Hello all,
Check out the press release to see what we're up to this week...
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Shhhh, don't tell my momma!
Tuesday at Nyahera. Ok, so I absolutely cannot contain my excitement about writing this blog. The only problem is, it may be difficult to explain the hilariousness of the day- or may not even be humorous outside of the Kenyan culture... but oh heck, here it goes:
First of all, even before the day began, we found out that our Care & Compassion volunteer, Dorine, came down with malaria, so she wasn't able to come with us to translate. But God provided along the way and we made it through the day quite swimmingly.
Our first stop was George's house. George was the patient we brought on last week and took to Masseno hospital and found out he had TB and thrush. Well, Praise God! He's doing so well!!! I hardly recognized him when we pulled up to his house. Last week he could barely walk and it was obvious that speaking was painful for him. This week, he's walking with strength and was speaking to us with a renewed voice and new energy. I just can't thank God enough for leading us to George last week, for a good hospital that can diagnose so accurately George's infections, and for the proper medications to strengthen and heal his body... and I'm so thankful for all of you readers who kept George and his wife Maureen in your prayers last week. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
The next stop was Joseph. This was my first week seeing Joseph- he was a patient of ours who despite only being 30 something, had a severe stroke. He spend about 1 1/2 months in the office where Robert is now so that he could get the proper physical therapy needed to recover from the stoke. Now, he can walk very far, and has almost full mobility, except with his left arm and hand... but it's for sure getting stronger slowly! His wife left him the moment she found out that he was very down with AIDs and moved to Nairobi with his children. However, he has decided to find a new wife... beginning with looking in the church... and have a real wedding! The majority of Kenyans here are not married. The benefits of not being married is that it costs much less and the bride's family doesn't have to worry about the dowry. The downside is that it has resulted in a culture in which the family unit is a complete mess. I remember Julie telling us a few weeks back that more and more people are having a real wedding, to make the commitment in front of friends and family and God. Even though Julie wasn't married when she had all her children, she and her husband had a church wedding with the hopes that her children will go through the formality and choose a wedding as well.
The hilarious moment of this visit was that besides the fact that Joseph and his momma were beyond thrilled to see us, the momma let Desmond know that some bananas were ready for us but we'd have to cut them down. Thinking nothing of it, we walked to the back of the house and there was a HUGE bunch of bananas in one tree. I never expected the momma to give us that many bananas, and then, instead of just cutting down the bunch- the whole tree needed to be cut down! So down went the banana tree with the machete and we'll probably be eating banana bread until we die.
The next stop was Kennedy and just as we were pulling up near his home, the car completely stopped- no power, no gas, nothing. So we lifted up the hood and figured it must be the battery because the Land Cruiser had been having battery issues. Anywho, we asked one of the mommas as the house we parked at if she had a "spanner"... which is a wrench... I think? She said she didn't so we decided to do the visit with Kennedy and then figure out the car. It turned out that he had to show us a potential new patient, so he came back to the car with us, but it still wasn't working. Kennedy didn't have a spanner either- so he sent someone off looking for one. We were at the broken down Land Cruiser for over 2 hours... in the hot African day. But we had bananas to eat :) I ended up reading my Bible for most of it and taking a nap, which was just so lovely. But in that 2+ hours there were many hilarious moments. Firstly, at one point before the mechanic crew got there, we thought about push starting the Land Cruiser. Honestly, I have no idea what that means... but in order to push start it, we had to push the Land Cruiser out of it's spot so it would have more room to start. So- Kennedy, the momma, some other guy, and I tried to push the Land Cruiser slightly uphill. It didn't go so well. We pushed it about 5 feet though! and I think all of us faceplanted at some point while we tried to push out. Secondly, when the mechanic crew got there, the head mechanic was slightly intoxicated. He tried to "clean off" the battery by pouring water on the fuses. The last time I heard- "Water and Electricity DON'T Mix!" Thirdly, we once again tried to push the Land Cruiser back to push start it... however this time it was a success! But after we sweated and pushed the Land Cruiser to the appropriate push starting location, we realized that if the battery isn't working whatsoever, that push starting the car will be useless. Fourthly, the mechanics had no idea how to fix the car so then we had to wait for the other mechanic to get back from his outing in Kisumu. Fifthly, before the mechanics got there, a random man came with several "spanners" and pliers. But the spanners were not the right size, and the pliers were frozen stuck... so the momma dumped oil on them and they were still stuck and no use to us. And Lastly, it turns out that the problem was the battery. A matatu driver came randomly and fixed the Land Cruiser in 2 minutes time... and he did the same thing to the battery that Desmond had done before we even went into Kennedy's home.
So back on the road, our next stop was "Potential New Patient" who was supposed to be very down. As we pulled up, a nearby school was releasing the children for lunch break, so it was an adventure getting through the mob of children screaming "Mzungu" and then trying to park the Land Cruiser away from the mob. Then, just as I was rolling up the window, a very old, very drunk Kenyan man came up to the car and greeted us and said "Mzungu, I'm so hungry"... so Desmond told me to give him a banana then he'd go away. Ok, well, he didn't go away. Instead, he said, "Oh I love you! OOOO AAAAAA OOOOO AAAAAA I love Mary" Creepy- he heard someone say my name. So we quickly walked into the patient's home. The patient looked very healthy and very well. Her only qualm was that sometimes her chest hurt. Desmond suggested she get an X-ray at the clinic... so she chimed in by saying that she didn't have the money. Well, we know that the X-rays at the clinic are completely free. So at that point we realized that she wouldn't be a good candidate to be a Christ's Hope patient... but also by this point, we'd attracted quite the crowd in the house... including creepy drunk Kenyan man. He sang us a song about the Bible, and then it was clearly time for us to leave. And yet, the drunk man followed us all the way back to the car. It was a very interesting visit...
