Easter and the long trip home

Possibly the greatest thrill I have had so far as a minister/missionary was to preach about the resurrection of Jesus Christ at Dirubi Church of Christ this past Sunday.  The service was very long, almost three hours.  Every choir had to sing three songs, and the though the sermonettes for giving and the Lord’s supper were fairly short, I preached for an hour, so it was 1pm before we finished.  Some of what I said was new for them, teaching about the new heaven and the new earth is fairly new to me as well, but they received it well.

After lunch we made the short drive to Kisii for one last night at the Dados.  Monday we made the long drive back to Nairobi.  We took the Narok road, still the easiest route, although this time the police presence was very heavy.  The security situation in the country on this trip has been greatly upgraded.  In the wake of several small bombings, and some serious tension on the coast between the Christian and muslim communities, the government is cracking down on people illegally in the country.  In the past month they have arrested more that 1,000 illegals, mostly Somali, and deported them.  The police didn’t bother with us at all, they were just looking for illegal aliens.

At Kamuu, I said goodbye to Angton and Stephen.  Stephen had promised to spend the night at Angton’s house.  Those two have become really good friends.  Stephen was the one who preached the gospel to Angton and helped him understand baptism.  I baptized Angton on my October 2013 trip.  These two men have been my strength on this trip, keeping me safe and well understood.  I couldn’t do what I do without them and my other great friends in Kenya.

This morning I got to see Charles and Darlene Coulston, and spend a few minutes talking with them.  They helped found the Made In The Streets ministry here with Francis Mbuvi, and many of their interests coincide with ours.  They agreed that Francis will be coming to Midland on his next trip to the U.S. so that was a real blessing.

Then we drove into town to do some shopping and have lunch, but first I had to find a good supplier for welding supplies, in advance of the June vocational mission trip.  We were successful this time, finding the right district of the city where almost any industrial supply items can be found.  Then we ate lunch at Carnivore!  It was a nice treat for me to have a first class meal for my last one in Kenya.  After a quick walk through the downtown Masai Market, we had a snack and Java House at Capital Centre.  Now I’m at the airport, doing my last blog entry for this trip.

So, what did I learn?  I did a lot of investigation about the nutrition levels of our orphanages.  I took a lot of notes, and asked a lot of questions.  There were some surprises, both good and not so good.  I’ll have to spend some time digesting the information and double-checking my results, but I think we now have enough to go on to make some positive changes for our kids.

I found very few problems at any of our orphanages on this trip, which was a pleasant surprise.  One of my key jobs is to find problems, so this was a real blessing.  All of our directors have taken my past suggestions very seriously, and it really showed.

I was shown a very high level of hospitality on this trip, which is the norm.  I keep thinking that with so many trips under my belt, they will stop treating me like a king, but so far that hasn’t happened.  I was “accused” of being a Kenyan several times on this trip, once for tardiness, and I found my self able to follow some of the Swahili conversations that were swirling around me.  This was a surprise, both for my friends and me.  I do not consciously understand the words yet, but still I am able to understand a lot more than I used to.  I am very grateful for this.

I have to say again how amazingly blessed I am to be in the situation I am in.  I get to contribute through my work to both my local church and this very important mission work, and get paid for it.  I have a beautiful, understanding wife who loves what I do, and loves me very much.  So much, in fact, that she is willing to share me with people on the other side of the world for weeks at a time.  I don’t fully understand why God has selected me to live this life, but I couldn’t ask for any more that I have now.

I am continually amazed at the power of Christ’s church to do good in the world.  I know that a lot of people in the world are skeptical of organized religion, and of course the church is flawed, just as we all are individually.  But the capacity of good, Christ following people to change the world cannot be overestimated.  Some of the places in Kenya are so very small and poor, yet they manage to do more and more every year to make this world better.  Weather it’s feeding orphans, helping widows, comforting the sick and bereaved, or just lending a hand to a neighbor, they really represent what is the best part about Christainity.

