Keely Marie Scott bio picture
  • Hello There!

    Welcome to the blog! So glad you came by! I am excited to share with you! My hope is that this won't just be a place for you to come and look at photos, but a place where you can travel with me and experience the things that inspire me to create and awake me to change!

    Take a look around. . .Have fun!

This world is not our home. . . .

Today we visited the Mathare Valley. . .

located right in the heart of Nairobi, the valley is about 1 mile wide x 2 miles long, and is home to over 800,000 people.

800,000

p e o p l e.

We visited Vincent’s home, and as we sat in his 8′x6′ mud room he told us the translation to a song they sang when welcoming us to the Mathare Compassion project. . .

“This world is not our HOME, Take us, Lift us up, and Bring us HOME. . .”

Here’s a look at The Mathare Valley and as you watch and hear their voices remember. . .

This world is not their HOME, Take them, Lift them up, and Bring them HOME. . .

March 10, 2010 - 10:54 am

Juli Jarvis - Thank you so much for all the outstanding photos this week. I’ve read all the posts of the Kenya Bloggers and it’s made a big impact on me. I’m a Child Advocate for Compassion, so I have some more real-life stories to share now too.

March 10, 2010 - 7:08 am

Matthew - Thank you Keely for these pictures. Totally brought me back to a place of humility and reality for our brothers and sisters of Nairobi.

March 8, 2010 - 11:33 pm

Diane Comstock - Hi Keely – I recognized a couple of photos of my child Deborah! What a joy to see current photos! I heard the team connected with her and had lunch. I was so happy to hear that! God is good!!! Thank you for showing us the hope in the midst of such despair. Deborah always says that she believes that with God all things are possible. I was so hoping that she didn’t live in that slum, but there she is with her bright perspective in the midst of that horrifying mess. I’m starting to understand why God kept moving her to the forefront of my heart and mind: She needs my daily prayers. Thank you for this reminder.

March 8, 2010 - 7:40 pm

Johanna - Keely, your images are incredible. Their faces, their smiles, what a privilege for you to capture them.

March 8, 2010 - 7:26 pm

Lindsey Nobles - That song is beautiful…

yes, they know your name. . .

This morning we went to church at one of our partner churches.

I have been to church in a few of the countries we work, but never a church where pretty much the whole congregation was made up of kids. . .there were maybe 30 adults.

It was super fun and full of energy as you can imagine!!

As I sat behind the kids listening to the announcements for the morning two little girls came to sit with me.

One sat next to me and the other climbed right up in my lap.

Meet Meredith and Beth

Meredith was the calm quiet. . . behaved one.

SWEET AS CAN BE

Beth was the troublemaker in all of the cutest ways. I mean seriously

SWEET AS CAN BE

and check out her eyes in this video. . . troublemaker see. . .she’s a funny one.

Sweet Beth from keely Scott on Vimeo.

They sat and played with my hands, my camera, my hair, my freckles, my rings, my shirt. . .

At times Beth would get tired and just fall back into my arms. . .

it was a beautiful and sweet time of friendship.

thanks LV for the pics

As we were leaving Meredith raced out to the bus to say bye again. . .

I opened the window

And Meredith said with excitement

If you ever see James and Caroline tell them I say hello and greet them in the name of Jesus

I asked her if that was her sponsor she responded with a huge smile and a HUGE YES!

She went on to say. . .

They live in Canada, Will you go there? Please tell their children hello too. I love them so much!

So if you have ever wondered. . .

Yes, They know your name!

After church we headed to a super fun day of playing with sponsor kids… a time for our bloggers that sponsor to just hang out for the day.

IT . WAS . AWESOME .

YOU must go and read my tripfriends posts. . .

LV – beautiful beautiful beautiful

Mckmama – stunning

Ryan – I have no words

Brad – sweet sweet post

Kent – joy

Patricia – amazing to get to meet another jones kiddo. she is beyond precious!