After that crazy adventure, we were quite ready for a craziness break. So after we took our Coke and Mandazi lunch break, we went to see Julianna. I had been waiting for this moment all day! She is doing fine! She was walking around and playing with the children at her house. Steven was very helpful and was clearly looking after the other 6 or so children at the house. Pray for him, he has so much responsibility at home I'm just hoping and praying that he can learn at school and not have to stay home all the time to look after the younger children. We then walked down the lane to see Little George. His whole family have been patients of ours in the past, but now they are all stronger, except little George. George is 2 or 3 years old, but he barely looks 1. He's so tiny and so unhealthy looking. But, he's in a good home, with lots of love and care. It was nice to meet their family, even though they have a troubled past and a lot of burdens to share. I loved seeing these children :)
From the children's homes, we picked up Lydia to help us translate for the last 3 patients who speak nearly no English at all. We went to Marilyn's house... and that's when I almost fell out of the Land Cruiser... Shhhh, don't tell my momma! This is the 3rd consecutive week I've been to her home, and so every week I've wanted to take pictures of the "road" because it really is more like a walking path... and more like a leisurely hike that we take the Land Cruiser on. So this week, I took a video... which will be posted soon, I promise! Well, at one point, the most dismal point on the road, Desmond hit a bump and I don't really remember it, but stuff was flying off the dash, I was flying out of my seat and I didn't know which was up and which was down and that's when I almost fell out the window. We were all fine... but it's quite funny because since the video was running, everyone was trying to be quiet to not mess up the video... but really I was just cracking up that we got it on tape and then our reactions to the incident.
When we arrived at Marilyn's house I was so excited to see all the kids- Esther, Emmanuel, and Geoffrey. Geoffrey's legs still weren't looking great, but today we had more bandages for them. Pray that they continue to heal. Emmanuel was very excited to see us as always. Marilyn was complaining of a headache... which if it's the back of the head/neck headache can be meningitis, which can be very dangerous and deadly. We warned her of this and told her that if her headache gets at all worse, she needs to go to the clinic immediately. She lamented that it's tough for her to get to the clinic, and I don't blame her... but pray that her headache does not worsen, that it goes away, and if need be, she'll take the steps necessary to get to the clinic and get proper treatment. What thrilled me from this visit the most was Esther. When we got there, she didn't scream or shrink away from us, but instead shook my hand confidently and smiled. Yes, this little girl who was terrified a few weeks back met us with a smile. Not only that, but she reminded Emmanuel to give me the gift they gathered just for me! The gift was a type of fruit, not to sure what it is, but it looks like a long grape but tastes like badly processed lunch meat. I was still grateful and so appreciative of this gift from the children. At the end of the visit, Geoffrey set her on top of a large rock and like a good big brother, he left her there. And I was so thrilled when she reached out for only me to help her off. I think it's safe to say that Esther and I are good friends now :)
Our last 2 patients were Arthur and Angeline (who I thought was named Evelyn in last weeks blog). Arthur made it to Chemotherapy last week, and was looking better than last weeks visit. He's still very weak but his hope is in the Lord for sure. When I read scripture to him, Lydia translated, and then he repeated out loud each word. It was a really special time. Angeline is pregnant and we have no idea when she is due. She is going to the clinic regularly, but in Kenyan culture, people don't acknowledge pregnancy until the baby is born. So she was very private and wouldn't even disclose when the baby should be due with us. So not only pray that Angeline opens up to us so that we can best help her, but pray for the culture to shift so that all babies get the proper care and mothers get the proper education before the baby is born.
After a long day, but a hilarious day, we made our way back to Kisumu. Last week, we had Roger (a previous volunteer from the Netherlands) and his 4 friends over for dinner while they're on holiday. So this week, they offered to cook for us, which of course none of us would ever pass up! Unfortunately, we ran out of gas for the stove... and Kisumu pretty much ran out of cooking gas entirely. Instead of figuring out the Jiko cooker (the grill type thing that most Kenyans use) like we did last night to make pancakes, the guys decided to bring us take out Chinese food. It was very nice- and it still boggles my mind to think that I'm in Kenya, in a house full of Dutch people, eating some of the best take out Chinese food I've ever had. Internationalness rocks.
And throughout the whole day- I just couldn't help but see how the prayers that you blog readers are praying are being answered weekly. Thank you for your faithfulness in reading the blog and praying. Thank you for remembering Jessica and I and the work we're doing for the Lord. And thank you for responding to the whisper of God to pray for Kisumu and Christ's Hope ministry.
Lala Salama,
Mary
First of all, even before the day began, we found out that our Care & Compassion volunteer, Dorine, came down with malaria, so she wasn't able to come with us to translate. But God provided along the way and we made it through the day quite swimmingly.
