It's another beautiful day in Kenya! We've been fortunate with the weather so far, with warm sun and beautiful blue skies each day.
Today began with an early breakfast at our hotel, Gracia. After breakfast (which is really similar to home, as we enjoy fresh pineapple that's tastes more like heaven than fruit), we met up with our drivers, Anthony and Jorim, for the bumpy trek to Beacon of Hope. We made it to Beacon just in time for their devotional time, which they host daily for teachers and students. After a bit of worship time (some songs sung in Swahili, and a couple familiar tunes), and a short devotional by David, the lead instructor in the weaving program here at Beacon, we were off and running for a busy day of preparation for the medical camp we'll help with on Wednesday.
We've counted thousands of pills and filled hundreds of medicine bottles with medications that we hope will help the hundreds of people that will come to the medical camp on Wednesday – people who might otherwise not have access to such amenities as anti-inflammatories, anti-fungal medication, and cough syrup. We'll travel tomorrow (Tuesday) to Machakos, a rural mountain village about 70km from Nairobi, where Wednesday's camp will be held, to set up. In the past, these medical camps have yielded anywhere from 800-1200 patients. This will be Beacon's first attempt at a medical camp in Machakos (and incidentally, the first ever medical camp in Machakos), where they hope to eventually have a partnership with an existing clinic in the village. We hope to help re-establish the villagers' trust in the existing clinic, so they might see it as a resource for them in their own community.
The experience so far in Kenya has been beyond eye-opening. It's incredible to be on the opposite side of the world, fellowshipping and worshiping with believers in the same Lord – in English, Swahili, and other tribal languages. It's unlike any other experience... watching these faithful followers of Christ, as they live out their faith in many of the same ways we do – thanking him for his Goodness, Love, Provision, etc, even as they struggle to feed their families, and send their children to school. Their faith is unmovable, counting on the Lord for – literally – their every need. It's quite an example, and illustrates such a fantastic picture of the Body of Christ.
Thanks for your prayers. We are all well, and look forward to telling you all about the people here, and all that we've learned. Kwaheri (goodbye) for now.
Cammie
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Checking in...
Hi everyone! It's 10:30 on Wednesday evening and we just got back from our two-day adventure in Machakos. Due to some computer issues on Monday and a lack of time/resources in Machakos, we have been unable to post a blog entry since Saturday. Our apologies to all of you loved ones who may have been worried :) Now that we are back, we will work on getting caught up once we're rested. We have lots to share...including how we saw around 1000 people at the medical camp today! Looking forward to telling you all about it...and getting some much needed zzzzz. Lala salama (sleep well)!
Holly, for the team.
Holly, for the team.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Spinning in Kibera
After our first few nights, I think we are finally recovered from our jetlag. Today has been a low-key sort of day. We have enjoyed sitting in the Kenyan sun laughing and playing cards as we gear-up for next week's work and bond as team.
Beacon is fantastic. We spent yesterday touring the facilities with some of the staff and hanging out with some of the kids in the preschool. I am very impressed by the way everything at Beacon is so well run. There seems to be so much going on all at once within the different divisions. In a single day, the clinic sees upwards of 100 patients, the school teachers work with almost 150 students and dozens of women are taught handiworks by vocational professors. It is quite incredible to experience the consistent buzz around Beacon.
I think I was most intrigued by the clinic. They charge about 50 cents to be seen by a doctor and receive any necessary medications. However, if a patient tests HIV positive all further treatment is free. This includes social work services, counseling, ARV medications and future CD4 (immune cell) counts. It is fantastic to see how much Beacon is doing in the area.
This morning we went to go visit a few women who spin the wool for the rugs made at Beacon of Hope. Both women live in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi. Kibera is a community of one million plus people living on only a few square kilometers of land in small homes made out of corrugated metal and mud. It is unlike anywhere in the United States. The pathways between houses are small, windy and scattered with raw sewage. Dale one of our team members, describes Kibera as “a harsh reality, but not an unhappy place”. He could not speak more truthful words. Joyce and Esther, the two wool spinners exemplify this idea perfectly.
