GOODBYES, AND FINAL THOUGHTS
February 6, 2019

Yesterday we left Sweet Waters Preserve.  Our first stop in Nairobi was a favorite, Kazuri Beads.  Their inspirational story is worth sharing for those who haven't heard about this company.  Kazuri (small and beautiful) was started in 1975 by an English woman with two local Kenyan women as the first employees.  The mission then and now is to provide a safe work environment for single or widowed women.  Their health insurance is paid and covers immediate family, and they receive a salary. We were fortunate enough to meet Elizabeth who was one of the original employees; 44 years on the job and still going.  Faith is nurtured through daily community devotion and prayers.

They now employee 340 people.  The mission hasn't changed over the years, but now they also employee a few men to do the "heaving lifting" and we also met a young man who is an apprentice, although he cannot hear or speak.  They utilize clay from the Mount Kenya area, and create beads in various sizes and shapes.  Each bead is hand painted then fired.  We each tried our hand at molding some clay.  Let's just say we'll leave that to the more skilled ladies of Kazuri.

Today we did some additional shopping prior to leaving for the airport.  Nairobi is by every measure a typical large city.  The areas we passed, and shopped, had sky scrapers and some very modern appearing homes.  This provides a sharp contrast to the outlying areas of Kenya we have visited and worked.  In contrast one of the last areas we pass before entering the airport is the Kibera slums.  Our driver tells us this is the second largest slum in Africa, the largest found in Soweta, South Africa.

We have tried to accurately report the facts of the people we've encountered and projects completed.  We hope that the emotions we have felt throughout our trip have been conveyed through the stories.  For those of us who have been on prior trip(s), leaving Kenya is like leaving home and each visit we leave a piece of our hearts.  We are thankful for the past two weeks, and we begin to look toward another trip hopefully by 2021.  For those new to the team, we hope they have found the same beauty in the country that we see; but more importantly the beauty in the generous, loving, and faithful people we serve.

Mission is going strong in Kenya, just as in many parts of the world, by the grace, love, and call of a common God.  For those we've served we pray for continued blessings.  For those on "the ground" at Maua Methodist Hospital, and their families, we give prayers of thanksgiving and commend their continued faithfulness.  Daniel Kibe and his drivers Peter, Edward, and David not only kept us safe but were patient with our endless questions, and informative about facts of Kenya.  Lastly, for the bishop and mission staff at the conference office, as well as evangelist and pastoral staff serving the Wamba area we know God has great plans.

In the Rule of the Missionaries of Charity (founded by Mother Theresa) we find these words:
Service means an unceasing and wholehearted labor in making ourselves available to Jesus so that He may live, in and through us.

And pray:
Lord Jesus, 
We want to imitate you, who told us:
"I am meek and humble of heart."
We ask you, that day by day, you lead us in this path.
We wish to bring you, dear Christ, to others.

We can't wait to share additional stories upon our return and hope you will take the opportunity to share with others as well.

Acton UMC Kenya Ministry
"Christ's Mission, Our Mission"

February 4th

A Time for Rest

Ecclesiastes 3:1 Living Bible 

 There is a right time for everything

We have now completed the projects that we came for, and have been at Sweet Waters game preserve for a day.  This provides the team members time to rest, reflect, and marvel in the wonders of God's creation.

Many of us can sit in front of our tents and view the sun rising over Mount Kenya.  Others have a view of the watering hole where animals come throughout the day to cool off, rest, and replenish.  We also have the opportunity to drive through the preserve observing animals in a natural habitat.

It is a stark contrast to the Wamba area we left yesterday which was already quite dry from the summer conditions.  Less than two short years ago, most able bodied men in that area made a trek around 100 kilometers to the Mount Kenya area with livestock; leaving wives, children, and elderly relatives behind.  This was in an effort to preserve the livestock and a livelihood when the rains returned. The Wamba region has made a comeback, but are already praying for the rainy season which should start in a couple more months.

While we take our rest and thank God for all his wonders, it is difficult to put aside the people who we've encountered.  They continue with daily struggles to feed families, pay for medical care when needed, provide other necessities; and we wonder too if they ever find rest.

