Daylight Now a 501c3 Nonprofit!

This month, we received news that Daylight is now it’s own federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit!

Until now, House of Mercy Church in St. Paul has served as Daylight’s fiscal partner, enabling us to receive and send your donations to Kenya, as well as provide you with tax-deductible receipts. Thank you, House of Mercy, for your years of partnership. Keep in touch!

Update on How to Donate

  • Send a Check: Going forward, please write checks to “Daylight Center and School” and send to:

Daylight Center and School
PO Box 40533
Saint Paul, MN 55104

  • Setup an Automatic Monthly Donation: Many banks offer an online “Bill Pay” option. Depending on the bank and your account type, this service is free for both you and Daylight. Sign into your online bank account or contact your bank for more information. When setting up an online “Bill Pay” donation, have the payment sent to the PO Box address listed above.
  • Online Donations: Donations will also be accepted online through PayPal. If you previously donated through Razoo/GiveMN, please switch to Bill Pay through your bank or PayPal. Please note that PayPal takes 2.2% and a flat fee of 30 cents from each donation.

We will be contacting supporters individually over the next few weeks to ensure a smooth transition away from House of Mercy. Rest assured, if you recently sent a donation to our old address or wrote a check to House of Mercy (with Daylight in the memo), your donation will still get to us, it will just take longer to process.

Finally, will you join our pledge drive for 2015? Already we have 30 of 100 total pledgers needed to reach our $137,000 budget goal for 2015. Call or email me to make a pledge to support Daylight in 2015!

Rachel Finsaas
U.S. Director of Operations
Daylight Center and School

P: 612-293-7476
E: rachel@daylightcenter.org

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Kimpur Family Christmas Newsletter

We celebrate this year’s Christmas with so much joy and thanksgiving. We do have lots to thank God for in seeing us through the year, 2014. We have seen the kids grow up in bounds and leaps.

Indeed, we are now some busy parents of three teens: Roselyn Chelimo-18, Milcah Cherotich-17, and Leah Chenangat-15. The girls are our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd born respectively. They are doing well in their studies.

Roselyn is in grade 13th, and attends Trinity College, in Kampala, Uganda, where she will be doing her last year of High School in 2016. Milcah just completed her 1st year of high school at St. Joseph’s Girls’ High School in Kitale, a neighboring district to Pokot.

Leah is left with one year to complete elementary school, so she will be doing her final exams next year 2015.

The rest of the kids are doing great too: Nelson Yatich will enter 6th grade next year, while Naomi Chesang, will be starting grade 5. Little Joshua (just turned 4) still hangs out with mom. Oftentimes, he prefers herding around Daylight’s cows to being in a kindergarten room with other kids.

In addition, Joshua has been through a barrage of malaria so frequently. It is not long since he was hospitalized for malaria for almost a week. He is going strong again though, and we are making every effort to prevent another malaria attack.

Angelina and I are going great at Daylight. Our work is cut out – looking after the 283 strong, kids at Daylight. It is, for lack of a better word, the flipside of our extended family. We are so excited working with and for the kids at Daylight. We also have a strong team of staff at Daylight and we work together to ensure that the kids at Daylight receive the best care and catering.

Over and above, I can’t close before I mention the fact that this year would not have been such a success, if it were not for the tens of hundreds of friends and supporters who went out of their way to pray and support us in more ways than one. We thank God for all of you.

As we celebrate this Christmas, pray together with us that the gracious Lord will grant us mercy and favor in making a difference in the lives of the many children who need a comforting touch in the hurting world.

And to God be the Honor and Glory. Amen.

Michael Kimpur
Daylight Kenya

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Student Peter Discharged Soon

Daylight student Peter, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit last Friday, is doing much better! The doctors believe he may be discharged from the hospital within the next two days. The final diagnosis is acute cerebral malaria. The hospital administered malaria medication as well as a blood transfusion.

