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The Handshake, The Rain, and Finding Waldo

If you caught my last post, you know that the Gary and Lesley Scherer Wound Care and Community Clinic was wearing a roof with a bit of a missing piece. We started calling that stubborn, empty gap "Waldo." It stood as a literal reminder of the distance between our faith and our bank account.


Before diving into the incredible progress, I owe you all an apology. This blog has been quiet for too long. I have spent the last few months wallowing in deep grief and dealing with some intense, heavy life situations. It has been a painful season, and I am only navigating through it day by day by the grace of God. Thank you for your patience and support with me during this silent chapter.


But while I was navigating the dark, a miracle of light was happening at the clinic site.

Looking back at how we managed to get the roof secured in the first place, I am still struck by the sheer human grace of it all. In a world that so often demands everything upfront, our Kenyan builders did something unheard of. When the tropical downpours threatened to rot our exposed timber, these men looked at the rising walls of the clinic and said, “Yes.” They completed their grueling labor on a handshake and a promise. They didn't just see a blueprint; they recognized that a wound care facility here changes lives, and they risked their own time to protect Gary's' dream.


And then, the global community answered the call.

When things looked the most desperate, Lesley Scherer reached out to our network with a special, urgent request. The response from our donors was nothing short of breathtaking. You headed the call, stepping directly into the gap with overwhelming generosity. Because you answered Lesley’s plea, we were able to completely honor our handshake with those trusted builders.


I am overjoyed to report that "Waldo" has officially been found—the roof is completely finished! Not only is the structure fully protected from the elements, but thanks to that surge of support, we have already installed the heavy steel doors to lock the perimeter and are moving rapidly through the final furnishings. We are actively transforming this beautiful shell into a fully equipped, sterile medical sanctuary.

We are moving with incredible focus because we have an unforgettable milestone on the horizon: we are getting everything ready for an early October ribbon-cutting ceremony, which will be officially hosted by Lesley herself.


As a kid who grew up on the streets of Kenya with absolutely nothing, watching this global ecosystem of grace come together to meet this timeline is overwhelming. The support has stretched from friends and strangers across the ocean, straight to the hands of a builder holding a hammer under a Kenyan sky.

The Final Push: What We Need Before the Ribbon-Cutting

While the shell is safe and secure, we have an intense sprint ahead of us to be ready for opening day. A building can have a roof and doors, but it isn't a working clinic until it can safely, comfortably, and respectfully treat patients. Right now, it is still just a dirt floor inside.


To welcome Lesley and our first patients in October, we must immediately fund and execute these critical, immediate needs:

  • Inside Furnishing & Floors ($ 4,000): Transforming the current dirt floor into a sterile, concrete medical environment so we can safely treat open wounds.

  • Clinic External Bathrooms ($ 3,500): We need to build proper, sanitary external bathrooms for our patients. We absolutely do not want people who are already hurting and seeking medical care to have to go to the bush. Dignity and hygiene are core to what we are building here.

  • Digging a Borehole ($ 14,000): A medical facility cannot operate without clean, running water. We need to dig a deep borehole on-site to secure a permanent water supply for sanitation, running the bathrooms, and patient care.

  • Wound Care Equipment Fund ($ 10,000): We are launching a dedicated fund to purchase fundamental medical equipment—from sterilization tools and treatment tables to basic wound care supplies.

  • Training Local Nurses ($ 6,000): A building is only as good as the hands working inside it. We are establishing a training plan to equip local Kenyan nurses with specialized wound care protocols so this clinic remains sustainable for years to come.

We showed our local team that when they trusted us with a handshake, the world had their back. Let’s finish these final touches strong, lay down these floors, dig for water, build these bathrooms, and get ready to cut that ribbon in October.


(Note: We will be sharing a massive, detailed update specifically regarding the upcoming Medical Camp over on a separate blog very soon—stay tuned!

Created by George Orwa.

 
 
 

A Promise Kept: The Growth of the Gary and Lesley Scherer Wound Care and Community Clinic

They say that when you build on faith, the universe—and the weather—will test your resolve. After the foundation was laid and the walls of the Gary and Lesley Scherer Wound Care and Community Clinic began to rise, we hit a period of agonizing suspense. The timber frame was up, reaching toward the Kenyan sky, but we were missing one vital piece: the roof. Roofing frames up, no iron sheet meant Panic. The tropical weather is not that forgiving to exposed timber. My little faith was not only panicking, but I was also scared to my core.

 

 

Then, the rains came.

Watching from a distance, I felt a physical ache in my chest every time I heard the forecast. Each tropical downpour felt like a direct assault on the progress we had fought so hard to achieve. I lay awake at night, gripped by the worry that the untreated timber would warp or rot before we could cover it. We were so close, yet our "baby plan" was literally being soaked to its core.

