The Forest Speaks

My husband has been with me from a far but now he stands beside me J

Manley left Boston on the 18^th and arrived safely in western Kenya on Thursday the 20^th. Friends of mine from Kitale were in Nairobi and met my husband. So he was able to ride with Pastor Richard, Helen and Jimmy for the last 8 – 9 hours of the road trip. God cares about every detail of our lives!

Everyone here knew his arrival date and waited along with me. Now with smiles on their faces they shared in the joy of knowing this was the day he would arrive.

Friday the 21^st of May we ventured to Kitale town by boda, boda. With jet lag still lingering we walked through Kitale meeting and greeting different friends. Later in the afternoon we met with the women at Faith Church in Rafiki. Rafiki is about a 20 minute ride outside of town. We packed new wool blankets into the back of our taxi car. The nights near the mountain become very cool especially during rainy season. The ladies have been working in their garden and come into church with joy in their hearts. They show us the nursery or seed bed that has just been finished. They are so happy that God has seen their need and answered their prayer.

After a short time of singing and of sharing the Word the blankets are given out one by one. Their smiles are not hidden but increase in size. Some place their blankets on their head and thank the Lord with singing and dance.

Not everyone has the joy of the Lord. The hearts of many are troubled and lost in darkness. We are just learning of a father who sacrificed his 5 year old son on the 19^th not far from here.

Saturday the 22^nd of May is a day of celebration for one of the workers at the lodge. His first born, Charlene, is being dedicated today in his home village. We travel to the other side of Kitale past the busy market area and the matatu stages. The area is heavily populated with men and women selling their fruit and vegetables. Piles of clothes for sale decorate the path beside the road. We dodge the many bicycles, motorbikes, goats, cows, human drawn carts and those walking. There never seems to be order or a system of safe travel here but somehow it works.

We travel the one lane dirt road as we enjoy the rich green gardens of the country side. With the heavy rains that we have received it has made parts of the road almost impassable. Elvis is the oldest of seven boys and he greets us as we enter his home area. Today extended family and friends will come and share in this event. Many hands and lots of hours have gone into preparing food for this special day. We are taken into Elvis' parent's home and are given many choices of food to try.

The afternoon is used for boxing up Bibles and sending them to Lodwar by way of bus. We will travel to Lodwar by air on Monday and the Bibles should be there waiting for usJ When people hear that you are traveling to Lodwar they have two things to say. "If you're going to Lodwar you must really be called of God and willing to suffer. It is so hot there that it is punishment."

Sunday May 23^rd our rented 4 wheel drive land cruiser is packed with blankets. The sun is out and the rain clouds are not anywhere to be seen. Today's destination is to reach the forest area in Mt Elgon. A three hour drive from Kitale into the mountain should bring us to the Ndorobo tribe. The highland tribe, also known as Mt Elgon Maasai, are bee keepers and live on milk and honey. They live by themselves 12 kilometers inside the forest.

We start out early and reach Kapsokony in good time. After we pick up Pastor Mark and tie his guitar on the rack we travel further up the mountain. The rains have caused some serious mudding of the roads.

Children gather around to see if we will make it without getting stuck. We travel over rocky areas with boulders changing the course of travel. The towns that looked big as we traveled through them are nothing but little specks now. The fields of maize and wheat are flourishing. Small potatoes are being bagged and carried by truck load to the market areas to sell. Each village we pass through becomes a little smaller than the one before it.

Pastor Moses is from the Ndorobo tribe and he is waiting outside the forest for us so that he can guide us through the last 12 kilometers. We have everyone now and continue toward the forest. We are so close and are looking forward to meeting with a group of people that continue to live life in the way that it has been passed down to them for many generations. The elephants are also attracted to this area here in the forest as they come to give birth.

We turn into a very small muddy road and begin to enter the forest. Very quickly we are stopped by guards and told to turn the vehicle around. We would not be permitted to go any further. The driver turns the vehicle around as Pastor Mark and Pastor Moses try to inform them of our intentions. In this short time children begin to gather around us. I get out to greet them and I give them each a pair of slippers made by my mother. They are so excited to have something new, colorful and warm. However I am quickly told to stop. The guards want us out of the area. We do as we are asked and travel back to the connecting road.

