Mt Carmel is one of our schools that we teach VBS to on Wednesday. It was our second week there as a team and my first week there personally. The kids are about 10-12 years old. I did the review from the week and then started our new subject, God is Never-Tiring. Instead of a story, Anna went through some passages with the kids about how God sustains us. (Psalm 3:5, Matthew 11:28, and Hebrews 1:3) That was our lesson but God had a much bigger lesson prepared. We then asked the kids if they had questioned. We normally teach nursery schools so we could not have even planned what happened next. All the kids started asking so many questions about the Bible. Almost every question had nothing to do with our lesson, but the kids completely opened up to us. The questions ranged from "How tall was Goliath?" to "Is God and Jesus the same person?" They were asking so many amazing questions. Teaching this age group really shows us the importance of VBS. The kids are at a crucial point in their life and I feel so honored to be able to answer these critical questions for them now. At the end of our time one kid came up to me and said in a timid voice, "I am black and you are white and there are people of different color, so what color is God?" It was so precious.
Each week we make a poster with the name of the lesson, the memory verse and the key points. When we were leaving one of the kids ran out and asked us if they could have the poster to hang in there classroom.
It is so amazing to me that these kids can't get enough of the Lord and they are the age of our middle-schoolers. After the teacher had thanked us multiple times he told us that other teachers in the school were wondering why HIS class gets to have us come teach VBS and none of the other classes get it. :) Enough Said
Oh and by the way we teach these kids during their recess/ break. This is how they would like to spend their time. As we say here: God is good all the time. And all the time, God is good. And that's his nature.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Sa Sa
Tuesday
Tuesday was a blessed day because I got to and get to do Care and compassion. I went with Marieke one the Dutch volunteers and Julie a local volunteer. We went to Manyatta which is an area that is about 15 minutes away by Tuk Tuk. We did home check ups and brought patients their weekly food.
Moreen was our first patient. She is 4 years old. She is also in our ministry care point in Manyatta with her cousins Faith and Neema. When we got there she was outside washing her clothes. Moreen is a total orphan and lives with her aunt. There are 4 other children who live in the house and 2 more children who are away at boarding school. She is a very sweet silly girl. She has the funniest tendencies and she is the most unpredictable girl I have ever met, but absolutely unbelievably precious! I had a children's Bible with lots of pictures. I was trying to tell her a story but she loved the pictures so much she just wanted to look at the book. I brought her and her cousins crayons and color sheets and she was thrilled. The whole time we were there she played hand clapping games with Marieke and I. It was so great to see her sweet face more then once a week. It also opened her up to me more at the MCP this week.
Our next stop was Pamela. She used to be one of our patients, but she also has 5 children and 4 of them are in our Ministry Care Point. Pamela was not there but her oldest daughter Macerin was. She has been home from school because she has not been healthy. Macerin has epilepsy and her whole life has not been able to get the proper medicines to control it. She is extremely bright but does not have full function of her leg and arm. Macerin and I connected the first day that we met which is not always the case with our MCP kids. She got a huge smile when she saw us. Marieke was talking to her grandpa about her health so I pulled out a pocket mirror. Macerin loves to just stare at herself in the mirror. Most of the kids laugh and go crazy when they see their reflection. Something to think about....
We then went and saw Fiona. She is a current patient who is doing extremely well. She sells charcoal outside of her house. Her husband passed away and she has a two year old son. Her house is so beautiful and she has done an amazing job of decorating it and making it a home. She lives in a house with four other women. They have a merry-go-round with their money. Each week they put 100 shillings (about $1), which is what Fiona profits from her charcoal. The person who collects the money each week buys the groceries and the things for the house. They do this so no one spends money on things they don't need. It is really amazing how they all work together and rely on each other. While we were talking with Fiona she starting crying because she really wanted to buy another bag of charcoal so she could profit more. The only problem is she profits 100 shillings per bag and she puts that towards her merry-go-round. One bag of charcoal costs 800 shillings (about $8) It is so hard not to just give her the money to her then and there, but it is SO important here not to just give Kenyans things and also to have it be from a Muzungu. Markieke and I are talking about different ways that we can get Fiona another bag of charcoal. Pray that we will come up with something that will benefit Fiona in the best way possible.
Veronica was our next stop. She used to be our patient. We were just stopping by to check on her. She is no longer in our Care and Compassion program anymore, because Christ's Hope assisted her in recovery to the point that she is able to work and provide for her family. While we were there God sent us a new potential patient, Caroline's husband. Caroline was a friend of Veronica. She was there with her 9 month old son Trevor. She had not talked to her husband in over a week. He was visiting his family in the village. They are both positive. Marieke let Caroline use her phone to call her husband and see how he was doing. When she talked to him she found out that he was sick. He was supposed to go to the AIDS clinic in just a few days and she was really praying that he would make it home. Caroline was so excited that we were there and able to assist them. She even wanted to take us to their house right at that moment, so that when her husband came home we would know where they lived. Pray that Caroline's husband will make it to the clinic to get his ARV's and that we will be able to care for and encourage their family.
Jane was our last patient. She also has children in our Ministry Care Point. Two of them were home from school, so we were able to sit and pray with the three of them. Jane's health is doing great. She was having pain in her feet due to her TB meds, but after some vitamins she is doing much better. She has her own business selling candy and other different foods. It is so obvious by just being in there house that Jane takes such good care of her children. Her husband is not alive and has to take care of the girls on her own. They are all sweet precious people and Jane loves the Lord. Pray for Jane's health, her business, and her children's health and spiritual growth.
Russia (Hospital Visits)
One of my favorite things to do here is hospital visits. It is an experience that cannot be duplicated. It is almost as if you walk into one of the wards and immediately feel the presence of God. The patients hold on to every word of the Lord and are so encouraged by prayer. I cannot even fathom how strong, courageous, and tough these people are.