Joyce has been spinning for Beacon for many years. She works in a group of 7 women who all share profits and work together on projects. Through their spinning, all 7 women are able to support their families and send the children and grandchildren to school. Joyce welcomed us into her home to show us her spinning room and share her story. We also walked over to Esther's house to learn how to card wool with two large brushes. We had a few sad attempts at trying to get the wool ready for spinning, and I'm fairly certain that Esther has already re-done our work to get the wool up to standards. We all had a lot of fun watching her work and attempting (or watching others attempt) to make the wool into long, soft bushels ready for spinning.
Joyce and Esther were so full of joy. Their love for God shows through their attitudes and all that they do. I am so glad we were able to meet them and learn just a little about their lives. It is important to focus not on the surroundings in which these women live, but the inspiring lives they live and the joy that radiates from within them.
-Sarah
Beacon is fantastic. We spent yesterday touring the facilities with some of the staff and hanging out with some of the kids in the preschool. I am very impressed by the way everything at Beacon is so well run. There seems to be so much going on all at once within the different divisions. In a single day, the clinic sees upwards of 100 patients, the school teachers work with almost 150 students and dozens of women are taught handiworks by vocational professors. It is quite incredible to experience the consistent buzz around Beacon.
I think I was most intrigued by the clinic. They charge about 50 cents to be seen by a doctor and receive any necessary medications. However, if a patient tests HIV positive all further treatment is free. This includes social work services, counseling, ARV medications and future CD4 (immune cell) counts. It is fantastic to see how much Beacon is doing in the area.
This morning we went to go visit a few women who spin the wool for the rugs made at Beacon of Hope. Both women live in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi. Kibera is a community of one million plus people living on only a few square kilometers of land in small homes made out of corrugated metal and mud. It is unlike anywhere in the United States. The pathways between houses are small, windy and scattered with raw sewage. Dale one of our team members, describes Kibera as “a harsh reality, but not an unhappy place”. He could not speak more truthful words. Joyce and Esther, the two wool spinners exemplify this idea perfectly.
Joyce has been spinning for Beacon for many years. She works in a group of 7 women who all share profits and work together on projects. Through their spinning, all 7 women are able to support their families and send the children and grandchildren to school. Joyce welcomed us into her home to show us her spinning room and share her story. We also walked over to Esther's house to learn how to card wool with two large brushes. We had a few sad attempts at trying to get the wool ready for spinning, and I'm fairly certain that Esther has already re-done our work to get the wool up to standards. We all had a lot of fun watching her work and attempting (or watching others attempt) to make the wool into long, soft bushels ready for spinning.
Joyce and Esther were so full of joy. Their love for God shows through their attitudes and all that they do. I am so glad we were able to meet them and learn just a little about their lives. It is important to focus not on the surroundings in which these women live, but the inspiring lives they live and the joy that radiates from within them. -Sarah
Friday, July 10, 2009
Karibuni Kenya!
We are happily writing this blog on a gorgeous Friday afternoon at Beacon of Hope...we made it! Our journey here was as smooth as we could have hoped. Our only glitches were a 1-hour delay in Amsterdam and the loss of one team bag...only one bag! Everyone received their personal bags, which I believe is a first for Kenya mission teams. :) Phew! Our flights were wonderful, airport staff were friendly and helpful (especially in Chicago), all of our checked baggage ended up being free of charge, and our Kenyan visas were half the cost we thought they would be. When we made it through customs, we were happily greeted by our driver, Jurim...a great guy that we have missed very much! There's nothing like a familiar, smiling face and a big embrace when you've just traveled across the world.
We made a quick stop at the local grocery store to stock up on water for the team and grab some snacks to hold us over til morning, then proceeded on to our lodging for the next week and half. Once again, the hospitality that abounds in Kenya was extended to the team as we were anxiously greeted by the staff of Gracia Guesthouse. The team slept fairly well, although some of us woke up wide-eyed at 4:30am. We arrived at Beacon this morning by 8:30am and were able to join in their morning devotions. Jane and everyone graciously welcomed us and made us feel immediately at home here. It is SO good to be back...for those of us returning, it feels like a homecoming to people who have truly missed us. For the ones here for the first time, they have been quickly embraced as family.