We have traveled far and want to encourage the Ndorobo people and give them blankets for warmth at night. Our plans for the day seem to have been defeated but we know God is in control. One of the pastor's calls a friend of his. He is a Ndorobo and also a major in the Kenyan army. We travel about an hour down the mountain, back through some really heavy duty mud holes and meet with the Major. He apologizes for the incident and encourages us not to give up. His mom still lives in the forest and he knows the people are suffering and going without. He willingly offers to show us to the head office of the person in charge of the forest.

We sit together in the head office that control this area and share with them our purpose for traveling here. We are told that because of security reasons they cannot permit us to travel into the area where the Ndorobo tribe lives. With the drums beating in the distance we are encouraged not to give up. We are told to obtain a written letter from the proper government official that will permit us to travel here. After praying for each one we start our journey back down the mountain side.

Pastor Mark has a church that is part way down the mountain. The service is almost over but we are asked to stop and greet everyone. His church sits on the side of a slope that overlooks the valley. It is a beautiful spot setting off by itself. On one side of the mud church there are bricks that have walled a new church structure. It is only the lack of a roof that is preventing services from being held here. We share in greetings and a short word from one of the Psalms then it is time to finish our travel back. The issue of a pending rain storm is before us.

We encourage the widows of the church to walk with us back to the vehicle. Each widow is given a new blanket to help her through the coldness of the nights.

The children gather around and it feels like Christmas in USA as they receive new slipper socks made by my mom, Charlotte Towne. Before leaving Pastor Mark's church in Kapsokony his wife approaches me and again I am given an encouraging word …not to give up.

The Major gave us a beautiful basket made by the Ndorobo tribe to take with us. In the evening while resting back at the lodge we received a message. Someone had delivered the news of the day's events to the Ndorobo tribe inside the forest. They sent word out to us. The Ndorobo tribe is waiting for our arrival. Two hundred members of the tribe say "welcome".

Many thanks are sent to Elaine Moesel and our home church, Milton Assembly of God in New Hampshire, for their donations. You made it possible for us to deliver Bibles and Blankets to so many in need. You have brought happiness into the lives of many :)

Thank you Mom for the many hours you have worked to give warmth to the children's feet here in Africa. Their smiles speak louder than words :)

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Ian Smiles Again

The rise of the morning sun brought another birthday into my lifeJ It is Thursday, May 13^th and the first birthday I've ever had in Africa. God has blessed me with healing and strength that I might enjoy the years he has given me.

Approval to place Ian in a new home has been granted and we are on the road at 8:30 in the morning looking for our four year old little boy. His mother usually returns to Kipsongo in the evening but she hasn't any permanent place to call her own. We ride through town and some of the streets in hopes that we will spot her. She is very often in town begging for money in order to buy some home brew. Today she isn't any where to be found so we head for the Kipsongo slums.

We pass the women sitting by the edge of the busy road gathering items of food and reusable items from the trash dumped here. This is a daily sight if one passes by this area.

The downhill slope leads us into the slums. People are sleeping on the ground. Little ones are running around without being clothed properly. Hands palm side up start to beg off us. We have everyone's attention as visitors, especially two white women, are not often seen walking here. We walk and ask everyone we meet for the mom by name. The communication barrier keeps us in the unknown.

Then I see a little boy outside on a grain bag. He is lifeless and his eyes are locked in a stare. For a few seconds we questioned if we had found him in time. The flies were all over his sick little body. He had nothing on but a dirty little button up shirt. He'd been sick all night and was dehydrate. He had a fever and looked like he had lost hope. Not a muscle of his body moved. Most likely he had spent his night here under the stars without a blanket. It is the season of long rains and the nights are cool and often rainy. Everything his mom owns she carries in a sac over her shoulder. She has been given many items over the last year but they have all been sold for a few shillings.