Our first patient that we saw was Sharon. MY Sharon. She has been discharged but cannot pay the bill. That is extremely common. She was sleeping when I walked up but opened her eyes and got a big smile on her face. She doesn't speak much English but she told me she missed me. I spent lots of time with her. I gave her some bananas, which she really enjoys. She told me over and over that she wanted to go home. That again is another circumstance cannot step in and pay the bill. Her bill is probably only about $75-$80 after being there for a month. She loved my scripture and prayer. She teared up. I told her Jesus loves her and is always with her. Then she said "I am very happy." Pray that Sharon will get out of the hospital. Pray that she will be encouraged even if she has to stay longer and she will continue to trust in the Lord.
We then went and saw Samuel who has a very bad leg injury. He has a wound all the way to the bone and the bone is dead in some parts, but he has been discharged. He also is not able to pay. We gave him some bananas. He speaks great English and is always SO happy to see us. No one could be in a bad mood around Samuel. I read him scripture and every time I would finish a sentence he would smile and say thank you. It was such a sweet time of worship. He is a new believe but he loves the Lord and the word so much. We had extra bananas so we gave them to all the men in the room. The man next to samuel did not have full function of his hands and he seemed to have a mental disorted. he tried to put the whole banana in his mouth and Samuel reached over and kept saying his name and was trying everything he could to help his friend out with his banana. It was so sweet. Pray that Samuel's Leg will heal. Pray that we will be able to visit him even when he leaves the hospital. Pray that he will continue to grow with the Lord even when he is out of the hospital.
The best part of the day was sharing scripture and praying with each patient/household. Even though most people did not understand me I made sure Julie translated even the prayer. I shared Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go" and Isaiah 40:28-31"The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint." Giving encouragement through the word of God gave them hope and strength that we could not. We could literally see there body language attitude and face change after that special moment. That is why this is all worth it.
God is SO good and SO Faithful!
Jessica
Tuesday was a blessed day because I got to and get to do Care and compassion. I went with Marieke one the Dutch volunteers and Julie a local volunteer. We went to Manyatta which is an area that is about 15 minutes away by Tuk Tuk. We did home check ups and brought patients their weekly food.
Moreen was our first patient. She is 4 years old. She is also in our ministry care point in Manyatta with her cousins Faith and Neema. When we got there she was outside washing her clothes. Moreen is a total orphan and lives with her aunt. There are 4 other children who live in the house and 2 more children who are away at boarding school. She is a very sweet silly girl. She has the funniest tendencies and she is the most unpredictable girl I have ever met, but absolutely unbelievably precious! I had a children's Bible with lots of pictures. I was trying to tell her a story but she loved the pictures so much she just wanted to look at the book. I brought her and her cousins crayons and color sheets and she was thrilled. The whole time we were there she played hand clapping games with Marieke and I. It was so great to see her sweet face more then once a week. It also opened her up to me more at the MCP this week.
Our next stop was Pamela. She used to be one of our patients, but she also has 5 children and 4 of them are in our Ministry Care Point. Pamela was not there but her oldest daughter Macerin was. She has been home from school because she has not been healthy. Macerin has epilepsy and her whole life has not been able to get the proper medicines to control it. She is extremely bright but does not have full function of her leg and arm. Macerin and I connected the first day that we met which is not always the case with our MCP kids. She got a huge smile when she saw us. Marieke was talking to her grandpa about her health so I pulled out a pocket mirror. Macerin loves to just stare at herself in the mirror. Most of the kids laugh and go crazy when they see their reflection. Something to think about....
We then went and saw Fiona. She is a current patient who is doing extremely well. She sells charcoal outside of her house. Her husband passed away and she has a two year old son. Her house is so beautiful and she has done an amazing job of decorating it and making it a home. She lives in a house with four other women. They have a merry-go-round with their money. Each week they put 100 shillings (about $1), which is what Fiona profits from her charcoal. The person who collects the money each week buys the groceries and the things for the house. They do this so no one spends money on things they don't need. It is really amazing how they all work together and rely on each other. While we were talking with Fiona she starting crying because she really wanted to buy another bag of charcoal so she could profit more. The only problem is she profits 100 shillings per bag and she puts that towards her merry-go-round. One bag of charcoal costs 800 shillings (about $8) It is so hard not to just give her the money to her then and there, but it is SO important here not to just give Kenyans things and also to have it be from a Muzungu. Markieke and I are talking about different ways that we can get Fiona another bag of charcoal. Pray that we will come up with something that will benefit Fiona in the best way possible.
Veronica was our next stop. She used to be our patient. We were just stopping by to check on her. She is no longer in our Care and Compassion program anymore, because Christ's Hope assisted her in recovery to the point that she is able to work and provide for her family. While we were there God sent us a new potential patient, Caroline's husband. Caroline was a friend of Veronica. She was there with her 9 month old son Trevor. She had not talked to her husband in over a week. He was visiting his family in the village. They are both positive. Marieke let Caroline use her phone to call her husband and see how he was doing. When she talked to him she found out that he was sick. He was supposed to go to the AIDS clinic in just a few days and she was really praying that he would make it home. Caroline was so excited that we were there and able to assist them. She even wanted to take us to their house right at that moment, so that when her husband came home we would know where they lived. Pray that Caroline's husband will make it to the clinic to get his ARV's and that we will be able to care for and encourage their family.
Jane was our last patient. She also has children in our Ministry Care Point. Two of them were home from school, so we were able to sit and pray with the three of them. Jane's health is doing great. She was having pain in her feet due to her TB meds, but after some vitamins she is doing much better. She has her own business selling candy and other different foods. It is so obvious by just being in there house that Jane takes such good care of her children. Her husband is not alive and has to take care of the girls on her own. They are all sweet precious people and Jane loves the Lord. Pray for Jane's health, her business, and her children's health and spiritual growth.
Russia (Hospital Visits)
One of my favorite things to do here is hospital visits. It is an experience that cannot be duplicated. It is almost as if you walk into one of the wards and immediately feel the presence of God. The patients hold on to every word of the Lord and are so encouraged by prayer. I cannot even fathom how strong, courageous, and tough these people are.
