Ongoro and Adingo Kingsway

The drive down from Kapsabet went smoothly, although it was sometimes interesting mixing the way Kenyans navigate and the way Americans do.  Most Kenyans have not used a map to find their way, they simply go where they have been before, and if they do not know the way they ask.  Americans hate to ask, especially men, I guess.  But the several maps on my iPad were enough for us to find the way.

We toured the site and saw the two new buildings that Tobias has built; a dorm for the widows and a manager’s house.  Tobias was able to build both very well, even saving enough on the manager’s house to include a place for the nurse to live and a small office for himself.  Next for Ongoro will be to add another dorm for the boys, since 44 are crammed into a building built for 32.  Tobias fed us well and we slept in his house.

This morning we visited Adingo Kingsway Church of Christ.  This is a church started by Tobias in 2010.  We reached along a pretty bad road, taking about 30 minutes from Ongoro.  The church is way back in the bush, on the opposite side of the Sondu-Meriu river from Dirubi, Lee McGraw and the Training Center.  It sits on ½ acre of land donated by a church member.  It has a small church building, a choo, and an outdoor kitchen.  There are about 40 members in the church.

Since the church began they have been very involved in evangelism and in caring for widows and orphans in their area.  Already they have planted another church, and are feeding 25 orphans and 10 widows, 3 meals a week.

When we arrived, we were greeted in song by the children and women of the church.  We enjoyed hearing their praise songs and touring the compound.  We shared a time of question and answer with the elders and church members, and then shared a meal together.  It was a real blessing for me to see how people with so little are doing all they can to help the orphans in their area.

We are looking at this site, and others like it as possible expansion sites for new feeding stations.  This one has all the makings of a good place to expand our work.

In the afternoon, we spent some time talking with the orphans here at Ongoro.  They sang for us and recited original poems.  Afterwards, they asked me questions. All of them were from the secondary school kids, mostly centered around further education.  Some questions were a bit hard to answer; decisions made in America in board meetings are hard to translate when you are telling an orphan bad news.  The simple fact of economics is that we cannot afford to send every child to the school of their choice after the training center.  Oh well, that’s why I get the big bucks, I guess.

Tomorrow, we drive to our feeding station at Adingo, picking up Thomas along the way.  I’m preaching agin, so keep those prayers coming.