October 20, 2012 Maralal

Greetings

Two days in a row.  I am improving.  Aaron and I are spending our last weekend here in Kenya.  Today we went into town to get some propane and also visited the Bible training center here on the AIC compound.  Our main theme today was to visit the Compassion Program at Lare Oibor.  After lunch Ken, Susan, Tom, Ally, Crescena, Aaron, and I took a trip to the church site to see the Compassion Program.  Presently there are over 250 children sponsored into the program with a plan to take it over 300.  However as you can see by the pictures below the facilities that were constructed last year are stretched pretty thin. 

We met with the Director of the Compassion Program Elena and she explained to us that they need to have a bigger office since they will be hiring a social worker to add to her and the accountant.  The program needs a storeroom for food and other supplies.  They need to have a place to put the books and a computer room for about five computers.  There are presently three class rooms and they would like to expand to at least six.  The Compassion Program does no construction but they will provide new stoves for the kitchen, computers, and other supplies.

We met with the children in the church and it was amazing that all of them fit in such a small place.  After we met with them it was time for their meal and some play time.  The children had a blast running around the compound with two year old Crescena Brown.  Crescena was having the greatest time.  The one Jiko stove with two burners that was installed back in March of 2011 is getting a work out and has performed very well so far.  However it is sometimes a challenge for them to prepare the meal for two hundred and fifty plus children.  Compassion is going to add another stove in the near future that is approximately twice the size of the one installed.  This will be a real blessing for both the Compassion Program and the school.  Please pray that this program continues to be a success for this small community in Northern Kenya.

Ken addressing the children



Crescena addressing the children

Children lining up for the meal

Meat, rice, potatoes, cabbage, and carrots

Children lining up for water

Preparing meals for 250+ children

Some of the children eating

Crescena and the children having some fun



While we were out at the church site we checked on the progress of the bore hole.  They are over hundred feet down and water should be getting very close.  The hydrologist believes the water is somewhere around hundred and twenty or so feet below the surface. 

Bore hole progress 100+ feet

Tomorrow it is back out to the church for services.  Tomorrow afternoon we will meet to discuss a possible micro-finance project for the Lare Oibor church.

Take care and God bless

Dave  

  

     

October 19, 2012 Maralal

Greetings

Every other day seems to be about as well as I can do on this blog.  Yesterday Aaron and I met our pilot Tom Brown his wife Ally along with their two year old daughter Cresena for our one and a half hour journey to Maralal.  Weather was great as we flew around the clouds, over volcanos, lakes, mountain ridges, then over the bush to Maralal.  Finally after my fifth visit I was able to see some elephants grazing near a stream about 15 minutes from landing at the Kisima International airstrip.  There were about two dozen of them roaming around.  My batteries died in my camera about half way up the rift valley so I did not get any pictures of the elephants.

Ken was waiting at the Kisima International Airstrip to take us back to meet with Susan and have lunch.  After lunch we went to see the bore hole work at Lare Oibor.  Since my last visit the bore hole site had been moved from about a mile away to right in the church compound.  We met the Compassion director at the school and looked at the desks that had been constructed last summer.  The flanges that we had fabricated in town were not holding up too well to the weight of the school children.  Also some of the pipe threads are failing because we used thin walled pipe which was about all that was readily available at the time and the pipe threader we were using cut pretty deep.  I think we have a workable solution to repair the broken desks when the team arrives in December.

Today we took some medical supplies into town for the handicap school and the Catholic clinic.  We also went back out to the church to see the progress on the bore hole.  After this we returned to Ken and Susan’s to work on the Pajero.  We could see the oil dripping from under the car but it took a while to find where the leak was coming from.  It turned out that the leak was coming from a very small tube with a pin hole that happened to be under about 65 pounds of pressure.  The capillary tube was an addition to the Pajero for one of the gauges on the dash board.  What a relief for Ken that the repair will not be very costly.

Tomorrow we will go back out to the school to see the compassion program children and hopefully we will see them drill down to some water.