Our first patient that we saw was Sharon. MY Sharon. She has been discharged but cannot pay the bill. That is extremely common. She was sleeping when I walked up but opened her eyes and got a big smile on her face. She doesn't speak much English but she told me she missed me. I spent lots of time with her. I gave her some bananas, which she really enjoys. She told me over and over that she wanted to go home. That again is another circumstance cannot step in and pay the bill. Her bill is probably only about $75-$80 after being there for a month. She loved my scripture and prayer. She teared up. I told her Jesus loves her and is always with her. Then she said "I am very happy." Pray that Sharon will get out of the hospital. Pray that she will be encouraged even if she has to stay longer and she will continue to trust in the Lord.
We then went and saw Samuel who has a very bad leg injury. He has a wound all the way to the bone and the bone is dead in some parts, but he has been discharged. He also is not able to pay. We gave him some bananas. He speaks great English and is always SO happy to see us. No one could be in a bad mood around Samuel. I read him scripture and every time I would finish a sentence he would smile and say thank you. It was such a sweet time of worship. He is a new believe but he loves the Lord and the word so much. We had extra bananas so we gave them to all the men in the room. The man next to samuel did not have full function of his hands and he seemed to have a mental disorted. he tried to put the whole banana in his mouth and Samuel reached over and kept saying his name and was trying everything he could to help his friend out with his banana. It was so sweet. Pray that Samuel's Leg will heal. Pray that we will be able to visit him even when he leaves the hospital. Pray that he will continue to grow with the Lord even when he is out of the hospital.
The best part of the day was sharing scripture and praying with each patient/household. Even though most people did not understand me I made sure Julie translated even the prayer. I shared Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go" and Isaiah 40:28-31"The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint." Giving encouragement through the word of God gave them hope and strength that we could not. We could literally see there body language attitude and face change after that special moment. That is why this is all worth it.
God is SO good and SO Faithful!
Jessica
Friday, July 9, 2010
Power Outage and Lil Beasties
Laura prepared us very well for this trip. I didn't go through all the team meetings prior to the trip and I still felt very prepared for this trip. One thing she told us was "Make sure to take a flashlight to the shower with you, because you never know when the lights will shut off." Pretty sure I also recall reading in the volunteer manual how the power can be dicey.
We've been here in Kisumu for 33 days. No power outages... that is... until tonight.
Just as we sat down with an amazing treat of Mocha Chip ice cream, the power shut off. No one was caught suddenly without a light, but it was a nice transition into a nice evening.
Anne got the candles out and we began our debrief. As each of us shared about our days, the ups & downs, the funny stories- I just couldn't help but feel the peace in the room while my heart rested. Each of us in the house: Anne, Marieke, Jessica and Myself, we're all getting to know each other more and more and love each other more and more. We're building that sister bond that doesn't only connect us for this one summer, but for eternity. And that is such a beautiful thing that cannot be taken away by anyone or anything.
And then to seal the deal- we heard a strange noise from the kitchen. I half expected a raccoon to be in the kitchen [now that I think about it... Kenya doesn't have raccoons?]. Marieke is a brave soul and decided to take the flashlight and investigate. No raccoon. The noise we heard was our freezer opening up and a few things falling out. BUT- we did find another "animal" as Anne calls it, but I would call it more of a monster. A cockroach. After screams and lots of running away, Brave Marieke went got the cockroach-killer-spray and began to attack. She killed it... at least to a point of it twitching on it's back. After reassembling the freezer's contents and after I examined the dying cockroach body [the science kid in me], Marieke informed us that like spiders, there's always more than one. Peace out kitchen. I'll be more content at night hanging out on the couch without any of my body touching the floor. Ever again.
All to say- I love it here. I love my sisters. I love the laughter and screams. I laughed a lot today. I'm thrilled and so excited that I get to continue the special memories of candlelight debriefs, and hilarious memories of cockroach attacks.
Just thought I'd share a glimpse into our non-ministry lives.
Lala Salama,
Mary
We've been here in Kisumu for 33 days. No power outages... that is... until tonight.
Just as we sat down with an amazing treat of Mocha Chip ice cream, the power shut off. No one was caught suddenly without a light, but it was a nice transition into a nice evening.
Anne got the candles out and we began our debrief. As each of us shared about our days, the ups & downs, the funny stories- I just couldn't help but feel the peace in the room while my heart rested. Each of us in the house: Anne, Marieke, Jessica and Myself, we're all getting to know each other more and more and love each other more and more. We're building that sister bond that doesn't only connect us for this one summer, but for eternity. And that is such a beautiful thing that cannot be taken away by anyone or anything.
And then to seal the deal- we heard a strange noise from the kitchen. I half expected a raccoon to be in the kitchen [now that I think about it... Kenya doesn't have raccoons?]. Marieke is a brave soul and decided to take the flashlight and investigate. No raccoon. The noise we heard was our freezer opening up and a few things falling out. BUT- we did find another "animal" as Anne calls it, but I would call it more of a monster. A cockroach. After screams and lots of running away, Brave Marieke went got the cockroach-killer-spray and began to attack. She killed it... at least to a point of it twitching on it's back. After reassembling the freezer's contents and after I examined the dying cockroach body [the science kid in me], Marieke informed us that like spiders, there's always more than one. Peace out kitchen. I'll be more content at night hanging out on the couch without any of my body touching the floor. Ever again.
All to say- I love it here. I love my sisters. I love the laughter and screams. I laughed a lot today. I'm thrilled and so excited that I get to continue the special memories of candlelight debriefs, and hilarious memories of cockroach attacks.
Just thought I'd share a glimpse into our non-ministry lives.
Lala Salama,
Mary
This is why I'm in Africa
Jambo Sana!
This has been a packed week. In every way shape and form. There's a lot I could say about the whole of the week, but I want to focus on...
Tuesday: Nyahera
My favorite day of the week. Hands down. I couldn't help but think as we walked into and out of each home, "This is why I'm in Africa." Walking through bushes, avoiding snakes. Sitting in homes made of sticks and clay. Digesting breathtaking views in any direction. Children chasing the Land Cruiser as we were driving on the most remote roads. Every experience was so special to my time in this lovely country.