Driving through the streets of Nairobi today, through the masses of people each going their own way, I was struck by just how many people there are in the world.  I am in awe of a God who can love each and every one of them in a deep, personal way.  Every trip that I make here and every new story that I hear, I am ever more convinced that this is true.  God’s capacity to love knows no end; it’s as big as the universe is wide.  It’s hard to imagine that He loves me just as much as every other soul he ever created, but I know that it is true.

Dear God, I thank your for my life, and the beautiful way you are revealing yourself to me each day.  Thank you for your church, spanning the world, tying all Christians together.  Thank you for your comforter, the Holy Spirit, that guides our lives if we will only hear His voice.  Most of all, thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life and died a terrible death to redeem us from our sin.  Most of all, I thank you that the tomb is empty, that He lives again, and that He rules this world, even in it’s broken state.  I long for the day that He returns again to hand over the Kingdom to you, Lord God, for you to finish the job of making all things new again.  Until that day comes, I will praise you!  Through the name of Jesus, Amen.

Dirubi - April 2014

Friday we left the Dados behind and come here to the Vocational Training Centre at Dirubi.  This is the place where God began the orphanage work at the Dirubi church, and also where we train our students in a vocation before they leave our system.  We looked in on all the classes at the VTC first, and they are really doing well.  We have some new teachers here in the automotive and computer departments, and they are very stong.  I was especially impressed with the new automotive teacher, James, who seems to be doing a great job.  Then we spent some time with the Dirubi widows and got the nutritional information that we needed and saw the newly renovated kitchen here.  It is spectacular, as befits the “flagship” of the KWO system.

That evening we shared a brief devotional with the VTC students before dinner.  After dinner, we showed them, along with the 11^th and 12^th graders from Dirubi, the movie, “The Passion of the Christ.”  I have to say it was a profoundly moving experience for me, and the students. 

The film is hard to watch, particularly for Christians since it is so graphic in its depiction of Christ’s suffering.  If you have seen it, you can remember your reaction, maybe stunned, disturbed, deeply moved.  Now imagine that you have never seen any movie in a theatre before, there is no violence on your TV at night, and no violent video games, either.  If you are not “inoculated” with violent imagery the way we Americans are, the movie is even more intense for our students.  Some could not finish it, many kept their eyes covered, only peeking from time to time, and every one of them shed tears.  For me, as much as the film still moves me, and convicts me, it was even more moving to watch them experience it for the first time, especially on Good Friday.

This morning we visited our orphanage down the road at Mahana, Lee McGraw.  That place has really made some nice improvements, and the kids looked so good.  I was very happy to visit them again.  When we returned, we had a lazy afternoon relaxing and preparing for our departure tomorrow.

Tonight, at evening devotional at the VTC, I asked the students to comment on the film and ask any questions they might have.  I was stunned at the response.  Several of them expressed how much it moved them, and how they were convicted to turn away from sin after seeing how much our savor suffered.  One even asked how then can we deal with our sin, knowing how much He gave up for us.  That sparked a good discussion about living a life free from sin, knowing that Jesus had paid our debt for all time.  It was very cool.

Unbeknownst to me, all day the principal, John Kariuki had been counseling with students in his office.  Many of them sought him out to confess sins, rededicate their lives, and ask hard questions.  At the devotion, John told us all that nine of the students had requested baptism, as a result of the film. God is Good!

Later we attended evening devotion at the Dirubi Orphanage and I was so blessed by their singing, and their genuine love and affection that they have for me here.  Truly, my cup overflows today!

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday.  Resurrection Day!  I am bringing the word to the Dirubi church, and for once I can’t wait!  He Is Risen!  Be blessed.

