Three Sundays before we left for Kenya we invited our church family at CrossWay to participate in our Sole to Soul campaign, helping to put shoes on the children in Village 2 of the Mathare Valley. Village 2 is the area that we have adopted and the children we are sponsoring are from that village. Village 2 is where we are involved in ministry. I mentioned to our church that I thought $1600-$2000 would put shoes on the kids at the school in Village 2. Although people came to church that Sunday unprepared to give, the first week they gave enough to cover the cost of shoes for the children in the Village 2 school.
I told them on the second Sunday that we had received enough the first week to put shoes on the kids in Village 2 but if they still wanted to give, we would still take the money. We would use it for shoes for other children or to meet some other need as directed by the leaders of Mission of Hope International. The people in our church continued to give that Sunday and the next. When we left for Kenya we left with $10,000. Unbelievable. In three short weeks, we collected $10,000.
When we got over to Kenya we were told we would be buying shoes for 90-some children. I did the calculation and realized we would have $8,000 left, and I wondered how God would lead us to use that money.
At our briefing on Sunday afternoon, our first full day in Kenya, we discovered that property for the Hope Center in Village 2 had been hard to find. Although they started looking in January, it took months to find the property. The temporary structure they constructed had only opened the week before we arrived. Therefore, we got to be there for what amounted to be the grand opening, which was really cool.
On Monday we had dinner at the home of Mary and Wallace Kamau. Mary and Wallace are Kenyans who serve as the executive directors for Mission of Hope International. I asked Mary to explain to our group about the property search and where things stood in the process to acquire it. She said that they had put a down payment on the property of $2,000. At this point, they are waiting for the title to clear. “Once the title clears,” she said, “we will be responsible for the remaining balance. We may have to make payments on it, but we are trusting God to figure out where the rest of the money will come from.” I asked her, “How much will you owe on the property?” Do you want to guess what she told us? “$8,000.”
When she said that number several members of our team let out an audible gasp loud enough to be heard all over the room. They knew, even though Mary did not yet know, about the $8,000 we had left. We were able to hand Mary the $8,000 needed to pay off the property. So our team got to be there at the grand opening of the Hope Center in Village 2. We were blessed to conduct health screenings for all the kids, put on a fun VBS program, put new shoes and socks on their feet, and pay off their property.
As a parent, you really want to give your child the best possible start in life that you can. You want to launch your child into the world on as solid a footing as you can. We helped give birth to the Village 2 Hope Center and put it on solid ground. To God’s glory, I don’t think we could have given them a better launch and I can’t wait to see what God will do there in Village 2.
Bwana Asifiwe,
Ron
Monday, October 19, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Conflicted... Hope-filled... Changed
Today is Thursday afternoon, Oct. 15, and we are home. We landed yesterday afternoon (3:30 pm) at Logan airport and had a surprisingly easy time navigating the rush hour traffic back to NH. I was asked to "wrap up" this blog of our Kenya adventure 2009. It is an interesting assignment since I had yet to read any of the posts. (For several reasons, internet time on our trip was scarce.)
So here I sit at my daughter's dance class reading the posts and re-living our trip. I wonder if people are looking at me wondering why a grown man is staring at his laptop and wiping away tears. Oh, well... it is what it is. Emotions are still raw and sorting them out will take days, weeks, and months, maybe a lifetime.
Saturday saw us drive an hour outside of Nairobi to Joska, a boarding school openned by Mission of Hope for middle schools and (eventually) high school students. After moving up through the various Hope Center schools scattered throughout the Nairobi slums, children will have the opportunity to go out to Joska to live and further their education. Getting them out of the slums enables them to study in an enviornment more conducive to learning while protecting them from the dangers the slums hold for adolescents. In November, the first students educated by Mission of Hope schools will sit for the KCPE, an exam they must score well on to be accepted into high school. While at Joska we had a chance to lay hands on and pray for the 37 students who will take the exam next month. Each American committed to pray every day for the two students they laid hands on and prayed for. Joanne and Rose, I have not forgotten you. Do well.
