Oh my goodness! This day I will surely not forget. Seriously… I’m almost speechless! As I arrived home from a day well spent, I opened my email to a wonderful surprise. I was very taken back by this email. The news made me cry a few times and gave me so much joy. The email was from a friend named Ken.
Ken told me that a few weeks ago Debbie told him and others that I mentioned the children need mosquito netting. Once the word was out Ken and Debbie went into action with several others to raise funds. Ken’s company and many of the employees there put together a fundraiser. They had a luncheon for the community serving chicken, cheese, quesadillas, hotdogs, chips and soda. The event was advertised well. The advertisement drew people from all over the city to join this worthwhile cause. Some of my UOPX family came to the event too… Rich and Sandy. They raised a total of $500! Ken said that one person who did not even come to the fundraiser was kind enough to donate $100. I’m simply amazed to find this news out today!
I think of everyone back home working on this and I had no idea. What an incredible surprise! Debbie and Ken have been working with Denise to coordinate delivery of the money for the misquote nets to Kenya. I am still trying to figure out how Ken and Debbie connected with Denise. Debbie and Ken are friends of mine from University of Phoenix. Denise is the pastor’s wife at Fox River Christian Church. I’m so excited they connected!
My heart is so touched. I think of all the precious children that will be greatly blessed and will be able to sleep under protection from the mosquitoes. Honestly, it can save lives. Children get sick from malaria and some die.
To everyone that contributed to this cause….THANK YOU SO MUCH! This will mean the world to the children. They are blessed from your efforts and generosity.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Hello Grandma and Grandpa!
Karla told me she would bring her laptop by so you can see the blog... I thought I'd write you a note....
I miss you! I hope all is well back home. I think of you often. Grandpa, you and I are still ‘tight’ and always will be. Grandma you are my angel. I can’t wait to hug you both… Love you!
Your granddaughter,
Kristen Mae
I miss you! I hope all is well back home. I think of you often. Grandpa, you and I are still ‘tight’ and always will be. Grandma you are my angel. I can’t wait to hug you both… Love you!
Your granddaughter,
Kristen Mae
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Day 44
There is no optimistic way to view poverty; however, there is much optimism in seeing those that have the ability, giving hope to the individuals suffering from poverty. Hope for a better life, hope for a child’s future and a voice saying ‘I believe in you’ to those that are usually not heard…
Today Patricia and I went to Injili to take pictures of children that will potentially be enrolling in the school. The enrollment will start in January. There will be 35 children selected to start in KG1. The parents in the community hope for an opportunity for their child to be selected.
As I arrived today the teachers were unaware that I was coming to take pictures of these potential students. Pastor Allen met me at Injili. He told me that today might be a bad day to take these pictures because there was a feeding distribution happening elsewhere in the community and most families were there. However, previous to my arrival he told a couple parents that I would be there to take a picture of their child for possible enrollment. When I arrived there were only a couple children ready to take pictures. Nevertheless, the word spread quickly that I was there.
Though we thought not many would come, the gates of the school were open and children started pouring in with their parents by their side. We took paper and a marker to write each child’s name down. They held their name tag and posed for the picture. I had no idea how many children would come. At first we thought only a couple. By the time we stopped taking pictures, 144 children had their picture taken. They had to close the gates to stop the flow of children. There are many more children in the community that hope to get a chance to attend this school.
My heart is broken as I think of all the children’s faces that will not have the opportunity to attend. The parents will be disappointed and upset that their child was not selected. How do you choose which children will attend? This is a question that the leaders of the school are faced with. They would love to help all the children if they could. There will only be 35 that can come into school this year. There is only so much funding. There can only be 35 children in one class, otherwise the numbers get to large and the quality of education goes down.
Despite the heartache in the children that will be unselected, there is much joy in the ones that are. This is 35 lives that will be changed and impacted for the better. This is 35 children that will be given hope for a brighter future; 35 children that will be educated academically and spiritually and 35 children that will be able to have a full stomach, instead of an empty one.
Oh, if you could see the gratitude that gleams from the children and the parents…. Your heart would melt and your mind would be lifted high with joy.
