{rice, beans & love}

Friends, I’m going to be honest. I’ve been scheming and searching and wrestling with the words I want to string together to tell you where I’m at these days. But, I’m so all over the place, it seems nearly impossible. But, I need to write. I need to get our needs out there.

So, here’s the deal. God’s at work. He’s so at work, in fact, that I can barely stand it. But, He’s also making me wait. And, in this season of waiting, I can’t find the words to say.

There’s a movement happening in the Starfish program. We are beginning to discuss what it would look like to completely revamp this program. I don’t have the final details yet, but God’s working on it.

There are three women who come to my house each week and we whip together some pretty awesome salsa. The word about this awesome salsa is starting to get out and people actually want it! I can’t grow this business until God shows up and gives me money to build Rosie’s expansion.

As I type this out, three women are working behind me, finishing up the gift cards we are making through Rosie’s. We are crammed in a small back room at Rosie’s, but we are working and there’s worship music playing and it’s beautiful. We have been selling our cards like crazy, but we seriously need more space. This morning a friend stopped by to buy cards and two of the women greeted her and cheered her on as she picked out cards. These women are so happy to be working. God, make space for our dreams.

I sat in the office at Tytoo this last Tuesday with a 21-year-old mama and her 18-month-old babe. Both of them were severely malnourished and I could see it in her eyes how distressed she was. I asked her why she came to talk to me and she told me how the father to the baby just recently died in a car accident and she didn’t know what else to do. She said she just knew she needed to come. All I could provide her on Tuesday was some food, but I told her to come back. She’s gotta come back and I’ve got to believe that God will show up for this one. He’ll make a way.

Philippians 4:19 reminded me how God will supply all of our needs, according to His glorious riches. And if this promise is true for me – how He will meet all of my needs – then it must be true for this mama too. And all the other mamas.

I rock my sweet babe Rubie to sleep after a frantic Haiti-day and I just sit there and cannot fathom what it must be like to not be able to rock your baby sound asleep, knowing his or her belly is full and the night ahead will be sound. I just cannot fathom it.

I know God wants Haitians to have jobs. He wants there to be dignity in the way we walk and in the way we work. There shouldn’t have to be brothels where women sell their bodies so their babies can eat. There shouldn’t be institutions where babies are left and abandoned – separated from their mamas – just so they can eat.

And, so while I cannot fathom it or comprehend it, I know God does. He’s just and He’s making a way for mamas. He’s setting our hearts on fire and giving us such ridiculous ideas to pave a way for more jobs and less babies in orphanages. He’s doing this through Rosie’s and through so many other beautiful companies that I get to partner with here in Haiti. He’s allows me to keep looking these women in the eyes. It’s the hardest thing I do, but it keeps this fire inside me so very alive. Their desperation moves me to action and I just plead that you would join me and move with me. That we would work towards a day where less mamas come knocking on the gate, desperate for help, but instead get to rise each morning, knowing they have a job to go to and get to walk there with dignity. Proud to support their babies and send them to school.

There’s got to be a way to break this cycle of poverty and I believe it begins here: job creation.

blue print for Rosie’s expansion

Rosie’s Boutique currently employs two girls who have transitioned out of Tytoo Gardens orphanage. They help run the boutique and serve our teams. Rosie’s employs Elyse, a mother to six, who comes and cleans the boutique twice a week. Rosie’s employs seven women through its gift card collection and we are looking for more boutiques and gift shops to sell our cards. Shoot me an email if you know anyone interested in selling our cards! Lastly, Salsa Sisters is operated under Rosie’s effort to create jobs and is currently employing three women.

Rosie’s expansion is a dream to allow Rosie’s boutique to grow and to continue reaching and employing more mamas through our all of the above efforts.

the Salsa Sisters team!

Our goal is to raise $100,000 for Rosie’s expansion. We have the first $25,000 raised + we have finished purchasing the land in Haiti where we will build the expansion. We are now looking for 75 people to come together and commit to raising or giving $1,000 each to meet our goal. If we join hands, I know this goal will be met. I pray for hearts to be moved, knowing this is God’s work and He’s got it!

If you would like to DONATE to Rosie’s expansion today, click HERE to donate through PayPal *please add a Rosie’s expansion in the “add special instructions” box*

or send donation to

Touch of Hope
205 Old Mill Lane
Rock Rapids, Iowa 51246

*memo: Rosie’s expansion*

If you would like to be one of the seventy-five people commited to raising or giving $1,000 towards the expansion, please fill out the form below so we can keep track of the commitments!

Downloadable PDF about Salsa Sisters and our card collection, please share and help us spread the word!

rosies cards

salsa sisters

Love from Haiti,

Kayla