Home Again!

The team arrived safely home on Saturday evening, minus Dave who came home on Thursday for Davey's homecoming.

It is good to be home and in our own beds and showers, but our hearts are still in Kenya. We return with some incredible memories, and a continued desire to help the people we met. We had several new requests for assistance this year, so we will be praying and planning on what to tackle next.

We have many more orphans to get sponsored also. It was difficult to go to the schools and pull aside the children we sponsor and take their pictures, as the children without sponsors looked on. So, please pray about sponsoring a child; we have seen a tremendous difference in the children with sponsors. They are happy, healthy, and well fed.

We also brought home various items we'll be selling over the next couple of months, so if you are a St. John member, remember to stop by the Africa Mission table.

Thanks again for your prayers and support. St. John is making a huge difference in the lives of the Kenyan people and they are very grateful to you and to the Lord for remembering them and caring about their needs.

Serving Him together,
Dcs. Linda

A Heartbreaking Day

Today was the most heartbreaking day I can remember in three years of traveling to Kenya. On our last day here we visited Veronica’s slum school called Love School Center. Sue and I missed out on the visit last year when Veronica was well situated in a large, clean school. This was her third move to find a suitable place to hold a school for the children of the Kawangware slum in Nairobi. She had to move from her last school because they were asking too much for the rent, and the area was hostile to her school.

Veronica has set up her school on a much smaller plot of land, and is absolutely horrendous! With donated iron-sheet she has created classrooms that are approximately 10’ X 10’, and hold from 12 to 40 children per class! The children are crammed into these tiny classrooms, some with only benches for the children to sit on and write their lessons.

Each room has a door and a tiny window, and in which the smell from the very public open latrine, not more than 40 feet away, wafts in! These are the worst conditions we have ever seen. None of us can ever imagine sending our children to such a place! The “school” sits in the mud and the grounds are covered with garbage. There is a small open area for the children to play, but it is half under water from the daily rain.

For the past three years we have fed these children, and if you remember, the first year was only a roll and juice. Last year we provided a hot meal, and this year we wanted to do the same. We served the children out of clean plastic garbage bins filled with rice and stew. The children would come through the line with small plastic food containers that we would fill to the brim. I asked Veronica what the children normally eat and she told me that they don’t eat anything for lunch, and sometimes go from morning until night without anything. She told me they have not had any kind of lunch since we were there last year! I was shocked. No lunch at school for an entire year!

St. John Lutheran is the only group who has ever done anything for them. She said Lorna is the only person who remembers her, so when she needs help she calls Lorna. Lorna told us that whenever she has some extra funds she gives them to Veronica, but with such great need everywhere you can imagine that not too much goes to the school. Please pray about supporting this school. For $120 dollars these children (over 300 of them) could have lunch for a day! That’s about 50 cents per child for a good, filling, hot meal! If we can get enough supporters we could feed these children at least once a week.

This has been the hardest day in three years for me, and we all leave here with very heavy hearts. Dave said Lorna saved this for the last intentionally. Lorna just laughed and said, “That is so you will want to come back!” God willing, the Lord will allow us to come and serve these incredible people again.

We also visited the Luther Academy School where we have sponsored several children. Dave took pictures to bring home to the sponsoring families, but we weren’t able to get all of the children because many are away at school.

We leave for the airport in two hours, so we will see you all in about four days. Thank you so much for your prayers and support! We have felt them and know that we are being prayed for!

In Christ's Love,

Dcs. Linda

Medical Camps, Maasai Village, and Maasai Markets

It is our last night in Kenya before we fly to Amsterdam tomorrow night. It has been a long two weeks and a short two weeks. We’ve had a multitude of feelings; loving it here, yet ready to eat American food again! Helping the people here, yet wishing we could do so much more. It has been an intense couple of weeks in different ways.

The medical camps were emotionally and physically exhausting, yet gratifying; while the Maasai Market today was a grueling battle of bartering on the items we want to bring back and sell to raise funds for the orphans. The market is the place where dealers bring their goods, and as you get out of the van you are mobbed by a group of “agents” who want to take you around, collect your purchases so they can “wheel and deal” you for the total price. It’s very overwhelming, and takes perseverance and a firm attitude to get to a price you can live with. We did our best, but we all left feeling like we paid too much anyway.