Uriri - April 2014

We left Uriri after lunch on Wednesday.  We had planned to leave earlier, but at our destination, Ndhiwa, Alfayo is hosting the Homa Bay County Children’s Congress.  This event features delegates from the county’s children’s homes, government officials, and other stakeholders.  They were meeting at Ndhiwa for the last three days, which caused a shakeup in our schedule.  Alfayo said is was a good meeting and worth doing, so I didn’t mind the diversion.  While we waited for  Alfayo to be ready for us, we decided to drive into Homa Bay for a soda at the Tourist Hotel on lake Victoria.  Fredrick Kisulu, the pastor of Homa Bay Church of Christ met us there and it was good to visit him again.

We arrived at Ndhiwa in time for evening devotional, and then dinner.  Afterwards we showed them “Ender’s Game” and then it was (past) time for bed.  This morning we interviewed a widow from Ndhiwa about their nutrition information, and then we set out to see Manning Orphange.  But before we got there, we made a stop at Sukari Sgar Company’s factory nearby; Alfayo had arranged for us to take a tour of the factory.

One of the coolest things about Kenyan culture is their strong sense of hospitality.  A simple written request from Alfayo to the Sukari management was all that it took to secure a guided tour of their plant.  This has happened to us at a coffee factory and a tea factory on past trips as well.  I can’t imagine any factory like this in America being so open to visitors, especially ones with no real connection to their company.

One of their mechanical engineers named Charles, took us around.  He explained the entire process, he even lead us on top of one of the big machines while it was running!  Not exactly kosher from an OSHA standpoint, but this is Kenya!  It was easily the best factory tour I have done.  They invited us back any time, and I can’t wait to take some of you with me next time.  On to Manning!

Our visit here was short because the tour ran a bit long and we had to get back to Kisii to pik up our soapstone order before they closed.  It was a good visit.  They have made good improvements on the kitchen and added a new boy’s latrine.  The kids were all there and so happy to see us.  I did a short talk and took a few questions before we had to leave.  Look for the pictures, and many other on the KWO Facebook page. 

Now we are at the Dados in Kisii.  Tomorrow we will move up to the VTC at Dirubi to see that place and rest a bit.  I’m preaching Easter Sunday at Dirubi, so please be in prayer for that.  Thanks and be blessed!

Uriri - April 2014

Monday morning, we set out for Uriri.  The roads in this part of the country are about average, some potholes, speed bumps, and too many mutatu.  We made a stop at the Kisac Fair Trade shop, where we like to buy soapstone.  KWO also likes to get our trophies for K4K and the Golf Tournament here, so they have that authentic, Kenyan feel.  For the golf tournament, I wanted a soapstone golf club head.  Seems easy enough, but no one in this area has ever even seen a golf club.  I sent pictures ahead by email, but they were not able to decipher them very well.  I had planned to carry one with me when I came from the US, but I just clean forgot.

 

So there I stood, around all these gifted artisans, trying to explain the pictures, when I had a thought.  I asked them to bring me a bar of soap and I tried to carve one as an example.  Since I am self conscious about my lack of artistic talent, and sensitive to what people speaking a foreign language around me are saying, you can imagine I was not very comfortable in this situation.  The bar was too small, so they were going to have to scale it up, but I think it turned out OK. 

 

They were confused by it; not knowing what in the world it could be used for.  I tried to explain, but the allure of golf is not for everyone, I guess.  They were skeptical that I would like the finished product, I could tell.  Fortunately, our old friend Daniel showed up just then.  He had foreseen the difficulty, and somehow found the only golf club in Kisii County, I am sure.  It was a metal driver, just what I wanted.  Now the artisans were really laughing at my “soap” stone carving.  “You wanted this, from this?”

 

All’s well that ends well, I guess.  Tuesday morning I got an email with pictures of the trophies completed from Daniel.  They look amazing, and I know the tournament winners will be proud to display them.  We said our goodbyes and moved on down the road to Uriri.

