Kids in Kenya

2011-06-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

June 2011
Kenya, Africa

Hello Friends and Family,

I hope and pray that all is going well in your life. Everything here is going very well!
The last couple months have been very rewarding and busy. I visited my fiancé in Mozambique. Two friends of mine came here, one for a month and the other for a couple weeks. We worked on the water project; adoption issues, Operation Give Hope administration and Nora did student teaching. What a blessing that has all been in my life!

Now, I’m going through a transition as I prepare to get married and go home at the end of July. One of my prayers, before I even came to Kenya, was that whatever work I started, would continue on after I go home. As I look back, I see God has allowed a lot to be accomplished since July of last year. Here are just a few things:
Operation Give Hope (OGH) and Hope Foundation (HF) have logo’s to be identified with.
OGH set up legally as a Kenyan foundation.

OGH and HF have a newsletter and are now set up on email updates for supporters.
OGH and HF set up with an active sponsorship system connecting sponsors to students online. Over 1,500 children have profiles, pictures, and updated report cards online for their sponsors view.
OGH and HF each have a website.
OGH and HF are on facebook.

All of these connection tools are a key to keeping people involved and informed of where God is at work here in Kenya. This work needs to continue through people that live in Kenya. God has brought two wonderful Kenyan young ladies to our attention Liz and Judy. They are smart, ambitious and have a heart for this ministry which will help the children tremendously. Liz and Judy were hired on as of May. We had an official training meeting with them, as well as two key staff members at each of the 6 schools(centers) that are represented under HF and OGH. Lisa, Bobby, Jim, and I all introduced the concept of this new endeavor. We shared what the new roles, responsibilities and job descriptions from everyone there. And we discussed the main objectives, purposes of these new procedures and why they are important to each school, how it will benefit their administration for record keeping, and most importantly keep the sponsors updated and current with their students. Providing a computer for Liz and Judy, plus a printer for Liz is something that is on my heart because it is necessary for the work they are doing for OGH and HF. Please pray that God provides for that. If you’d like to contribute, just send me an email.

When I go home, I will be continuing work for OGH and HF. There’s so much to keep up on.

In addition to that I’ve had the opportunity to lead many teen bible studies throughout the year. This stretched me. I’ve never been one to talk much during a bible study, more less lead them. However, God allowed it to be an experience that helped me grow and fall in love with the teens here.

Another major project that’s been dear to my heart is a place called Tumaini. Tumaini Bapist Academy is a small school in a far off village. There are about 120 students there. The classrooms are mud huts, dirty floors, there are no bathrooms (only a very shabby and open pit latrine), no desks, minimal supplies.. and you get the picture. It’s a very poor area. On the same token, it’s a beautiful area.. there is a lush, green, small mountain in the scenery. There are beautiful trees everywhere. The people in the community and at the school are warm, welcoming, and rewarding to be around.

Behind the school is a small man created pond. This is the water source for the nearby community. The water is very dirty, making people sick… and there are about 3 crocodiles in the water. I’ve seen two of them personally! Imagine drinking water from that! We’ve been exploring ways to get a more reliable and clean water source to them. However, many unforeseen challenges have come along the way. There are two options we’re looking at now, either putting in a borehole, or tanks for rain harvesting. Both of those options have their ups and downs. Either of them would be a much better solution to the water source they currently have. Once we’ve evaluated the best solution, we’ll move forward with it, God willing. We are selling t-shirts for around $15 to raise funds for the water project.

I’m thankful to have the opportunity to work do some work there. I’ve learned a lot about community development and am still learning. I’ve been working with Kenyans that know a lot about implementing projects to help that area.

I feel like I’ve written a novel, ha ha! Maybe you made it to the end, or just caught the beginning. Either way, I’m thankful for the time you took to learn about my time in Kenya.

Ways you can help:
Purchase a t-shirt for the water project
Contribute a small amount to help us get computers and printers for the use of The Hope Foundation and Operation Give Hope.

I praise God for all that he has allowed over the past year. All that He’s set up, the people he’s provided to come along side and help, the resources He’s provided, the circumstances He’s set up and the work He’s allowed me to do. It’s an amazing journey walking with Him!
It’s hard to describe how honored and privileged I feel to have this amazing opportunity to work in Kenya for the sake of Kenyan children… and to have so much support from everyone in the process.

Thank you all for your love, support and prayers!
Please pray that the rest of my time here is blessed, and well spent!
Much love to you and your families! Can’t wait to see you all at home soon!
Kristen Missiaen (soon to be Pettigrew)

Update

2011-02-18T05:15:00.000-08:00

I have some good news to report. Maybe you remember in a couple of my updates, I asked for prayer about packets that were mailed out with information of sponsoring a child through Operation Give Hope. Those prayers were heard. Many people responded! A generous amount of extra funding came in for the children. Thank you for the prayers!!!

There is a water project I’m working on currently, as I mentioned in the last update. A community about an hour and a half from where I stay is in desperate need for clean water. The water they use is very unsanitary. Rotary clubs are in discussion and have taken an interest in helping to drill a borehole for this area. They brought up the issue of long-term contact and community involvement. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to speak with someone that has much experience in this sort of endeavor. He has given me the steps and connections to move forward. Here’s a short briefing on what I’ve learned: I will need to involve Kenya Water for Health Organization (KWAHO-- http://www.kwaho.org/), the village pastor, and chief to start developing an action plan. The goal will be for the chief to set up a community meeting, called a baraza. The pastor & the chief informing the individuals of the water project and how they can be a part. KWAHO would introduce aspects of sanitation and hygiene. During the baraza, the community would select individuals to be on a committee. The committee would manage and operate the borehole long-term and be the voice of the people. They would be trained by professionals about group dynamics such as leadership, conflict management, basic bookkeeping, their responsibilities, and roles. These efforts are in hopes, and prayers that the funding comes through for this borehole. I believe it can happen ~ God does amazing things! Please pray with me for this community, for these steps, for funding, and for a passion from all individuals involved.

Another amazing set-up, that I believe God provided through people here in Kenya and help from back home… We’ve been seeking ways to put this together a custom designed website for Operation Give Hope. After speaking with the person who made our database system, he came up with a good solution. I could design a template in photoshop, put together content, pictures, video clips, etc. Then I give him the info, he and a friend produce it into a website and host it. Within a week or two this will be up and running!

Next week Friday, a medical team of doctors, nurses, EMT’s a dentist and other volunteers will be arriving. They will be going to three centers, giving each child a through medical exam. The blessing this will bring to the children is incredible. Community members will also have an opportunity to see the doctors. I’m anticipating their arrival!

God Bless you! Thank you for all the support, prayers and thoughts.
Love,
Kristen

2011-01-12T03:29:00.001-08:00

You know, years ago I had a thought that many people have… if I give Christ control in my life, it will be boring, or their will be things He wants me to give up that I don’t want to give up and I’m not willing to do that, or maybe it will hurt me somehow. Looking back, 3 and a half years ago I made a choice to entrust my life to Him, to surrender it to Him and give up those things that I was previously unwilling.

He did ask me to give up a lot of things, some of them were painful, some were uncomfortable… but, God is God and He knows a path way better than I do. He’s replaced anything I ‘gave up’ with something WAY better!!!! Seriously – it’s just incredible! I’ve seen Him guide every step of the path, it’s an awesome journey, anything but boring. He’s brought me through things that have broken my heart.. but in the end shaped it and gave it purpose which has been totally priceless. He’s blessed me abundantly with a life that has been adventuresome, beautiful, healing, and creative in ways that I could have never fashioned myself. He’s writing the story. A story that I love. He shocks me, surprises me, amazes me, fills me through the good and the bad… I’ve learned to thank Him in the highs and in the lows – He deserves my praises – circumstance is irrelevant.

If you’re ever wondering, as I have so many times – “Should I really give Him full control – even in ‘that’ area ... what if this and what if that?” Please, without question, without hesitation, with a fully willing heart… Just dive in! Let Him control the results of what He’s asking you to do - even if it hurts... the end result is something you don't want to miss. God is just as much there when we say yes as when we say no – but His workings are fruitful, abundant, lasting when the answer is yes. Then we experience Him!

… I love Him. I thank Him. So many of you have been a part of the surprises, lessons, amazement and the workings God has done in my life - you've been part of me experiencing Him.

One of God’s great workings in my life was just here about one week ago. Jerry!!!!!!! He proposed within about 5 seconds of our first time seeing each other in about 5 months! We are planning a wedding here in Kenya on July 27th!! Sooo Exciting! I'm THRILLED to spend the rest of my life with such a wonderful man. Thank you, Thank you God!!

Most recently I’ve had the opportunity to work on a water project for a community that is suffering from the absence of clean water. We’re corresponding with Rotaries in the states and in Kenya to form a unity between the clubs to help bring a bore-hole (similar to a well) to this community so they can have access to good healthy water. I’m thanking God for the response of the Rotarians. So far, a Rotary club here in Kenya nearest the site location is willing to host the water project. They will help deal with the logistics. That commitment was needed for the Rotary clubs in the states to consider taking on this project. Currently Rotaries in the states are discussing the possibility of moving forward. One of the Rotary presidents said she wants to, “run with ball”! So that is really exciting news! Please pray that this progression keeps moving forward and quickly! You can see footage on the YouTube link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_RR7Ya2BYg

On Christmas day my fiancé (I like being able to say fiancé..haha) and I went to three of the schools! We took pictures of their Christmas party. The kids were so happy!! When we showed up to one of the centers, our friend Paul told Jerry that he informed the kids that a guest speaker was going to give them a Christmas story! Ha ha… it was funny… Jerry did not expect it, but gave a good story to a whole bunch of kids. While we were driving to the centers, I could not help but think about how many children we were passing in the villages that have no clue what Christmas is about. No Christ - No gifts – No celebration. It’s a sobering thought. But I love being able to see all the kids that would have never had that opportunity to have Christmas, having it because of supporters in America!!!

Much love to you...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love,
Kristen

October, 2010

2010-11-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

Kenya, Africa

October has been a challenging and rewarding month at the same time!!

I was blessed with the opportunity to have a dear friend from the states here for a couple of weeks. All of our days were so full of a variety of projects. We also had the opportunity to meet with some lawyers and government officials. Carrie is a lawyer and she is interested in getting involved with adoption in Kenya. It’s so hard to adopt here. Carrie wants to see what she can do to help ease the process. We were trying to meet the Chief of Justice in Nairobi; however, he sent someone in his place. Later, we learned that the person sent in his place was the Head of Intelligence. He wanted to make sure that Carrie had good intentions. It was such a cool experience!

It was so cool because we were in the building that peace was made a couple years ago for Kenya. There was so much political violence and danger after the 2007 elections (due to corruption in the elections). The current president Kibaki and the man he was running against met at this building to make peace. After their meet, peace was made between the fighting people groups (tribes) and a new constitution was on the horizon. The constitution was just voted on this Aug, it went though and will bring a lot of good to the people here. The place we were sitting is where a new hope was formed for Kenya!!!!

We also met a man that may help connect me with people to do a fundraiser here in Kenya for the Operation Give Hope project. And we met a lawyer that is in the process of making OGH a Kenyan foundation - Perfect timing. I do have one big prayer request. Jim and Susie are in the states; before they left we produced about 1000 packets to mail out to their support base. The packets have all the details on the launch of Operation Give Hope, plus a DVD. The packets just went out this week! I am so excited! Please pray that this will touch hearts. I will keep you updated. This has the potential to help MANY children in a HUGE way!

Here is Carrie’s blog of the time she spent here and her upcoming plans. http://carrieslifeinkenya.blogspot.com/

I was a bit challenged this month because of some of the news that I hear. Before, while in the states, I could always turn off the news channel. I did that because, like many of us, it’s hard for me to hear of the bad things that happen in this world. However, now, even though I don’t hear the news channel… I hear news from people I know. A very dear missionary family was robbed and it was an inside job (I thank God they were not hurt). There have been other robberies in the area where people have been hurt. In the villages there are a lot of witch doctors that do horrible things to others, some of which friends of friends have been affected. This is news that I can’t turn off, because it’s right around me. Maybe it was selfish for me to turn off the news in the past. When other people are hurt, my heart breaks. However, there is some sort of value from a broken heart. In fact, that’s what brought me here in the first place. Sometimes for change to occur our hearts have to break for other peoples problems – because it makes us act.

God is at work in AMAZING ways here in Kenya, fighting against that kind of injustice… by raising up a generation of children who have a heart for Christ. He is the only one who can build their hearts in a way to shine brightly in this world…

Here's an example! The letter is from the girl to the left below!!

If you'd like to hear more, there are some newsletters I can send you. Just request it and I'll forward.

I miss you all a lot! <3 THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for your support!

Love,
Kristen
Thank you for reading about Kenya!

MOMBASA

2010-10-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

September 2010
Kenya, Africa

A couple missionary friends (Simone, Lisa B. and Lisa M.) and I started working on quite a project!!! The project is to gather student bios, pictures, family, home description and other information. All this information is put into a data base system. This will eventually give child sponsors the capability to view their childs information and picture online.

While we went to the schools to start this work, Lisa M., a nurse, volunteered to do a medical exam on each student. The most common problems were scabies and ring worm. Thankfully we had treatments that were donated to use for these children.

We successfully completed at two schools. This consists of about 500 children. It was fun learning about the personalities of the students, hearing what activities they enjoy, what their favorite subjects are and what sports they like. A lot of the kids speak multiple languages, English, Swahili and their mother tongue (tribal language).

All of the children live in homes with no running water. They have to fetch water at a borehole, well, pond or tap somewhere in the community. These children certainly have a lot of chores and 'to do’s' just to take care of their basic needs. They grow up quickly. Most of the children live in homes that do not have toilets. They either use a bush, or a pit latrine (hole in the ground). For cooking, many families use three stones with firewood in the middle while placing a pot on top. I’ve seen men, women and children carrying huge loads of firewood on their backs. Some use jiko’s with charcoal to cook. Houses are generally made of either, stone, sand, cement or mud and wood. Roofs are generally iron sheets or makuti (leaves from coconut trees).

I talked to a teacher about one of the students that is an orphan. I asked her who he lives with. Many times orphans will live with other family members such as an aunt, uncle or grandparents. However, he lives in a house with other boys that are orphans. He takes care of these other boys that are younger than him. Twelve years old and already a dad.

Hearing about his living situation made me think of my own niece and nephew who are that age. I simply can’t picture them living without their parents while taking care of other orphans, and struggling with basic needs. The thought breaks my heart.

