What I Learned - Susie Neale

I am sitting in the airport with mixed emotions.  Part of me is very ready to be home and return to the 'easy' life while part of me is very sad about leaving the people and the Kenyan way of life.  Kenyan life is not easy.  The days are long and filled with tasks we think nothing about like using propane to heat water for a bath and the amount of time it takes to cook a meal.  This trip has made me realize how special this place is and how much I have been blessed by being here.

This is the first visit where I did not have a job so I was not stressed by no internet, no power or deadlines.  I had planned on reading a few books in the evening and using this trip to  prioritize my job search and goals.  I figured being away from home with Tim in a place we love and where we know exactly what we are here to accomplish would be good for both us.  I did not expect to learn anything new or see anything different than normal.  I did want to make this as easy a trip as possible for Tim.

I knew we would be staying at some orphanages and the John and Mary Sue Vocational Training Center.  I knew we would not have showers every day.  I knew we would eat on the orphanage schedule.  I knew I would take pictures and visit with the workers and widows.  I knew I would have some free time.  I thought I knew everything that could/would happen.  What I did not know or expect was the incredible graciousness, hospitality, friendship and love I would find just by being on sire for more than a few hours.  I got to see what happens in an average day of work for the widows - who happen to be some amazingly strong and dedicated women, what kids do in the morning before school - which goes from 8am to  6pm, what the guards do to keep everyone safe, and the incredible love and humbleness of our workers - who do not have a restful moment as phones are constantly ringing and people are always needing something.  Not to mention the women behind our workers.  I have never met more devoted, loving, self-sacrificing, servant women in my life.  I tried to be like one for a few days and realized how hard it was to put someone's needs before my own and how difficult it is to keep my opinions to myself.
 I did get to spend time at each location with the kids.  By time, I mean sitting and answering any questions they had - including 'Is mzungu poop different than Kenyan poop?'  Yes, I did answer and got a laugh in response which led to some really good questions.  The kids opened up and shared some fears, dreams, and goals.  They also wanted to touch my hair and rub my arms which is not something I have had 'time' for in the past.  I did hug every child and adult I saw part in effort to show I cared for them and in part to say thank you for what they are teaching me....God is good all the time and He has a plan for each one of us.

I cannot explain the complete joy of waking up to the sound of kids singing at Londiani, the stars in the sky over Ndhawi, holding the hands of babies during church at Kericho, or sitting in a dark room listening to the chior at Uriri.  These are things I would never have experienced if I had not been staying overnight at our places and I thank each of you for allowing me to be a representative of your love. 

Nawapenda - I love you all.

Ngando

Our drive into Nairobi Saturday was uneventful.  We arrived about 5:30, which meant some traffic, but the new bypass highway is amazing.  It means we managed to not drive at night any day this trip, ‘kinda proud of that.

Sunday we worshipped at Kamulu Church of Christ with the Mbuvi’s and our other friends here at Made In The Streets.  At church we met an American named CJ Wilson who is raising funds to move here and head a medical effort fir MITS and other missionary works here in Kenya.  CJ is a nurse practitioner.  I’m excited about the prospects for him and our medical trips, and I hope to get some more time to meet with him tomorrow.

After church and lunch, we drove onto Nairobi to visit our last feeding station, Ngando.  This place is in a small rented building in a poor area (not quite slum) of Nairobi.  Simon Karanja is our worker here.  The place is tiny, about 12 x 20, but the church members who were waiting for us have big hearts and a love for orphans.  It was a short visit, not much to see, but I did manage to record their kids singing ane meet the church members.

Afterwards, we visited the school of a man named Gideon, a WBS student of John DeFore who has a small private school for the poor in a nearby Nairobi neighborhood.  You might think that private schools for the poor is an oxymoron, but they actually educate as many poor kids in Kenya as government schools.  Gideon has 400 students, 50 of whom are orphans that he doesn’t charge tuition to.  He manages to feed them a good lunch each school day, but his resources are stretched and they cant do much more for them.  Not sure what we are going to do with him, if anything, but it was a good visit.