Today Patricia and I went to Injili to take pictures of children that will potentially be enrolling in the school. The enrollment will start in January. There will be 35 children selected to start in KG1. The parents in the community hope for an opportunity for their child to be selected.
As I arrived today the teachers were unaware that I was coming to take pictures of these potential students. Pastor Allen met me at Injili. He told me that today might be a bad day to take these pictures because there was a feeding distribution happening elsewhere in the community and most families were there. However, previous to my arrival he told a couple parents that I would be there to take a picture of their child for possible enrollment. When I arrived there were only a couple children ready to take pictures. Nevertheless, the word spread quickly that I was there.
Though we thought not many would come, the gates of the school were open and children started pouring in with their parents by their side. We took paper and a marker to write each child’s name down. They held their name tag and posed for the picture. I had no idea how many children would come. At first we thought only a couple. By the time we stopped taking pictures, 144 children had their picture taken. They had to close the gates to stop the flow of children. There are many more children in the community that hope to get a chance to attend this school.
My heart is broken as I think of all the children’s faces that will not have the opportunity to attend. The parents will be disappointed and upset that their child was not selected. How do you choose which children will attend? This is a question that the leaders of the school are faced with. They would love to help all the children if they could. There will only be 35 that can come into school this year. There is only so much funding. There can only be 35 children in one class, otherwise the numbers get to large and the quality of education goes down.
Despite the heartache in the children that will be unselected, there is much joy in the ones that are. This is 35 lives that will be changed and impacted for the better. This is 35 children that will be given hope for a brighter future; 35 children that will be educated academically and spiritually and 35 children that will be able to have a full stomach, instead of an empty one.
Oh, if you could see the gratitude that gleams from the children and the parents…. Your heart would melt and your mind would be lifted high with joy.
Day 43
I’m going on a couple hours of sleep because last night I had difficulty falling asleep. As I came out of bed this morning, I knew I would be extremely tired as the day went on.
Pastor Paul met me at the house this morning and we departed to Tiwi. This is my first experience in a non-private matatu. Boy… it was fun! The matatu’s drive crazy and fill the vehicles to the max. There are 15 seats in a matatu. Sometimes they would fit in as many as 17 people. The matatu’s swerve in and out of traffic. They will pass cars with oncoming traffic. They get extremely close to getting into hundreds of accidents in one day.
After catching a couple of matatu’s we walked down the crowded way to the fairy. There are hundreds of people waiting to go on the fairy. Many beggars sit by with their buckets out. Some of the beggars are disabled or blind. Children are trained by their parents to become beggars. Men were pushing large wooden wheelbarrow looking carts that are packed 5 feet high with food or other goods. Cars and busses were loading onto the fairy. Once the fairy was full of cars and packed with people we took off.
As the fairy arrived across the way, Paul and I walked a short distance and found another matatu. They drove us fairly close to the school in Tiwi. From there on we only had a 10-15 minute walk. As we were walking down the dirt road, taxi’s came up to us to see if we wanted a ride. Personally I preffered to walk and we did. The taxi’s were saying that it’s dangerous to walk the distance as we may get robbed. However, they were likely just trying to get us into the car to make money. We continued on the walk. It was a beautiful walk. The sky was clear blue with a couple of fluffy clouds. The trees and grass were lushes. We turned off the dirt road to a walking path that took us to Tiwi. On the way we saw children and adults nearby their homes. The homes were made of mud.
We arrived at Tiwi and met with Vincent. He is the lead man at that school. He is also the pastor of the church in there. We went into the office area and sat down. Vincent spent a couple hours with me. He told me the story behind Tiwi’s school and church. I wrote a few pages worth of info. Tiwi’s story is absolutely amazing! They have faced violence, theft, funding being pulled away and loss of attendance and staff due to the violence. Yet, despite their troubles, they are now running a school of 276 children. They started children from nursery age and took them all the way up to their exams right before high school. I am just amazed at the success of this school with all they have faced.
More to come on that school…. You will love the story. Let’s just say, the story behind that school is something I could only imagine seeing in a movie. However, for this community it’s reality.