Christ's Hope is setting up a community and child sponsorship program like that of Compassion International. So Jessica and I get to spend our time here connecting with the different families and really getting to know the children because at the end of this journey, we're writing their biographies. It is such a blessing to be able to really learn about the ins and outs of the lives. Their favorite colors. The chores they have to do- ranging from fetching water and firewood, to caring for all the children of the family. Their hope and dreams for the future. Their parental situation. Favorite animal. Everything.
So for part of the day, I was with Mama Joskey and Lillian going to each of the homes of the children involved in our Nyahera Ministry Carepoint. It was so neat to see where they live, and put the names and faces and homes all together. Most of the kids were in school, but we had the chance to speak with whomever they were living with- dad, mother, aunt, grandmother, and ask them how the children are responding to each Saturday spent together, and how they are progressing and changing at home. We got some really solid feedback. It seems like all the children really love coming every Saturday. They go home each week with full bellies smiling and sharing with their families what they learned, the Bible story, the memory verse, and of course proudly show off their color sheets. Character-wise, a few people that said that their children are more respectful around the home, and more punctual and motivated to go to school and get there on time. Those are all encouraging things to hear- but the comment that sank in the most was from Claire's father. Even though Claire lives with her grandmother who has dementia, Claire's father stays just a minutes walk away. He said that he's seen wonderful changes in Claire- but then he stopped and with all sincerity in his heart, he thanked us for what we're doing. He said that he didn't know how to raise a daughter, and it's great that we can come along side him and be a mother-figure to Claire, especially as she is quickly approaching her teenage years. I'm glad we can step along side Claire's father to guide her in this time.
Even though I was doing OVC stuffs most of the day, I did get several opportunities to go on Care & Compassion visits with Desmond and Dorine in Nyahera. It actually worked out quite nicely- we ALL went there in the Land Cruiser, then the OVC team would be dropped off to go to a few houses, while C & C went to do a couple visits... then we'd all meet back together and drive to another area of Nyahera. This was only my 2nd time out on C & C... and I just can't get enough of it. I love it so much. My heart is so in it. Walking in to these homes, praying with patients, checking in on their health, sharing an encouraging word from Scripture- I'll say it again, "This is why I'm in Africa."
I will share with you one story that's very dear to my heart, and on my mind constantly. At the Nyahera MCP, we have 3 children who've captured my attention; Geoffrey, Emmanuel, and Esther. I had the chance to go to their house without Mama and Lillian for Care and Compassion. Their mother, Marilyn, is not doing so well. She's one of our patients who is very physically weak, but her spirit is strong! She loves her children very much and I just want to see her healed and restored so she can just continue to be there to love and care for her precious children. She has 6 children total- the older three live with relatives. So Geoffrey has stepped into the role of the oldest child- responsible and makes sure to provide in any way he can for his family. He even makes sure Esther eats her lunch and has enough to eat before he eats. Emmanuel is such a happy boy. He is always one of the first to greet me each Saturday, and when we got out of the car at his house, he gave me a warm welcome. Esther is a different story- she is quiet and reserved... always aware of her surroundings and looking for ways to keep order. I've noticed that even though she is one of the youngest and smallest of the children at the MCP, she makes sure everyone is where they need to be and doing what they need to be doing. She even walked over to another boy whose pants were falling down and hoisted up his pants for him. It made me laugh for a long time. Even though Esther always warms up to us by the end of the day, she's very very shy and weary of our attention at first. I always thought this was her personality until we went to her home. After Emmanuel greeted us, I went to shake Esther's hand. She screamed and ran away. I was surprised at her reaction, because she's never acted as afraid of us as she did that day. We went inside and started our visit with her mother and Emmanuel and Esther came too. Esther was sitting with her mom and wouldn't make any eye contact while she stared at the ground. As our visit continued, I took my sunglasses, or "stunna shades", off my head and gave them to Emmanuel- as I always do on Saturdays. Esther walked outside with him and then returned my "stunna shades" to me. It was after that point that she relaxed and was friendly with us.
I didn't think much of this until Denise filled me on on her behavior. The very first time that "Mzungus" went to her house, they took her mother away to go to the hospital. So now, Esther associates "Mzungus" with the absence of her mother. She now has a lot of stress- and it is really displayed around us "Mzungus." Mama Joskey also told me that Esther was one of the most friendly and lively kids before her mother got very ill. Clearly the condition of her mother is having tremendous effects on little Esther. I later realized, after talking to my wise psychologist Dad, that when we did our sunglasses routine at her house, she recognized it was me, not just any "Mzungu" there to take her mother away again. That was encouraging because it means we are slowly building trust with her, and slowly warming her back up to us again.
Please continue to pray for Esther, Emmanuel, Geoffrey, and their mother Marilyn. My heart goes out to their family in this difficult time, and I know that with prayers, the Lord will continue to give them strength and provision.
And thank you for all the prayers going into this day of Care & Compassion. God really gave me words and scripture fore each patient, and was definitely leading all day.
Mungu yu Mwema!
Mary
This has been a packed week. In every way shape and form. There's a lot I could say about the whole of the week, but I want to focus on...
Tuesday: Nyahera
My favorite day of the week. Hands down. I couldn't help but think as we walked into and out of each home, "This is why I'm in Africa." Walking through bushes, avoiding snakes. Sitting in homes made of sticks and clay. Digesting breathtaking views in any direction. Children chasing the Land Cruiser as we were driving on the most remote roads. Every experience was so special to my time in this lovely country.
Christ's Hope is setting up a community and child sponsorship program like that of Compassion International. So Jessica and I get to spend our time here connecting with the different families and really getting to know the children because at the end of this journey, we're writing their biographies. It is such a blessing to be able to really learn about the ins and outs of the lives. Their favorite colors. The chores they have to do- ranging from fetching water and firewood, to caring for all the children of the family. Their hope and dreams for the future. Their parental situation. Favorite animal. Everything.
