LifeSpring In Kenya

Friday

2010-11-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

Today was our final day working at the Kosovo school. Even though our exhausted group seems ready to come home, we will definitely miss that place.

We only worked until 1:00 today. Most of the group did community work, with Michelle and Linda continuing Mobile Medical and Josh and Jimmy doing Bring the Light. Each group saw even more people than in days prior. I believe the total number of people treated for the week was 46 (not including the various school kids who took advantage of having a couple of on-campus nurses this week) and the total homes for Bring the Light was 11. Not bad for a small group!

(Also - I believe the total number of kids at VBS was 632!)

While they were out doing community work, Megan busied herself with some administrative tasks around the school - sorting new uniforms for the students (her ankle still won't let her journey down onto the uneven ground of the slums).

I joined up with the two Kenyan painters I've been working with all week - Ben and David - and we decided to try our chances at the mural extension. This involved scaling a very precarious-looking (but actually quite solid) make-shift scaffolding to first prime the upper portion of the wall that needed to be painted. We did this, in pretty short order... but then - the rains came. And came. And came...

Of course we had to stop working. This was no problem - except that soon we came out to check things and found that the primer (which usually dries very fast) had not dried and had RAN DOWN THE ENTIRE FACE OF THE PREVIOUS MURAL!!! Long white tendrils of primer paint streaking over the entire surface of last year's work!!!

However, Ben is amazing. He scurried right up that scaffolding with a hose and washed it all off before it could set. He had to keep washing, and wiping, and fighting it until after about half an hour, he seemed to have it contained. He literally saved the mural...

But with the rain still threatening, we couldn't continue. So they'll have to paint the rest this next week after we're gone... bummer we weren't here to see it happen, but they said they'd try to send pictures.

After lunch we had the closing program with the kids. Each year they shower love and thanks on us through song, dance, and encouraging words. This year was no exception. It's a little awkward since, to be honest, we are the ones who feel so grateful to THEM. They are such amazing people and we just feel honored to work alongside them and call them friends.

From here we went to the Masaii Market and haggled with vendors over souvenirs... It's like adrenaline shopping on steroids.

Dinner back at the Java House next door to the hotel - with some end-of-trip laughter, mixed with sore-body groans, hurt-ankle whimpering, and the occasional well-earned yawn...

Tomorrow we are up EARLY for a last day of sight-seeing at Nairobi Game Park, then dinner at Keith and Kathy Hamm's (American CMF Missionaries).

This will be the last report since we won't have internet access from now until we hit the ground in Cincinnati. Despite some of the setbacks and heavy rains - this has been another great trip to Kenya. We're proud of LifeSpring's partnership with Kenya and hope we've represented well!

Thursday

2010-11-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day - we finished the VBS program and the painting of the interior walls and stairs of the school! It seemed like everything just went according to plan today. The weather was beautiful, VBS stayed right on schedule, and the painting turned out great. (Of course, Megan did twist her ankle again today - but Megan injuries are sort of becoming old news around Kenya...)

During the second half of the day, Linda headed out on another Mobile Medical trip while the rest of us (minus Megan who sat on the sideline taking pics) played an epic game of soccer against the kids of the school. It was adults (LifeSpring and Kenya leaders) vs. kids. We tied - 6 to 6, which we are taking as a victory. These kids are intense. Most of them were barefoot the entire time and they still took us to task. We played our hardest, occasionally shouting from burning lungs, "NO MERCY!!!" That's right - we had one goal: stomp the kids. But before you feel sorry for them - know that they came prepared. During Megan's teaching time on the fruit of kindness, she even prepped them by saying, "There is one place you DON'T have to be kind: today's soccer match against the adults." Those kids came wanting blood, I'm sure of it.

Anyway - 6 to 6 was the result (and we're proud of that). Of course, now we're all beat silly. Our bodies ache! I want to know if this counts as suffering for Christ...

As I said, meanwhile Linda was working in the slums with Mobile Medical (yes, at least one of us was doing some REAL ministry). That ministry has been an interesting one for her and Michelle. I think we all thought that there would be pre-determined homes that the Kenyan social workers would guide them to - however, it turns out that they simply load up a backpack of various medical supplies and go walking through the slums asking people if there are any sick persons in their homes. More responsive than planned. Once in a home, word generally spreads and then soon many others have come. Linda said it's like trying to give treatment to a group of people in a crowded elevator. It seems like they've had to operate in a kind of "improv" fashion, being ready to enter a home and just see what they find there. It is definitely a less structured approach than the clinics we've been a part of in the past. Michelle has pointed out that most of what they're able to do is really more like symptom management - but they are helping establish the presence of the mission as a place that brings help to the community.

This evening we had dinner at Oliver and Ednah's house. Very relaxing. Two other visiting Americans joined us as well. The evening was pretty laid back - but there was one particular highlight for most of the group: when Oliver and Ednah presented me with a very interesting African outfit. I won't describe it, because I'm sure there will eventually be some pictures floating around for everyone's amusement... Everyone got a shirt or dress as a gift, but mine was... well... I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Back to the hotel - tired, but satisfied with the day. Tomorrow is our last work day in Kenya! Wow - it's gone fast...

Wednesday

2010-11-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Today began with more RAIN! We've had lots of it here this week...

Linda had our morning devotion today, focusing our attention on Jesus' call to action in THIS life - that our hope is not just heaven someday... but rather, is to see a "little bit of heaven" brought into reality here, today. Great thoughts as we plunged again into the slums of Nairobi.

Today VBS transitioned to working with the older kids in primary ages. Everything seemed to go very well - although we had to make some adjustments due to the rain (games had to be moved indoors, which shifted some other rooms around... Also, for some reason only one craft room was set up - so Megan had 150+ kids crammed shoulder to shoulder in a tiny room threading macaroni onto thread... FUN! But despite her hurt ankle and many hiccups like that one - she keeps her game face on and soars through successfully.

Throughout the entire day we continued to paint the interior hallways and stairs of the school - almost finished! They look much fresher and more colorful than before. Everyone seems happy with the facelift. The school is a constant grey construction zone, splashed with mud and other trash that gets dragged in. The Kenyan workers try very hard to keep things nice - but it's a never-ending battle. I asked one of the teachers today if she can ever envision the school NOT being a construction zone... and she simply said, "No...." So I think a little bit of color and fresh paint goes a long way here.

At this point, due to the rain, it's looking less and less likely that the mural will get completed. Some say, "No problem" and others say "No way." We'll see... Right now we're waiting on plaster to dry so we can paint. But of course it's raining even now...

This afternoon's work looked different than usual for most of the crew. Megan and I continued painting - however, Linda went to the Pangani Center to meet with the micro-business trainees in the bead/jewelry program. These are women who are being trained in the skill of beading and jewelry-making so that they have a income-earning skill that is positive. Most of the micro-business ministry is focused toward equipping women - many of which either live alone (raising many children and grandchildren) or are married to men who are not providing for their families. Linda arrived to the Center to find 18 women waiting patiently in a small room - so that she could TEACH them! Surprise! (Linda wasn't briefed on this part of the plan!) But she rolled with it and asked them to share their ideas and work... and they DO make beautiful work!

With Linda at the other school, Michelle did Mobile Medical by herself (that is, with the Kenyan nurse and HIV/AIDS coordinator). They visited 3 homes - but they have found that when word spreads that "medical" is nearby, neighbors stream in. So a house with one or two sick people may suddenly have 8 sick people show up at the door. I have no idea how she and Linda are keeping their heads above water. Hopefully they stay well! More than the rest of us they are willingly entering into very cramped quarters with some very sick people...

Jimmy flew solo today as well, doing Bring the Light for 3 homes, because Josh had an opportunity to join Kioko (Kenyan social worker) to another part of Nairobi - a different slum - where a new school is being started. (I can't remember the name of the area, so I keep calling it Buca De Beppo until someone corrects me).