Our first stop was George's house. George was the patient we brought on last week and took to Masseno hospital and found out he had TB and thrush. Well, Praise God! He's doing so well!!! I hardly recognized him when we pulled up to his house. Last week he could barely walk and it was obvious that speaking was painful for him. This week, he's walking with strength and was speaking to us with a renewed voice and new energy. I just can't thank God enough for leading us to George last week, for a good hospital that can diagnose so accurately George's infections, and for the proper medications to strengthen and heal his body... and I'm so thankful for all of you readers who kept George and his wife Maureen in your prayers last week. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
The next stop was Joseph. This was my first week seeing Joseph- he was a patient of ours who despite only being 30 something, had a severe stroke. He spend about 1 1/2 months in the office where Robert is now so that he could get the proper physical therapy needed to recover from the stoke. Now, he can walk very far, and has almost full mobility, except with his left arm and hand... but it's for sure getting stronger slowly! His wife left him the moment she found out that he was very down with AIDs and moved to Nairobi with his children. However, he has decided to find a new wife... beginning with looking in the church... and have a real wedding! The majority of Kenyans here are not married. The benefits of not being married is that it costs much less and the bride's family doesn't have to worry about the dowry. The downside is that it has resulted in a culture in which the family unit is a complete mess. I remember Julie telling us a few weeks back that more and more people are having a real wedding, to make the commitment in front of friends and family and God. Even though Julie wasn't married when she had all her children, she and her husband had a church wedding with the hopes that her children will go through the formality and choose a wedding as well.
The hilarious moment of this visit was that besides the fact that Joseph and his momma were beyond thrilled to see us, the momma let Desmond know that some bananas were ready for us but we'd have to cut them down. Thinking nothing of it, we walked to the back of the house and there was a HUGE bunch of bananas in one tree. I never expected the momma to give us that many bananas, and then, instead of just cutting down the bunch- the whole tree needed to be cut down! So down went the banana tree with the machete and we'll probably be eating banana bread until we die.
The next stop was Kennedy and just as we were pulling up near his home, the car completely stopped- no power, no gas, nothing. So we lifted up the hood and figured it must be the battery because the Land Cruiser had been having battery issues. Anywho, we asked one of the mommas as the house we parked at if she had a "spanner"... which is a wrench... I think? She said she didn't so we decided to do the visit with Kennedy and then figure out the car. It turned out that he had to show us a potential new patient, so he came back to the car with us, but it still wasn't working. Kennedy didn't have a spanner either- so he sent someone off looking for one. We were at the broken down Land Cruiser for over 2 hours... in the hot African day. But we had bananas to eat :) I ended up reading my Bible for most of it and taking a nap, which was just so lovely. But in that 2+ hours there were many hilarious moments. Firstly, at one point before the mechanic crew got there, we thought about push starting the Land Cruiser. Honestly, I have no idea what that means... but in order to push start it, we had to push the Land Cruiser out of it's spot so it would have more room to start. So- Kennedy, the momma, some other guy, and I tried to push the Land Cruiser slightly uphill. It didn't go so well. We pushed it about 5 feet though! and I think all of us faceplanted at some point while we tried to push out. Secondly, when the mechanic crew got there, the head mechanic was slightly intoxicated. He tried to "clean off" the battery by pouring water on the fuses. The last time I heard- "Water and Electricity DON'T Mix!" Thirdly, we once again tried to push the Land Cruiser back to push start it... however this time it was a success! But after we sweated and pushed the Land Cruiser to the appropriate push starting location, we realized that if the battery isn't working whatsoever, that push starting the car will be useless. Fourthly, the mechanics had no idea how to fix the car so then we had to wait for the other mechanic to get back from his outing in Kisumu. Fifthly, before the mechanics got there, a random man came with several "spanners" and pliers. But the spanners were not the right size, and the pliers were frozen stuck... so the momma dumped oil on them and they were still stuck and no use to us. And Lastly, it turns out that the problem was the battery. A matatu driver came randomly and fixed the Land Cruiser in 2 minutes time... and he did the same thing to the battery that Desmond had done before we even went into Kennedy's home.
So back on the road, our next stop was "Potential New Patient" who was supposed to be very down. As we pulled up, a nearby school was releasing the children for lunch break, so it was an adventure getting through the mob of children screaming "Mzungu" and then trying to park the Land Cruiser away from the mob. Then, just as I was rolling up the window, a very old, very drunk Kenyan man came up to the car and greeted us and said "Mzungu, I'm so hungry"... so Desmond told me to give him a banana then he'd go away. Ok, well, he didn't go away. Instead, he said, "Oh I love you! OOOO AAAAAA OOOOO AAAAAA I love Mary" Creepy- he heard someone say my name. So we quickly walked into the patient's home. The patient looked very healthy and very well. Her only qualm was that sometimes her chest hurt. Desmond suggested she get an X-ray at the clinic... so she chimed in by saying that she didn't have the money. Well, we know that the X-rays at the clinic are completely free. So at that point we realized that she wouldn't be a good candidate to be a Christ's Hope patient... but also by this point, we'd attracted quite the crowd in the house... including creepy drunk Kenyan man. He sang us a song about the Bible, and then it was clearly time for us to leave. And yet, the drunk man followed us all the way back to the car. It was a very interesting visit...
