Salem: Saying good-bye

The team wrote a somewhat detailed report today at lunch about the last few days. But due to a technical glitch, I lost the entry.

So, as they're currently at the airport (they should be at their gate as I'm typing this), I'll just conclude with some quotes from dinner conversation tonight - 

• Several team members kissed giraffes this morning. You'll have to get the scoop from them!
• Going to the market to buy souvenirs was  quite an experience. Tim described the vendors' enthusiasm to serve them as "like piranhas going for fresh meat"!
• Derick is thinking of starring in "Farmer wants a wife." OK, not really. But he's been told by a Kenyan couple that once their baby gets born, if it's a girl, he can marry her. So the team might re-unite in Kenya in 20 years.
• For dinner, the team sampled crocodile, guineafowl, camel, and had lots of other good meat and salads. They all decided that the camel was not too good. It may take a person the entire flight to Amsterdam to chew one bite.

They really had an amazing time in our village, and we were blessed to have them. We look forward to seeing the future results of their work, especially in terms of the farmers' coop that was started this week!

Thank you for each of you who were a part of this journey through your support and prayers.

Salem: Sunday

Sorry about the gap between the last blog as we have been out all day the last 2 on projects and field trip tours to farms. Doug, Deric and Tim were able to go onto their first farm tours on Thursday after the successful seminars had ended. We were taken to two farms by David, the Kipkaren Center director, and traversed some extremely rough road with breath taking natural beauty. The first stop was at the farm of Samson who farms 31 acres of Maize and pastures for his family. With the extreme increase in fertilizers we felt in the US market, so has the cost of fertilizers in Kenya, and a number of growers here had decided to use less and some no fertilizer at all, thus their maize crops range from good to poor. The fear here is that as the crop is being harvested currently and it being short, there may be some big issues of running out of food this coming March. Meanwhile, as we toured Samson’s farm, we were able to pull a soil sample from 2 of his fields and our hope is to bring them back to the USA to be analyzed for actual nutrients in their soil to help them increase productivity. Samson was greatly appreciative of our help and talk of starting a new coop and we were blessed with a wonderful Kenyan lunch in his home made of thatch roofing and mud walls. The other farms we visited and spoke to were given some added hope as the desire to form this cooperative and gaining new “farming practices” motivated all the growers we met with. We were also able to get some samples of their feeds to bring home and have analyzed for actual nutritional content as the bags they buy have “no” information. Please pray that the Lord will help us be able to bring these samples into our customs and be able to come into the USA. The agriculture staff was greatly encouraged by all we experienced and saw and have definitely sensed that God has opened a door to help the Kenyans succeed in producing and storing more food for their people. We’ve all sensed that these people want to work and are willing to try some new things as they have been kept in the dark about new technologies over the last number of years. Friday, Tim had an opportunity to teach the ag students in their classroom for 3 hours and did some practical applications in the experiment garden as well as soil sampling techniques in the afternoon. He was amazed at their ability to take notes and he appreciated their questions and class participation.

Thursday evening after a busy day being involved in a variety of things we were divided into 2 groups and had dinner in local homes. We had good meals and interesting conversation. We continue to learn more of the Kenyan culture along with individual stories of a way of life that can be difficult to comprehend. God has done amazing things in so many lives and situations and it is humbling to hear. Unfortunately Vickie spent the day very ill but she is OK now and everyone else is well.

The First Aid/CPR training finished well this morning. Jenn did a great job teaching and modifying as needed as we did not have the usual equipment such as mannequins to practice on. We practiced most of the skills on the cement floor and used rolled up blankets and benches to practice the compression skills of CPR! The students were very involved, asked good questions and had fun while at it. Those who completed all the classes were given certificates of completion. Linda did a teaching session Thursday afternoon and will finish up on Monday. Friday was a holiday here and six of us went with many of the staff and students to another ELI location in Illula for a day of competition between the two centers. The morning included both men and women’s volleyball games and in the afternoon we enjoyed the men’s football (soccer) match. It was quite a good game and Fred was invited to play on the Kipkaren team and did well. He even got in a couple great head shots! Afterwards we stopped in the bustling town of Eldoret for dinner and some brief shopping in one of the markets. The roads can be a bit harrowing but we had an excellent driver and all went well.

Salem: Wednesday

Greetings from Kipkaren! The pastors and agricultural seminars were completed today with great success. Fred has been playing soccer with the staff and students – No injuries yet, there is a game with another training center on Friday so Injuries could be pending-please pray! Fred spoke at the children’s home today and led the children in singing "I’ve Got Peace Like A River". Fred and Jen have new friends from the children’s home, Bonyface, a five year old and Viola who is about 8. Here are some pictures and updates on the team.

Doug was able to help the farmers of Kipkaren to begin their new co-op. Thirty-one were in attendance and all signed up and 14 paid their membership fees! Tim was able to share a cost vs. return on Maize (corn) today and stirred up a number of good questions. Tim will look for options for new fertilizer uses after he pulls some soil samples from a number of farmers and gets the results from a USA lab.


The Pastor’s convention ended with 38 of them graduating and this will be celebrated at a service tonight after dinner. The pastor’s were greatly encouraged and empowered and given a great deal of encouragement through fellowship. Super Linguist H and Fred did a great job of sharing and teaching. God has really moved in a mighty way in the pastor’s conference. The pastor’s were so excited and encouraged by the seminars.


Vicky was invited to Miriam’s home for a nice visit and made chocolate chip cookies for lunch, yum. Vicky and Jenn taught Miriam how to make chili and banana bread. Most excellent feast for tonight.


