We see pictures of abused animals in commercials, pictures of sad children in impoverished countries, and some of us think, "I'll send money when I don't have so many bills," "I'll volunteer when I'm retired," or "I'll donate to an organization in this country - next paycheck." Someone will help. Someone else.

In Kibera, a slum near Nairobi in Kenya, Africa, there are 800,000 to 1 million people living in a square mile, said Dave Dowling of Polk Township and founder of Inheritance World Ministries. There are no toilets and only 20 percent of the people have electricity. It's the third-largest slum in the world.It is also one of two areas where Dowling is planning to take a mission group.The Miracle and Victory Children's Center in the heart of Kibera provides food to 260 children, as well as water and wash stations. At a cost of 23 cents per day per child, the center provides one meal a day, six days a week."These are children who wouldn't normally get a meal that day," he said.The other location is a small town in a mountainous region two hours north of Nairobi called Gatundu. While there, the missionaries are going to an orphanage for abandoned and neglected children.Currently, the facility has 25 boys, but its goal is to accommodate 100 boys, Dowling said. The group will be working on the construction of a multipurpose building that will serve as a dining hall and community center.In addition to construction, the missionaries will distribute clothing to 600 people in both towns, and will go to a baby orphanage to hold and comfort the little ones."We go into the villages and provide blankets and Bibles and minister to them one-on-one," he said.The missionaries will also run a vacation Bible school for about 250 children and will host a movie night for the community with the film "Jesus.""About 100 people came forth to receive Christ into their lives," Dowling said.It's not all work and no play.The group also takes two days of their 14-day trip to go on a safari.Right now, Dowling has 17 people registered to go and can take up to 30, ranging in age from 15 on up. Registration endsSunday.To prepare for the trip, the group attends training sessions on Sunday evenings for five months. Dowling said he goes over everything they will need to know from what to expect on the trip, a packing list, the types of clothes they should bring to educating them about the culture, language and fundraising.The trip will run from July 8 to 23 and costs $3,385, which includes airfare to and from Kenya, transportation to and from the airports, transportation in Kenya, all food and lodging, safari and sightseeing costs, two mission trip T-shirts, a duffel bag, all ministry and construction materials, medical travel insurance, a Kenya visa and all training materials."We put a lot of effort into it, because we want it to be the best experience for them," Dowling said.No one in Inheritance World Ministries receives any income from the trip, he said. After expenses, all of the rest of the money goes directly to the centers they will visit.The only upfront cost is a $150 registration fee to lock in the airline seat, he said.Dowling said that even though some people could pay for the trip outright, he recommends that they raise the money for the trip."It gives other people a way to bless the kids," he said. "It's about what God wants to do to serve them."For more information about the trip or to register, go to

www.inheritancewm.org or call Dowling at 570-460-1442.