What a courageous and strong boy this is! I am thankful that he and the others that live with him are able to go to the school. They can feel support from the other children, the teachers, the pastor, etc. God can give them Hope during this difficult childhood.

I want to thank you all for your prayers and support. Thank you for notes on fb and emails of encouragement. That always means a lot to me and brightens up my days. Thank you for helping me get here to do this work for these lovely kids. I truly could not be here without all this support!!!

Love,
Kristen

2nd Month Update

2010-09-06T04:17:00.000-07:00

This month has been very good!! I’ve had so many fun projects to work on that have kept me really busy! The projects have been for Operation Give Hope (OGH) and the Hope Foundation. Operating under these are a few centers that feed, educate and teach Biblical truth to children living in extreme poverty. It is my job to make OGH an official Kenyan foundation and help organize a sponsorship program and communication tools for OGH and the Hope Foundation.

This last month my time has been dedicated to designing logos, brochures, newsletters and a DVD. My hope is that God will use these tools to touch the hearts of people in America. And those that have a heart to help out in Africa will have an outlet to do that. I think it’s easy for sponsors to gladly and generously pay money to help children, without really think about what it’s actually doing. I know that through experience. Previously when I’d sponsored children before coming to Kenya, I was happy to pay for it, but I did not realize the full impact. Now that I’ve been to Africa I can see first hand just how much the kid’s lives are forever changed. My hope is to share that with fellow supporters.

My church back home, Fox River, is a perfect example of what GREAT things can happen when a church congregation puts their heart into a particular mission. I’m amazed and inspired through the example of so many people at Fox River that have their hearts fixed here in Vipingo and Bomani, Kenya. I have the privilege of seeing the 400 children that have been helped and changed through our congregation and leadership! http://foxriverchristian.org/

Just this week while in the village of Vipingo, I was hanging out with some youth for a bible study that we just started. One of the teens (13 or 14 yrs old) had her two little sisters with her. Both of the little sisters are identical twins. One of them is in the picture on this email. They are just the cutest little girls. One of them came up to me and took my hand, then sat in my lap. I just wanted to squeeze her! My goodness! Both of these girls have a good chance to end up at the center in Vipingo in the kindergarten class next year. I’m so excited for that, because I think of where they live, how little they have and observe they are likely raised by their teen sister (who is in the bible study). I know that if they get a chance at the center in Vipingo, they will have a chance in life, in a way that would be nearly impossible if they can’t attend there. They will have Hope and the ability to reach their potential.

Prayer requests:

Please pray with me for the teens in Bible study. We are doing a study called ‘Experiencing God’ by Henry Blackaby. My prayer is their friendship with God will come to an entire new level and that they will learn what God’s will is. I also pray they can learn to live with purpose, passion for Him and direction. That they will know how to make wise decisions so they can have a wholesome life.

Please pray with me for the 1000 packets that Jim and Susie will send out with a newsletter, brochure and DVD. Pray that God uses them in a way that glorifies Him and reaches hearts to save His children.

Please thank Him with me for the resources He provided to make it possible to do the DVD, make the brochures, newsletters, online database, etc.
I’ve been amazed at how God has provided all the tools I’ve needed to work on all these projects (It’s been a common theme in my walk with Him). To start with, while I was in the states, I did not have a computer or a printer; however, a dear friend purchased one for me. That is what I am using today! Another friend kindly put a program on my computer that I NEED to be able to make brochures and newsletters. And right before I started the DVD project, a Kenyan friend, put a program on my computer that allows me to compose videos. Also, while I was traveling with Bobby and Lisa, they introduced me to a Christian song artist named Jennifer Shaw. She kindly donated her song in support of the ministry here. That is the song on the DVD. A friend here created a database system for us that is exactly customized to the needs of a current project. Prior to coming to Kenya, my friend, helped prepare me with a mission and vision for my time here. All of these and very many more are the amazing things that God positioned in my life and brought together that lead up to today. God is a great composer! He always brings us what we need. And I can never stop thanking Him and all of you for the help!

Treasuring your prayers,
Kristen Missiaen

Enjoy the DVD on you tube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT7Rer5GMUg

2010-08-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

1st Month Update

2010-08-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, one month has passed by already! Each day has been unique and rewarding.

The first week, I was blessed with an opportunity to visit my boyfriend in Mozambique. It was the first we’d seen each other in 7 months!! Jerry is a missionary with New Tribes. My friend, Kate, introduced me to him 6 weeks before he left to serve in Mozambique. We have continued to build a relationship long-distance. I loved meeting his Mozambican friends and his friends that are serving on the field with him and seeing their ministries. The entire week was more than amazing…it was perfect!!!

After visiting Jerry, I headed off to meet my church group in Kenya. Arriving in Kenya, I felt happy and at home. There was a group of almost 30 from Fox River Christian Church. We spent our time going to the villages of Vipingo and Bomani serving the children and reaching out to the community. We did lots of activities for the children, interactive lessons, art projects and games! The children sang beautiful songs for us. We love that so much! We had a medical team and dentists working during all of these activities. The children had their teeth cleaned and examined. They all learned how to brush their teeth with their new tooth brushes. Many of the children had teeth pulled. I was surprised when I learned that many children use sticks to brush their teeth because that is all they have.

We also had two community outreach days where thousands of Kenyans attend. Fox River provides food, entertainment, soccer tournaments and most importantly a message of faith, hope and love to the community. The people in the community look forward to this day for a long time! For most, it is the best meal they will eat all year and may be the only opportunity they have this kind of fun and to hear that kind of encouraging message. At the end of the outreach day, we hand out bracelets. I’m amazed at how much a small gift means to them. Here is a blog with tons of pictures and details of all the time we spent at the centers http://frcckenyatrip2010.blogspot.com/. It was truly an enriching time for all of us from Fox River, the children, the staff and the community.

When the Fox River team left for the states, there were 6 people that stayed an extra week. We were officially named ‘the residue team’ thanks to Jim…lol. We gladly took the title. That entire week was jam packed with different experiences and projects. One of the best things was helping build a mud hut! I was so interested to find out how that is done. The frame was all ready for us. It was sticks found from trees in the area. The sticks were bound together with long, dry tree leaves. We started by digging a hole in the dirt. The hole was filled with dirt, and then we added water and stepped in the dirt/water to mix and make mud. Then we gathered rocks from a big pile and started building. First we lay the rocks down, then put a thick layer of mud on top of it and keep adding, more rocks and more mud. It took a few hours with about 10 people at work. The family we were building for said it would have taken them at least 3 days to do on their own.

This family has 18 children! WOW! Some of their kids go to the school in Vipingo. The family is so proud that their children attend there because it has resulted in them gaining a lot of knowledge and learning morals that they would not have known. The children who attend Vipingo’s school have set a new standard for the entire family… they choose to do the right thing, follow God, pray and study hard! The parents also noted that it helps their family so much because the school feeds the children and that is less food they have to provide for them. You see, these parents are unemployed without job opportunities. The entire family benefits so much more than we could imagine from the center in Vipingo.

My other favorite day was teen outreach day. This group of teens are also located in the village of Vipingo. We talked about sex, drugs, peer pressure, serving God and responsibilities. All the teens put together a skit on one of those topics. They were creative and funny!! These teens really have a heart to learn about God. They seem to want to do the right thing. I can’t imagine the things they go through, though! One of the girls gave an example of what one of her friends goes through and asked for advice. Her friend’s parents sell drugs, this is the only way they have found to make money and survive. The parents sell the drugs to her friends. However, the teen in this predicament wants to serve God and do the right thing. She does not know how to talk to her friends about not doing drugs, while her parents are selling them and pressuring her to sell them. When I first heard that, I thought to myself, wow, how do you even give advice in that situation? I’ve never been through something like that. Our friend Pastor Paul was actually in the situation himself when he was a teen; he was able to advise her from his experiences. That is just one example of the struggles these teens face. Thankfully they are plugged into the church at Vipingo’s center and want to follow God.

Well, that was just two of days that the ‘residue team’ served. As you can imagine, there was much more we learned and experienced. They all left yesterday and I’m missing the Fox River crew!! It’s been such a blessing to spend so much time with them these past three weeks.

Now, I will start working with the missionaries to build the bridge…. Very exciting!!!!

Recent Picture of Mohommad...

2010-08-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Keep Praying!~!

Dylan and Kaleb

2010-07-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

Today was an amazing day! A group of friends are still here from my church. We did an outreach at a school near by. Last year the school only had 30 students. Most of them were orphans and street kids. The school found funding and has expanded a lot! There are now 80 children there! We got to spend time with them all day today doing a Super Saturday event!

After the event we walked the village to meet children from our school in Vipingo. It was interesting to see the houses the children live in. They are small and made of mud. When we got to the children’s homes, they were so happy to see us there and showed us around the village.

We also went to an orphanage today. I was able to give gifts from my nephews to the kids. My nephew, Kaleb, felt bad that the children don’t have good shoes so he ran upstairs (before I left), grabbed a pair of shoes and asked me to take them here. Today, my friend Paul found a child at the orphanage that the shoes fit perfectly. He was really happy to wear them!!! My other nephew, Dylan, wanted to give away some of his books. I took them to the orphanage, too. I could not believe how much the kids LOVED the books. So many children kept reading them and looking at the pictures the entire time we were there!!

The two pictures above are from the orphanage. The books and shoes from my nephews!! Thanks to you both!

Mohommad needs our Prayers

2010-07-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

This little boy is at great risk. Please take the time to read about his story from a missionary family I work with here in Kenya. He needs prayer for his life to be saved. Thank you.

"Dear Praying Friends,

If you heard me speak last year or read our prayer letters you know the story of Mohammed. He is the little boy whose Mom came to the gate of our school crying for us to save her child and even offered for us to adopt her little three year old son if we would help save his life. What you don't know is that Mohammed's whole family had AIDS. For the past five years, his family has battled the disease. We were happy that his father and mother both received Christ as their Savior. While we were in the states this year, Mohammed's father and other died of AIDS. All of his brothers and sisters have also died of AIDS. When she brought him to us, he could not eat and could barely move because he was so weak from malnutrition. His hair was falling out, his eyes were yellow, and his stomach was distended.

We have made sure that Mohammed was under medical care since he came to us at three and the doctors told us that with proper medicine he could live a good life and possibly even have a family of his own.

When his parents died, Mohammed moved into the home of his grandmother. She is a kind lady and loves her grandson very much but the problem is that she is illiterate and does not understand the importance of medicine. For the past month, our teachers have noticed that Mohammed was not acting like the sweet, healthy boy that they have come to love. Just this week, we had a medical team come to visit us from MANNA Worldwide. The nurse who was examining Mohammed noticed that he was not doing well at all. She immediately notified Lisa that this young man was dying of AIDS and would not have long to live. Upon questioning him further we found out that he had been told by his grandmother that he was healthy now and did not need to take the medication any longer. When we asked her she said that he looked and acted fine so she did not want to punish him every day by making him take the medicine.

We would ask that you pray for Mohammed. I have attached his school picture from last year so you can see his lovely face. We need his grandmother to understand the importance of the medicine and we need God to use the medicine to make him whole. We know that Mohammed is saved now and will be with God if the Lord chooses to take him home to glory, but our desire is that he might remain with us for a little longer and continue to bless us. He is already a reminder of God's grace and mercy. Pray that God will help us to know how to minister to him and comfort him during this time.

May God bless you all,
Bobby and Lisa Bechtel
Missionaries to Kenya, Africa"

Good times...

2010-07-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

These past couple days have been amazing. So far I’ve been going out with the church group (Fox River) to the centers. It’s been great to see all the familiar faces and greet all the friends I made here last year. I feel quite at home. We have been doing activates with the children. There are games, art projects, story lessons and the list goes on. There’s also a medical team and dentists here.

The children have been in heaven with all this fun stuff! Even the simple things like bubbles are greatly enjoyed. When we took out the bubbles during recess, they all followed us around jumping, smiling and trying to pop the bubbles. The other day I played soccer with a group of girls. WOW, they are Good! Those girls can really play.

During the dental evaluations and cleanings, many of the children had to get teeth pulled. It’s a painful process. One of the teachers told me that many children use sticks to try and brush their teeth. They may soften the stick by chewing on it, and then they go ahead and clean their teeth. Right before I came to Kenya I had some necessary dental work done by a dear friend. I needed the work done so badly and felt great when it was done. Now I’m trying to imagine what it would be like to not have that luxury. Thankfully, because of the dentists that came, there will be about 400 children that can feel great now because of the work they had done on their teeth!!!

Bible Study

2010-07-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

I want to share info on the Bible Study I did while in Kenya... it changed my life in a huge way.

Below is a list of the main points. Each point is studied in great detail.

1. God is always at work around you.
2. God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
3. God invites you to become involved in His work.
4. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways.
5. God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
6. You mus make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
7. You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.

The workbook can be ordered here for about $15. It's a daily study for 12 weeks.
http://www.lifeway.com/

Below is a poem that is in the study:

Deep in my soul there’s a longing I feel
To look at my life in the light of your will
Knowing your heart; trusting your truth
Day after day I’m walking in your will
All my hopes; all my dreams
Help me forfeit everything
For whatever Your kingdom requires
Guide my steps
Let me see the best you have for me
Give me a heart for your desire
Teach me, oh God in the ways of your Word
Whisper through voices that I’ve seldom heard
Strengthen my faith
Weaken my will
Lead me to where your love is fulfilled
As I delight in you, oh Lord
Within me there’s a fire
And I’m finding the desire of my heart
Is a desire for your desire
I want a heart for your desire

Going back to Kenya Video

2010-06-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

Surprised? To say the least!

2010-06-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

It was during my travels in the states with Bobby and Lisa Bechtel that I started to pursue the thought of going back to Kenya. There were a couple things that I did not know how would work out. When I returned from the travels, I wondered how I would find temporary employment and how I would raise enough funds. Well, as usual, God had some things in store…

I posted a note on fb stating that I was looking for temporary employment. With the job market these days, it seemed unlikely to find a job on such short notice and for such a short time (not knowing exactly when I was leaving for Kenya). However, my friend Liz that went to Kenya with me in 2009 saw my posting. She is the EVP of the BBB. We talked and she hired me on until I go to Kenya! I’ve been thanking God ever since! In addition to that, I live with my brother who is very generous. He has not allowed me to pay him for living there, which has helped tremendously! Both of these things combine have helped me be able to prepare for Kenya with much less stress.