After that crazy adventure, we were quite ready for a craziness break. So after we took our Coke and Mandazi lunch break, we went to see Julianna. I had been waiting for this moment all day! She is doing fine! She was walking around and playing with the children at her house. Steven was very helpful and was clearly looking after the other 6 or so children at the house. Pray for him, he has so much responsibility at home I'm just hoping and praying that he can learn at school and not have to stay home all the time to look after the younger children. We then walked down the lane to see Little George. His whole family have been patients of ours in the past, but now they are all stronger, except little George. George is 2 or 3 years old, but he barely looks 1. He's so tiny and so unhealthy looking. But, he's in a good home, with lots of love and care. It was nice to meet their family, even though they have a troubled past and a lot of burdens to share. I loved seeing these children :)
From the children's homes, we picked up Lydia to help us translate for the last 3 patients who speak nearly no English at all. We went to Marilyn's house... and that's when I almost fell out of the Land Cruiser... Shhhh, don't tell my momma! This is the 3rd consecutive week I've been to her home, and so every week I've wanted to take pictures of the "road" because it really is more like a walking path... and more like a leisurely hike that we take the Land Cruiser on. So this week, I took a video... which will be posted soon, I promise! Well, at one point, the most dismal point on the road, Desmond hit a bump and I don't really remember it, but stuff was flying off the dash, I was flying out of my seat and I didn't know which was up and which was down and that's when I almost fell out the window. We were all fine... but it's quite funny because since the video was running, everyone was trying to be quiet to not mess up the video... but really I was just cracking up that we got it on tape and then our reactions to the incident.
When we arrived at Marilyn's house I was so excited to see all the kids- Esther, Emmanuel, and Geoffrey. Geoffrey's legs still weren't looking great, but today we had more bandages for them. Pray that they continue to heal. Emmanuel was very excited to see us as always. Marilyn was complaining of a headache... which if it's the back of the head/neck headache can be meningitis, which can be very dangerous and deadly. We warned her of this and told her that if her headache gets at all worse, she needs to go to the clinic immediately. She lamented that it's tough for her to get to the clinic, and I don't blame her... but pray that her headache does not worsen, that it goes away, and if need be, she'll take the steps necessary to get to the clinic and get proper treatment. What thrilled me from this visit the most was Esther. When we got there, she didn't scream or shrink away from us, but instead shook my hand confidently and smiled. Yes, this little girl who was terrified a few weeks back met us with a smile. Not only that, but she reminded Emmanuel to give me the gift they gathered just for me! The gift was a type of fruit, not to sure what it is, but it looks like a long grape but tastes like badly processed lunch meat. I was still grateful and so appreciative of this gift from the children. At the end of the visit, Geoffrey set her on top of a large rock and like a good big brother, he left her there. And I was so thrilled when she reached out for only me to help her off. I think it's safe to say that Esther and I are good friends now :)
Our last 2 patients were Arthur and Angeline (who I thought was named Evelyn in last weeks blog). Arthur made it to Chemotherapy last week, and was looking better than last weeks visit. He's still very weak but his hope is in the Lord for sure. When I read scripture to him, Lydia translated, and then he repeated out loud each word. It was a really special time. Angeline is pregnant and we have no idea when she is due. She is going to the clinic regularly, but in Kenyan culture, people don't acknowledge pregnancy until the baby is born. So she was very private and wouldn't even disclose when the baby should be due with us. So not only pray that Angeline opens up to us so that we can best help her, but pray for the culture to shift so that all babies get the proper care and mothers get the proper education before the baby is born.
After a long day, but a hilarious day, we made our way back to Kisumu. Last week, we had Roger (a previous volunteer from the Netherlands) and his 4 friends over for dinner while they're on holiday. So this week, they offered to cook for us, which of course none of us would ever pass up! Unfortunately, we ran out of gas for the stove... and Kisumu pretty much ran out of cooking gas entirely. Instead of figuring out the Jiko cooker (the grill type thing that most Kenyans use) like we did last night to make pancakes, the guys decided to bring us take out Chinese food. It was very nice- and it still boggles my mind to think that I'm in Kenya, in a house full of Dutch people, eating some of the best take out Chinese food I've ever had. Internationalness rocks.
And throughout the whole day- I just couldn't help but see how the prayers that you blog readers are praying are being answered weekly. Thank you for your faithfulness in reading the blog and praying. Thank you for remembering Jessica and I and the work we're doing for the Lord. And thank you for responding to the whisper of God to pray for Kisumu and Christ's Hope ministry.
Lala Salama,
Mary
Monday, July 19, 2010
Momma Bear Mode
Saturday: I LOVE Saturdays. I adore the Nyahera children. Each child is so special and so unique and so lovable in their own way.
And if anything happens to them- apparently I have a mild to moderate emotional reaction... and it may be fierce. I call it my momma bear mode.
I never had this instinct before last summer- when I was the counselor to the female service staff at my camp... aka about 17 teenagers. They were all so amazing and were so inspirational. I learned so much through observing their work ethic and love of the Lord. And not gonna lie- I miss them all extremely--- but back to momma bear mode- I realized this weird reaction when one of them was going through boy issues. I just wanted to slap that boy across the face and say- "hey now, what are you doing?" For the rest of the summer I recognized the same reaction when I found out the crazy things they were doing--- which weren't even crazy. Like when they went on the zipline- I freaked out a lot on the inside... even though I had sent campers off the zipline hundreds of times and everyone was fine.
Back to this summer- On Saturday- my emotions hit Momma Bear Mode.
Last week, little precious Julianna was sick. We talked to her brother Steven and he said that she was doing well, she just wasn't feel too well. Kids get sick all the time, right? I didn't worry too much. Now for a little more info on Julianna- she is our care & compassion patient. A couple months back, she was very down. But now, she's running around with the other children and you can hardly tell the difference between her and the other 100% healthy children. So this week, she was again sick and missed the MCP. When I saw Steven without his sister, my stomach flipped and I hit Momma Bear Mode. I talked with him and he said that Julianna is still sick. She's laying in the bed. She is getting better. She's eating. She's still not strong... I just wanted to drop EVERYTHING and run to her house to make sure she was ok. I'm so thankful that I get to follow up with her tomorrow when I do care & compassion and I just pray that her sickness isn't serious again and that she'll soon be well.