There was time for a little shopping at a mall called Junction, which is nearby.  We were drawn in by a welcoming sign, Kentucky Fried Chicken.  It was awesome!  Imagine a KFC, in an upscale, ritzy mall decorated in Starbucks style, churning out original recipe as fast as possible.  Kenyans love chicken, especially Mauryn who ate six pieces, and this was just a snack!  Dinner in Kenya is not until 8 or so and it was only 5pm.  We dropped Stephen at the bus station for his long trip back to Homa Bay after our chicken and then drove back out to Kamulu.  All in all a productive day.

Monday is a lazy day around Kamulu, and then we depart on Tuesday evening.

Kikitemo

We slept in a bit this morning at the Kunste in Nakuru and then drove out to visit our friends at Kikitemo.  This is an amazing place for me because of the incredible story of God’s love that has been told here.  I won’t repeat it here; you can search for IDP in this blog archive and read my thoughts as we experienced them. 

When we arrived the kids and widows were all outside waiting for us, singing a welcome song.  We toured the place and then went in the hall to hear their singing and make our recording.  It was all very nice but it was getting a bit late, and we were anxious to get on the road.  Then Grace, the leader here, said that they just and a short drama to perform for us, and then we would be done.  Boy, am I glad we stayed.

The drama was a capsule of the life of an orphan, performed by orphans.  As the scene begins, the child is wandering lost and alone, calling out to God to help him after the death of his parents.  He is praying a soulful prayer out loud and then remembers his parents friends who may be able to help him.  At first the neighbors are willing to take him in, but they end up treating him very badly and making him do housework like a slave.  He soon runs away and is again alone, praying for God’s redemption.

That’s when he meets the heroine of the story, named Grace.  Grace takes him in and he joins the other orphans she has promised to care for.  Grace realizes that she has more than she can handle and calls her friend John, who suggests that he send an email to his friend in America, Tim.  Tim comes right over and promises money to help the orphans and the story ends happily.  The boy who played the orphan gave a soliloquy at the end, thanking God and the American donors for his redemption.  We were all in tears.

The story is not accurate - it was John DeFore who answered the email sending the first money here when these people were refugees of their last post-election violence.  I was just the first mzungu to visit them.  And the story also leaves out the terrible ordeal they went through as displaced persons before John met them.  But it was a beautiful tribute and a fitting end to a great trip.

Before we left we spoke to the assembled church of widows and orphans.  I was asked to say something, as I am at every place.  Usually I have a set-piece that I do, but this time it would not come to me.  I had no idea what I was supposed to say.  I looked at the widows, many of whom lost their husbands and possessions during the last election cycle, and heard my own voice reassuring them that even though the elections are just a few days away, it will be different this time.  This time they are under the protection of a mighty king who has proven his faithfulness in ways that few outside could understand.  He has delivered them from death and then from starvation and replaced their lost families with a big, new family.  This time the angels of the kings stand guard around this place and no evil shall pass.

I have no idea where that came from; it just came out of my mouth.  My prayer is that it was from the spirit and the tears of the widows tell me I am right.  Pray for the Kenyan people as they go through a tense time of elections and remembering all that was lost the last time around.

A change of plan

We had planned to be at the Siriqa Hotel in Eldoret tonight but we went to Nakuru instead.  We are having to skip our planned visit to our new orphanage at Kinyach in the Pokot region.  Our worker there, Wilson Kiptoo advised us that tribal tensions are very high in their area due to the upcoming elections and some cattle rustling that frequently occurs between the Pokot and their neighbors.  The orphanage is in no danger, but the area that we would have to pass through has seen some violence and the national police presence is high.  They would likely turn us back if we tried to pass.

While this is not normal for their area, it is to be expected during times of increased political activity.  The national elections are on March 4, and we are seeing signs of increased tensions in their "swing" regions.  Following the 2007-8 elections, there was significant violence throughout the country, especially in contested areas.  That is why we are here now and not in March as we usually are.  We are fine and in no danger, and I'm sure next time we come we will be able to visit Kinyach with no problems.

Tim

Kipsenende

This morning left our temporary home at Kapsabet and drove over to the third orphanage in this area, Kipsenende.  This place is almost a year old, and it’s one of our best looking orphanages.  This is the place were we first installed the new high efficiency jiko (wood stove) that we are now putting in every orphanage.  They are making good use of them, though they have feeding capacity to spare.