Linda had an opportunity to go on her first home visit with a couple of woman from the home care team and went on an extended journey on foot over the river (literally) and through the banana patches to a young lady how has been suffering greatly from a bone and joint disease. The good news was the patient was definitely feeling better as the medication she was recently put on was helping. On her way home, Linda was blessed by seeing a number of lovely children at a school who gave her all their attention. The walk was 6 miles round trip but she had a great time seeing some of the back country and had the chance to greet many lovely Kenyans along the way.

Here are some pictures from our arrival.

Arriving at our destination in Kipkaren after two days of traveling!

Children's Home welcomes the team when we arrived.

Salem Update: Tuesday

Everything is going well. The last day of both seminars is tomorrow so our hectic schedule will slow some. They both are being well received and well attended exceeding what they expected.

God’s Word is being taught and the discussion in the pastor’s seminar has been rich. Fred and H are an awesome team.


The Ag seminar was great today with Tim and Deric both sharing about their Ag experiences with lots of questions by the farmers. Tomorrow they are going to try to form a cooperative; Doug’s job is to lead them through the formation, with trust of their own people being a big issue for them.



Jenn was feeling better today and had her 1st training session today with an overflow group. She will teach each morning all week. Linda gave a training session today and worked in the clinic.

Vickie has been busy with the cooks and visiting with the Kenyan women and children. The team is just finishing the nightly devotional with all 96 of the children at the children’s home. It is awesome to hear the children sing and share their testimonies.





Please continue to pray for strength for the team as we finish the seminars tomorrow. Doug is still having some altitude sickness issues but is doing better.

Pray for the hearts to remain open as God works in each of our lives as well as the Kenyan people's lives.

Salem: Update 1

Dear friends and family,

We apologize for the delay in getting this out to you. We arrived safely in Kipkaren on Friday to an amazing ELI welcome. There were about 200 children and adults from the center waiting to welcome us with singing and dancing. It made us feel like royalty and we were all teary eyed by the end.

Since then we have settled in to our nice cottages – much better accommodations then we expected. The food has been good and we have been made to feel very welcome and appreciated.

For the most part, everyone is feeling well although Doug and Jenn have been dealing with upset stomachs and a little light headed, that we attribute to the higher elevation.

On Sunday, Tim and H gave the sermon and the rest of us participated in small ways including performing a team song (I know some of you are laughing at this!) We were treated to an amazing display of talented singing and dancing by the children, almost like the African Children’s Choir only from the Kipkaren village! The entire service lasted two and a half hours.

Today Fred and H taught the pastoral seminar to 24 pastors and it was well received. Tim and Deric went into town to hunt for what Ag supplies are available. Doug taught about cooperative to over 80 farmers which was well received. Both seminars will continue tomorrow and Wednesday.

Linda and Jenn met with Michelle from the medical clinic to plan the week’s schedule of teaching opportunities and then spent some time at the clinic this afternoon. Linda had an opportunity to accompany Kiptoo (an RN) and a few others to the public school up the road to invite some of the teachers to the First Aid training that will begin tomorrow.

Vickie spent the day taking pictures of the seminars and working with the cooks.

We are all enjoying being here and are learning much about the Kenyan culture. We are enjoying many opportunities to minister to and build relationships with the people and we are being ministered to also.

Please pray for health and stamina as we are keeping a busy schedule in a different culture and that our hearts and the Kenyan hearts remain open. We hope all is well with those of you back home and we are praying for you also.

Worth Reading

I found this insightful article on short-term missions trips by a friend of a friend. It's absolutely worth reading.

Update from the Northside Crew

This week has been filled with joys and challenges. Our team taught our lessons 9 times in 3 days, which was very tiring. None of us are accustomed to doing this but the great thing is that the youth have loved what God has spoken through us. It is worth every bit of it because of the fruit that has come of the lessons. We anxiously wait to see all the youth that have come forward to be baptized tomorrow. Please pray for these youth as they have committed to a change of life, following Christ.
We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with the kids at the Children’s Home. The smiles and the joy that shine from their face are so encouraging to us. All we want to do is pick them up and hold them. It brings us great joy to see the happiness in their lives. You would never know that their biological parents have all died. They are loved by their “house parents” just like they are their own.
Please pray for us as we are tired from this busy week. We are beginning our next journey to Uganda on Monday morning so please pray for safety in travel and health. I am anxious to see what God has in store for us while we are their. Also, please keep our family members in your prayers. We miss our spouses, children, and other family and friends a lot. It’s hard to be away from them for so long.
We love you and are praying for you as well. May God bless you and use you.
Tommy Kemboi Corrao

Northside- Loving the Youth Camp!

Jambo Friends and Family!
We have just finished day 2 of the Youth Camp. What a blessing to us! We have each taught the same lesson 8 times (except for me, I was sick yesterday). The youth range in age 12-31. They listen attentively but it is difficult to engage them in conversation in a group. But get one or two alone with you and they start asking lots of questions! It is fun! Today I tried to explain why someone my age (the age of a go go – grandmother) doesn’t have grey hair! Somehow “miss Clairol” didn’t make any sense!
The youth treat us like celebrities. They love to have their picture taken with us. Truly, they humble us by treating us so well! God is good and He is teaching us much about Himself and His love.
Thank you for your continued prayer coverage. It is so important to us. Soon we will be sharing many stories and photos with us. Blessings! Love, Cheryl for the team

Northside Crew: Discovering Kenya!