Julianna wasn't my only Momma Bear Moment- Geoffrey [eldest son of our patient Marilyn and brother to Emmanuel and Esther] had pretty bad wounds on his shins a few weeks ago. We've given him bandages and cleaned the wounds out, and they were almost healed! At the beginning of the day, I checked the wounds again and they were really just looking very good... later in the day, he was nearly curled up and in tears because of the pain of something. I couldn't figure out what so I called Lillian to translate. He was hiding his legs, and when he showed me, I realized what happened. The wounds opened back up... blame it on the futbol. Unfortunately, there was not a whole lot I could do for him, except joke around with him, wipe away his tears, and get a smile out of him. Momma Bear Mode is not pleasant when there's nothing that can be immediately done to help these children.
The one child I was able to assist in any medical way on Saturday was Emmanuel. The whole group was playing an intense game of cat and mouse... which can get very violent very quickly... and at one point Emmanuel, Steven, and Evans collided. Steven jumped up like nothing happened, Evans screamed and so Lillian took him, and Emmanuel got up wincing in pain with a strawberry on his knee. Luckily, I happened to have a Bandaid in my wallet [thanks Dad for teaching me this trick!] I cleaned of his knee with a tissue and water, and put the Bandaid on. Nearly instantly, the Bandaid used it's special magical powers and Emmanuel's teary-eyed frown turned into a big grin.
Overall the MCP was nice this week. 2 of the guys from the Netherlands came with me to Nyahera, and the other 2 went to Manyatta with Jessica. It was so amazing to see both the reactions of the kids and our new friends. The boys were able to play futbol with the Dutch guys who can actually play futbol... unlike my awful attempts. And I think it was really important for the Dutch guys to be able to see the kids and connect with them as well.
Sunday: We skipped church. Yes, we did. Instead, Jessica and I stayed home and listened to a couple sermons from Francis Chan's series on Revelations. Learning to rest is a tool that is really keeping me going while we're here, and so that's exactly what Sunday was.
Monday: We held the babies. I love the babies so much! I know I've said it over and over again, but I just really do love them.
However, the most special moment from this visit to New Life was with a little toddler named Isaiah. Jessica and I were with the babies during their "outside time." I was sitting just on the edge of the play mat when I heard a scream from the direction of the sidewalk. Isaiah had faceplanted, and as soon as we made eye contact, he came running over to me and jumped in my arms and cried until he couldn't cry anymore. It was a profound "God moment" in so many ways. Briefly, God longs for us to make eye contact with him and run into His arms in any trial or struggle or bad day. Secondly, if I came to Kenya only to be there in that place at that exact moment to console Isaiah, it would have ALL been worth it. God's timing and plan is so perfect and I needed Isaiah to need me in that moment for me to really remember that.
So then tomorrow is Tuesday and I can only imagine what lies in front of us while we work in Care & Compassion. I look forward to specifically visiting Julianna and Geoffrey, and maybe that will put my Momma Bear Mode at ease.
Mungu Aku Bariki,
Mary
And if anything happens to them- apparently I have a mild to moderate emotional reaction... and it may be fierce. I call it my momma bear mode.
I never had this instinct before last summer- when I was the counselor to the female service staff at my camp... aka about 17 teenagers. They were all so amazing and were so inspirational. I learned so much through observing their work ethic and love of the Lord. And not gonna lie- I miss them all extremely--- but back to momma bear mode- I realized this weird reaction when one of them was going through boy issues. I just wanted to slap that boy across the face and say- "hey now, what are you doing?" For the rest of the summer I recognized the same reaction when I found out the crazy things they were doing--- which weren't even crazy. Like when they went on the zipline- I freaked out a lot on the inside... even though I had sent campers off the zipline hundreds of times and everyone was fine.
Back to this summer- On Saturday- my emotions hit Momma Bear Mode.
Last week, little precious Julianna was sick. We talked to her brother Steven and he said that she was doing well, she just wasn't feel too well. Kids get sick all the time, right? I didn't worry too much. Now for a little more info on Julianna- she is our care & compassion patient. A couple months back, she was very down. But now, she's running around with the other children and you can hardly tell the difference between her and the other 100% healthy children. So this week, she was again sick and missed the MCP. When I saw Steven without his sister, my stomach flipped and I hit Momma Bear Mode. I talked with him and he said that Julianna is still sick. She's laying in the bed. She is getting better. She's eating. She's still not strong... I just wanted to drop EVERYTHING and run to her house to make sure she was ok. I'm so thankful that I get to follow up with her tomorrow when I do care & compassion and I just pray that her sickness isn't serious again and that she'll soon be well.
Julianna wasn't my only Momma Bear Moment- Geoffrey [eldest son of our patient Marilyn and brother to Emmanuel and Esther] had pretty bad wounds on his shins a few weeks ago. We've given him bandages and cleaned the wounds out, and they were almost healed! At the beginning of the day, I checked the wounds again and they were really just looking very good... later in the day, he was nearly curled up and in tears because of the pain of something. I couldn't figure out what so I called Lillian to translate. He was hiding his legs, and when he showed me, I realized what happened. The wounds opened back up... blame it on the futbol. Unfortunately, there was not a whole lot I could do for him, except joke around with him, wipe away his tears, and get a smile out of him. Momma Bear Mode is not pleasant when there's nothing that can be immediately done to help these children.
