T-shirts today!

Bwana asifiwe! Praise God! What a great day today! The children had a program for us that I taped, so hopefully when I get back I will have some on the website. They were so wonderful and really had a great program for us! They sang, danced, recited poems and had skits. They are so great and whenever you smile at them they get shy, but smile back. They absolutely love the camera! It’s hard for me to get candid pictures because as soon as they see the camera they are right in front of me smiling. The best part they like though is being able to see themselves on the digital camera. Now that they know it they want to see it right away and come around by me and see the picture I took. It’s fun to watch them get so excited. Then in the afternoon we handed out t-shirts to all the students and boy were they happy! You can see by the pictures that they were very excited to get another gift. They will be using these for PE class so their uniforms won’t get sweaty. We hope to get the girls shorts so they can take off their dresses during PE. God provided for us today with the t-shirts! We had a count when we went to buy them, but when we got back to school and started handing them out it looked like we were short. But we were able, with God’s providence, to switch some of the sizes around so that everyone got a t-shirt that fit. The kids were smiling and dancing when they got their shirts. It was a blessing to see them today! All of you supporting these children can share in their joy! God bless you all!

A day in Nairobi

A day in Nairobi. We first stopped at the school and had to get a list together of all the orphans and single parent children so we would know how much to purchase. We have a large list of needed items, for example; blankets, bed sheets, toothpaste, soap, sweaters, t-shirts, sanitary items, underwear and several other items. When we finally left it was around 11 and it took about an hour to get there. Then we made it into the city and I noticed on the way in how very dirty Nairobi is. They pile garbage up anywhere and the smell was very bad. As we were driving in one area the driver told us to roll up our windows and lock our doors. There was one child about 10 years old that ran beside my window with a small whiskey bottle hanging from his mouth, yelling at us. That’s when the driver told us to be careful of my camera also, not to hang out the window and take pictures because the children will grab them out of your hands. Then we made it to the Uniform Distributors Ltd. Building and bought all the blankets, t-shirts, socks, bed sheets, mosquito nets and sweaters that were needed. We had to hire another matatu (taxi) to take everything back to Nice View! The kids are going to be so excited! I can’t wait to see their faces and see the blankets and sheets on their beds. Although we need to get some more mattresses for the beds! Pauline had asked me what our “national dish” in the states was. I said it would probably be pizza, so for lunch she took us to a pizza place! Imagine, I’m around the globe and we end up in a pizza joint! It was very good though! Then we left the city and on the way home we drove by a slum just outside Nairobi, it was shacks all clustered together. The slums are very close to the city and the surrounding area is very dirty. We didn’t make it to the city center so I don’t know what that looks like, but we plan on going into Nairobi again soon for more supplies. Now for all you Midlanders – you can feel right at home here in Tala!

Visiting day

Today we visited three students’ homes. You hear about the poverty but until you see it firsthand you can’t imagine it. One family has a big house (compared to the others) but no way of taking care of it and the supports are falling apart and a danger to the children living there. Two of our students (Rosemary and Kelvin) live there with another younger brother, Mutuku. The “white man” came and built the house planning to stay but then left the mother with the kids. Shortly after that the mom died (when Mutuku was about 4 months old) so now the aunt takes care of them here in the house. Then we visited Gideon’s home (another student from the school). Here is where Gideon sleeps and here is where they cook (it is in a separate building and they use cow dung for fuel on the fire). Then it was off to Maua’s and Samuel’s home. The clothes they have on were very dirty and very thin, but as soon as they got home they took off their uniform and put these on so their uniform wouldn’t get dirty. Their mother and father are gone so grandmother takes care of them. She works pruning coffee plants (when they need her) for about 10-20 shillings a day (that’s about 15-30 15-30¢ a day). She was very nice and brought us out chairs to sit and offered to make tea. When I asked her if I could see her house she was very proud to show me where she lives. Her bedroom is about 5’x6’ and she sleeps with one of her grandsons. The “mattress” is made of rope with a thin sheet of plastic and a very thin blanket, no actual mattress and it was very hard. The other bedroom is about 5’x5’ and the bed consists of a box layered with rags and a thin piece of foam to sleep on. No sheets but one thin blanket. These children, along with many more at the Academy, are very poor and have nothing as far as possessions. I’ve noticed that the first day I was here no one smiled at me, but once they realized that I was there as a friend they started smiling and waving whenever I came around.
When we reached school they were having lunch. Today it was rice and cabbage, no protein today! Then after lunch we gave some of the clothes away that we had brought to the orphans who have nothing. The first little boy, Kelvin came in and I put my arm around him and he leaned into me! It was the sweetest thing and when I took my arm out from him to write his name down; he continued to lean into me. So when I was finished I put my arm around him again! I think they are getting used to me and that I’m ok to be around! This girl, Ndunge, was so pretty and shy. But I wanted to put this picture in because this is the jacket that Tarrin donated! You can’t imagine how happy these children are with our excess clothes! Even the boys who were given pink shoes or a pink hat were thrilled to have something – no complaints from them! I am learning so much here and I’m feeling very inadequate – Lord give me Your strength and your love to share with these children.

