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!

Camp 53 - Day 4

Today at Camp 53 was awesome.  The topic for today was Sexual Purity.  Sex education is almost non-existent here, with most families never talking about it except to say, "don't do it;" a good message, but hardly enough information for a young person.  We kept to the usual format, with songs, and a devotional to introduce the topic.  This time Eliza Marks led the devo, and she did a great job.  Mbuvi then talked all about the biblical reasons for maintaining purity until marriage.

 

Afterwards we spilt into gender groups, with just our counselors leading, to answer questions.  The response was astounding.  The girls wrote their questions out on cards, so they could remain anonymous, and that really allowed them to ask great questions.  The depth that they were willing to go was very refreshing.  We extended their time twice to allow them to finish.  It was worth the trip, just for this exercise.

 

After lunch, Ryan led a great drama that illustrated the importance of purity, but also the availability of forgiveness and a fresh start through the saving love of Jesus.  The students really connected with this one.  Then it was time for ACT group.  The students were able to ask more questions and talk through what it means to have a new start.  These groups have really turned into small families.  They are working just as we had hoped.

 

After free time, Joel and Mbuvi rocked it again, and the staff and one ACT group performed dramas.  One of the students asked to recite a poem about sex and purity, and she did great as well.  For our fun activity, we had another Dance Party, since the first one was so well received.  The Kenyans learned to do the boot-scoot booggie, and many of us learned that we still can't dance.

 

Tomorrow, our final session and departure.

Camp 53 - Day 3

Today was Fun Day at Camp 53!   We started with breakfast and a devotional before boarding a big bus for the drive into Kisumu.  The bus was borrowed from a nearby Catholic school, and has seating for 66 people, so it was just right for our group when we added one of the Land Cruisers. 

 

We drove to the Kenya Wildlife Service Kisumu Impala Sanctuary.  This place was originally established to protect a small habitat of Impala from human conflict and later to protect hippos that live in the lake.  It has grown into a small animal orphanage as well, where they provide care for orphaned wild animals that were injured and had to be rehabilitated, and could be returned to the wild. 

 

The KWS people were really helpful and nice.  The divided us into three groups and gave us a tour of the place, explaining where each animal came from and what circumstances brought them here.  There were warthogs, ostrich, tortoises, a leopard, two cheetahs, six lion, and a baby giraffe.  Although they were in enclosures like a zoo, it was good to be able to get so close to them.  Benedict, our guide, knew each animal by name and all of their history.

 

As we finished the tour and waited for lunch, I was not sure how best to fill the time.  I walked out to our vehicle and along the way, passed an ice cream vendor in the parking stand.  She had enough for all of us, so I got her in and everyone queued up for ice cream.  Thanks God, for providing just what we needed.

 

I had asked Thomas and Francis to go and make a booking at a local place, the Hangover Restaurant, that he had taken orphans to before.  They did, and we drove over there.  At restaurant in Kenya is a bit different from Chili’s in the US.  They are small, cramped affairs, with lots of staff, and a limited menu, (chicken, fish, beef, ugali, chips.)  When we arrived, the 100 seat dining room was packed full and there was no room at all for us.  The staff assured us they would work it out, and though I was stressing about it, they finally managed to add enough chairs and tables and cajole the patrons to finish quickly, to accommodate us.  The food was excellent, and despite the sides of raw beef hanging in the open closet in the dining room, we all enjoyed the experience.

 

Afterwards, we loaded back into the bus and went to the Nakumatt Mega City, a Super Wal-Mart type place with an attached mall.  This kids were happy to be able to window shop for a while, and some of them even had a few shillings for personal items and other small purchases.  Then we loaded for home.

 

Francis, Thomas, Stephen, Cherie and I were following the bus in the land cruiser.  We were about a15 minutes from home, when we spotted the bus stopped on the road with it’s hazard lights flashing.  As we approached, we saw a motorcycle, laying on the shoulder and a man writhing in pain on the ground.  I had an icy ball in the pit of my stomach.  I feared the bus had hit the bike and killed the man.  But in fact it was the car ahead that hit the bike, but our counselors in the bus witnessed it.  The rider was not badly hurt, just a leg injury, and the car that hit him was taking him to the hospital.  Not a great situation, but not a disaster I had feared.  We reache home without further incident.

 

Now this may seem like a fairly simple little day outing to you, but it was the highlight of the entire year for most of our students.  Many of them had never been to Kisumu, had never seen wild animals, and never eaten food as good as that.  They were all very happy.

 

After supper, we had a great time of prayer and worship.  Ryan led them through prayer stations, joel led reflective songs, and Mbuvi brought the heat!  We finished late, tired by very satisfied.

 

Camp 53 - Day 2

I honestly thought after yesterday that it would be hard to have a better day at the VTC.  I was happily wrong.  Today’s theme was “Family,” and it was perfectly timed.  After a day of discussing unity, family was the next logical step.  We followed the same format as Saturday, with worship taking a little more of our time since it was Sunday.  Joel led an amazing worship set with the help of Tyler Snelson, who is on the media and worship teams at Midcities.  And yes, they used guitars.

 

I led us through communion and Patrick Weeks gave an incredibly moving personal testimony.  Many of the kids said later how touched they were by his words, and especially his honesty.  It played a key role in what would happen later in small groups.  Mbuvi gave another powerful sermon exploring the concept of the larger Christian family.  The spirit was very much with us today.

 

During small group time, the students really opened up to each other and their counselors.  Some shared their personal stories, some relived their grief at the loss of their parents, and found some peace and healing in that.  Stephen, who has just finished a grief counseling class, got to put his skills to the test today.  God is using him in such a powerful way, I am so proud of the man he has become.  But for me, there was one orphan’s story that I will never forget.