The one child I was able to assist in any medical way on Saturday was Emmanuel. The whole group was playing an intense game of cat and mouse... which can get very violent very quickly... and at one point Emmanuel, Steven, and Evans collided. Steven jumped up like nothing happened, Evans screamed and so Lillian took him, and Emmanuel got up wincing in pain with a strawberry on his knee. Luckily, I happened to have a Bandaid in my wallet [thanks Dad for teaching me this trick!] I cleaned of his knee with a tissue and water, and put the Bandaid on. Nearly instantly, the Bandaid used it's special magical powers and Emmanuel's teary-eyed frown turned into a big grin.
Overall the MCP was nice this week. 2 of the guys from the Netherlands came with me to Nyahera, and the other 2 went to Manyatta with Jessica. It was so amazing to see both the reactions of the kids and our new friends. The boys were able to play futbol with the Dutch guys who can actually play futbol... unlike my awful attempts. And I think it was really important for the Dutch guys to be able to see the kids and connect with them as well.
Sunday: We skipped church. Yes, we did. Instead, Jessica and I stayed home and listened to a couple sermons from Francis Chan's series on Revelations. Learning to rest is a tool that is really keeping me going while we're here, and so that's exactly what Sunday was.
Monday: We held the babies. I love the babies so much! I know I've said it over and over again, but I just really do love them.
However, the most special moment from this visit to New Life was with a little toddler named Isaiah. Jessica and I were with the babies during their "outside time." I was sitting just on the edge of the play mat when I heard a scream from the direction of the sidewalk. Isaiah had faceplanted, and as soon as we made eye contact, he came running over to me and jumped in my arms and cried until he couldn't cry anymore. It was a profound "God moment" in so many ways. Briefly, God longs for us to make eye contact with him and run into His arms in any trial or struggle or bad day. Secondly, if I came to Kenya only to be there in that place at that exact moment to console Isaiah, it would have ALL been worth it. God's timing and plan is so perfect and I needed Isaiah to need me in that moment for me to really remember that.
So then tomorrow is Tuesday and I can only imagine what lies in front of us while we work in Care & Compassion. I look forward to specifically visiting Julianna and Geoffrey, and maybe that will put my Momma Bear Mode at ease.
Mungu Aku Bariki,
Mary
Friday, July 16, 2010
As cool as the Jo Bros
What a week! [... I think I start off every blog entry like that...]
And Praise God- little baby Aaron that I talked about last week is in the adoption process... he'll get to grow up with a loving family :) I'm so happy for him!
One of our patients, George, passed away Monday night, so we started off on Tuesday with his family. The mourning process here is so different than in the U.S. When we got to the house, there were many family members gathered, but no one was crying. In fact, no one even seemed sad. That really confused me and sent my emotions on a roller coaster ride. Sitting with the wife, praying with her, reading her Psalm 23... my heart was heavy with sorrow for the widow, and for the children... but the atmosphere just didn't align with the emotions of sorrow and sadness.
But as we've learned in the Kenya society, people rarely open up. People don't share their emotions. Ask anyone how they are, and they are always "fine." It's just not in the culture for people to share their struggles, their sorrows, their burdens... very unlike America.
Throughout the day we saw a lot of patients that were doing better than last week: Marilyn is looking well, Claudie is doing very well, and Samson was discharged from Christ's Hope services. And a couple patients who are still very down: Arthur underwent his first chemo round on Wednesday, and he could barely sit up to ride the Piki... pray for his treatment and his health, and Evelyn is pregnant but still malnurished, and Irene is a new patient who says she's 30 years old, but barely looks 16 years old. But we ended the day in a bittersweet way with a new patient... whose name is, can you guess it? George. He was very down and barely walking. So we took him to Masseno hospital. It turns out that he has thrush and TB. Praise God that we found him when we did and were able to get him the help he needed. But please continue to pray for George and his lovely wife Maureen as they continue to battle out the health crises that come their way, and pray that they will seek God and recognize His hand in their lives.
Ramba is always a breath of fresh air. The small children always greet us and swarm the Tuk-Tuk. They LOVE being taught about God's word. They LOVE learning who Jesus was and is. They LOVE memorizing the Bible verses we give them. And they LOVE coloring and playing games with us. Even though communication isn't great, and more often then not I feel like I'm at a zoo as they stare at me, put their hands on my arms [and feet... sorta gross and I don't understand the fascination with my feet?], and play with my Mzungu hair... these children are just too precious for words and I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with them every week.
Mount Carmel is fun. I really can't describe it any other way. We sing with them, and this week they sang to us. The girls sang and did some dances, and the boys recited a poem. It was very sweet. What struck me this week was the amount of kids who swarm the outside of the building to see what's going on, to hear the lesson, to sing the songs, and to check out the crazy Mzungus.
It reminds me of the verse in Matthew 9:37 "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." There are so many children who are eager for the gospel, but people power is needed. We see this over and over again here, the needs are so great but the amount of volunteers are so small. With prayer and people power, Christ's Hope would be able to expand VBS programming and add more ministry care points while still developing the existing ones. Pray for workers for the plentiful harvest.
Pandi Pieri is just across the street (or opposite) from Christ's Hope. It's a HUGE school. When we walked in the gate, already in a joyful mood because of coming straight from Rock, I heard in the distance, "Mary!" Such a warm welcome! Kids line the halls to shake our hands and give us a high five. It's so much fun. And as I walked into the corridor our classroom is in, a group of girls grabbed my arms and led me the rest of the way.
