I went to Kenya with one preconceived mental picture in my head – scared, timid, battered, crying children. What I found was something entirely different.

When I first planned on visiting missionaries LJ and Danee Davis in Kenya, I was excited about the idea of telling their story. Originally from South Carolina, they work at an orphanage, have 132 children they school, house, feed, and share Jesus with. Upon talking with Danee more, I grasped the depth of what their reality actually is.

What they are doing is something so important, the future of these little lives, this generational change they were creating. I prepared my heart and mind for what I was going to go in to, what I was going to see and experience. That mental picture I originally had in my head was so entirely far from the reality we discovered. 

LJ and Danee Davis rescue young children from FGM (female genitalia mutilation), forced child marriage, and child trafficking. 

As of right now they have 132 rescued children living on the 14 acre secured land. 

What we discovered was these 132 children were not timid, scared or broken. They were lively, full of laughter, welcoming, joyful, and had been given the ability to love appropriately and receive love appropriately. What the Davis family is doing in Kenya is not just rescuing these children from horrific situations, but they are renewing their futures. These children have been made new, they have a security and sense of a healthy family. The Davis family is teaching them, showing them, and allowing them to grow up as children. To have healthy lives and friendships. To be cared for and loved unconditionally. To fully grasp what it is like to be in a family. 

All of the children feel and understand freedom within these 14 acres. They have been freed of things that had forced upon them. They love their massive chosen family. They love them so much, 

they call Danee and LJ, Mum and Dad.