All of our various forces then converged over at Pangani to pick up Linda and Josh, then we headed out to Mary and Wallace's house for dinner. Mary and Wallace are currently in the U.S., but they have a couple of interns staying at their home - as well as their children - so they graciously invited us over for dinner. Their youngest son David is 4, and he is spitfire. We had fun teasing and tickling him... but somehow, by the end of the night, I had earned the nickname "Supergirl." Not sure how that happened.

By the way - speaking of nicknames: Megan has been nicknamed "Pole." The reason for this is because when she was offer her feet after the accident, while we were gone to church, the hotel staff cared for her with food, ice, fruit and a card. When we returned, I picked up the card and read the front. It said, "Get Well Soon Pole."

I said, "Pole? That's not very nice. Why are they calling you Pole?" Of course they all burst out laughing at me. (And then informed me that "pole" is really pronounced "pole-ay" and is Kenyan for "sorry").

Well, regardless: Megan is now known as Pole and she is Supergirl's sidekick.

Tuesday

2010-11-09T10:59:00.001-08:00

Today we started out a bit earlier in order to get to the school and have enough time to prepare some things before VBS started. So we were all a little sluggish, but ready for the day. After breakfast, Josh led devotions - focusing on the Kosovo school's theme of "The Mountain of God" and how each small thing we do may seem insignificant at first, but is really another pebble added to the mountain that is growing there. Good stuff.

After arriving at the school, Jimmy and Josh starting filling water balloons for their game time, while the rest got the craft supplies in order. I spent some time with Charity discussing some of the logistical details that would help things run smoother.

And things did run much smoother today - VBS went very well and the kids had a blast. They sang, learned about Zacchaeus, finger painted and threw water balloons... fun by anyone's standards. It was fun to hear the children continuing to sing throughout the day, the songs they had learned that morning. Every now and then from a classroom or down the hallway you'd hear a few of them chime back into one of the choruses as they walked... Tomorrow the older kids will start their 2-day VBS.

Meanwhile, painting began on the interior hallways of the school. I was joined by Ben and David, two Kenyan men who helped with last year's mural. It was really great reuniting with them and picking up the brushes together again. (Phil - they say "Hi" and "Congratulations on the new baby!") Today we primed most of the interior hallway areas. Even just the primer layer makes the place look so much fresher. After VBS was over, Megan joined the paint crew since she's not able to walk down into the slums with her bad ankle. We tried to add some color to the halls, only to find out that the entire paint supply we ordered was mixed up and they brought all the wrong paint! So... small setback, but they were able to switch to the correct paint so we'll be ready tomorrow.

The scaffolding also went up today for us to extend the mural to the two additional floors they've added on the building. The scaffolding is still sticks and scrap wood (gulp), but it does look more sturdy this year... I'm trying not to think too much about climbing it later this week.

Linda and Michelle did a second day of Mobile Medical. But before they headed out, they helped treat 3 sick children within the school. Then, they visited 3 homes - one of which was unusually cramped and crowded, even by Mathare slum standards.

Jimmy and Josh went out and did Bring the Light (putting sunroofs in homes). They were able to do 3 homes.

Then the storm came. Literally. The heavens opened and a serious torrential downpour blasted the entire area. Jimmy and Josh had just gotten back, but Linda and Michelle were still in one of the homes - which meant they extended their stay there to wait it out a bit. They eventually made it back of course, but that was a serious drenching. Perhaps it was the sound of the rain hitting all those metal shanty roofs - but it felt like the entire area was rumbling.

The rain started to let up a little right as it was time to leave - so we started the drive back to the hotel... Rain in most cities has a negative effect on rush hour traffic. In Nairobi, it turns the city into a parking lot. It took us 2 and a half hours to get back to the hotel! At one point we sat deadlocked in a single spot for over a half hour.

By the time we finally made it back, we had about 10 minutes to freshen up and make our reservations at a local Ethiopian restaurant (a regular stop for missions groups in Nairobi). The food was excellent and we were joined by Oliver and Ednah, their son Farris, and our driver Peter. Josh impressed us greatly with his eating capacity. A nice, relaxing end to another long (but fulfilling) day...

Zzzzzzzzz....

Monday

2010-11-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

Well, I will do my best to make this interesting - but we are all BEAT!

Today was our first official work day at the Kosovo school. After breakfast and a devotion led by Jimmy, we arrived at the school around 9:00. Morning tea is a non-negotiable around here, so we had some Chai before starting. This actually put us a bit behind schedule... so tomorrow we're all planning to be up earlier and get there earlier.

The day was successful, but it had it's hiccups. There was a fair amount of misunderstanding regarding the division of the children in the VBS program. This got us off to a staggered start that took some time to recover from. Eventually we got in the groove and made it work - and of course the kids were oblivious and had a blast. Josh and Jimmy handled games on the field and helped with crafts, Linda and Michelle handled singing and helped with the Bible lesson, Megan did the Bible lesson and crafts - hopping on one leg the entire time.

Me? Just call me gopher.

I also helped set a gameplan for the mural extension (they added two floors above our previous mural) as well as painting of some interior stairwells. Gonna bring some color to the place.

By lunch we were already feeling the wear and tear of the day... but after eating it was back to work. We were giving a brief training from the CHE workers regarding community outreach programs which included spiritual evangelism, HIV/AIDS education, and a free water purification technique we could teach people. Then, Linda and Michelle suited up for the "Mobile Medical" team and Josh, Jimmy and I went with a couple of social workers to visit homes.

In her present condition, Megan wasn't able to traverse down into the slums, so she stayed behind at the school. Fairly uneventful for her - except for a mouse that crawled over her. (Is anyone surprised this happened to Megan?)

We were a little late in the afternoon by this point, so both teams only were really able to visit 1 or 2 homes. The group Josh, Jimmy and I were in was headed toward a specific home, but then we were intercepted by 4 women who wanted to know what we were up to. So they invited us in. With the help of a translator, we divided up tasks: Jimmy handled the straightforward evangelism, I did the HIV/AIDS teaching, one of the social workers did the water purification explanation and Josh closed in prayer. It's hard to gauge the overall impact since so much of it was in a foreign language, but the women seemed genuinely interested and were very grateful for our visit.

Michelle and Linda's group entered the slum with their leader asking various people, "Do you have any sick people in your home?" We believe the strategy of the Mobile Medical is to visit people who can't otherwise get medical treatment. The first house they visited was at the invitation of a boy who said he had sick people in his home. However, when they arrived, the residents said they were all fine - so they prayed with them instead. The second home they stopped at was full of several VERY sick people. They did their best with the limited supplies and information they had... but the experience definitely revealed the challenge of a place that has overwhelming health problems with very limited solutions.

After wrapping up at the school, we headed back to the hotel - thoroughly exhausted. All but Megan walked to the restaurant next door for a bite and brought her back some food. The rain has been pouring all night, and her ankle is really hurting - so trudging over there on crutches didn't sound too exciting.

We had a few laughs at dinner - but the group is obviously tired. So we're hitting the sack a bit earlier tonight (and getting up earlier too!)

Sunday

2010-11-07T10:31:00.001-08:00

So - remember what I said about today being a "low-key" day?

Wrong.

The day started with the optimistic plan for the ladies to "do the stairs" as a morning exercise. Moments later, Megan came off the bottom step, severely turned her ankle and was down for the count. So down, in fact, that a particularly husky Kenyan woman managed to fling (literally) her up and over her shoulders and carry her down the remaining stairs to the couch in the lounge near our rooms. (before you read further, stop and visualize that scene)

Fortunately, her ankle doesn't appear to be broken (we don't think) - but she is not able to put any weight on it. So... crutches. More about those in a bit...

After trying to get Megan comfortable with Ibuprofen and ice, and leaving her to rest at the hotel, the rest of us loaded up to go to morning church services at the Pangani Center where Oliver (pastor of the churches associated with MOHI) preached. On the way we picked up two other American visitors - Joe and his nephew Josh - who are from Westside Christian Church in Springfield, IL. Joe teaches financial planning to the micro-business leaders and staff of MOHI.

