Caroline was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. She married the love of her life, Peter, at age 18 and moved with him to the remote region of Kenya called the Rich Valley. The first of her 13 children was a 6-month old girl whose mother passed away unmarried. This child came under Caroline’s care and protection before she married Peter. After her marriage, the 3 children she and Peter had were interspersed with the 9 additional children they would adopt, each coming with a unique set of circumstances, all coming to be deeply loved and highly prized as a part of this ever growing family.
Even as a busy mother, Caroline worked full-time as a government social worker to subsidize Peter’s income as a rim and wheel salesman. Money was always scarce and loans were often needed to pay the bills, but together, she and Peter raised their 13 children, providing each with a high school education as well as secondary education in either college or a training program.
Youth ministry in her local church and counseling were two of Caroline’s passions in Kenya. To learn how US churches ministered to their youth, Caroline came, with the encouragement of her husband, to Philadelphia, PA, to observe, learn, and serve. She later moved to Richmond, VA, to attend Bible school. In 2012, she suffered from a brain aneurism. The physicians at the hospital wrote her off, saying she was dying and could not be saved, but with the prayers of many in her community and by the Lord’s grace, she survived. After a long period of recuperation, she is once again vibrant and strong, but she is unable to fly home due to cabin pressure. The year following her illness, her dear, beloved husband, Peter, passed away in Kenya after catching pneumonia and dying shortly thereafter. She misses him deeply, but she takes joy in frequent Skypes with each of her many children and her extended family in Kenya.
Who could define the depths of Caroline’s ministries? As a member of the Richmond Hope Church Prayer Team, she is faithful to pray for the needs of the church body. As a member of the Kenyan community in Richmond, she is faithful to serve others financially, physically, and spiritually. As a Kenyan, whose heart will always be close to its people, she is faithful to send a continuous flow of support to orphans, the elderly, and others in need. In all, she demonstrates an inner beauty kept aglow by her love for the Lord as she serves with humility, kindness, and joy in Jesus’ name. The intersection of her ministry with the Hope Prayer Team and ministries to the poor in Africa was the genesis of Serving in Jesus’ Name. Read “It All Started with the Teddy Bears” news post for more details.
To learn more about the roots of Caroline’s Kenyan ministries see “I’ll Throw it Away in Africa” (hyperlink) posted on this site.