Before I started fundraising, I was challenged with a couple things. One of them was fear or doubt that it would not work out. Another was pride, because it’s difficult to ask for help. In the midst of these challenges, my heart to serve God in Kenya stayed strong and outweighed any other thoughts. God has given me the opportunity to experience interdependence at its best. The truth is, every person who has taken part of encouraging, praying, financially supporting and believing in this mission to serve God in Kenya is AS MUCH of a part of this as I am. It’s only possible because God’s provision through all these things combine and each person who has let God use them to bless this ministry in any way.

A couple months ago, I started raising funds for my trip to Kenya by doing presentations, sending out letters, networking, etc. Since then, I have been shocked, amazed, moved and inspired! We serve a Generous, AMAZING, Incomprehensible God! I’ve had the opportunity to see Him work in so many ways through people and circumstances in this process. The generosity of everyone is tremendous! The connections that have been made and the relationships that have been strengthened has made me so HAPPY! I’m very excited to share that I’m getting closer to being fully funded for this trip. To think, that this started only a short time ago… leaves me saying, WOW, I serve an awesome GOD!!!

Looking back and seeing how all these things have fallen into place increases my faith in a big way. He is a provider.

THANKS SO MUCH to everyone who has been a part of this... BLESSINGS to YOU!!!!!

I leave July 8th...

Going back to Kenya ~ Fundraising!!

2010-05-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

† Dear friends,

I would like to share my journey into missions with you.

In 2008, I found myself immensely heartbroken as I saw firsthand the spiritual devastation and poverty stricken children living in Kenya. With less than 2 weeks in Kenya, God transformed my thinking and placed a solid passion inside me to serve these problems in any capacity I could.

I am planning to return to Kenya to serve the passion God has placed inside me with missionaries that are well established in Kenya through the BBFI. Currently there is a need to raise more financial support for three of five centers that were started through the missionary families and MANNA Worldwide. The centers provide food, water, Christian education and a church for hundreds of children. My goal while in Kenya is to organize and develop a sponsorship program which can bring consistent support for these centers. By creating an organized sponsorship program and a well thought-out correspondence plan, financial goals can be met, maintained and exceeded.

In addition to these tasks, I will be a communication tool for Fox River Christian Church, my sending church, to centers they have successfully started in Kenya. I will keep supporters informed of how much their support is helping and will be updating a website that holds information of the centers.

These are just a couple of the projects I will be working on.

I see the incalculable value that each center holds. During my last trip in Kenya, I interviewed parents and staff members. I’ve witnessed firsthand the life transformation each child has due to the existence of these centers. Most children become saved through this program and have experienced tremendous advances not only spiritually, but also academically and physically. The spiritual knowledge each child gains has immensely changed their character for the better. Their behavioral changes are so apparent that they offer a witness to the community and in turn bring many individuals from the surrounding village to Christ. Their dire physical needs are met through well balanced meals, water and a degree of medical care. Ultimately, they are given Hope; where without help, they have no hope for this life or the next!

I am confident that if this is part of God’s plan for the children in Kenya and for my life right now then He will provide the support needed in order for these projects to move forward. As I raise support for this cause, I would ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with me in this ministry. In order to pursue this work I need to raise support for a plane ticket, graphic design program (for communication projects ~ web / newsletters, etc.) and monthly support for health insurance, malaria medication, rent, food, transportation, ministry funds, etc. Missionaries are funded by churches and individuals. My hope is that this does not feel like an obligation; but an opportunity to join in ministry with me, only if you feel led to.

If you would like to know more details of my work in Kenya, let’s chat!

All donations are tax deductable. Checks can be made out to MANNA Worldwide. Or, all donations can be made online as an automatic withdrawal or a onetime gift at: http://mannaworldwide.com/ Please specify on the check or online gift that the donation is for Kristen Missiaen's mission trip.

Blessed by an Orange!

2010-01-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

Today, I went for a rather long, yet refreshing jog under the Florida sun. When I was running for about an hour, I felt very dehydrated and tired and prayed to find a place with water because I was still far from home. As I looked on the roadside, I saw a small strawberry shop. I almost passed by, thinking they would not give me free water (I had no money on me), but my dry mouth convinced me to at least check. Thankfully, a nice gentleman offered me a fresh cold bottled water right away!

Drinking the bottle of water reminds me of a time when I was in Kenya, jogging. At that time I had bottled water with me and drank it when I was done. Pastor Paul was jogging with me and told me that people from some villages would gratefully make that size of bottle last for an entire family for a few days. WOW! That is just INSANE! But for some, it’s all they have. They do with the small amount of resources available.

After the water, I continued my jog, feeling refreshed. However, I was pretty tired, hungry and thirsty as the jog continued. In the distance, I saw an orange tree. The oranges looked so refreshing! I craved one immediately! As I was contemplating how wonderful the orange would taste, I thought of precious children around the world that suffer from starvation. If I wanted an orange that bad, even though I had eaten before my jog… I contemplated how much starving children crave food after not eating for days. There is enough food in the world to feed everyone to content; however, it’s not distributed that way. I am left again wishing food and water was equal opportunity for all.

At the end of my jog, I came into the house, guzzled more water, went to the fridge, took out the orange and ate it with delight!!! Oh my goodness, it was the best tasting orange, EVER! Yes, I was totally blessed by an orange. 

If you read all of this...As you go on with your day today, I hope you are reminded, as I was, just how blessed your life is to simply have water to use from the faucet and food to grab from the fridge, or cabinet. It’s such an amazing gift, which can be easily forgotten. <3

2010-01-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

Bobby and Lisa received amazing news the other day! While in the states, they have been raising funds for a new church at one of their centers. The church will hold 1,000 people. The space is needed with a growing congregation. One of the churches in the US that heard of their need from Bobby and Lisa’s visit, donated $20,000 for the project. Just yesterday, they found out that a member at that same church is donating another $20,000! That’s amazing! Now they are almost to their goal, with another $20,000 to go... God is good!

Fantastic weekend!

2010-01-18T17:41:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I have been ‘Wowed’ by amazing people and circumstances. The Becthel’s and I took the van for a trip that would take us to two churches. Bobby was preach at both. One of the nights I stayed at a sweet couple’s house. They were a joy to be with, VERY kind, and hospitable. Sunday morning they took me to the church where Bobby would preach.

While Bobby did his message in service, I had a power point presentation to show the Sunday school class about Africa. The point of the presentation is to show them a different culture, to show them poverty and make them think of how thankful they can be to live in America, as well as pray for those that are not as fortunate as we are. I think it’s important for children to learn these things at a young age so they are mindful of other places in the world. The children were incredibly receptive, and full of curiosity.

The individuals I spoke with from the church, before and after service were very warm. I enjoyed the conversations. One lady I spoke with told me that she had always wanted to be a missionary. She has many friends that are and hopes she can go someday, even though she is a bit older. She said that at her age, she realizes what is important in her life and all the ‘stuff’ that she has just does not mean anything. She said, “If anything it’s stressful to have so much stuff and I don’t know what will happen with it all when I die.” We discussed how easy it is in America to get wrapped up in things and always want more, but in the end, you can’t take it with you; therefore, it is a waste of time to put so much energy into 'things'. She was very wise. I love conversations like that because after going to Africa, I learned that striving for possessions, positions, etc. in the end is pointless. When I die, I certainly won’t be thinking of the things I had, the successes I achieved, or wishing I had more, I will be thinking of the people I love and the time I spent with them.

***

When we finished up at that church, we had lunch and traveled to the next church in Jacksonville FL. This time there were more children to present to. As I sat down in the children’s room, a couple little girls came and sat next to me. They were so sweet. One of them gave a gift to her friend. I told her I thought it was great that she made a bracelet for her friend. Then she told me that they exchange gifts all the time. The other girl had a gift waiting to give, too. It was a picture for her friend, she happily handed it over return the gift from her friend.

Soon enough, they heard I was going to speak about Africa. They were really excited when they found out that I was the ‘missionary lady’(that’s what they called me). One of them colored a picture for me and wrote on it, “I’ve never sat next to a missionary before!” I don’t think they realized I can’t really call myself a missionary yet. Lol, but it was so cute.

All the kids were FULL of questions about Africa, they were asking about animals and the way people live. One child asked if they have bath tubs and I let her know that in villages, they don’t bathe, or shower because they do not have the resources to. Most of them looked shocked and made funny noises when they learned that.

After the kid talk, I had the opportunity to talk with a couple of bright teenage girls. Both of them had mission work on their hearts. One of them is sure that she wants to be a missionary. The other is considering. It was inspiring to talk with these young girls that were full of ambitions to serve others and reach out for Christ.

I finished up, went into the church where Bobby and Lisa were with Ethan and Connor. They had a huge line of people just hoping to get a chance to talk to them. People waited a long time to have a conversation with them. Everyone wants to talk to the missionaries!

Ahhh, My favorite… the ocean!

2010-01-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Today we arrived in Biloxi and are right across the street from the coast. Going for a jog on the shore is by far one of my favorite things to do. Today, I had the privilege. The sunset was breathtaking. My eyes were hypnotized by the glowing shades of pink, orange, yellow and red, fading together, shining so brightly and reflecting off the water. Whenever I am near the ocean, it reminds me how small I am and how Big God is. I’m reminded that my minute problems, challenges and concerns are nothing in comparison to God’s Big plan.

On the Road

2010-01-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

The next couple of months I will be traveling the United States with a missionary family who lives in Africa. They are here to raise additional funds to bring more children into the centers they started. The children that become part of these centers are initially very malnourished, sickly and uneducated with minimal to no knowledge of a loving God.

At the centers the children’s nutritional needs are met and maintained. They immediately start feeling better from having food in their tummies, since they are used to eating one meal (consisting of corn), or less a day. They are finally able to drink clean, fresh water without traveling long distances carrying buckets on their heads, or drinking water from holes in the ground IF it rains (droughts make even that impossible).

In addition to food and water supply, the children are placed in the classroom to get the quality education they deserve. Their alternative is no school at all, or schools that have a very low education quality, with no food, no water, no toilets, etc.

As the children attend these well established centers, they are academically brought to places they never dreamed of. Most importantly, they also have the opportunity to learn about the God that Loves them so much and cares about their every need. They are taught morals, ethics, how to treat others, how to obey their parents and to value themselves as they trust in God and His love for them.

As I think of the immense amount of aid these children receive, I am reminded of a day I recently spent at one of Bobby and Lisa’s centers in Kenya named Injili. I went there to take pictures of potential future enrollment students. Upon arrival, I learned that it may not be the best day to take these pictures because there was a feeding event in the village and most of the families would be at that event. However, there were a couple of parents present with their children for me to photo. I started taking pictures of the few children that were there. By the time I was done taking those pictures, I looked outside and saw a HUGE line of parents with their children. The word got out quickly that pictures were being taken for potential enrollment. Eventually, the staff had to close the gates to stop the flow. I ended up with 144 pictures. When I came back on another occasion to finish up, there were another 100 plus children. That’s well over 200 individual hearts and precious lives just hoping for a chance.

The picture above is one of those children.

I feel thankful to have the opportunity to travel with Bobby and Lisa. Their ministry has helped hundreds of men, women and children. My hope is to learn from them and gain more knowledge about the mission field as I explore the option for myself. Helping the poverty stricken of this world has become something I am very passionate about. My prayer is that God will show me the most effective way to do that. I am excited to see what this journey will transpire!

Netting distribution in Peroni!!!

2009-10-14T03:53:00.000-07:00

Les, Simone, Paul, Job and I went to Peroni to distribute the rest of the nets. Peroni school is in Tanzania. Jim started the center there. They have 160 children. All the children sang a couple songs for us before we distributed the nets. Les had a great demonstration that she had us do while she was explaining how to use the nets and why they are important to use. She started by letting them know that mosquitoes will make them sick. She went on to demonstrate how to use the net by taking it out of the package and opening it up. Then we all held a corner of the net. She showed them to keep the net touching the floor so no mosquitoes can get in. Then she had Paul and I go under the net posing as the mom and dad under the net. She had two school children come under the net posing as the parent's children. Then Simone acted like she was a mosquito to show them that the mosquito cannot get the family under the net. However, if a section of the net is open the mosquito can get in. We demonstrated that by having Simone (the misqueto) go under the net and sting us. It was a fun illustration. The children will remember it because it was amusing to them.

Saying goodbye...

2009-10-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

I spent today saying goodbye to many of my friends. Bena and a friend of hers came with me. We started by dropping off some mosquito nets to Injili. Then we went to Bomani and said farewell to all the folks there. Ann sends her greetings to all my friends and family. She is so sweet. I let her know that she is loved by everyone at Fox River that has met her and that she is a blessing to everyone that comes to that center. She has a way of making everyone feel loved, welcome and happy to be there. I told her that she is one of the main reasons that I love going there. She got teary eyed and excused herself momentarily. She spent some time encouraging me and as always she asked how her elder sister is doing (Pat). After that visit we were off to Vipingo. I said my goodbyes there.

Once we were done visiting the centers, we stopped at home to pick up a friend named Lillian and went to Tumaini (orphanage). As always, it was a joy to spend time with the children. They are so happy, even with the rough backgrounds they come from. It amazes me every time I see them. They are a family to each other.

When my goodbyes were final at Tuamini, I dropped Lillian off and Bena’s friend. Then Bena and I went to Tuesday night Bible study. Duncan gave a wonderful message about walking with God. After the message we all went into small groups to pray. When our prayers were done, I said goodbye to my friends at Bible study. It has been such a blessing to get to know everyone there.

My final destination was right after Bible study. I met with a wonderful friend named Ninah. We sat, ordered dinner and had a great conversation together. It is a night I will not forget. I met Ninah the first year I was here in Kenya. We had limited communication; however, I feel as though I have known her for a long time and talk often. We click very well. I am grateful that I had the opportunity spend time with her before I go home.

1/2 Mosquito net distribution!!

2009-10-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago my friends sent money to me from a fundraiser they did to get mosquito netting for children here in Kenya. I was able to purchase 84 nets for single sized beds with that money.

I talked to Allen and Jim to see where the best place for the mosquito nets would be. Allen said that Injili had a baby die recently because of malaria. The area is affected with mosquitoes that cause malaria. He recommended that nets be distributed to Parents that have children 6 months and under because they are most susceptible. Jim recommended that the nets be distributed in Peroni which is anther center he started.

In addition to the 84 nets I ordered, my friend Les had family sized nets to distribute as well. We decided to combine efforts. We planned to give 80 nets to Injili and about 84 nets each to Peroni. She took 40 nets from her bunch of nets and I took 40 nets from my bunch nets for Injili. We decided to hand out the nets after the outreach at Injili on Saturday.

