When we found this incredible home, over six months ago, I knew it would make the perfect place to raise children. It was spacious yet cozy. Close to the main road, but off the beaten path just enough to have a quiet country feel. I felt immediately at home. With that being said, the amount of work needed to make an unfinished house into a home for eleven of us has been no small task. One of our top priorities is and will be safety and security.
Around a dozen armed men jumped the 10 foot wall surrounding the previous mission we were living
Just over two years ago myself and the children of Chosen and Cherished had the very unpleasant experience of finding out first hand just how important proper pre-cautious security measures are. Around a dozen armed men jumped the 10 foot wall surrounding the previous mission we were living at during that time. They broke into our children’s home through a window, demanding to see the director’s house. The children woke up to men hovering over them, gun in hand threatening the live’s of their nannies, their protectors, if they would not give all the information they needed. They stole their belongings and headed out the door. Children should never have to wake up to that, and worse yet, they should not have to go to bed every night since then wondering if it could happen again.
These children who have already experienced more than their share of trauma had yet again became a victim in this unfair world. The men continued on that night throughout the property poisoning and shooting the guard dogs, then eventually making it into the home I shared with two co-workers. They broke into our home, held us as gunpoint and stole our cash and belongings. Worse than our belongings they took away our sense of security. They took from me the feeling of being able to relax in my home. They took from me the ability to sleep through the night without my mind wandering to what-ifs and strange noises.
We have added to our new home: bars on all windows and doors, padlocks and security locks, barbed wire to the permitter wall of the property, flood lights in the front and back yards to keep the compound well lit, and a guard dog that barks at every single person passing by (he drives me crazy 🙂 ) We are still missing an essential component, an armed guard. It may sound extreme to people back at home, however, this is a necessity in a country where kidnapping is a very real threat, civil unrest is frequent, home invasions are numerous, and foreigners are often a target. I have a security company representative coming tomorrow morning to assess the home and recommend a security plan for us, including an armed agent for out location.
This is a huge expense for Chosen and Cherished, but I feel strongly that this is not an expense we can do without. When the children move into this home they will be living in rooms without a nanny for the first time in their lives. They will lose a lot of what they know, love and are comfortable with. The changes bring newness, hope and excitement, but they also bring the unknown for them, which manifests in feelings of fear and insecurity. With all of this change and uncertainty what I can give them is peace in knowing that they are so incredibly loved and that they are safe and secure in their new home.
Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.Jeremiah 33:6
This cost for an armed guard is estimated to be $1,200 US dollars a month. That will provide us with around the clock security. These men have been very well trained and are committed to our safety first and foremost. If you feel lead to help us out with either a one time donation or a recurring monthly gift to help take a chunk off of this big number it would be a great gift to us!
You can donate by clicking on the donate link here at the bottom.
Thank you all who have followed us through this journey, through prayer, sending home furnishing and clothing, and donating financially to us down here.
