Flies, Raw Sewage, Crime

June 9, 2013 (Sunday) In the midst of the slum well hidden behind rusty and worn iron sheets sits a small church struggling to move forward with what God has for them.  So many times they have had to start over because of theft.  So many times they have had to move because of hiked rental fees but they continue to bless the Lord.

Poverty excels in such a place and praying for jobs is number one on the prayer list. Crime takes over the nights. Jackie tells me of a man that was shot and killed close to her home.  They approached him with guns in their hands and demanded money.  He was not a man of wealth. He was like so many others here in the slum living day by day without anything extra.  Their demands were not satisfied and his life was taken.

 

Raw sewage runs beside the pathway right to the church door.  Flies multiply in the ever growing rubbish that fills the land. It is a land full of filth and disease.  During the week children run the same path as they enter through the wooden church door for school.  They come to school hungry and weak. They are tired because they missed a good night’s sleep because of hunger pains.   Their running noses and coughs never stop nor do the smoldering fires of garbage along the way.

As they play on grounds with garbage and debris they run to us with something they have found.  A hypodermic needle is taken from the little hands that so proudly brought it.  There is no evidence of surprise or alarm of such a find but a pat on the child’s back for doing the right thing.

 

The church is well attended and praise continues to flow upward.  They dream of better days and cry out to God in thanks for all that he has done.  He is the one that sustains them and fills their hearts with joy.

 

 

They have not given up under enormous challenges.  Their land is waste land but their hearts are beautiful gardens.

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them,  that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Extreme Poverty

 

 

June 4, 2013 (Tuesday) As I returned to the slums I remembered the hours, days, months that I walked here with them.  The pain and suffering that I had seen within this land flashed through my mind. The eyes of longing and pleading for help that looked up into mine never stopped.  I remembered the needs and distress that extreme poverty brings. 

 

Evelyn cares for the babies found in the midst of the garbage piles. She loves the babies that others don’t want because they are diseased or looked on as just another burden  She feeds them and makes sure they are have a place to sleep.  Life for them stared with neglect and they struggle to survive.  Today she prepares to bury one of these little ones.

The door has a lock on it but everything has to be removed from the church and taken to one of the members’ homes for safe keeping.  The chairs are stacked and stored close by.  The pulpit is removed and even the clock on the wall is removed for safe keeping.

As I visit the school children at the slum church I learn of someone cutting through the iron sheets and removing some to the children’s chairs, jump ropes and items to cook with. 

 

 

Mama Rosie, the teacher, has one request….if possible can we get more jump ropes for the children to play with.  She knows how happy they were to have them.  In March two men were caught for stealing and burnt to death not too far from the church.

The children are excited to see me and their happy voices fill the air.  When the teacher picks up the “cane” and tells them to be quiet complete silence takes over.

Usually I walk and visit within the homes of those here in the slum but now I must sit and my visitors come to me.  We gather in the pastor’s office and the word goes out that I have arrived. 

The pastor shares with me how the “clean” water truck that carries water into the slums made so many people sick.  He ended up in the hospital for three days and is still being treated.

Pastor Caleb tells me about his church and how thieves removed the iron sheets of the roof one night while people slept.

  

I met Jackie on my first visit to Kawangware slum in 2005. She was suffering from complications after child birth and God healed her completely.  I have watched her amazing testimony as she walks to please the Lord.  She gave birth to healthy beautiful baby girl last year.  I had the opportunity to hold her in my arms before I left for the states.  Jackie and her husband suffered tragedy when their baby died several months later.  The doctor they went to gave the baby an injection that was meant for an adult.  The baby died.   Today Jackie’s face radiates as soon she will give birth to another child. 

Throughout the day people stopped and shared their experiences of life in the slums with me. Much of what I heard was that of struggles, hardships and grief but their hearts are still full joy.  

It was good to be reunited once again with those that mean so much to me here in the slum land of Nairobi.