We arrived around 10, and recorded the choir first.  This has been a great experience for us, since every choir is trying extra hard to do their best, knowing that so many donors will be listening when we publish the CD.  After that, we walked around and saw the place.  It’s looking good.  Then we met with the elders, like we try to do at every place.  They had a list of questions (requests), some that I had to say “no” to, and some that I got to say “yes.” 

That may be the hardest thing that I do, deciding what projects are worthy and what are not.  It’s easy to say no to one of the elders asking for college tuition for themselves, (that happened).  It’s harder to judge which worthy project of several possible ones to fund.  I hope I get it right more often than not, just trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide me.

Susie and I then got to spend some time with the kids, answering questions and hugging and laughing.  Q&A sessions have been very good this trip, with the kids really opening up to Susie.  Then it was time for lunch, a big spread as always.  We then said our goodbyes and hit the road for Nakuru as we begin the long, homeward journey. 

The drive took about 3.5 hours through some big potholes and road construction on the Eldoret-Nakuru Highway.  That highway makes me laugh, because when it was built the pavement was only laid about 4 inches thick over a base of compacted soil.  Not near enough highway for the heavy truck traffic that it carries, so the lanes have developed ruts, like a dirt road would.  Some are more than a foot deep, making passing a real adventure!

When we arrived at Nakuru, we made for the Nakumatt to restock water and stuff, and were greeted with another great surprise.  A Nairobi Java House had just opened a few weeks ago right next door to the Nakumatt.  What a sight for sore eyes.  We decided to have dinner on American schedule, (Kenyans like to eat at 8pm).  Stephen was having none of that, he just had a snack saying he was in need of ugali at the right time for dinner!

So now we are at the Kunste Hotel, leisurely repacking and resting.  We plan to sleep in a bit and then stop at Kikitemo on our way back to Nairobi tomorrow.  Thanks for reading!

Kapsabet, Kisagat, and Ngenymesut

When we arrived yesterday, we got to spend some time seeing what has changed here at the Kapsabet Orphanage.  This is one of our oldest locations and the biggest, so it was time to do some upgrades based on what we have learned since this place was built.  The last time I was here, we detailed a plan for renovations that Bernard Kibet has now completed.  There is a totally new kitchen, built to be able to feed both the orphanage and feeding station that is attached, over 240 people.

We also rebuilt the clinic, placing it on the small road that runs beside the orphanage.  This will allow the new clinic to serve the orphans and the community as well.  The construction of both projects is first rate; I am very pleased.  There is still work to be done here, as the girl’s dorms are overcrowded, but we are progressing well here.

One of the most exciting projects that we are involved with is here next door to the orphanage.  It’s a secondary school for all of our orphans at Kapsabet, Ngenymesut, and Kipsenende.  We built it as a cooperative venture with the Kapsabet church.  We paid for it’s construction and equipping and the church operated it and gives our orphanas free tuition.  Over time, this will lower our ongoing educational costs and ensure that our kids are getting the best education possible.  There are pictures of the school on our Facebook page, along with other pics from today’s visits.

Today we visited the school and got to meet their students and staff.  They are off to a great start, with over 80 Freshmen just enrolled joining another 80 Sophomores- Juniors.  They will have to be in operation for one year before they are allowed to give the KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) exam to their seniors, so there are none here yet.  They have 7 teachers, plus the principal, which gives them a great ratio of students to teachers for Kenyan schools.  I’m so excited about the future for this place.

After lunch with the teachers, we moved over to Ngenymesut, another of Kibet’s orphanages.  It’s only about 5km away and not hard to get to.  It’s a smaller orphanage, less that half of Kapsabet, but a good one.  We did our recording of their choir and then got to spend time just talking with the kids.  They asked great questions about our lives in the US, and what differences there are between our two countries.  It is so had to describe America to rural Kenyans, they haven’t even seen much television, so it frequently sound like heaven to them.  We try to relate some of the negatives and not to build false hope that they will some day get to go there.  Better to tell of what heaven will be like, we can all go there!

Tomorrow we will go and see Kipsenende, the third orphanage in this area and then we will make our way to Eldoret for a night at the Siriqa Hotel.  Be blessed, we sure are!