Joanne has Ian in her arms when his mom walks toward us. She admits she knows he is sick and joins us as we take him to the clinic. After the doctor examines him he sends Ian to the lab for blood work and the across town to have a chest x-ray. The doctor wanted to make sure he didn't have TB. Ian was raped during the night a couple months ago so he also was checked to see if he was HIV positive.

We tried to get some nurishment into him but nothing would stay down. While waiting for his reports to come back he takes a short nap in the safety of my arms. His reports came back far better than we expected. With meds for malaria, a bacterial infection and low iron he should be back on his feet soon. Chiggers are a big problem here and Ian had to have some taken out of the bottom of his feet. He also had to be dewormed. With a proper diet and lots of fluids he will be just fine in a few days.

The time came to tell his mom she was free to go. I took her aside and explained to her that now we would take Ian to a new home. She was told it was time for her go and leave him with us. He had a safe loving home waiting for him. She would be permitted to see him now and then in the future. I expected to see some kind expression of sadness. I waited for a response and there was none. I repeated myself to make sure she understood. "Sawa" (ok) was all she had to say.

We had a little bag of food in the car for her to take with her to eat later. We knew she would be going back to nothing. Before she walked away we asked her if she wanted to give Ian a hug. "No" was the answer. All she wanted was the little bag of food.

After we said goodbye to Ian's mom he is dressed in his new clothes and shoes that Joanne has bought for him. He is then taken to meet his new parents. They have big hearts full of love for unwanted children. Their home is a happy home. Tonight he will sleep in a safe, warm, loving home. He has a bed with a mattress and blankets to keep warm with. He'll have all the hugs he wants.

The sun is setting and the day has been long. We've gone from agency to agency, office to office with the goal of giving this child a chance at life. We are tired and our emotions have been set aside in order to accomplish all that has been set before us.

Now we sit quietly, thinking of all that has happened. We wonder how much Ian will remember of the pain and suffering that he has endured in the early years of his life. We try to process how a mother can give her child away without regret, without emotion, without sorrow. How can one refuse to give her child a hug goodbye?

Another birthday brings the gift of life.

After an exhausting but fulfilling day we awaken with the rise of the sun on Friday morning the 14^th. We meet with Ian's mom to make sure she is doing ok. She does not ask about Ian and shows no regrets for giving him up.

The Children's Department asked that we try to fill out the forms and make application for his birth certificate before his mother disappears. Many here don't have a birth certificate. They don't even know when they were born. Their birth is usually remembered by an event or a visitor not by a date. Without a birth certificate a child can never go beyond an 8^th grade education. So it is important that we gather all the information necessary so that Ian can have many opportunities in the future.

Some forms require that we meet with the Assistant Chief of Kipsongo and also one of the elders. Even though the mother knows the year of birth they are not ready to believe her without other documentation. While waiting for the Assistant Chief we observe a grown man washing his face in a mud puddle. As he kneels to the ground the dirty water is scooped up with both hands and brought to his face. He splashes the dirty water over his face a few times and then walks away.

We run back and forth between offices, stand in never moving lines, gather more forms and realize it just isn't going to get done today.

At the end of the day we stop at the market and both fill a bag full of clothes for Ian. The day is not complete until we stop and see how his first day went at his new home. We could not believe the change we saw in Ian when he entered our view. He had the most beautiful smile and his eyes were full of life. His life has changed so much in 24 hours. Never again will he be left alone in the dark of the night without a place to call home.

Sunday morning, May 16^th, I return to the village of Rafiki to speak at Faith Church. It rained hard throughout the night and this morning the roads are very muddy. We pass cars stuck in the mud beside the road. We toot as we start to slide this way and that so that the cows, sheep and people will move aside. This is obviously not the first time our driver has driven on such roads. With an "oh no" once in awhile he does deliver us safely to the church door.

It is a day of great excitement as the women of the church have started their garden. We have leased a little over an acre of land and provided seeds, manure, hoes and pesticides so that they can have food for their families. It is to provide them with an income as well. Yesterday they started to hand plow their garden.