So for part of the day, I was with Mama Joskey and Lillian going to each of the homes of the children involved in our Nyahera Ministry Carepoint. It was so neat to see where they live, and put the names and faces and homes all together. Most of the kids were in school, but we had the chance to speak with whomever they were living with- dad, mother, aunt, grandmother, and ask them how the children are responding to each Saturday spent together, and how they are progressing and changing at home. We got some really solid feedback. It seems like all the children really love coming every Saturday. They go home each week with full bellies smiling and sharing with their families what they learned, the Bible story, the memory verse, and of course proudly show off their color sheets. Character-wise, a few people that said that their children are more respectful around the home, and more punctual and motivated to go to school and get there on time. Those are all encouraging things to hear- but the comment that sank in the most was from Claire's father. Even though Claire lives with her grandmother who has dementia, Claire's father stays just a minutes walk away. He said that he's seen wonderful changes in Claire- but then he stopped and with all sincerity in his heart, he thanked us for what we're doing. He said that he didn't know how to raise a daughter, and it's great that we can come along side him and be a mother-figure to Claire, especially as she is quickly approaching her teenage years. I'm glad we can step along side Claire's father to guide her in this time.
Even though I was doing OVC stuffs most of the day, I did get several opportunities to go on Care & Compassion visits with Desmond and Dorine in Nyahera. It actually worked out quite nicely- we ALL went there in the Land Cruiser, then the OVC team would be dropped off to go to a few houses, while C & C went to do a couple visits... then we'd all meet back together and drive to another area of Nyahera. This was only my 2nd time out on C & C... and I just can't get enough of it. I love it so much. My heart is so in it. Walking in to these homes, praying with patients, checking in on their health, sharing an encouraging word from Scripture- I'll say it again, "This is why I'm in Africa."
I will share with you one story that's very dear to my heart, and on my mind constantly. At the Nyahera MCP, we have 3 children who've captured my attention; Geoffrey, Emmanuel, and Esther. I had the chance to go to their house without Mama and Lillian for Care and Compassion. Their mother, Marilyn, is not doing so well. She's one of our patients who is very physically weak, but her spirit is strong! She loves her children very much and I just want to see her healed and restored so she can just continue to be there to love and care for her precious children. She has 6 children total- the older three live with relatives. So Geoffrey has stepped into the role of the oldest child- responsible and makes sure to provide in any way he can for his family. He even makes sure Esther eats her lunch and has enough to eat before he eats. Emmanuel is such a happy boy. He is always one of the first to greet me each Saturday, and when we got out of the car at his house, he gave me a warm welcome. Esther is a different story- she is quiet and reserved... always aware of her surroundings and looking for ways to keep order. I've noticed that even though she is one of the youngest and smallest of the children at the MCP, she makes sure everyone is where they need to be and doing what they need to be doing. She even walked over to another boy whose pants were falling down and hoisted up his pants for him. It made me laugh for a long time. Even though Esther always warms up to us by the end of the day, she's very very shy and weary of our attention at first. I always thought this was her personality until we went to her home. After Emmanuel greeted us, I went to shake Esther's hand. She screamed and ran away. I was surprised at her reaction, because she's never acted as afraid of us as she did that day. We went inside and started our visit with her mother and Emmanuel and Esther came too. Esther was sitting with her mom and wouldn't make any eye contact while she stared at the ground. As our visit continued, I took my sunglasses, or "stunna shades", off my head and gave them to Emmanuel- as I always do on Saturdays. Esther walked outside with him and then returned my "stunna shades" to me. It was after that point that she relaxed and was friendly with us.
I didn't think much of this until Denise filled me on on her behavior. The very first time that "Mzungus" went to her house, they took her mother away to go to the hospital. So now, Esther associates "Mzungus" with the absence of her mother. She now has a lot of stress- and it is really displayed around us "Mzungus." Mama Joskey also told me that Esther was one of the most friendly and lively kids before her mother got very ill. Clearly the condition of her mother is having tremendous effects on little Esther. I later realized, after talking to my wise psychologist Dad, that when we did our sunglasses routine at her house, she recognized it was me, not just any "Mzungu" there to take her mother away again. That was encouraging because it means we are slowly building trust with her, and slowly warming her back up to us again.
Please continue to pray for Esther, Emmanuel, Geoffrey, and their mother Marilyn. My heart goes out to their family in this difficult time, and I know that with prayers, the Lord will continue to give them strength and provision.
And thank you for all the prayers going into this day of Care & Compassion. God really gave me words and scripture fore each patient, and was definitely leading all day.
Mungu yu Mwema!
Mary
Monday, July 5, 2010
MCPs and New Life
Hello and Happy Belated 4th of July!!!
Oh this past week. This week left me exhausted. This week left me in need of God. This week was a good week.
With the team gone, we settled into our "regular" schedule. Tons of VBS and Bible Studies. We worked with all ages. The primary schools were a blast. Lots of singing and coloring... and only a few of them were scared of the Mzungus this time! Praise God! My personal favorite were the 10ish year olds... for several reasons. They understand enough English to not need a translator, which simplifies things a lot. They're also at an age where they can really begin to understand the Bible story and apply it to their lives. And... this age is a great age to just be goofy with and have a lot of fun with... and they all LOVED "Jesus Loves Me- NaNaNa remix"... mostly the jumping we incorporated with the song :) For more about the VBS and Bible Study ministry we did, check out Jessica's blogpost.
I'm going to talk more about the Ministry Care Points (MCPs) on Saturday at Nyahera and Manyatta.
We used a different approach to this week... instead of the normal play time-Bible story-song singing-color sheet routine, we mixed it up a bit. In an OVC meeting earlier this week, we all decided that we need to really get to know the kids now that they're beginning to open up to us. So, we focused on "emotional" well being this week. That meant no Bible story and no color sheets. Instead, we split into a few groups: older girls, older boys, and younger girls and boys. Jessica took the girls group, I took the boys group, and Anne took the younger group. In the older groups, we talked- about what they like to do for fun, who God is in their lives, what they want to be when they grow up, and their family situations. These kids blow me away. Completely. Most are living with one parent and several siblings... or with a grandparent or another relative. But, they are getting by. The older siblings take care of the younger ones. Every child helps in chores and work. Some carry water for the family. Others cook or babysit. And still, each child I talked to had such joy and longing to know the Lord more. Geoffrey from Nyahera even wants to be preacher! These children also have such a diverse ambitions: drivers, pilots, teachers, carpenters... the list goes on and on.