Ongoro

This morning we rolled out of Kisii for the last time and made our way to Ongoro.  It's not too far, only 1.5 hours.  There we met with Tobias Olweny, our director there.  We were on a limited time schedule and so we just did the important things, recording the kids and eating lunch.;)  They had two choirs, one called junior choir and one called choir.  Both were very good, but the juniors stole the show.  They did three English songs, all were new to us, and sang with such sweet innocence.  The older kids did great as well. 

On the blackboard in the hall where we were recording, they had written three songs in english.  We thought they would be the ones they would sing, but in fact they were no ones that someone had left for them to learn.  One of them was a song we sing, You Are My All In All (Worthy Is Your Name).  They said they had not learned it well, but they sang it for us anyway.  The rhythms and tempo were very different from the way we sing it.  So I thought I would try to taech it to them the way we sing it.

Of course I picked one of the hardest songs to learn possible, but I really had a good time trying.  They got close and we were out of time, so I burned them a CD and asked them to try to learn it the American way so we could record it next time.  Maybe it would make a great Kenya Sunday thing.

We left by 1:30 so we could make the long drive to Kapsabet.  We made it with no problems are are here now.  We just finished recording their kids and eating dinner and Susie is with Stephen talking to the kids in the hall while I am writing this.  I cant begin to describe what a blessing she has been on this trip, especially loving on the kids in the way only a mother can.  I'll write more about that later.

Uriri and Chebaraa

Yeterday we awoke at Uriri Orphange, after staying at Kennedy Chadi’s house there.  We toured Uriri, one of our older orphanages to see what was new.  They have installed the cane crusher that we moved from Muhoroni and are putting it to good use.  Both crushers are working well and were running almost the entire time we were there.  This project makes a lot of profit for the orphanage, meaning we do not have to contribute as much for small needs that come up during the year.

Kennedy is also adding a new pond for fish farming.  The first one is doing well and they are expanding it.  This is a project that they were able to start on their own, thanks to profits from the crusher.  It provides fresh fish for the orphans to eat.

We also got to see the new brick making machine in action.  This machine uses a small amount of cement with local soil and compression to make a brick that is uniform is size and does not need to be fired.  They are still practicing with it, trying to get the ratios right.  I’m hopeful this will help us build a better building at a lower cost.  There are several pictures of this on Facebook, added to the Uriri Feb 2013 Album.

After Uriri, we drove into Kisii to get a nights rest at the Dados.  They have good showers and fast internet, so I like to come here after being in the field for a few days.  First, we had to wrestle with Safaricom some more, as my phone quit working again.  We finally got it straightened out and then hit the Nakumatt for supplies.  Later that evening, Stanley Rotich arrived at our hotel.  Stanley is the WBS worker who has a church in Transmara district that we are just beginning to support with a new feeding station.

This morning, Stanley guided us to his place called Chebaraa.  It’s a long way away from Kisii.  It took 3 hours to get there, down the highway towards Bomet and then down a very bad road to Chebaraa.  We found the entire church and many kids there waiting for us.  The church already owns 1.5 acres and has built a dining hall/church building and a small kitchen.  They are feeding 25 orphans on their own and we are now going to take care of them.  We hope that the church will decide to reach out and feed even more orphans.  That’s how we judge their performance and how they earn our trust.

The place looks really good and the people were very friendly and happy to see us.  We met with the entire church, received some gifts from the widows there (I got  a walking stick, perfect for my lame foot), and then met with the elders.  They are a good group of men who have done great work so far.  They were very willing to do whatever we asked with regards to the orphans and are very excited to be apart of the KWO family.

We couldn’t stay long because of the long drive, so we departed around 2:30pm.  We took a different route back, one that I hoped would be shorter, but it was not.  We got back to Kisii around 6:15.  To say we are tired would be an understatement.  Tomorrow we will stop at Ongoro on our way to Kapsabet.  More fun times ahead, stay tuned!

Glasscock

This morning we awoke at Ndhiwa and packed to leave.  We were headed to Glasscock Orphanage for worship.  Traffic on Sunday morning was very light, so we made the trip in just under two hours.  We met Kennedy Chandi at Awendo and he guided us toward Glasscock through some very bad roads.  We discovered just how bad at a very rocky place where I managed to get stuck.  One of our rear springs was hard on a large rock and we had to dig out the high-lift jack that Paul Talley insisted we buy, and lift the rear wheel high enough to get some rocks under it.  We got off OK, and went on to the orphanage. 