We had another very successful outreach on Saturday. A group of members from Nyali Crossroads and some other friends of mine headed out to Injili on Saturday morning. The staff at Injili came to volunteer for this event in addition to the Crossroads group. I thought it was really cool that we had exactly the amount of volunteers we needed for the event.

We had about 190 children there. The day went very smoothly. All the children were able to play games, learn songs, listen to a lesson, do art work and eat snacks. At the end of the outreach the children sang the songs they had been learning throughout the day. They knew the songs very well. We handed out a flyer for them to give to their parents at the end of the outreach. The flyer invited the parents to see their children sing the songs at church on Sunday. The children were to give the flyer to their parents.

Before the outreach ended, many parents began to pour in the church. These parents were coming into the church in hopes to receive a mosquito net for their young child. When the children were singing the songs they had learned in the church, the adults were waiting for the net distribution to start. One of the Injili workers named David did a closing message for the children and dismissed them orderly.

Allen and Les went in front of the church and explained the two types of mosquito nets that were being distributed. They explained how to use them and wash them. Les made sure it was clear that these nets are very important for their health and their children’s health. Les and Allen distributed the nets one by one as the adults thanked them for bringing the nets. There were still 19 parents that did not receive a net. Les had them write their names down. She plans to drop off extra nets to the ones that did not receive.

There were so many babies that came with their parents. I am thrilled to think those babies can now sleep under netting that could literally save their lives. The parents were so thankful for the distribution.

In addition to the successful distribution of nets and the successful outreach event, there is one more piece of great news. The Sunday after, the attendance jumped from 390 to 562. There were 4 salvations during that time. GOD IS GOOD and He is at WORK!

There is another amazing outcome of the mosquito net fundraiser. All the nets came with a free geometrical set. When I saw that I immediately thought of my friend Lesley. She came to Kenya from America to teach at a Primary School. She will be here for one year. Teaching is very challenging for her because there are many students in her class. One of her biggest concerns has been teaching math class. She has been wondering how she would teach geometry without the geometrical sets. This has been a burden on her heart since she came here.
Lesley and her husband Chris came to visit this weekend and help out at the outreach. When they arrived I asked Lesley how many students she has in her class. She replied, “85.” I then informed her that there were 86 geometrical sets for her and her students.

We both got chills and were so excited when we found out that the number of free geometrical sets that were with the nets, is the exact number she will need for her class. I received 86 sets, she has 85 students plus she needs one for herself. I ordered 84 mosquito nets because that was the limit of what I could order from the monies raised. They gave 86 free geometrical sets. I am just amazed at the precise work of God through his people.

Les and I will go to Peroni on Wednesday to distribute the rest of the nets.

Day 76 Changing lives

2009-10-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

I went to Bomani to take pictures of all the staff. I also talked with Abraham for a while. He told me that when many of the children first enroll in the class they have bloated stomachs due to lack of nutrition. The rest of their body is skinny, but their stomachs are large. This happens because of a lack of protein. The children generally will only have one meal a day. The meal might consist of ugali (corn) and coconut. That is not much to live on. Children cry from hunger pains. However, the children that are enrolled at this center are fed a well balanced meal. They are able to transform their physical condition due to the nutrience provided by the breakfast and lunch they receive.

In addition to the physical nutrition they receive, the children also develop good behavioral skills. Many times when a child is enrolled at New Life school, their behavior is poor. After spending time learning about God and how to live, their performance in behavior drastically changes for the good. Parents many times end up surprised at the additional chores the child will do around the house and the increase in respect they are getting from their child.

One child named Vero started to attend New Life school. Her English was greatly improved. This impressed her dad and her neighbors. They were all very surprised at how well she could speak English. Now she recites memory verses for her parents and helps out with chores around the house willingly.

Another child named Cosmas enrolled at New Life school about 2 years ago. When Cosmas started he did not know how to read or write and had very bad behavior. Now, he is within the top 3 of his class. His behavior has been changed from bad to good.

As I think of Cosmas and Vero, I also think of the other 200 plus children at the school. All of their lives have been changed for the better. I know that this school will be a great stepping stone for these children to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and hopefully for their families and community. They are able to learn, develop and grow in ways that would not be possible without the opportunity to attend here.

Poverty is a cycle that can be changed in areas where outreach is prevalent. There are enough people in this world that care and would like to help. However, the thought of it being too big of a task is a stumbling block. One life at a time is where it all starts… Without starting small, something big cannot happen. What seems small to one person means the world to another.

Changing lives is simple. We complicate it by over thinking it.

Words of wisdom from George: Most of us stop thinking about God and start thinking of ourselves. When we do that we lose focus. We rely on ourselves and others instead of God to care for our needs. However, if we think of God, we can know that he will be thinking of us and caring for our needs. He thinks of us far more than we think of ourselves and intends to provide for those with faith.

Day 75

2009-10-04T12:26:00.001-07:00

I went to Bomani’s church service today to see the children sing the songs we learned during Super Saturday. They performed very well. It was so cute watching them sing the songs! They were happy to do it. When the children finished they came outside for a group picture. Then we all went back in for the rest of the service.

I really enjoyed the service. A new speaker came in to preach today. His topic was worry. God teaches us to not worry about what we will wear or eat and so on because life is more important than food and clothing. He will provide for our needs. He used an analogy of driving in a matatu. He said when you get into a matatu, you don’t worry, you just rest and enjoy the ride. If you trust a matatu driver, then why don’t you trust God? We should enjoy our lives and rest in Him knowing that he will provide for us and care for us. When we worry about those things, our attention gets put on them instead of where it should be which is on a friendship with God.
After service some of the children and I went to Emily’s house. Emily lives in the staffing houses that Fox River Church provided for some of the teachers. We went in her house and sat down. We played games, talked, goofed around and watched TV. In the mean time, Emily cooked food for me and popcorn for the children.

After some time of hanging out, we decided to go for a walk in the village. Mbeyu wanted to purchase some potatoes for her and her friends. It was fun walking around with them.
Today has been one of my favorite days. Just hanging out with the kids is so much fun. I am especially fond of Mbeyu. She is the sweetest girl!

Day 74 SUPER Saturday in Bomani!

2009-10-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

We had another successful, well run Super Saturday. There were approximately 200 children present. They were all the students at the New Life center. Each class had two team leaders that took them from station to station. There was a craft station where they colored bookmarks. There was a lesson station where they learned a lesson about being selfish verses being generous and drew pictures while listening to the songs they have been learning. There was a game station where Simone led the children in lots of fun games! There was a parachute station led by two gentlemen from Crossroads Nyali. The parachute station is a favorite for the children. There was also a snack station. The children had biscuits and juice while practicing their songs.

Before and after the events started at each station, we taught the children a song titled Just Like Jesus and He Made the Heavens. The learned hand motions to go along with the songs so they can perform it for the church on Sunday. One of the days earlier in the week I had them practice the song so they could know it before today. When I arrived today all the kids knew the songs completely by heart already! The teachers had been teaching them throughout the week. I was just amazed when Simone and I went to review the songs with them, they knew every word and hand motion. Imagine… 200 kids singing songs in harmony! Such a beautiful sound.

We had a lot of volunteers! Some came from Nyali Crossrads church, others came from Injili and the rest were from the Bomani Center. There were well over 20 volunteers. Each volunteer had a specific assignment to do that day. They all seemed so happy by the end of the day because of the joy they brought to the children’s lives! All the kids were laughing and enjoying their time thoroughly.

At the end of the day I was talking with Cecilia. She is one of the ladies that helped in snack and leading music. She said, “Ann recruited me to come next week, too!” She expressed how much fun she had today and that she is looking forward to next week’s Super Saturday at Injili. The other ladies that were working with Cecilia agreed with what she said and will also join next week.

Day 73 Sweet boy

2009-10-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Coast General Children’s hospital with Michelle and Simone. It was great to see the kids again. One of the boys I saw last time is now in ICU. He was brought to the hospital a bit too late. We think he won’t make it because of that. If he was brought sooner he would have had a better chance to survive. Some of the parents don’t have money to bring their children to the hospital, so they take them when their child is doing really badly and then it’s too late to save the child.

Day 72 Juice store

2009-10-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

I woke up early this morning, got myself prepared for the day and went off to Mtwapa to purchase juice for the upcoming Super Saturday. The store that is in Mtwapa sells the juice for a really good price. Paul met me at a gestation and then took me to the store. We had to wait for about 30-40 minutes for the soda to be delivered. A man riding a bicycle had about 240 juices strapped to his bike. He dropped them off by us. Then he went to get the rest of the juice. There should be enough juice now for this Saturday in Bomani and the following in Ingili.

After purchasing the juice I dropped Paul off and headed to Bomani. Allen met me at Bomani and got all the teachers together. We gathered to discuss the details of Super Saturday. I let them know how the day would run on Saturday. They seem happy to volunteer for the Super Saturday event!

When we were done discussing the details all the teachers gathered their students in the church so we could practice the songs they will be learning on Saturday. However, one small detail was missing. There’s no CD player. So, I pulled up the car. The kids came outside. Then I opened the car doors, put the CD in and cranked up the music. We practiced the songs a couple times. The children are such fast learners. The teachers were eager to learn the songs as well, so they can continue teaching it to the children before Saturday. One of the teachers had me play the song while she recorded it on her cell phone. Before I left Ann fed me a wonderful meal of ugali and peas. She made sure that the cooks made a special plate just for me.

I headed off to Ingili. Allen followed behind to meet me there. When I arrived one of the teachers welcomed me warmly. We went into the school office and waited for all the teachers to gather. Six of the teachers at Ingili are coming to help in Bomani this weekend. We reviewed all the details of Saturday. Similar to the response in Bomani, the teachers seemed ambitious to volunteer for this event.

On my way home I picked up some biscuits and paper at Nakumatt for the event. When I arrived home I grabbed the ink cartridge to buy black ink since the printer is low. However, the piece broke off on top of the ink cartridge. I went to the store to buy the ink and see if the printer would work. It does not. Then I took the printer into the shop that I bought the ink from. He sent me to a place nearby that can fix the printer. I took the printer into the shop. A man told me that his son fixes the printers and he is not in at the moment. Now I am waiting to see what happens.

As I was a bit discouraged about the printer today, George offered me some good advice. He said, “Kristen, don’t worry about the computer, worry about me. The computer is replaceable, I’m not.” As I thought about his words I understood what he was trying to say. It was a good reminder to not be overly concerned with things. When I am too concerned about ‘things’ (whatever that may be), I get worried or frustrated and in turn it is easy treat others around me with a little less attention because my focus is on the ‘thing.’ However, no matter what is happening around me the way I treat people is very important because I cannot replace a moment with a person; however, I can easily replace a thing.

Day 71

2009-10-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Today I spent time getting things ready for the next Super Saturday and went to get a massage done. The massage really helped my back. I also went for a swim in the ocean.

Before bible study I went to briefly visit the kids at Tumaini. When I arrived a little girl named Hope was walking in the hallway. She was really excited, ran to me and we hugged. When I walked in the room I gave and received more hugs from the kids. One of little boys came up to me and started singing a song that he was taught during Sunday school, inviting me to sing it with him. Moments like that today are absolutely priceless. I would not trade them for anything.

Day 68 Change of plans...

2009-09-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been having some back issues. It’s been maybe a week or longer. I think it’s a muscle. This morning when I woke up it was hard to move. I think I over did it by picking up those sweet girls a couple times and walking with my backpack. My back issue got worse and I realize that is self inflicted.

Chris and Lesley offered to carry my backpack on our walk, but of course… I did not take the offer because I don’t want to make them do extra work and because ‘I can handle it.’ Hmm… sounds like a pride problem. Ha ha… and I could not help but pick up those sweet little girls when one of them was getting tired trying to make it up so many stairs, I told her to hop on my back for a piggy back ride. Then as they left, I picked one of them up off the ground as I was hugging her… I mean really… I couldn’t help it… she was just so sweet and cute!

Well, today I am paying for all that. It is hard to walk or make any movements without feeling the pain. We had plans to go hiking and visit neighbors. All of that was put on halt. I decided to go home today instead of tomorrow.

The bus ride back was pretty bumpy. Ouch! When I came home I thought it would be good to get in the pool and swim a bit because last time I swam in the ocean it really helped my back. However, the swim was of little help this time. Not sure why. Time to rest and let this thing heal!

Tomorrow I will try to stay in bed most of the day. I am an ‘on the go’ type of person… staying in one spot is quite the task for me. This will be interesting! Ha ha…

Day 67 Sweetest couple!

2009-09-28T23:21:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to the church in Vipingo to see the children perform the songs they learned from Super Saturday. They did so well and looked so cute standing up there in front of the church singing the songs. The service was good. They even had a translator come up and speak English so I could understand. How thoughtful! There was a lot of music during service. Everyone was so joyful! I just loved it.

My friends Lesley and Chris were in town because they helped out with Super Saturday. They are have come from America to live in a village called Ribe for one year. Lesley is an English and Math teacher at a primary school. Chris is an engineer working on some projects in the village. They are a wonderful couple. I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know them.

Today after service I went with them to Ribe. We took a matatu to town (Mombasa), and then a bus took us the village of Ribe. It was about an hour and a half journey. Then we took about a 20 minute walk to their house. On the way to their house we passed by Lesley’s school. There were lots of classrooms filled with desks. Her class holds about 90 students. Then I saw the office of the school and one of the friendly workers greeted me. As we continued on the walk to the house we ran into some of their friends that live in Ribe. There was this sweet old man who lives in a hut made of mud. He was so happy and welcomed me so warmly to the community.

We came up to their house as I looked up it was on top of a huge hill. The stairs were a nice workout to walk up. When we came to the top of the stairs I saw the cutest little doggy! They call him Rhino. He just kind of hangs out by the house but has no owners. He was a little scared of me at first. When he heard me talking in my high-pitched tone (dorky, I know) calling him near, he wagged his cute little tail and came over to greet me. He’s so sweet!!! Then as my attention went to the beautiful scenic view they have on that hill. WOW! You can see very far out. It’s a breathtaking scene. Mombasa is an hour drive away and I could see the city from their house.