 

Uriri is in sugar cane country.  Kennedy Chandi is our director here, and Joseph, who everyone just calls “Brother”, ably assists him.  We went around the place, seeing what was new.  We also sat down with a widow, Chandi, and Brother and did our nutritional calculations.  One of the things that surprises me in doing this project is just how different each place handles food.  They all cook in the same ways, but the availability of certain foods varies greatly from orphanages just 40 miles apart.  It shows how much transportation costs drive food costs in the developing world.  Every trip I learn something new, and this one has certainly been an eye-opener.

 

After dinner, we showed a movie to the kids.  This time it was “MegaMind.”  They younger ones loved it, but the older ones were a bit bored, I think.  However, they all calmly sat through the entire film, quietly enjoying it.  It’s fascinating to me how different the character of the orphan population’s can be at each place.  Here the discipline is very good and the kids are very well behaved, even with what seems to my eyes to be very relaxed oversight.  At other places, the kids are more rambunctious and harder to keep still.  I wonder if the difference is the director, some strong widows, or a combination of factors.  Hard to tell without staying for months.

 

We had planned to visit Nana Glasscock Orphanage on Tuesday, but the rains and the condition of the road into that place made it impossible.  Chandi said we could drive to within 3km of the place and then put on gumboots and slog our way in on foot.  For me, with this perpetually injured foot, that’s just not an option.  Next time I will be here in the drier season and we will get to see these kids again. 

 

Instead we stayed an extra day at Uriri.  We took some time in the morning to drive into Migori, the commercial center of this area and see that town.  I had never been there, since it is past Uriri a little ways.  It’s a typical town, bustling with activity.  The tobacco industry is also strong here; we passed two factories on our way to Migori.  We stopped and had a soda at a hotel here that was surprisingly nice.  I could see us taking rooms here for a mission trip to this area for a night or two.

 

Back at Uriri, there was time to relax and just enjoy the rhythm of the place.  The kids are on holiday from school right now so they are all here.  They amused themselves in various ways, after their chores were done, of course.  The older kids helped the younger ones, the widows were able to rest a bit and I was able to do some work at y computer.  Around five, we gathered the kids for a question and answer session.  They were slow to get started, but after I got a blackboard and chalk and drew a map of the US, describing the terrain and the location of the cities, they were full of questions.  I really enjoyed it; maybe teaching is still in my future?

 

After dinner we showed another movie, this time, “Ender’s Game.”  They were all into this one, eagerly watching the entire film.  The power stayed with us the whole time and around 9:30 we went back to Chandi’s house for a late dinner.  Tomorrow we will head out to visit Ndhiwa and Alfayo Bodi.  Be blessed!

Ongoro

Yesterday morning we left the Tea Hotel behind at set out for Kisumu.  Kisumu is the third largest city in Kenya, situated on the far western side of the country, right on Lake Victoria.  We were going there on a mission to find a welding supply place within reach of the VTC for a vocational trip later this summer.  We did find a BOC Gasses location there, and it is quite large.  They lacked any stock of welding machines, however, since they only special order from Nairboi when they need something.  They had a massive stock of rods, wire, and gasses though, so it’s good to know where we can go in the future.

We also stopped by a place in town that carried at least a few professional audio products.  I wanted a small, easily transportable sound system for Stephen so that when he visits orphanages with while I’m away, he can bless the kids with a movie or two.  I found one at a good price, though it is not anywhere near the quality I am used to working with at GCR.  We ate a nice lunch at a hotel there and then moved down to Ongoro.

Tobias Olweny runs this place for us, and I can say that he is doing an excellent job.  There was a time when I was not too sure about him, but now Ongoro is one of our nicest, best run locations.  The name “ongoro” means, “dry place” in the local tongue and it is indeed quite sandy and dry by Kenyan standards.  I certainly wouldn’t call it as dry as Midland nor even Kinyach, but growing crops is a challenge here compared to other areas.

We sat down with a widow and Tobias and did our fact finding about food, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how close to ideal the nutrition they already are.  Tobias seems to have a unique sense of what is needed for the kids, and he definitely loves them very much.  He is always trying to do his best for them and it really shows.