Currently 609 students live and study at Joska. While there they hosted a talent show for us. Some students sang, others danced, some did acrobatics, and one girl juggled a soccer ball 133 times, in flip-flop type sandals. It was supposed to be a contest between her and me but in the end it was no contest; just a big piece of humble pie for yours truly. Our team from CrossWay performed a routine to the song "Arise My Love" using dowel rods. It was an amazing feeling to be doing this for God under the hot African sun in front of 609 students.
After lunch some of our team members taught the routine to a group of Joska students whose number kept growing throughout the instruction. I must say the students picked it up faster than we Americans. Another group of us spent time teaching the students how to use some creative Bible story techniques. It was a blast to stand back and watch our team in action. Saturday night we went to an Ethiopian restaurant, which was quite similar to the one our team went to in Boston during our trip preparation.
On Sunday morning we attended church in the Kosovo slum. We were surprised by a performance of "our" kids from Area 2. My how these children have captured our hearts. After church we headed out on a 6 hour van ride over some of the bumpiest roads on the planet, picking up White River's bush team on the way.
On Monday we had the thrill of participating in two animal drives in the Massai Mara. It truly is amazing to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. One's appreciation for God's creative genius goes through the roof. We saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, warthogs, hyennas, hippos, water buffalos, and much more. Perhaps the biggest treat was seeing lions, and lots of them. We even got to see some lionnesses finishing off a zebra breakfast. I think they were having ribs by the time we ran across them.
In between the drives we spent quite a bit of time debriefing our previous week with the full team (Nairobi and bush teams). It was great to hear the stories of how God had worked through us and in us, and how he was changing us as a result.
Tuesday morning consisted of a brief animal drive, followed by breakfast, and the long bumpy drive back to Nairobi for our flight home. To give you some perspective, our plane took off from Nairobi at 10 pm Tuesday night. 8 hours later we landed in Amsterdam at 5 am (Amsterdam time). After a 7 hour layover we boarded another plane for our 7.5 hour flight to Boston. It certainly makes for a long "day" of travel.
I went into this trip thrilled with our team. We prayed hard and prepared well. I knew we would do well, serving humbly in the love of Christ. I was not disappointed. Last year on the vision trip to Kenya I dreamed of this; bringing a team of Christ-centered, united, compassionate servants to the slums of the Mathare Valley. This team represented Christ and CrossWay so well. I could not be more proud of them.
We come home conflicted. We were glad to come home, yet sad to leave. We each left a piece of our hearts in Mathare Area 2.
We come home hope-filled. Experiencing a week in the slums of Nairobi can be emotionally overwhelming. You hear the sounds, see the sights, and smell the smells, and you might be tempted to wonder, "Is there any hope at all?" But hope abounds because Christ is our hope! As such, Hope is there in the presence of Mary and Wallace Kamau, dirctors of Missions of Hope. Hope is there in the presence of the teachers of Area 2. Hope is there in the presence of the CHE trainers and social workers. Hope is there in the presence of the children. Their songs and smiles remind us that hope is not dependent upon the size of our homes or the cleanliness of our clothes, but upon the One who lives in our hearts. That is hope driven from the inside out and it is the only kind of hope that can shine in the darkness of the Mathare Valley.
We come home changed. We are more broken. We are less enamoured with "things." We are more confident in Jesus and the power of the gospel to change a life. We are more dependent upon the Holy Spirit. We are more amazed by God. So yes, we come home changed... in ways we don't yet totally or fully understand. Perhaps we never will this side of heaven.
Maybe that's what Paul meant when he wrote:
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)
Bwana asifiwe (Praise the Lord),
Ron
So here I sit at my daughter's dance class reading the posts and re-living our trip. I wonder if people are looking at me wondering why a grown man is staring at his laptop and wiping away tears. Oh, well... it is what it is. Emotions are still raw and sorting them out will take days, weeks, and months, maybe a lifetime.
Saturday saw us drive an hour outside of Nairobi to Joska, a boarding school openned by Mission of Hope for middle schools and (eventually) high school students. After moving up through the various Hope Center schools scattered throughout the Nairobi slums, children will have the opportunity to go out to Joska to live and further their education. Getting them out of the slums enables them to study in an enviornment more conducive to learning while protecting them from the dangers the slums hold for adolescents. In November, the first students educated by Mission of Hope schools will sit for the KCPE, an exam they must score well on to be accepted into high school. While at Joska we had a chance to lay hands on and pray for the 37 students who will take the exam next month. Each American committed to pray every day for the two students they laid hands on and prayed for. Joanne and Rose, I have not forgotten you. Do well.