Once we were done, we hiked back out to the matatu’s and continued the journey home backtracking what we did on the way there. We were very hungry and stopped for a bite to eat. We also stopped at a store to get a pair of shoes for a girl named Amina from Vipingo. Then we hopped back onto a matatu and finished the ride home.
As we arrived back at Jim and Susie’s, we went to pick up a friend named Bena. Bena is closing a shop. She had some leftover food that is going to Vipingo. We drove off to pick up the food and pack up the car. Victor came with because I figured he could use a nice drive in the car. Tomorrow I will drop off the food at Vipingo.
Now I am home. Right before I came home I stopped at my friend Michelle’s house to pick a craft and lesson for the Super Saturday we are planning to do in Vipingo. I’m so glad to be back from my adventuresome, fun day!!! It’s about 8:30 and my body is telling me that I need to go to bed. It will be an early night!!!
Pastor Paul met me at the house this morning and we departed to Tiwi. This is my first experience in a non-private matatu. Boy… it was fun! The matatu’s drive crazy and fill the vehicles to the max. There are 15 seats in a matatu. Sometimes they would fit in as many as 17 people. The matatu’s swerve in and out of traffic. They will pass cars with oncoming traffic. They get extremely close to getting into hundreds of accidents in one day.
After catching a couple of matatu’s we walked down the crowded way to the fairy. There are hundreds of people waiting to go on the fairy. Many beggars sit by with their buckets out. Some of the beggars are disabled or blind. Children are trained by their parents to become beggars. Men were pushing large wooden wheelbarrow looking carts that are packed 5 feet high with food or other goods. Cars and busses were loading onto the fairy. Once the fairy was full of cars and packed with people we took off.
As the fairy arrived across the way, Paul and I walked a short distance and found another matatu. They drove us fairly close to the school in Tiwi. From there on we only had a 10-15 minute walk. As we were walking down the dirt road, taxi’s came up to us to see if we wanted a ride. Personally I preffered to walk and we did. The taxi’s were saying that it’s dangerous to walk the distance as we may get robbed. However, they were likely just trying to get us into the car to make money. We continued on the walk. It was a beautiful walk. The sky was clear blue with a couple of fluffy clouds. The trees and grass were lushes. We turned off the dirt road to a walking path that took us to Tiwi. On the way we saw children and adults nearby their homes. The homes were made of mud.
We arrived at Tiwi and met with Vincent. He is the lead man at that school. He is also the pastor of the church in there. We went into the office area and sat down. Vincent spent a couple hours with me. He told me the story behind Tiwi’s school and church. I wrote a few pages worth of info. Tiwi’s story is absolutely amazing! They have faced violence, theft, funding being pulled away and loss of attendance and staff due to the violence. Yet, despite their troubles, they are now running a school of 276 children. They started children from nursery age and took them all the way up to their exams right before high school. I am just amazed at the success of this school with all they have faced.
More to come on that school…. You will love the story. Let’s just say, the story behind that school is something I could only imagine seeing in a movie. However, for this community it’s reality.
Once we were done, we hiked back out to the matatu’s and continued the journey home backtracking what we did on the way there. We were very hungry and stopped for a bite to eat. We also stopped at a store to get a pair of shoes for a girl named Amina from Vipingo. Then we hopped back onto a matatu and finished the ride home.
As we arrived back at Jim and Susie’s, we went to pick up a friend named Bena. Bena is closing a shop. She had some leftover food that is going to Vipingo. We drove off to pick up the food and pack up the car. Victor came with because I figured he could use a nice drive in the car. Tomorrow I will drop off the food at Vipingo.
Now I am home. Right before I came home I stopped at my friend Michelle’s house to pick a craft and lesson for the Super Saturday we are planning to do in Vipingo. I’m so glad to be back from my adventuresome, fun day!!! It’s about 8:30 and my body is telling me that I need to go to bed. It will be an early night!!!
Day 42
Simone, Paul and I met to make plans for a Super Saturday in Vipingo and Bomani. We will have a registration table from 8:30 – 9:45. We will accept 200 kids to come from ages 4 – 11. They will be split into 5 groups of 40. Each group will be color coded. During registration we will tie colored yarn of on each of their wrists according to what team they are on. We will have a short time of singing and learning hand motions to songs to start the day. Then at 10:00 we will get started with one group at each station.
