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