We all enjoyed a very celebratory worship service at Pangani. I was able to get up, introduce our crew, pass along greetings and love from LifeSpring, and have them all pray for Megan.

Afterwards we had lunch at the center and began the strategy for locating crutches in Nairobi.

Meanwhile, Megan was treated to the amazing hospitality of the Kenyan hotel staff. They brought her lunch, fruit, a "get well" card... Either they are very hospitable, or they have heard about overly-litigious Americans. Just kidding - they ARE extremely hospitable. Their generosity is overwhelming.

After lunch, we learned about a medical supply place that supposedly sold crutches. It was near a Naku-mat (Kenya's version of Wal-mart) where we could pick up some other items and color-match paint for the mural... so we headed that way into the heart of downtown Nairobi. However, upon arriving, Fred Juma (head of CHE, acting Director of MOHI) led us to the medical supply place only to find it closed! Strike one. He set out to hunt for other options while we tried our hand at Naku-mat's paint services. Closed also! Strike two.

Probably 30 minutes later, Fred re-emerged by cell phone to say he found a place that had crutches that was open... and that he was coming back to us to walk us to the place. 15 minutes later (the place he found was not close) he called again and said to meet him at the car and van. When arriving at the car, he very calmly revealed that while we were were all gone, someone broke into the car and stole his bag - which included his LAPTOP! STRIKE THREE.

When we asked him if the information was backed up, he said yes, on a flash drive... that was in the same bag. Ugh.

To his amazing credit, Fred shook it off, saying, "Well. That's it. It is gone. Let us go get the crutches." And without a single word of complaint he led Linda and I through a literal maze of downtown until we found a tiny little medical supply shop - that sold crutches!

When the lady reached to get them down, she first grabbed an old-lady walker... and Linda and I had a briefly shared temptation to say, "We'll take the walker." But we figured Megan wouldn't find that as humorous. So, we went with the crutches.

Finally, we made it back to the van and car, wiped the collective sweat from our brows, and headed back to the hotel.

After some rest - and a very gracious visit from Oliver who stopped by the hotel to pray with Megan (this, after a long day of visitations including one with a major bishop in the area - yes, Megan is on the same visitation list as a major bishop)... we went to eat. 5 of us and "hop-along-Megan" made our way over to Java House, an American-style restaurant in the mall next door to the hotel. We shared plenty of laughs and good food.

So much for a "low-key" day... but oh well, it makes for good memories and great bonding.

We are now finishing up craft preparations for tomorrow and will soon be hitting the sack. Tomorrow the work begins!

Saturday

2010-11-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Today began early and rainy, with some of us waking before dark due to jet lag. After a great breakfast at the Grace House (our hotel), we were taken to the Pangani Center for a brief orientation. This is the largest of the Missions of Hope International (MOHI) schools and each year evidences continued growth - both in student attendance as well as new buildings and classrooms.

Fred Juma led the orientation - he is "acting director" while Mary is in the States for the missionary convention. He walked us through a brief history of MOHI, its overarching philosophy and some of its key programs. We heard from various leaders of the micro-business programs as well as the social workers. Charity, the Head Teacher at Kosovo, who we have worked with in years past, came to the meeting as well. It was really great seeing old friends again.

We were told that this week is the Standard 8 testing for kids all across Kenya. This is a BIG deal - as it is the determining factor to see whether kids can go on to a high school education. Most children in the slums do not have a chance at this (many not even receiving up to the Standard 8 education, that is, 8th grade). Last year MOHI graduated their first wave of 8th graders - 37 in all who took the test. 100% of them passed. This year they have 96 candidates who will test. Testing begins Tuesday - so prayers are welcome!

Currently MOHI educates about 4,400 children in various locations throughout the slums as well as their boarding school in the country, Joska.

After a detailing of the week's plan, the rain cleared and we took a foot tour down into the slum neighborhoods, visiting homes of individual families. Linda and I were paired with a couple of social workers who took us to the house of Pauline. Pauline is in their community health program. She is raising her 10 children and 4 grandchildren in a tiny shanty. She has a husband, but he is a known alcoholic who spends what little they have on drinking. We only visited briefly, but even that small connection jolts you back to the realization of how deep the poverty runs here.

Apparently yesterday there was a fire that broke out very close to the Pangani Center. It is estimated that about 30-50 homes were destroyed, several of which were homes of children in MOHI's care. While fires like this are somewhat common, it's unclear whether it was started intentionally or perhaps because of an electrical hazard. Stringing throughout the slums are countless wires that people have rigged to tap into the electricity. These are often exposed wires and are very dangerous.

It was quite an experience walking through a post-rain slum. The ground is loosened, bringing with it the mud and waste (human and animal). The air was a mix of odors: human waste, food cooking, rotting garbage, and the charred smell of burned out homes... Children stream toward the visitors (us) with hands outstretched, cheerfully asking, "How are you? How are you?" and asking for us to take their "pich-ah" (picture).

After this tour, we had lunch and visited one of the micro-business programs: the fabric and bead shop. Amazing jewelry and fabric products created by the women who are in their micro-business program.

After finishing at Pangani, we made a brief stop at the Kosovo school. They are nearing completion on a second building on the campus, nearly as tall as their multi-story classroom building upon which we did the mural last year. Their building progress is dizzying. I'm sure we'll get more chances to explore their additions in the days to come.

From here we went to a Giraffe Center to get in a little sight-seeing and group bonding. All I will tell you about this is that 4 of the 6 of us can now say they have kissed a giraffe (no, I'm not one of them). I can also say that giraffes give very sloppy kisses. I have photos to prove it.

With jet lag catching up to most of us, we headed back to the hotel, relaxed a bit and enjoyed some dinner. At this point things are going very good - but we're still a bit upside down on energy. Thankfully tomorrow is another low-key day. Monday we hit the ground running.

After having spent the last hour cutting out over 600 paper Jesus' and Zacchaeus' figures (VBS craft item), we're all turning in for the night.

Good night!

We're here!

2010-11-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends! After a VERY long day of travel, we have arrived to Nairobi safe and sound. Everyone is in their rooms, soon to be fast asleep.

I'll do my best to keep this blog updated daily... so stay tuned!

Friday

2009-11-13T19:30:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately I only have a few minutes for this update so I'll be brief... We are headed out soon for our final day before leaving for the airport. Also, I probably won't have internet access after this until we return to the States, so Saturday's update will have to wait a few days.

Friday was a half-day of work. VBS and the medical clinic both jumped right in and the scaffolding was torn down from the mural wall.

Everyone worked steady until lunch - and then after lunch, several of the ladies involved in the mission's micro-business project brought their sewing and bead-work for us to see and buy. Very beautiful work!

Once this was finished, we were all ushered in to the auditorium where they had been screening people all week, but now there were children filling the room, singing and clapping. They presented a very warm thanks through song, recitation, and drama. I won't give the scary details - but it involved dancing (including Dick - I may have some video somewhere, for the right price...). It was very moving as well as heartbreaking to say goodbye to the Kosovo school. The children are beautiful and the workers are inpsiring. We have made some strong friendships here and they will be missed.

The evening ended with a nice meal at Oliver and Ednah's house. Oliver is the pastor over the Kosovo churches and trains the other pastors who operate throughout the slums. They gave us gifts and repeated thanks. This part of the trip always seems in reverse: It is US who are to be thanking them! (and we are...)

Today we go to a baptism service at a local pool and then out to their boarding school in the country, Joska.

Then - the plane!

See you when we're home!

Thursday

2009-11-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

Whew! Another LONG day at the mission. We are bone-tired, but feel very good about the work being done.

Today the medical team continued exams for residents of the community. Much the same as yesterday, however, today they broke for a mid-afternoon meeting with the community neighbors to offer basic health teaching on sickness prevention, how to make clean water, and some advice on dealing with some of the more common diseases they have been finding this week. The center set up tables and chairs and said that it was their biggest turn-out to date.

VBS went back to the younger children today. The basic plan has been to alternate days: Tues/Thurs are the younger children (ages 3-6) and Wed/Fri are the older (7-10). I think the day took a beating on them (over 460 kids in the program!) - but they came out with smiles and ready for tomorrow.

