Today was a really hard day. I'm still trying to wrap my heart around all I saw today. We left the compound early so we could drive to the Kibera WEEP Center before heading to Gnong for the Women's Conference.
Kibera is the largest and worst slum in Kenya located along a dump. When we pulled into the main road which was dirt, we were surrounded by old, dilapidated, filthy tin shacks used for businesses. The streets were lined with garbage, sewage and people were crowding every nook. The road to the WEEP Center was too difficult for the bus to drive down, so we were dropped off and had to walk about a half mile through utter filth, garbage and sewage. People were trying to run businesses by selling food they were cooking on open fires on the road. They were trying to sell vegetables that were probably grown in the rotten soil. They were trying to sell coal. Children were everywhere wearing flip flops in the sewage. I even saw a couple that were barefoot. Chickens lined the road drinking the sewage water and people were selling their eggs. In broad daylight, it was full of darkness -sadness. I'm assuming that everyone was out on the roads because they probably don't have electricity. They don't have running water -what water there is, is contaminated. There were a lot of dogs that laid hopeless. They weren't interested in people, they didn't wag their tails or try to greet you. They just laid there -sad and hungry. The smells were so strong, we had to rub mentholatum under our noses so we wouldn't get sick. I've seen poverty before, but never, ever have I seen it to this degree. This was the worst I have ever experienced. my heart is broken.
We spent about an hour at the WEEP Center. We were greeted by the ladies who sang for us and invited us to dance with them. They were so happy for us to visit them. They were happy that we thought they were valuable enough to come spend time with them. They had been abandoned by family and cast out by their society because they have AIDS. They are fighting to overcome the stigma that follows them. It was our intention to bring them encouragement and tell them how proud we were of how far they have come in the program. Instead, they encouraged us. They welcomed us with hugs, song and dance. What a powerful statement of their faith. They live in the worst possible conditions I have ever seen -they have stronger faith than I do and I have everything I could possibly need.
We trekked up the steep road back to the bus. I couldn't get on it fast enough. I was done. From there we drove to Gnong for a women's conference we wanted to put on for the ladies at that WEEP Center. We had prepared goodie bags and four women from our team gave talks to teach and inspire them. They graciously served us lunch. At the end, they cheered when seeing the contents of the goodie bags -sunglasses, candy, devotional book, handmade necklaces, bookmarks, perfume... Little things that made them smile -they are not used to receiving gifts. The four speakers were amazing and one woman accepted Christ after hearing one of the talks. What an inspiring time. I truly hope we left them feeling valued and loved.
When it was all over, once again, I couldn't get on the bus fast enough. I was sad to leave the ladies behind but I had seen enough. What am I supposed to do with everything I've seen and experienced? How can I go home and get back to "normal" now that I know what is going on in Kenya? What can I do differently at home?
Friday, October 5, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Days 6 & 7 -Freedom for Girls Fundraiser and Safari
On day 6, we got up early to prepare for an event to bring awareness to girls needing assistance to stay in school. Freedom For Girls is an organization that provides sanitary products to girls once they've started puberty. Most often, girls have to make one of two choices once they've started their periods. They either drop out of school, or sell their bodies to earn money to buy the sanitary products so they can stay in school. Just $5 provides a girl with products for a year. The only real way out of the slums is with an education. This event was put on for the wives of ambassadors, diplomats and high commissioners as well as other successful women in the country. People who can help support the organization through financial help and advocacy.
Once we were finished with the event, we hopped on a 12 seater plane and headed out to
Masai Mara for a safari trip. Once we landed, we jumped into big jeeps that headed straight out to the mass open space where we began to see the animals. It was so exciting and we had to stop and take pictures at every animal we saw. The guide said that the hardest animal to find is the rhinoceros which, we had the joy of seeing in the first hour. The rhino actually started to charge our jeep so the guide quickly backed up and turned the jeep around. Apparently, rhinos like their privacy. That was so cool!
The most common animals to see are zebras, wildebeests, warthogs and gazelles. They were everywhere and not at all shy. We had to exit the preserve before sundown so we headed to our hotel, which provided us with big tents with real beds covered with mosquito nets and a real bathroom. The next day we headed back out and saw just about everything we had hoped for. In the two days, we saw elephants, lions, baboons, zebras, giraffes, hippos, a cheetah and many more. We also got to see the people from a Masai tribe that live in the preserve. They still dress in their traditional wear. The whole time I kept feeling so grateful. So incredibly thankful. It's is something I have always dreamed of doing and there I was- amidst those beautiful wild animals in their natural habitat. I just wish my family was with me to experience it.