Take care and God bless

Dave  

  

     

October 17, 2012 Nairobi

Greetings

I have really been slacking on the blogs lately.  Instead of every day I keep missing a day.  I think it is a deliberate attempt on my part not to write every day.  Yesterday we arrived in Nairobi after another long journey across the country.  The first time you do the drive it is pretty exciting but after the first few times the novelty wears off very quickly.  Of course we spent about eight hours driving from Kakamega to arrive in Nairobi at rush hour(s) to sit in traffic. 

This morning we said our good byes to Hezron and Peter as they journeyed back to western Kenya.  A short while later Pastor Ososo and his wife Hendricka arrived at the hostel to talk a bit.  They had to go in town for a short while and then they would return so we could go to Matasia in Ngong Hills to view the projects they are working on. 

After the Ososo’s came back from downtown I joined them as we ventured to Matasia.  Aaron had a change of plans with work and had to stay behind to satisfy one of his customers back home.  Aaron and I quickly went to get him a phone and a modem at the Safaricom store.  I found it a bit odd that we go to this store that was really just a couple of tables in a high rise building and they just so happened to have one phone and one modem as if it was just waiting for Aaron to pick up.

The Ososo’s and I took Ngong road all the way out to Ngong Hills with our first stop being the cereal shop that was opened in the summer of 2011.  After about fourteen months the shop is still in operation selling the ground nuts, simsims, eggs, and various cereals.  The proceeds of the sales have been able to maintain the salaries, the rent, the electricity, replenishment supplies, assistance with the orphans, and they have been able to make payments to pay back their loan with the UMC Women’s micro-finance program.  Last summer the Ososo’s and the Matasia church had eleven orphans and now they have seventeen that the church is taking care of.  After over a year this project looks like it is doing quite well.  The next step is to expand into cookies and cakes by purchasing a small oven.

In the cereal shop



After the cereal shop it was up to the bone factory to take a look at a new project that the Matasia church has funded through the YSAVE program.  The YSAVE program was started last summer as well.  The Ososo’s took their old chicken coop and turned it into a little processing center to cut beef bones and horns into pieces to make jewelry.  As you can see by the pictures below it really does not take much equipment to process bones to make beautiful jewelry.  After we looked at the bone factory we went to visit the office and place where they assemble the jewelry. They take the jewelry into town to sell at the various markets including the Masai Market.

Some raw bones to make jewelry

How about some horns to make jewelry

Cutting the bones with a saw

Trimming the bones into shape

A finished shape ready for drying and painting

Some of the finished product ready for sale

Some more finished product ready for sale

Bracelets

A necklace

Napkin holders and key holders





After we were done with the bone jewelry project we were treated to a viewing of the security guards that the YSAVE program is funding to provide security around Nairobi.  The YSAVE security venture has been in operation for a month or so and has 4 clients with a total of 18 guards employed so far.  My understanding is that they have a fifth client that will be starting next month with a possible sixth as well.  Let’s pray that they continue to acquire clients and this business can grow too.  YSAVE is also in Busia with their main project a catering business with chairs, tents, etc.

YSAVE security guards



After we left Matasia I couldn’t help myself.  On the way to Matasia we just so happened to pass by KFC at the Junction Mall.  On the way back into Nairobi food was brought up and I asked if anyone was hungry.  I just happen to know where a great little spot is.  I guess KFC last year only had one restaurant in all of East Africa and now they have three.  We stopped and had some fried chicken.  The driver and the Ososo’s had regular recipe and I chose spicy extra crispy.  They all had a three piece meal and I decided on two breasts.  We all had cole slaw and fries too.  It was a very tasty meal and I might not even have to have a Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwich for my first meal back in the states.  I called Aaron and told him that we were at KFC and asked him if he wanted me to bring him anything.  If there was ever a stupid question that might just be one of them.  Aaron enjoyed his meal as well.