It's my prayer that the children will continue to open up to us. They each have hurt they need to share. They each have a story to tell. And they each have so much love from us here. It's a safe space. They can be kids. For just a few hours every Saturday, we can carry their burdens... and then continue carrying them through the week through prayer.
Today (Monday) is our day off... so Jessica and I decided we wanted to volunteer at an orphan home just a 10 minute walk from the CHI headquarters. This orphan home, New Life, houses babies, toddlers, and special needs children. Our task today was to attend to the needs of the babies and assist the staff with them. As soon as we began to walk up the stairs to their living area, we heard screams and cries from several children... feeding time! The living room had about 12 babies and small small toddlers in the arms of the staff women, or anxiously waiting their turn in the baby seats... I don't know how many children were actually in the room, because it is an intricate system of rotating the kids between feeding, waiting, and changing. Jessica and I jumped right in to help out. After we fed who knows how many babies, the youngest ones got put down for a morning nap while we took the older babies (the ones who could sit up) outside.
These babies have such personalities already! and some are just the biggest snuggle bugs... but don't get the snuggle time babies love. It's very interesting to work with children in another culture. Kenyan culture doesn't have as much emphasis on babies that America has... that is, their philosophy is seems to be if a baby is crying, leave him/her alone. If a baby wants to snuggle, distance yourself. Don't connect to these kids. Well, we found ourselves doing the exact opposite! With encouragement from Bev (an English women who seems to run the place), if the kids were crying, we played with them. If they were little snuggle bugs, we picked them up and held them. One little girl, Brianna, seemed to be only a couple months old. She only has two fingers on her right arm. I wonder what her story is? Anyways, one of the women put her in my lap. She was crying, and crying, and crying, and crying. So I walked with her... and walked... and walked... and walked. I sat--- she started crying again. So I continued to walk... and walk... and walk... and walk. At the point when I was the most discouraged, Bev came up to me and encouraged me to spend that time with just Brianna. These kids need alone time, mother time, 1-on-1 time... and because of the amount of children, and high demand of staff, these kids don't get that. Eventually, Brianna fell asleep so I continued to rock her. Such a precious little child.
The other two kids that really captured my heart and attention were Seth and Aaron. As we were feeding the kids at the beginning of the day, Seth was crawling around. He was so funny! The floor is real slippy tile, so he was sliding around and he was on his belly spinning circles and giggling... sounds like something I would have done as a kid :) He was maybe the biggest snuggle bug there was today. He loved to be picked up. He loved to play games with us... and make up games... and he eventually realized that if he fell backwards, someone would catch him before he hit his head on the ground... so he continued to fall backwards, again and again. He also kept trying to lay with his brother... so precious, but it was obvious that his brother wasn't feeling it. Such a funny kid which such personality! After outside time we went back upstairs to feed again... the older kids first so they could lay down for their afternoon nap, then the younger babies so that they could be awake for a bit before their afternoon nap. The first kid I got to feed was Aaron. He's such a little chunker baby. So adorable. And he was beyond thrilled that it was time to eat! I was feeding him some potato carrot mush stuff, and he would attack the spoon, then try to grab the food with his hands, and then do a happy-to-be-eating dance. It was a riot... messy too! When he finished the food and started to drink his bottle, he sat calmly and settled into my arms. His big eyes were interested in the entire room and he was so distracted by the noises and sights around him. When he finally finished, I took him in to lay him down for his nap... he wouldn't let go of my necklace, then wouldn't let go of my hand. Another precious child who stole my heart today.
So that's been our weekend and day today. Tomorrow Jessica and I are going out on Care & Compassion. Please pray that we can make the switch from kids to adults, that the Spirit will guide us and give us words, and that in all we do, we'll glorify our Holy God!
Mungu Aku Bariki,
Mary
Oh this past week. This week left me exhausted. This week left me in need of God. This week was a good week.
With the team gone, we settled into our "regular" schedule. Tons of VBS and Bible Studies. We worked with all ages. The primary schools were a blast. Lots of singing and coloring... and only a few of them were scared of the Mzungus this time! Praise God! My personal favorite were the 10ish year olds... for several reasons. They understand enough English to not need a translator, which simplifies things a lot. They're also at an age where they can really begin to understand the Bible story and apply it to their lives. And... this age is a great age to just be goofy with and have a lot of fun with... and they all LOVED "Jesus Loves Me- NaNaNa remix"... mostly the jumping we incorporated with the song :) For more about the VBS and Bible Study ministry we did, check out Jessica's blogpost.
I'm going to talk more about the Ministry Care Points (MCPs) on Saturday at Nyahera and Manyatta.
We used a different approach to this week... instead of the normal play time-Bible story-song singing-color sheet routine, we mixed it up a bit. In an OVC meeting earlier this week, we all decided that we need to really get to know the kids now that they're beginning to open up to us. So, we focused on "emotional" well being this week. That meant no Bible story and no color sheets. Instead, we split into a few groups: older girls, older boys, and younger girls and boys. Jessica took the girls group, I took the boys group, and Anne took the younger group. In the older groups, we talked- about what they like to do for fun, who God is in their lives, what they want to be when they grow up, and their family situations. These kids blow me away. Completely. Most are living with one parent and several siblings... or with a grandparent or another relative. But, they are getting by. The older siblings take care of the younger ones. Every child helps in chores and work. Some carry water for the family. Others cook or babysit. And still, each child I talked to had such joy and longing to know the Lord more. Geoffrey from Nyahera even wants to be preacher! These children also have such a diverse ambitions: drivers, pilots, teachers, carpenters... the list goes on and on.