Dear family and friends, we are so thrilled to share with you what we’ve been up to in the last couple of days. We hope this information finds you all in good health and spirits, and we want to let you know that you are in our thoughts and prayers each day, too. Here’s a quick update:

•Tommy has enjoyed getting reunited with all of his old friends from this area, and everywhere we go people seem to know his name. Yesterday afternoon at the children’s home, he performed his famous “dinosaur” which includes a goofy face and roaming around like a raptor in the midst of the kids. They all love when he does it, and start running, laughing and screaming all around the campus. As you know, whenever Tommy can get kids to laugh, he’s happy, too.

•Cheryl had the opportunity to visit the wonderful well baby clinic here in Kipkaren and spent the morning with Michelle, the staff member/nurse in charge of that program. This was one of the portions of the trip that she was most looking forward to, and Cheryl was overjoyed to see that most of the babies she helped undress and weigh were very healthy, happy babies with chubby cheeks and loving mothers. When the rest of the team came to take a tour of the clinic and then head back to lunch, Cheryl really didn’t seem like she wanted to leave…she was truly in her element there.

•Rock has truly been a hit with the kids since we’ve arrived, teaching them how to salute and sing songs like “Amen”. It is a kick to see him standing amidst a group of children that are almost the same in height as he is, just enjoying each other’s company and smiling and laughing. He has been enjoying every single experience here, often commenting on how quickly the time is going by. He especially had an adventurous time playing futbol (soccer) with the kids from the children’s home…his muddy pants were evidence of the several spills he took while running alongside his new friends.

•Sarah had the privilege of leading a devotional time with the children at the children’s home just before dinner. After they sang several worship songs and recited their memory verses, she shared the story of Zacchaeus with them. It was evident that they knew the story, but the children were excited to learn the motions and song about the “wee little man.” She and the rest of the team had the privilege of eating dinner with each of the families from the children’s home…and with their 24 children. It was a great time of sharing and fellowship!

•Barron has been taking in the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of Kenya. We joke with him that he’s not fully ready to face the day until he get’s his “Folder’s Fix” but he seems to really enjoy every experience that we’ve had here. Yesterday, he got the opportunity to make a home visit to see a woman named Betty who shared her testimony on her life as an HIV positive woman here. It was a blessed time of fellowship, and Barron was able to offer words of encouragement, share his own testimony with her, and even join in the singing of “Amazing Grace.” He and Tommy have also been making each other break out in fits of laughter throughout the trip, and the guys have just been bonding. As with everyone else, he wants to let the members of his beautiful family know that they are loved and missed.

•Thank you to all of you for your continued support, prayers and encouragement. God is protecting us, blessing us, and teaching us about His love and His people here in Kenya.

Update From Kit

Hey Everyone,
This past week in Kenya has proven to be just as exciting as the weeks prior, only with a little more variety in the forms of patient care that I have been given the chance to render.
My first patient of the week was a six year old boy who arrived with a pencil eraser lodged in his left ear. True to the nature of a six year old, this boy did not alert his family of the eraser until a month had passed and the pain from the infection became unbearable. Needless to say, the child was not excited about us removing the eraser; it took four nurses to hold this boy down while another nurse removed the foreign body. The procedure was successful, and the child was much happier once the eraser was removed (or maybe he was just happy that he would not have to see us anymore, I'm not sure which one, but I'll go ahead and choose believe the former).
I was also given the opportunity to work with a child from an Internally Displaced People's (IDP) camp. This child and his family had lost their home and most of their possessions in the post-election violence earlier this year. At the IDP camp, this child fell into a fire and received a badly burnt scalp as a result. Burn wounds have a way of looking . . . . well, not so nice. My stomach turned a little when I first witnessed the wound, but then I began to think how God's stomach turns when He views my sin and the way it destroys and harms me, yet He still came down from Heaven to help me in my destitute plight, and perhaps in a more real and tangible way than it ever had before, it occurred to me that in order for us to effectively reveal the love of Christ to others, we will have to "get our hands dirty" and do things that may make us feel uncomfortable. It also occurred to me that it is such an honor for someone of my stature and character to be included in the healing work that God is doing. Fortunately for us, God does not leave us alone to do His work, rather He supplies His supernatural grace, compassion and mercy within our hardened hearts so that we may be effective for His purposes (see Phil. 2:12-13). I may be reading too much into this scenario, but I think that it is a small but valid example of the work that God calls us to. As to the condition of the patient: the healing process will be painful, but he should make a full recovery within two months.

O for the P

Those who have worked in oppressed and impoverished areas will often speak of the impossible choices people face here. For example: a single mother with hungry children, one of whom has Malaria, only has enough money for food or medication, and is faced with an impossible choice. Does she feed her hungry children and hope that the sick child will be healed? Or does she buy the medicine while her and her children spend yet another night in hunger (which leads to a whole other set of epidemiological problems). The choices are impossible. Dr. Paul Farmer of Partners in Health states that the purpose of his organization is to create a preferential option for the poor, or an "O for the P," in which choices for the poor would no longer be impossible -- the sick mother would be able to feed her family and buy her sick child medicine.
In the village of Kipkaren where the choices are often impossible, Empowering Lives International has introduced a preferential option for the poor. Case in point: I have been given the opportunity to give daily insulin injections to an 18 year old girl who suffers from Type 1 Diabetes. This girl previously lived with two alcoholic parents who cared nothing of her ailments and let her condition worsen to the point where she became severely malnourished and blind. What was this child to do? Leave home and try to fend for herself, or stay at home and slowly deteriorate? Fortunately ELI has introduced a new option by giving her a safe place to live, food to eat, and proper medical care. It is in situations such as this that I become extremely grateful and honored to assist an organization like ELI.
Well, I know that I have written more of a short story as opposed to a blog entry, so this is where I will sign off. I again say thank you to you all for your continued prayers and support.
-Kit

Northside Church Checkin In

From Cheryl- Jambo, family and friends! We are all safe and very happy, almost rested up. Sarah and I have had some good rest, not so sure about the guys. This is an amazing place, so different than I had envisioned. My little round hut is awesome – electricity and running water! The people are so kind and anxious to please us. And, almost everyone speaks good English. Worship today was so wonderful! I got some great videos of the children singing. Please keep praying – there is much more to see and experience. Tuesday I get to go to the well baby clinic – I can’t wait. But it will be wonderful and heartbreaking! Thank you all for your love and support. Ps –Ray, Tim, Eric, Ken, and Kim, and Tara! I really miss you – being apart from you is the only bad part. I love you and am showing everyone your photos!