One of the stations will have games such as, crab soccer, water relay and broom stick relay. The second station will have art projects for the kids. The third station will be a snack area. The fourth station will be story time, followed with drawing pictures from the story. The fifth station will be the parachute station. The kids will play with a very large parachute that Fox River Christian Church brought out there.
After each child has had the chance to participate at each station they meet for music time. Pastor Paul will also prepare a short message for them. We will hand out sweets, along with invitation sheets to invite their parents to church. Then on Sunday the children will perform the new songs they just learned in front of their parents.
I think it will be a fun and successful day. Now we need to find about 25 volunteers. We already have 9 that we know will help us. The rest should be easy to find. When we had Super Saturday’s at Crossroads church there were a lot of great volunteers. We will ask for their help. On Sunday we’ll have a meeting to prepare!!
As the day ended I went to the airport with Bobby and Lisa to say goodbye. They are well on their way to the states for a 6 month journey. They will go to churches all across the United States to give updates on the progress of the centers and to raise support for special projects at the centers. They will have the opportunity to see their families. That will be special and treasured time for them.
I have enjoyed spending time with them so much! Bobby and Lisa are amazing missionaries. Their adopted children are very fun to play with. They will be deeply missed by a lot of people in Kenya… including me!
Changing a tire in Kenya:
While on my way home from a coffee shop there was a rock in the road. I ran over the rock. The tire on Susie’s car popped. I called my friend Michelle. She called her husband Greg and asked him to help me. Before he arrived I tried to remove the spare tire that is attached to the back of the truck. A couple men came to help me. We figured out that one of the tools we needed was missing. When Greg arrived he took a look at what tools he would need and went home to pick them up.
Greg arrived back within about 10 to 15 minutes. He started to jack up the car. Then he realized the jack is not tall enough for this car. He went to the side of the road to look for a rock or something to put under the jack to elevate the car more. One of the Africans standing by gave Greg two pieces of plywood to place under the jack. They used a rock as an emergency brake behind the front tire. We watched carefully as the jack stood on the wood raising the car. The tire was removed successfully! Greg was kind enough to take the bad tire in to get fixed.
One of the stations will have games such as, crab soccer, water relay and broom stick relay. The second station will have art projects for the kids. The third station will be a snack area. The fourth station will be story time, followed with drawing pictures from the story. The fifth station will be the parachute station. The kids will play with a very large parachute that Fox River Christian Church brought out there.
After each child has had the chance to participate at each station they meet for music time. Pastor Paul will also prepare a short message for them. We will hand out sweets, along with invitation sheets to invite their parents to church. Then on Sunday the children will perform the new songs they just learned in front of their parents.
I think it will be a fun and successful day. Now we need to find about 25 volunteers. We already have 9 that we know will help us. The rest should be easy to find. When we had Super Saturday’s at Crossroads church there were a lot of great volunteers. We will ask for their help. On Sunday we’ll have a meeting to prepare!!
As the day ended I went to the airport with Bobby and Lisa to say goodbye. They are well on their way to the states for a 6 month journey. They will go to churches all across the United States to give updates on the progress of the centers and to raise support for special projects at the centers. They will have the opportunity to see their families. That will be special and treasured time for them.
I have enjoyed spending time with them so much! Bobby and Lisa are amazing missionaries. Their adopted children are very fun to play with. They will be deeply missed by a lot of people in Kenya… including me!
Changing a tire in Kenya:
While on my way home from a coffee shop there was a rock in the road. I ran over the rock. The tire on Susie’s car popped. I called my friend Michelle. She called her husband Greg and asked him to help me. Before he arrived I tried to remove the spare tire that is attached to the back of the truck. A couple men came to help me. We figured out that one of the tools we needed was missing. When Greg arrived he took a look at what tools he would need and went home to pick them up.
Greg arrived back within about 10 to 15 minutes. He started to jack up the car. Then he realized the jack is not tall enough for this car. He went to the side of the road to look for a rock or something to put under the jack to elevate the car more. One of the Africans standing by gave Greg two pieces of plywood to place under the jack. They used a rock as an emergency brake behind the front tire. We watched carefully as the jack stood on the wood raising the car. The tire was removed successfully! Greg was kind enough to take the bad tire in to get fixed.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Simone & Mercy!!!