Currently 609 students live and study at Joska. While there they hosted a talent show for us. Some students sang, others danced, some did acrobatics, and one girl juggled a soccer ball 133 times, in flip-flop type sandals. It was supposed to be a contest between her and me but in the end it was no contest; just a big piece of humble pie for yours truly. Our team from CrossWay performed a routine to the song "Arise My Love" using dowel rods. It was an amazing feeling to be doing this for God under the hot African sun in front of 609 students.
After lunch some of our team members taught the routine to a group of Joska students whose number kept growing throughout the instruction. I must say the students picked it up faster than we Americans. Another group of us spent time teaching the students how to use some creative Bible story techniques. It was a blast to stand back and watch our team in action. Saturday night we went to an Ethiopian restaurant, which was quite similar to the one our team went to in Boston during our trip preparation.
On Sunday morning we attended church in the Kosovo slum. We were surprised by a performance of "our" kids from Area 2. My how these children have captured our hearts. After church we headed out on a 6 hour van ride over some of the bumpiest roads on the planet, picking up White River's bush team on the way.
On Monday we had the thrill of participating in two animal drives in the Massai Mara. It truly is amazing to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. One's appreciation for God's creative genius goes through the roof. We saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, warthogs, hyennas, hippos, water buffalos, and much more. Perhaps the biggest treat was seeing lions, and lots of them. We even got to see some lionnesses finishing off a zebra breakfast. I think they were having ribs by the time we ran across them.
In between the drives we spent quite a bit of time debriefing our previous week with the full team (Nairobi and bush teams). It was great to hear the stories of how God had worked through us and in us, and how he was changing us as a result.
Tuesday morning consisted of a brief animal drive, followed by breakfast, and the long bumpy drive back to Nairobi for our flight home. To give you some perspective, our plane took off from Nairobi at 10 pm Tuesday night. 8 hours later we landed in Amsterdam at 5 am (Amsterdam time). After a 7 hour layover we boarded another plane for our 7.5 hour flight to Boston. It certainly makes for a long "day" of travel.
I went into this trip thrilled with our team. We prayed hard and prepared well. I knew we would do well, serving humbly in the love of Christ. I was not disappointed. Last year on the vision trip to Kenya I dreamed of this; bringing a team of Christ-centered, united, compassionate servants to the slums of the Mathare Valley. This team represented Christ and CrossWay so well. I could not be more proud of them.
We come home conflicted. We were glad to come home, yet sad to leave. We each left a piece of our hearts in Mathare Area 2.
We come home hope-filled. Experiencing a week in the slums of Nairobi can be emotionally overwhelming. You hear the sounds, see the sights, and smell the smells, and you might be tempted to wonder, "Is there any hope at all?" But hope abounds because Christ is our hope! As such, Hope is there in the presence of Mary and Wallace Kamau, dirctors of Missions of Hope. Hope is there in the presence of the teachers of Area 2. Hope is there in the presence of the CHE trainers and social workers. Hope is there in the presence of the children. Their songs and smiles remind us that hope is not dependent upon the size of our homes or the cleanliness of our clothes, but upon the One who lives in our hearts. That is hope driven from the inside out and it is the only kind of hope that can shine in the darkness of the Mathare Valley.
We come home changed. We are more broken. We are less enamoured with "things." We are more confident in Jesus and the power of the gospel to change a life. We are more dependent upon the Holy Spirit. We are more amazed by God. So yes, we come home changed... in ways we don't yet totally or fully understand. Perhaps we never will this side of heaven.
Maybe that's what Paul meant when he wrote:
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)
Bwana asifiwe (Praise the Lord),
Ron
Friday, October 9, 2009
Day 5
Jambo!
Our day began with a celebration from the Mission of Hope Children. We were greeted by hundreds of smiling faces who sang songs, quoted scripture verses, and performed traditional tribal dances for our team. Each of the Mission of Hope schools was represented by groups of children who had been practicing all week for this occasion. What a joy it was to be the recipients of such warm and welcoming hearts. It was especially gratifying to watch the small children of the new Mathare 2 school perform today. They sang songs they they had just learned in the past few days from our team members who so faithfully worked with them during VBS. 