There was much thanksgiving in the church today. One man testified that they have prayed and prayed to God for help and now he has seen God answer their prayer. Another man said he has never seen God answer prayer before but now he has. One man was happy that he had a wife because he would benefit from this blessing too.

The women are more than willing to work hard and now God has provided them with a way to bring increase into their homes. The church people have a time of prayer to bless the women and their garden.

Fifty new Bibles were given out in Rafiki today. They will be taken into different areas of the village and bless the owner as well as those that live around them.

The Chief of Rafiki has visited the pastor and thanked him for the work he is doing in this area. At one time there was a gang of 5 men that everyone feared. People were afraid to walk the streets. Three of the gang members now go to church. One of them received a Bible today.

The roads were much better on the way out as the sun has been shining. We can see the afternoon rain clouds rolling in and we thank the Lord that the worst of the mud is behind us.

This area is blessed with heavy rains almost every afternoon. North of Kitale in the Lodwar area we have heard of 200 people being displace because of the rains. Also luggas or rivers made from the rains have washed out large sections of road and some bridges going north out of Lodwar. There is a large camp of displaced people north of Lodwar that cannot receive any food or clean water now. Food is transported into these areas by truck loads as the desert soil is not suitable for gardens. The camp has 100 thousand displaced people inside. They will be without food for some time. The heavy rains bring many problems to the people in the Lodwar area.

It is Monday May 17^th and today the birth certificate application forms have been completed and accepted. Our work here at the Children's Department has come to an end. We just wait a month or so for them to process the forms and return a certificateJ Ian will now be able be have an education above the level of 8^th grade.

A woman walks in front of us. She is low to the ground and without legs. With a baby tied to her back she uses her hands as feet. There are many needs here and some silence you.

There are so many monkeys here in Kitale. They sit by the road and run from roof top to roof top. There are also many unfed dogs that continually have puppies. They wander the streets and sleep here and there. The officials will set poison out during the night in different parts of the town. It is there way of animal control. The dead dogs are collected early in the morning.

Please pray for Pastor Alfred of Kawangware slums Nairobi. He is the assistant pastor in the church I have been so involved with. His wife passed away this week.

Isaiah 49: 15

Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

The Place of the Dogs

Kipsongo is the worst slum in the Kitale area. Saturday May 8^th Joanne and I went into, Mitisi slum, the second worst slum in the area. She wanted to check on the children of a woman who recently died of AIDS. They have a father who found a job but it is almost 2 hours away. The distance and cost of travel keeps him from coming home at night. The six children have been living alone and caring for each other.

We drive into the slum as far as we can and then park the vehicle. It is nice out and those working outside stop what they are doing to observe us as we walk through the small path ways

We arrive and the children welcome us into their home. They are very warm and loving. As we sit inside their home we can observe the many needs. The small wooden framed couch is made up of broken pieces of foam puzzled together for comfort. It becomes someone's bed at night. The single bed in the same room has a mattress made of broken foam pieces patched together as well. Then there is another bed in the small room on the other side of the mud wall that sleeps four. They have two thin blankets to share amongst them. Even though life has brought them hardship and heartache we felt peace and love within this humble home. They don't have the "extras" and many days they have gone without. They have the clothes on their back and no food. None of them are in school because of the fees. The 16 year old boy is asked if he could go to school where would he want to go. With such wanting in his voice he replied, "It doesn't matter where any place is ok, I just want to go to school."

We all hold hands and pray together in this small dark room with one little open window.

Joanne's organization, Hope for the Nations, has now supplied this family with bunk beds, blankets and new mattresses. Food, charcoal for cooking, dishes, cups and cooking pans have all been given to them. They even have a padlock for their door. As each one receives a sponsor they will be placed in school.

We caught the attention of so many children as we were driving out of Mitisi. They were running on both sides and hanging on to the back. The road we were driving on was extremely narrow, full of pot holes and crowned so that driving was difficult. The children eagerness to see us made it an issue of safety for them. We had to stop a couple times and scold them as we were worried that one of them might slip and get hurt.

