My name is Michelle Maisonville. I am a wife, mother and certified birth doula in Lethbridge, AB Canada. I am about to undertake an amazing journey that will be sure to change my life. I, along with my friend, Lacey Klassen, will be travelling to Rwanda and Kenya with an organization called Home of Hope (http://www.homeofhope.ca). My call to Africa began when I was just a child. A visiting pastor came to our little church and spoke about his missionary work on the continent. He told a story about a place where infants were murdered because of their gender or physical conditions and “blood ran like a river” down a trough to a nearby body of water. At my young age, I was struck by my perceived images of this scene and heartbroken for the babies who never got to live. About a year ago, my friend Lacey came to me with another story, one of babies in the country of Kenya. Because of rape, incest, extreme poverty and disease, mothers were taking their newborns and leaving them to die in a dump. Again, my heart was torn. Tears spring to my eyes whenever I think about these precious little ones. Home of Hope works to rescue the abandoned children and cares for them in their children’s home, called the Dream Centre. When Lacey and I found out we had the opportunity to go to Kenya and help, we sprang into action. We have been approved to go to both Rwanda and Kenya from April 30 to May 15, 2013.
A trip of this nature costs quite a bit. We have been able to secure our flights
thanks to points Lacey has earned with her credit card, but we are still in
need of funds to cover our lodging, food, and transportation costs. These must be donated directly to Home of
Hope. We also require cash donations to
help cover our immunizations, flight taxes, spending money for airport layovers
and additional food, as well as donations to leave in Africa. Our current need totals about $6500. We are also collecting items to leave as
gifts such as cloth diaper covers, medical supplies, birthing/teaching supplies
(as I will be working with expectant mothers), small toys and clothing. Any help would be very welcome. Our blog, complete with links and instructions
to donate directly to Home of Hope, can be found at http://momsmissionofhope.blogspot.ca.
Donations can also be mailed to me at #2,
2318 – 23rd Street North, Lethbridge, AB Canada T1H 4R7. Donations to Home of Hope need to be received
three weeks prior to our departure.
Thank you so much for reading our story. Thank you especially to Connie Livingston and
BirthSource for sharing it with all of you.
Sincerely,
Michelle Maisonville, CD(CBI)
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