You can read about Mercy on Day 35. She has an amazing story. She almost died. Now she is happy and well!!!
Day 41
Bobby and Lisa are in the midst of saying bye to everyone. We went to Injili today for a food distribution. Bobby and Pastor Allen handed out food to families. This is the last day Bobby and Lisa will see Injili for 6 months! They were able to take pictures of the food distribution to bring back to the states.
Day 40
Bobby did an amazing service today. This was his last service before he leaves to go back to the states for his 6 month journey with Lisa and their two boys. He opened the service with Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek to do His will in all you do.” Also Proverbs 2:2, “Tune your heart to wisdom and concentrate on understanding.” He said that his dad always told him to, “Walk through the doors of opportunity that come to you. Don’t be afraid.”
Below are notes from Bobby’s sermon:
Solomon had the opportunity to ask God for anything. He asked for wisdom because he was wise enough to know that he did not have enough wisdom. We are to seek wisdom in our paths that we have to choose from in life. To choose the right path it is important to trust God with everything. Don’t trust your heart. Give your heart to God. Be dependant not on self, but on God. Whether a person succeeds or fails they should depend on God.
When a person gets to the point of depending on their own wisdom, it’s important to stop. Instead, depend on God’s wisdom, which is much different than human wisdom. Bobby’s dad told him, “In spite of how much a person knows they are never smart enough, old enough or experienced enough to depend on their own understanding.” Because of this truth, it is important to submit your life to God by trusting him. When you have options of a path to take and are at a fork in the road… don’t just sit there. Instead, make a choice. Lean on God to make that choice. Give God control.
Bobby went on to say that you are to acknowledge God in all you do. God wants all of you, not just some of you. He asks for every part of your life. That includes your education, your relationships, your family, your finances and everything you can think of. How do you acknowledge him in everything? Thanking him for what he has given you, staying in prayer and staying in the Word for guidance. To receive Devine direction you have to apply what you learn from the Bible. God’s purpose for you may not be “happily ever after.” So when you are in a difficult circumstance it is important to realize that he has purpose, even when you cannot understand. He wants you to have adventure and uncertainty because then you stay dependant on him.
An illustration that Bobby used is that when a person is in the forest holding a lantern in the dark, they can only see a little bit in front of them. Each step forward the light makes way on the path. Let God be the lantern.
Bobby ended the sermon with telling the congregation to think of three questions:
1. Why do I hesitate to give God full access to my life?
2. What do I fear is on the other side of the decision?
3. What is the most difficult area of my life to yield control?
On a side note (this was not in Bobby’s sermon) I once heard an illustration that stuck in my mind. If a person is walking with God, even if they do not know exactly where they are going, they are not lost as long they are walking with God because God knows where to lead. If they just follow God, He knows where to go. God can see what mere humans cannot see. So, sticking with God… is the best, even if the future is unknown, because He knows.
We may make good plans for our life. We may have great goals set. We may envision our future. All of those things are important. However, the simple truth is that no one really knows what their future holds for them no matter how much planning they do. While it is important to have vision, to set goals and to plan, it is more important to keep our eyes on God and our ears sensitive to what he is saying. That way when some unexpected incident happens in your life which changes your entire future, it will be okay because you’ll be trained to be alert to Gods work in your life regardless of the ‘change in plans.’
Below are notes from Bobby’s sermon:
Solomon had the opportunity to ask God for anything. He asked for wisdom because he was wise enough to know that he did not have enough wisdom. We are to seek wisdom in our paths that we have to choose from in life. To choose the right path it is important to trust God with everything. Don’t trust your heart. Give your heart to God. Be dependant not on self, but on God. Whether a person succeeds or fails they should depend on God.
When a person gets to the point of depending on their own wisdom, it’s important to stop. Instead, depend on God’s wisdom, which is much different than human wisdom. Bobby’s dad told him, “In spite of how much a person knows they are never smart enough, old enough or experienced enough to depend on their own understanding.” Because of this truth, it is important to submit your life to God by trusting him. When you have options of a path to take and are at a fork in the road… don’t just sit there. Instead, make a choice. Lean on God to make that choice. Give God control.