Kristin – a brother & sister born out of compassion. . .amazing

Shaun – Love it!

There were rides

face painting

crocodiles galore

Camel rides

Why yes, you do need to check out Shaun’s post

and GIRAFFES

I have titled this picture. . .Como Say What??

I have always wanted a giraffe kiss, dont ask… Shaun is also thoroughly confused.

I decided to go back and say one last farewell to said mr. giraffe and got a SURPRISE kiss on the lens ( no lie!)

and after wiping some slobber off i am thankful it was my lens and not my cheek.

So MUWAH from said giraffe and Kenya

March 10, 2010 - 9:36 am

jan owen - i’ve loved following y’all this week. what gorgeous pictures – and what distressing pictures all at once. thank you for sharing.

March 8, 2010 - 7:33 pm

Dani - I hope that somehow James and Caroline from Canada get a chance to read this. Tears streaming down my face right now. Your photos tell a beautiful story of hope in what seems to be a place of hopelessness. They spirit of these people are amazing. That she tells you to greet them in the name of Jesus speaks volumes. God bless you for the work you are doing with the lives of these children.

March 7, 2010 - 6:25 pm

oh amanda - Awesome! The last letter I got from my sponsored child, she mentioned my 4yo by name. It felt shocking to hear her say it with such familiarity…but it’s b/c it IS familiar to her! I hope she knows we say her name with familiarity and love, too.

Thank you for the awesome post!

Music of the Maasai . . . .

A Maasai project. . .the colors, the sounds, the stories. . . .the sponsorship

I’m so Proud. . .

Listen and see a grandmother of one of our Compassion kids share about how Compassion has helped her in raising her three grandchildren!!

An amazing story from a beautiful woman… with a huge heart!

Be a part of a childs story. . . click HERE for more info!

March 6, 2010 - 10:32 am

Lindsey Nobles - The dork in me wants to know what plugin you use to make those slideshows?

The friend in me wants to just tell you I am in awe of your pictures.

March 6, 2010 - 8:00 am

Kristy - What a beautiful, spirit filled, woman! You can can hear it in her voice and see Him in her beautiful smile!!

The Music of Mothers. . .

Today we visited our Child Survival Program.

A program that is all about Moms and Babies! If you want to read more check out www.rescuebabiesnow.org

I LOVE this program!

As we pulled up we were greeted by the Music of these Mothers singing as they escorted us into the church.

As they sang they hugged each of us with such bliss as we danced into their church. . . It was beautiful!

And what a day. . .getting to spend time with these mothers hearing about their trials and their joys. . .

hearing their stories!

You too can be a part of rescuing babies and helping these mothers!

So click on this picture to start a slideshow…see our day and hear the Music of Mothers. . .

March 5, 2010 - 11:59 am

C Lynn - Beautiful pictures! The flicker site where LOTS of Kenya pictures are posted….are those just your pictures or pictures from different members on the trip? Just curious.

Beautiful Work.

March 5, 2010 - 11:14 am

Diane Comstock - So YOU are the one responsible for the incredible images! :) Thank you for taking us there! I loved the music track playing with the images. In our family we sponsor four Kenyan children at four different projects and you happen to be visiting the project where the one who has absoutely captured my heart lives. I will be following your trip with rapt attention and will be covering all of you in prayer.

I have posted the following to three other blogs. I’m going to call it good with this one and leave you guys to your work. We say “God bless you” all of the time, but I mean in the most literal way: God bless you and your work and may His name be glorified both now and in the future through your efforts there.
*****
THANK YOU so much for making this trip and telling us about it! I have a girl I sponsor in one of the projects you are going to and I am aching to hear current news of her. Last I heard, she was expecting a baby but I still don’t know the outcome. Her name is Deborah Awuor Omollo and she is in KE355 (Mathare) project. She is an exceptional 16 year-old girl, full of life and hope and faith in Christ. I would love it if you would hug her and her family for me if you meet them. She has a baby sister who is about 2 and is named after Condoleezza Rice. :) I know you are hugely busy and overwhelmed with processing all that you are experiencing so I won’t hold anything against you if you can’t do this, but if you can… you’d make me incredibly happy. :) God bless you on your journey. Love the Kenyans for us in Jesus name! :) ` Diane Comstock, Morgan Hill, CA (PS, I’m going to try to post this on the other blogs, too, just to cover my bases. :) ) my email: dianec@iname.com

March 4, 2010 - 1:10 pm

Lindsey Nobles - I love your pictures.