Yesterday was the visit to the Maasai village. What a unique people they are. They live as they have for thousands of years. They greeted us in their “new” church made of rustic lumber and steel corrugated siding with a dirt floor. The children sang two songs for us, then the English speaking local pastor interpreted as the elder of the tribe and one of the leading women greeted us and thanked us for getting some of their girls into school. The woman said, “We know we are behind here, but we want to get better. We want to send our children to school so they can have a better life.” They were so grateful for our assistance they wanted to give us a live goat to take home! These extremely poor people were willing to give up one of their goats to thank us. Amazing.

Tomorrow we will return to Veronica’s school in the Kawangware slum. This will be our third visit to the school. We have committed to provide a meal to the poorest of the poor in this slum each year. Last year was the first year we provided a hot meal, thanks to a friend of mine (Thanks Jill!) who gathered funds from her family and friends after she saw our pictures of the children only receiving a roll and juice the year before.

Veronica has faced many challenges with this school. She’s had to move her school three times in three years because of rent issues. She receives no funding from anywhere, but is extremely dedicated to these children. Lorna helps whenever she can, but it is always a challenge. When we found out that the rent on the property she had last year, which was a wonderful space and set-up for the school was only $120 dollars a month, one of my team mates agreed to pay that monthly fee. This is how impressed we are with what Veronica is doing. She is trying to give these children a chance in life. If not for her, they would be trapped in their circumstances. She seeks out children who are HIV positive and abandoned and gives them a safe, caring environment.

God has sent us to this very special place called Kenya to make a difference, and believe me; we have made a huge difference in the lives of many women and children. This was very apparent this year as I was greeted and formally thanked by the government officials at Dago, two bishops, and the Maasai elders. They realize that we have kept the promises we made last year. Many people come to Kenya and promise things and don’t ever follow through, but St. John has delivered on our promises, and they are very impressed.

I am so proud of St. John’s commitment to the people of Kenya! They are truly grateful because they see how many people we have helped to “live positively” with HIV because of your help.

Love in Christ as we together support the poor and needy in Kenya,

Dcs. Linda

Days 10 & 11 – Springs of Life and Maasai Village

On Sunday the team attended worship services at Springs of Life Church in Kibera. Pastor Dennis Meeker and Pastor Mark Rabe led the worship.

One thing that stood out were the amount of children attending worship, many without any adults with them. They walk in from the Kibera slums. We were able to meet some of the children sponsored by members of St. John. We also met others and heard many stories as we gathered outside after the service. I was particularly moved by a young woman attending the church who has been trying to finish her schooling.

Winnie is 18 years old and lives with her aunt. In order to pay for school, her aunt told her she had to “go with men” to earn the money. She is one semester away from graduating from high school, but does not have the money to finish. It is hard to think that she may resort to prostitution just to finish her schooling. Lorna Meeker is trying to work with her to accept help from Springs of Life. Winnie is not the only girl facing this problem. Girls of all ages are used in this way. This is why Dennis and Lorna are working so hard to move these girls out of the slums.

On Monday we visited a village named Enkiloriti in Maasai Land. The Meekers, the ELCK and our St. John mission support these people, and this is the same village where our team attended a wedding last year.

The trip was slow and long over “roads” that were nearly impassable. We had a Masai guide with us that knew the area and we arrived to a big welcome by the village. The tribe invited us into their church where the children sang for us and we were greeted by several members of the community.

They introduced the elder man who has donated 30 acres to be used for a church, school and hospital. They are so grateful for all we are doing to help with these projects. Their hunger for the Gospel is incredible. In November, Bishop Obare and Pastor Meeker will be baptizing over 100 Maasi people in this village!

God is working mightily there. Our team provided food for the families. We handed out maize meal, salt, lard, soap and matches. They were so happy. It seemed like such a small thing to us, but was so important to them.

Rockie Brandenburg

The Power of Your Name

No words required on this one. Please watch, listen, & enjoy.

(Awesome job Sue!)

DH

The Hand of St. John Extended in Kibera Slum

Today the team went to Springs of Life church at Kibera, and I can tell you that after visiting here for the last three years, it felt like coming home. As usual the service was alive with beautiful singing, the kind of melodious voices you might imagine hearing as you enter the gates of heaven.