We have already been blessed beyond measure in Kenya, and we've only been here 16 hours! Stay tuned for more postings. Tomorrow will take us to the Kibera slum to meet the wool-providers, which will be quite an experience for all of us.
Once again, thank you for your prayers! And please know how much this team, and everyone at Beacon, appreciates you for what you have helped to accomplish through this continuing partnership.
Holly
We made a quick stop at the local grocery store to stock up on water for the team and grab some snacks to hold us over til morning, then proceeded on to our lodging for the next week and half. Once again, the hospitality that abounds in Kenya was extended to the team as we were anxiously greeted by the staff of Gracia Guesthouse. The team slept fairly well, although some of us woke up wide-eyed at 4:30am. We arrived at Beacon this morning by 8:30am and were able to join in their morning devotions. Jane and everyone graciously welcomed us and made us feel immediately at home here. It is SO good to be back...for those of us returning, it feels like a homecoming to people who have truly missed us. For the ones here for the first time, they have been quickly embraced as family.
We have already been blessed beyond measure in Kenya, and we've only been here 16 hours! Stay tuned for more postings. Tomorrow will take us to the Kibera slum to meet the wool-providers, which will be quite an experience for all of us.
Once again, thank you for your prayers! And please know how much this team, and everyone at Beacon, appreciates you for what you have helped to accomplish through this continuing partnership.
Holly
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Trusting God
For me, going to Kenya is all about Trusting God.
It was that still small voice a year ago. I was going through a health crisis… I was a total mess…yet I heard the call. Because I had been to Kenya before, I knew what God was asking me to do. It was obvious I was in no shape to be going, yet all I wanted was to do whatever God wanted me to. I believed He would supply what I needed to do it.
Two months later, I applied to serve with God at the Beacon of Hope.
Months went by and the team had still not been picked. In fact, I found out that one of the goals for this trip was to take all new team members. I waited… I believed that if God wanted me to go, that I could trust that I would be going. But doubt crept in. Eight months after receiving the call, I was accepted to be on the team. This was an exciting confirmation to me that God can be trusted to do what He intended.
It came time to raise prayer and financial support. I believed God could be trusted to meet our financial needs because He had done this before. But now? In these economic times? This felt like it was a lot of support to raise. I said out loud what I knew to be true, but inside I was wondering if it would happen.
It was feast and famine, but in three months ALL of the needed support came in. It was exciting to see How God supplied the finances and the prayer. He provided me with renewed health- I haven’t been in this good of shape for years! He even supplied two wonderful gentlemen to stay at our home and take care of our dogs. There was not doubt about it; God was confirming to me that He does not ask you to do something without providing you with everything you need to do it.
So when the teams return flights were canceled two weeks before we were to leave for Kenya, it was not hard for me to believe that He would take care of it. He provided better return flights than we had to begin with. I was thanking God that He was confirming to me that He can be trusted.
Three days before we were to leave I was stunned. Our furnace fan stopped working, a malfunction indicator light went on in the car, my crown came off and I chewed it up, our dog came down with an ear infection, I lost my daughters newly refilled and very expensive medication, etc…Yes, I was stunned. As we were trying to take care of these things yesterday, I realized- this was a BIG opportunity to Trust God. There must be even bigger things to Trust God for in Kenya, at home and in the years to come. Thank you God that you can be trusted. Gail
It was that still small voice a year ago. I was going through a health crisis… I was a total mess…yet I heard the call. Because I had been to Kenya before, I knew what God was asking me to do. It was obvious I was in no shape to be going, yet all I wanted was to do whatever God wanted me to. I believed He would supply what I needed to do it.
Two months later, I applied to serve with God at the Beacon of Hope.
Months went by and the team had still not been picked. In fact, I found out that one of the goals for this trip was to take all new team members. I waited… I believed that if God wanted me to go, that I could trust that I would be going. But doubt crept in. Eight months after receiving the call, I was accepted to be on the team. This was an exciting confirmation to me that God can be trusted to do what He intended.
It came time to raise prayer and financial support. I believed God could be trusted to meet our financial needs because He had done this before. But now? In these economic times? This felt like it was a lot of support to raise. I said out loud what I knew to be true, but inside I was wondering if it would happen.
