February 1, 2012 Wednesday
Our day starts by facing the early morning bumper to bumper traffic of Nairobi. You never know if a traffic jam will keep you from your destination so extra time is planned for the 20 minute ride that often takes two hours. It is important that we arrive on time so that we don’t miss our bus which will take us to western Kenya.
As the bus rolls away from the crowded streets and the buildings reaching to the sky it soon shows us a very different Africa. The polluted air of Nairobi is left behind and the green pastures surround us.Donkeys carry the heavy loads for their masters. Children are playing with toys they have designed from things they have found. It is now a different world and it will continue to change the further west we travel.
Zebras, gazelles, and monkeys show that life exists in areas that seem so void. The Rift Valley is massive and displays it’s grandness before us. We pass over the equator line as we continue our 9 hours trip to the base of Mt Elgon near the Uganda border.
We are traveling with a young man that reminds us of our President back home. He is quick to say that he has been told that many times!
February 2, 2012 Thursday
Instead of awaking to the sound of vehicles and the beep of their horns we woke up to the sound of the early morning song birds and then the bang of the monkey jumping on the roof. We are in a beautiful area, a restful area, and one cannot help but thank God for his amazing creation.
As we leave the lodge and start to walk toward town I hear a small child screaming. Further down the road I see two very small children near an open manhole but they are not crying. My eyes then go to the open manhole and I see the tiny fingers of a little child holding on from the inside.
I started to run not knowing how long this child could hold on and not knowing how deep it was. I had no idea what was inside, perhaps it was full of water. All I could see was tiny little fingers and all that entered my ears was the screams that echoed from inside. I held on tightly to those two little hands and pulled a terrified little one into my arms.
As I was comforting him and trying to see if he was hurt people were coming from both directions to see what was going on. Being a white woman and not knowing if I terrified him even more I handed him over into the arms of the first native that arrived. He continued to cry for sometime but he was not hurt. The manhole was dry and it was not deep but had been used to dump waste in.
As we continued on toward town we met a very tall and thin man. He was from the Turkana tribe and did not speak Swahili or English. With sign language and his mother tongue he tried to tell us he needed food. There was no doubt that this many had gone many days without food. He followed us with his bare feet and at the first stand we bought him some food and something to drink. He found a shade tree to sit under and didn’t waste any time opening up this bag. There are so many that need just a little for the day, more than we can reach. As I looked back and saw this man sitting under a tree eating, I knew that one man would not walk hungry today.
February 3, 2012 Friday
The village of Taito has a group of women that I have been meeting with and we are getting to know each other better. The women are widows and most of them have lost their husbands because of AIDS. So many of these women are HIV positive and know the signs very well. There is one young mother of a ten year old son that is very ill and everyone sees that she is sick. She refuses to go to the hospital for testing and help so I have been asked to talk with her once again.
Her parents both died when she was just a little girl. She was raised by her grandparents and they still all live under one roof. Her grandparents also remember the days of the colonist and the days of plenty. They tell us how there was plenty of milk for everyone. You didn’t even need a cow for milk. Now if you don’t have a cow you don’t have any milk!
As we enter their home I see a tiny figure on the couch with a sheet pulled up tightly over her head to keep the flies off. I announce that I am there to see her and she uncovers her face and sits up. Her body is wasting away, a rash is taking over her skin, open sores are breaking out and her stomach is in pain. She is so very weak.
This is not the first time I have tried to talk with her about getting help. So I don’t waste any time and address the issue firmly. We talk about her love for her son and leaving him an orphan. We talk about the tears and sorrow he will feel. We talk about the shame of not getting help when it is available and how her son will never understand why his mother didn’t live longer for him. We talk about how her ability to hide the disease is no longer possible.
It was a successful trip and Gladys was taken to the hospital on a motorcycle. Mama Rhoda went on the same motorcycle with her as we were afraid she was too weak to hold on by herself. Mama Rhoda is also a widow of 13 years. She has 4 girls and cares for two orphans ages 8 and 10.
Once she was on her way we continued to visit with some of the other widows in the area. They all want a home visit so we will do some now and the others later on.
We visit with Mary a widow of 9 years. She has 7 children. She has learned how to make bricks and supports her family with this brick making business. Other widows are raising chickens to have eggs to sell.
There is Beatrice and Ebseeba who wants prayer for a troubled son. There are so many that are crying out for help.
February 5, 2012 Sunday
Pastor Winnie is a dear friend of mine and has recently purchased some property on the other side of town. The church structure is under construction and the service is held under a metal sheeted roof. We arrive a little late today as we wanted to see our friends, Peter and George, off to Nairobi.
The church is already bursting at the seams and there isn’t any room for expansion unless they buy more property. Three pastors work together here and they have a lot going on for each age group. It is a very active and vibrant church.
After introducing my husband to the church and sharing a few scriptures out of Psalms we go into the main service. It is always amazing to see how the Lord has everything come together even when we don’t know what the next person is going to speak on.
Manley being in construction for so many years has noticed that the church structure needs some corrective measures. The trusses are all tilted in one direction and if they ever let go every one underneath would be in danger.
He meets with the men that are building the church and they have agreed to let him show them how to correct this and make it safe. It is a project that will take some time as the tools here are not at all like those we have at home but it needs to be done so that no one gets hurt.
February 6, 2012 Monday
We returned to the hospital again today with Gladys as she needs more blood work and needs to register. Kenya has a program set up for those that test HIV positive. They will receive their medicine, blood work, and counseling free of charge.
As we sit together and wait for the time when she can be seen I cannot help but notice the suffering and the ages of those with the same condition. So young and their bodies have wasted away. As my eyes are on others I notice that others are looking at Gladys. She sits in her beautiful royal blue dress but it no longer fits her right. Her face has lost the youthful look that she should have. Her bone structure is now more prominent and her arms look like they could break. It is not a secret when HIV takes over the body.
Gladys has taken the step needed to get help now. She has agreed to register and take her medicine. We purchased food for her to eat and the nurse tells us that if she takes her medicine she should feel much better in about a week. Her son has a mama that wants to live.
I Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
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