Excitement at the Academy!

Another busy day at the school. I spent most of it with Ruth photographing the children. We made it through the nursery, pre-unit (preschool) and class 1. Some of the children were very shy while others not so much! One child had been picked up in the trash pile in Nairobi and he was very shy and never looked me or Ruth in the eye. He’s only been here a couple of months so we are praying that he will open up and feel comfortable here. When he first came the only thing he wanted to do was leave, but as Ruth said, God was faithful to keep him here and get food and shelter and love.
Here are the teacher’s latrines. Pauline told me that at home they prefer the latrine instead of the flush toilet! They are used to it and prefer it! No, I haven’t tried it ---- yet! Ruth gave me a tour of her home (remember she lives at the school). She was so excited and thrilled to show me her home and welcomed me to take pictures. This one is of her sitting area, her she entertains some of the children after school when they need counseling (she has a certificate in counseling and was so proud to show me it!) The next picture is of her kitchen where she has a small cook stove. And the next is of her bedroom and to the right is a small bathroom. But don’t get the wrong idea – no running water, no toilet or shower. She washes and baths out of basins. She even mentioned that she was happy to show people where she lives so that others will know where she lives and how. She is such a humble woman that she puts me to shame every time I talk with her! I pray that I may learn from her! Thank you Father for introducing us so that we can become friends and family!
I felt bad though when I went outside during recess after lunch. I went out with my video camera and was mobbed! That wasn’t the bad part, it was when the kids started pushing each other to get to the camera and kids were falling down and getting stepped on. So I took my camera back inside and just went out myself. That really wasn’t much better because the bold ones were grabbing my hands and touching my arms (I’m not sure if they were interested in the color or the jiggly arms!) But then Mr. Mwinde (he helps at the school) came out and helped me a bit by calming them down and having them sing me a song. But it continued to get a little rough with the little ones so I think I may have to visit the classes individually in order not to create a riot! They are so precious and I thank God for this magnificent opportunity to show Christ’s love to them.

Full day in Tala!