We ponder if we've done all we can.  But know that the common God we serve is big enough.  We pray for the people here as we move on.  We pray for those who may be called to carry on the next project.  And we are thankful for the rest.

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message 

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Acton in ACTION

Acton in ACTION

February 2 and 3, 2019

On Saturday we left our beloved Maua and traveled to the town of Wamba in the Northern Frontier of Kenya.  To give you a sense of the Northern Frontier, we must tell you that it was like traveling back in the old west on unpaved roads that shook our vehicles as though we were in an earthquake.  The shaking was so bad that one vehicle broke down and we were wondering if it could be fixed in time to continue travel.  We decided to double up and travel in the other van only to have the second van breakdown as well.  We got out of the vehicle and looked out across the land when we saw a cross on the top of a hill. It wasn’t just a coincidence, we knew that it was God telling us he was with us and would make sure we arrived safely.  We then said a prayer, turned around, and the first van pulled up beside us.  The second van then started back up and we all continued our journey.

Our purpose was to dedicate a church made up of people from the community many of which are part of the Samburu Tribe.  Many of the tribal people who have come to know Christ, must walk miles to worship under a tree to give thanks and fellowship.  Now thru the giving and loving spirit of the people of Acton UMC, one such community now has a church building where they can come and worship.

To get to this point, one must first know the hard work of the Methodist people who travel around to the villages sharing the love of God to people who did not know who God was.  We learned that the Methodist is the only church Evangelizing.  The Samburu’s had only worshiped the ground, the trees and other objects as far back as history goes.  Their living is primitive along with their tribal customs.

To help us see how these people lived, we were taken to a couple of villages by Pastor Judy who is over several churches in the area, District Superintendent Rev. Gideon and the Kenya Conference Office Mission Coordinator who is over disaster relief.  The area covers, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Congo and Southern Sudan.  We were greeted with beautiful smiles and songs from the Samburu woman welcoming us into their community.  We all gathered, prayed and talked about their challenges in learning about God.  

The first village we stopped at had a newly built church that was sponsored by another Methodist Church in Texas.  This village now has a place for worship, in addition, they use the church for school Monday thru Saturday.  The church is also used as a community center.  In contrast the second village was still worshipping under a tree.  They are in need of a sponsor to build a church in that community.  They were so appreciative of our visit that they presented us with a container of goat milk, a goat and necklaces.

On Sunday morning we all gathered at the newly completed church for the dedication ceremony. The teenage girls who attended church sang glorious songs of praise.  Pastor Judy opened in prayer and Rev. Gideon gave the message.  He spoke of Jesus Christ teaching his disciples about bringing the light and how Acton UMC had brought the light to this community.  He commented that the signage read Action UMC rather than Acton UMC.  He viewed this as a sign that we were called to action to help the people in this community.  The church will be used as a central meeting location for the seven newly established Methodist Churches.  They will meet at a minimum on a quarterly basis.  It was as if God said, you now know why I brought you all this way over difficult travel so you could see my Glory in a place you never thought possible.

God unites us all!! 

Medical Camp Day

February 1, 2019

Medical Camp Day

Today we were blessed to visit two schools and then a church where we held a Medical Camp.

The first school we visited was Maua Primary which served approximately 800 children from Early Childhood Development (ECD) through Grade 8.  We went into each of the classrooms and gave each child a deworming pill.  For those of you who don’t know, the conditions these children live in are such that they are prone to worms as they are without shoes most of the time.  Once the pills are chewed and swallowed, they are given a lollipop to get the bad taste of the medicine out of their mouth.  Can you imagine having to do something like that back in the USA?!!

The second school we visited was Gitura Primary School.  This school served approximately 750 children from ECD to grade 8.  As in the first school, we gave each of the children deworming pills and a lollipop.   This school is the assigned school for Acton UMC, so we provided needed school supplies such as composition books, pencils, games for playtime and toothbrushes.  We were able to provide these items due to the generosity of our church family. 

