November 2026
It was well past midnight, and there they were—nannies, office staff, cowmen, gardeners, cooks, and guards—all gathered at the airport to welcome us home to Africa. It still makes me cry just thinking about it.
Kim had said, “It is so late, Mom. We will just send a driver to pick you and Kathy up.”
A huh!
I should have known better. At Neema Village, love has a way of showing up even in the middle of the night.
I’m quite sure the night staff at the airport had never heard “Mambo Sawa Sawa” sung with such enthusiasm. There we were, weary travelers after a long journey, being welcomed home with songs, hugs and a huge bouquet of flowers.
And if that wasn’t enough, they killed four goats the next day for a special welcome-home lunch! They showered me with flowers, blankets, candy, jewelry, hugs, and kisses. I was completely overcome!
Michael would have loved this. I could almost picture that little half smile of his as he watched the celebration unfold.
And that night, and throughout the next day, I was reminded once again that Africa is not just a place I visit. It is home for me.
But here we are just in time for a new baby!
Little Luka, abandoned and born with six fingers, is getting an oxygen treatment before he comes home to Neema Village. His name was chosen by Noelle, and we are already looking forward to welcoming him into our Neema family.
We will need your prayers for this precious little boy. Pray for his health, and especially that his Forever Family will show up soon.
Remember, as we often say at Neema Village, NO BABY BELONGS IN AN ORPHANAGE! Our greatest hope is that every baby will find their way back into a loving family.
And with 80 babies now living at Neema Village, there are never enough hands to go around! Our volunteers are doing double duty, taking turns holding, rocking, feeding, and loving these precious little ones.
Ed Burns and Richard Calam, friends visiting from Kansas; Samantha and her sister-in-law Leasia from Wisconsin; and Fiona and Robert Webster from Belgium—all pitching in and holding babies! What a wonderful mix of friends from around the world, all sharing a little Neema love.
A BIG thank you to my sweet friend Kathy Strong from Nacogdoches, Texas, who bought a ticket to Africa just to make sure I made it safely back to Neema and didn’t miss a flight and end up spending the night in Istanbul!
This was my first trip to Africa without Michael, and it was a bit hard. But everyone has been so gracious, allowing me a few tears as I begin again life at Neema without him.
I am reminded that grief is never finished, but neither is love.
I am so thankful for the people who surround me with love, give me room to cry, and remind me that I am not making this journey alone.
Wow! Even in the dry season, God has made Neema Village beautiful. And there is our beloved mountain, hiding behind the clouds, standing tall, watching over Neema. What a beautiful sight to come home to!
So happy to see Baby Bible Class still going strong, with Nanny Betty stepping in to teach these little ones about Jesus.
The big news this week was the MAP (Mothers Against Poverty) Graduation Celebration held on Thursday! More than 100 women came together to celebrate this year’s accomplishments and the amazing things happening through the MAP program at Neema Village. What a wonderful day of celebrating these women and all they have worked so hard to achieve!
Each woman designed and made her own dress, without a pattern and using a treadle sewing machine! It was so much fun to see how different each dress turned out. Neema supplied the fabric, and I think Ms. Dora, our sewing instructor, may have helped a little along the way!
After nearly six hours of speeches, dancing, awards, clapping, and singing, we were all pretty much worn out. By that evening, we could barely muster another smile!
One volunteer summed it up perfectly: “It was the best day of my life!”
You can’t have a celebration without food! Our Neema cooks outdid themselves, with four big pots of delicious food cooking away all at once. Nobody left hungry!
Kim and Heavenlight helped with the presentations as 15 women completed the sewing course and received sewing machines of their own.
One of my favorite parts of the day was the tribal dancing! With more than 20 different tribes represented in the MAP program, each group has its own special dances and traditions. It was so much fun to watch as they took turns showing off their moves, each trying to out-dance the others!
I don’t think I have ever seen Grace and Heavenlight so completely speechless! At the end of the day, the MAP moms surprised them with gifts of gratitude for all they have poured into these women through their classes in English, reading and writing, sewing, business, and Bible. It was such a sweet and unexpected way for the moms to say thank you to the two women who have invested so much in them.
And then, to start a new week on Monday, the Bibis arrived! We just love our Save the Mothers program, when twelve grandmothers come to Neema Village for a week of learning, sharing, and a lot of dancing and singing.
Fiona, volunteering from Belgium, is a midwife herself and is having a ball learning how these traditional birth attendants help deliver babies out in the Maasai villages. She’s getting quite an education in traditional birthing practices—and she’s also learning a thing or two about dancing the Maasai! I think she’s having as much fun as the Bibis!
If you made it to the end of this long blog, BLESS YOU! And bless every one of you who has held me up as I learn to weave a new path in life without Michael. Your love, prayers, and encouragement mean more than you know.
Thank you to all of you who have loved, prayed for, and sponsored these precious babies and the mamas throughout the year. Neema Village could not do what we do without you!
May God shine His face upon you and give you peace. And remember, when life gets a little hard and your heart is hurting, a little dancing always helps!
Love,
Bibi Dorris