Visitors came to the house as we were about to leave for Chris’s soccer game. There were these two little girls with their mom. I hung out with them until they had to leave later on that night. Oh my goodness… They were so sweet, smart and fun! As we walked toward the soccer game one of the girls was teaching me a bunch of Swahili words. When we came back from the soccer game we sat on the living room floor and played card games. I taught them a card trick, two card games and some other fun things. They were like sponges! I could not believe how fast they learned things. They reminded me of my niece Taylor who picks up everything super fast and can teach whatever she learned to someone else that very day. They were bright like Taylor, helpful like Taylor, talkative like Taylor and loved learning like Taylor (boy, I sure do miss Taylor). I really enjoyed my time with these girls. I sure hope I can see them again. We just clicked really well. They did not want to leave to go home! I wished they could stay longer!

Day 66

2009-09-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

About one month ago Simone mentioned that it would be fun to have a Super Saturday Outreach event at Vipingo and Bomani. I thought that was a great idea! We met with Paul at a coffee shop and started planning. Simone’s mom Michelle started gathering supplies. We made an announcement at church to find volunteers and we all started asking people we knew if they would like to help. Many of the Vipingo staff and members at Crossroads church happily committed to help out.

Today was the day! We had a very successful day. The children had so much fun. They learned songs, played games, listened to a story, worked on art projects and ate snacks. We had five stations. Two people lead each station. There were five groups of 40 kids. Each group of 40 children had 2 team leaders that stayed with them all day as the children rotated from station to station. By the end of the day all the children memorized two songs. Those songs will be performed tomorrow for their parents.

Day 65...I love these kids!!!

2009-09-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

This has been a wonderfully busy day. To start the day I went to Ingili center to take pictures of the building that is under construction. When I first came here, the building was just in the beginning stages. Now, they are almost complete! The building looks great. It will be for middle school children as the grades progress.

When I was done with the pictures, Paul and I went to purchase juice, water and sweets for the upcoming event this Saturday. We waited at the shop while the order was on its way. Then, we dropped it off at Vipingo. The children were on break while I arrived. This gave me a good chance to play with them for a while. There is this girl named Mwanamisi. She is mostly deaf.
However, I am amazed at how well she communicates. She is such a smart girl. Today she took my arm, held it out and walked her fingers up my arm. I was wondering what she was doing. Then she took me by surprise when her fingers went all the way up my arm, she went to tickle me. It was the sweetest thing! So, I did it back to her and some of the other kids. She also showed me a game that is similar to hop scotch. Then she took me by her classroom. I greeted the teachers as we went for lunch.

On my way home I stopped at the Tumaini orphanage. The children were all in school when I arrived. I spent time with baby Michelle and Lillian until the children came out to play. I am amazed at how well the staff know the children there. They treat the children so good. They know everything about the child the way a mother knows her own child.

The Tumaini Orphanage always has visitors. There are helpers that come from all over the world. I see new visitors almost every time I go there. It is wonderful to see not only how much the visitors bless the children, but also vice versa. The kids brighten up the minds of all the visitors. They are always so happy to see new people coming in. The staff and children welcome everyone. The children are a great example. They all come from a challenging and rough background. They have no family; however, it is easy to see their grateful hearts for the people that are in their lives. They love each other, the workers and the visitors. They are happy regardless of their challenging backgrounds.

The children are bright lights and reminders of how to live life to the full.

ROSIE! These are the shoes you bought for Amina! She was so happy to receive them! She was showing them off to her teachers and other classmates. It was the sweetest thing!

Just thinking....

2009-09-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

As I was standing by the ocean today, I contemplated how little I know, how much I need to learn, and how much I will not know in this life time. The universe is too vast for me to even conceive of knowing all…

I am reminded how important it is to be content in the moment that I am in. Not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Right now, this moment, is what matters the most. The past is a memory, the future is unknown, right now living to the full, is where I need to be. Wherever I am presently is where my mind ought to to be present…

Living life to the full requires keeping a grateful heart. Though I fall immeasurably short, I strive for gratefulness to be a continuous state of mind regardless of circumstance.

As is stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Be grateful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will…” and John 10:10 Jesus says, “I came that you may have life to the full.” Phillipians 4:12 says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty, or living in want.”

As I look around myself I observe many different lifestyles. While some are living in plenty and some living with next to nothing. Regardless of material possessions or lack thereof, each man has their own struggles and their own joys. What is on the inside is unseen, but is the most important. Reaching a state of contentment in all circumstances requires Gods grace and is found in noticing his goodness and living for life to come.

Day 64

2009-09-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

I was so blessed today from the kids in Bomani. I went into 4 classes to teach the children a song and a bible story. They also drew pictures at the end of the lesson. I am so proud of these kids. They learn very well and have extremely creative minds. The pictures they drew were cute! They made people, huts, animals, cars, trees and all sorts of other things. It was so adorable watching their little minds at work as they concentrated intently on their drawings.

I spoke with Anne today. She asked me about Pat as she always does! She calls Pat her sister… Anne is one of the lunch ladies at Bomani. She heads up the kitchen area. She is a very hard worker and takes much pride in her work. She makes sure everyone is fed well. She is a great host to the school! As we were talking she asked about my family. She wanted me to say hello to my family and invite them to meet my friends in Kenya. She told me to wish them all well. She asked specifically about my dad, mom, brother and sister. She offered encouraging and inspiring words.

Day 63

2009-09-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

I went to Vipingo to finish picture taking there. Upon arrival, I sat in on the teachers Bible study. The topic was about maintaining a good attitude in relationships with people, even when they may be difficult to deal with. Part of the application of the message says, “For one week treat every person you meet, without a single exception, as the most important person on earth. You will find they begin treating you the same way.” That is always a great reminder!

Shortly after Bible study I started taking pictures of the children. The Vipingo picture taking is complete with the exception of a couple absent students. There is one picture of each child holding signs that have their names written on it.

After the visit in Vipingo, George and I took a matatu into town. We stopped at the post office to pick up a package. We went to a copy store to make flyers for the Super Saturday event. I just came home a few minutes ago.

Now, I’m on my way to Tuesday night Bible study….

Day 62

2009-09-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a national holiday for the Muslims. All the children were off of school. The Tumaini children had free time to play on the beach. I met them at Joan’s house. Joan is the lady who started the Tumaini Orphanage. She lives on the beach. She loves having all the children over for fun in the sun!

While on the beach, we started a float train. The kids were on their float toys and I took Antony’s hand. He had someone grab on to him. More and more children joined the train. They floated along as I pulled them through the water. We did that almost the entire time in the water. It was a nice workout! As they were floating through the water, they saw a man surf sailing and admired him. They called him the ‘cool guy.’ It was so cute; they kept giving him thumbs up.

This afternoon I skipped jogging because of a blister on my foot. Later on in the evening I took a close look at the blister. The blister is about an inch long. I realized it needed to be cleaned out because there was a lot of dirt underneath the dead skin. However, the skin was closed up. I used a needle to cut open the skin, then a scissors to assist cutting the skin. Then I took the dirt out. Yuck!

You know... this foot thing is a lesson in and of itself. If a person has sin inside them... they can either keep it there or clean it up. If they keep the dirt (sin) there, they risk the chance of getting an infection and their problems worsening. A person can save themselves a lot of pain by removing the sin. Though it takes time, effort and perhaps a little pain to remove sin, it is worth it in the long run. If they take the time to clean out the sin... they are free from the pain getting worse and infected in the future.

Day 60... Kenya is a Beautiful Country!!

2009-09-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

I am amazed every morning I wake up and see all the beauty in Kenya. This morning I saw a beautiful sunrise. The pictures cannot describe how amazing the scene is in real life. As I was walking down to the beach, there was a camel just standing there eating leaves off a tree. I laughed because he was so cute just standing there by himself eating and I was surprised to see him there. Usually I see camels on the beach with their owner taking them around. This camel was just standing there alone. Very interesting!

Day 59

2009-09-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

My mind was distressed today as I thought of the slums. I just cannot imagine living that way. A friend offered me good advice. He told me to think of what is in front of me now because worrying about those that are thousands of miles away won’t change anything. Therefore, focus on what is in the ‘here and now.’ He said the people in the slums are not suffering in the way that I might imagine because they are used to living that way. I agree with what he is saying. We are all a product of our surroundings. Anything individuals have grown up with as the norm is exactly that; it’s normal to that person.

For me to imagine living in the slums is a different perspective than the how the people that have always lived in the slums perceive it. On the other hand, no matter how much a person is used to living in the slums, it cannot possibly be okay in my mind. Though they may not know the difference, I do know the difference. I know that there is a way to live without starvation. I know there is a way to avoid sleeping under the heat of a metal roof in 100 degree weather. I know of places to live that are not filled with garbage, dirt and mud. I have nieces and nephews that I love with all my heart and I can’t possibly imagine them having to live that way. As my sister said, “It brings me to tears just imagining what these little people go through; because I cannot even begin to imagine to have my precious babies live this way”

Needless to say, just the thought of a life with such struggles is hard to think of… I will be processing this for a long time.

Day 58

2009-09-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up to the news of Kenya. Joel Weaver informed me that thousands of individuals did not make it to work yesterday, or were late because of a new law that is being enforced. Kenyan police were instructed to crack down on defective matatu’s and busses. About 500 vehicles were impounded. Passengers were left stranded on the side of the streets. Here is a You Tube link on the news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ8E4akN7yU
I contemplated taking a plane back to Mombasa instead of the bus line, just in case! The bus company I was going with probably would have been okay and within compliance, but I decided to take a plane because it was easier and safer.

Before the plane ride home, Mary and Joel Weaver took me to do more sightseeing in Nairobi. First Mary and I grabbed a cup of coffee. Then we stopped at a beauty shop to do our nails and hair. They did great work! Mary and I also stopped at a couple of stores. I was able to find some children’s books that will help me with the Super Saturday coming up next weekend.

Mary and I had a great time together. I loved seeing the city of Nairobi. There are many beautiful buildings, plants and trees. The traffic is extremely busy and the sidewalks are filled with people. While driving on the streets, Kenyans are walking down the lanes trying to sell items such as fruits, vegetables, sunglasses, maps and many more odd items. The city is similar to major cities in the US; however, there are slums plotted all around.

Mary and Joel dropped me off at the airport. I checked in and sat in the waiting room. When the time came I loaded up with the other passengers on the plane and set off to Mombasa. The flight home was perfect. George met me at the airport when I arrived in Mombasa. We took a taxi from the airport back to home.

I really enjoyed my day today!!!!

My Girl Mercy!!!! Day 57

2009-09-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

When I stayed at Camp Lukenya a few weeks back as a counselor, I met a sweet girl named Mercy. I posted information about her in a previous blog. We have been in touch via email and phone since then. When I was on the phone with her she asked if I could come visit her. At the time I did not know if it would be possible. However, I asked Paul Weaver if he knew the school that she was at. He knew right were to take me.

We went to the Mathare Slums. Paul took me to the main offices of the school Mercy attends. He asked that one of the teachers show me around. A teacher from Mathare Community Outreach School named Douglas came to meet me. He took me on about a 10 minute walk through the slums to the school.

As we walked through the slums I observed my surroundings. Most of the housing was made of old metal scraps that are placed against each other for walls and a roof. There housing is cramped and the area is very populated. There was garbage everywhere and the smell of it was potent. The people stared at me as I walked by. White people are a minority. Children and babies were running around, some with parents nearby and some alone. Since the grounds are dirt filled with random garbage laying everywhere, the babies and children were very dirty. The Mathare slums are huge. The environment is almost inconceivable, yet thousands live in there, many of which are children.

When we arrived at the school, I was taken from class to class. There are approximately 600 children at this school all together. Each class sang a song for me and recited a memory verse. The last class I went to was Mercy’s class. I saw her sitting at her desk in the back of the room. I introduced myself to the class as they welcomed me. I went up to Mercy and gave her a big hug! We were so happy to see each other!
We spent a bit of time together on class break and during lunch break. I sat in on her class to see what school is like for them. One of the teachers taught a lesson on patience and one of them taught a lesson on science. The teachers had me do a lesson on Social Studies. The kids learned a little about the USA. They asked any question they could think of and I did my best answer. One of the children asked, “Are there any slums in America?” … My answer of course was, “No.”
On a side note, what most Americans consider to be an area of poverty in the US, the kids from these slums would consider that to be a Rich area.

Once lunch time came I was fed ugali and scuma. It’s my favorite African meal. The teachers and I all sat in their office room as we ate. When I was finished I went outside to find Mercy again and spend time with the other kids. Many of the children would just come up to touch me, or to feel my hair. They are not used to seeing white people. There was this little girl in a purple dress that followed me around. She was so sweet and cute! I loved spending time with her.
The children asked if I was going to play games with them after lunch; however, I had to get going back. I said goodbye to Mercy and gave her another big hug. Than Douglas walked me back to the main office to meet back up with Paul. Douglas was a very kind gentleman. I thanked him sincerely for the tour.

I am so thankful that Paul took me to see Mercy! Seeing her was the highlight of this month. She is so sweet. It’s hard for me to see where she lives. I wonder where she sleeps. My assumption is on the dirt ground between the walls of scrap metal and under a metal roof. Oh, I cringe at the thought. My stomach is churning as I contemplate what her life must be like. Yet she is so graceful, humble and thankful.

This is a website of the Mathare Community Outreach School. They are dedicated to reaching out and helping children in the slums. Mercy is one of the children that is being helped by this school! http://matharevalley.org/

Day 56 continues...

2009-09-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

Once the tour of the elephant orphanage was complete we grabbed a bite to eat, we were off to another slum. We visited a children’s home called Shangilia that is located within this slum.

We took a look at the classes, the office and play area. The kids all knew who Paul was. Their faces light up when they saw him. They were so excited. We played with them for a while. I enjoyed every moment spent with the children. It was priceless.

The director, Jappheth Njena told me a bit about Shangilia. These children are either, orphaned, abused or have been living on the streets within the slums. They are in rough shape when they arrive. They are used to being verbally or physically abused living in a world of hate and distress. Psychologically they are in poor condition. Their behavior is poor at first. However, as time goes on and the children figure out they are in a safe place with individuals that care about their wellbeing, their behavior starts to improve.

The school has over 100 children residing there. These children are a testimony to potential that exists within the world of poverty. Many of them are trained in acrobatics. The website states, “Twenty-three children gave their first public performance before a capacity audience in Nairobi's National Theatre on the eve of 12th July 1994. The occasion was on the visit to Kenya of Four members of the United Nation's Commitee of Ten (established to monitor the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). The children's exuberant performance culminated in the building of a human pyramid from the top of which Kamau, wearing filthy tattered clothing, proclaiming the Rights of the Child. Shangilia was born with a standing ovation and the children went on to perform in schools and churches all over Kenya under the tutelage of Kenya's late popular actress, Anne Wanjugu. The children have since taken their show to Germany, Thailand, China, Zanzibar, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mayote, Greece and the USA.” http://www.shangilia.org/

Elephant Orphanage

2009-09-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

After visiting the first slum, we went to a baby elephant orphanage. It’s the coolest place! They have 27 baby elephants and one baby black rhino. All of the elephants and the rhino were fed through a large bottle. The elephants were very playful and cute. One of the workers told us the story of each orphaned elephant. Elephants are very emotional animals, so it is hard for them to lose their parents. They can actually go through a depression. Many elephants will remember their family for life. Much of the time they are orphaned due to poaching.

