They each arrived at Kenya’s New Hope Orphanage for different reasons. But these five little girls had one thing in common — they needed God’s healing power.

Anita, Sharon, Maxine, Faith, and Kelsey* all came to the orphanage because of tragedy, family struggles, or poverty when they were very young, as early as 2 years old. After their parents died, a few of the girls had nowhere else to go. For some, their families were unable to provide even the basic necessities for them, because in Kenya, one out of every three people lives below the poverty line.

Their young hearts experienced such pain and trauma. For example, Maxine remembers losing both parents and her brother. Faith felt utterly alone with no one she could count on. Kelsey longed for a family of her own. Sharon recalls, “My big brother died, so I was crying whenever I thought about him.”

Then, one day, friends like you made an investment in their lives, and the girls received Bibles of their very own!

When we had the chance to ask the girls what this investment meant to them five years later, Maxine said that the Scriptures helped her learn about forgiveness and cope with the pain of losing her parents and brother. “I learned to always ask God to help me in everything I do.”

Faith says her Bible let her know that she is never alone. Kelsey loved her Bible so much that she kept it under her pillow at night.

“My Bible can encourage me and show me the directions of life,” Sharon says. “When I first read my own Bible, the first verse that I opened was Jeremiah 29:11. So I know God had good plans for me by receiving that Bible.”

The Bible not only changed their lives, but also continues to change the lives of those around them. By providing Bibles for these young women, our valued friends and partners started a ripple effect that continues to this day!

Maxine has led many of her friends and schoolmates to Christ. Kelsey loved sharing the Good News with her friends and continues to do it today. Sharon says, “We have grown spiritually, and we still continue to grow spiritually, and we are going to teach generation after generation.”

*Names changed to protect privacy.