This time it seemed that the children out numbered the adults, and at the end of the service Pastor Dennis asked for volunteers to be Sunday school teachers so that the children would understand God’s word accurately and grow to be strong, healthy and confirmed Christians.

One of the congregation members sent blessings to each of the team members using some neat clapping method, which was directed at us and then the Pastor. Very cool to see and experience!
After church the team, as a whole, went into Kibera slums to do some home visits.
It amazed me to realize that I knew the way and recognized many landmarks. They had even added a bridge over one of the “ditches”!

As we reached the first home I knew we had been there before, it was the home of Anastasia, a lady we had visited in 2008. Back then, as we allowed our eyes to adjust to the darkness, we saw a baby of around 10 lbs sitting on the bed cross legged. Today he is a healthy and robust three-year old!

In 2009 we learned that Dennis and Lorna had used the donations from St. John to give Anastasia 3000 shillings (about $32) to help her set up her own business. She chose to sell dried fish. As this business thrived she was able to become more self-sufficient, feeding her family, sending her children to school and even making donations to the church. Today she was delighted to see us, remembered many of us and expressed her thanks for our (and your) help. Now doesn’t that make your heart sing?

Next we went to visit Grace who is a widow, but is very young. She is taking care of 6 children. Four are her own, and two are orphans who she had taken in. The children were healthy and well fed; she even wanted to feed us! Dennis and Lorna met this lady during the post-election violence in early 2008, when she entered the Springs of Life church with many children following behind. They helped her out with donations for food, rent and school fees. Now this same lady shares whatever she has with needy neighbors. If Lorna is unable to visit people in hospital, Grace will help out, visiting and taking food.

There are still times when she struggles and needs help, two of the children will soon need sponsors to enable them to attend school, but she is thankful for the help she has received and tries very hard to give back.

On a more personal note, Grace sells jewelry, she took us to the “factory”, (if you can call it that) where it is made. For those of you who may not know, my post nursing speciality is in Occupational Health Nursing. This place was a healthy and safety nightmare, with bare wires plugged into 240 volt sockets and animal bone dust everywhere. Then we were taken into the “shopping area” where we were almost gassed with carbon monoxide from the generator, oh well, it’s Kenya!

On a more serious note, please pray for families like these (as there are many) and for discernment for Dennis and Lorna in making the correct decisions in who should receive such help.

Now, please indulge me as I express just how much I miss my Michigan church home and all of my special friends (you know who you are). St John, you are constantly in my prayers, I hope you will be united in fellowship very soon. Thank you so much for the opportunity to come to Kenya, something I have had my heart set on for more than 20 years.

In Christ,

Karen Morrell

Day 2 Aigo Medical Camp

People, people and more people! Yesterday we saw approx 450 patients. Today the number was over 750! They came from all over the area. It is hard to believe there are that many in such a rural area. Some came from an island out in Lake Victoria, approx 2 miles away by boat because they heard the music coming from the camp. Incredible! 200 school children arrived also for treatment.

The camp was held southwest of Kisumu in a village called Aigo, at the site of the new school and rescue center that is being built by Compassionate Social Care Ministries. (Check our their blog also at: http://www.cscmkenya.org/) The history and acquisition of the land is an intriguing story. Parcels were donated as word spread as to what was going to be used for. There is no rhyme or reason to how the property boundaries are platted. A surveyor’s challenge or nightmare for sure!

Again, the people are what it is all about here and the local workers were tireless in their determination to see all of the patients. Mothers with babies in one location being immunized and examined, the testing and counseling for HIV/AIDS, two doctor consultation rooms, a nurses pre-exam station under a tree, and the non-stop pace of the pharmacy.

In observing the culture, it is not uncommon to see “babies with babies”, a 19 year old with a 5 year old child, etc., and lots of twins. One mother had 2 sets of twins and 3 other children as well. Education is the key for survival here and that is what was there for them today. Lorna and her sisters are determined to lift these people up and give them what they need to care for themselves and their children.

Words can’t express the atmosphere and sense of accomplishment of our mission there. Dave’s incredible pictures will help. The day ended with a refreshing rainstorm as we rushed to clean up, as it was critical we leave the area before dark.

To God be all the Glory for his mercies endure forever!!!

Sue Wood