It's my prayer that the children will continue to open up to us. They each have hurt they need to share. They each have a story to tell. And they each have so much love from us here. It's a safe space. They can be kids. For just a few hours every Saturday, we can carry their burdens... and then continue carrying them through the week through prayer.
Today (Monday) is our day off... so Jessica and I decided we wanted to volunteer at an orphan home just a 10 minute walk from the CHI headquarters. This orphan home, New Life, houses babies, toddlers, and special needs children. Our task today was to attend to the needs of the babies and assist the staff with them. As soon as we began to walk up the stairs to their living area, we heard screams and cries from several children... feeding time! The living room had about 12 babies and small small toddlers in the arms of the staff women, or anxiously waiting their turn in the baby seats... I don't know how many children were actually in the room, because it is an intricate system of rotating the kids between feeding, waiting, and changing. Jessica and I jumped right in to help out. After we fed who knows how many babies, the youngest ones got put down for a morning nap while we took the older babies (the ones who could sit up) outside.
These babies have such personalities already! and some are just the biggest snuggle bugs... but don't get the snuggle time babies love. It's very interesting to work with children in another culture. Kenyan culture doesn't have as much emphasis on babies that America has... that is, their philosophy is seems to be if a baby is crying, leave him/her alone. If a baby wants to snuggle, distance yourself. Don't connect to these kids. Well, we found ourselves doing the exact opposite! With encouragement from Bev (an English women who seems to run the place), if the kids were crying, we played with them. If they were little snuggle bugs, we picked them up and held them. One little girl, Brianna, seemed to be only a couple months old. She only has two fingers on her right arm. I wonder what her story is? Anyways, one of the women put her in my lap. She was crying, and crying, and crying, and crying. So I walked with her... and walked... and walked... and walked. I sat--- she started crying again. So I continued to walk... and walk... and walk... and walk. At the point when I was the most discouraged, Bev came up to me and encouraged me to spend that time with just Brianna. These kids need alone time, mother time, 1-on-1 time... and because of the amount of children, and high demand of staff, these kids don't get that. Eventually, Brianna fell asleep so I continued to rock her. Such a precious little child.
The other two kids that really captured my heart and attention were Seth and Aaron. As we were feeding the kids at the beginning of the day, Seth was crawling around. He was so funny! The floor is real slippy tile, so he was sliding around and he was on his belly spinning circles and giggling... sounds like something I would have done as a kid :) He was maybe the biggest snuggle bug there was today. He loved to be picked up. He loved to play games with us... and make up games... and he eventually realized that if he fell backwards, someone would catch him before he hit his head on the ground... so he continued to fall backwards, again and again. He also kept trying to lay with his brother... so precious, but it was obvious that his brother wasn't feeling it. Such a funny kid which such personality! After outside time we went back upstairs to feed again... the older kids first so they could lay down for their afternoon nap, then the younger babies so that they could be awake for a bit before their afternoon nap. The first kid I got to feed was Aaron. He's such a little chunker baby. So adorable. And he was beyond thrilled that it was time to eat! I was feeding him some potato carrot mush stuff, and he would attack the spoon, then try to grab the food with his hands, and then do a happy-to-be-eating dance. It was a riot... messy too! When he finished the food and started to drink his bottle, he sat calmly and settled into my arms. His big eyes were interested in the entire room and he was so distracted by the noises and sights around him. When he finally finished, I took him in to lay him down for his nap... he wouldn't let go of my necklace, then wouldn't let go of my hand. Another precious child who stole my heart today.
So that's been our weekend and day today. Tomorrow Jessica and I are going out on Care & Compassion. Please pray that we can make the switch from kids to adults, that the Spirit will guide us and give us words, and that in all we do, we'll glorify our Holy God!
Mungu Aku Bariki,
Mary
Sunday, July 4, 2010
A William Update
William came to church again today. Praise the Lord! He told me that he just finished reading the book of John and thought it was great. He said he has starting reading more passages from his Bible. During the service the pastor said that one of the biggest blessings that God could give us is people. He told us to turn to the people next to us and tell them that they are a blessing. William turned to me and said that God sent us to him and blessed him with salvation. Praise God! Then after the service Mary was talking to him while I was talking to Catherine (the girl that Pam helped lead to the Lord). He was telling her that on his way home last Sunday from church he stopped and evangelised to a group and people and led some of them to Christ. William also said that he has been evangelising everyday all over Manyatta. A local area where he lives. It is so unbelievable how God is working in his life. There is no doubt that God is answering all our prayers for William. Praise the Lord!
Jessica
Jessica
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Babies, Kids, and Teens
This week has been a busy week with OVC. We started a few of our new schools this week and continued with some of our old ones.
AIC Ramba
It was my third time returning to this nursery school. The ages range from about 3-7 years old. The teachers at Ramba are so happy to see us every time we come. We teach them a bible story. This week was God is Merciful. We told the story of the Prodigal Son and taught them a memory verse. One of my favorite things about Ramba is that the teachers go over the material each Friday, so every time we come back the kids actually remember some things we taught them. I love that the teachers care that much.
After the lesson we went out and played with the kids. All of the kids went over behind one of the buildings into a huddle. Another kid came over and told us what was going on. There was a snake. By the time we got over there one of the kids chopped its head of with a stick. TIA (This is Africa)
While some of us were at Ramba another group was at Mount Carmel, one of our new schools. They are Jr High and speak English. I am excited to report how that goes next week.
Riatt
After a 15 minute matatu ride and a 25 minute walk we finally made it to our next nursery school. We taught the same lesson at Ramba due to their age. The kids at Riatt are so well behaved. It is a nursery school that is owned by a Kenyan pastor and his German wife. They opened it because their were so many young children where they lived and they would have to walk a long way to go to school. It is one of the cutest schools I have seen and it is located in one of the most gorgeous places in Kenya. It is such a blessing to walk through the hills and see this school. And to travel all that way just to speak the word of God.