It was feast and famine, but in three months ALL of the needed support came in. It was exciting to see How God supplied the finances and the prayer. He provided me with renewed health- I haven’t been in this good of shape for years! He even supplied two wonderful gentlemen to stay at our home and take care of our dogs. There was not doubt about it; God was confirming to me that He does not ask you to do something without providing you with everything you need to do it.
So when the teams return flights were canceled two weeks before we were to leave for Kenya, it was not hard for me to believe that He would take care of it. He provided better return flights than we had to begin with. I was thanking God that He was confirming to me that He can be trusted.
Three days before we were to leave I was stunned. Our furnace fan stopped working, a malfunction indicator light went on in the car, my crown came off and I chewed it up, our dog came down with an ear infection, I lost my daughters newly refilled and very expensive medication, etc…Yes, I was stunned. As we were trying to take care of these things yesterday, I realized- this was a BIG opportunity to Trust God. There must be even bigger things to Trust God for in Kenya, at home and in the years to come. Thank you God that you can be trusted. Gail
Wheels Up Tomorrow
Well, our bags are packed (or at least half packed, with the rest strewn across our living room floor), and we're almost ready to go! In 24 hours, we will be on a bus making our way to Chicago O'Hare for our 1:42 pm flight to Detroit. We have a very tight layover in Detroit, so your prayers would be appreciated! Pray especially for the weather in the Chicago area, as O'Hare is notorious for shutting down if so much as a drop of rain falls (OK, maybe not, but it certainly seems that way!). Once in Detroit, we'll board a plane for our first 8+ hour leg to Amsterdam. Then we'll board another 8+ hour flight destined for Nairobi, where we'll be greeted by our friends and drivers, Jurim and Anthony. Thank you to all of our supporters for making this trip possible for the 2009 team. Your outpouring of prayers, encouragement and financial gifts have been overwhelming. With deep gratitude, you will be in our minds and hearts as we serve our friends in Kenya. We look forward to sharing this experience with you...
Baraka tele (Many blessings)!
The '09 Kenya Team
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
God is Good!
THANK YOU to everyone who was praying for our team after learning that our return flight had been cancelled last week. Going into the weekend, things were not looking good for us as our travel agent was having a very difficult time getting in contact with Delta. When she finally did, they told her there was no more space left with their partner airlines. [Gulp]. Our choices at that time were to either change the dates of our trip, or start all over and end up paying a lot more money for new tickets...money that we really don't have! The latter option could have jeopardized the whole trip. [Double Gulp].
Needless to say, the team was praying hard, and many of you were praying with us over the weekend. Meanwhile, our travel agent brought in the big guns of her travel agency and their sales rep for Delta...a somewhat extraordinary measure. Late Monday afternoon, our prayers were answered when Joel and I received an email with a new itinerary on KLM...FREE OF CHARGE! And this itinerary is a beauty in comparison to the original one. Instead of being stuck on the same plane for 19 hours, we will instead fly 8 hours to Amsterdam, then another 8 hours to Chicago. And we actually arrive 10 minutes earlier than our original itinerary. We were elated to hear this news (I felt like the happy little elephants in the photo).
So again, thank you for your hear-felt prayers. This is yet again a firm reminder that God is Good and Sovereign over this team and everything that is thrown our way!
Needless to say, the team was praying hard, and many of you were praying with us over the weekend. Meanwhile, our travel agent brought in the big guns of her travel agency and their sales rep for Delta...a somewhat extraordinary measure. Late Monday afternoon, our prayers were answered when Joel and I received an email with a new itinerary on KLM...FREE OF CHARGE! And this itinerary is a beauty in comparison to the original one. Instead of being stuck on the same plane for 19 hours, we will instead fly 8 hours to Amsterdam, then another 8 hours to Chicago. And we actually arrive 10 minutes earlier than our original itinerary. We were elated to hear this news (I felt like the happy little elephants in the photo). So again, thank you for your hear-felt prayers. This is yet again a firm reminder that God is Good and Sovereign over this team and everything that is thrown our way!
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