Late in the afternoon, we visited a village market to do some local shopping and returned to the Grace House. We had some time to reflect on the day as well as the things God accomplished this week. Children were loved, many came to Christ, and seeds were planted. We feel humbled to be part of God's great work in this place.
We'll be back in touch tomorrow. Have a blessed weekend!
Asante
Thursday, October 8, 2009
October 8, 2009
Yesterday I went on a long journey to Tala to visit my 14 year old sponsored child, Dancan. It felt like a National Geographic adventure. The Christian Childrens Fund picked me up at our resort, as they call it and I was off to an adveture of a life time! I was gone a total of 10 and a half hours. First I visited the Kenya office and had tea with the head official and then it was off to the mail room to see all the sponsors letters being placed in envelopes and sent. Next I visted the Tala office and was warmly greeted by Dancans family in song and dance. It was a welcome I shall never forget. As a matter of fact I may need a tissue now just thinking about it.
We made our way to Dancans school to meet him and his younger brother, \kennedy. The drive was about a half an hour through what I would call cow paths at best in the middle of nowhere. Their school was just a humble limestone block building without electricity. I first visited a special needs class. They were playing with soda bottle caps and some old blocks. That is all I saw for toys. They were very happy to see me and I hugged each and everyone of them.
I spent time with the principle and the teachers. They told me the children usually walk about an hour or more to the school. It starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. The children of the states do not know how lucky they are.
The time had arrived for meeting Dancan. I was brought to his room and was asked to pick him out from about 30 children. Oh Lord help me! I had only little pictures of him and all these children looked younger than I thought. Over in the corner was one boy with a smirk on his face so I picked him. Well, the room exploded with laughter and singing. I had chosen correctly praise God. Dancan was in good health, good looking, beautiful teeth (dental hygienists look at those types of things) and the biggest smile I probably have ever seen.
I had brought my goat puppet and shaggy sheepdog puppet and the group of us all went to the various classes. There was sooooo much laughter by the children, all of us and the teachers. We just had the greatest time. Dancan even started to use the goat puppet and was great at it. He was beaming from ear to ear. I could go on and on about my visit but if you want to know more I guess you will just have to talk to me!
Today we had our last VBS. We went over the lesson of Jesus birth that we did a few days ago and talked about Christmas here. Of course we had to talk about New England winters that Pastor Ron loves so much. I showed them pictures of snow and brought Insta Snow for the children to see and touch. We also did a gospel illusion about feeding of the 5000. Ask about the chicken song when you see us.
I have to get off now but I want you all to know that we passed out all of your presents, took lots of pictures and now the children now have new shoes!!!
Blessings from Kenya,
Melissa Roth
Yesterday I went on a long journey to Tala to visit my 14 year old sponsored child, Dancan. It felt like a National Geographic adventure. The Christian Childrens Fund picked me up at our resort, as they call it and I was off to an adveture of a life time! I was gone a total of 10 and a half hours. First I visited the Kenya office and had tea with the head official and then it was off to the mail room to see all the sponsors letters being placed in envelopes and sent. Next I visted the Tala office and was warmly greeted by Dancans family in song and dance. It was a welcome I shall never forget. As a matter of fact I may need a tissue now just thinking about it.
We made our way to Dancans school to meet him and his younger brother, \kennedy. The drive was about a half an hour through what I would call cow paths at best in the middle of nowhere. Their school was just a humble limestone block building without electricity. I first visited a special needs class. They were playing with soda bottle caps and some old blocks. That is all I saw for toys. They were very happy to see me and I hugged each and everyone of them.
I spent time with the principle and the teachers. They told me the children usually walk about an hour or more to the school. It starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. The children of the states do not know how lucky they are.
The time had arrived for meeting Dancan. I was brought to his room and was asked to pick him out from about 30 children. Oh Lord help me! I had only little pictures of him and all these children looked younger than I thought. Over in the corner was one boy with a smirk on his face so I picked him. Well, the room exploded with laughter and singing. I had chosen correctly praise God. Dancan was in good health, good looking, beautiful teeth (dental hygienists look at those types of things) and the biggest smile I probably have ever seen.