Fortunately,  Kenyan church often starts quite late so there was no disruption.  I preached again (kind of average – I was still mad about the rock), and after church we ate a nice meal at the home of a man named Elly, who donated the land.  Then we made our recording of the choir.  I was not expecting much, because this place had only been an orphanage for two months.  Boy, were we surprised.  Their voices were just awesome.

Afterwards, Susie stayed and talked to the kids while I went round the place with Kennedy, Elly, and Julius, the manager.  There was little to complain about.  The construction was first rate and there are only a few details remaining to call it complete.  I’ll post pictures tomorrow when we get to Kisii and a fast internet connection.

After a tearful goodbye, we set off down a different bad road to get back to the highway.  This one was not rocky, but had deep ruts carved into it from the sugar cane tractors that carry the cane to the factory.  At one point, we encountered a small cane wagon that had lost a wheel and been abandoned by the owner.  There was no way around it, so Kennedy, Stephen and two passing Kenyans helped unload the wagon and move it out of the way.  Problem solved.

We drove from there to Uriri Orphanage where Kennedy lives.  We saw the cane crusher that had been relocated from Muhorini and installed here.  Now they have two and each one is in constant use.  It’s a real benefit for the kids, as all their small necessities can be paid for with the profits. Again we recorded the choir and were amazed at how good they were.  As I am writing this, Susie is talking to the kids again and soon we will turn in.  Tomorrow, we will drive on to Kisii for some rest and a shower and some fast internet, (I hope).

Weekend with Alfayo

Our plan Friday was to drive to Ndhiwa, making a quick stop in Kisii to fix our Safaricom phones and internet.  What we forgot was that “quick stop” is not something that happens often in Africa.  We spent about two hours trying to get the sim card registration fixed, something that should have been easy.  Instead we were frustrated and left with the phones working and a promise that the modem would work too.  It didn’t, so we are still on the backup Orange network which is very slow here.

We arrived at Ndhiwa about 2:30 in the afternoon.  After touring the place, we retired to Alfayo’s house to rest before dinner and recording the choir.  When he showed us to our room, we could hardly believe it.  I stayed here last year, and the room for me was pretty simple and adequate.  Since then he has painted, laid tile, and built a bathroom with hot water shower and everything!  We were so excited!  Alfayo jokingly said that this was Tim’s room, no one else could stay here, but I think he only did it for Susie.

We got to play with Alfayo’s youngest child, Enoch.  He was born last year and diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome and a hole in his heart.  They have had a few tense times with him, especially the heart issue, but the hole seems to be closing on it’s own and he is growing fine.  He was a joy to hold and cuddle, especially for Susie who loves babies.

The choir recording went well, although several of the members are sick so there were a few more coughs than I would like.  The choir director was suffering from Malaria but rose to the occasion and led well.  We had a great Kenyan dinner and talked with Alfayo for a long time, finally getting to bed a little late.

This morning we went to see the other two orphanages that Alfayo oversees, Manning and Grace House.  They are 14 and 24km away respectively.  In the US that means 10 to 15 minutes away, but in rural Kenya it takes about an hour to Manning and another to get to Grace House.  We had to dodge sugar haulers, who actually do own the road, and some very rough places.

Manning was in great shape.  We toured the grounds and recorded the choir, who were surprisingly good considering it’s a smaller place.  They have a new manager here, on the job about two months.  She seems eager and willing to learn under Alfayo’s direction.  We couldn’t stay long because we had to get to Grace House and back to Ndhiwa.

Another hot and dusty drive to Grace House which is literally back in the bush.  The last kilometer we were making our own road over a cow trail, around sugar fields, and peoples farms.  Grace House looks amazing.  It’s like an oasis in the middle of the bush.  The manager here is Joseph, the man who donated the land.  He really loves the kids here, and you can tell that they love him as well.  After our usual tour and recording, we had lunch and then were preparing to say goodbye when we saw the children playing volleyball.  I couldn’t resist that so I played with them for a little while.  Not such a smart decision with my foot injury, but I survived.  Everything seems healthier in Kenya to me.