Tomorrow we are heading to the Wilson airport around 8 am to catch a flight to Maralal for the last leg of our mission here in Kenya.  Both Aaron and I are so thankful that everything worked out so we did not have to do any more major driving.  Those of you that have driven the journey to Maralal can relate to what an adventure it is.            

Take care and God bless                                 

Dave       

     

October 15, 2012 Kakamega

Greetings

Yesterday we traveled to Mumias to attend church services at Jerusalem church.  We were unable to give enough advanced notice of our arrival to get the other local Mumias churches to join us a Jerusalem.  I might have said this before but here in Kenya a church service can be an hour.  It can be two hours or it can be all day.  This is Kenya and we were late so the service had already started.  I think upon our arrival they decided to start over.  On our way to Mumias Bishop Hezron asked Aaron if he wanted to preach the sermon.  Aaron took the challenge and did an awesome job with only about an hour or so preparation.  After the services we went to the General Secretaries home for a meal and discussion on the micro finance society.

Today we were off to Busia to meet with Bishop Moses at the border to assist him with opening an account with the bank.  Without going into a huge amount of details but to open a church account in a Ugandan bank is going to take them possibly weeks to accomplish.  Listening to Peter explain what the ministry has to do to open an account makes me really feel sorry for the signatories of the account.  It sounds like they have to make at least two trips to Kampala so they can get a recommendation letter from the Born Again Church.  All protestant churches have to be registered through the Born Again Church which seems to be a quasi-governmental agency.  Without a recommendation letter from the Born Again Church no bank account.  They will also have to have a constitution, photos, meeting minutes, etc.  My heart goes out to them.

After our meeting with Bishop Moses and Samuel his General Secretary we were off to meet up with Councilor Ben in Funyula to discuss fish farming with the Chairman and Secretary of the Funyula Fish Association.  As of my last meeting with them last year they were going to register as an association and start to manage the farms as a single entity.  Part of the problem was that too many of them were harvesting at the same time causing too many fish coming to market all at once.  It was my hope that this one group could become large enough to help control the market instead of the market controlling them.  I believe that they have about fifteen to twenty percent of the active fish farmers in the area within their group so far.  It also sounds like there are still some independent farmers and a few other groups that have formed.  It still seems that feed is the main issue that these farmers face.  The availability, type and cost makes for lower yields.  The group prefers to have meal of rice bran and blood in a powdered flake form.  This meal would be very high in protein and makes for plump fish.  Also a local micro-banker Nicolas joined us to discuss forming a micro-finance entity with the fish association. 

After the meeting with the fish association it was off to see Pastor Robert in Bulimbo to review the chemical list and seedling replacements for the surviving orchards.  While we were at Pastor Robert’s orchard we saw plenty of fruit on the vines and he told me that they are harvesting every day now.  According to Robert he still has a couple more months before the vines are fully mature and the yields are at their best.  The vines look great however some of the locals have been coming in at night stealing fruit.  Also there have been quite a bit of hail storms recently and when the hail stones (up to pea size) hits the fruit it leaves a little blemish where it hit.  It doesn’t affect the taste or damage it unless it knocks it off the vine before it is ready to be picked.  Once the passion fruit is close to being harvested it comes off the vine with very little effort.  In fact I went to pick a purple one today and once I touched it the fruit fell into my hand without even having to pull on it.

Tomorrow we are off to Nairobi with Pastor Peter and Bishop Hezron.  On Wednesday we will spend the day with Pastor Ososo and then on Thursday we will be flying up to Maralal for a visit with Ken and Susan Black.

Take care and God bless                                 

Dave       

     

October 13, 2011 Kakamega

Greetings

Well I missed another day’s blog.  Yesterday we went into Uganda to meet up with Bishop Moses to discuss Orphan care.  Once we crossed the border I lost my cell phone coverage and later that evening I noticed that I did not have coverage on my Safaricom modem.  I thought it was supposed to turn over to whatever service Safaricom partners with in Uganda like MTN but no such luck.

