From a Childhood Dream to a Family Legacy

As a little girl, Bobbi used to tell her parents that she wanted to be a missionary in Africa someday. It was a dream that seemed far away at the time, but one that never left her heart.

Years ago, Bobbi’s parents, Dallas and Vicky, connected with a family in rural Kenya through Family Partners. Each month, a small amount was faithfully withdrawn from their account — a simple act of generosity that soon became part of their routine. “It was something we did because we believed in helping,” Vicky shared, “but honestly, it wasn’t something we thought about too often. Life just went on.”

Then, everything changed.

In 2025, Crossroads Christian Church organized a trip to Kenya to meet the AfricaHope team and visit some of the church plants they support. When Bobbi learned about the opportunity, she didn’t hesitate. For her, it was a chance to finally step into the place she’d dreamed of since childhood.

During the trip, Bobbi visited the family her parents had been supporting all these years. As she entered the village, she immediately recognized them from the photo her parents kept — the same faces she’d seen on their refrigerator.

“I remember seeing them and thinking, ‘They are real! These are really the people my parents have been helping. This family has names, faces, stories, laughter — a future.”

That moment changed everything for Bobbi. She spent time talking, praying, and sharing photos with the family, bridging two worlds through one shared story of hope and generosity. When she returned home, she brought their pictures and stories back to her parents — and with them, a renewed sense of connection.

Bobbi’s experience deeply moved Dallas and Vicky. What once felt like a forgotten monthly donation had now come alive! Their hearts were stirred in a new way. The Kenyan family on their fridge was now so much more real as Bobbi told the story of meeting them — their smiles, kindness, and personalities.

Soon after her visit, Bobbi and her husband, Andy, decided to become partners with the same family. And Bobbi’s sister did too.

Now, what began as a single partnership has become a family legacy — two generations joining hands with one family in Kenya.

“It’s so much more than a financial transaction now,” Vicky said. “It’s personal. We think about them, pray for them, and celebrate what God is doing in their lives. It’s amazing to realize that our family here is helping another family halfway around the world build a future filled with hope.”

Through Family Partners, these families — in the U.S. and in Kenya — are forever connected. What began as a childhood dream has become a living testament to faith in action.