More bad roads and anther hour and a half and we were back at Ndhiwa, having tea.  Now as I finish this up, I need to study my sermon again since tomorrow is Sunday and we will be driving over to Glasscock Orphanage for worship.  We are both having a great time and really feeling the love of God for these children. Check Facebook for pictures, assuming I can get them to go...

Meeting Day and Lee McGraw

Wednesday was our scheduled meeting day.  All of our orphanage and feeding station workers came in for a day of conversations about current issues.  We had a good meeting, covering topics such as the VTC, the role of managers in the orphanages, secondary education, etc.  Susie sat beside me the entire time taking notes on her laptop for me.  It was such a blessing since I have such a hard time remembering details after we get home. 

Susie has been amazing on this trip.  Usually she is working on her laptop a lot of the time, telecommuting for Basic Energy, but since they moved to Ft. Worth and her job ended, she has been taking care of me!  Yeah!  It’s been a giant help to have her worrying about details, cleaning around the guest house, and being the best wife a part-time missionary could have.

Wednesday night we joined the Dirubi Orphanage kids for their evening devotional.  It was a very cool time, listening to their singing and giving them a word of encouragement.  It’s hard for Americans to realize how much these orphans love just getting visits from us.  When we come here, we want to work and do “something” for them.  Most of the time all they want from us is to be there.  Very cool.

Thursday we visited Lee McGraw Orphanage.  It was a good visit, the place looks okay, but is due for some improvements.  I am a bit concerned with the water situation there.  The water we saw at the orphanage is still quite dirty even after it comes through the sand filters and it has to be carried from the Sondu River by hand, or part way with a pump.  I asked the manager how far it was to the river and he said 100 meters.  I couldn’t quite believe it was that close so I just said, “Let’s see it.”  So we walked down to the river.  Not surprisingly it was 400 meters or so away.

When we returned to the orphanage, the local Assistant Chief, a man named Augustus, was there.  He has been helping us with a minor dispute with the children of the man who donated the land for the orphanage.  That situation is resolved, but he wanted to come and meet Susie and I and give us a report.  It was a situation where having the government involved worked out well.  The local chiefs that we have encountered have always been helpful, it’s the national politicians you have to worry about.  Just like at home, I guess.

When we returned to Dirubi, the best news of the trip was waiting for us.  There was a large truck outside the orphanage, delivering massive spools of electrical wire and other hardware for the power lines that have been promised here for more than a year.  The poles are already up, and now it seems that work will soon begin on the wires.  Hopefully the days of generators at the VTC will soon be over.

Please check on the KWO Facebook page for our most recent pictures.  We are able to get a few out now.  Thanks for caring!

VTC and Dirubi

We slept so well last night.  We had such a great feast and were very tired from our trip and it felt so good to be at our new "home" in Dirubi.  Today we spent a rather lazy day touring the VTC, (Vocational Training Center) and the Dirubi orphanage.  The new students seem eager and the new masonry, carpentry, and sewing programs are off to a good start.  I reviewed the intake of students with John Kariuki and Susie went around taking pictures. 

After lunch we had a good rest time and later went over to see what was new at the Dirubi Orphanage.  Dirubi is the oldest of our orphanages and one of the most compressed.   They have learned to do a lot with a little space there.  We recorded the choir and were also very impressed with their work.  Being an older place, they have a larger proportion of high-school kids so the voices were more mature and deep than most other places.

This evening, the workers began to arrive for our meetings tomorrow.  We shared dinner with them and retires, preparing for a long day of meetings tomorrow.  I will probably not blog again until after we visit Lee McGraw orphanage on Thursday.

Recently all the cell phone carriers began to purge users who had not "registered" their verified identities with the company.  This is in response to a new Kenyan law to help identify those who were using the cell network to commit fraud, and do other bad things.  I thought all of my accounts were registered properly, but apparently not.  Today all of our Safaricom lines stopped working completely.  Now we are using our backup carrier, Orange to get online.  However we don’t have phone service and no email on our iPhones. Just another reminder of how blessed we are in America and how dependent we have become on our smart phones!  This means no pictures can be upladed just yet, but we hope to have it all sorted out by Friday when we move on from here.