I am amazed at God's detail. Life happens on the other side of the world and I feel so blessed to get to see it.
Once we were finished with the event, we hopped on a 12 seater plane and headed out to
Masai Mara for a safari trip. Once we landed, we jumped into big jeeps that headed straight out to the mass open space where we began to see the animals. It was so exciting and we had to stop and take pictures at every animal we saw. The guide said that the hardest animal to find is the rhinoceros which, we had the joy of seeing in the first hour. The rhino actually started to charge our jeep so the guide quickly backed up and turned the jeep around. Apparently, rhinos like their privacy. That was so cool!
The most common animals to see are zebras, wildebeests, warthogs and gazelles. They were everywhere and not at all shy. We had to exit the preserve before sundown so we headed to our hotel, which provided us with big tents with real beds covered with mosquito nets and a real bathroom. The next day we headed back out and saw just about everything we had hoped for. In the two days, we saw elephants, lions, baboons, zebras, giraffes, hippos, a cheetah and many more. We also got to see the people from a Masai tribe that live in the preserve. They still dress in their traditional wear. The whole time I kept feeling so grateful. So incredibly thankful. It's is something I have always dreamed of doing and there I was- amidst those beautiful wild animals in their natural habitat. I just wish my family was with me to experience it.
I am amazed at God's detail. Life happens on the other side of the world and I feel so blessed to get to see it.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Day 5 - Party for HEART Staff
Today was a much lighter day. We got to do some souvenir shopping and visit a coffee shop (similar to a Starbucks) early in the morning. We then headed back to the compound to prepare for the Hawaiian style party we were giving to honor and thank the staff of HEART who work so hard to run the program and the compound. They have been so gracious to us. They have never had this before so it makes it even more meaningful to acknowledge and appreciate them.
With Hawaiian music playing in the background, we started off with card games and visiting. UNO was the big hit with some serious competition. Jeannie gave an amazing talk about faith then we moved onto more serious games like musical chairs! Yes, grown men and women having a blast at musical chairs. They had never played this game before and they loved it! We all just laughed so hard. I think in the men's turn, they might have broken a chair in the last round. It was serious competition.
We spent the rest of the day shopping and preparing for the next events coming up.
Long but great day!
With Hawaiian music playing in the background, we started off with card games and visiting. UNO was the big hit with some serious competition. Jeannie gave an amazing talk about faith then we moved onto more serious games like musical chairs! Yes, grown men and women having a blast at musical chairs. They had never played this game before and they loved it! We all just laughed so hard. I think in the men's turn, they might have broken a chair in the last round. It was serious competition.
We spent the rest of the day shopping and preparing for the next events coming up.
Long but great day!
Day 4 -Visit to Living Positive WEEP Center
I don't know if I can truly express my feelings about this day. I certainly can't describe it to its fullest impact. First, we went to a grocery market to pick up food for the 25 women we would be visiting. A bag of beans and a bag of Ugali (cornmeal flour), and some oil equals a month of food for them. From there, we headed to a slum in Gnong where the WEEP center is located.
When our bus pulled in, all the women started pouring out the door, clapping and smiling then breaking into song and dance. They hugged each of us as we toppled out of the bus. Can you just imagine how our hearts felt as we were greeted with such love? I'm still so moved by that.
They led us into a room in the center - all 25 of them plus all 10 of us and the three women that joined us from the HEART center all snugly fit into a room approximately 8x11. We spent our time in there introducing each other then moved on to another small room that women just starting their program learn to sew. Today they were presenting new sewing machines to these ladies. From there we had a tour, visiting the social work office, another sewing room and their little gift shop where they sell their crafts.
Next, we went to visit some of the homes. First we stopped at Dorcas' house. Dorcas is a miracle. She has lost 2 children to starvation, survived cancer (enduring 7 surgeries), has been abandoned by her husband and family and has AIDS. Due to her cancer, she has lost her vocal chords but was blessed by a little machine that she puts up to her neck that gives her an electronic voice. She has overcome so much and just wants to help others now. She is a firecracker. Forever imprinted in my memory. She now runs a business and has been able to buy herself a home of tin and is able to support her children.