 

Julie Auma is the first born of a mother in a polygamist marriage.  Her mother was the third wife of a wealthy man.  She and her three siblings were badly treated by the rest of the family, as is often the case in polygamy, and they were forced to do much of the work in the very large household.  She was able to attend school, however, and she studied hard and did well.  At the beginning of her first year of secondary school, (we would say freshman year,) her father died suddenly.  This set off a bitter family dispute on how to divide his wealth.

 

Not surprisingly, the third wife was cut out completely and she and the kids were cast out of the family.  They were adrift and homeless, when she got another big shock.  The woman she had called mother all of her life confessed that she was not their mother - she was their aunt.  Her biological mother had died during the birth of the youngest child, and her father had taken the sister as his replacement wife.  Julie and her siblings were now total orphans.  Not long after, their aunt, unable to care for them abandoned them at our Dirubi Orphanage.

 

Undeterred, Julie threw herself into her studies.  Despite the shocks and upheaval in her life, she was able to become a model student.  She graduated last November from Agai Secondary School with a B average on the standardized testing.  When I spoke with her, I was impressed with her poise, intelligence, and her great English skills.  She has now received a partial scholarship from Nairobi University and has been called to join there by January 15.  If you are interested in helping us financially support her advanced education, please drop me a note.

 

This afternoon, Ryan Rampton led another great large group exercise about our changing families.  He coupled his personal testimony with a group activity that really brought the point home for the students.  We even took a panoramic “family picture” of our new, big family at the VTC.  This evening Mbuvi again brought the word powerfully, challenging the students to commit to their new family and do all they could to support one another.  We ended the day with a fun time of “silly songs” led by our counselors.  The students really enjoyed this.

 

Tomorrow we will board a bus bright and early for a special trip to a Wild Animal Orphanage in nearby Kisumu, on the shores of Lake Victoria.  I can’t wait to see what God will do with this great adventure!

 

 

Camp 53 - Day One

The idea for this camp came from Katelyn Creech, daughter of KWO board member Cherie Creech.  In August of 2012, she attended a “Foundations Camp” for incoming Texas Tech freshmen.  The purpose of that camp was to help build relationships between students, and give them a new support structure of Christian friends that could help make them successful during their time away from home.  She was deeply impacted by that and so thought it could be applied to our Kenyan orphans who are leaving their orphanage home for the first time to attend this Training School.  It was a Spirit led decision that is paying off this week.

 

About 45 students have just arrived at the John and Mary Sure DeFore Vocational Training Center.  Here for the next year, they will learn a trade and some life skills that will allow them to be able to earn a living in the future.  But this week, they are ours!  The team that has traveled here to conduct this camp is an awesome group of young people, with some more “seasoned” travelers thrown in.  They are Katelyn Creech, Hannah Sharp, Eliza Marks, Morgan Neale, Shelly Durham, Patrick Weeks, Blaze Wooten, Ryan Rampton, Tyler Snelson, John Bartholomee, Cherie Creech, and myself.  We are joined by Kenyans Francis Mbuvi, Stephen Owino, and Joel Njue.

 

Yesterday began with a large group session, with worship songs led by Joel, a devotional from Katelyn, teaching by Francis, and staff introductions.  We then divided into smaller groups with each “counselor” taking 3-4 to work together on the material of the day.  Today the theme was unity.  These students are coming from our 14 orphanages, speaking 6 or 7 different mother tongues as well as Swahili and English, so learning to become unified through their common love for Christ is essential for a successful year.

 

Each student received a bible, notebook and t-shirt and they also played large group games, and group exercises, led by Ryan Rampton, to build unity and understand the reason it is so important.  We repeated the large group – small group pattern in the afternoon, adding in a drama to illustrate the importance of speaking the same language.  We finished the day with a “Dance Party” where our counselors taught group dances like the cha-cha slide to the Kenyans and they taught us how they dance as well.  It was great fun!

 

Overall, it was a great day.  They students are responding very well to the Americans, they are so happy to get to know them, and logistically we are doing fine.  No one has been very sick, and the team of counselors is jelling nicely.  Check out some pictures on the KWO Facebook page, and I will continue to report and post pictures daily.  Tomorrow our theme is Family, so your prayers are appreciated.

Camp 53 - Travel Days

This will be short, because I'm wiped out.  I am back in Kenya with an amazing group of people.  We have traveled to the John and Mary Sure DeFore Vocational Training Institute to conduct a foundations camp for our incoming class.

 

Our flights were smooth, though a bit delayed.  We arrived in Kenya with all of our bags and that's what matters.  After driving to our Arrival Center at Kamulu, we shared a meal with the Mbuvis and went straight to bed.

 

Today we drove from Nairobi all the way to the VTC.  Counting lunch and a supplies stop at Nakumatt, it took us 9 1Ž2 hours.  We drove the southern route this time, through Narok, Bomet, Sotik and Kisii.  Along the way we saw some of the great Kenyan travel blessings; amazing views, baboons playing on the road, a bad road accident, and Masai tribesmen tending their herds.  We arrived just before dark.

 

After unloading we went straight over to Dirubi Orphanage to share evening devotional with the kids.  There was great singing, mercifully short preaching, and we all joined in on a song with the Dirubi Choir, "Happy We Are, Happy We Should Be."  All in all a very productive day.  Tomorrow, we will start camp with these 40 students who have only just arrived themselves.

 

Hang on folks, this one is going to be fun!