I had brought my goat puppet and shaggy sheepdog puppet and the group of us all went to the various classes. There was sooooo much laughter by the children, all of us and the teachers. We just had the greatest time. Dancan even started to use the goat puppet and was great at it. He was beaming from ear to ear. I could go on and on about my visit but if you want to know more I guess you will just have to talk to me!
Today we had our last VBS. We went over the lesson of Jesus birth that we did a few days ago and talked about Christmas here. Of course we had to talk about New England winters that Pastor Ron loves so much. I showed them pictures of snow and brought Insta Snow for the children to see and touch. We also did a gospel illusion about feeding of the 5000. Ask about the chicken song when you see us.
I have to get off now but I want you all to know that we passed out all of your presents, took lots of pictures and now the children now have new shoes!!!
Blessings from Kenya,
Melissa Roth
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Kenya Day 4
Jambo from Kenya! Today was another amazing day for our team serving in Nairobi. We started the day by going back to the new Hope Center in Mathare #2 to continue the VBS program at the school. The morning included a Bible lesson on the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river. It is so amazing to engage with the children as they learn about Jesus - the one who loves them so much. We pray that God plants the truth of His Word deep into their little hearts.
The children made some crafts and it was so fun watching them create things. One of the games the kids participated in was jump roping. For nearly all the children, this was the very first time in their lives they were able to jump rope. We continue to be so blessed by the smiles on the children's faces as we serve them and love on them. They continue to touch each of our hearts in a very special way. In addition, we continue to be so impressed by the teachers at the school. They love the children and are so committed to teaching them about Jesus. We are most impressed how the teachers model the love of Jesus to the children they love and serve. We are so blessed to be able to serve alongside them.
Several of the men had the opportunity to continue to "Bring the Light" to several of the homes in the slums of Kosovo this morning. It is truly amazing how a simple piece of plastic formed into the shape of a small skylight can bring some light into these very small and very dark homes. Most importantly, this program allows us to share the good news of Jesus with the people in these homes. Additional professions of faith were made this morning. To God be the glory!
Both this morning and afternoon several of the guys had the opportunity to meet with a man named Paul who heads up the Micro Enterprise Loan program for the Mission of Hope. He is a young man with a huge vision for how God can change the landscape of the Mathare Valley through the development of business ideas. This program is changing the lives of so many people as they seek to survive and improve their situations. Some examples of the businesses that were visited today included several "hotels", which are actually tiny restaurants in the slums. We met a lady who buys the "scraps" of fish leftover from a market and removes the remaining fish to sell within the slums. We also visited several small vegetable stands and met a lady who runs a french fry business. In addition to the fries, she also sells soap, which is such a great idea as they go hand in hand. The highlight for the morning team was meeting a man who runs a portable knife sharpening business. He travels around the slums on an old bicycle that has been modified with a belt and pulley system, which allows him to drive the sharpening stone . These micro enterprise loans are given in groups, and are making a difference in helping to change the lives of so many people in the slums.
The highlight of the day for the women was the opportunity to visit the New Life Home, an oprhange for babies and children under 2 years of age, some of which are invected with the HIV virus. The babies and children that are there are absolutely beautiful. The ladies were able to hold them and feed them and love on them so much. It is hard to imagine these babies were abandoned or given up, but it is so heartwarming to see first-hand what this home is doing to give these babies a chance. The staff takes such great care of these babies as they seek parents who will adopt them and raise them to one day love and accept Jesus into their lives.
This evening we were invited to Doug and Jennifer Kunz's home for a wonderful Mexican dinner. They are missionaries for Christian Missionary Fellowship that have been in Nairobi since the beginning of this year. The meal was fabulous and we enjoyed our time of sharing and fellowship with them. We continue to build bonds and friendships with our teammates from White River Christian Church who are serving with us in Nairobi. Please continue to pray for the other team members from White River CC who are serving in the bush country. We look forward to joining back up with them on Sunday evening.
Pastor Ron has spent the past few days walking through the gospel of John with many of the area pastors from the churches in the slums. Ron continued his teaching today, and was so blessed by the sharing and stories of these pastors. God is using Ron in a big way as he teaches and shares his love of God's Word with his fellow pastors. Meanwhile, God is using these fellow pastors to touch Ron's heart in a very special way.
Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. God is answering your prayers and blessing us in so many ways as we continue to serve the people in the slums of the Mathare Valley. Please continue to pray for our combined teams, and please continue to pray for the people in the slums. We are honored and truly humbled to serve and to be a part of God's work in this place.
Asante!
Posted by Tim - on behalf of the CrossWay Kenya 2009 Team
The children made some crafts and it was so fun watching them create things. One of the games the kids participated in was jump roping. For nearly all the children, this was the very first time in their lives they were able to jump rope. We continue to be so blessed by the smiles on the children's faces as we serve them and love on them. They continue to touch each of our hearts in a very special way. In addition, we continue to be so impressed by the teachers at the school. They love the children and are so committed to teaching them about Jesus. We are most impressed how the teachers model the love of Jesus to the children they love and serve. We are so blessed to be able to serve alongside them.
Several of the men had the opportunity to continue to "Bring the Light" to several of the homes in the slums of Kosovo this morning. It is truly amazing how a simple piece of plastic formed into the shape of a small skylight can bring some light into these very small and very dark homes. Most importantly, this program allows us to share the good news of Jesus with the people in these homes. Additional professions of faith were made this morning. To God be the glory!
Both this morning and afternoon several of the guys had the opportunity to meet with a man named Paul who heads up the Micro Enterprise Loan program for the Mission of Hope. He is a young man with a huge vision for how God can change the landscape of the Mathare Valley through the development of business ideas. This program is changing the lives of so many people as they seek to survive and improve their situations. Some examples of the businesses that were visited today included several "hotels", which are actually tiny restaurants in the slums. We met a lady who buys the "scraps" of fish leftover from a market and removes the remaining fish to sell within the slums. We also visited several small vegetable stands and met a lady who runs a french fry business. In addition to the fries, she also sells soap, which is such a great idea as they go hand in hand. The highlight for the morning team was meeting a man who runs a portable knife sharpening business. He travels around the slums on an old bicycle that has been modified with a belt and pulley system, which allows him to drive the sharpening stone . These micro enterprise loans are given in groups, and are making a difference in helping to change the lives of so many people in the slums.
The highlight of the day for the women was the opportunity to visit the New Life Home, an oprhange for babies and children under 2 years of age, some of which are invected with the HIV virus. The babies and children that are there are absolutely beautiful. The ladies were able to hold them and feed them and love on them so much. It is hard to imagine these babies were abandoned or given up, but it is so heartwarming to see first-hand what this home is doing to give these babies a chance. The staff takes such great care of these babies as they seek parents who will adopt them and raise them to one day love and accept Jesus into their lives.
This evening we were invited to Doug and Jennifer Kunz's home for a wonderful Mexican dinner. They are missionaries for Christian Missionary Fellowship that have been in Nairobi since the beginning of this year. The meal was fabulous and we enjoyed our time of sharing and fellowship with them. We continue to build bonds and friendships with our teammates from White River Christian Church who are serving with us in Nairobi. Please continue to pray for the other team members from White River CC who are serving in the bush country. We look forward to joining back up with them on Sunday evening.
Pastor Ron has spent the past few days walking through the gospel of John with many of the area pastors from the churches in the slums. Ron continued his teaching today, and was so blessed by the sharing and stories of these pastors. God is using Ron in a big way as he teaches and shares his love of God's Word with his fellow pastors. Meanwhile, God is using these fellow pastors to touch Ron's heart in a very special way.
Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf. God is answering your prayers and blessing us in so many ways as we continue to serve the people in the slums of the Mathare Valley. Please continue to pray for our combined teams, and please continue to pray for the people in the slums. We are honored and truly humbled to serve and to be a part of God's work in this place.
Asante!
Posted by Tim - on behalf of the CrossWay Kenya 2009 Team
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Oct 6th Kenya Day 3
First let me say that this is Teri not Jenn. I don't want her to be blamed if today's blog isn't as good... :) To be honest my memory is not so great so I may mess the names up in here. If so, may I say in advance to all that I am sorry!