We arrived at the border at Busia in a raging rain and hail storm.  We waited about thirty minutes in the car to let the storm subside.  Moving from Kenya to Uganda takes quite a bit of time and if you do not hire an expediter to get your vehicle through many hours can be spent at the border.  Of course the storm caused a delay in processing people both in and out of each country so there were some long lines to deal with.  Getting back into Kenya is not as difficult since the vehicle is registered in Kenya.

Bishop Moses met us at the border and took us to meet up with Pastor Florence for dinner.  We arrived at Pastor Florence’s house just before dark and enjoyed a wonderful meal of ugali, rice, potatoes, cabbage, watermelon and chicken.  I am not sure what she did to the chicken but it had a mesquite flavor to it so I must say it was pretty tasty.  After dinner we were taken to the executive hotel in Bugiri where we spent the night.  Let me tell you that it was a major improvement from my last stay in Bugiri a few years ago.  Before we retired for the evening we found a spot to chat with Bishop Moses about Orphan care.

After an hour or so into the conversation it was obvious that the meeting was not going very well and that we needed to continue the conversation in the morning.  The barriers to communication with Kenyans have been a challenge to me since the first time I came here.  Come to Uganda and it's even harder to communicate.  After Aaron and I went to our rooms Bishop Hezron and Peter continued on with the discussion with Bishop Moses in his room.

During breakfast we continued the conversation from the night before.  Bishop Hezron had been able to break down the plan much better when he was able to speak to Bishop Moses in Swahili.  After breakfast we continued the conversation moving from shade to shade to get away from the tropical sun.  Originally I made no set plans on how long we would stay in Uganda and pretty much left it up to the situation to decide.  If we were able to accomplish something in a day then we would stay a day.  If it was going to take longer then we would stay longer.  It was decided that it would be best if we did not visit any Orphans today.  I believe we all feel that we moved ourselves from talking about it to doing something about it. 

It has become obvious that our mere presence causes problems.  So in order to blog what we are doing I need to be really careful because it might not be in the best interest to speak too much of what we are doing.  This blog is out there for the whole world to see and so far it has been read in over 100 countries world wide.  I have no idea who is reading this.  It might be a passing glance or some of you that read it all the time.  However I need to tell the story so you might want to help along the way.  Granted we are going to incorporate some sort of micro-finance program into our Church or Community based Orphan care project.  However it would be next to impossible at this time to do this.  So until the church or community can take the burden of the Orphans care some sort of aid is needed. 

This morning into early afternoon we spent hours discussing Orphan care with a large amount of time spent on how much it costs just to feed a child in Uganda.  We went over the costs of maize, beans, rice, fish (minnows), meat, potatoes, cabbage, salt, sugar, tea, and cooking oil.  After it was all said and done it costs about forty two cents a day to feed one child up to three meals.  You heard it right less then 50 cents a day to feed a child up to three times and this could be on the high side.  This comes right out of the mouth of Bishop Moses that has five of his own children and twelve Orphans for a total of 17 children along with his wife living in a two room rented shack.  He just so happens to be behind on his rent and has little to no income.  Aaron was deeply touched when Bishop Moses asked him if he was doing the right thing by bringing twelve Orphans into his home.  How would you answer that question?

Last night Bishop Moses was having a really rough time with the concept that we were trying to bring him and understandably so.  He desperately wants a piece of land that he can put buildings on and call home to his family.  He is tired of renting and being run off because he can’t pay the rent.  He has brought in Orphans and would gladly bring in more but he has no money.  Right now there are hundreds of Orphans within his ministry both in eastern and western Uganda.  Today we identified seventy six children in nineteen church communities and with them we have initiated what we will call phase one.  None of these children are in what we would call a traditional Orphanage but in homes within the church community (mostly the pastors).  Pastor Florence whom we had dinner last night has eight of her own and has adopted three.  If I remember correctly she has also lost three or four of her children to childhood diseases.