From Sarah- Chamgay, dear family and friends. Our team is getting ready to head to bed on the first full day here in Kipkaren, Kenya. It would be impossible to describe the beauty, majesty and wonders we’ve already seen here at this ELI site. Our accommodations are so lovely because we are staying in the newly built cottages, complete with running water and electricity (within feet of the Kipkaren River)…except Cheryl and I have missed out on having lights and warm showers. Hundreds of beautifully colored birds woke us up with their singing. I will never forget the reception we got when we stepped off of the matatu (small bus) when we arrived here. There were around 90 children with the rest of the staff standing out in the cold, muddy evening. They were singing songs about Jesus and wanted to shake all of our hands or give us hugs. In addition to the scenery, there is just so much that is going through my mind about these faithful children and people whose love for God is more obvious than most anything else about them. I am so thankful to have been given this opportunity, and very thankful to all of you for your prayers and financial support. I wish you could be here to see it all, but for now…we just wanted to let you know that we are safe and blessed here in Kenya.

From Barron- Hi Lovely Wife and Beautiful Daughters, I miss and love you guys very much and look forward to seeing your pretty faces again. God is showing us amazing things and preparing us with each step we take leading up to the Youth Camp which starts Wednesday. The Church service was unbelievable this morning; worship was great they love to sign and are very good at it. I have a lot of things to share with you when I get back also a lot of great pictures. Love You Guys So Much and will write back in a few days.

From Rock- o Jambo family and friends. How great is our God here in Kenya, Africa Kipkaren Training center GREAAAAAAAAT! God’s children and staff here big hearts and they love the Lord. I see Amy Carmichael every where I go and the things I see take me back to “A Chance to Die For” by Elisabeth Elliot. Thank you so very much my Jennifer Lynn for helping me get ready for this missions trip. I have seen the work of the Lord everywhere and how his love for the world is blessing the life’s of Kenya’s beautiful people. I will share with you everything I see here after I return. I will never be the same person after my return to the USA. I asked the Lord how much do you love me? His answer: John 3:16 and he brought me here to see this beautiful land of Africa. Keep praying for our team and the people here and the little children. My SSG I will forever and always keep you in my heart, my dreams, and memories! Take care and God Bless Semperfi! Rock Mambo Sawa, We will see who is dancing like hot shrimp fajitas Jenn!!!

Update From Kit

I am just checking in with news from yet another exciting week in Kenya. This past week saw me partaking in my usual routine at the clinic: giving immunizations to babies and then watching those babies give me an utterly perturbed facial expression that seems to inquire as to why I would be so nice to them, and then a few minutes later stick them with a needle. Oh the quandaries and enigmas of early childhood . . . Last week I wrote of a mother who was stabbed seven times by her mentally handicapped son. I have since spoken to the ELI staff about this, and we have arranged for one of ELI's pastors and social workers to further investigate this situation and decide the next course of action. More on this story as it develops.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go with 100 of the children from Kipkaren Children's Home on an informal "Safari Sunday." We saw much of the countryside as we hiked to a local waterfall. The sights were incredible; I have never seen such beautiful land before. Our "Safari Sunday" ended with a moderate rainstorm as we all sought refuge in a local's barn. Life in Kenya has yet to be boring and lacking in surprises.
My Internet availability today is slightly less than normal, so I will close now in saying thank you again to all who have supported me in prayer through this time.
-Kit





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Update from Kit

I am just checking in with news from yet another exciting week in Kenya. This past week saw me partaking in my usual routine at the clinic: giving immunizations to babies and then watching those babies give me an utterly perturbed facial expression that seems to inquire as to why I would be so nice to them, and then a few minutes later stick them with a needle. Oh the quandaries and enigmas of early childhood . . .

Last week I wrote of a mother who was stabbed seven times by her mentally handicapped son. I have since spoken to the ELI staff about this, and we have arranged for one of ELI's pastors and social workers to further investigate this situation and decide the next course of action. More on this story as it develops.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go with 100 of the children from Kipkaren Children's Home on an informal "Safari Sunday." We saw much of the countryside as we hiked to a local waterfall. The sights were incredible; I have never seen such beautiful land before. Our "Safari Sunday" ended with a moderate rainstorm as we all sought refuge in a local's barn. Life in Kenya has yet to be boring and lacking in surprises.

My Internet availability today is slightly less than normal, so I will close now in saying thank you again to all who have supported me in prayer through this time.

-Kit

News from Kit: August 4, Week 3

Hey all,

I am just writing in with an update from my third week in Kenya. Thus far, life in the east is going really well. I attended another HIV/AIDS campaign this past weekend in which I participated in a 10k race. It was my goal to not get lapped three times, and it is safe to say that I did not meet that goal, in fact I wasn't even close. I believe that I was lapped around seven times. I did however finish the race (I would have rather died than quit), and while at the beginning of the race I heard my fair share of mzungu (white) comments, the end of the race held many encouraging comments from the crowd such as: "Do not surrender!" and "Don't worry, the Kalinjin are the world's best runners." Upon finishing the race, I felt as if I had been set on fire, and then promptly extinguished with a pitchfork. All in all, the race was a success and I will always remember the day I ran against some of the fastest runners in the world.

