WEDNESDAY June 30, 2010 BLOG
I meant to blog the last couple of days or nights. Once again I could not get on and have forgotten what I even did. The time with the students has been good. It has been like church plus a business seminar. I am so pleased with the students! One thing they need is to be more aggressive. I put up a 100 kenyan shilling bill. It equals more than one U.S. dollar and you can buy 3 cokes, two loaves of bread, or some phone time. I told them to come get it. They sat there. I stood there. Then Catherine, our employee in the back, got up and headed towards me. Even as she came, she hesitated briefly twice. This would have given someone in front of her time to leap out of their chair and beat her to me. But they didn’t move. Not ONE! That afternoon class had maybe 12 students and not one moved towards me. Catherine got to me and snatched it out of my hand. She was happy! She got the money! For basically nothing. I looked at the students. I told them they passed it by. They were too afraid to move. What was holding them back? Only themselves. It was FREE! I was offering it! But because no one next to them was moving, they did not move either. Let today be the last day. Let it be the day they change. One of them said it was a GOOD LESSON! They could not believe themselves either. They were stunned. But I want them to learn to be in front of people and to move out when no one else will. I want them to learn to be WRONG. I want to create an atmosphere where they are willing to be sent back in front of everyone. I want to create an atmosphere where they are willing to be corrected. In the morning class, I talked about honesty. It was really, really good. I told them that before I was a Christian, I would lie easily. I would even make up stories to be interesting or make a true story much more interesting. I never felt any guilt about it but I did not want to be exposed as a liar. I was immoral and did not want to be exposed as immoral but wanted to do anything I felt like doing rather than having to conform to a society message about what was right or wrong. I wanted total freedom and no consequences. I am a totally different person today thanks to Jesus. I do not even tell white lies. I never ask my children, family or friends to “cover” for me. I always tell them to be honest. I am nowhere near perfect. I still may keep quiet when I should tell something. Or I may neglect to tell some part that might implicate me somehow. But I never lie to a direct question and I never tell white lies. They are all from the father of lies and I don’t want to be like him. Sometimes I end up confronting people who are telling me to say this or that. It is uncomfortable but I know that I am giving them a good role model even though it is not usually done. Regarding our lawyer who has treated us wrongfully, one employee was telling me to write him a letter with a certain slant—but it was not honest. So I told him that I could not do that because it would not be true. He back-tracked, saying that he meant something else, and I always let that drop because I am not trying to call him out, I just made it clear that would not be my approach. The next day in class, this came back to him and he testified before the class about what he did without meaning anything wrong—yet he was willing to lie in order to get the truth from the lawyer. He could see the duplicity in it. It is amazing to see we are having spiritual growth in the classes when the classes are about programming and business. But we are running everything with integrity and expecting integrity. We are running everything openly and expecting openness. I think it makes people feel confident and safe. I think it releases them to do their best because they have a joy inside motivating them. When they feel supported, then they can relax and put their mind to their tasks. When they feel that they have room to fail, they will take more risks. It is a wonderful atmosphere.
No roaches in my room for 24 hours now. Hallelujah! I managed to sleep very soundly last night by the grace of God. Yesterday, Henry was in the afternoon class and while I don’t remember all he said, the gist of it was that the roaches are a blessing to me. What? I remember that I followed his line of reasoning until he came to the last part. I’ve forgotten the foundation of the declaration. But I thought I would just try to conform my mind to accept the roaches as a blessing. I could not really see them as a blessing except to say that I’ve come a long way to be able to manage with a roach in my vicinity. I told the class a story about when Sarah was around 8. We were at my mother in law’s, sleeping in the bedroom all together with the children on the floor, and a roach crawled across sarah. I snatched her up by one arm screaming (she was asleep.) I was thoroughly disgusted to the point of vomiting. My whole body was on fire with the electricity of adrenaline. I wanted to go home immediately. IMMEDIATELY! Steve woke to my scream and turned on the light. He did not want to go home. It was a 10 hour drive and the time was 10 pm. PLEASE wait until morning. NO! Please! No! Please. OH man, I could see how difficult it would be to pack (and with a roach running somewhere in the room and it being quite dark and the lamp barely enough to see in the room!) and then God spoke to me. “Stephanie.”…………oh man. Like in the movies. “Stephanie. So you want to be a missionary?” Oh God! How can you say such a thing! Of COURSE I want to be a missionary with all my heart! Then silence. Silence. My heart pounding pounding pounding. Truly I was not up to dealing with this. I was scared. I was whining inside. I was weak. How could God ask me to deal with a COCKROACH!?! I was not on the mission field, I was at my mother in law’s, for God’s sake! Can the two be any more polar in distance???? I melted onto the bed. I took Sarah up with me. UGH! The roach could be in the bed! I startled. I shook. I wanted to cry. I yielded. Steve was probably already asleep but I can’t even remember him in my memory at that point. I just remember I could not sleep. I constantly strained my eyes in the dark to see if the roach was near me or on me. Every movement of anything was a suspected roach. I did not sleep. And if I dozed off at all, I awoke with a start and was immediately mobilized for action and scanned my perimeter.