The Gitura Methodist Church is where we gathered and conducted a Medical Camp along with staff from Maua Methodist Hospital.  We set up stations to obtain their height, weight, blood pressure and glucose.  They were then provided deworming pills and given advise based on results. Due to their lack of funds, many Kenyan’s never see an eye doctor.  As part of the Medical Camp, we had a station available where they were provided reading glasses.  We served 138 people from the community at the Medical Camp.  We were amazed at how patient they were while waiting their turn.  Many vocalized how grateful they are as the majority cannot afford to see a doctor.

At the end of the day we served 1688 men, women and children.  WOW!!

We were touched and moved that God chose us to be here today to experience the laughter of the children, the love of the teachers and the joy on the faces of the Kenyan’s we saw at the camp.

Bringing God’s peace and love in each encounter… 

Thur Jan 31st.
Dedication of the AIDS Orphan's Home

Apologies for the delay.  This is a day filled with emotion: one of sadness for what these families have experienced, and one of great celebration. 

In the end, if often takes us a while to process what we have been able to accomplish thanks to God's calling, and the careful guidance and assistance of the hospital outreach and dedicated staff who is on site to help us in the construction process.

Psalm 146:9 (NIV)

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow...

How amazing it was to begin our final journey towards completion of the AIDS orphan home after construction which took only 4 days.  We were surrounded by young children, men and women of the community, extended family, the grandmother and grandfather, and most importantly the recipient Precious and her brother Felix.

Lo

Many staff from Maua Methodist Hospital came along and shared their hearts with the community, our team, and the family.  These include social workers, chaplain, the Chief Nursing Officer (Mary Gitari) and her husband Stanley Gitari who heads the community outreach for the hospital.

The criteria for qualification has changed over time as there were over 4,000 orphans who were in need of homes.  Now the criteria requires that at least one child has been tested as HIV positive, and the program has always deeded the home to the youngest sibling to insure that the home remains in the family.

So how does a very happy 4 year old, who is really unaware of the magnitude of what has been done  qualify?  Precious herself is not only the youngest child; but is also the child that is HIV positive.  She was born in the community and not at a hospital, so was un-diagnosed until recently.  Felix, her brother, is in P7 (primary school, 7th grade).  He speaks English and is a very polite and helpful young man.

Stanley started the service by singing and dancing as members from the surrounding village joined in.  They began to approach us, taking our hands and inviting us into the celebration.  It was such a touching time for our team.  Stanley reminded us the Spirit of  God was present and the house was considered a miracle in answer to prayer.

Stanley also talked of how grateful the family and village was to receive such a gift and the future this held for the family.  He thanked the AUMC Kenya Ministry team, recognized our continued support and the members some new and some who had made prior trips.

Craig was asked to address those who had gathered.  He said, "We believe we are called together as one body from a loving God.  We may appear differently but we are all brothers & sisters.  We are humbled and we are thankful that our God calls us to provide for those in need.  And we are very thankful for the kindness of the people who touch our hearts."
"While we feel we are a long way from home, we now have a new home.  We pray God''s blessing will go with each of you, particularly this family as they begin a new chapter in their lives.  Bwana asifiwe (Praise God)."

The local chaplain from MMH read from Luke 12 and gave a short message.  Then everyone gathered was asked to place their hands on the new home and pray together. 

Sheryl, as team leader, presented the key to the house.  To date over 600 (2 room homes) have been built by the various teams who visit each year, and through generous donations from supporters.

Truly the Spirit of the Lord was alive and present in a small village outside Maua [town].  The team is refreshed and revived.  We cannot thank each donor enough for the life, joy, and hope given to Precious, Felix, and their grandparents.  (Both biological parents are deceased).

We would be remiss if we did not mention our very competent and patient Kenyan crew headed by Charles, two additional young men, and Elizabeth (who also helped us on our prior build in 2017).  She is as skilled and capable as any member of their team.  Their dedication to these projects carries us, sometimes literally, when we become weakened and tired.  Their compassion towards the families is exemplary.

Faith in God and a shared love of others makes all things possible.

Mark 12:30-31 New Life Version 

30 You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ This is the first Law.

31 “The second Law is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other Law is greater than these.”