The lesson was good- but the music was fabulous!!! These kids praise God with all their hearts and use their voices so LOUDLY. I'm pretty sure if you listen closely, you'll be able to hear them in California or New York or wherever you're at. Now, at some of the primary schools, the kids enjoy shouting more than singing- but these older kids SING. I get chills every time and it sets the mood for the rest of the week and I look forward to hearing them so much leading up to Thursday afternoon. Also- like Mt. Carmel, a crowd of students hangs outside the door to the classroom and outside the window. I love it.
So just as we were leaving the class- we got swarmed. I don't mean people hanging on to my arms... it became a mob. Am I Elvis? Since when did we become as cool as the Jonas Brothers? [is it ok to make an Elvis reference and Jo Bros reference in the same example?] It was crazy. People were pulling me in all directions and hanging on me and screaming and saying my name and eventually I made it out of the mob but oh man, I have no desire to ever become famous if this is what they have to go through.
I took some video of the group singing- and I'll post it as soon as I can find my camera chord... pray that I find it?
Thank you all for following and reading these blogs. It's so encouraging for us to read the comments and know that people are joining in prayer for our patients, the children, and us.
and tomorrow is the full day of Ministry Care Points in Nyahera and Manyatta. Pray that the children are spiritually (and literally) fed, and that we'll be able to recognize the needs of each child and have wisdom of how best to meet those needs. We also have 4 guys from the Netherlands here on holiday joining us tomorrow--- I'm sure it'll be something to write about within the next couple days :)
Kwa heri,
Mary
Monday: New Life
Oh the babies. I just love the babies. I love loving the babies. I love that I know many of the babies names and personalities. Next Monday I'll try to take some pictures of the babies so you all can know how adorable the babies are :)And Praise God- little baby Aaron that I talked about last week is in the adoption process... he'll get to grow up with a loving family :) I'm so happy for him!
Tuesday: C & C
Emotional day from start to finish.One of our patients, George, passed away Monday night, so we started off on Tuesday with his family. The mourning process here is so different than in the U.S. When we got to the house, there were many family members gathered, but no one was crying. In fact, no one even seemed sad. That really confused me and sent my emotions on a roller coaster ride. Sitting with the wife, praying with her, reading her Psalm 23... my heart was heavy with sorrow for the widow, and for the children... but the atmosphere just didn't align with the emotions of sorrow and sadness.
But as we've learned in the Kenya society, people rarely open up. People don't share their emotions. Ask anyone how they are, and they are always "fine." It's just not in the culture for people to share their struggles, their sorrows, their burdens... very unlike America.
Throughout the day we saw a lot of patients that were doing better than last week: Marilyn is looking well, Claudie is doing very well, and Samson was discharged from Christ's Hope services. And a couple patients who are still very down: Arthur underwent his first chemo round on Wednesday, and he could barely sit up to ride the Piki... pray for his treatment and his health, and Evelyn is pregnant but still malnurished, and Irene is a new patient who says she's 30 years old, but barely looks 16 years old. But we ended the day in a bittersweet way with a new patient... whose name is, can you guess it? George. He was very down and barely walking. So we took him to Masseno hospital. It turns out that he has thrush and TB. Praise God that we found him when we did and were able to get him the help he needed. But please continue to pray for George and his lovely wife Maureen as they continue to battle out the health crises that come their way, and pray that they will seek God and recognize His hand in their lives.
Wednesday: Ramba & Mount Carmel
Back to the kiddos.Ramba is always a breath of fresh air. The small children always greet us and swarm the Tuk-Tuk. They LOVE being taught about God's word. They LOVE learning who Jesus was and is. They LOVE memorizing the Bible verses we give them. And they LOVE coloring and playing games with us. Even though communication isn't great, and more often then not I feel like I'm at a zoo as they stare at me, put their hands on my arms [and feet... sorta gross and I don't understand the fascination with my feet?], and play with my Mzungu hair... these children are just too precious for words and I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with them every week.
Mount Carmel is fun. I really can't describe it any other way. We sing with them, and this week they sang to us. The girls sang and did some dances, and the boys recited a poem. It was very sweet. What struck me this week was the amount of kids who swarm the outside of the building to see what's going on, to hear the lesson, to sing the songs, and to check out the crazy Mzungus.
It reminds me of the verse in Matthew 9:37 "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." There are so many children who are eager for the gospel, but people power is needed. We see this over and over again here, the needs are so great but the amount of volunteers are so small. With prayer and people power, Christ's Hope would be able to expand VBS programming and add more ministry care points while still developing the existing ones. Pray for workers for the plentiful harvest.
Thursday: Rock & Pandi
We're connecting with people. We're making friends. At the Rock Bible Study with the teenagers, we all had a chance to share our testimony and why/how we first trusted the Lord and made Jesus our savior. The moment we ended this time- they all seemed to open up a lot more. And they even held me accountable to singing for them... which I promised them the first time we met... not only that, and I don't remember how exactly it happened... but they also convinced me to play guitar. Ok- so I am learning guitar, but I only know how to play a couple songs, and it's really bad... and I couldn't remember like any of the chords when I had the guitar in my lap anyway. I don't think they were that impressed... And now this week, they want Jessica and Anne to sing for them... so we're going to write a rap song for them :) I'm soooo looking forward to it!!! One of the girls, Whitney, joined our group this week, and man, can that girl sing! She also knows so many Christian artists and bands, her knowledge boggles my mind... and now we really have something in common which is a great place to start a good friendship. All the kids at Rock are so amazing and I can't wait to spend more and more time with them.Pandi Pieri is just across the street (or opposite) from Christ's Hope. It's a HUGE school. When we walked in the gate, already in a joyful mood because of coming straight from Rock, I heard in the distance, "Mary!" Such a warm welcome! Kids line the halls to shake our hands and give us a high five. It's so much fun. And as I walked into the corridor our classroom is in, a group of girls grabbed my arms and led me the rest of the way.