The mural is finished!!! It must be a record: 3 days of painting on a 25' tall by 31' wide wall. And this on scaffolding made of sticks and scrap wood (literally). We're very proud of how it turned out and can't wait to show pictures. The community residents seem to be very pleased with the new splash of color introduced to their neighborhood.

For several in our group, the afternoon was spent with a series of meetings and sub-projects. Chris met with a couple of the key leaders to discuss medical software possibilities. He and Mike are also brainstorming how to create a simple, low-cost lap-dulcimer instrument that they could teach the kids how to make. Mike spent a good amount of time on the roof repairing broken desks. Dick had lengthy pastor-talk with the Kosovo pastor, Joseph.

After a surprisingly short trip back to the hotel (usually it's about an hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic), we cleaned up and headed out for an Ethiopian dinner. (Unfornutately, Mike and Danielle skipped out because Danielle is not feeling good) Several of the key leaders from the mission also joined us - good times.

Tomorrow we head into our final day at the mission. Hard to believe how fast the week has gone!

Wednesday

2009-11-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

Today was a huge day. After breakfast we arrived at the Kosovo school to find a courtyard full of 50+ community residents waiting for clinic care. We were told they had been there since 7:00am. I think the group was a little stunned by the quick response - and the crowd did not let up for the entire day. We were told that by rough count, yesterday the clinic treated 194 people - and that was with a "slow start." Though we don't know how many exactly, today's total is sure to have been even higher.

The good news of this is that many people are receiving perhaps the only medical attention they have ever received. This is certainly true for the children. The bad news is that even if we spent the next 3 months working full-time, it would only scratch the surface of the number of residents living in the Nairobi slums. Inevitably, people have to be turned away at the end of the day. Tomorrow we are arriving a bit early, and likely staying a bit late...

Even with the numbers of sick people, our medical team is staying in good spirits. They are tired and verging on overwhelmed at points - but they are working hard and doing good. The Kenyan partners are a good inspiration for us - no one works as hard as they do. They are stressing to us that our team should "Take their time, do good work, don't rush..." Even with the countless numbers of people, they want to emphasize quality over quantity.

VBS is equally exhausting - but much more fun, I'm sure! The kids all pile out of their rooms with fingerpaints all over their faces, singing the songs they've learned, and laughing... The workers are the same way. Each member of our team is keeping the enthusiasm up and having fun. It's interesting to have a facility like the school simultaneously hosting a medical clinic and a kid's VBS. On the one hand is sickness and long waits to see the nurses and doctors - on the other hand are songs and laughter all around.

The mural is nearly complete! It is turning out really well. Phil and I work with 2-3 Kenyan locals each day to do the major sections, and then we are joined by a few others from our team during the second half of the day. It has come along very fast and we're sure we'll be finished tomorrow. It's great to have the local neighhorhood walk past, stop, and give big grins and thumbs up to the crew. The splash of color is dramatic in an otherwise grey and dreary landscape.

The day ended with a wonderful dinner at Doug and Jennifer Kurz's house - American missionaries. They made Mexican! We stayed awhile and laughed a lot. I'm finding that our group has a strange "balance" to it, and that the later the evening gets, the more the balance tips... One half of the group is unconscious with exhaustion, while the other half is about to explode with late-night energy. When the balance tips too far and the group becomes energetically polarized, it's time to call it a night! Anyway, that's my theory... :)

Tomorrow will be an even bigger day than today - so, good night!

Tuesday

2009-11-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

(Sorry this post is coming late - I dropped dead on my bed last night when we got back to the hotel...)

Today was a whirlwind of activity. All three programs: VBS, Medical Clinic and the Mural got their official start at 9:00 and did not wrap up until about 4:30.

Megan hit the ground running with VBS. The moment we arrived she was up and down, in and out of classrooms... amazing. Her crew jumped to the plate and spread out to their respective areas of work. Kids were laughing, fingerpainting, being taught, and having great recreation time. At lunch I asked Mike how he was doing - he said that the kids were full of energy and ready to laugh. Then he grinned big and said, "It's great!" I think Big Mike has become Mathare's walking jungle jim.

Amy dove into the medical clinic with her crew. They screened and treated children of the school, parents of those children, and community residents who got word of the clinic. Word in the community is expected to travel fast. Amy said at lunch break (3 hours in) that she feels like she's just worked through a 30-hour shift at university. Flora said she didn't see Pat once without a smile on her face. I went once to see how Brook was doing - but she was in the zone and I don't think she even saw me! They were incredible!

The mural is progressing great as well. We are much farther along that we thought we'd be. I can now say I have climbed a Kenyan scaffolding (literally, scrap wood and sticks) and made it down alive. Phil's design is taking shape and already stopping traffic. WHen the kids came out of their classes at the end of the day, we were encouraged by a chorus of "WOWS". Wait until they see it finished!

In each of these programs, we are working side-by-side with Kenyan locals. Their presence, translation skills, and hard work is keeping us going. We're honored to partner with them and learn from them.

Heading out for more of the same today!

Day 3: Monday

2009-11-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

Today we started out with a tour of the slum area known as "Mathare 1." The Mathare Valley slum is divded into 10 "neighborhoods" - and the first mission center (Pangani) started by Missions of Hope is in Mathare 1. We divided into groups of 3 and visited several homes, hearing the stories of those who lived there. While each story is unique, the homes are typically very small, sometimes measuring no more than 7' x 7', or smaller. The families are often a mix of children, grandchildren, parents and grandparents - with nearly every home being touched by death.

The home my group visited (Flora, Michelle, myself) was the home of "Mama Grace" (traditionally, Kenyan parents go by the name of thier first born - so her firstborn is named Grace. Father's go by Baba -(name of firstborn)). Mama Grace was a grandmother and mother. Her houshold was one of the smallest I've visited - possibly no more than 5'x6' - yet it was home to 10 people, seven of which are children. She shared how one of her adult daughters is HIV positive, and asked us to pray for her granddaughter, age 8, who just two weeks ago was diagnosed HIV positive.

Our group gathered together on the opposite side of Mathare 1 and then continued on to the Kosovo neighborhood just a short distance further. Upon arrival, we were treated to a wonderful singing performance by some of the school children, welcoming us warmly. Words on a blog simply cannot describe the beauty of their voices.

After a short tea, we began orienting ourselves to the school facilities and determining where each project would take place. Amy took the lead on the clinic and Megan on VBS. Meanwhile, several locals were continuing to prime and prep the outer wall of the building for the mural. Once the gameplan was in place, we brought out the medical supplies that we brought with us (many of which have been donated by you!) and started organizing.

A wonderful lunch followed - though most of us were stuffed already from breakfast and tea. One of the hidden challenges of a trip like this is being strategic about eating - there is so much offered that you find yourself surprisingly full most of the time.

After lunch everyone participated in their program called "Bring the Light." This involves going in teams to the homes in the slums, accompanied by 2 social workers per team, and bringing spiritual encouragement as well as physical improvement to their homes. While part of the group is inside talking with the residents, others in the group are outside, installing a skylight above. This involves creating a small hole in the roof and then inserting a transparent fiberglass sheet to protect from the rain. The result is dramatic - these tiny, dark shanties are suddenly flooded with natural light. Considering the fact that most of these only have daytime light by tapping into illegal and dangerous electric wires that have been pirated into the slums (they pay gang lords for service), this natural solution of bringing sunlight into their homes is a significant improvement.

After a couple of hours of this project, the team arrived back at the school building to find that more medicine had arrived (from the mission's supply). Everyone sprang into action getting these items organized and ready for the morning.

Once completed, we loaded up and headed out to Mary and Wallace's new home (finished just weeks ago, and beautiful) for a very relaxing, very delicious dinner. Lots of great conversation happening - some serious, but mostly playful and lively. David, their 3 year old son, entertained us all. The group is really deepening it's friendship with each other and with our Kenyan hosts. We are not only having new and challenging experiences - we're having fun together as well!