On a more serious note, my work at the clinic has been going quite well. Last Wednesday, some of the ELI health staff and I hosted a mobile antenatal and Maternal and Child Health clinic in a village a small distance away from our Chebaiywa clinic. I think that my favorite part of the day was when I administered an intradermal injection to a screaming six month old baby during a heavy rainstorm in which all of the mothers and their children packed into our small work station in order to seek refuge from the downpour. I guess you never know quite what to expect when working in the field, though you are however guaranteed that it will not be boring.

Perhaps one of the issues that has laid heavy upon my heart has been a patient that I had the privilege of meeting a couple days ago. She is a single mother who is only able to walk with the assistance of a cane. Her eldest son is mentally handicapped, and has frequent outbursts of rage. During his last outburst, he jumped upon his mother (who was unable to escape due to her walking condition) and stabbed her seven times with a stick, which consequently was the reason for her visit to our clinic. Fortunately, she will recover from her wounds, but in a town with an obsolete mental health system, this mother is left to live in fear of her first-born son. I am currently working with the ELI staff in order to determine the best method in which we will be able to assist this mother, which to me, further underlines the importance of the developmental work that ELI is conducting in Kenya. The value of having a local Kenyan staff who care about the condition of their community and are willing to invest themselves for the benefit of those who are suffering around them cannot be expressed in monetary terms.

It is now time for me to depart as my time slot for Internet availability is nearing a close. Thank you again to all who have continued to pray for me during my time in Kenya; your prayers are much appreciated.
-Kit

Exciting Update

Well, in less than 24 hours I’ll be on a plane heading to my beloved Kenya! It’s been a whirlwind past month and I wanted to update you before I left to catch you up on some exciting things going on in my life and to ask for your prayers.

Michael Blaser: Yep, that’s right – I met someone! God has brought the most amazing man into my life and our past month and a half of dating have been a gift straight from heaven. Michael went to Kenya with ELI in May and I conveniently got to help plan his trip. Though I thought he was amazing before he left, God didn’t let the sparks start flying for either us until right as he returned. As I talked with him to debrief his trip the day after he returned, I found a kindred heart that I have never connected with in such a powerful way. Michael is such a man after God’s own heart! He is deeply in love with Jesus and loves His people so sincerely. He’s a lover through and through and he has definitely won my heart. He’s goofy, totally fun, extremely caring, gentle, deep, passionate, humble, a leader, and so much more. Everything about him and our relationship is beyond my wildest dreams and imagination and I have sensed God’s peace, leading, spirit, and favor over us in a way I’ve never experienced before. So needless to say, we’re really excited for what God has in store for us and the journey ahead.

Michael and I at the play Wicked. I highly reccomend it- such a powerful play!!!


Goofing off at a park with bubbles.

WOTH Retreat: What a joy to watch God refresh, heal, restore, and love on His precious daughters on this retreat. We had women attending who serve in 48 different countries around the world! Wow, talk about a powerful weekend to minister into the nations as we ministered to these mighty servants. I was amazed at how many women showed up to the retreat totally burned-out, depressed, depleted, hurting, lonely, and dry. But as we loved them throughout our time together, prayed with them, listened to them, pampered them, and asked God to minister to them, I watched Him breath hope, life, joy, peace, and energy back into his tired vessels.

The massage time was powerful for me! I massaged for 5 hours straight each day and was amazed at how much strength God gave me to persevere and finish strong. Thank you for your prayers – He definitely answered! One interaction stands out to me that I want to share with you as an encouragement. As I massaged one woman, I asked the Lord what His heart was for her. This is what He said to me:

“Kierra, you know how your heart has overflowed with love for Michael so much that it’s gotten to the point where you feel like it’s going to burst? Where the love you feel for him is too much to contain inside you and you feel like you might explode and it almost hurts? Well, that’s only the tip of the iceburg of what I feel for this daughter of mine. My heart is overflowing with more love for her than I can contain. And this is how it’s felt since the day she was born and how it will continue to feel into all eternity. For though human love comes and goes and has heights and lows, my love remains constant. I never fall out of love with my children and the intensity of my love never changes.”

Wow, I was blown away as I heard that. And the amazing thing is that this is how he feels about you and me and every other person in this world. Now if that’s not enough to put a smile in your heart today, I don’t know what is J.

Hope Walks: I’ve mentioned in past updates that we’re holding an event called Hope Walks on November 1st to raise money for our kids in D.R. Congo. Basically, it’s an opportunity for kids here to raise money and walk on behalf of orphans and vulnerable children affected by the AIDS crisis in Africa. It’s a fundraising and awareness building day that we’re hoping will also unite churches and the community of Brea. I encourage you to read more about it at www.hopewalks.org/brea. And I also encourage you to be involved! If you live near the Brea area (Southern California), you can register to walk online and join us for a fun day! Or, if you’re unable to attend, you can sponsor me to walk at www.active.com/donate/hopewalksbrea/KHiggin16. Or, if you work for a company that might be interested in sponsoring the walk, you can give them the attached letter. We are looking for event sponsors right now to help us cover the cost of the event so that all money raised by the kids and other walkers can go straight to Africa without paying for any overhead. We’re hoping to raise about $9000 from event sponsors, so please talk to your companies, or pass this info on to others who might be interested. Let me know if you have any other questions, and feel free to pass my contact info to others. Thanks so much!