Psalm 126:3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Garbage Covers The Land

 

June 2, 2013 (Sunday) Confusion and congestion filled the entrance into the slums. Transportation matatus and buses came to a dead lock and each refused to move.  The over populated slum has masses of people filling the road ways. Walking is the number one form of travel as so many cannot afford the public transportation.  The roads are dusty and raw sewage flows beside the roadways and through the back alley pathways.  Today I will not walk these pathways that are so familiar to me as my leg is still healing.  We continue further into the slum, but slowly, as we wait for people to give us room to pass through.  The honk of the horn doesn’t seem move them as these roads are traveled more on foot than by vehicle.

Beside the road are carts of tomatoes, bananas, and other produce.  Shop keepers are starting their fires next to the busy road in hopes to sell what they cook that day. For those that want to celebrate live chickens are for sale and kept in wire cages at the corner. Open air grills are already hot and the all so common chicken feet and cow intestines are sizzling and ready for those that walk by. Charcoal is being sold by the tin can. Garbage replaces the green grass and it becomes a carpet which covers the land.

 

I carefully maneuver myself through the ragged edged doorway and over the rocks that line that pathway. The alley way is a maze to walk through and walled with mixed matched iron sheets on each side of me.

Before entering the church I sit with the pastor in his office which is attached to church. The people are now singing and music from inside overflows into his office as we talk together. 

 The church has grown in the time I have been gone and they have filled the church from front to back. The need for more room is a good problem but for them it means moving.  The church cannot expand here because people have built on three sides of the church. On one side of the church the building is so close they cannot open two of their wooden windows.  The church wall on the other two sides comes wall to wall to someone’s home. Space is limited here in the slums and the population continues to grow.

 

Kenya is now entering their winter months and the temperature is dropping and will continue to drop into July and August.  The natives really feel the temperature change and many get sick because of it.  Their one room homes are generally made with iron sheets which captures the cold even more.

After the service we had all the women gather in the front and we sent them home with a new blanket. This will help keep their babies warm through the cold season that is now upon them.   

As we waited outside for the car to pick us up. I was quickly reminded of the evil the rests in this land. It is midafternoon and the sun has not started to set but still robbery and theft continues to rule here.  About fifteen guys on the run just about knocked me off my feet. They weren't stopping for anyone. It could mean their life if they are caught because mob justice takes over and punishment is usually death by stoning or they would be on fire.

 

Praise filled the small little church in the midst of the slum today. When one looks around and sees the conditions in which they live you might wonder how can they rejoice in such a place? They live in the slum but the slum does not live in them. They have found love, peace and joy. They have found Jesus.

 

Psalm 63:4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Esther's Uniform

 

 

May 27, 2013 (Monday) In Kenya there are so many obvious needs around me and they all could use help in some way.  In memory of my sister, Debbie, I wanted to be able to take care of a very special need today. 

 

 

I worked all day at the children’s school.  Before I left the village I heard of a woman who had been robbed during the night several months ago.  She had been in the hospital for four months because they had attacked her with a machete and almost cut her leg off.  Her husband had died a few years earlier and had left her to raise their six children alone.  This woman cannot work because of her injuries and faces many challenges.  She was without food and had not been able to feed her children for the past four days.  She had nothing in her humble little home.  Before the day was over we delivered maize, cooking fat, potatoes, salt, sugar, tea and charcoal to cook with to her house. With a big smile she said “God has remembered me.”

After talking with the parents of the children my eyes have been opened to the daily struggles they face. The green gardens and the tall maize tell me that they have plenty and that is so untrue.  They don’t own this land but only rent a very small piece of it for a home.  Hunger is a problem here and children cry themselves to sleep at night because of lack of food.  When asking if they have ever gone to bed hungry it was a matter of fact “yes, of course.” If there isn’t any work there isn’t any food.  They know and their children know the pains of hunger.

May 28, 2013 (Tuesday) Today’s newspaper headlines are “Kenya Hit by Nationwide Power Failure.” We did sit in the dark last night but that’s not unusual.  The power here is constantly going on and off.  Candles and matches are placed in various places throughout the room. We didn’t realize that the all of Kenya, the whole country, was lighting candles at the same time.