Currently we are back at the hotel, winding down and getting some rest for what will surely be a very busy day tomorrow. Several of the medical team are in one of the lobbies dividing up vitamins into packets for the children... and Chris and Laurel are rehearsing songs for VBS. A good end to a great day...

Day 2: Sunday

2009-11-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

We woke up to a fresh morning and another wonderful breakfast. Each day the hotel lays out a great breakfast buffet and custom-order omelets.

We loaded up onto the vans around 9:30 and headed to Pangani - the largest of the slum schools. They host a church service every Sunday there, and this week's service was a special one. They had all of the students who are preparing to take the 8th grade exams come up for encouragement and prayers. I believe there were about 37 of these students. To explain, the average person in Nairobi has what is called a "standard 8" education - meaning that they have completed schooling through 8th grade. At this point, they are required to take a very competitive and intense exam to be considered qualified to advance to high school. Passing the exam is not a guarantee for a high school education - it simply means that if there is room in the high school, and if the parents are willing to pay (most can't afford it), they student can continue on.

What made this service especially special was that the students from the mission who will be testing this week are the mission's first "graduating class" of 8th graders. In 2000, Mary (director of the mission) gathered together a rag-tag bunch of 50 pre-schoolers. These kids were considered by the community to be the worst, most desperate cases in a portion of the slums that even other areas of slum were afraid of. Currently, the mission has over 3000 kids in 10 schools throughout the slums. These 37 were from that original seed group (the rest of the 50 are still in the school, but some are repeating grades). It was emotional to watch the Kenyans celebrate the investment that has been made in these children who would otherwise have not made it to this stage of education.

After the services, we had a lunch and discussion with Mary about the history of the mission, some of it's programs, and their hopes for the future. Mary is an amazing individual - and she has assembled an incredible team of leaders. It was really good for our group to hear from her firsthand about the vision and strategy of the mission.

From there we had a brief tour of the Pangani school. For the rest of the week we will be working on the other side of the Mathare Valley slum, in a "neighborhood" called Kosovo.

After coming back to the hotel, we all went next door to an open air market and tried our hand at haggling with vendors of various souvenirs. This is an intense experience for most of the group - up to this point the advice has been: be polite, ask questions, share your life with the people... In the market, the advice is opposite: Be rude, don't make eye contact, don't show your cards... Intense to say the least. But, some cool treasures found...

Dinner at the hotel - lots of laughing as a group.

We just wrapped up an evening meeting where we are getting our bearings on the plans for the next several days. We anticipate hard, hard work - but we're really excited to be rolling up our sleeves and diving in.

Off to sleep now... Day starts early tomorrow!

Day 1: Safari

2009-11-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

We began our week in Nairobi with a safari today at the Nakuru Game Park, about 3 hours outside of the city. A very good day to rest up from travel, enjoy some overwhelming beauty, and get bitten by a monkey…

Yes, you read that correct.

When we first arrived to the game park, before even entering, Flora had an altercation with a nearby monkey involving minor theft, attempted retrieval, and attack. The monkey’s strategy was to go for her ankle, and from there, bring down the entire woman. Fortunately he was shoo-ed away in time and skin was not broken.

The general consensus was that nobody was surprised that this happened to Flora. In fact, I’ll bet that everyone reading this who knows her is now saying, “Of course that happened to Flora…”

Anyway, the rest of the day was violence-free. We saw impala, cape buffalo, zebras, baboons, giraffe (at a distance), wild boar, rhinos, flamingos and other birds, and… lions! A small group of female lions were lounging in the shade near a recent kill of a cape buffalo. Amazing.

After a sack lunch and the drive back (jet lag catching up to most of us at this point), we have just finished a great meal at the hotel.

Tomorrow: Church services at Pangani (school in the slums), lunch, open-air market…

We Made It!

2009-11-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family in the States! After over 16 hours in the air and 8 hours wandering airports on layovers, we made it to Kenya safe and sound. No scares, no lost travelers... although one of our vehicles almost took out a giraffe within minutes of leaving the airport in Nairobi!

Tomorrow we get up bright and early to travel up-country on safari, then sleeves get rolled up and we get right to work.

My hope is to update this blog daily, giving all of you a play-by-play of the week. So stay tuned - and send us comments under each post!

Day 8

2008-11-16T05:49:00.000-08:00

OK everyone - last post... then we are on the plane and headed home.

Today we journeyed out to Joska, the boarding school they run for older children in the country. About 450 children, around ages 10-14, live there and take classes. This place truly shows how far they have brought these children out of the slums. The air is clean and the facilities (while temporary and basic) are amazing compared to what they have come from: flushing toilets, showers, individual bunk beds with mattresses, larger classrooms and huge grounds to run and play on.

We attended their regular church service where I was asked to preach. I spoke on Jesus' multiplication of 5 loaves and 2 fishes - and how Christ calls us to be the ones who meet the hunger/needs of those around us... and how even when all we have to place in his hands is a small amount, he can expand that beyond our expectations.

The worship was beyond moving. Every person should experience what we experienced this morning - these children sing and pray as if God himself had appeared in the room before them. Their songs moved many of us to tears and led us to join in praise for how much God has healed and lifted these children up. An incredible celebration to end the week...

After lunch - Mary walked us out to the other end of the campus and showed us the nearly completed first floor of the new permanent facility they are building there. She described the dorm rooms, soon to hold 30 children each, and how this would eventually grow to 4 stories. Then she shared how this was intended to be for a girls school only - and that they were in the process (due to a donation) of securing neighboring land to do a boys school also... the vision just keeps expanding. It's hard to keep up!

Mary shared again how appreciative they are for the support LifeSpring offers them. Through eyes welled up with tears, she made sure I understood that they see us as their partners and covet our continued prayers.

I shared with her a bit from a book I'm reading where the author describes the experience of the Kingdom of God on earth in a very creative way. He says that the Kingdom of God is where "there are no cramped spaces." After spending the week navigating the dangerous alleyways of rusted metal slum homes... and gathering into a 7'x7' home for 16 family members... and then, ending the week in the open country surrounded by the laughter of slum-born children who are now running and playing... I believe we experienced the Kingdom of God come near. Where there are no cramped spaces. Where these children are able to spread their arms wide, breathe deep, and grow in the love Christ has for them...

Day 7

2008-11-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

Hello all -

Today's update will be short because (a) the events were simple and (b) it's 10 pm and I have to pack and rehearse my sermon for the morning!

At 5:30 am this morning we loaded up onto a bus destined for a safari tour arranged by Mary. 3 hours into the country and another 7 hours touring the Naruku game park (then 3 hours back home for a overwhelming total of 13 hours in the van). The park is located on the floor of the Rift Valley and is some of the most spectacular land I've ever seen. Literally like walking around in a postcard of Africa. We saw zebra, impala, water buffalo, jackel, hyena, rhino (yes, rhino), giraffe, a 7+ foot python, thousands of pelicans and pink flamingo, and baboons - one of which made a surprise leap onto the side of the van, reaching a hairy arm inside and scaring Megan out of her skin. Good times...

After returning from this amazing trip, we took the 6 key leaders out for an Ethiopian dinner (Mary and Wallace, Oliver and Edinah, Keith and Kathy). We had planned to take 18 others who were closely involved in the work we were doing, but because of the time of evening, location of restaurant, and safety concerns with being out that late for many of the workers... we were asked if we could simply make an equivalent financial gift available to each of their families... which we gladly did. Good laughs, shared blessings and some tears shed around dinner. We will miss these people and look forward to seeing them again soon.

Tomorrow we go out to Joska, the 6-8th grade boarding school in the country where I will preach and we'll see the work they are doing there before loading up on a plane beginning the LOOOOOOOONG journey back home!

Thanks for reading along with our journey! See you soon!

