Saturday, June 30, 2007

APU: Moo! (Yip, they had their hands in cowdung today)


Click on the picture to see more!
Originally uploaded by Boyznberry
Cows! What do you think when you see or hear the word cow? I think I speak for all of us when I say that this trip has definitely changed the way we will see or view them, ever again. Did you know that there are so many ways you can use cows? You can trade them for a wife, you can drink their milk, you can eat their meat, you can use their hide, you can tip them over, you can use their feces, you can artificially inseminate them…

(Click on the picture to see more photos from today.)

Alright, so let’s dive in straight to the “chunks” of the day (take that however you want to). Many people here in Kenya make their houses out of sticks, a tin roof, and mud mixed with special ingredient number two (which we shall call “moo” for mud and poo – though Laban told us tonight it’s not poop, it’s cowdung.). So a house made of moo, needs a lot of maintenance and care because the moo will deteriorate and crack. Just about every week (sometimes everyday for kitchens) the women would gather up cow dung and fine mud, and they would then mix it to form moo. They would then smear this stuff on their walls and floor to give it a good base coat. It’s kind of like stuck-o or cement, but that stuff is expensive. Did I mention that they do this bare hands and feet?

So today, we were blessed with the opportunity to experience what these women go through all the time. We collected cow dung and mud and mixed it with water to form moo. As you can imagine, none of us has ever done anything like this before. I don’t think before today that any of us has ever even touched poo, more so do it voluntarily. We then got on our bare hands and knees and smeared moo on the floors of three rooms. Even though, some people hesitated a little, some more than others, we all did it and did it joyfully. We sang songs about it and would joke around saying “Who flung poo?”

All I can say is, what a humbling experience! I think Steve said it best when he said, “My job satisfaction back home has just sky-rocketed!”. It really was great though, to be able to experience what these people go through, and they do with no complaints.

When we came back, we ate ground beef for lunch and showered. We then came to hang out with the kids and the S.O.S (Save our souls) children’s village, which came to visit. After the S.O.S people left, it was more time to play with the kids. Zach, Steve, Becca, and I play football (soccer) with the kids. While that was happening, Diana, Devon, and Brittany, was called over to witness the artificial insemination of a cow. The guy stuck his hand inside the cow to grab the uterus. His whole arm was pretty much in there, you only could see his shoulder. Then once he had hold of the uterus, he took a prod and injected some high quality Canadian bull sperm into the cow.

So pretty much, just to recap the day, we drank chai for breakfast which was made with cow’s milk, then we went and smeared their poo (or moo), at the house of one of the ladies working in the training center. Afterwards we ate ground beef for lunch then, a few of us had the wonderful opportunity to see a cow get artificially inseminated.

This trip has just been a great blessing and we are all experiencing new things each and everyday. For instance, this week, we’ve got to push a van out of the mud because Adele has managed to get the van stuck in the mud, twice, on different days, but in the same place. We each also got to plant our own trees. What else is there to say? Nuff said.

Peace,
Adriel Oka



P.S. Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your love, support, and prayers. We look forward to sharing with you if and when we come back.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Little Country Church- We love Kipkaren!

We are all doing well and are loving our time here. Here's a little look into our day today:

Pastor Dennis speaks to 51 pastors from different villages from around Kipkaren. Some come from as far away as 70 km. Many of the pastors are testifying that since January when Pastor Brian and Pastor Dennis shared, their church attendance has doubled and offerings have increased to a level where they can feed their families. Praise God!

Vic spent time today rewiring one of the huts at the Children’s Home. It appears to have been improperly wired and was smoking. Tomorrow he will check the rest of the huts. Everyone is so thankful for his help.

Betty shared her testimony with the team this morning. What a blessing she is! During our afternoon spa time, Janet gave Betty her very first massage ever! And Sherry, Joanne, and Tiffany gave her a manicure and pedicure. Betty is HIV positive and has tuberculosis – but testifies to God’s goodness and how much he loves her. She radiates the joy of the Lord as she confesses, “I think I am his favorite.” Betty is a counselor and does testing for AIDS in the nearby villages. She believes God for everything and He continues to supply all of her needs.

Betty & Janet

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

APU: They're fast asleep

The team is really tired tonight. They had a wonderful day, and a full one at that.

Read my blog to learn about their adventures. And visit my Flickr site to see some more pictures.

Thanks for standing with them in prayer. They're doing great!

Adele

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

APU: Brittney Reports

Zach and Diana Rudolph, team leaders

Sue and George Bache, APU Director of Institute of Outreach Ministries

The team: Zach, Brittney, Becca, Jessica, Diana, Devon, (back) Steve & Adriel

Adriel, Brittney, Becca, Jessica, Devon and Steve

Adele says: During dinner tonight, Laban ate a termite, wings and all. This got the whole team going... OK, not everyone ate termites, but Steve and Zach did. Of course. But they removed the wings. Gross! The team is currently back with the children, reading bedtime stories. They've been doing wonderfully! Thank you for praying for them. Here's what Brittney has to say:

Well let’s see… I am going to give you an update on the past three days here in Ilula. Starting on Saturday we worked on the keying of the kitchen that Becca mentioned in the last blog. I love those four hours that we work on that because it is a time where our team really bonds and we get to share stories and laugh with one another. We also get a chance to talk with the parents and get to know them on a personal level.