When we were done and the school day was over we were walking with the kids. (about 3 kids holding each hand) What might we find? A monkey that was killed then hung. The monkeys eat the corn so they killed them. They hung in the tree to warn off the other monkeys. At least the kids seemed to get to kick out of it. TIA
The Rock
The Rock is an orphanage as well as a school that focus on taking in street boys. We started a VBS with the younger children (while I was at Riatt) and we also started a Bible study with some of the older kids. We have 17 kids/teens ranging from 10-17 years old. Since it was our first day we just wanted to get to know them a little bit better. We did a name game as a large group then split up into our small groups. Mary and I have a group that we will be with the rest of the time we are here. Our group named us Team Jesus. One of the greatest things about spending time with these kids is that they speak English. It sounds silly but it is amazing. The first thing they did before they would converse was tell us that we are welcome and that they are happy that we are there to teach them the word of God. ALL of them are so eager to learn. Anne and I went to The Rock Monday for a minute and talked to one of the boys who was going to be in our study. He told us that he was so excited that we were coming because he wanted to learn and grow in Jesus. The boy is only about 15. All of the kids are total orphans and all of them are so happy and loving. Everyone has huge dreams for the future. It was so amazing to sit and get to know these kids. We will need huge prayers for their spiritual growth.
Pandipieri
It is a large catholic school across the street from us that has a couple thousand children. It was our first time teaching there. We again got to speak to students who understand English. When we go to nursery school we always us a translator, but we were able to teach and ask questions all on our own. The kids were 12-15 years old. We told the story of the prodigal son and asked more challenging questions. It was awesome to be able to really jump into the Bible with the kids. Although I think that was the first time I have been in a classroom where at least half the class already knew the story. Praise God for Kenyans love of the Lord! Mary also taught them a fun song that they loved. At the end when we had to leave they were almost tackling us to shake our hands good bye. They definitely enjoyed it.
New Life Orphanage
There is an orphanage here that Mary and I will be going to on Mondays, our "days off." We just love the babies. On Friday we went there to set everything up with the orphanage. We got to feed the babies, hold, and play with them. New Life takes in abandoned children, HIV Positive children, and they have an amazing special needs program. We talked to the people running it and they were so excited that we were going to help, due to the fact that they have so many kids/babies. One other thing they were happy about was the fact that we as westerners play with the babies. Kenyans don't really play with the babies so they were hoping that we would be a good influence. I guess I can handle playing with babies. :)
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Jessica
AIC Ramba
It was my third time returning to this nursery school. The ages range from about 3-7 years old. The teachers at Ramba are so happy to see us every time we come. We teach them a bible story. This week was God is Merciful. We told the story of the Prodigal Son and taught them a memory verse. One of my favorite things about Ramba is that the teachers go over the material each Friday, so every time we come back the kids actually remember some things we taught them. I love that the teachers care that much.
After the lesson we went out and played with the kids. All of the kids went over behind one of the buildings into a huddle. Another kid came over and told us what was going on. There was a snake. By the time we got over there one of the kids chopped its head of with a stick. TIA (This is Africa)
While some of us were at Ramba another group was at Mount Carmel, one of our new schools. They are Jr High and speak English. I am excited to report how that goes next week.
Riatt
After a 15 minute matatu ride and a 25 minute walk we finally made it to our next nursery school. We taught the same lesson at Ramba due to their age. The kids at Riatt are so well behaved. It is a nursery school that is owned by a Kenyan pastor and his German wife. They opened it because their were so many young children where they lived and they would have to walk a long way to go to school. It is one of the cutest schools I have seen and it is located in one of the most gorgeous places in Kenya. It is such a blessing to walk through the hills and see this school. And to travel all that way just to speak the word of God.
When we were done and the school day was over we were walking with the kids. (about 3 kids holding each hand) What might we find? A monkey that was killed then hung. The monkeys eat the corn so they killed them. They hung in the tree to warn off the other monkeys. At least the kids seemed to get to kick out of it. TIA
The Rock
The Rock is an orphanage as well as a school that focus on taking in street boys. We started a VBS with the younger children (while I was at Riatt) and we also started a Bible study with some of the older kids. We have 17 kids/teens ranging from 10-17 years old. Since it was our first day we just wanted to get to know them a little bit better. We did a name game as a large group then split up into our small groups. Mary and I have a group that we will be with the rest of the time we are here. Our group named us Team Jesus. One of the greatest things about spending time with these kids is that they speak English. It sounds silly but it is amazing. The first thing they did before they would converse was tell us that we are welcome and that they are happy that we are there to teach them the word of God. ALL of them are so eager to learn. Anne and I went to The Rock Monday for a minute and talked to one of the boys who was going to be in our study. He told us that he was so excited that we were coming because he wanted to learn and grow in Jesus. The boy is only about 15. All of the kids are total orphans and all of them are so happy and loving. Everyone has huge dreams for the future. It was so amazing to sit and get to know these kids. We will need huge prayers for their spiritual growth.
Pandipieri
It is a large catholic school across the street from us that has a couple thousand children. It was our first time teaching there. We again got to speak to students who understand English. When we go to nursery school we always us a translator, but we were able to teach and ask questions all on our own. The kids were 12-15 years old. We told the story of the prodigal son and asked more challenging questions. It was awesome to be able to really jump into the Bible with the kids. Although I think that was the first time I have been in a classroom where at least half the class already knew the story. Praise God for Kenyans love of the Lord! Mary also taught them a fun song that they loved. At the end when we had to leave they were almost tackling us to shake our hands good bye. They definitely enjoyed it.
New Life Orphanage
There is an orphanage here that Mary and I will be going to on Mondays, our "days off." We just love the babies. On Friday we went there to set everything up with the orphanage. We got to feed the babies, hold, and play with them. New Life takes in abandoned children, HIV Positive children, and they have an amazing special needs program. We talked to the people running it and they were so excited that we were going to help, due to the fact that they have so many kids/babies. One other thing they were happy about was the fact that we as westerners play with the babies. Kenyans don't really play with the babies so they were hoping that we would be a good influence. I guess I can handle playing with babies. :)
Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Jessica
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