How different was my sleep last night. I considered the roaches a blessing. I considered how far I had come to have had several (NOT TO MENTION EXCEPT THAT I MUST MENTION----THESE BEASTS FLY!!!) in my room already. And I am still here. I am still motivated to love, serve, give, submit. How amazing! Truly, only God could do this because I have had a life of very few roaches ever. It is not as if I have gotten used to the ugly creatures from hell. No, I ran screaming on the first three that I encountered here. And the termites? Oh my gosh! I am so thankful they do not scare me! There were over 35 randomly crawling all over the floor one morning. We’ve told the story from an earlier visit when my mother learned of termites. The termites came in droves during the night and Titus opened the gates so the people could come in and harvest the bounty. As people shuffled outside her window, she feared a burglar. Turns out it was just neighbors gathering a nutritious manna from heaven. (Ugh.) Titus laughed and ate one, expecting me to be grossed out. Well, a little, but not much. Eat bugs if you want to eat them. Chinese eat them, too. I understand. But roaches? Even people picking one up just rips me apart and gives me the willies. I scream and run away as if they are touching my skin or they will taunt me with that nasty insect and freak me out further.
Enough about them. I’m doing well. God did not give me a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. I lie down and sleep in peace because You alone oh Lord make me dwell in safety. I slept like a baby. I am refreshed today. What a miracle. Even I can’t believe it. But God is so good to empower you to do what He wants you to do that He can take a yahoo like me and do something GREAT! Woo Hoo! How I love him! Let the weak say I am strong! Let the poor say I am rich! Because of what the Lord has done for me! And I love passing this message onto the students. I am always able to hearken back to the early days when I was unsaved or when I was first saved. How weak I was then. How small my dreams. How faithful God has been to me. I have really only had three major traumas in my life. Two were my own fault and one was leadership dishonoring me when I was victimized. How I have grown from that! All of those events, and even trauma in the lives of my children, have brought me close to God and in such dependence on Him.
WEDNESDAY June 30, 2010
HALLELUJAH!! GOD IS SO GOOD! He has surely required much work from me and it is my joy! I went to the police office again today. This time to make a report. The District Chief Investigative Officer, Wambua, was there and he listened to my story. I had been there yesterday but not told the officer what the lawyer’s name was. Today I told the name and he wanted me to go get a receipt for the 60,000 shillings but I explained to him that the man does not return my calls. He does not return Titus’ calls either. He’s never in his office when we come. He never gets back to me. I sent him a registered letter yesterday describing our negotiations. It was to set up a legal framework for my case. He didn’t even call me! He made no attempt to give me the copy of the constitution I was requesting. However, the DCIO called him and requested him to come visit the police station. They made an appointment for tomorrow (Thursday) noon. Funny thing. Within 20 minutes of that call, a courier was at Cornerstone with my constitution and a letter. Hmmmmmn. Obviously, the lawyer knows exactly who made the call. Which is actually a good sign because that means he may not have cheated a bunch of other people. Hopefully, for the general public, it was only me. But he will have to explain himself now. Praise God! I trust Justice is coming. I am so thankful for good police officers. And I am so thankful for good lawyers. I am so glad that things like this do not happen all the time. It has been so difficult but we have overcome. And now we must find a way to make the NGO happen before that container comes.
In the meantime, I have had Anita send papers with signatures stating that she has signed the forms. I have had Sarah find the IRS 501 (c ) 3 acceptance letter and Laura has faxed them to herself then created a PDF from that and then emailed it to Steve. Now Steve has to send it to Frank and Walter.