 

The Scramble for Shelter

The financial mountain felt steeper than ever. I knew we needed to move fast, but the gap between our bank account and the cost of roofing materials in Kenya felt like a canyon. Once again, the network Gary and Lesley helped build stepped into the gap. Through our GoFundMe campaign, friends and strangers alike began to chip in. Then came a moment of profound grace: Lesley Scherer and more friends reached out, providing a check specifically for the roofing that breathed new life into the project.

But even with those generous gifts, we faced a reality check. The math simply wasn’t adding up to the number of iron sheets required to cover the entire structure was more than the fund we had.

A Kenyan Connection

I reached out to my network on the ground in Kenya, explaining our plight. I told them, "This is what we have, and this is the dream we are trying to protect." The response was overwhelming. My Kenyan brothers and sisters scrambled, scouring suppliers for the most affordable, high-quality iron sheets that fit our tight budget. They negotiated, they pushed, and they found a way to make our limited funds stretch further than I thought possible.


Even then, we didn't have enough to cover the labor costs immediately. That’s when the miracle of trust happened. I spoke to the contractors with total transparency:

"I cannot pay you fully today. But if you trust me, and you trust this mission, I will pay you every cent as soon as the funds arrive."


In a world that often demands payment upfront, these builders looked at the rising clinic and said, "Yes." They completed part of the roofing on a handshake and a promise. Well, I say "completed," but if you look closely at the photos, you might notice something. There is a visible gap in the iron sheets—a missing piece in our armor against the rain. We’ve started calling this "Finding Waldo." In the middle of this beautiful roof, "Waldo" is that empty space waiting to be filled. It’s a reminder that while we have come so far, the journey isn't finished yet.

 

 


 The Grin from Above: Finding Waldo

Garys Monalisa Grin :)


With the roof mostly secured, the timber is finally safe, and the structure is beginning to look like a sanctuary. But a building is just a shell until "Waldo" is found and the doors are swung open. Sometimes, when the stress of the budget gets to me, I laugh. I can almost see Gary looking down with that signature grin—the one Tim Whitcomb always talks about. I can hear his voice in my head, teasing me with that fatherly, knowing smile:


"George, you thought this was going to be easy. Duh!"


I know he’s laughing at my panic, but I also know he’s proud. As an orphan who grew up on the streets of Kenya with nothing, this process has been a labor of love that has lit up my soul. We are building a legacy of hope that even death could not stop.


Help Us "Find Waldo" and Finish the Dream

 

In case you can’t find Waldo then have a look at this :)


We have the foundation. We have the walls. We have the trust of our builders. Now, we need to cross the finish line to make the Gary and Lesley Scherer Wound Care and Community Clinic fully operational.


Our Immediate Needs:

  • Closing the Gap: Funding the remaining roofing materials to finally "find Waldo."

  • Securing the Clinic: Purchasing and installing permanent doors and windows.

  • Final Furnishings: Completing the exterior and interior finishes so we can move in medical supplies.

How You Can Join Us:

  1. Donate: Every dollar goes directly toward the materials needed to make this clinic a reality

  2. Share the Story: Spread the word about our "Finding Waldo" moment. Your share might reach the person who helps us buy that last sheet of iron.

  3. Partner with Us: If you have medical expertise or equipment to donate, please reach out to us directly.


Gary and Lesley’s dream is rising because a community of compassionate hearts refused to let it die. Let’s finish this together.

 

 

 

 
 
 

A service offered on behalf of a True Champion

It has been a few weeks since Gary’s memorial service, yet I still find myself reflecting on the powerful testimonies shared that day. Speaker after speaker spoke of their wonderful experiences with Gary, highlighting his tireless devotion to helping others, a quality that seemed to flow from him effortlessly.

Never to be forgotten 

One moment that stands out was when Pastor described their work together, taking phone calls for the Billy Graham 24-7 prayer line. He shared a lighthearted story about receiving their first call: it was in Spanish, a language neither of them spoke. In that moment of shared confusion and laughter, I realized that Gary’s heart and influence transcended language barriers and cultural lines. It was a beautiful, bright spot of joy during our collective grief.


I first met Gary in California during George’s graduation. I can still see him now: a tall, steady figure standing beside George like the father he truly was. He was the mentor and father figure George had always needed, a role Gary stepped into with natural grace. I saw such radiant pride in Gary’s face that day—proud of his son’s hard work and all he had achieved. It was clear to me then that George was exactly where he belonged: by Gary’s side. They were a team united by profound love and mutual care. There was a light in George’s face that day, the smile of a young champion bolstered by the man standing next to him.


I believe deeply in the community of Everlasting Hope. Gary left us with the blessing of a simple lesson: give to others, even when the gesture seems small. As a community, a network, friends, family and a church, we have learned so much from his example.


With love,

Jimmy.

 
 
 
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