Later that day, the children all got together in a room and watched Finding Nemo. Some of the children were scared of the sharks and the big fish. Saturday was a pretty relaxing day which was very nice.

On Sunday, we had our first church service. It was so amazing! Many people from the town came and joined us so we had a chance to meet some new people. Our team went up and sang them a song called “African Rain,” then Zach spoke and gave a wonderful sermon about how we all have an inheritance as God's sons and daughters. Later that evening, we went to Kerio View which was at the edge of the valley overlooking a portion of the Great Rift Valley. I have never seen so much green in my life. Becca got attacked by huge ants, Zach and I thought we heard elephants making weird noises but we were told that there were no elephants in that area, so we are not sure what we were hearing. We then received a letter from our loved ones back at home. I know that receiving these put a big smile on everyone’s face. It was so nice to get words of encouragement from the people we love. So thank you to all of those who took the time to write to us, we really appreciated it. =)

Now for Monday… we finally got the rain that we have been waiting for. It is very cold and muddy, but it is so neat to sit under the gazebo and play a game of dominoes or UNO and just listen to the rain. We all went on a home visit to the directors of the Children's Home, Laban and Angelina. They served us chai and showed us pictures of their families and their wedding. It then started pouring so we couldn’t leave. We spent a good 2 hours just sharing our stories and drinking chai.

At dinner time the power went out so we had a candle light dinner. There was about 15 people sitting around the table talking and debriefing about what we have learned being here so far and what we have enjoyed. I have learned that with love anything is possible. The four sets of parents that are here have so much love for their children. Even though many of the children come from broken homes, being abused, parents dieing of AIDS the love that these parents show them have transformed them to be such wonderful loving children.

As for today, we worked in the morning continuing the keying and we finally finished the kitchen and are moving to the next house tomorrow. It started raining in the afternoon and has not stopped yet. Zach, Steve and I milked a cow for the first time, and I must say it was very interesting. Today has been such a beautiful yet cold day. I wish I could continue writing but it is time to go do devotions with the children. We love you and miss you all.

God bless,
Brittney

Monday, June 25, 2007

Little Country Church- An incredible first day!


Our Incredible Welcome!


Vic and the Kids!

The greeting we received when we arrived in Kipkaren is beyond anything we could have imagined. These people are so loving and happy; all because they have Jesus. We have much to learn from them. Today we were taken on a tour of the compound and shown how their agriculture program empowers the people to be self-sufficient and productive God's way.

Vic attracted quite a bit of attention for his moustache - as you can see in the picture, the children gathered around just to be near him.

Tiffany, Joanne, & Sherry blessed the ladies today with manicures and pedicures and Janet gave them each a massage. Afterwards we served them chai and cookies. We don't know who was blessed more: them or us.

This afternoon Vic and Pastor Dennis worked on the two broken video projectors. They got one to work and figured out the problem with the second. Then they worked on a broken truck and got it straightened out and made it usable.

We are well and amazed at what God is doing here. Thanks for all your prayers!

Saturday, June 23, 2007

APU: Becca says...

Ahhh…What a beautiful day! Kenya is like nothing I have ever experienced; everything from the African trees that we have all imagined to the soothing songs the children at night. I have never seen so many people so happy for what little they have, and so grateful for the daily gift of life. The kindness seeps from this training center, and the love extends even farther than that. The joy is astounding as it continues to change our perspectives, on the exponential enormity of God and what He can do in our lives if we just say yes.

I have been so blessed by this place, even from the moment I walked onto this complex. The children greeted us with songs of praise and presented us with bouquets of roses as well as with prayers. It was truly the warmest welcome that I have ever received. All of the parents, staff and the directors are the nicest people, and though they may not remember all of our names yet, they are very intentional about letting us know that they care and that they have been praying for us. We have become a family.

Our days have consisted of a little manual labor in the morning, which is known as keying, but through it we are learning discipline and making great friends. The kids take a lunch break and distract us from our work…but we are always glad to be distracted because it means a little more time with these incredible children. They are all so intelligent, knowing at least 2 different languages, and they know there bible better that most American Christians I know. They have such a passion here that we seem to lack in the states. We fill the void with TV and work, while they fill their minds with Gods grace and forgiveness. The afternoons may vary, but we have gone on a few home visits which are so eye opening.

We then do devotions with the kids, have dinner and then my favorite part of the day, reading to the kids. We have an hour to go into one of the dorm rooms where we will read a short story, but then things get crazy. So far I have really tired to use this time to get to know the children. Sometimes we just talk, or sing and dance. The girls have really shown an interest in swing dancing surprisingly enough, as well the Can Can…? Anyway, our time thus far has been amazing and I know that God is really working on each of us individually.