After our visit with Dorcas, our team split up and visited other homes so we could encourage these ladies and get a feel of their environment. This was truly humbling. Jeanne and I went to the home of Leah. She is fairly new to the program. She was married, had two children then when she was pregnant with twins she was diagnosed with AIDS. Her babies were born 2 months prematurely but had survived, two months after their birth, her husband died of illness. His family came in and took all of their belongings and left her sick with brand new twins and two other children. She was desperate, devastated and very weak. By God's grace, she met a woman from the WEEP center who invited her to visit. Now she is in the program and starting her journey to recovery. I will never forget her face.
Then, there is Naomi and Jenn, Everline, America and many more with these horrific stories they have lived out. Their living conditions are devastating. Have you ever seen pictures on TV or magazines of miles of tin shacks, falling apart and filthy with small children playing in the garbage covered roads? We were there. Right in the middle of it. And we've been told we haven't even seen the worst yet.
After the home visits we returned to the WEEP center where we were greeted with a meal they had prepared. Our first true experience with Kenyan food. It was actually really good! They served rice, homemade African tortillas, cooked cabbage and beef stew. Although, I confess I didn't eat the meat, I really enjoyed the meal. And I loved the joy they exuded as they shared it with us.
As we started to leave, they embraced us with such joy. I felt we were able to lift their spirits. But they lifted ours with their singing, dancing and hugs and wanting lots of pictures taken. They loved seeing themselves on the digital cameras.
Another amazing day.
When our bus pulled in, all the women started pouring out the door, clapping and smiling then breaking into song and dance. They hugged each of us as we toppled out of the bus. Can you just imagine how our hearts felt as we were greeted with such love? I'm still so moved by that.
They led us into a room in the center - all 25 of them plus all 10 of us and the three women that joined us from the HEART center all snugly fit into a room approximately 8x11. We spent our time in there introducing each other then moved on to another small room that women just starting their program learn to sew. Today they were presenting new sewing machines to these ladies. From there we had a tour, visiting the social work office, another sewing room and their little gift shop where they sell their crafts.
Next, we went to visit some of the homes. First we stopped at Dorcas' house. Dorcas is a miracle. She has lost 2 children to starvation, survived cancer (enduring 7 surgeries), has been abandoned by her husband and family and has AIDS. Due to her cancer, she has lost her vocal chords but was blessed by a little machine that she puts up to her neck that gives her an electronic voice. She has overcome so much and just wants to help others now. She is a firecracker. Forever imprinted in my memory. She now runs a business and has been able to buy herself a home of tin and is able to support her children.
After our visit with Dorcas, our team split up and visited other homes so we could encourage these ladies and get a feel of their environment. This was truly humbling. Jeanne and I went to the home of Leah. She is fairly new to the program. She was married, had two children then when she was pregnant with twins she was diagnosed with AIDS. Her babies were born 2 months prematurely but had survived, two months after their birth, her husband died of illness. His family came in and took all of their belongings and left her sick with brand new twins and two other children. She was desperate, devastated and very weak. By God's grace, she met a woman from the WEEP center who invited her to visit. Now she is in the program and starting her journey to recovery. I will never forget her face.
Then, there is Naomi and Jenn, Everline, America and many more with these horrific stories they have lived out. Their living conditions are devastating. Have you ever seen pictures on TV or magazines of miles of tin shacks, falling apart and filthy with small children playing in the garbage covered roads? We were there. Right in the middle of it. And we've been told we haven't even seen the worst yet.
After the home visits we returned to the WEEP center where we were greeted with a meal they had prepared. Our first true experience with Kenyan food. It was actually really good! They served rice, homemade African tortillas, cooked cabbage and beef stew. Although, I confess I didn't eat the meat, I really enjoyed the meal. And I loved the joy they exuded as they shared it with us.
As we started to leave, they embraced us with such joy. I felt we were able to lift their spirits. But they lifted ours with their singing, dancing and hugs and wanting lots of pictures taken. They loved seeing themselves on the digital cameras.
Another amazing day.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Day 2 -Dandora Church and Sponsored Child Visit
OK, so today was a doozey! Yesterday we spent the day in a beautiful setting. Today we saw something completely different. Our church has helped support a Kenyan church in the very heart of a slum in Dandora. So, we intended to visit there for Sunday service. First we had to drive through the city, which, proved quite exciting because of the driving culture. What was eye catching to me was the amount of people out walking along the streets, in the streets, around the streets -you get the picture. There were so many people out and about and they tend to share the roads with the vehicles. Several times I had to shut my eyes because I just knew we were going to hit a person (or a person would hit us). As we started to exit the city, we made a left turn that took us through the edge of the slum. There was garbage everywhere and it got worse as we drove further in. There were run down shacks, vehicles that had been stripped, scavenger birds flying overhead and people everywhere. I couldn't take my eyes off of the scenery.
