When the Rain Almost Stopped Our Parade

The Storm No Forecast Predicted

Last Tuesday was supposed to be our anniversary celebration – 22 years of serving vulnerable children. We’d planned for months: tents, a stage, even a dance troupe from our youth group. Then the skies opened.

By 7 AM, our field was a swamp. Volunteers whispered: “Should we cancel?”

But then I saw little Grace (age 6) splashing barefoot in the mud, laughing like it was the best day ever. That’s when I remembered: Our home was built in storms far worse than this.

Three Lessons the Rain Taught Me

1. Improvisation > Perfection

We moved everything indoors. The dining hall became a concert space, the hallway an art gallery. What we lost in grandeur, we gained in intimacy – donors sitting cross-legged with kids, sharing stories.

📌 Leadership Takeaway:

“Crisis reveals character. Our team’s quick pivot showed me how deeply they live our mission.”

2. The Magic of ‘Showing Up’

107 people still came – soaked shoes and all. Oldest attendee? Mr. Otieno (84), who’s donated £5/month since we opened. Youngest? Baby Hope, orphaned last year, now thriving in foster care.

📸 [Photo: Crowd laughing under makeshift cardboard umbrellas]

3. Rain Can’t Wash Away Legacy

That night, we projected videos of our journey onto wet walls. Seeing 2005’s crumbling building compared to today’s solar-powered dormitories? Every donor in the room wept.

What’s Brewing Behind the Scenes

• New Partnership Alert: Local tech college offering free coding classes for our teens!
• Urgent Need: Roof repairs after that storm (budget: £3,200) – [Give Here]
• Volunteer Spotlight: Meet [Name], the retired nurse tutoring our kids.

Parting Thought

As I write this, the sun’s finally out. Grace just handed me a crayon drawing titled “The Day We Danced in the Rain.”

That’s the secret, friends: Joy isn’t the absence of storms – it’s learning to sing through them.

Yours in service,

Tony

MSCP