Michael wanted me to share this picture of Peter (holding the soccer ball) at Daylight, having fun with other kids. Michael says, “I am sure most will recognize or remember him because Peter is such an outgoing kid at Daylight.” And before long, Peter will be back playing soccer with the other students at Daylight!

Please continue to keep Peter, Mama Peter, and Michael and Angelina in your thoughts and prayers. They are all very worn out by the stress of the situation, but are so happy and relieved Peter is recovering.

Thank you,

Rachel Finsaas
U.S. Director of Operations

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Student Peter in ICU

Daylight Student Peter, 10 years old, needs your thoughts and prayers tonight. Peter has had a tough week. Starting on Monday he had intestinal issues and fever, typical signs of Malaria. So Peter was brought to the local clinic and treated. This is typical. People in Kenya get malaria a couple times a year and sometimes it means taking a few days off work. If its a serious case it can lead to spending the week in the clinic.

When Peter got sick we all started praying. Everyone knows him because everyone knows his mom. The kids call her Mama Peter. Mama Peter takes great pride in cleaning the dorms and caring for the orphaned kids. After Peter’s father passed away she brought Peter to Daylight and agreed to clean the dorm because she couldn’t afford to pay for Peter’s schooling.

We watched him closely all week and he seemed to be on the mend by Friday. But last night, around 10pm Peter slipped into a coma. Mama Peter was by his side and she called Angelina and I and asked us to rush him to the Intensive Care Unit in the big town 45 minutes away.

It was a difficult drive. Peter lying lifeless in the back seat with Mama Peter fearing the worst.

When we got to the hospital they put Peter in the Intensive Care Unit and began pushing medication to revive him. We said a great prayer of thanks when he finally woke up!

He has now stabilized and again seems to be on the mend.

Mama Peter is still worried that things may worsen.

We hope you will join us by saying a prayer for Peter, Mama Peter, and the kids of Daylight who are so worried for our dear friend. We can all be praying for the speedy recovery.

Michael Kimpur
Daylight Kenya

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In Kenya a Road is a Symbol

Roads in Kenya have a functional and symbolic meaning.  A road is not just a way to travel across the country with ease. The way to many villages, schools, and shops (including the one to my home village) are not well maintained. They are narrow, broken, dirt paths that leave so many drivers with flat tires and those traveling by foot in the way of traffic. To have a government maintained road symbolizes that the Kenyan government has chosen to connect you to the rest of the country. It means that you are valuable.  It means that you a part of the future of Kenya.

So you can imagine our delight when the Kenyan Government sent out a Bobcat to plow the road to Daylight!

It was a sure sign that the Kenyan Government views us as an important part of the future of Kenya. That we were training the future leaders of Kenya.

Thank you for helping us educate these young leaders of Kenya. This important partnership between the Daylight donors, the Kenyan Government, and local Kenyan donors is what makes Daylight such a powerful force for change!

Michael Kimpur
Daylight Kenya

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If you haven’t joined our Pledge Drive please consider making us a part of your 2015 giving or give a donation in honor of a loved one this Christmas.

It costs $40 per month for a student to attend Daylight and stay in the dormitories. This cost covers expenses like food, tuition, school supplies, clothing, and health care.

Will you join our pledge drive for 2015? Already we have 24 of 100 total pledgers needed to reach our $137,000 budget goal for 2015.

Call or email me to make a pledge to support Daylight in 2015!

Rachel Finsaas
U.S. Director of Operations

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2-in-1 Christmas Gifts
Give a gift this Christmas that honors your loved ones and blesses the students at Daylight. Step 1: Make any size donation in honor of your friend, family member, or Secret Santa recipient. Step 2: Print our Honor Gift Card to give them.

Examples of text to include based on donation size:

($10) Feeding 1 student for an entire month!
($40) Covering all expenses for 1 student for 1 month!
($160) Providing bed, sheets, blanket, mosquito net, and dormitory essentials for 1 student.

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