The lesson was good- but the music was fabulous!!! These kids praise God with all their hearts and use their voices so LOUDLY. I'm pretty sure if you listen closely, you'll be able to hear them in California or New York or wherever you're at. Now, at some of the primary schools, the kids enjoy shouting more than singing- but these older kids SING. I get chills every time and it sets the mood for the rest of the week and I look forward to hearing them so much leading up to Thursday afternoon. Also- like Mt. Carmel, a crowd of students hangs outside the door to the classroom and outside the window. I love it.
So just as we were leaving the class- we got swarmed. I don't mean people hanging on to my arms... it became a mob. Am I Elvis? Since when did we become as cool as the Jonas Brothers? [is it ok to make an Elvis reference and Jo Bros reference in the same example?] It was crazy. People were pulling me in all directions and hanging on me and screaming and saying my name and eventually I made it out of the mob but oh man, I have no desire to ever become famous if this is what they have to go through.
I took some video of the group singing- and I'll post it as soon as I can find my camera chord... pray that I find it?
Friday: Nanga Primary
Not the most exciting day today- but satisfying none the less. Jessica, Lillian, and I went to Nanga Primary school at the crack of dawn, well, 8:00 this morning to do the lesson. It was nice and a great way to energetically begin the day. When we got back, I got to make banana bread- my first baking experience in Africa and it's another adventure entirely to figure out how the oven works and how to cook the food evenly in it. Right now, I'm off to buy some food for tomorrow's MCP at Nyahera... and then later tonight the rumor is that we're going to Simba Club for some amazing Indian food!Thank you all for following and reading these blogs. It's so encouraging for us to read the comments and know that people are joining in prayer for our patients, the children, and us.
and tomorrow is the full day of Ministry Care Points in Nyahera and Manyatta. Pray that the children are spiritually (and literally) fed, and that we'll be able to recognize the needs of each child and have wisdom of how best to meet those needs. We also have 4 guys from the Netherlands here on holiday joining us tomorrow--- I'm sure it'll be something to write about within the next couple days :)
Kwa heri,
Mary
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Speechless
God is listening and answering prayers.
We have been praying for Fiona and her charcoal business. We were planning on getting her another bag of charcoal, but still trying to do it in a way that would really benefit her. As Marieke and I were discussing it more in depth today we approached her house and saw three bags of charcoal. When we went inside and Fiona told us that the people who sell the charcoal gave her the two extra bags and are allowing her to pay them back when she gets the money. Julie our national volunteer says that never happens because people are not trusting and she could just run off with it. I can't even believe how God answered that prayer. We COULD NOT have asked for a more perfect scenario to benefit her and her business. Praise God.
Marieke and I got the pleasure of going to Russia hospital to do visitations. Last time we were there Sharon said she wanted a Fanta orange (a favorite over here). I was very excited to go see her and bring her the soda. When we got there someone else was in her bed. We talked with other patients then checked in the other room. We didn't find her so we asked a nurse. Sharon finally got to go home. Last time we visited her all she wanted to do was go home. That was another one of our prayers and it was a big one, because no one was visiting her. It is likely that they waved the bill. Praise God! And the really awesome thing is that she is one of our patients in Manyatta so I will be able to visit her each week.
We couldn't leave without seeing Samuel. He was SO happy to see us as always and even more happy that we brought him milk. We prayed for healing for his leg. He was discharged, but his leg was still not in good shape. Now his leg is starting to heal to the bone and they are keeping him in the hospital to do a skin grapht. Praise the Lord. It is amazing HOW he is answering these prayers. I couldn't have asked for anything more. Praise Him!
Jessica
We have been praying for Fiona and her charcoal business. We were planning on getting her another bag of charcoal, but still trying to do it in a way that would really benefit her. As Marieke and I were discussing it more in depth today we approached her house and saw three bags of charcoal. When we went inside and Fiona told us that the people who sell the charcoal gave her the two extra bags and are allowing her to pay them back when she gets the money. Julie our national volunteer says that never happens because people are not trusting and she could just run off with it. I can't even believe how God answered that prayer. We COULD NOT have asked for a more perfect scenario to benefit her and her business. Praise God.
Marieke and I got the pleasure of going to Russia hospital to do visitations. Last time we were there Sharon said she wanted a Fanta orange (a favorite over here). I was very excited to go see her and bring her the soda. When we got there someone else was in her bed. We talked with other patients then checked in the other room. We didn't find her so we asked a nurse. Sharon finally got to go home. Last time we visited her all she wanted to do was go home. That was another one of our prayers and it was a big one, because no one was visiting her. It is likely that they waved the bill. Praise God! And the really awesome thing is that she is one of our patients in Manyatta so I will be able to visit her each week.
We couldn't leave without seeing Samuel. He was SO happy to see us as always and even more happy that we brought him milk. We prayed for healing for his leg. He was discharged, but his leg was still not in good shape. Now his leg is starting to heal to the bone and they are keeping him in the hospital to do a skin grapht. Praise the Lord. It is amazing HOW he is answering these prayers. I couldn't have asked for anything more. Praise Him!
Jessica
Sunday, July 11, 2010
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.
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.
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
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