Kenya and D.R. Congo: As I leave for Africa tomorrow, I have a sense that God is inviting me on a 6-week honeymoon with him (others have told me this as well as they’ve been praying for me). I am excited to go and dive into depths of a friendship with him that I have yet to enter. I have such a deep desire to grow in my friendship and intimacy with Him right now and am excited to have six weeks away to do just that. I’m also excited to serve, love on our staff and kids, host the team coming, etc, but mostly I’m looking forward to soaking in God. I’ve felt Him say that this trip isn’t so much about going to “do” for Him, but to go and “be” with him. In John 15, Jesus says to His disciples, “I no longer call you servants, but friends.” In the past, I’ve always gone to Africa with the mindset of a servant, but this time I hear God inviting me to come as a friend. Jesus’ ministry flowed out of an intimate friendship with God – not just trying to do a bunch of things FOR God. That’s my desire as well. So please pray for me as He leads you in this! I would also love prayers for my health and protection (especially as I travel to D.R. Congo in Sept).

Thanks friends- I treasure you so much and truly love walking this journey with you!

p.s. My recent trip to Hawaii with our SuDance team was awesome as well! We had great conversations with people, sparked quite a bit of interest in our ministry in Sudan, and had great fellowship time in God’s creation! I think my highlight was swimming with sea turtles one morning as we snorkeled!

Diana and I at the beach in front of our hotel.

News from Kit: July 29, Week 2

Hey Everyone,

I'm just checking in for my second update from Kenya. Thus far, my trip has been anything but boring. Last week I ended my letter by saying that I was coming down with a small fever. Well, that fever turned out to be to be the flu, which left me bedridden for several days. I am happy report though that I am now well and able to walk again.

This week, I was given the opportunity to travel to a local rain forest for a day and a night. The wildlife there is amazing. Alwin (another intern) and I decided to go for a hike into the forest on a trail that was only to be traversed with a guide. Naturally, Alwin and I did the trail guideless, and all was going well, until we were ambushed by a pack of monkeys (do monkeys travel in packs? I don't know...). We thought we were sneeking up on one monkey to get a good picture when suddenly there was a large "crashing" sound coming through the bushes towards us accompanied by loud monkey chattering. Alwin and I slowly backed up until we noticed the chattering was now much louder and had encircled us. "Oh no," I thought, "they've encircled us, we've walked right into their trap!" We both began to just slowly walk away, and alas, I lived to tell the tail (Alwin lived too). All in all, the trip to the rain forest was incredible.

On a slightly more serious note, I was able to attend the HIV/AIDS campaign this past Saturday. The campaign hosts various community games and activities as a means of introducing the the village to volunteers who will be providing free HIV/AIDS testing in their area in the near future. For those who test positive, free Anti-Retro Viral Therapy and counseling will be given. This Saturday, I will be attending another campaign in which I will compete in a 10,000m race. When I look at the stature of the Kenyans I will compete against and the 120lbs that encompasses their body weight, my goal is to not get lapped. . . . . . . 3 times.

Tomorrow, I will resume my normal duties at the Chebaiywa Health Clinic. Tuesdays and Thursdays are our MCH days, so expect to continue giving many immunization shots to newborns. I feel that it is such an honor to be involved in the healing work that God is doing western Kenya.

I hope to have some of my pictures posted there in the next couple of days. I hope that all is well with you all. Thank you for your continued support and prayer, they are most definitely appreciated!
-Kit

News from Kit: July 18, Week 1

My trip to Kenya has been fairly exciting thus far. The adventure began when my baggage containing my clothes and medical supplies was lost in transit. I have since received the lost luggage; oh the joy that a fresh T-shirt (among other things) can bring.

My time has mostly been spent at the Chebaiywo health clinic. My patients have mostly been suffering from malaria and typhoid, though yesterday I received a patient suffering from a possible fractured tibia due to domestic violence from an alcoholic father. ELI has a program that is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, so I will keep you posted on the family's condition.

Perhaps one of the more surprising things that I have learned about myself during my time in Kenya is that I apparently have hairy arms. It is not uncommon for me to have a child run over to me solely for the purpose of petting my arms.

I am also very impressed with my house parents, Ezekiel and Noella, at the orphanage where I am staying. Ezekiel and Noella are such a incredible parents to their 26 children, and have made me feel as if I am part of their family. There is one orphan in their family that I have been given the pleasure of meeting named Patrick. Patrick's mother died from HIV/AIDS, and when his grandmother could not care for him, she dumped him off in the bush (wilderness) to die. Patrick survived until a someone found him nearly dead due to his infection with HIV/AIDS. He is now staying at the ELI Children's Home where he has regained his health and is currently undergoing Anti-RetroViral Therapy. Patrick has also been given the opportunity to attend school and receive a free education. I have yet to see a child so filled with joy.

Currently, I am preparing to take part in a campaign that will host various games as a means of promoting free HIV/AIDS testing, however I awoke this morning with a fever, so I may have to wait for next week to attend another campaign. Thank you all again for the your continued prayer and support.

Kwaheri,

-Kit

Kit ended up being in bed and out of commission for four days! He's doing well now. He caught a flu bug that's been making the rounds in our village. This weekend, Kit will be able to join another AIDS campaign, and should be able to post an update again next Monday. ~Adele

NewSong Comprehensive Team Update

Wednesday, July 9
Diann led a spiritual formation time with the children’s home house parents specifically dealing with anger. This was followed by all four team members dividing the parents by gender, men with men, women with women, to discuss adolescent development issues specific to the gender. These development concerns are just beginning to be seen at the Kipkaren River Children’s Home and the parents are searching for effective ways to talk about them with the children.