A baby elephant needs its mother’s milk for two years in order to survive. The elephant orphanage saves the lives of these elephants by caring for them and feeding them the first couple years of their life. They eventually release the elephant back into the wild once the elephant is ready to survive on its own.

Here is a quote from their website, “Our Aim:- The aim of our Orphans' Project, is to rear the orphaned elephants in such a way that they grow up psychologically sound so that in the fullness of time they can be returned where they rightly belong, amongst the wild elephant community of Tsavo National Park, there to enjoy the quality of life as wild elephants that is their birthright.” http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/index.asp

The visit there was wonderful. I loved hearing the stories of the elephants and the baby rhino. I never imagined going to an elephant orphanage…. How cool is that!

Day 56 the slums....

2009-09-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

Paul Weaver took me to Nairobi today. Our first stop was at one of the many slums. We stopped in a couple of classes. The kid recognized Paul because some of them know him from Camp Lukenya. They smiled from ear to ear upon his arrival. Paul introduced me to a couple people and the classes. The children sang a special song for us. It was most precious.

This is the first slum I have seen. Before my visit, the closest thing I had seen to a slum was from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. My expectations fell short of just how difficult it must be to live there. I looked at a sweet little baby boy and girl standing outside alone. I saw darling faces of children in the classroom. I could hardly take in the reality of it all. These precious children have no choice but to live in the slum. Unfortunately, they have no choice of where they were born. Therefore, they are stuck in the slums with little chance to develop their minds and bodies to their full potential.

Many times I have asked myself… “Why was I so privileged to be born outside of poverty?” I’m no better, no worse than that child who was born there. My life is not more valuable or important than theirs, yet I have physical comfort and my words will be heard in this world while most of their voices will be hidden in the depths of poverty. Their voices are covered under a blanket that most won’t dare lift up to look under. After all, as I had thought for many years… it’s too difficult to conceive of the hardships they suffer. The problem of poverty is too big. How can one person actually make a difference? I can see now that one person can make a huge difference.

Here is a thought to contemplate: A rich man who is foolish will state his opinion loud and clear. His voice will be heard by the public and admired by many. A poor man who is full of wisdom will state his opinion loud and clear. His voice will not be heard by the public and his opinion will be dismissed.

I am humbled at the thought that it could have been me born into poverty. The thought brings a whole new level of gratefulness…

Day 55

2009-09-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

I have an opportunity to visit Nairobi because of a wonderful family that I met a few weeks ago; Mary, Joel and Paul Weaver. They are missionaries that run Camp Lukenya. I was a counselor at their camp for about a week in August. Recently, I asked if it would be possible for them to take me on a tour of Nairobi. They welcomed me warmly. They are going to show me the city of Nairobi and the slums in Nairobi.

Here is a link to their Camp Lukenya website. The camp is an extremely well run operation and reaches out to so many youth. http://www.lukenyaministries.org/

This morning I woke up and made my final preparations for the trip to Nairobi. Michelle picked me up and kindly dropped me off at the busstation. I was not sure where to wait, so I just sat down on the steps of the purchasing office to wait for the bus. As I was sitting there, a man came up to me and showed me where the bus waiting station was. Since I did not know him, I confirmed this with a man at the busstation before I went into the waiting room. Not long after getting seated in the waiting station, the bus was ready to load. The bus was really nice. I felt comfortable and enjoyed the music, movie and TV shows they had playing. The bus trip started at 10am. I arrived at my destination around 5pm.

Joel picked me up at a stop near a University. Joel and Mary were very welcoming and showed me the nice room I’d be staying in. Mary took me on a four wheeler ride just outside of their property. We hadan amazing time! We saw giraffes, zebras, ostriches, gazelles, crowned crane birds and cows. There were a lot of animals out. When we saw the crowned crane birds, we stopped to take a walk. While on the walk we saw a few more giraffes. During our trip back we saw many more animals. I was so pleased! It was like a mini safari.

To view a picture of a crowned crane bird visit; http://www.kenyabirds.org.uk/crowned_crane.htm

Day 54

2009-09-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

During church service today I was helping out with Kids on Track as usual. After service was through, all the parents came to pick up their children. I started talking with David. He is one of the kid’s teachers during Sunday school. He said some encouraging words. When he found out I am leaving in October, he looked at me shocked and asked why. He thought I should stay longer. He said that me being there and helping out with the children is planting seeds. He assured me that the children have great memories and they will remember me, or anyone else that helpes out.

Listening to him say that was perfect timing because I have met so many kids that it’s been hard to form close relationships with many of them. I wish that I could. However, I know I’ll only be here for a little while. Building strong relationships requires time. Needless to say, his words of encouragement and gratitude went a long way.

I am reminded of a friend that helped me when I was a younger. Her name is Sandi Brown. She was an adult and I was a teenager. At this point of my life I was going through some difficulties. Besides that, the teenage years are awkward years in general. I remember Sandi as a gentle, kind and caring friend. She took the time to reach out to me and my sister by spending time with us and guiding us with her knowledge. The time she spent with me is something I will never forget. Having her for a friend made such a difference in my life. I really looked up to her and felt privileged that an adult would take the time to notice that I needed someone to turn to. I look back with so much gratitude towards her.

Thinking of this helps me consider how much it means to little ones or teens when adults reach out to them. To us adults it may seem small to notice and spend time with, have meaningful conversations with them; however, to that child or teen, it can change their lives. They will remember it forever. They will feel special that an adult cares to know about their lives.

Another thought to ponder was brought up when I was talking with Paul. We were on another jog today. At the end of the jog we started talking about water because of a nearby pond. He said that in some village's when people would see the pond water, they would be so happy because it’s water they consider to be clean. (It's water that I do not think is clean and would not swim in).

Paul said that the 1 liter bottle of water I was holding would be shared by an entire family. The water would go a long way. Water is a precious commodity. In many villages they would wait for a rain and use the water that puddles up in the dirt roads. That’s the only water they had available sometimes.

This sure does make me think of how much I take advantage of a precious gift. Usually I go to the sink and wash dishes without thinking twice about turning off the water between dishes. I take semi long showers. I drink a lot of water. Basically, I use water without even thinking of it. While some individuals have so little they have to wait for a rain to get water. They are thankful for that water, even though it may be dirty once it hits the ground. Some have to walk very far distances to find water. Then they have to carry it back home in whatever container is available.

WOW! Personally I’ve never had to struggle in such a way. However, I know I can be more appreciative and resourceful ~ Just from the thought of a lack of water.

On the way home...

2009-09-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

This little boy's name is Antony. He is just the sweeeeeeetest thing! Oh man, I love him. He is in the matatu with all the other Tumaini children. They are heading back to the orphanage after a perfect day on the beach.

Day 53

2009-09-13T11:48:00.000-07:00

To start the day I was filled with excitement and anticipation. Some friends and I planned to take the Tumaini (orphanage) children to the beach. Before the beach, I went to the store to purchase a few things. While I was in the store, I saw fun beach toys for the children and bought a variety to bring to the beach.

My friend Patricia met me at the store. We headed to the orphanage to follow the children to Joan’s house. When I arrived at the orphanage, my friend Jessica called me to see if I could come pick her and two of her friends up to join. So, Patricia and I left to pick her up. By the time we got back to the orphanage, all the children were waiting in the matatu to head out to the beach. We followed the driver to Joan’s house.

When we arrived at Joan’s, she welcomed us warmly to her house. The children changed into their swim suits and we headed to the beach. They ran quickly to the water. When I handed out the toys all the children were so excited! They dug in the beach bag to find something they wanted to play with. We splashed and played for a couple hours. One of the boys named Meshack thought it would be funny to dump buckets of water over my head. So, he did just that. He dumped about 10 or 15 buckets of water on me. He thought it was quite entertaining. And it was! He is so cute.

Once we were done on the beach, Joan brought out biscuits, popcorn and juice for all to snack on. The children and the helpers all ate to their hearts content. They were very well behaved. After snack time, Jessica organized a couple of games for us to play. We played a bit of soccer, volley ball and other random games. We had so much fun!

What an absolutely outstanding day! The Tumaini children capture my heart so genuinely. I think today is one of my favorite days here. Then again, thus far I have 53 favorite days here. I’m loving every bit of my time.

Day 52 Just wonderful...

2009-09-11T21:44:00.000-07:00

I woke up, looked at the beautiful ocean, ate oatmeal, drank coffee and set out to Vipingo for more picture taking. Once picture time was done, Paul and I took his motorbike to town and purchased my bus ticket to Lukenya.

I leave on Monday morning to go to Lukenya (near Nairobi). I will be there for a few days to see the slums and other parts of Nairobi. I look forward to the adventure!

Speaking of adventure… I had an amazing one today. We went to the forest for a jog and bike ride. I had such a good time absorbing the beautiful nature and creatures surrounding.

Day 51

2009-09-10T12:03:00.001-07:00

Before my planned trip to the hospital, woke up with the urge to go jogging. First, I had a wonderful and necessary chat with my friend Kate via facebook. Then, I went out on the streets of Nyali for a jog. By the time I was finished I felt faint because of the heat. Regardless of the exhaustion, I loved every second!

Michelle and Simone came to pick me up after the jog. We headed out to visit a children’s hospital. Michelle and Simone play an extremely important role in helping many of the children at this hospital. I was so happy to go there with them.

The first room we went to had a few cancer patients. The children and parents welcomed us warmly with smiles and handshakes. As we started mingle with the children, I saw one child that made a balloon with a plastic glove. He popped one of the finger holes and tied it up to keep the air in. While standing in the room we all started to play with the balloon by hitting it in the air to each other. I was amazed at how much cheerfulness the children showed by something so simple. Their faces light up as they smiled and laughed the entire time. They could do that for hours and be in high spirits because most of their time is spent sitting in the hospital room feeling sick. When visitors come it’s something very special to them and their moms.

One of the boys I met was just admitted a week ago. His body is terribly skinny. I could wrap my pointer finger and my thumb around the top part of his arm with my fingers easily touching. When I went to give him a hug, I felt his rib cage. He is literally skin and bones. He has a lump sticking out from his throat that is about half the size of a tennis ball. This boy suffers from leukemia. I wonder how long he will survive… Children should not have to suffer in such a way. I hope they can save him; however, many of these children’s lives do not have a happy ending.

Day 50

2009-09-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today Simone and I went to Bomani to take pictures of all the children. Each child held their name on a board and posed for a picture. They did really well. The staff enjoyed having us there. They are anticipating the next visit.

Day 48

2009-09-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

I’m feeling discouraged today because I want so badly to help children that need hope. I took another 129 pictures in Ingili of children that just really want to be in school and get a decent meal. Knowing of their sufferings is a hard pill to swallow. I wish they could all be helped.

I also felt very homesick today. As I read my brothers words from a journal he gave me, my spirits started to become lifted. I needed to hear what he had to say. I needed to feel like I was at home again.

Time well spent

2009-09-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Day 46 ~ Unforgettable

2009-09-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Hello Grandma and Grandpa!

2009-09-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

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

Day 44

2009-09-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

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.

Day 43

2009-09-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

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!!!

Day 42

2009-09-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Precious Child

2009-09-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

African thunderstorm

2009-09-01T18:45:00.000-07:00

http://videos.komando.com/2009/06/18/african-thunderstorm/

Art Work

2009-09-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hmmm.... perhaps this child should be giving me art lessons! :) Talented child....

Simone & Mercy!!!

2009-09-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

You can read about Mercy on Day 35. She has an amazing story. She almost died. Now she is happy and well!!!

Story Time!

2009-09-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Day 41

2009-09-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-01T10:24:00.001-07:00

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.’

Day 39

2009-09-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Day 38

2009-08-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up early to take George (the housekeeper) to the church. He needed to drop off some speakers for his son’s wedding tomorrow. When we came back home, Bobby and Lisa were there to pick me up. Today is there day to say goodbye to everyone before they go on their 6 month leave to the states. We drove to their two centers so they could see everyone one last time.

First, we arrived in Bomani. All the students came into the church building and sat down. The staff and faculty followed. Bobby brought a huge kids book to read a story to the children. The pictures captured the children’s attention as they listened intently to the story. When the story ended, Bobby said goodbye to the children. They went back to their classes.

Bobby ended by having a meeting with the staff. He told them how much they are valued and necessary for the school to function. He told them the vision of the school and feeding center is to share the Love of God with the children and their families. Bobby said he thinks each person there was placed there by God and they all have a special meaning there. He told them that they now have the money to build a new building. The foundation will hold four rooms and have capacity to build a second level on it. They were happy to hear the encouraging words and exciting news. As Bobby closed the meeting he could not contain his tears and asked Pastor Allen to say a prayer.

After Bomani we went off to Injili. This center was started before Bomani. They are also in construction putting up a new building that will be a high school. When we arrived at Injili we had a warm welcome from the teachers. Bobby, Lisa, Allen and I went into a room where all the children were sitting. Bobby did the same lesson there as he did in Bomani. The children were very receptive. The staff meeting went well too. I could tell that it’s hard for the staff to see Bobby and Lisa go. One of the staff member said that before working at Injili, she was depressed and had a difficult life. Now that she is working there, her life has improved in a huge way and she is happy. She gave Bobby and Lisa a special appreciation for how much they mean to her and the rest of the staff. Then she gave them a present from the staff and students. It was a very special moment and hard for me not to cry… so I did. Bobby and Lisa were both crying too.

These goodbyes were very special and very difficult for Bobby and Lisa. They had such a good year at the centers. They said they really struggle saying bye to everyone. As we were leaving Injili we heard the children thanking their teachers, pastors, and supporters for their education. They repeat their gratitude before each prayer. I love seeing the grateful hearts they have. The children do not take their education and care for granted. It’s the sweetest thing.

