The Mattress You Gave Esther: A Story of Rest, Dignity, and Healing

Tuesday, May 13

7: 00 a.m

Dr Daniel & Mary Beth Gilbert

The evening ritual at Ebenezer Children’s Home begins as the Kenyan sun dips below the horizon. 

Twelve-year-old Esther* smooths her hand over her mattress—the one YOUR generosity provided—feeling the clean, firm surface beneath her palm. A smile spreads across her face as she whispers a prayer of thanks for this simple comfort that YOU made possible.

Your gift provides more than just a mattress—it gives Esther dignity, healing, and peaceful sleep at Ebenezer Children's Home.

When you first meet Esther, you might notice her careful movements, the way she carries herself with a quiet dignity that belies her young age.

What you wouldn’t see are the nightmares that once plagued her sleep, or the shame she felt each morning when she woke to dampness beneath her.

Before coming to Ebenezer, Esther slept on the floor on cardboard - when she could find it. Her fingers trace the edge of the mattress YOU provided, feeling the crisp sheet tucked neatly around it.

Because of YOU, Esther now experiences the dignity of restful sleep.

The mattress beneath Esther seems simple to us—a basic necessity we might take for granted. But for a child who has endured unimaginable trauma, who arrived at Ebenezer with nothing but the clothes on her back and memories too heavy for her young shoulders, this mattress represents far more than physical comfort.

It represents safety. Dignity. Healing.

Can you picture it? The neat row of bunk beds in the girls’ dormitory, each one made up with care. The sound of children’s laughter fading into peaceful breathing as night falls. The weight of Esther’s small body supported properly as she finally relaxes into deep, restorative sleep.

This is the gift of restoration YOU have given.

What Esther doesn’t say—what she doesn’t need to say—is that this safety hasn’t always been guaranteed.

Many children at Ebenezer, even older ones like Esther, struggle with bed-wetting due to the psychological and emotional trauma they’ve endured.

The mattresses take a toll between the bed-wetting, the tropical climate that breeds mold, and the daily wear from active children, each mattress needs replacement at least once a year.

The impact of your generosity extends beyond physical comfort. For children who have experienced profound loss and trauma, having their own clean, dry place to sleep restores something precious: their sense of worth.

That new mattress—the one YOU provided—tells Esther something crucial: her dignity matters. Her comfort matters.

She matters.

Tonight, as you prepare for sleep in your own bed, Esther is drifting off on the mattress you provided. And as she sleeps, free from the discomfort of a worn-out, soiled mattress, her body and spirit are healing—because of YOU.

Thank you for being Esther’s provider.

Esther dreams of being a doctor. Your gift of a mattress doesn’t just provide comfort—it creates the foundation for dreams to take root and grow.

Thank you SO much!

*"Esther" is a pseudonym used to protect the privacy of this aspiring child while honestly sharing the challenges faced by many children in the Kenyan region we serve

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