Day 6

2008-11-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

Today we finished our work at Kosovo. The day began with another medical screening, this time of the Kosovo mission staff. The plan was to work until 10:30, however by that time more staff still needed to be seen as well as several local residents and their children. Surprisingly, they found many of the staff to be in worse condition than the children. One last child showed signs of having TB. Congrats to Dave and Linda for the marathon of screenings – 363 children and 40+ staff and residents.

(While I was in the next room painting murals, I could hear their interactions with the children and staff. What impressed me most was their ability, from the first child to the last, to keep a sweet and sensitive spirit with every child they assessed. They never fell into an assembly line approach, but treated each child with the same tenderness I am sure they treat their own grandchildren…)

At 10:30, Steve, Josh and I made the mistake of being recruited into a staff vs. children soccer (football) match. I say “mistake” because we are all paying for it now. Sunburn, sore muscles, and wounded ego. We lost 5 to 4 – and we tried our hardest. Sad to say, we have embarrassed America. This children – ages 7 and 8 taught us a lesson we won’t soon forget. At one point, I accidentally (I promise, accidentally) kicked a kid, Stephen, in the ankle… hard. And yet, he still stole the ball and left me in the dust without skipping a beat… and all of this while playing in nothing but his socks.

So… we’re going to need to do some practicing for next year.

(For the sick individuals who are interested – Megan has much of this documented on video – including an especially good fall I took about half way through. Did I mention this game lasted over an hour without a single break?)

After the soccer fiasco – we all migrated down to the mission and were given a selection of sewed items to choose to purchase. These were items sewn by the women of the Mathare slums who they are training in their micro-enterprise programs.

Next was a closing program where the children sang songs to make angels jealous… many thanks from the leaders… cake to be shared by everyone. From beginning to end, the Kenyans have showered us with hospitality.

The day finished off with a trip to the “village market,” which is actually in a pretty high-end mall ($50 jeans), but is an open-air market hosted every Friday. Tough bargaining – special gifts… it was fun.

Just got back from dinner at the mall next door the hotel and we are beat. Good beat. This has been a great trip and we’re all thankful for the opportunity to serve together and with these wonderful people. Soon we will be home and ready to share story after story of our experiences here…

Day 5

2008-11-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

I am sorry for the delay and brevity of this update… But the internet was down last night so I’m trying to fire this off prior to heading out today, and we’re leaving early this morning. So I’ve only got a few minutes…

Yesterday involved the same work as Day 4, but we finished the medical screening of the Kosovo students! 363 total!!! I finished a series of murals in one of the classrooms that transferred images from their textbooks to the walls… animals, weather patterns, a human body, the map of divisions of Nairobi… the room is very colorful now.

Last night we had a wonderful and relaxing evening at Keith and Kathy Ham’s house (CMF missionaries). They made us lasagna! Another missionary with them – Lee Pruitt – brought brownies!!!

Today we are going to screen the staff of the mission, do a small painting project with the kids, and then play some soccer!!! (er, I mean, football.)

More to come…

Day 4

2008-11-12T20:26:00.000-08:00

Well – today was incredible.

After our morning routine of breakfast and a Psalm (Psalm 40.1-3), we headed out.

Upon arrival at the mission school in Kosovo, we set up a medical screening clinic. In a designated room, partitioned by a blanket, Dave (paramedic) and Linda (nurse) both did the major screening with the help of Kenyan nurses and translators. Prior to the kids coming to them, they were filed into a different room where Josh took their heights and weights, Steve checked their teeth and gave them fluoride treatments, and Megan examined their ears with an Otoscope. It was really great to see the children lined up with their first-ever medical files in hand… Dave and Linda were finding everything from thrush to ringworm to pink eye… much diarrhea… Most had distended bellies… one child they believed has typhoid and another sounded like a micro-valve prolapse. (This is an artist describing medical conditions… so forgive my ignorance or misspellings…)

Meanwhile, while all this is occurring, I was assigned to paint murals in the classrooms and teach a hand-picked “art club” of 11 children. I was given a Kenyan teacher to translate as well as supervise while I was painting walls. I taught them the proportional way to draw a face, and they all worked on portraits. The murals I completed yesterday were images from their textbooks that they wanted to see on a large scale, thus easier to teach larger groups with. So… yesterday I painted and colored a life-sized cow, rooster, fish, lizard, and one HUGE housefly. I also started on a human body for them to teach from. Tomorrow I’ll continue this and move onto painting nature elements like plants and weather patterns as well as a large map of the districts of Nairobi. Tomorrow the kids will also move from drawing to painting – We’ve gotten each of them a small 12”x12” panel on which they will make a painting. When they are finished we will hang them for an art show, then they can take them home to decorate their houses with (the homes here are often decorated with old Coke boxes…).

By lunch today we had finished only 1 class of kids out of 12. So… Margaret (one of the key leaders here) asked if we could skip one of the meetings scheduled for that day and continue medical screening. Of course we agreed, and also picked up the pace by having the two Kenyan nurses create two additional stations. Kenyan social workers were then paired with Dave and Linda so they could continue. By the end of the afternoon they had made through almost half of the school!

Tomorrow we will be screening the much younger students – 3 and 4 year olds. We were told to expect them to be nervous…

One last story – while I was painting, Edinah came and asked me to come pray with a man she had been counseling. I entered the office to find a young man, in his 20s, who asked to pray and commit his life to following Christ. He then told the story of having been to the U.S. in the university, but was deported for misconduct. Upon returning, he joined a gang (“mafia”) and was swept up into their criminal activity. However, he now wishes to escape the life and journey to his mother in the northern country. Should his gang find out he is trying to escape, he said they will take out his heart (per the oath he has taken with them). So, for the last two weeks he has been pretending to be insane, so they won’t send him out on “missions” which include murder and stealing. Edinah wisely has arranged for him to come back in two days and if he does, we will be able to supply the funds to purchase a ticket for the north country.

These are the front lines… and these people are doing amazing work. Keep them (and us) in your prayers…

Day 3

2008-11-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

(sorry for the delay on this post - the hotel internet has been down since last night)

Today was our first official day of work – and each of us can feel it! On our drive home this evening each of us was out cold in our seats.

We began the day with breakfast and a reflection on Psalm 18.1-19 which describes God in very powerful and overwhelming ways, yet who comes to rescue us in our distress because he delights in us.

Upon arriving at the Kosovo mission, we added two to our number (Brian and Kelly Brock, two CMF missionaries) and were then split into four groups of two. After being partnered with Kenyans, two groups were assigned to “Bring the Light” and two were assigned to “Bring the Food.”

Bring the Light: This involved one of us going on the roof of several shacks/homes, cutting away a small portion of the thin metal roofing and fitting a clear fiberglass sheet in its place. This allows in natural light into an otherwise very dark home. Meanwhile, the other person, along with Kenyan translators is inside encouraging and sharing about Jesus. I (Tim) was paired with Megan, with myself helping outside and Megan sharing inside (I have developed a cold/sore throat and have completely lost my voice at this point – so I’m now leading the group through a whisper… ). Josh and Brian were the other team on this project. At first Josh was working the roofs, but then began going inside. In one home, Brian described two young men who were on the fence about deciding to follow Christ. Josh came in, shared his own story with them, and according to Brian – he felt that really tipped the balance and they both were ready to make a commitment right then!

Bring the Food: Dave and Steve, Linda and Kelly, were the two other teams who went to homes of HIV/AIDS victims to encourage, bring large bags of food, and share Christ. These were very overwhelming homes for them since they went down closer to the river itself, and even to the other bank. The Mathare Valley slopes down to the Nairobi River, which is the repository of all the waste and garbage of the slums. The worst homes are near the river. This is where they visited. Those inside were in various stages of defeat. We’ve been told that many who are tested HIV-positive simply give up. They do not know that with proper treatment they can still live a productive life. These two teams shared that information with them, and were able to be a strong encouragement to them.

After a brief lunch, we attended a Community Health Evangelism (CHE) training session and heard from local members of the community about how they have been positively impacted by this ministry. This is a program directed by Ednah, Pastor Oliver’s wife. She has a very strong strategy for integrating into the community through local residents who reach out to others. This program is in its early stages in the Kosovo neighborhood, but they are making good ground already.