Dan concluded a devotional experience by taking the older children on a treasure hunt teaching them to use a compass. The children were delighted to find the hidden treasure of a soccer ball and a jump rope.

Duke finished working on a game he had taught the children. He and Diann had to paint 96 sets of four rocks as playing pieces. Now each child has his/her own distinctive set.

Peggy finished helping Adele, our team hostess; sew colorful curtains for the guest rooms we stayed in.

Following staff devotions at 4:00 p.m., the team enjoyed dinner with Michelle and William Kiprop, staff members of ELI, and heard the story of the chaotic journey of their first 9 months of marriage.

Duke and Peggy met with another Kenyan couple who are recently married and searching for ways to bring diverse backgrounds into a healthy marriage.

Thursday, July 10
Following a breakfast time debriefing with Adele, Dan met with the headmaster and his assistant at the Brook of Faith Primary School to search out ways to improve the traditional methods of educational practice in the school and to plan for the development of a secondary school. This meeting was followed by a lengthy discussion on the same topic with Training Center Director, David Tarus. Together they examined solutions to bringing more financial support to the schools.

Diann, Duke, and Peggy went walking with Stone and Wilson, two ELI staff members who work with the ministry to alcoholics. They heard their stories and were able to meet with and encourage some recovered alcoholics. One lady who has come out of alcoholism and accepted the Lord as her savior stated that since the day she let Jesus into her life 6 months ago, neither she nor her children have gone hungry. That is an amazing testimony since she brewed alcohol to have money for food.

In the afternoon, Diann and Peggy attended a fun party for 30 women of the ELI staff put on by Juli and Allison, American staff members working in health care. It was a great time of celebrating each woman and encouraging them in their work they do for ELI.

When the afternoon rains started, the team received the affirmations of the training center, children’s home, and primary school staff in a farewell service. They are such a gracious and loving people. We were also able to share our closing thoughts with them letting them know how our lives had been affected because of their lives, work, and testimonies. This service was followed by a tearful goodbye from all the children in the orphanage. So many hugs!

Friday, July 11
We left the training center at 6:45 a.m. for an Indiana Jones style ride over slippery, rutted, rock filled roads to the airport. Adele’s skillful driving got us there 25 minutes before the plane left the ground. Upon arrival in Nairobi, Micah who is a trainer in the Dynamic Business Start-Up Project, served as our driver and took us to an orphan baby elephant rescue center where we witnessed 12 ranging in ages from 2 to 22 months be bottle fed and played with. We heard the sad stories of how they were orphaned, many by poachers, and how they would be trained for their return to the wild at age 3.

In the afternoon after settling into our rooms at the Mayfield Guesthouse, Duke and Peggy went on a walk exploring a farmer’s market and AIDS rescue clinic, Diann took a needed nap, and Dan spent 3 hours at an elite private high school once again exploring how Kenyans view and practice good education.

We all enjoyed HOT showers and soft mattresses.

Saturday, July 12
Dan discovered he has no voice due to a viral cold. His day was spent forming a report on his findings and recommendations to ELI leadership concerning the continued development of the educational program.

Diann spent the morning and early afternoon doing spiritual formation training at the church of a Kenyan pastor that was a part of the New Song Church community for several years while attending Fuller Seminary.

Duke and Peggy composed this report, journaled, and got some needed rest.

At 3:00 p.m., Micah once again became our tour guide taking us to a open air market then on to the Carnivore Restaurant where we enjoyed the delicacies of roast ostrich, crocodile, water buffalo, sheep, cow, and chicken while debriefing our time in Kenya and preparing ourselves for our return to the USA where we will share our insights, experiences, and shaping of our time of ministry to the wonderful people of Ilula and Kipkaren, Kenya.

Sunday, July 13
We will enjoy an early morning drive-through safari at the Nairobi Game Park then on to church with Wendy Ludovici, and ELI staff member working in business development in Nairobi. Following church we will do some more sight-seeing around Nairobi, then drive to the airport for the 11:20 p.m. start of our 26 hour flight home.

Monday, July 14
Afternoon arrival to be embraced (we hope) by our families.

We have all had an experience that is a gift and also a challenge. There are so many amazing stories, sights, and relationships that have impacted our lives over the last 18 days. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts of us. You have provided us with blessing and shield. Please pray now for our safe journey home. We hope to see many of you very soon and share first hand this experience with you.

With our deepest love and regards,
Dan, Duke, Peggy, & Diann

NewSong Update: Wednesday

The NewSong team continues to enjoy God’s blessing as we live and love among the people around the Kipkaren River Training and Development Center.

Diann, Duke, & Peggy have just wrapped up three days of seminars with parents of the community and have had good discussions about parenting, marriage, and letting God do His work in us.

Diane, doing an intensive training seminar with children's home parents

Dan has visited the Kamagut High School and continues to gather information and plant seeds of educational reform with the leadership of ELI’s schools. Today he walked the ground where the new high school will be built and received God’s promise that this ground would yield its fruit in its season. We also have spent time in homes and seen amazing families overcoming the many challenges of life with God’s love in their hearts. God, through ELI, is at work here!

Brian, biological son of Mike & Dorcas, ELI Kipkaren orphanage parents

Please continue to support us in prayer as we finish or time in Kipkaren on Thursday and head back to Nairobi on Friday where we will spend time with two missionary friends, explore the local marketplace, see a slum ministry, visit a high school, do a short drive-through safari, then board the plane for the long journey back to California.

We are tired but well and that is a good way to be. God has done a work in the seeds we have planted and He has done a work in our lives as well. We look forward to sharing more of our ADVENTURE with you in the days ahead.