Today was a very busy day. In the morning we did VBS (Vacation Bible School) at the Mathare Village 2. With the words of Rachel, my best ever roommate, spent the day on an emotional roller coaster - such joy on the faces of the Nairobian children at VBS such deplorable conditions they live in....Just unbelievable....thought I'd seen it all.....really rocked my world today....watched lives change....watched grown men break down and cry.....saw people accept Christ.....lots of joy...lots of tears......really tired....going to VBS in Kenya slum tomorrow then to hold orphan aids babies in the afternoon....Your prayers mean the world to us.
God truly provided for us all on this day. We had 6 guys that planned on going into the slums to do some construction called "Bring The Light" but God had other plans for them! The CHE teams plans were to do this construction in the afternoon so the guys stuck around with the ladies to teach & play with the kids at the school.
I am just not sure who had a better time, the kids or the men? Melissa put it so well when she said that most of these children have never had a man in their lives to play with them, hold them & love on them the way our men did today.
Asante,
The CCC Kenya 2009 Team
Today was a very busy day. In the morning we did VBS (Vacation Bible School) at the Mathare Village 2. With the words of Rachel, my best ever roommate, spent the day on an emotional roller coaster - such joy on the faces of the Nairobian children at VBS such deplorable conditions they live in....Just unbelievable....thought I'd seen it all.....really rocked my world today....watched lives change....watched grown men break down and cry.....saw people accept Christ.....lots of joy...lots of tears......really tired....going to VBS in Kenya slum tomorrow then to hold orphan aids babies in the afternoon....Your prayers mean the world to us.
God truly provided for us all on this day. We had 6 guys that planned on going into the slums to do some construction called "Bring The Light" but God had other plans for them! The CHE teams plans were to do this construction in the afternoon so the guys stuck around with the ladies to teach & play with the kids at the school.
I am just not sure who had a better time, the kids or the men? Melissa put it so well when she said that most of these children have never had a man in their lives to play with them, hold them & love on them the way our men did today.
Asante,
The CCC Kenya 2009 Team
Monday, October 5, 2009
October 5 - Day 2
Today was a day filled with joy and tears. We traveled to Mathare Village 2 as a combined team (CrossWay and White River) and set up a medical clinic at the brand new Hope Center. The center has only been open for 1 week and is already making a tremendous impact in the community. It is a temporary structure that has several rooms including a school for young kids. When we arrived at the Hope Center, people were already beginning to line up outside the entrance. We divided into several teams including crowd control, entertainment, triage, medical exams, pharmacy, and prayer team. Each team member had a unique and important role to play in ensuring that that things ran smoothly.Word about the clinic spread quickly and we were blessed to treat over 115 people within a 6 hour period! Our experience in Mathare 1 prepared us for Mathare 2 in the sense that we had already walked the streets of the slums, smelled the smells and looked into the eyes of people so many in need. Our entire team was deeply impacted by the beautiful children and parents that entered the clinic throughout the day; people who literally have no options when it comes to medical care. There were children with ranges of medical conditions from mild colds to severe ailments. Some adults also needed treatment including one mother who did not want to burden the medical team with a severe burn on her arm. Her only concern was getting help for her child, but our medical team treated her as well. Her story was heartbreaking in that she had been working to earn money so she could just get a ride to the hospital to seek her own treatment. It was truly heartbreaking to see a person in such a desperate position.
Several members of our group were able to meet their sponsored children. It was really special being able to see their faces and get a real sense for the impact that the Hope Center is making in their lives. Thanks to all of you who a sponsoring a child... you are helping to make a tremendous difference. These kids are being loved, fed and cared for, and are recieving a valuable education that is Christ centered. God willing, this could be the generation that builds change in Nairobi.
At the end of the day, we traveled to Mary and Wallace's house (who run the Missions of Hope Center). They were gracious to open their home to our entire team and serve a wonderful meal. We had a great evening of fellowship and reflection.
Both teams have developed relationships quickly that have allowed us to work well together and serve the community. God has graced our team with a diverse group of people with a sincere desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this place. God is truly at work here. Please continue to pray for our strength, courage and God's direction as we continue our mission in Nairobi. Also, please pray for the members of the Indiana team that will be heading to the bush to serve over the next 5 days. We will rejoin them this Sunday.
We'll be back in touch tomorrow.
Asante!
Posted by: Scott Kroeger on behalf of the CrossWay Kenya 2009 Team
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