We spent the rest of the afternoon planning the layout for tomorrow’s medical screening clinic and art classes. It’s all ready and the staff of the Kosovo school seem to be genuinely thrilled at what we are going to be able to help them with tomorrow. I will write details for those experiences tomorrow…

This evening we had a wonderful meal at Mary and Wallace’s home. They live in the beautiful countryside, outside of the city. The air is fresh and the land green. It was very restful for all of us.

Well – those are the facts of the day. It’s only 9:30 and everyone’s crashed – so I’m headed that way too. Good night!

Day 2

2008-11-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

Today was day two in the Mathare Valley slums. The group began again with a pleasant breakfast during a steady rain – sitting under the patio umbrellas we read Psalm 46, with its references to “a river whose streams make glad the city of God,” and the God of Jacob who is our “fortress.” Cities, glad rivers and fortresses… as we prepare to head into a different kind of “city” with crumbling, rust-covered walls and rivers running with the waste of 800,000 humans. Is this, too, the city of God?

We began at the Pangani Center – the original school started by Missions of Hope. Here we had an orientation, detailing the history and various programs this mission offers. Mary, as usual, overwhelmed us with her vision and their story of progress. Currently they serve over 2300 children in all of their schools, and they anticipate being up to 10,000 by 2010. This may seem a drastic increase, but considering that last year when our group visited they were around 1000, their rate of growth seems proportionate to their expectation.

Last year, we had a similar orientation in a single-floor building. A second floor had been started, but only the stick-scaffolding was up at that point. Today we stood on a fourth floor of classrooms (27 classrooms in all, over 950 children at this one school). As we stood on that upper floor balcony, a couple of us had a moment to stand at one end with Mary as she surveyed the view of slums. She pointed to a small, brick-roofed building in the distance, indicating that was their start – one small portion of that building (a single room) that they rented when they started the mission. She then scanned to the right and pointed to another small building that they had rented when they outgrew the first building. We said, “Look where you are now: On the newly-built fourth floor of one of several school centers.” She said this was actually her first time standing on the balcony of their fourth floor, of a building they own debt-free, and was able to see the two former sites from this vantage point. At this she began to cry. For those of you who will have the honor of meeting this woman someday – you will discover that she is focused, tough, determined… but the view of how far God had brought them in just 6 years was overwhelming for even her. Pointing to that tiny first building, she said, “That was just the beginning…” We all agreed: With God, it’s always just the beginning…

We visited the new library located on the 4th floor also. Surrounded by windows, this room is sun-bathed and squeaky clean. A beautiful soft blue with a new tile floor. The librarian proudly reported that they currently have 4000 books, and are always looking for more. We then toured 3 classrooms and were treated to beautiful singing and recited memory verses. Some brief play with children at recess in the courtyard and a tour of their new, expanded kitchen. Finally, a visit to a room where 5 women were being trained in sewing – a part of their micro-business development program which trains adults in marketable skills and business organization.

Next we took our first journey down into the slums themselves. Immediately it became apparent how drastic of a change this mission is making in children’s lives. The children in the slums ran free, many malnourished and evidencing illness, and playing in rivers of human run-off. Seeing these children’s desperate situations highlighted how greatly the mission has improved the lives of the children under their influence. There are waiting lists at all the centers for the children who currently are unable to come to the schools due to lack of space. We were graciously invited into three separate homes, each about 7x5 feet. The home Dave and Linda entered (we split up) was home to a woman raising 6 children, and 8 grandchildren. Her oldest daughter (mother to the grandchildren) was the primary bread-winner, until her recent death. Funeral costs for her meant the grandmother had to abandon her business. All of this living under one tiny, rusty shanty. These stories are more common than not.

Shell-shocked, we came back to the center and had lunch (a little challenging to do in light of what we had just witnessed). We then discussed work plans for the remainder of the week. Our plan is to hit on a variety of projects including a program called “Bring the Light” (installing fiberglass sunroofs in homes), home visits to HIV/AIDS victims – as well as a medical screening clinic for the children of the Kosovo slum neighborhood. Dave and Linda will be positioned to screen these children and make recommendations for treatment. The rest of us will be helping with various support aspects of this as well. I (Tim) will also be leading a small “art club” of about 10 hand-picked children that will make art as well as paint some small murals on partitions for their classrooms. We’re very excited to be utilizing our primary areas of giftedness to help these people. (There was some question as to what we would be doing – and at first it seemed we would be doing the traditional tasks that most teams do. But when we made it clear: Use us how you wish. If we were staying indefinitely, where would you plant us? – Mary, without hesitation, pointed at Dave and Linda and said, “Medical” and she pointed at me and said, “Art.” No-brainer for her. With Megan’s natural ability and experience with leading children, and Josh and Steve being magnets for the kids - that’s how we’re being used! We can’t wait! I am sure more details on these tasks will become clear in the coming days…)

Came back to the hotel around 6:00, and after a brief clean-up and rest we are going to find something to eat and debrief a day of overwhelming experiences.

After this day, surveying all the good that is being done, I do not know whether to call the slums the city of God… or whether the contaminated river is able to make anyone “glad.” But we can say without question that God’s kingdom is present and active in this place.

Day 1

2008-11-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

Hello from Nairobi, Kenya!

Josh Taylor, Dave and Linda Kemper, Steve Kemper, Megan Garris and Tim Parsley all made it here safe and sound late Saturday evening. After a quick bite at a local fast-food chicken restaurant, we hit the sack – hard.

Woke up to the beautiful sounds of morning birds chirping – and the rattle of a smoking generator (electricity went out around 5 am at the hotel). We all gathered for a very nice breakfast on the patio and enjoyed a cool morning drizzle.

After being driven through the city, we arrived at the Mathare Valley slums in time for bible study and church services at the Kosovo church. While we were inside, a strong rain pounded down on the steel roofing, making it hard to hear the soft-spoken Kenyans lead their bible studies. The service was very lively with much singing, dancing, and preaching. I (Tim) was asked to come up and introduce the Cincinnati crew – and then later to pray for several 8th grade students who were preparing for this week’s “exam.” (8th grade students test to see if they qualify for high school – even then, only about 1/3 are allowed to attend due to limited space).

After services we had a nice lunch with several members of the church/school staff and Mary and Wallace, founders of the mission schools. We then took a tour of their new building addition – 3.5 stories (the top floor is still being finished) – and were given a panoramic view of the Kosovo “village” of the slums. At one point one of the pastors of the congregation pointed to a row of steel roofs below us, about 60 feet in length, and said that about 80 people likely lived in just that small segment. Mary said that last year their total enrollment of students was just over 1000 – currently they are serving over 2300 children at several schools.

Kosovo – the area of slums LifeSpring is specifically working in – is noticeably different than the surrounding slums. There are many more roofs with shiny steel surfaces, whereas the surrounding areas are rusted and blackened. There are also extensive power lines in Kosovo (though they are not live yet). We were told that these improvements – some of which are government sponsored – are due to Kosovo’s improvement as a community.

During our lunch, Mary shared a wonderful story about the mission’s role in peace-making during the violence that ripped through Nairobi earlier this year (post-election). She described “peace soccer matches” with tribally-mixed teams, peace fashion shows where “Mr. and Ms. Peace” were awarded, and a giant “peace cake” where two conflicted tribal youths were handed a knife to share, hand-in-hand, and simultaneously cut the cake and serve to others – a powerful symbol of unity and forgiveness.

After just one afternoon it is already clear to each of us: We are among some of God’s most impressive servants.

After a couple of hours of relaxation time at the hotel (to catch up on jet-lag), we had dinner at Oliver and Ednah’s home with several ministry leaders and missionary interns. Like all we are meeting here – very hospitable and generous. Everyone here is so warm and welcoming.

Tomorrow promises to be a very good day. Most everyone arrived at the hotel tonight very tired, and ready for a solid night’s sleep. So we should be balanced out and ready in the morning! We are scheduled to have an orientation tomorrow, as well as a more up-close tour down into the slums themselves. Tuesday begins the actual roll-up-your-sleaves-and-work!