I went back into Kipsongo slums Sunday morning the 9^th of May. Many from the Turkana tribe came to the service. The women sat together on one side with their babies tied to their backs. The men sat together on the other side. The older ones came with walking sticks. The women came with small bags of handmade beaded work. They are always trying to sell a piece of their work as it puts bread on their table. The Turkana people came down from the northern part of Kenya and settle here in Kipsongo. Kipsongo literally means "place of the dogs". Their homes are made with plastic bags collected from the garbage. There are many at today's service and as we sing more gather. Last time I came here several accepted the Lord into their heart. So today they were taught about how to grow in the Lord. Many returned with the Bibles they received last week.

After the service I walked with Pastor Richard , Helen and Jimmy as they had thirty bags of food to deliver to some of the widows in Kipsongo. It had poured earlier and we now had puddles and mud to walk through. It was a challenge for us to stay upright on our feet. The ground is wet, damp and muddy with water running through the huts of many. Tonight many of them will sleep on the ground. The widows are thankful but there is never enough for everyone. Night will soon push the light away and the evil deeds of night will take over. Thieves will enter some of the widow's huts and take away the blessings of today.

It seems like a blink of the eye and the early birds of the morning are singing their song. Monday the 10^th of May we are up and ready to go to Kibagenga to meet with the women of the area. Joanne has been working with these women for two years now. They come even in the planting season knowing that they will have to work twice as hard in the afternoon. The women come and so do the cows! We carefully watch where we step as it appears we are meeting in cow territory.

As we ride into Moi's Bridge on Tuesday morning the market area is already busy. Little pigs are scavenging through garbage dumped beside the road. There are piles of clothes and various fruits for sale. Boys on bikes are clustered together at the corner waiting for a passenger. After traveling thirty minutes out of Kitale we leave the main road and travel into the smaller villages. The little children get so excited to see a white person. "How are you?" starts hitting our ears as the children run beside the car. More children gather together and the "How are you?" begins to sound like the sing song chirp of a bird. It is probably the only English they know but they sure are happy to try it out.

The women at Moi's Bridge are enthusiastic and happy to have us arrive. They fill the church. They never complain about sitting on a wooden bench without a back support. They never complain about sitting on the cement floor. They never complain about standing by the door because they can't find a place to sit. They are just happy to be taught the word of God.

After speaking about prayer the women stood to their feet and opened up their hearts to God without hesitation. Their voices filled the room with prayers going up to the up throne of God.

On Wednesday morning the 12^th of May we headed out of Kitale to Kipsiana for another meeting with the women of the area. African's are not generally concerned with the issue of "time". They don't run on schedules or clocks like American's. You can start a service on time with 20 and before your done there could be 250 or better sitting in front of you. Today we started with a few but they came and came and came. We even have a few men joining us now.

After the meeting we returned to Kitale and continued to deal with an issue of finding a home for an unwanted 4 year old little boy. His mother lives in the Kipsongo slums and had approached us several times and told us to take him. She didn't want him. It was apparent the boy was neglect and starving for love and affection. We first learned of the legal issues and the proper procedure before removing him from his present living area. After a meeting with the official in the Children's Department we were given permission to take him and place him in an approved home.

The day has been full to the top but even though the sun is setting there is still more! My birthday is tomorrow and it is time to celebrate with a few of my friends. Jim and Sherry, Bill & Patricia (John Bevere Ministries) and Joanne (Hope for the Nations) have picked a nice place for us to all eat together. We are double celebrating tonight as Patricia has a birthday on the 14^th J

Proverbs 14:31 He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

The Open Bible

Sunday May 1, I attended church under a very large tent in Kitale. The worship and sermon blessed me and I enjoyed it ever so much. What blessed me the most happened at the close of the service. A beautiful handmade basket is placed is the center aisle near the platform. It is time for all of those interested to give a donation toward cement for the church floor. Any man that wants to donate is asked to walk to the front and place his offering in the basket. Then the women are invited to take part in this as well. When the men and women have finished giving the children come forward. Everyone is participating and eager to be a part of making the church beautiful. A very small framed elderly woman of very meager means walks slowly to the front. It is apparent that she has very little. She goes to the pastor's wife and presents her with some beaded work that she had made. She doesn't have any money but gives her hand work as an offering. She tells them to sell it and keep the money for the cement. She thought she didn't have anything to give but she gave all she had. Selena is a woman from Kipsongo slums with a beautiful giving and dedicated heart. Her gift became a desired item and was sold for 5 times the normal price. She had a gift in her hand and a treasure in her heart.