Muhoroni

To be honest, last time I was at Muhoroni I was less than thrilled.  I was not aware at the time, but the church was in the middle of a serious dispute, caused by someone connected with the orphanage.  There was distrust and dissension and the tension was evident in the way the place looked and in the eyes of the people there.  Since then, they were able to discover the source of the problems and deal with them effectively.  This time things were a lot better.  The kids were happier, and the place looked wonderful.

We have just invested in some repairs and renovations, things did not get done correctly during construction, and now Muhoroni looks better than it ever has.  Fresh plaster and paint makes a difference in the appearance of the buildings, but it also shows to the orphans and church members that we are serious about this work.  We spent a couple of hours meeting with the church members, discussing the past and the bright future for them.  It was time well spent.

We also recorded the Muhoroni Choir, and we were completely blown away.  Their choir leader, and orphan named Kevin Ogongo, has been rehearsing them diligently and they were spectacular.   I am really excited about this recording project and I think it has given the orphans something worthy to strive for.  I cant wait for you to hear them.  

After lunch we said our goodbyes and drove over to Kisumu.  We don’t have a facility there, but they have a great Nakumatt (Kenyan Walmart), and we needed supplies for our next four nights  staying at the Vocational Center.  We bought our usual needs, plus some chicken and hamburger meat for dinner.  When we arrived at the VTC, it was time to start dinner.  I gave a lesson in propane grilling to Mbuvi, Thomas, and Stephen while Susie got us all unpacked and moved in.  Jouhn Kariuki and his wife joined us for dinner, bringing ugali, scuma, and cabbage for our sides.  It was a great feast.  Tomorrow we will visit with the students here at the VTC and see Dirubi orphanage.  Be blessed.

Sunday at Kericho Feeding Station

When I was planning this trip, I intentionally had us out at our locations on every possible Sunday.  I wanted to do this in order to be able to worship with the churches here that do all the real work of serving the orphans.  Today we were at Kericho, one of our favorite places.  Last year when I brought Morgan and my mom, they were so kind to both of them.  They really treated them like honored guests.  My mom especially had a great time there.

We arrived at the scheduled start time for worship, 9:30, which means that we were an hour early for most Kenyans, and two hours early for some.  We decided to make our recordings of the children’s choir first and get that done before too many people came who could make extraneous noises.  That went really well.  All of the choirs so far have been good, but it seems to me they are a little better than usual because we told them in advance about the recording.

Church got started about 10:30 and went until about 12:30.  They asked me to preach, which I was ready for, and I did well.  By “well” I mean that I did not disappoint them by only preaching 25 minutes.  I did a cool 50 minute version of a sermon that Tod Brown initially preached at GCR in 25 minutes.  The story of Moses really resonates with Kenyans, and it’s particularly easy to tie it in to the orphans work.  How, you ask?  You’ll have to hear it to know!

After church we met all the local church leaders, and all the guests that heard a mzungu would be preaching and showed up.  That took a while.  Then they served the feeding station kids and our group a great lunch.  The church members and guests ate after.  We had a great time playing and talking with the kids, especially Francis Mbuvi, who loves to clown around with little ones.  You can see pictures from the day on Facebook HERE. (You should be able to see this album even if you are not a Facebook member.)

After lunch, a church member offered to show us another cave nearby.  Last year, we went to a beautiful waterfall and cave that is near here, and this one was just as cool.  We had to climb down to this one, instead of up like last year.  I was worried about my wounded foot, but it was fine.  After some pictures and exploring the cave, we climbed back up and headed back here to the Kericho Tea Hotel for one more night.

Tomorrow we will be at Muhoroni Orphanage for a while before moving on to the DeFore Vocational Training Center.  We will base there for four days while we hold meetings, and visit the Dirubi and Lee McGraw Orphanages.

Londiani and Chesyliot

We arrived at Londiani Orphanage about the time the kids were getting home from school.  After a late lunch, we toured the place with David Koech, the director here.  Londiani was built in late 2008 and opened in 2009.  This was one of the first places I visited on my first trip to Kenya.  John DeFore negotiated the site for the orphanage and we met the church and the beautiful orphans that they were feeding there.  As we walked up the hill, the orphans and widows were standing on the ridge looking down at us.  I raised my hands in a thumbs up sign, and they all did the same.  I snapped a picture of that scene and it has  become one of my all time favorites.  The KWO logo features the shadow of that image as it's main symbol.