More to come… stay tuned!

(BTW – internet here is very spotty, so if there aren’t regular updates to this blog, that’s why)

TRIP INFO: NOVEMBER 7-16, 2008

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NAIROBI, KENYA
November 7-16, 2008

Trip Leader: Tim Parsley – Tim is a working studio artist and project manager for various local murals. Having spent 13 years as a church minister, he is experienced in many areas of ministry leadership. Currently he is a member of LifeSpring’s preaching team. He is married to Flora and they have three children: Emma (8), Aidan (5), and Finn (3).

Cost: Approximately $2350 + shots (approx. $300-400)

Purpose: Work with Missions of Hope, International and their partnering church in “Kosovo,” a specific slum region of the Mathare Valley in Nairobi. Visit and help children and workers at Missions of Hope schools. Work through their Community Heath Evangelism program (CHE) to bring various forms of aid to the poor and those suffering from HIV/AIDS. Encourage the missionaries and workers of Missions of Hope and CMF.

Application: Complete application and submit non-refundable $50 deposit to LifeSpring Christian Church, 1373 W. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231 no later than August 31st. Applications available at information desks.

Required Meetings:
1. Information meeting: August 17th @ 9:30 (Westside) and 12:15 (Clovernook)
2. Training meetings: TBA
3. De-brief meetings: TBA

Passport: Required. Please begin process now for obtaining one. This can be done online at http://travel.state.gov/passport

For trip information and online resources, visit: www.lifespringkenya.blogspot.com

2007 Trip

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Below you will find posts from our previous, exploratory trip where we learned more about Missions of Hope and how LifeSpring will be partnering with them in the future. You can use the links to the right to see and read about previous portions of that trip. They are linked by each of the days we were in Nairobi.

LifeSpring Christian Church - Exploratory Mission Trip to Nairobi, Kenya - October 10-16, 2007

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What follows is a photographic description of what we experienced on our recent trip to Nairobi, Kenya. This trip included Dick Alexander (Senior Minister), Scott Sims (LifeSpring Elder), Judy Johnson (LifeSpring Missions Minister, Lynette Craig (LifeSpring friend and travel assistant), and Tim Parsley (LifeSpring member and future trip leader). Our time in the slums was difficult, but good. We witnessed the great ministry already being accomplished there by Missions of Hope and the church in the Kosovo slums.

Due to the large number of photographs included in this blog, not all of the posts fit into this first page. So, in order to view all of the photographs, be sure to click the "Monday" links in the Trip Timeline to the right.

For a larger view of any of the photographs, simply click on the photograph.

Thursday: Arriving in Nairobi, Kenya

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After over 18 hours of flight time, we arrive in Nairobi, Kenya and get settled into our guest house. We were welcomed warmly at the airport by Oliver, Kieth, Mary and Wallace.

- Dinner at the guest house. From left to right: Tim, Dick, Scott, Oliver (pastor of church), Kieth (CMF missionary), Wallace and Mary (founders of Missions of Hope), Lynette, Judy

- The guest house in Nairobi.

Friday: Visit to Missions of Hope Center in Mathare Valley Slum

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Friday morning we visited the main center for Missions of Hope. This center is located in the Mathare Valley Slum and operates as a school to over 300 slum children as well as a headquarters for the mission staff, clinic, and training location for micro-businesses.

- Wallace and Mary (founders of the Mission) share the vision and various programs of Missions of Hope.

- Classrooms at the Mission. Two additional floors of classrooms are currently being constructed above.

Friday: Into the Mathare Slum

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After visiting the Mission center, we walked down into the Mathare slum. Between the make-shift shanties, roads and alleys were dissected by streams of water and sewage. Children of various ages roamed the alleys. One of the Mission staff members explained how these children (sometimes 1 or 2 years old) are left to "watch themselves" all day in the alleys as their parents go off to try and make enough money to buy food. "If they hurt themselves," he said, "there is no one here to help them."

- In each of the slums we visited there is a "market" area where some of the residents of the slums have set up "micro-enterprises." The two shots above show a vendor selling fish heads and a butcher's shop. What the shots don't capture are the hundreds of flies swarming. Other businesses include fruit stands, hair/beauty shops, shoe shining, small assorted trinkets, etc. These markets are generally located at the "top" of the slum valleys. The residences surrounding these markets are more preferable (and more expensive to rent) than the shanties down in the slum valley near the river (since the rising river brings flooding).

Friday: Visit to the School in the Kosovo Slum

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Next we visited the Mission-run school currently being housed at a partnering church in a nearby slum named Kosovo (the slum took this name because at the same time the well-known Kosovo was experiencing violence, this slum was also experiencing violence - so they adopted the same name).

- These children are forming the letters of the alphabet with small amounts of Play-Doh. The children in this class are 6 years old have have only been in school since January of this year.

- Views over Kosovo rooftops.

- Wallace shows us blueprints for planned additions to the school/church at Kosovo. The open area between us and the church building (on the right) is the area slated for development.

Saturday: Visit to the Boarding School

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On Saturday we drove well outside of Nairobi to the Mission's boarding school. Currently over 200 boys and girls live on 20 acres out in the country, supervised by 22 staff who live with them. These are children who have come directly from the slums and who are for the first time in their lives being given their own bed, flushing toilets, warm showers, regular meals, quality classes... Currently the classrooms, boys and girls dorms, kitchen, and staff's quarters are all temporary structures - however, the foundation areas have been dug for the eventual permanent buildings. The students are also planting trees on the property.

While we were there, we joined the students for a worship service including singing, drama, dance, recited memory verses - most of which were all student-led. I (Tim) was asked to offer a devotion in the service as well.

Sunday: The Church in Kosovo

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Sunday morning we attended services at the church at Kosovo. This is also where one of the Mission's schools meets during the week (pictured above). One of the pastors told us that about 80% of the parishoners are from the slum neighborhoods. After the service was over, lunch was served with the church's leadership.

- Pastor Oliver (left) delivers the sermon with the youth pastor Frederick intepreting in Swahili.

- Pastor Oliver, his wife Edna and children.

- Mary and Wallace (founders of the Mission), and their children.

- Frederick, the Youth Pastor

- Fred, Mission staff member in charge of HIV/AIDS programs

- Paul, Mission staff member in charge of micro-business programs

Monday: Going Down Into the Kosovo Slum

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On Monday morning we journeyed down into the slums of Kosovo. We were welcomed by several residents into their homes - which consisted of one small room, often inhabited by 3 or 4 children. One thing that struck us was how each home had been effected by death (usually of a parent), often the result of AIDS.

- An example of the kinds of shanties located along the river at the base of the slum valley.

- In this home we found a 5-month-old baby. His mother leaves him here all day, as she goes to find work to be able to afford food. A neighbor girl stops by periodically to check in on the baby.

- This is Samuel, a local medicine man. For 200 shillings you may sit on his pet tortoise and gain healing for back problems.

- Malorie welcomed her into her home. Malorie is a student of the Mission's Community Health Evangelism (CHE) program. This program teaches slum residents to have harmony with God, Self, Others, and their Environment. As they develop these wholistic life skills, they reach out and train their neighbors in CHE skills. Malorie's CHE disciple, Rosemary, was also present.

Monday: Thank You Program in Kosovo

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After visiting homes in the Kosovo slum, the children of the Mission's schools treated us to a music program as a "thank you" for our visit and support. They presented us with a beautiful cake, which we symbolically cut together as a sign of our partnership, and then served to the children.

Monday: Visiting the Modoya Slum

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Our last stop was in a slum called Modoya. Mary explained to us that this slum is so bad that often even those having worked in this area for years do not know of its existence. Currently the mission is building toilets in this slum.

- Previous toilet in Modoya

- New toilets being built by the Mission

- At first this view appears to be of a hillside covered in flowers. In reality, this is a mountain of plastic garbage bags, most of which are filled with human waste.