Monday May 2 Joanne, Gladys, and I returned to Kibagenge to speak to the women in the area. A large portion of the women are widows. The sun is hot but they come anyway. Their greetings will vary depending on where they come from. A few women will slightly bow before you as they greet you. Most women in this area will hold your hand and then place their cheek against your cheek and then do the same to the other cheek. Once you have greeted by going cheek to cheek you then finish your handshake by 3 hand movements. After their greetings are finished they find the shady areas and spread their colorful wraps out on the ground to sit on. In front of us and to the side are massive gardens of corn with beans planted between each stalk. The ground is well used and with the rains it will produce food for many.

As the word is spoken I can see some holding back tears, the pain they brought with them is evident on their faces. The closing is done with an invitation to ask to Jesus into their heart. Today nine women raised their hand. We rejoice to see God work in the lives of these women.

Tuesday May 3^rd we listened to Sherry share her testimony. The Lord has touched her life and changed her heart. Even though her decision to serve the Lord brought persecution, pain and heartbreak into her life she continues to serve the Lord with joy in her heart.

It is Wednesday and we have found property near a river that can be leased. We have been trying to find a way for the church women in Rafiki to have some income. Those that have settled here in Rafiki once lived on Mount Elgon. They left the mountain so they could live in an area without tribal wars. It is a quiet village but the people live in extreme poverty. They cannot find work and therefore providing food for their families becomes a big problem. With land near a water source the church women will be able to plant food to sell and have food for their families. They will be supplied with the seeds, pesticides, manure and a one year lease for a little over one acre. It will be up to them to work the land which should produce three crops of cabbage and greens the first year. Along with working the land they are to put some profit aside for next year's expenses. They should be able to continue on their own in the following years.

Thursday May 6 I entered the Kipsongo slum which means "the place of the dogs". My back pack is full of Bibles written in the Turkana language. I also have a few written in English. The meeting is held in a large open room presently under construction at Seeds Ministry. ( www.seedsministry.com or www.seedschildrenhome.com ) The elders from the community sit to one side while all the women sit together on the other. They come limping with their canes, with homemade walking braces and in ragged clothes but with a heart open to the Word of God.

Before we leave we take the time to see if anyone would like to ask Jesus into their heart. My heart filled with great joy as 13 hands went up into the air. We all gathered together and with the interpreter at my side we made sure they understood what Jesus had done for them. Then each one of the 13 asked Jesus into their heart.

At the close of the service the announcement is made that my back pack is full of Bibles. They quietly wait to see if there name will be called. The pastor of the area calls those forward that have been taught to read. He wants to be sure the Bibles are placed in hands that will study the word of God.

When their name is called they come forward and with both hands open they receive a Bible. Several of the women hold the Bible close to them and break into a prayer of thanksgiving before returning to their seat. Their voices roll heavenward as their hearts erupt with praise and thanksgiving.

I prepare to leave and notice that some of the mama's have plastic bags of beaded items they have made. Each one gathers close and begins to show me pieces of her of beautiful beaded jewelry. It does not take long and the little table in front of me is covered with a display of colorful handwork. With the help of the interpreter we try to bless each woman by purchasing one item.

The goodbye hugs are long and tight as they thank me in their mother tongue. I don't understand their tribal language but I know they are sincerely thankful as each hug becomes one of strong emotion.

As we travel the narrow dirt roads out of the slums we pass some of the women. Waves are exchanged as we pass by. Then I notice one woman walking by herself with her new Bible open. She is reading it as she is walking home. Further down the road a couple men are sitting on the ground at the corner. Here at the corner we see another open Bible J

Psalm 72:12-14 For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.