After dinner, we played a movie for them and I was so impressed by how quiet and well behaved they were.  Even with a brief stop because of power failure, they were polite and considerate.  This is a very well disciplined group of kids, to be sure.

This morning we got to worship with the Ongoro church.  The other area churches sent delegations as well, so it was a full house in the large church building.  The service went well, and I again shared the “forgiveness” sermon, this time the full version.  Tobias was impressed that I went as long as I did, probably about an hour.  It’s amazing how much they appreciate a long sermon here, quite a contrast from America!

After lunch we left Ongoro behind and made it safely to the Dados in Kisii.  I like visiting this hotel, mostly because, for some reason, they have the fastest internet in Kenya!  So here we are.  We made it in time to see the second half of the Liverpool – Manchester City match in the Barclay’s Premiere League.  Being in Kenya has turned me into a bit of a soccer fan, and though my team, Arsenal, is not in the title chase this time, I am really enjoying the sport.  It gives me a nice point of conversation with most Kenyans, as they all seem to follow it closely.  Liverpool won, by the way, if you care.

Tomorrow, we will make a fairly long drive to Uriri, near the Tanzanian border.  We have two orphanages there, and I am excited to see them and our man, Kennedy Chandi again.  Then it’s on to Ndhiwa and Alfayo Bodi.  We will be three nights away from a hotel this time, as we begin the second half of this trip.  Be blessed!

Londiani and Cheyliot

We left the Sunshine Hotel yesterday morning headed for Londiani.  In the past, this drive was arduous, but the new road is almost complete so it’s an easy 1 hour 10 mins to get there.  We arrived before lunch, toured the place and saw what was new. 

The big news here is the new deep water well, though it is not on the site directly.  It is on a few acres about 600 meters away owned by David Koech, the Director here.  The well was drilled by Christian Relief Fund and funded by Healing Hands International, through funds donated by the Getty Street Church of Christ in Uvalde.  Water has always been an issue here due to the geology and the fact that the orphanage sits very near an underground crude oil pipeline.  We will be adding a storage tank and pipes to carry the water down the hill into the orphanage, which will give them a great supply of very clean water.

We spent a couple of hours in the afternoon going over the food situation here.  I am evaluating the food costs, and quantities on the menu at each location to lay the groundwork for a new menu that we hope will improve the nutrition of our orphans without breaking the bank.  I met with David and the lead widow in the kitchen and together we worked out what they are doing now.  When this trip is over, I will have compiled enough data to at least understand what we are feeding at each place, and what it costs.

With all of these things swimming in my head, later that night at the orphan’s devotional, I had a bit of a ‘moment.’  I was still thinking about how to raise the calorie count and increase the protein intake and vitamins and such, and four different orphan girls got up to exhort the others to remember to thank God for how far they have come.  One girl was saying, “There are so many outside who have no hope of even one meal, and yet God has blessed us with so much.”  I had to catch my breath.

Devotionals with the orphans, especially at night, are magical things for me.  They recharge my spiritual batteries in ways that worship events, retreats, and conferences at home never could.  In that moment, it was as if the Spirit was speaking to me, confirming again the path my life was on.  It was also a stark contrast to the perception I have of many Christians in the US.  We are constantly praying for God to bless our country, restore our families, and heal our sick.  This is all fine and good, but do we even understand how much he has blessed us already?  I will go home and worry about my own calorie intake, but focused on how reduce it, not raise it! 

No one who has not seen these orphans praising God for their blessings, while sleeping on a thin mattress in a dorm of 30 others with no parents, while eating corn mush and kale will ever truly understand how much they are blessed by God, I think.  I guess that really highlights what is so cool about this ministry; realizing how much God has blessed us by blessing others, and in turn, learning what real gratitude looks like.

After dinner, I took up Susie’s tradition of spending some time with the older kids, answering questions about America, life in general, and the big world outside Kenya.  It is so hard to describe how truly blessed we are to these kids without feeling a strong guilt at the accidents of birth that place each of us where we are.

