they have begun to lay their own path and create a mark on another life. It was the goal and my prayer that each child has a foundation of faith, and that with perseverance amidst the challenges that life brings, they know that with personal participation in their futures and God all things are possible.
Linda van Dalen
My Name is Linda van Dalen, and I grew up in the Netherlands. I started working for PricewaterhouseCoopers when I was 18 years old and after a few years I started questioning if I was really making a difference in the world. I decided to take a sabbatical from work and look for volunteer work with children. In 2002 I encountered the Mission Seeds in His Garden and decided to volunteer in Kenya with Seeds for 6 months. From the moment I arrived, I knew that this was where I was supposed to be. It had been God’s plan all along, although I didn’t know Him until I came to Seeds. After a few months in Kenya, I gave my heart to the Lord and was baptized by Rev. Wayne Adams in Kenya.
I went back to Holland to finish my degree in Auditing and Accounting and visited Seeds as much as I could for the next 3 years. In 2005 I decided to leave my job of 10 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers to live and work full time with the children at Seeds in His Garden.
Kenya is a challenging place to live and it certainly does not have the comforts I was used to in Holland, but over the years God has blessed the Mission tremendously. I have seen and been part of the difference that Seeds has made in the lives of many. The young children I met in 2002 are now happy, responsible and productive adults who are mentors to our current group of young children.