When we returned from the centers, I took George to run more errands for the wedding. When we went to pick up the soda a boy was standing outside the vehicle with a bucket. He just stood there and stared at me. He wanted money. George knew the fella and said that he does that to get drug money. It’s hard to think of a teenage boy living in Africa going from car to car in hopes for money that he will use on drugs. I wonder how he came to that point in his life. Did he have a hard childhood? What are his parents like? Did his friends influence him in a negative way? What could he be doing with his life if he chose differently? Will he change? What would make him consider change? What would motivate him to live a better life? Will he continue this cycle until he is old?

Day 37

2009-08-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

There are so many outreach programs in Kenya. Today I just went to another orphanage. There are over 30 children there. The ages range from 1 to 17. The orphanage has been there since 2004. There are three floors. The school and playground are on the first level. The second floor has a living room, dining area and kitchen. Upstairs are the bedrooms. There is a boy’s room, a girl’s room, and a volunteer room. All the rooms are filled with multiple bunk beds.

Upon arriving at the orphanage, the children gave me a warm welcome because they remembered me from Super Saturday’s (VBS). They started singing the songs inviting me in to sing with them. We went to the living room to sing the songs and do the hand motions. It was the sweetest thing!

Today was shopping day for class 1. They get to go once every 3 months to town and shop. We drove in the orphanage matatu to town. The streets are packed. The matatu’s, trucks and motor bikes are inches away from each other. Men are standing on the roads, walking up to cars trying to sell apples, sugar cane, potatoes and other types of fresh vegetables or fruits. When people cross the road, it looks like they are going to get hit because they are so close to the vehicles.

When we arrived at the shopping area, the driver dropped us off on the sidewalk. The shopping area is extremely crowded. Outside the shops people set up food, clothes, shoes, etc. to be sold. Since I am a mzungu (white person), everywhere we went people stared and followed. There were 10 children and 4 adults in our group. The adults told me that they try to charge them more because when they see white people, they see money. They automatically charge extra when whites are present in the group. They had to do a lot of bartering to buy the children shoes, sunglasses and hairpieces. One of the sellers said, “You have a mzungu with you, but you have no money?” They don’t believe that.

The shopping experience was great for me and the children. Though the children remembered me from Super Saturday’s (VBS), the shopping was a great way to get to know them. We had to take a careful eye to make sure the children stayed nearby.

These children are so blessed to be in the orphanage. Without it, they would not be able to survive or, they may be in a very bad place.

Day 36

2009-08-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

Another wonderful day at Vipingo… Simone and I went to Vipingo to spend time teaching the children songs, art and a bible lesson. We arrived with a warm welcome from the teachers and students. Class 1 responded very well to the message of creation. They were very interactive. Every child loved learning the songs. They learn hand motions to the songs very quickly. By the second time we sing the song, they know the words and motions pretty well. I’m very impressed. When I make eye contact with the kids and smile at them during the song, they are reassured that they are learning the song well. Their joyful returned smile lights up the entire room.

During break time today, I picked up the cutest little girl! We went to sit down next to some other girls. She stayed cuddled up in my lap. I had so much fun making faces with her, tickling her and looking at her beautiful face. A few children surrounded us to play with my hair. My hair is fun for them to feel.

They like spending time with a white person because it is out of the norm. It’s important for the children to know that people of a different color are really the same as they are. As Paul put it so eloquently, “I desire for our kids to just have in mind that in this world there is only one race and it is human race, and the only difference between human race is that there are good ones and bad ones.”

Day 35

2009-08-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

This morning I awoke with butterflies in my belly as I mentally prepared to teach two classes a song, read a bible story and draw pictures. We started with the song. The song is from the songs I have taught the kids at church on Super Saturdays (VBS) are the songs I’m using to teach the kids. There are fun hand motions for them to learn. The kids just love it.

After the song I used a children’s Bible that a dear friend from back home gave to me. We started at the beginning of the Bible about Gods creation. The main message I wanted to give them is that God loves them. Out of everything God created he loves his children the most. He loves his children more than the galaxies, more than the mountains, more than the birds and more than the flowers…When the story was complete I had them draw pictures of Gods creations. They are very creative.

After class I saw a girl named Mercy that attends the school in Vipingo. She has a very interesting story. Mercy has a difficult medical condition to live with. She has too much fluid in her head. Because of the additional fluid, her head is very large. This condition has caused Mercy very many problems.

She used to go to a school that was much further away than Vipingo. She had problems walking there. While walking she would fall over and hurt herself. She felt dizzy and was in pain with headaches. She would vomit often. The school that she was attending was very difficult to learn in especially with her condition. The classes hold an average of 100 students per class with only one teacher. The school does classes in shifts because there are so many children in one class. The teacher gets very tired because of the long hard day at work.

Paul is the head teacher in Vipingo’s school. He also is the children’s pastor for the church that has been started there. He noticed that Mercy was having difficulties getting to school and learning in the school she was attending. He observed that she could not walk far distances without being in pain and falling over. When he saw her struggles he decided to place her in the Vipingo School that he leads. She started attending there about 1 year ago. This switch helped her a lot because she did not have to walk a far distance to school anymore and she could learn in class because the learning conditions are so much better. She went from a class of about 100 students to a class of 35 students. She is getting fed well. She has teachers that love her and care deeply for her.

Paul knew that Mercy needed to see a doctor. He brought a doctor into school to evaluate her problem. The doctor recommended that she go to the hospital for an examination. This examination normally costs 15,000 schillings; however, out of the doctors kind heart he only charged 7,000 schillings. Jim, who is the missionary that started the school, paid the 7,000 schillings for the exam.

The exam determined that Mercy needed to go in for an operation. The operation would entail putting a tube in her head to tell the excess fluid where to go. This surgery cost 150,000 shillings. Mercy’s family cannot afford to pay for this surgery. A group from a church in Texas saw Mercy’s need and decided to raise the money for her surgery. They raised the 150,000 shillings and sent it here to Kenya. Jim also donated 150,000 schillings. The left over funds are needed for Mercy’s follow up appointments. Some of the funds were also used to purchase a bed for Mercy to sleep in, food and other daily necessities.

The successful operation took place in April. Since that time she has felt much better. She no longer falls when she walks. She smiles. She can run. She used to write very slowly; however, she now has the ability to write faster. Paul said that it makes him happy when Mercy is running, playing and smiling. Before the surgery she was in constant pain; therefore she smiled very little. She could not run at all. She would watch other children play, but could not do so herself. The doctor stated that if she did not have this operation it is very likely she would have died.

Mercy has a chance to enjoy her life because the outreach of those who noticed her problem.

Day 33

2009-08-26T11:05:00.001-07:00

I am doing my devotional and learning a little bit about myself. The book Experiencing God says, “We are a doing people. We feel worthless or useless when we are not busy doing something. The scripture leads us to understand that God is saying, ‘I want you to love me above everything else. When you are in a love relationship with Me, you have everything there is.” To be loved by God is the highest relationship, the highest achievement, and the highest position in life.”

Well, the first part of that statement describes me to a T. When I’m not ‘doing’ something, I feel useless and without purpose. So, I always strive for something to do. However, to be loved by God and to Love God is my purpose on earth. No matter what I am ‘doing’ my purpose is to remain in his love. Without love God nothing would exist. If my highest calling and my best achievement in life is to form a relationship with God, I need to change my direction of striving to Him. Therefore, instead of striving to just 'do', strive to know Him, commit my heart to Him.

Day 32

2009-08-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today I started talking to a nice man at church. He’s in Bible College. He told me how much he loves Americans. He said that Americans are so nice and generous and do wonderful things for people. They bring peace to other places and help out so much. The Bible College that he attends is paid for by Americans. He was very thankful that people he does not even know care enough to pay for his education.

Sunday at Crossroads

2009-08-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

The children at Crossroads did a fantastic job performing in front of the congregation today! We practiced for this the last 4 Saturday's. I hope they are proud. :)

Day 31

2009-08-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Oh my! We had another fantastic day at camp today. The day started with music and church. During the music the teens dance to the rhythm. During service, they listened to an inspiring message about accomplishing good things for God if they allow God to use them. Bobby challenged them to start thinking about their future and what goals they would like to attain.

After service we had a short free time before lunch. When lunch ended we had teen and counselor time. The counselors and I acted out a skit for the girls to start a discussion on the dangers of taking things from strangers. The girls loved the skit. They reenacted it themselves and I hope the message stuck in their minds so that they do not trust a stranger that may bring harm into their lives. I hope this message was a good reminder for the girls. (To my dismay, there are problems here that I was unaware of. I just found out yesterday that many girls get pregnant at very young ages here. Some of them are as young as 11 years old. This is a huge problem).

One of the last games we played at the end of the day was a relay obstacle course. There were 2 teams with 20 players. They each had to jump rope a total of 10 times, and then they went to the next station to pick up a potato with a spoon and carried it on the spoon for about 100 feet. The next obstacle was climbing up the netted rope to reach the platform of the play set and then off to the monkey bars. Once they ran to their next station, they had to stick their head into a bucket of flower to find a piece of candy with their mouths and then they had to blow up two balloons until they popped. Each person collected a treat as they completed each obstacle. Whatever team ended up with the most pieces of candy won the game.

They loved the game! It was so funny looking at their faces covered in flower and trying to blow up balloons. I know that this entire camp meant the world to them. Everywhere I looked there were teens smiling, laughing and creating friendships.

Fox River Church ~ I hope you know...

2009-08-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

Do you know how much your support means to the kids in Kenya? Your outreach is reaching not only helping the children, but also the teens. This week we are having youth camp at Bomani New Life Center. The teens are having so much fun! They sit in on church services, spend time with counselors, play LOTS of fun games, eat tasty food and build special relationships. As I was talking with Pastor Allen today, he started explaining how much this camp means to the teens. What struck me the most was that he said, “This is a life time opportunity for the teens.” A LIFE TIME OPPORTUNITY! Wow, that is a powerful statement.

Please know that your support goes a long way. There are so many amazing things happening here. Lives are changing for the better. There are 71 teens at this camp. That means 71 lives are touched. 71 people will be dreaming of the experience they had at camp all year long and looking forward to the next one. I wish you could see firsthand the joy these wonderful young adults are experiencing.

ASANTE SANA ~ Thank you so much

Dy 27

2009-08-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

I made it through the traffic, driving on the opposite side today! Yay! Boy, I’ll have to get used to that. Driving on the right hand side of the vehicle and in the left lane instead of the right is weird. The roads are full of random cars and people popping out from everywhere... Ha, ha. It was fun. I found my way to the orphanage after detailed instructions from Bobby and Lisa.

Jim and Susie are on their way back to the states. They left this morning around 6:30. Jim stopped at the doctors in Nairobi and was assured that he should make it in time to the states for his surgery. We hope that is accurate. Keep praying!

A letter I will treasure forever....

2009-08-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

Day 26

2009-08-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

Jim and Susie are about to leave tomorrow morning... Next week I'm already booked up. Paul and I are going to Bomani for a youth camp. I will pick him up in Mtwapa (sp?) and we'll go there together. Hmm... I still don't know my way around here. Still have to learn to drive on the other side of the street. Well, this will be interesting being here 'alone' so to speak. It will be good for me. I am usually most effective and learn the most when I'm pushed into a situation and under pressure. Really... it sounds weird, but true. I will miss Jim and Susie dearly. I sure hope they make it back into the states safely and Jim makes it to his surgery on time.

Today I am going to church with Lisa. She is going to pick me up at 10:15. This is Jim's last Sunday to preach and will be the first sermon I have watched since I came here. Each Sunday I greet people and help with the kids. This Sunday I decided to enjoy the service. However, I will have to leave for a little bit because the kids need to learn their hand motions to the songs. The children’s music teacher and I teach them each Saturday and on Sundays. Next Sunday the kids will perform in front of the church. Yay! That will be fun.

I love you all and miss you!!

Day 24 ~ Sooo fun!

2009-08-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

I woke up feeling refreshed and excited to spend another day in Kenya. Victor (the family dog) and I went for a nice jog on the beach. Then, I did some studies and went for a swim. After the swim we went to lunch to celebrate Jim and Susie’s friend’s birthday. Right after lunch, Lisa and I went to get out nails done!

Lisa has a friend named Joy that just opened a business. She does reflexology, pedicures and manicures. We decided to support her new business and get pedicures. She does great work! Her shop is very cute. I intend to go back while I’m here.

After the pedicures, we went to see a movie called The Proposal. The movie was a hilarious! This was my first time in a Kenyan theatre. Before the movie they play their national anthem and everyone stands up for it. I highly recommend seeing that movie if you have not already…

Back from Camp Day 24

2009-08-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

Jim Susie and I are back from Camp Lukenya. While I was at camp, they went to Nairobi for a doctor appointment. Jim found out some good news and bad news. The good news is his cancer has not grown. That’s wonderful!!! The bad news is he needs surgery due to post-operative scar tissue around his bladder and urethra. This could get very serious if he is not operated on right away. The doctor suggested that he go back to the states within a week or two to go through the surgery, unless he gets the surgery done in Nairobi. The surgery would be much safer to have done in the states. Right now they are gathering more information from doctors and are in the planning stages of getting the surgery scheduled. Please keep this in your prayers.

Camp Lukenya was great. There were 80-90 teenagers there. The teens came from school groups and church groups. The camp is set up with cabins and bunk beds in the cabins. Camp Lukenya had counselors for the teens, games, homemade food, church and devotional time. I helped out as a counselor during my time there.

The teens and counselors were split up equally to create two teams. Some games were active outdoor games, other games were indoors. There was a hike scheduled for everyone to climb a mountain. The teens loved that! From what I hear there was an amazing scene on top of the mountain. I went up part of the mountain; however, one of the girls was not feeling very well due to a medical issue. We climbed back down and waited for the group. She was such a sweet girl. I’m thankful for the time we spent together.

Once the group returned, we found out the bus that drove us there was broken down. The group started to walk back to the camp grounds. Since there were so many girls in the group, each counselor took a small group of girls to watch over as we crossed the road. My group of girls was walking next to me as we chatted and sang songs. Two of the girls started to argue. Their names are Mercy and Lillian. I could not tell what they were saying because most of this particular conversation was in Swahili.

Lillian stayed by my side as Mercy drifted off in the back after there dispute. I was concerned about Mercy because it seemed as if her feelings were hurt by something Lillian said. I went up to Mercy, held her hand and asked her if she was okay. She started to cry. The argument hurt her feelings. Mercy and I found a spot to sit once we came back to the camp. She poured her heart out. However, it was not about the argument, it was about her family life. She was crying and in a lot of pain due to her difficult situation. We hugged for a long time as I tried to comfort her dear heart.

