Muhoroni by John Bartholomee

This morning at 8, in the Tea Hotel where we are staying, we all ate breakfast before traveling to the orphanage at Muhuroni.  For the first time I got to enjoy one of the small bananas that they have and grow here in Kenya.  Unlike the large bananas that I’ve eaten all of my life in the United States, these bananas were exceptionally sweet.  After our delicious breakfast, we began our journey to the beautiful orphanage at Muhuroni.  Along the way we witnessed some of the incredible landscape that exists here in Kenya.  We saw tall acacia trees, mountains, valleys, and green sugar cane fields.  The Kenyans here have expressed to us that it is now Kenya’s dry season and that we should come back when it is more alive and green.  But to our group, from the flat and yellow land of Midland, Texas, Kenya is the one of the most green, beautiful places we have ever been.  God’s handiwork is clearly manifest through this place.  Everything I have seen here is strong evidence of the awesome God we serve.  Nothing else and no one else could have created all of this. (Romans 1:20)

After about an hour and a half of driving we finally reached the orphanage at Muhuroni.  The orphanage is surrounded by sugar cane fields, with mountains visible in the distance.  We were greeted by some people from the local church in Muhuroni and the 4 widows that take care of the 60 children in the orphanage.  Thomas, who oversees the work going on in multiple orphanages and feeding stations, gave us a tour of the Muhuroni orphanage.  After this we gathered in orphanage’s dining hall to speak with the people and give them the very exciting news that we are going to begin building a feeding station on land right next to the orphanage.  This new feeding station, once it is built, will provide food for 50 more children and a place for 2 more widows to serve them.  Isn’t our God awesome? This will allow 50 children not to starve in the streets or worry where there next meal is coming from.  After telling the people from the local church and the widows about the new feeding station, they were very happy and grateful for God’s provision.  Once this was done, the widows started cooking lunch.  While they were doing this, our entire group placed candy and little stuffed animals on each one of the orphan’s beds.  We also brought out 2 soccer balls and a Frisbee to give them. 

See pics of today's activities here:

Kenya 2011 spring Muhoroni

It’s always a joy to see the smiles on the kid’s faces after they receive these.  I was so happy to be able to spend some time with several of the children throwing the Frisbee.  It is amazing to me that these kids are so accepting, loving, and joyful despite the difficult life that they have endured.  After spending some time with the kids, we all went inside for lunch.  We ate chicken, beef, chapati (a type of tortilla), and several other items.  Then, we gathered the 4 widows that serve the children at the orphanage, and Pam Hicks gave them each gifts.  They were overwhelmed and very thankful for their special gifts.  Soon after this, we began our travel back to the Tea Hotel where we are staying until Thursday.  On our way back we made a quick stop at a large grocery store called Uchumi.  While we were inside, it started pouring down rain and our entire group had to run in the rain to our 2 vehicles.  After this we arrived at the hotel where we have spent the rest of the day.

Something that has really stuck with me from the visits to the orphanages is that, though these children do not have much, they are so grateful for what they do have.  In America we have so much wealth, and in many cases, we hoard it.  We have large houses, closets full of clothes and things we don’t use, abundant amounts of food that we waste, and an endless list of luxuries that we spend so much money on.  We are never content with what we have.  Many Kenyans, on the other hand, have almost nothing and live with the continual reminder that they may not survive another day.  There is such a huge need in the world, and it is our duty and obligation as the Church, to provide for these needs.

The purpose of the church is to be a loving community of God that supports and gives to those brothers and sisters who have a need.  In the book of Acts, there are multiple examples of what Jesus intended the church to be.  Speaking of the Church, the book of Acts states, “All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”(Acts 2:44-45)  Also, we are told throughout the New Testament and Old Testament in over a hundred different verses to take care of the poor, widows, and orphans.  It is essential for us that are rich, to give to those who are poor.  I have been so convicted over this trip on the amount of money that I spend on myself and my wants, when my brothers and my sisters in other countries are dying because I am not doing what Jesus calls me to do.  The 7 or 8 dollars I spend on lunch at Chickfila or Rosa’s could be used to provide food for an orphan for almost a month.

After seeing the children here, my heart has been broken because of the suffering that these children have gone through.  But the light of Jesus still shines in these children and widows!  As the body of Christ we must continue to do works like this to change lives forever for the kingdom of God.  The amazing part of all this is that when we give of our money to feed these widows and orphans, we are not only doing what Jesus calls us to do, but are part of God’s redeeming and transformative power here on Earth.

I have been so blessed to be able to come on this trip to spend time with these widows and orphans.  God has opened my eyes to help me see things that I wouldn’t have seen unless I had been able to come here.  I am amazed at the life-changing work that is going on here in Kenya.  I’m so excited and blessed to be a part of it.  Thank you for all of your prayers.  God Bless.

                                                                                John Bartholomee