The vision I can't get out of my head was a very large pile of garbage and there were pigs gnashing through it with children just a few feet away. Like it was normal. It just hurts.
The fun part of the ride was seeing the wonder and curiosity on the children's faces and the smiles they gave us when we waved to them. Seeing the children has been such a highlight of this trip. We just want to take pictures of all these adorable kids! Their greeting to us is "how are you" in their cute accents. They don't know what it means so you answer back to them saying "how are you"? And they're happy.
We took a nice tour of the church then enjoyed the African service. They love to sing and clap and move. They brought in the children to sing a couple songs too. Although a lot of it was in KiSwahili, it was a great experience. We were very warmly welcomed.
The best part of the day was when we got back to the compound. Most of us sponsor children from around the area through Compassion. These children were bussed in so we could meet and spend the afternoon with them. What an honor that was. My family sponsors a 9 year old little girl named Saiton -she was so shy and it was so hard getting her to talk but her face totally lit up when I gave her a soccer ball. Shortly after that, I gave her and her friend matching baby dolls which made them giggle - it was such a sweet moment. After we fed them, Saiton and I spent time kicking the soccer ball back forth. She totally loved playing on the IPhone, of course. We all sent our sponsored kids off with needed items and toys, then they got on the bus, drove away and I just cried, knowing what they too were going home to.
I'm sorry I don't have pictures to show you. My technical abilities don't include transferring pictures from the Ipad onto my blog. It was supposed to be easy!! I can post some on Facebook, however, so feel free to check those out.
The vision I can't get out of my head was a very large pile of garbage and there were pigs gnashing through it with children just a few feet away. Like it was normal. It just hurts.
The fun part of the ride was seeing the wonder and curiosity on the children's faces and the smiles they gave us when we waved to them. Seeing the children has been such a highlight of this trip. We just want to take pictures of all these adorable kids! Their greeting to us is "how are you" in their cute accents. They don't know what it means so you answer back to them saying "how are you"? And they're happy.
We took a nice tour of the church then enjoyed the African service. They love to sing and clap and move. They brought in the children to sing a couple songs too. Although a lot of it was in KiSwahili, it was a great experience. We were very warmly welcomed.
The best part of the day was when we got back to the compound. Most of us sponsor children from around the area through Compassion. These children were bussed in so we could meet and spend the afternoon with them. What an honor that was. My family sponsors a 9 year old little girl named Saiton -she was so shy and it was so hard getting her to talk but her face totally lit up when I gave her a soccer ball. Shortly after that, I gave her and her friend matching baby dolls which made them giggle - it was such a sweet moment. After we fed them, Saiton and I spent time kicking the soccer ball back forth. She totally loved playing on the IPhone, of course. We all sent our sponsored kids off with needed items and toys, then they got on the bus, drove away and I just cried, knowing what they too were going home to.
I'm sorry I don't have pictures to show you. My technical abilities don't include transferring pictures from the Ipad onto my blog. It was supposed to be easy!! I can post some on Facebook, however, so feel free to check those out.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Day 1 -Paradise Lost
Wow! What an amazing day. First of all, I'm in Africa!! I'm still trying to wrap my brain around that.
Today, we spent the day at Paradise Lost. A beautiful park in Nairobi with water falls, ancient caves you can go far into, and a river that runs along the back. I was nervous about this day because we were spending it with a large group of children and their mothers who were bussed in from the slums. This would be their one day a year to get to spend the day in play. These people live in some of the worst conditions, have seen great pain and suffer from HIV/AIDS. What could I possibly offer? My hope was to be able to encourage them and let them feel loved and accepted just for who they are. When we got off our bus, they welcomed us with that same sentiment. Children, came right up to us with handshakes and hugs. They were dressed in their best outfits and showed us the best manners. They grabbed onto our hands and just loved on us. The women gave us big hugs and big smiles welcoming us with such warmth. I felt like family right away.
The kids loved playing with our cameras. When we would take their pictures, they would rush over to see it on the digital screens. That made them so happy. Some would be allowed to hold our cameras and take some pictures of their own and you could see importance written all over their faces. A camera is something so normal in my life -can't take it for granted so much now seeing how much it lit up the faces of these children. Even the moms enjoyed having their pictures taken.
The children got to play and do crafts. It appears the favorite craft was the jewelry made out of pipe cleaner and beads. They walked around with stickers on their foreheads and their self made jewelry. What seemed the most pleasing to them was just to hold our hands and walk along with us. Some pulled us where they wanted, some just wanted that simple affection -acceptance.