I blame Donald Miller. . .

I blame Donald Miller for not getting a full good sleep on this first flight, but its all good because I was reading his new book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. I am already ½ way through and loving it! If you follow my tweets you know that I just went to a benefit that he spoke at and loved loved the night. David Wilcox, Becca Stevens and Donald Miller… The night was all about STORY.

Donalds new book is all about STORY. Its based around what he learned while editing his life to be made into a movie. It’s funny and compelling in the “what in the world am I doing with my life, my story” kind of way.

It’s about remembering and telling your stories.

Like I said I am only ½ way through but gosh it is inspiring me. Here I sit in the Amsterdam Airport heading to Africa with 8 other bloggers to what?

Tell you a Story . . . tell you a LOT of Stories.

And stories can look different (Donald talks about YOUR story) but I was thinking about how I love that I can give you a glimpse into someone else’s story on the other side of the globe through a picture. And I love that we have some incredible writers with us on this trip that can tell you a story through their words.

And this week you will have stories about the kids and families we will meet in Kenya, but also stories from each of us as each one of us experiences Kenya and experiences Compassion in Kenya.

Are you following me? Am I already jetlag typing

Okay back to STORY.

I love a part of his book that talks about the story God has created

“I Like the part of the Bible that talks about God speaking the world into existence, as though everything we see and feel were sentences from his mouth, all the wet of the world His spit.”

I keep thinking about this and looking back at my travels and looking ahead and looking at my Story and the Stories I get to share with you. Thinking and excited to embrace those stories. . .

So think about your own Story and how maybe just maybe Our stories this week can become a part of your story.

That maybe we, and the people we tell you about can become characters in your story.

And you can become a character in a families story by sponsoring a child through Compassion.

Alright about to board for KENYA. . .

See you soon!

March 11, 2010 - 7:05 am

Kathy - I love your words about connecting our stories and just downloaded the book to my iphone! I have a secret ambition to take pictures like yours! Pictures that tell real life stories. I am a hospital social worker and work with kids with chronic illness. About ten years ago I discovered a love for photography but I am just now realizing why. I love the images that really capture honest moments and even more those that raise our awareness of the strength of the human spirit. I am going to start looking for opportunities close to home to try my hand at capturing stories. Everywhere I turn I am discouraged by others who I think are afraid to dream but God is whispering and letting me know this is his dream for me. so I’m hoping this book and people like you will keep me going. Thanks!

March 4, 2010 - 12:35 pm

Dustin Stout - The book is incredible! My fiancée and I were truly blessed by it. In fact, the book inspired how I proposed this past Sunday! I tell the story on my blog- http://post.ly/QUFN

March 4, 2010 - 8:48 am

Corey Davis - I just finished this book last week; it was amazing.

…Completely changed the way that I look at my day to day life; HIGHLY recommend it!

March 4, 2010 - 8:32 am

Jason - I had won that book in a contest just before Christmas…I packed it to go to my folks’ house and read it and POOF…gone. I still haven’t found it and it’s not at my folks’ house! I’ll have to read vicariously through you. :)

I can’t wait to see the pictures I know you’re going to share with us.

March 4, 2010 - 8:20 am

Lindsey Nobles - So glad you are enjoying A Million Miles. I can’t wait for you to get back to Nashville so we can discuss in depth that book. It changed the way I think. But first, I can’t wait to hear about your Kenya travels and see all your beautiful pictures.

M o r e   i n f o