Dan, Diann, Duke, & Peggy

~ text & photos by Dan

NewSong: Weekend Activities

It's been a busy weekend at Kipkaren, and the NewSong team have been able to observe some of the day-to-day ministry happening in our village.

On Friday night, they danced into the night with the children from the Children's Home and the Salvation Army Band that came for the AIDS campaign the next day. They were up early on Saturday to join the Kids' Camp (a one-day VBS-type event), after which they headed out to the campaign. They managed not to get caught in the typical afternoon rain storm. This photo of the team was taken right before they left the campaign. The sky was looking pretty ominous by then...

Today, Dan preached in church. (Diane caught a local virus that took her voice away for a bit. Please pray that her voice will hold up the rest of the week.) After lunch, the team enjoyed resting. They played Phase 10 with some of us ELI missionaries in the new visitor's gazebo by the river.


This week will be a busy one for them. Diane is teaching at the staff devotions. Then, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, she, Duke and Peggy are doing 3-hour seminars for ELI parents and community members on parenting adolescents. Diane and Peggy will be leading the Monday afternoon women's meeting, too. Dan's been leading devotions at the children's home.

I'm sure they'll write an update tomorrow or sometime soon so you can hear from them how things are going. They're doing wonderfully, though, and we're blessed to have them here.

NewSong Team Update

Praise be to God!
A NewSong update by Peggy & Diann

After 41 hours of travel by car, train, bus, plane, and plane, and plane, and waiting along the way we arrived safely in Nairobi Friday night, June 27. We spent the night (or really the early morning hours for most of us, since one of our suitcases got left behind at the Nairobi airport and had to be fetched) at a missionary guest house in Nairobi.

On Saturday morning, after having to adjust our packing a bit due to a weight restriction, we flew in a 20-seater plane for Eldoret. (Our remaining two cases came the next evening.) Seeing the landscape from this vantage point was beautiful. We were picked up by the Ilula Children’s Home Director Laban Rono, the Ukweli Training Center Manager Patrick Kiprop and the Short Term Teams Coordinator Joel. They drove us through town and out a ways to the Ilula Children’s Home.

We received a beautiful greeting from the children as we pulled down the driveway onto the campus. All 90+ children were lined up in a semi-circle formation, from smallest to biggest. The four little ones at the start of the line held a bouquet of roses, one for each of us. As we walked down the line, each of them extended their precious little hand to shake ours and they put left hand over their right forearm as a gesture of honor to us, all the while saying: “Welcome” or “Welcome Home.” It was a greeting that overwhelmed our senses and emotions. The people here are very gracious, grateful, and kind . We received several warm welcomes by different staff and children in word, song, and dance before the welcome ceremony was concluded.

From that time until now, five full days have flown by. The people here, both ELI staff and villagers alike, are warm and loving people who value relationship. They have shared the stories of their lives and asked us about ours. The sharing has been rich. Time is not as important as people, and it is measured more by the event than the minute—although they do plan a daily and weekly schedule and pack a lot into each day. They are very grateful for us as their “visitors” and are so open and eager to listen and receive what God can speak through us. We have had several formal opportunities, and many casual ones, to minister; here are some highlights:

• interacting with the staff of the Children’s Home, adult Training Center, and the Director of Operations for ELI Kenya over meals and in rich conversations
• Duke and Peggy, primarily, spent three days of seminar discussions with the Children’s Home house parents; Diann sat in on the last two and contributed
• a few hours of seminar discussion with 13 men and their two leaders in the 30-day alcoholic rehabilitation group—they live on the grounds and graduate Saturday (four are being baptized!); it was a powerful time
• Dan met with the teachers and headmaster of the school next to the Children’s Home to discuss improvements in teaching and student growth
• Diann was the main speaker at a church service on Sunday in a beautiful area at 8,500 feet elevation; three congregations came together for it and we were the first team to ever be taken to this area
• we all spoke to a group from the church that afternoon about their community concerns and gave ideas, challenge, and encouragement
  

Each of these opportunities has been a privilege to be used by God as well as the many small conversations and interactions we have had interspersed among these. These wonderful people have hearts that are open wide to God’s truth and calling and have touched our hearts and deepened our faith immensely.

Tomorrow* we leave for 8 nights in Kipkaren and begin again to bond with God’s dear servants and to serve the least of these in Jesus’ precious name.

By His grace and for His glory,

NewSong Church Kenya Team
Dan Perrine, Duke and Peggy Draeger, Diann Enderby

* The team has since arrived at Kipkaren and are enjoying the new Kipkaren guest houses on the banks of the Kipkaren River. So far, they've been on tours of the various ministries at this base, and right now, they're at the graduation of the new DBSP class, a small-business training program. Tomorrow, they'll be spending some time at a children's rally (300+ are expected) as well as at an AIDS campaign.

Please keep praying for the team, for good health & for God to show them his heart.

African Sunday

The poem below was written by Sanet, a visitor to ELI Kenya in September 2007.

AFRICAN SUNDAY
Dedicated to the congregation at Empowering Lives International, Kipkaren, Kenya

And we sing
and we dance
and we pray

and we walk from far
and we smell of smoke
and we carry a child

and we sing
and we dance
and we pray

and our eyes see deep
and our shoulders carry broad
and our feet can talk

and we sing
and we dance
and we pray

and we sweat this sweat
and we suffer this Aids
and we know this death

and we sing
and we dance
and we pray

and we hear the mosquito
and we see the sting
and we feel the fever

and we sing
and we dance
and we pray

and we hope
and we believe
and we know

and we sing
and we dance
and we pray

and we forget
and we forget
and we forget



Copyright
Sanet Booysen 2008
All rights reserved