This morning, we departed Londiani and visited Cheyliot Feeding Station on our way back to Kericho.  This was a fairly short visit; I planned it this way to have at least part of a day of rest in the middle of this three-week trip.  I timed it well I think, since both Stephen and Angton woke up with a cough and sniffles after the chill of the evening on the edge of the Great Rift Valley.  After lunch we drove back into Kericho, this time to the Tea Hotel.

I pray that as you read this, God reveals his generous nature to you and reminds you of how much he loves you.  I hope you can somehow understand it the way these kids in Kenya do, though for me it has taken a long time and is not yet complete.  “For man, these things are impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Be blessed.

Muhoroni

This morning we left Kapsabet behind, but before I move on to Muhoroni, I want to say something more about the Kapsabet area.  Last year we started a new project here, a secondary school.  We had the goal of helping our orphans improve their prospects with a better education, while possibly saving some money on school fees.  It’s a longer-term investment than I had originally hoped in terms of money, but in terms of education, I think it’s really going to pay off.  Three students came up to me individually on this trip to thank me for the new school.  They say it is much better equipped than their previous one and the teachers care a lot more.  When the form four students take their exams this fall we will have some quantitative results to look at, but so far it’s looking pretty good.

The trip down to Muhoroni from Kapsabet took just over an hour, but the change in scenery was dramatic.  Kapsabet is in tea country, highlands that are cool and wet.  Muhoroni is in sugar country, lower and hotter by far.  It’s also quite a bit poorer than the tea country, so the orphan’s needs are greater.  Here they also have no good income generating projects, and the church members are not as well off as up north.  We are building a nice clinic here, with the hope that it will improve our orphans’ health and make some income that they can use to supplement the support that KWO gives.  They have just started the foundation, as you can see in the pictures in the Facebook album on the KWO page 

The kids are still in school here, except for a few primary students, so the place felt a little vacant.  The facility looks good, however.  Thomas Alwala has really taken this place under his wing and done a good job of improving the look and feel of the place.  Healing Hands has helped recently with a drip irrigation farming project, and their little shamba (garden) looks very nice.  We left some boxes of food, again from Healing Hands International and got back on the road to Kericho.

Along the way there was a lot of road construction, and we came upon our first accident scene of this trip.  A 24-wheeled semi-truck rolled over after getting his wheels off the road.  It didn’t look like anyone was hurt, the speeds there are very slow because of the road work.  We made it to Kerich just fine and I thought we were haded for the Tea Hotel, but I found out that Mauryn had booked us at the Sunshine Hotel, a newer place in town.  It lacks the massive gardens of the Tea Hotel, but the rooms are new and nice, it has wifi and we will be trying out the restaurant in a few minutes.

Tomorrow, Londiani!

Kapsabet Area

It’s a short one-hour drive to Kapsabet from Eldoret.  We made it with no problems.  Kapsabet Orphanage, home of Bernard Kibet, was the second orphanage built and so is large and comfortable feeling.  Nearby are Ngenymesut orphanage and Kipsenende orphanage.  Over the past two days, we have visited them all, spending the nights here at Kapsabet. 

I have to say that Bernard is doing an amazing job here.  Usually, I can find several things about the condition of the place or the behavior of the kids that I don’t like, but it was very hard to find any fault in any of these places.  I really appreciate that about Kibet, he always wants to improve.

We decided Monday night that we wanted to show a movie Tuesday night.  Then I realized I had forgotten to pack the audio cable to connect my iPad to the sound system.  After we had visited Ngeny this morning, we tried finding one in Kapsabet town, but to no avail.  We got close, finding the right cable on one end and some connectors to change out on the other end.  We found a soldering iron and some solder, at two different shops, that I used to change the connectors.