Bobby went on to say that you are to acknowledge God in all you do. God wants all of you, not just some of you. He asks for every part of your life. That includes your education, your relationships, your family, your finances and everything you can think of. How do you acknowledge him in everything? Thanking him for what he has given you, staying in prayer and staying in the Word for guidance. To receive Devine direction you have to apply what you learn from the Bible. God’s purpose for you may not be “happily ever after.” So when you are in a difficult circumstance it is important to realize that he has purpose, even when you cannot understand. He wants you to have adventure and uncertainty because then you stay dependant on him.
An illustration that Bobby used is that when a person is in the forest holding a lantern in the dark, they can only see a little bit in front of them. Each step forward the light makes way on the path. Let God be the lantern.
Bobby ended the sermon with telling the congregation to think of three questions:
1. Why do I hesitate to give God full access to my life?
2. What do I fear is on the other side of the decision?
3. What is the most difficult area of my life to yield control?
On a side note (this was not in Bobby’s sermon) I once heard an illustration that stuck in my mind. If a person is walking with God, even if they do not know exactly where they are going, they are not lost as long they are walking with God because God knows where to lead. If they just follow God, He knows where to go. God can see what mere humans cannot see. So, sticking with God… is the best, even if the future is unknown, because He knows.
We may make good plans for our life. We may have great goals set. We may envision our future. All of those things are important. However, the simple truth is that no one really knows what their future holds for them no matter how much planning they do. While it is important to have vision, to set goals and to plan, it is more important to keep our eyes on God and our ears sensitive to what he is saying. That way when some unexpected incident happens in your life which changes your entire future, it will be okay because you’ll be trained to be alert to Gods work in your life regardless of the ‘change in plans.’
Day 39
Today was Calvin’s wedding day. Calvin is George (the housekeepers) son. Calvin has been a friend of Jim and Susie’s since he was one year old. Their wedding day was spectacular. I was in charge of taking pictures and getting Lillian (the bride) to the wedding one time.
I headed off to church this morning to get the car decorated. Two girls put bows and ribbon on the car. They finished it with a pink and purple flower boutique. After the decorations, I went home before picking up the bride. When it was time I hopped in the car and took off. When I arrived at Lillian’s she was in the midst of getting her makeup and hair done. She looked absolutely gorgeous!
There was no time to waste. We had to get to the church no later than 1:00. Well, we arrived at 1:02. Only 2 minutes late. That’s not too bad for a bunch of girls trying to get ready! When we arrived the bride maids were ready to head into church. The ceremony began. Calvin and Lillian started their new marriage together.
The reception started right after we took pictures. The wedding party walked into the room with African music. They danced to it with rhythm. The food followed shortly after. During dinner there were speeches. I had the privilege of reading a letter from Jim and Susie to Calvin and Lillian. They were very receptive to the sweet letter. I could see that it touched their hearts deeply to hear from Jim and Susie.
This wedding was lovely. Calvin and Lillian enjoyed their day to the fullest.
I headed off to church this morning to get the car decorated. Two girls put bows and ribbon on the car. They finished it with a pink and purple flower boutique. After the decorations, I went home before picking up the bride. When it was time I hopped in the car and took off. When I arrived at Lillian’s she was in the midst of getting her makeup and hair done. She looked absolutely gorgeous!
There was no time to waste. We had to get to the church no later than 1:00. Well, we arrived at 1:02. Only 2 minutes late. That’s not too bad for a bunch of girls trying to get ready! When we arrived the bride maids were ready to head into church. The ceremony began. Calvin and Lillian started their new marriage together.
The reception started right after we took pictures. The wedding party walked into the room with African music. They danced to it with rhythm. The food followed shortly after. During dinner there were speeches. I had the privilege of reading a letter from Jim and Susie to Calvin and Lillian. They were very receptive to the sweet letter. I could see that it touched their hearts deeply to hear from Jim and Susie.
This wedding was lovely. Calvin and Lillian enjoyed their day to the fullest.
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