Tonight at dinner Aaron and I were talking about the last couple of days.  Today we were with a man that is about as close to the end of the line as we can find to work with right now.  God has put us directly in front of him and he just so happens to have a really great name.  Our wish is to get him that piece of land.  Our wish is for him to build a home for his children (all 17).  Our wish is for him to grow his ministry so they too will take in some of the “Ones” we have been talking about.  In Uganda there are literally hundreds of thousands to choose from.  Let’s face the facts and realize that we are never going to get rid of poverty and we surely aren’t going to find all these children nice homes in the suburbs.  Every now and then a child wins the lottery so to speak but countless millions are left with little to no food.  What about a place to put their head, some clothes, some medicine for their sores, or even an education.

I will continue to write about our plans to help with Orphan care.  In time I believe Bishop Moses will have that piece of land to put his ministry and his home on.  I also believe that God is calling those that have a heart for the “Ones” to assist in providing adequate church/community based care.  So stay tuned for more on this matter.

Tomorrow it is off to Mumias for church service at Jerusalem Church.  After the service I believe we are going to discuss the program that Morris has been working on for the last week.  Hopefully we might have a little time to see the other two orchards in the area we did not see a few weeks ago.

Take care and God bless

Dave       

     

October 11, 2012 Kakamega

Greetings

I happen to be another day behind on the blog again.  Yesterday we were in Nairobi to pick up Aaron at the airport.  I had called Pastor Ososo on Tuesday so we could meet on Wednesday since we were unable to meet upon my arrival a couple of weeks ago.  I do not know what it is with me but I still can’t get this communication thing down right.  It was agreed that we were to meet at 2 pm however Pastor Ososo thought we were meeting at his home in Ngong hills and I thought we were meeting at the Flora Hostel.  So while we were waiting for Pastor Ososo he was waiting for us with the leaders of the UMC Matasia church.  I feel really bad that we couldn’t connect again.  All was not lost we were able to meet up with Pastor Ososo and his wife at the Flora Hostel this morning for a few hours before we headed back to Western Kenya.  We will possibly be able to meet with Pastor Ososo on a couple more occasions before we head back to the states.

Aaron’s flight was not due to arrive until 8 pm however we were staying in downtown Nairobi and for those of you that never have had the pleasure to drive in Nairobi let me tell you a simple drive to the airport can be an hour, it can be two hours, or it can be four to forever hours.  We decided that it would be better to give ourselves the four hours to get to the airport instead of trying to leave during rush hour and it taking six hours.  We left the hostel at around four pm.  It took us a good twenty minutes to go the first block and another twenty minutes to get to the second block.  At this rate the airport was a good twelve hours away.  I find it amazing how you can get six lanes of traffic on a two lane road.  If you are looking for some personal space around your vehicle don’t drive in Nairobi.  It really wasn’t fully rush hour yet and we did manage to get out of Nairobi within a couple of hours and made it to the airport in just over two hours.  Upon the return to the hostel I don’t think it took twenty minutes tops. 

After breakfast and our meeting with the Ososo’s it was off to cross the beautiful rift valley again.  This time instead of going through Eldoret we decided to take the Kapsabet road with all its pot holes.  We were pleasantly surprised that some of the road had been repaired within the last two weeks which helped take some time off the trip.  We also took a short cut through the Kakamega forest down a dirt road.  However it had rained and it was no longer a dirt road but a mud road.  I have told you what happens with the dirt road that turns to mud road before.  Well luckily we were in a four wheel drive vehicle when we went spinning for the ditch.  I personally feel that Peter did it on purpose since he enjoyed it so much.  It would not be the first time that Hezron, Aaron and I have had falling off a road here in Kenya.  Thank God we were in the vehicle we were in otherwise we would have been there for a while why we were trying to get unstuck.  Excellent driving Peter!! 

During dinner tonight we had an excellent discussion about Orphan care between us all.  It is really neat as you get deeper into the discussions how much interesting information flows.  Tomorrow we will be working our way into Uganda in the afternoon to meet up with Bishop Moses to discuss Orphan care over the weekend.    