Many of the girls there have come from a very rough background. The camp was good for them to learn about God and how He can help them through their problems. Honestly, I have no idea how they make it through without God. In addition to their problems, they have a lot of pressure to do well in school. They have to take a test to get into high school. If they do not pass, they can't get into high school. Some of the girls get so much pressure from their family to pass, they end up in a deep depression.

My time at camp was not only spent with wonderful teens, but also with the amazingly trained counselors. They are very good at their jobs. The counselors are trained to help these girls and they do a spectacular job helping and teaching the girls. One girl I met in particular is named Courtney. She is from the Birmingham in the states! YAY! We will be in touch. Courtney and I connected right away. We exchanged stories and had a great time getting to know each other. I am so thankful to have met her. She is a gem. Courtney has one of those personalities that shine from a million miles away. I’m excited to continue a friendship with her!

Day 19

2009-08-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

Is it really day 19? Wow! That’s awesome! This morning I went to Crossroads church. I wiped down chairs, greeted guests, taught children hand motions to songs, and helped out during Sunday school. It was a lot of fun. Now, I am going to take a swim.

Tomorrow I will be heading out to Youth camp in Nairobi. I’ll be out of touch for about a week. Please pray for safety and for the youth to learn good lessons.

Thanks!

Day 18

2009-08-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

Life is wonderful! Tonight I felt the ocean breeze as I was looking at the moonlight water. I absorbed every second. Life is full of amazing moments that cannot be described with words. It’s so easy to live a busy life and not take in what’s happening around us. Today I tried to notice and capture all the things happening around me. I looked for meaningful, joyful and loving things.

As I was helping out at Super Saturday (equivalent to VBS), I paid special attention to the children’s reactions. Some kids were shy and kept their true selves inward. Some let their characters shine. I caught very many genuine smiles and lots of laughter. Laughter and smiles are some of my favorite things in life. I like to catch a glimpse of as many smiles as possible in a day. The more smiles I spread the more that come back. The best moments I captured today were moments of watching individuals care for each other with hugs, touches, words and looks.

James at the airport with Auntie Kristen

2009-08-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

Fox River Sunday School Class!

2009-08-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

6 Boys sitting on Dad's truck

2009-08-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Dad, Daughter and Dylan

2009-08-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

My sister is the best! Love you Karla!

2009-08-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

My wonderful family

2009-08-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Thinking of you brother...

2009-08-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

Day 17

2009-08-07T01:04:00.000-07:00

Today the power has been turned off. There has been a drought in Kenya; therefore they need to conserve energy. All of the power is off until night time. This may happen every day for a while.

This morning as reading my bible study material I came across a scripture that I struggle with. Matthew 6:31-33 says, “Don’t worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough cloths to wear. Isn’t life more than food and you body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you more valuable than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about clothing?... So don’t worry about these things, saying ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

I understand the concept of this verse; however, I wonder how this applies to those who live in poverty. I look at pictures of my nieces and nephews and think of how much I love them. Then I see pictures in my mind of some of the little children I've met here in Kenya living in poverty. They are just as precious to God as my nieces and nephews. God loves them with a deeper love than I can imagine. I struggle with the idea of how they live. I wonder why it has to be like that for them. The thought of a child crying because he or she is hungry just crushes me. Or thinking of the little huts they live in. These children are talented and smart, but not all of them have an opportunity to develop their skills and talents because of a lack of resources.

The beginning of the verse says not to worry about everyday life and that life is more important than your body and clothing. The verse goes on to say that God provides for the birds and will also provide for humans because we are even more special to him. Worrying about food, clothes and so on won’t add any time to life; therefore, it is useless. At the end the verse concludes to seek God first and he will give all that we need. My struggle and question is about those that don’t get what they need. What about the children that dies from starvation? What about the mom that has to deal with her child being sick without medical care? What about the dad that knows he cannot provide a house for his family? The only conclusion I can come to with this verse is summed up with the words, “Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?” In other words, even though not everyone has the luxury of food, clothing and shelter, life itself is more important. And during this life we prepare for eternity. 2 Corinthians 4:18 states, “So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (Thanks for this verse Deb F.)

Life here on earth is so easy to focus on circumstances and things such as food, clothes and shelter, but God has a much bigger vision and wants me to see it. If I am only focused only on our circumstances, it’s a distraction in preparing me for eternity. Perhaps that scripture is a testament that even though some may end up with nothing in a physical sense, they have something wonderful called life, to prepare for eternity.

A verse that comforts me is, “God blesses those who are poor and realizes their need for him, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Thanks Kurt K. for this verse) Because of this verse, I can know that the poor who suffer on earth have something wonderful to look forward to.

Day 16

2009-08-06T12:31:00.001-07:00

Today I went to Bomani and worked in the kitchen with the cooks. They are very hard workers. The kitchen staff starts work fairly early. They have to cook for over 150 kids. They are cooking and cleaning all day. When they make rice or beans they have to go through all of it to clean it out. Everything is made from scratch. These women are such solid workers. Their hands and feet look very strong and rough from their hard work. I am amazed by their uplifted spirits through all the hard work they do. These women are the real deal. They raise kids, work hard and remain grateful for what they have even though it is so little.

One of the lunch ladies was telling me about her very small house. She said that when it rains hard the water comes in through her roof. Everything gets wet. The children end up with nowhere to sleep because it’s wet everywhere. I tried to imagine what that would be like. If I had children that were awaken by a storm. If the stormy waters flooded through my roof into my entire house; the children would start to cry. They would be wet and cold. I would try to comfort my children with no success, because the discomfort would be a physical discomfort for the children. At that point I would be in tears because I would know that I could not provide for my child. I would surely hope that someone would come to help me.

Day 15

2009-08-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to go to a center called Gospel. Bobby and Lisa started this center. Just like the others, it provides food for the children, education and spiritual guidance. I spent the day writing questions to ask staff and teachers. I’d like to hear their stories and bring them back to America. They will return the questionnaires to me when they are completed.

After visiting that center, I went to feed giraffes. They are so cute! In addition to the giraffes, I saw many other amazing animals at the zoo. The animals are all in their natural habitat.

Today I felt a bit uneasy because I don’t have a specific schedule set up. Though I have been very busy thus far…I don’t have a specific schedule and am used to a structured routine. So far, I know what this week and next will bring. The rest is in the planning process. I have an idea of what I’d like to do; however, it’s not set in stone because details have to be worked out. So, a little worry set in as I was pondering that today.

When I opened up my day 15 letter from my friends at University of Phoenix I found a note that stated encouragement for me. “The Israelites had been traveling through the desert wilderness to the land of promise… God had promised that he would guide them and provide for them. However, like many of us they became discouraged. If only they had trusted God’s promise that he who had led would continue to lead, if only they had believed that he who supplied would continue to supply, instead of being discouraged, they would have been encouraged. Discouragement turns to encouragement when we look away from our circumstances and focus our eyes on the Lord.”

This was very helpful to me. I know what my mission is here in Kenya. Though my plans are not laid out specifically, I can still trust that God will guide me through this journey if my eyes are looking up to Him. Since I committed my life to him a couple years ago, he has directed my life. I can continue to trust that he will do the same now. That quote is just what I needed today. How refreshing!

Innocent Love

2009-08-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

The children in the orphanage have been brought from difficult and dreadful circumstances. Some of the children have deceased parents… or were abused in many ways…many are HIV positive and so on. Yet, they have shown a joy that is difficult for most to find. The staff, children and volunteers are a family. They work together. They love each other and show it in their acts of service to each other.

The girl you see in the picture above was brought in by her grandmother. Lillian is her name. Lillian's mother died of AIDS. She was left in the care of family that could not take care of her properly. At first her grandmother did not want to bring her to the orphanage. However, she or the other family could not care for her well. Lillian was almost dead. At that point her grandmother knew that she had no other choice but to bring her in. Lillian went to the hospital for medical attention. The orphanage is taking good care of her. She is doing very well. However, since Lillian was so malnourished when she came in, she cannot be cured from AIDS.

Day 14 At the orphanage!

2009-08-04T12:29:00.001-07:00

Another day at the orphanage! I love being there. Today we started with all the kids jumping around, playing and getting ready for school. Once they went off to school we started washing the walls down. The employees used soapy water to scrub the walls. I used an old t-shirt for a rag and water to rinse off the walls. The ladies working were very kind and joyful. Some of them would sing songs while working, as did I.

When we were done cleaning I asked Elizabeth to share some stories with me of the children there. Elizabeth has worked in the orphanage since it started in 2006. She enthusiastically shared information with me about the orphanage and the children in the orphanage. There are 2 regular volunteer workers, 18 staff members and 31 children. Many visitors come from around the world to volunteer their time to the children and the work that needs to be done there. The youngest child is around 6 weeks and the oldest is 13.

Most of the children are HIV positive. However, babies that have never been breast feed by their mother have the chance of testing negative if they are treated properly. Children with AIDS can live for a very long time if they receive proper treatment. The children at the orphanage are treated with outstanding medical care. They receive a mild antibiotic to help prevent sicknesses. The antibiotic also helps the child recover from a sickness when they do get sick. There immune system is boosted by the medical treatment they receive.

A typical day for children starts at 6:00 a.m. The boys sleep in one room and the girls in another. The rooms are wonderfully painted with bright colors, cartoons and cute sayings. There are bunk beds for the children to sleep on with cozy sleeping bags and pillows. The three babies have cribs to sleep in. When the children wake up they take showers, get dressed for the day and brush their hair. When they are ready for the day all the children gather together to sing church songs and say the Lord’s Prayer. Then breakfast begins. All the children fill their tummies with a freshly prepared meal. By 9:00 they are off to school! At 12:00 they take a lunch break and have play time until 2:00. From 2:00 till 4:00 they are in class again. Directly after class they play, or watch cartoons and take a shower. By 6:30 they are all ready for their yummy, well prepared dinner. After dinner they have a choice to finish the movie or tell fun stories! Right before bed they have prayer time and singing time. By 8:00 all of the children are in bed. Although not all of them fall asleep right away.

The happiness of the children is very apparent. They are constantly smiling, laughing and playing with each other, or with the visitors. They are full of life and energy. All their characteristics bounce off of each other! They are very well taken care of at the orphanage. Listening to the staff and volunteers, I can see and feel how much they all love the children. As Elizabeth said, “We are all one big family here.”

Day 13

2009-08-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

I spent part of my day at the orphanage today. First I cleaned the bathrooms. Then I cleaned the medicine room and folded some laundry. My favorite part of the day was holding baby Michelle. I fed her with a bottle as she fell asleep in my arms. I did not want to put her down, so I held her for a long time while she was peacefully sleeping. What a beautiful baby ~ my goodness! I Love her to pieces.

Day 12

2009-08-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

My day was started at Crossroads Church. What an amazing church! I greeted guests this morning. Everyone is so personable and friendly. After service I mingled among the crowd. During that time I was asked out on a date! He seemed a bit nervous, but thoughtfully asked if I’d like to go to a Christian drama with him this evening. I kindly declined because I know nothing about him. However, it was a sweet gesture.

On another thought – I have 5 huge mosquito bites. They are swollen, itchy and painful! My heart sure does go out to the kids that have to deal with this in the villages. They have it much worse than I, because they don’t have the option to be protected from mosquitoes with nets or bug spray. They also don’t have malaria medication to protect themselves from sickness.

The Kenya group raised the idea to start a fund for mosquito nets for our kids in the centers. I think that is a fantastic idea. The children that get sick with malaria have difficulties during studying. They cannot learn in that condition. Malaria is a terrible sickness. According to http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=61000 Malaria is the number one killer in Africa. “Three million people die of the disease every year worldwide, most of them in Africa.”

The swelling has gone down quite a bit on my ring finger. Another one of the bites was 3 times this size on my other hand. Imagine a little child dealing with that all over his or her body and then getting sick. It's a sad thought! :(

Day 11

2009-08-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

It’s Saturday! I woke up with the refreshing sight of the breathtaking ocean. My bedroom window has a wonderful ocean view. The sunrise was gorgeous. After eating breakfast, I went to Cross Roads church to help out with Vacation Bible Study School. The kids had a good time and learned valuable lessons.

When VBS was over, I took some refreshing and needed down time. I went for a swim in the pool, played with the dog (Victor), memorized some verses and went out for pizza with Bobby and Lisa. Bobby and Lisa are missionaries here in Kenya that run the New Life Center in Bomani. They have two adopted boys, Ethan and Conner. I adore those boys! It was great hanging out with the family.

As I was sitting in Bobby and Lisa’s living room, I thought to myself how neat it was to be sitting there with them. If I were back in the US that is a moment I would have never experienced. At times I get home sick; however, moments like those and just the thought of time spent with the precious children at the centers make this a continually joyful and worthwhile experience even when I miss my family and friends.

Jim and Susie have been wonderful to me. Susie is one of a kind, she is sooo genuinely sweet and kind. Jim puts his heart into everything he does 110% all the time! I wonder how he does it so well. They are amazing missionaries. I am so grateful to spend time with them and learn from them.

Day 10

2009-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today I went out with a group that is on a mission trip from Texas. First we went to Vipingo. I was SO happy to see the teachers. They are extremely friendly and passionate in their work. I ran up to Rose and Nicole with a huge smile to give them hugs when we arrived! I’m looking forward to our growing friendship.

The group and I played games with the kids. This was another joyful time with these precious children. I treasure the moments spent with them. After Vipingo, we went to the Texas groups established school. I am always so delighted to see the needy children being helped by churches. The Texas group did a great job entertaining the children. The children were so thankful to spend the day with them ~ I can see why, the Texans are wonderful people! I’m grateful for the time I spent with them.

Day 9 KENYA TEAM ~ Saying bye ~

2009-08-01T13:39:00.001-07:00

Today the Fox River group left. I said goodbye to everyone. Every moment with the group was awesome. I loved spending time with the team these past 9 days. I will miss them dearly. I do hope their trip home is good and safe. Everyone in the group left me with something that I can use during my three month stay. A few of them graciously gave me monetary gifts as well. The generosity of the group touched my heart. I’m SO GRATEFUL to all of them for that.

Thank you Fox River 2009 Kenya Group!! Asante Sana, Sana, Sana, Sana!!!!! I can’t wait to hear from you all. I’d love to learn how God is working in your lives as time goes on after this amazing trip we shared together. You made this trip so special. You are very dear to my heart. The generosity of what you gave to me and shared with me is deeply appreciated. MISSING YOU!

Mr. Happy, Keep on smiling! And wear that bright Kenya shirt with joy!

Carmen, teach everyone the song! Jambo, Jambo Sana...

I Love you guys!!