Kristen Welch

We are THAT Family

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Faith

Mercy House Global is a True Story

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Over the past decade, I’ve cried a million tears, told a thousand stories and witnessed the miracle second chances of a hundred teen moms and their babies that are still alive long after the world left them for dead. This is the true story of Mercy House Global. 

At first news of the global pandemic  in March, I knew it would make what we do in Kenya more difficult and even more critical.

I hate it when I’m right.

In the last couple of months, we’ve rescued a girl who was sold for a loaf of bread. Her family went to bed with something in their stomachs and a baby began to grow in hers.

Last week, everything went wrong at Mercy House Global. Too much of this, not enough of that. It was one of those weeks when I was just plain tired and wondered about walking away.

Last week, a pregnant 11 and 12 year old entered the maternity homes in Kenya after they were rescued from the hands of wicked men.

Last week, I remembered why Mercy House Global exists–because 11 year old moms do.

Mercy House Global began in 2010 and every year since has been shaped by hardships, miracles, sorrow and joy. This our tenth year and while we face more obstacles than ever, we have more reasons to celebrate.

You’re invited to our 10 year virtual celebration–a night to pause in the chaos of 2020 and celebrate what God has done and what He is going to do. Mercy House Global is a true story.

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Living a Paradox: The Truth About A Contradictory Life

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I'll never forget the moment of clarity I had in the middle of the pasta aisle. It was the day after I returned from a trip to Kenya with my family. I ran into an old friend next to the spaghetti sauce and she hugged me and said, "so, was your trip to Kenya just ah-maazing!?!?" She drug out the last word and her voice went up and I was afraid to commit. It's the tone used to describe a memorable vacation in an exotic place with a lot of exclamation points. Before I could answer, she said, ... Read More

When Your Soul is Starving

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Guest post by Janel Breitenstein I spoke to two women this week—women I would describe as hungry. Both were choosing tough situations: not situations where they needed to endure, but choices that twanged my heart like a violin string. Choices whose destination would be obvious if they weren’t within them. I found myself wordless. My friends seemed desperate for a safe embrace from me. For acceptance. But my head clanged with warning. Y’know those situations where you wonder if you’ll ... Read More

For When You’re Having a Hard Time Being Human

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I'm rarely at a loss for words. But that's exactly how I've felt the past month every time I've started to write a blog post. I've been sharing my life in this space for a decade now. Ten years. By now, we know each other well. So, you know that when I don't know what to say next, I'm in a weird place. I can say this: I've had a hard time being a human lately. I, mean, I like being human, I'm just not very good at it. I told my husband the other night after a long day that I was ready ... Read More

Sometimes When You’re in a Dark Place You Think You’ve Been Buried, But Actually You’ve Been Planted

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This summer while we were hiking in the mountains one day during our sabbatical, my family wanted to keep climbing. I wanted to hide in the cleft of the rock. It was quiet and beautiful and I took a deep breath, stretched out my legs and rested while they kept going. That's when I saw the small opening in the rocks behind me. I bent down and peeked into the black hole and I was surprised to see bright green plants growing in the darkness. I have thought about those little plants and their bad ... Read More

The Poorest People In The World

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"The bedbugs used to eat my babies but God is God and now they get to sleep," Agnes "I’m thankful that God has given me a new name. I was “that poor woman” but now I have a name," Esther "I was a sex worker but now I’m free and I have a good job making jewelry," Faith "I’m thankful for clean food. I used to only get food from the dump," Papina "I thank God that I can feed my children," Miriam "I’m thankful that I now have more than one dress to wear so I don’t have to wash and dry ... Read More

You Go Where You’re Sent, You Stay Where You’re Put, You Give What You’ve Got Until You’re Done

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I had a meltdown on the subway. I guess it was bound to happen. In less than a week, I'd taken a quick trip to Kenya to show Ann Voskamp around and to bring back new fair trade pieces (rugs! throws!) from our artisans, spent a couple of sleepy days at home juggling all the things and then I was off to New York City to launch Mercy House's first wholesale collection at a Handmade Global Market. It started with my favorite boots. I grabbed a seat on the crowded subway and snuggled up to my ... Read More

I’m Not Okay. And That’s Okay

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I wrote this post more than a year ago about my friend who wasn't okay. This weekend I read my own words again as reminder that even though I'm not okay right now--it's okay. My heart is a mess. I'm tired. I'm trying to figure out how to rest and simultaneously continue... Maybe you need these words too...   I sat on the edge of her bed, and she didn’t even look up. I was visiting a friend who was not okay. It was more than a bad day, it was a sad season for her. But I wasn’t ... Read More