While we were setting up the dining hall for the movie, we discovered the electrical outlet we needed was not working.  I have encountered that in many places in Kenya, so this time I was prepared.  I had bought a couple of outlets at Nakumatt earlier in the week.  I switched off the breaker and was ready to get started changing it out, when I got that tingly feeling of danger.  Sure enough, the wires were still live.  We had to switch off power to the whole campus to get that outlet safe.  Someone had wired around the breaker panel.

After the repair, the room started to fill up with kids from here and Ngenymesut.  We covered all the windows because it was still early, and watched the movie “Gravity.”  I had to do a fair bit of explaining before the movie about space in general, seems it’s not much on the syllabus here.  They really enjoyed the film. 

This morning we are packing to leave this place and head down to Muhoroni Orphanage.  After our visit there, we will spend the night at the Tea Hotel in Kericho.

Kinyach - April 2014

We left the Kunste in Nakuru bright and early.  The roads are pretty good all the way to Kabernet, and our driver Angton, almost lulled me back to sleep, but a constant squeaking started from the front of the vehicle.  Worried that it might be a wheel bearing, we stopped for a quick look.  We quickly discovered it was just a loose bolt or two on one of the body panels.  Fortunately, I had my new tool set that I brought on this trip and was able to put it to rights pretty quick.  It wouldn’t have been a trip breaker, but very annoying on the rough road to Kinyach.  I love fixing things.

We stopped first at the equator to take a picture.  I try not to miss the equator crossings; I can’t remember how many I have made.  When I was a kid I remember my dad telling me about “crossing the line” on a navy ship, and all the ceremony that attends that.  I’m glad we don’t do the hazing for first-timers, though.  I never thought I would ever cross the equator, and now I can’t even count how many times it’s happened.  Crazy.

When we reached Kabernet, the road begins to descend 3,000 ft into the Kerio Valley.  I asked Angton if he minded if I drove the descent, and he agreed.  I haven’t been driving these last few trips because of my foot injury, and now I remember why - it hurt!  I did take the opportunity to give Angton a few pointers on conserving the brakes by down-shifting and pulsing.  He seemed to take it well, though no professional likes to be schooled by an amateur.  I gave him his seat back when we made the turn onto the rough road that leads to Kinyach.

This road is almost entirely through the tribal lands of the Marakwet.  They are ancestral rivals of the Pokot and Samburu, who neighbor them.  Kinyach is in Pokot lands, but just barely.  The people were friendly to us as we passed; we always draw a stare this far out.  Not too many white people around (read, none.)  There is a new cell tower about half way along the road, but it doesn’t reach to Kinyach.

We arrived at Kinyach in time for lunch - well, a late lunch.  We toured the place with Wilson Kiptoo, the director here and Jackson, the area chief who donated the land and is a church elder as well.  Since I was here last, the dining hall is completed, (it only lacked finishes last time), and the clinic has been built and Wilson’s new house on the site is underway.  They are also working on the kitchen expansion with new stoves and two sinks.  We discussed their progress and their challenges, including a problem with the local government well.  This well has become unreliable lately due to lack of maintenance by the government agency that runs it.  Right now they are trucking water from the nearby river.  Getting a well drilled here will be expensive, but definitely has become a top priority for us.

After our discussions, I sat down with Wilson, Helen, and one of the widows to get more information on food costs.  I am trying to understand better the diet of our orphans at the various places and what their actual costs are.  All three of these folks knew to the shilling every cost and the weight of every item.  We discussed strategies of getting more protein into the kids diet.  It’s hard here because milk and eggs are not available locally in sufficient quantities and meat of all sorts is very expensive.  We will keep working on that.

That evening we shared in the orphan’s devotional, always a highlight for me.  I love their singing voices; they are like vitamins for my soul.  We slept that night in the nearby community guesthouse.  As I drifted off to sleep, I could still hear the singing.