May 30, 2013 (Thursday) Once again we travel the roads dodging cows, donkeys, head on traffic, motorbikes, people and pot holes.  There is a saying here that goes like this: You know you’re in Kenya when you ride on the side of the road because it’s smoother than the road!  Sometimes we are driving in the road and sometimes we’re driving in the road beside the roadJ 

My driver, Moses, doesn’t like to spend money of fuel.  His tank is always on empty and every hill we come to, even the smallest of hills, he shuts the car off and we coast as far as we can before he turns it back on.

The children are seated and in class when we arrive.  Everything seems to be running in a smooth and orderly fashion.  We notice that a few are missing and hear that several have scabies and have been sent home. 

The school is open from 8 am to 3 pm and sixty children are being taught.  Aggie, our teacher and her two helpers are doing a terrific job.  Those within the village are singing louder now as they walk their paths. They know God has heard their cry.

It’s time for me to say goodbye to some very dear friends.  Mama Rhoda is a woman of strong faith and she has such a big heart.  She has been a widow for years and works hard to see that her children are cared for.  Her family and responsibilities increased when she welcomed four orphans into her home.  Even with the hardships she faces she continues to reach out to those around her.

 

The trees overshadow the dirt road and we travel ever so slowly through the pot holes on the way out so that we don't leave any car parts behind. Up ahead a mama waves at us to stop.  Beatrice is Esther's grandmother and her guardian.  Beatrice was walking to school to see if there was room for Esther.  We were leaving and it was my last trip to Taito for some time but we had "one" extra uniform.  We had Esther's uniform!  We had room for one more.

May 31, 2013 (Friday) It’s a quick look around my room to make sure I have everything and then it’s time for hugs and goodbyes. 

 

 

The little guy didn’t disappointment me. He gave his Auntie Linda a nice smile and then there’s my friend Calvin who loves a “big” bowl of popcorn in the evening.  I think we bought all the popcorn they had. The last time I went to buy some they were sold out!

 

The wheels are rolling by 8:30 and we are on our way to Nairobi.  I have a seat up front which allows me to stretch out my leg and to have a view of all that is going on around us J  Doc Cathy was traveling today too and was quick to give help any time I needed it.

The Great Rift Valley is beautiful to travel through. The volcanic mountains line the sky around us and enclose the primitive life style of the Maasai.  Large numbers of Zebras are grazing on both sides of the road and their confident attitude isn’t shaken as we ride by.  We pass by gazelle’s and baboons sitting near the edge of the road.   A quick glimpse of a couple rhinos makes the trip! 

We cross over the equator line and soon the country life is left behind and the big city is ahead.

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Curfew In Place

May 26, 2013 (Sunday) At one time Kitale was peaceful and for the most part everyone felt safe in our area but not now. There has been an increase in gang violence and our area has not been left out.  There has been a constant reporting of robberies, threats, rape at gunpoint, motorbike and car jackings. They now are using machine guns along with their machetes to commit their evil.

Bungoma has been experiencing horrible attacks from gangs for a month now.  Those within the area have formed vigilante groups and have lynched eight suspects but the trouble continues to grow. The gangs that terrorize the Bungoma villages have killed 15 people and maimed more than 150.  Victims that have been rescued have been found without their eyes and some of their limbs.

Threatening leaflets warning of an attack similar to Bungoma were distributed throughout Kitale area on May 15^th.   The police boss and county commissioner were told to prepare for some of the same.  They were to expect killings such as those in Bungoma. The former Kitale mayor urged police not to ignore the threats saying insecurity in the region is a reality.

Last night shots were heard and this morning on our way to church we were told that Simon Masika, a police reservist for our area, was killed by armed thugs with AK47 rifles.  He was a father of 12 children and a man that everyone loved. The community mourns. 