Our first full day here! We were up at 6:30am to get ready for breakfast, which consisted of bread and cereal. After breakfast we had tea again, I’m really falling in love with this tea! Then I was off to the market with Pauline to pick up a few items for lunch and dinner. This market reminded me of the little market I visited in Rome. Very small, various items for sale including bagged rocks (the bag actually said Fried Rocks)! I asked Pauline what they were and she said rocks! “What are they used for?” I asked. Pauline said people, especially pregnant women, would eat them! Don’t ask me how or why, but that’s what she said! She also said they sometimes sell dirt in a bag for people who like to eat soil! Now there’s a custom I don’t think I’d even like to try! Then we went to the open market, although many of the stalls weren’t open yet we were still able to get some Mangos, potatoes, garlic, wheat flour and squash. Pauline has a young boy who knows her car and when she pulls up he will begin putting things in a bag for her. He knows that if he tries to give her some bad produce, she’ll complain and not return. So he was very nice and even took her car keys and put the stuff in the trunk! I haven’t seen that type of personal service in a very long time!
Then it was off to the school. The roads here are horrible! And it was a very bumpy ride all the way to school. No wonder the vehicles need to be sturdy! I think our cars back home would fall apart on these roads! We pulled into the school and saw all the children in the school yard and they looked so precious! I couldn’t wait to see them up close and talk with them and the teachers. But Pauline and Gideon showed us around the school for a bit first then we were finally able to see all the children together! They sang us a song and were so polite that I wanted to hug them all right then! Then Ruth; she stays at the Academy with the children at night, along with Kathryn (the head mistress) and another male teacher took us on a tour of the classrooms and told us a bit about some of the children. Here is Nthenge Nzioka who came to the Academy with horrible jiggers on his hands and feet. They were so bad that he was crippled in his walking, but Ruth vowed to take care of him and clean his feet and hands and remove all the jiggers. You can see that he still has the scars, but is walking and is a happy boy now! Praise God for His help for Nthenge and for bringing Ruth to the school. She loves the Lord and told us “I am not here to be paid but to give glory to God.” Ruth had the opportunity to go to another school and make much more money, but she felt called by God to work with these children and chooses to stay with them. She even uses what she earns for personal items for the children, like ink pens when they run out, or a bar of soap when they can’t afford the 10 schillings for one. She and I are going to sit down and make a list of such items that we can raise in the States and bring back or send to them to use. Kathryn does the same with her earnings and you can tell by talking with these two ladies how very much they love God and are here to serve Him. I was humbled by these two, even with what little they have they are willing and happy to give to the children what they need. But what they are truly giving these children is love and acceptance. The children are being shown that God loves them through the actions of these two beautiful women. They were also very thankful for all the help that Saved By God’s Grace has given them and I pass their thanks onto you!
Here is our lunch the first day. It was very delicious, beans, maize (called Muthokoi) and cabbage. Chuck’s getting his protein in the beans not so much meat. After our tour Ruth had the children line up by class so that I could give each child a piece of candy! Some of them were very shy, some were bold and waited for two pieces (only one per child!), and one girl about 10 years old said “thank you very much, I appreciate it very much, thank you!” These children have nothing and were so appreciative of one small piece of candy it brought tears to my eyes. God you are a perfect teacher and thank you for using these small children to open my eyes to who your children are around the world, that I can experience this first hand.
Just before we left the school around 4pm the children who stay at the school were washing their clothes. Many of them don’t have any other clothes, so they must wash them after school so they will be dry by morning. Ruth told us many of the children also don’t have pajamas so they sleep in their uniform. How many times do we sleep in old t-shirts? These children would love to have a t-shirt to wear around after school or for pajamas instead of their daily school uniform. These are the things that we don’t even consider in the States, but are a reality for these children. I hope that this blog is bringing awareness to the needs of these children.
And by the way, our two boxes showed up at British Airways! Thank you Lord for bringing them back to us, because they were more of the bibles! We were joking about it last night because the person who gave Chuck the number to call to see if they showed up gave us a phone number that was one number short! So we couldn’t get a hold of them. But Gideon said that if they took the boxes and looked inside maybe they would feel guilty because they would find the bibles! I don’t know if that’s what happened but the bibles were returned! We also said that if they didn’t show up then they must need the Word more than the children did! They have a great outlook on everything. Even in prayers before tea (and that is one tradition I want to continue at home) they thank God for His providence and pray that those without would also be filled with the same joy we have. They have no material things here, the homes are very meager yet they are the happiest people I have ever met! They are so thankful for what God has provided for them and they trust that God will continue to provide for them. Kathryn told us that she believes that Jesus sends someone to be obedient to help them at the school. We could all learn a lesson in humility from these precious children of God!

Arrival Day!