This morning we arose and bathed, then went to the orphanage for breakfast.  We had boiled eggs and chapatti with fresh mangos, papaya, and oranges - so good.  Then it was time for church.  As usual, I was asked to preach.  By now, I am prepared for this.  I did a passable job with an adaptation of Tod Brown’s “Forgiveness” sermon.  It seemed right for a group in perpetual tribal conflict.  I think they liked it.

At the end of service I got to make the big announcement of the expansion of the Kinyach Orphanage to include a feeding program.  Now an additional 50 orphans will get two, life-sustaining meals daily in addition to the 60 receiving full care at the orphanage.  The response was awesome.  I had Wilson take some video of the announcement, so I hope to get that edited and up on the web soon.  By the way, remember to check our KWO Facebook page for a whole ton of pictures from my Kinyach visit.

We left on time for the drive to Eldoret.  It was almost without incident, except when the honey, which had been given to us at Kinyach, spilled and made a nice mess in the vehicle.  I got to practice what I preached today, though it was harder than it should have been.  God is still working on me.  We made Eldoret before dark, and had a nice dinner.  We are at the Sirikwa now, resting for the night.  Tomorrow, Kapsabet!  Be blessed!

First Days and Kikitemo

It was as smooth of a journey as I have ever had.  All my flights were on time and the planes were not full.  I had an empty seat beside me on every flight, something that has never happened before, and my bags arrived with me. Francis was ready at the airport to pick me up and all of our road journeys have been without incident.  I really couldn’t ask for more, (except maybe a business class upgrade!)

 

Yesterday, (Thursday) we went into Nairobi to do some shopping.  I am looking at welders to buy for our training center, but we had very little luck in that.  Francis has promised to do some research, and we will try again on my way home.  We managed a trip to my favorite hair stylist, Kiki, at the Sarit Center.  She was amazed at how shaggy I had become as she clucked, “Come, come, let’s get that off you.”

 

Kiki and her friends are quite nervous these days.  The conflict with Al-shabab, an Al-Queda affiliate, is heating up.  Recently there was a grenade attack in Eastleigh not far from where she lives.  The Kenyans responded by arresting over 600 people in Nairobi!  It sounds dangerous, but you still have a much better chance of dying in a road accident than a grenade attack.  They are rare and random, typical terrorist tactics.  The Kenyans are nervous, but defiant.  Their new president, while not really a desirable choice, is at least strong when it comes to security.  Can you imagine the FBI arresting 600 in a day?

 

We had lunch at Java, and got some KFC take out for dinner.  Afterwards I spent two hours repacking for my long trip up-country.  Francis had to go back later for Charles and Darlene Coulston who arrived last night.

 

Today we made a quick stop at the Nairobi Great Commission School in the Karen district of Nairobi.  We met Tom Opondo, their registrar, who also helps Healing Hands International distribute food aid to those in need.  He had contacted Stephen to say he had seventy boxes of rations for us to take with us.  Healing Hands has been very good to us lately.  They drilled a water well at Londiani, which would have been very costly, and have held drip irrigation seminars at three of our orphanages so far, with more to come.

 

Afterwards we drove on to Kikitemo Feeding Station, one of my favorite places.  The thing I like most about this place is the hard-working spirit of the many widows and orphans who make up this community.  Their latest project is making greeting cards from recycled paper.  They get shredded paper from a printing house and mulch and soak it back to pulp.  Then they add a dye for color, or not, and press it into card sized sheets.  After they dry, they decorate them, add a sheet of writing paper on the inside, bind them with thread, and package them with an envelope.  They look fantastic!  I’ll be bringing a few back to show off at Java House on Wednesday nights at GCR, and we are working on a project to make Christmas cards you can buy this fall to show your support for Kikitemo and KWO.

 

After we left Kikitemo, we made it safe to Nakuru, no run0ins with police at all, and here we sit at the Kunste, waiting for dinner.  Tomorrow we will make the very long drive to Kinyach, in the Pokot tribal region.  Look for today’s photos on the KWO Facebook page.  I will post again Sunday night after we reach Eldoret.  Be blessed!