Huruma

We're Getting Packed and Ready to Go!

Suzan Bellis

I accepted Christ as my Savior at 7 years old.  He has truly been my Friend that has never left me.  I always loved the missionary stories the best in VBS.  I felt called at an early age to be a “missionary in Africa” and teach children.  It was not till my oldest son had gone on a mission trip to Mexico that I felt the pull back to missions.  Over the next 27 years I was on 18 teams that included Mexico, Honduras and Haiti.

 

In 2004 my good friend Sally Gradin was returning to Kenya with husband and family as missionaries and invited people of NACC to come to Nairobi and help in a slum called Mji wa Huruma.  We answered the invitation and the first team of 7 people served in Huruma in Feb. 2005.  When we arrived I knew I was where God had been calling me.  I fell in love with the people of Kenya and especially Huruma.   I wanted to stay and He said; “no, bring others”.  In Sept. 2014 the 4^th team from NACC served in Huruma.  It was my 7^th time to Huruma.  This Feb. 2015 marks my 10^th anniversary returning to Huruma and the people He has called me to serve.  It is my hope and prayer that God will raise up many more teams and supporters of the Huruma Nursery School and the children will come to know the God that loves them and receive an education that will give them opportunities to serve God and the people of Kenya.

Suzan has been married to Rod for over 53 years.  They have 4 grown sons and 6 granddaughters ages 21 to 3 years old.

 

Grace and Sally Gradin

Dan and Sally Gradin lived in Nairobi from 1997-2001 and again in 2003-2010 as they served at Kikuyu Hospital with CBM (Christian Blind Mission). Assisting NACC’s heart work overseas, Sally connected the church with Huruma Kindergarten in 2005. Sally has stayed involved with NACC’s work there and is on the HOPE board. Continuing her heart for the hurting, she is a case manager at NorthWest Senior & Disabilities Services in Woodburn and pursuing a MSW degree.

 

Grace was born in Huruma in 2001 and joined the Gradin family in 2007. She is a spunky seventh grader at Twality Middle School in Tigard and loves basketball and track.

 Dan and Sally have been married 27 years.  They have 3 grown children and 2 children still living at home