We had a great discussion with David about some operational issues, nothing major but a good conversation nonetheless.  As we greeted the kids, I could feel the love that they have for each other and for me and Susie.  We sat in on their evening devotional, which is one of my favorite things to do on the world.  Imagine, sitting with your (really large) family every night and singing praises to God and hearing a word of encouragement from one of your brothers.  The 13 year old boy that spoke was really good; he brought me to the edge of tears.

After devotional, we had dinner and settled in for the night at David's house.  We could hear the orphans singing as we drifted off, practicing for their big recording session the next morning.  One of my goals for this trip is to get some good recording of the kids singing at each location.  I brought a good microphone and software for my Mac and practiced getting a good result.  This morning we recorded three songs at Londiani and they sound fantastic.  I'll try to post a sample later in the trip.  Here is a link to the Facebook album for pictures from Londiani:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151545664020809.554465.792145808&type=1&l=4af571fee4 

After the recording session we said our goodbyes and drove the short distance to visit our feeding station at the Chesyliot Church of Christ.

David's brother Richard Koech is the director of Chesyliot.  His kids were all assembled and were so excited to see us.  The church elders were also there and we had a great session with them in the dining hall.  We recorded some more songs and a couple of poems that the kids performed.  After lunch we spent some good time just hanging out with the kids and getting some great pictures.  You can see them on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151545785690809.554482.792145808&type=1&l=5198faa43c 

We are now resting at the Tea Hotel in Kericho.  Tomorrow we will worship with the church at the Kericho Feeding Station before returning here.  I'll write about that visit tomorrow.  Thanks for checking in with us!

Back in Kenya

We are returning to Kenya this time for a routine oversight trip. Susie is traveling with me since her job at Basic Energy ended and she has not yet found a new one. The timing seemed perfect to spend some time together without the pressures of work for her. It will be a new experience for her. In the past she has spent a great deal of time tele-commuting and missed a lot of scenery and quality time with the orphans.

Our flights were all on time and not very full. I purposely booked or travel mid-week to avoid the rush and full planes of the weekends. Our drive to Kamulu, where we stay with the Mbuvis, is always a sweet time for me. It's a familiar drive and I get to see what has changed since my last visit. It's like visiting my hometown now, since I've been here so many times.

Thursday we planned to stay in Nairobi to do some shopping for the medical mission trips coming up this summer, and it also helps in case baggage is delayed. Before we went in town, we toured the construction of the new WBS office / KWO Arrival center. We are building it at Kamulu, very near the Mbuvis new house which is also under construction. The new office is much bigger for the growing WBS ministry and has attached dorms for our mission trips to stay at when they arrive and depart Kenya. It is almost finished, and it was a pleasure to see what I had designed being built almost exactly as I had envisioned. By the time we return from our trip up-country the place will be nearly finished.  Here is a link to the Facebook album with a few pics:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151545649300809.554462.792145808&type=1&l=010f9afbf9

We went into town, primarily to get the dental anesthesia for our medical trips. Dental supplies are scarce here, but we found a place last year that was able to help us again this year. We lunched at Java at the Sarit center, and I was able to get another fine haircut from Kiki, a former MITS student that works at a salon on the top floor.

Susie and Mauryn could not resist some market shopping at Junction Center, and as usual I had to pry her away. We returned to Kamulu to pack for our 19 days touring the orphanages. As I write this we are on the highway traveling to Londiani to visit and spend the night. Francis Mbuvi is driving for us these first few days so i get a chance to rest and enjoy the ride for a change.

I'm looking forward to seeing David and Richard Koech and their wives and all the kids in that area. I'm keeping an open mind and heart on this trip, trying to let the spirit speak to me about what conditions that need to be addressed. We are striving to improve and standardize the quality of care at all of our locations. This trip will be to see the results of our first efforts at this from last year and identify new areas to work on. Please pray for us and our journey, and check back here on my blog often to learn of our progress. I'll post pictures tonight from our first two days.



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