– Please remember – Hapana pictures! (NO Pictures!) (I have some posts that mention pictures and I may try to put one on, but if you don’t see any pictures know that I am not able to get them on the Internet!) The one post I put on for 2-29 took me 70 minutes to get to the site, copy and paste my information and finally upload it to the blog! I did try to put a picture on but it was too slow and wouldn’t accept my picture. Pole – sorry for that!
The flight from Heathrow to Nairobi went well. We had to make an unscheduled stop in Entebbe, Uganda to drop off some tires for another airplane! We weren’t allowed to get off the plane but we were only there for about an hour so we visited with our neighbors sitting behind us! We wanted to call Gideon to let him know that we would be arriving about two hours later so he wouldn’t have to sit at the airport, but our phone would only pick up Uganda airspace! We weren’t able to reach him so he’ll have to sit at the airport with his family until we arrive, I feel bad about that.
Sleeping on both flights was touch and go. Who can ever get a good night’s sleep on a plane? But at least we were able to sleep some of the time. We finally landed in Nairobi around 10am instead of 8:30 when we were scheduled. The first thing we had to do was go through security, which was very easy since we already had our entry Visas. Then it was off to find all our baggage. Chuck got a couple of porters to help carry it all out to the vehicle that Gideon should have here for us to get it all back to his home. They started getting boxes off the track and for about an hour we were getting boxes, then the track stopped with us being two boxes short of our total of 21! We looked all around to see if someone had put them somewhere else, but they weren’t there. So Chuck had to put in a request for lost luggage, in the meantime I was looking outside the secure area to see if I could find Gideon. And since we were almost the last people around it wasn’t hard to spot him and his family. They all had a big grin on their faces! Chuck finished up with the lost luggage people then it was off to customs! They wanted us to open a box, which was ok since every box was opened in the US and retaped by TSA. Believe me, they didn’t do a very good job because one of our boxes came out in a plastic bag because it had split open from their bad tape job! Sorry mom and dad, all that hard work taping and putting lists on all the boxes contents, the US still opened them all!
We were finally able to leave and I got a big hug from Pauline! Meeting my sister in person was a thrill and I really didn’t have words to speak! I couldn’t believe I was actually there in Kenya, finally after so many months of anticipation. Then Chuck got his hugs and to see him and Gideon together was like a dream come true. God is amazing bringing them together from opposite sides of the world!
After packing all the boxes into a van we were off to Tala! More on that day in my next blog. Pray that our boxes are found!

First taste of Kenya!

Our first taste of Kenya and we thought it looked a lot like Mexico. The people are beautiful here and I’m very anxious to meet the children tomorrow. Everyone was walking around in their best clothes since many of them were coming or going to church. Pauline pointed out the market place, which was closed, and other schools, churches and many other types of businesses. It’s not the same as in the US, here’s a picture of a dentist office!
Finally to Gideon’s and our first family picture! Muthama (James), Wenzi (Eric) and Grace were very quiet but very polite. I’m sure they will loosen up as we begin living with them! Chuck, Gideon, James and the two drivers unloaded the boxes while Pauline took me in the house to sit for a bit before lunch. Here I am with Gideon’s mother, ( mother in Kikamba is Mwaitu)- she’s over 100 years old, only speaks Kakambi but loved seeing her picture! Our first meal consisted of beans, maize and goat meat (like a stew) and it was very delicious! After lunch Pauline showed me to my room, which happens to be its own little house beside theirs! Here are a couple of pictures of it and you can see that compared to what I was expecting this is the Ritz! Hot water for the shower and a flushing toilet! The Lord prepared a place for us and Pauline and Gideon went to the trouble to create our own little home next to them! We were both falling asleep on the couch talking with Pauline and Gideon, but they were gracious enough to suggest a nap and we took them up on it! We slept for about an hour then it was time for dinner. Dinner consisted of what we didn’t eat at lunch and it was just as delicious! After dinner we had tea, just like the Brits! Their tea is made from boiled milk, tea and sugar. It’s very good and I think I’ll start making my tea that way at home! But Pauline is so sensitive to Chuck’s diabetes that she had them make separate tea without sugar just for him! We’ve only been here a few hours but Gideon and Pauline are so in love with the Lord that you can’t help but love them in return! I thank God for this opportunity not only to meet them but to bring their lives into awareness for others to see what poverty really is and how they are trying to help those less fortunate than themselves. We could all learn a lesson from them!