We spent some time with the mamas having a devotional and creating braided bracelets out of embroidery thread. Oh my heart, I feel so humbled. Some of the women were eager learners and got right into the project, some simply enjoyed just visiting with their friends, and getting to relax for a bit. Some just didn't feel good at all. But in the end, every woman completed her bracelet and tied it around her wrist. Some women actually wore them as necklaces. I was so touched by their sweet spirits.
One of the ladies from the HEART center brought her keyboard and as soon as she started playing it, she was surrounded by the women and children who danced and sang exuding such joy. I loved watching the women dance. They have this natural rhythm in their movement that I tried to imitate but couldn't. I just looked awkward -so I stopped but I sure enjoyed watching them.
One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing the moms jump rope. They counted how many times they could jump before stumbling on the rope. They played just like kids. They laughed and played and I can still see their huge smiles and laughter.
It was a very good day. We left them with colorful jewelry that they got to make, food in their tummies, singing hearts and hugs. It just hurts knowing what and where they went home to.
Today, we spent the day at Paradise Lost. A beautiful park in Nairobi with water falls, ancient caves you can go far into, and a river that runs along the back. I was nervous about this day because we were spending it with a large group of children and their mothers who were bussed in from the slums. This would be their one day a year to get to spend the day in play. These people live in some of the worst conditions, have seen great pain and suffer from HIV/AIDS. What could I possibly offer? My hope was to be able to encourage them and let them feel loved and accepted just for who they are. When we got off our bus, they welcomed us with that same sentiment. Children, came right up to us with handshakes and hugs. They were dressed in their best outfits and showed us the best manners. They grabbed onto our hands and just loved on us. The women gave us big hugs and big smiles welcoming us with such warmth. I felt like family right away.
The kids loved playing with our cameras. When we would take their pictures, they would rush over to see it on the digital screens. That made them so happy. Some would be allowed to hold our cameras and take some pictures of their own and you could see importance written all over their faces. A camera is something so normal in my life -can't take it for granted so much now seeing how much it lit up the faces of these children. Even the moms enjoyed having their pictures taken.
The children got to play and do crafts. It appears the favorite craft was the jewelry made out of pipe cleaner and beads. They walked around with stickers on their foreheads and their self made jewelry. What seemed the most pleasing to them was just to hold our hands and walk along with us. Some pulled us where they wanted, some just wanted that simple affection -acceptance.
We spent some time with the mamas having a devotional and creating braided bracelets out of embroidery thread. Oh my heart, I feel so humbled. Some of the women were eager learners and got right into the project, some simply enjoyed just visiting with their friends, and getting to relax for a bit. Some just didn't feel good at all. But in the end, every woman completed her bracelet and tied it around her wrist. Some women actually wore them as necklaces. I was so touched by their sweet spirits.
One of the ladies from the HEART center brought her keyboard and as soon as she started playing it, she was surrounded by the women and children who danced and sang exuding such joy. I loved watching the women dance. They have this natural rhythm in their movement that I tried to imitate but couldn't. I just looked awkward -so I stopped but I sure enjoyed watching them.
One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing the moms jump rope. They counted how many times they could jump before stumbling on the rope. They played just like kids. They laughed and played and I can still see their huge smiles and laughter.
It was a very good day. We left them with colorful jewelry that they got to make, food in their tummies, singing hearts and hugs. It just hurts knowing what and where they went home to.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Two Days to Take Off!!
Wow! It's finally time. After seven months of planning and preparing, the time to get on that plane and head to Kenya is here. It's been an incredible journey already. Preparing for this trip has taken me on a roller coaster of emotions and experiences, challenging and stretching me beyond my comfort and I haven't even left home yet! Some have wondered how I could feel so overwhelmed and all I can say is that it's all in the details. I am a natural worrier, therefore, I have worried about and analyzed every possible detail of this trip. Can I handle the shots? What should I wear? How are my kids going to handle this? How is my husband going to handle the kids? How can I possibly encourage the Kenyan women and children I get to meet? What do I have to offer? How do I avoid getting sick? How do I graciously eat the food??? (Yes, that is a huge fear of mine). What excites me is the privilege to be a part of this team and the honor of getting to meet the women of Kenya. My heart's desire is to show them they are truly and deeply loved. I can't wait to see how God uses this time and I can't wait to tell you all about it!
With joy and anticipation,
Katie
With joy and anticipation,
Katie
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