Just a short shout out to our family and friends…we love you all and we thank you for all of your prayers. We never could have made it here without you.

Love you all, Becca

Friday, June 22, 2007

APU: Another Home Visit

The team is fast asleep and didn't get to writing an update this evening. They had a full day, starting with teaching a Bible class and the school, doing a construction project much of the morning, and going on a home visit after lunch. (Read about this visit on Adele's blog.)

After planning some of the children's ministry events for the rest of the week, they joined the children to welcome more visitors, after which we had dinner. Zach and Diana had us all in stitches as they told the story of how they met. The Kenyans were blown away by the story, since dating/courtship is very different in this culture.

After dinner, they went to spend time reading to the children.

Tomorrow morning, Diana's teaching an aerobic exercise class to all the ladies while Zach is taking the men out for some exercise. Then it's back to construction and time with the children. They'll write an update sometime on Saturday.

They're all doing wonderfully! Though they've only been here two days, they've found a way into the hearts of this community, and vice versa. And they've brought laughter, which has been a tremendous blessing.

Please pray for them as they sleep tonight, that they'd sleep through the jet-lag-induced-waking-up-at-3-am.

Chelsea Bentley: Bwana asifiwe!

Bwana asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!) I think this is my new favorite Kiswahili phrase. I have had so much to praise the Lord for over the past week and a half since I departed from the US for Kenya. I don't think I have even fully recognized all the wonderful ways that God has blessed me since leaving home. I was so scared when I left last Wednesday, but God has given me so much peace and provision that I simply cannot be afraid anymore.

The blessings began as soon as I set foot in the airport in Rochester. My suitcases were too heavy and were going to cost over $1,000 to get to Kenya, so I had to take some things out of them to get the weight down. The requirement was 50lbs. but the man at the check in desk allowed me to check both of my suitcases at 5 lbs. over the limit. On top of that blessing, my mom explained to a lady that I was leaving for Africa for the summer, and since she didn't want to see my mom cry, she gave her a pass to get her and my grandma all the way to my gate to say goodbye to me.

Flying was completely insane, and God must have been carrying the planes the whole way. I think my flight into DC went right through the middle of a big storm cloud! In spite of delays and rerouting, God provided me with traveling companions so that I wasn't stranded alone in an airport in Zurich as I waited to be rerouted to Amsterdam and then to Nairobi.

When I arrived in Nairobi, my luggage was all lost, including the carry-on that I had to check in Zurich, which had all of my medicines in it. I could not find the person who was supposed to be meeting me, but some nice man at the information desk called the ELI office and managed to put me in contact with Alex so that I could get out of the airport. The most important two pieces of my luggage (the carry-on and the big one with my clothes and personal items in it) arrived that night, so I could take them with me to Eldoret and then to Ilula the next day.

In the week that I have been in Ilula, the children, parents, and staff have been such a blessing to me. They are so patient with my shortcomings and understanding of the fact that I was really missing my home and feeling somewhat lost in this strange new place. God has been with me every step of the way, and his Word and his Holy Spirit have been my constant comfort and companion as I take each step on this journey that God has set out for me. I can do nothing but stand in awe and praise God when I look at the children and their joy in the simplest things in life.

The Kenyans have a custom of thanking God for everything in their lives and recognizing each blessing that they have been given, and I have learned much from this and from each of them. God is so good, and I praise him because he created these people and this land and sent me here to be a blessing and to be blessed by them. Bwana asifiwe!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Megan Hoffman- More from the KK Children's Home

It has been quite a long time since my last blog entry! So much has been happening here that it is hard to believe I only have about 3 weeks left before returning home to California. One of my favorite moments with the kids has been to go into their rooms at night and say goodnight to them. Usually this entails answering tons of questions about what life is like in America. I have noticed that the boys here are especially curious. They have lots of questions and are so eager to learn! These kids amaze me with their desire to learn new things.
On another topic, I am constantly being challenged in my faith here. I feel like every day is a new instance where I am in awe of God. He has brought up so many amazing conversations, and He has challenged me through scripture and time spent listening to Him. I feel like each day the scripture I read is brought up in conversation, or is applicable to a situation I am going through. God is certainly preparing me, and challenging me to take my faith to a deeper level.
I feel so blessed to be here. My main prayer request is that I will make the most of the rest of my time here. That I will be able to discern what God would like me to accomplish each day, and that I will have the strength and the courage to follow through.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

APU: Safe and Sound

I'll have to team write a post tomorrow, but just wanted to let everyone know that they had made it safely to Kenya. All their luggage came, too. After about 40 hours of traveling (including nine hours on a very bumpy road) they were VERY tired tonight, but still in great spirits. Zach was saying how proud he was of them for not complaining about the road even once today.

Right now, they're all in bed and hopefully already fast asleep.

More from them tomorrow.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

On Safari


On Safari
Originally uploaded by Boyznberry
Photos of the interns' safari to Lake Nakuru yesterday. Click on this photo to see more.