Today there is a family of 6 living in a 5x7 shanty in Mathare Valley slum. There's barely enough room for the entire family to sleep on the mat on the floor. The father, a day laborer, finds work when he can. Some days he walks for miles trying to find a job to feed his family. This month he worked 9 days and he made $10. 

The monthly rent on his family's tiny home is $6. 

Just a few miles away, there's a large 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom estate enclosed by a mortar compound, gates and guards. There's barbed wire around the top to keep unwanted people out. The house has a servant's quarter, lush landscape and a hefty price tag. It sells for $1.8 million US dollars, an astronimcal price even in wealthy America.

This is the real estate situation in Kenya.

Mercy House currently resides in a house more like the second. From it's conception as a Rescue Center, we provide a safe, secure unmarked home in an undisclosed location for our often endangered girls. The asking price on the house we lease, with escalating rent every year, is 1 million US dollars. Once we bring in 4 additional girls this Spring, we will be at capacity.

We thought we might buy land at some point in our future and build something modest, yet suitable for our growing ministry. But in a real estate market that doesn't make sense, the cost of land has dramatically increased since 2010, making 3 acres in Nairobi, more than 5 million US dollars.

While Maureen was in the US in January, we met and discussed our options at length. We have come up with a couple of creative ideas, and have a lead or two on something we can afford, but simply put, we need (another) miracle. We want to help as many girls as possible and to accomplish this, we need a permanent home for long-term sustainability.

Many supporters and donors look at our 2012 Annual Report and are amazed at what God has done (we are too!), and at first glance it might seem the $115,000 US dollars we've saved for a home would be enough in a developing nation like Kenya. But as you can see, we have a long way to go. 

This home and this organization were created from nothing. We have no doubt God will provided exactly what we need at the right time. We are asking God to supernaturally do what we cannot. Please pray with us.

Maureen Owino, Executive Director, is in the USA this month for meetings and speaking engagements. She hand delivered this letter, written by our girls at Mercy House for you:

Much greetings from Mercy House girls. Happy New Year! We hope your year was fantastic. First and foremost, we would like to appreicate all of you for your prayers. We have been praying for you too so that God may continue blessing the work you are doing. We girls, we have a reason to thank God for the things He has done to us. There is no other way we can thank Him but thru prayers.

Mercy House is a Christian organization and truly speaking it has proved to us and our parents at home and even the staff that it is a true Christian organization. Why are we saying this? Becase we are not the same people we were before we joined Mercy House. All of us joined without knowing who God is, but God opened for us the way until we accepted Him in our lives.

We are all born again Christians and we are all baptized and we would like one day to be able to transform other girls who cannot live at Mercy House by sharing with them the word of God, encouraging them about life and also to share with them the skills which we are being taught.

Mercy House is one of the best rescue centers in Kenya. It is a rescue center situated in an estate where ministries of Kenya are living, so you can imagine how fabulous it is. In Kenya, many rescue centers are situated in the slums. In Mercy House there is everything and by God's love and grace, we have never lacked anything. Mercy House is better than our own homes, we have all the basic needs, our babies are well and healthy and being taken care of nicely. Mercy House menu is the best, we eat well and we are very healthy girls.

We have never had a problem with the staff quitting due to salary problems, the rent, taking the babies to the hospital and even we've never slept hungry, even a single day.

Thank you very much our donors, for the great work that you are doing. May you be blessed this year by our God in Heaven, very much. Don't give up, remember whatever you do, work at it with your heart as working for the Lord not for men.

Since it's a year of Jubilee, please give yourselves a way so that God may use you.

Thank you very much and may God bless you,

From, Mercy House Girls

Mercy Shop's biggest sale of the year is just a few hours away! It's a one day sale (starting tonight at midnight, ending Monday, Nov. 26 at 11:59 pm). And here is a sneak peek at the super special deals while supplies last:

• Get the Love Mercy Sari bag for only $15, reg. $22
• Violet's Beautiful Feet t-shirt for only $20, reg. $30
• Love Mercy Wristbands for only $1 each, reg. $3
• Paper Christmas Trees for only $20, reg. $25
• Mercy Made This Happen T-shirts (unisex) $15, reg. $20

Plus, FREE SHIPPING on your entire order with code: CYBERMON

First 50 orders get a free one-of-a-kind handmade bracelet from our girls in Kenya!