  

Take care and God bless

Dave            

October 9, 2012 Nairobi

Greetings

This morning we were off to Nairobi bright and early.  Well not that early it was almost 10 am but that is considered early sometimes.  The road through Kapsabet through Nandi Hills is in really bad condition so we decided to take a detour through Eldoret.  It seems like I have traveled all the major roads in Western Kenya many times now.  I know that I have traveled the Kakamega to Webuye road more then a dozen times in the last three years.  What seemed odd to me was that today was the first day that I was actually able to see Mt. Elgon from Kakamega dominating the horizon.  I have looked in that direction countless times and have never even caught a glimpse of it until we passed the forest in Malava into the crossroads at Matete.  This mountain is huge and today you would have to be blind not to see it.  I have always been fascinated with mountains.  Today I could not take my eyes off this mountain.  Every time it came into view I was looking right at it.  What is it about this particular mountain that fascinates me so much?  Why is it that I chose this mountain to be my backdrop to my blog?  As you gaze upon it she looks like a big pimple on the horizon.  There is nothing that would call attention to it except it is really large.  There are no jagged peaks like the Alps or the Tetons even though Elgon is just as high.  Why was today the first time that I saw it in all its glory from a distance much further then before?

Here is a mountain that does not get any respect or any recognition whatsoever.  Most of you have never heard of this mountain but most of you have heard about Mt. Everest or even Mt. Olympus on Mars the tallest mountain in the solar system.  I am sure that most of you have visions in your head of some mountain or another.  I know I am rambling about a freaking mountain but there is a point to this I think.  Most everyone knows that Everest is the tallest mountain in the world and because it stands the highest upon all the others its recognition is not questioned.  K2 is number two and it gets its recognition by being the most deadly and possibly the most difficult to climb mountain on the planet.  Other mountains such as Kilimanjaro south of here claiming to be the highest free standing mountain in the world gives her the recognition she deserves.  Mt. McKinley in Alaska as the mountain with possibly the highest prominence on the planet gives it the recognition it deserves.  The main island of Hawaii and its two peaks if measured from the sea floor would dwarf Everest by miles and because they too are large they have been given the distinction of being the largest mountain on the planet in volume even though the main island of Hawaii is not one mountain.  Mt. Everest does not stretch for fifty or sixty miles at its base in every direction.  Neither does McKinley, Kilimanjaro, or any of the two peaks of the main island of Hawaii.  I could be wrong and it would take someone much smarter then me to prove the point but I believe that Mt. Elgon is the largest single mountain on the planet.  I am not saying tallest I am saying largest.

If I am correct then why doesn’t Mt. Elgon get the recognition it deserves?  While I was trying to answer my crazy question in my head the “Ones” came up.  Obviously Mt. Elgon was always there but I never saw it from Kakamega until today.  The “Ones” they too have always been there but seldom seen.  Mt. Elgon is huge and gets virtually no attention whatsoever.  The “Ones” well their numbers are huge as well and we see right past them.  Why champion Mt. Elgon?  It is not something spectacular to look at like mighty Everest or McKinley.  It’s just a pimple on the landscape.  The “Ones” well why would anyone want to try and reach anyone at the end of the line when we can show much more progress with those at the front of the line?  The Alps, the Canadian Rockies, the Tetons, Everest, McKinley, and Kilimanjaro are all beautiful sights to see and millions of pictures have been taken of them.  Mt. Elgon well just another mountain.  Pictures of Mt. Elgon go to the web and see how many you see.  The “Ones” well just another poor orphan, widow, etc. not really a picture perfect specimen.

Mt. Elgon the largest mountain on the planet

My call is to serve here in East Africa and Mt. Elgon sits right in the center to remind me of why I am here.  She’s huge and she hides in the clouds coming out to be seen every now and then.  Personally I know she is way too large for me to scale and if I attempted it without God I would surely fail.  I know when I look at her the world will not see her as I see her.  To me she is special.  She is the "One". 

  

Take care and God bless

Dave