A mandatory 6 pm curfew has been put in place starting today.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,  for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

 

His First Shoes

 Lydia is 8 years old and she has never gone to school. Thank you for making it possible for Lydia and so many others like her to go to school for the very first time!

May 21, 2013 (Tuesday) After seeing that the school opened on Monday the 13^th I took a rest.  For the next week I followed the doctor’s orders and stayed off my foot. My work for the school was still not done but I was fortunate to have friends that were willing to be my feet and do some running for me.  Theresa searched the market for more school sweaters.  Titus & Evans shopped for more black shoes, socks and various other school needs.  Calls and prayers came in from all around as the word spread that my ankle was broken.

“Little Angels” had been open for a week and it was time for me to return to see if things were running smoothly.   I called Moses my taxi driver as my motorcycle riding days are over until the cast comes off. As we drive into the church/school yard I am surprised to see mamas, children and even men sitting outside on the grounds.  I’m quickly updated with the news that they are waiting for me!  They have come every day for a week now and have waited for me to arrive.  They want to see if they can register their children for school.

Before addressing those that have been waiting it is necessary to see what problems and issues we are facing.  One problem that soon becomes very evident is the children need to be taught to use the latrine and not the ground underneath the church window.  Time and schedules aren’t important to most Kenyans so having school start at 8am is a hard adjustment for them.  Children are coming to school at all hours of the day making it difficult to teach. Uniforms are still being made so some of the children have to wait just a few more days.   We have parents insisting that their child be given the uniform to the point that they will undress a child with a uniform so that it can be put on theirs.  Of course there are many hungry people around and we are finding that parents are returning for the porridge that is made for the children.

After talking with those in charge and hearing all of the issues we face we then turn our focus to the parents and guardians of the 20 children waiting. If it were one or two it would be an easy answer but enrolling 20 more students will take more than a quick “yes.”  I see the disappointment in their faces as they are told they will have to wait one more day for their answer.

May 22, 2012 (Wednesday) We purchase some extra baby chairs and travel out to the village.  The children are at the car door before I even open it.  The parents have not given up and have already gathered outside the school. 
 

We prepare a desk and gather a couple chairs to start the registration process of the new students.  Most of these mama’s have never gone to school themselves.  They can’t read or write.  They don’t understand English or speak it but one by one they came to me and the slight bow of the head and shoulders along with the ever grateful handshake touched my heart.  I felt their thanks. I felt the mama’s heart within them.  I felt “Wow God, look what you have done!”  I felt very small in comparison to all that was happening around me.

 

If you ask these children what makes them happy they will tell you...”going to school!” This will be the first generation that has gone to school for many of the families here in the villages of Taito and Makoi. We send our thanks to all of  you for making it possible:)

Yes, we now have sixty “Little Angels” and most of them are going to school for the very first time.  Jackson, an orphan, is ten years old and he has never owned a pair of shoes.  He has never worn a pair of shoes until he came to school.   

William is eleven years old and he and has never gone to school either.  We have about seven children over seven years old that have never attended school.  The village and surrounding area has been hit very hard with disease and many are HIV+.   Many children are being raised by grandparents because of it.  We have nine orphans enrolled in the school.

 

May 25, 2013 (Saturday) The day is bright and the sky blue. The maize fields have been planted and they rise upward toward the sun.  The fields are green with plenty.   Monkeys playfully bounce in the trees around us.  The natives would tell you they are pests but somehow they bring pleasure to me. They don’t seem to be fearful and it makes it easy to watch the little ones snuggle into their moms.

The children at the orphanage have just lost one of their room mothers.  She went to the hospital for treatment but they could not help her.  She leaves behind a little 10 year old girl who is now an orphan herself.

We came to comfort and love the children and in return I see their concern for me.  So many little ones studied my cast, softly touched it and told me how sorry they were.  In Kiswahili the word for sorry is “pole, pole.”  It was said many times with such concern in their eyes.

 

We have some very happy children and parents in the villages of Taito & Makoi. Thank you so very much for helping the school doors to open wide!

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”