I met with the students today. Just the morning class so far. I followed up on the brief talk on teamwork by Joseph. He discussed dependence, independence, and interdependence. I talked a little more on how each person has to contribute, even if you know you are the weakest member. If you see something that the top worker has overlooked, you are in charge of sharing that. I talked about body odor. I told them that today I came in and smelled bodies. Usually I don’t. So it reminded me to discuss how important it is to come to work with your clothes and body washed. I talked about brushing teeth and flossing (and how it affects your heart.) I talked about deodorant—they don’t have to use it here, but if they go to another country and represent us or if they have meetings with people from other countries, that they need to purchase some. I went on more extensively than that, but suffice it to say they were actually quite encouraged that I even discussed such things. Just knowing what we expect is helpful. And I’ve given them some assignments to help them grow in risk taking and professionalism. I’m having them give a small presentation on Monday and I will gauge their progress and give them feedback. They are doing great on programming. They are going to be so good when they get a computer to work on by themselves!
I just feel like singing! To have gotten that constitution! Praise God! Sarah found the IRS papers! Praise God! Laura sent them through email after faxing and turning into PDF! Praise God!
I showed the students their photos. I’m getting to know all their names. Praise God! I have explained to Walter that I need him to work on the website. I am not getting any donations. I am so surprised that I am here in Kenya and giving has just stopped! Well, it doesn’t stop us from giving. The needs are so great and God is providing for us. I pray people can see with spiritual eyes where the need is and they can prioritize orphans, widows, and the poor, like Job. I would trade this for any luxury vacation any day. I would trade this for any remodeling any day! I would trade this for cosmetic surgery any day! (hence why my facial skin is surgically perfected. It surely is a temptation for there are so many possible treatments to get your skin to be one nice smooth color!)
I praise God that my husband is so generous! I praise God that I am here in Kenya! I praise God that my children are beautiful and healthy! I praise God for my little puppies! I praise God for my TGD workers! I praise God for my Cornerstone Kenyan Family! I praise God!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
monday PM in shibuli
BLOG UPDATE MONDAY MORNING
The lawyer has not registered us. Frank is in Nairobi. He went to the registrar’s office. They checked and the name has not been registered and is available. Frank has picked up the forms for registering an NGO. The office told him that if we are registered as a charity in the USA, then we need to submit those official forms with our application. And God will be with us. Always. God is with us always.
I am sitting here in the office with Catherine. We are discussing the students. She was a great help to me yesterday. I could rely on her at a moment’s notice. We were in the church service and the Apostle (his name is so difficult. He is a Nigerian. Much easier to call him Apostle. He calls me Missionary.) He came as a special guest. He prayed blessings over so many people. We did communion and it was chaos but lovely. I had to be at his beck and call (my joy!) and Catherine was a real servant to me as I was a servant to the Apostle. We all worked in sync. Evelyn also was a great. If I needed something, she found a way to do it. So as the apostle relied on me, I also had opportunity to test my workers in other areas. One of our students, Jack, who is an outstanding young man, really hesitated when I was calling him out of the audience to assist me. Charles, an evangelist sitting in front of him, kept thinking I was calling on him. A widow who was sitting to the side of them, but closer to me, thought I meant her. We were all signing back and forth until finally the widow got up. I just said thank you and got her to hold the blood of Jesus for communion. Turns out she is one of the widows in Bulechia church (which I’ve been calling Ebulechia) where Joseph is pastor. She cares for the orphans in her home. She is precious. I’ve met her many times but now I know her name. Then I’ve heard of her many times and now I know her face. It is good!
I am having Catherine rank the students according to ability. I have spoken with them today about not being like others. You have to rise above others. You cannot rise above if you are just like everyone else. But it is difficult to avoid doing what everyone else does. But the reason AVERAGE is average is completely due to the clumping of people in the center. We want to be the outliers. The one in the chart that is way off in front. If we are not in the front, then we want to look out to see who is in front. Find out what they are doing and work to be like them. Ask them to help you. When you are in front, you turn around to teach others everything you know. You help others rise. You help others avoid just going with the crowd. You cannot just be a Kenyan. You cannot just be American. You have got to be a citizen of heaven. If you find your culture is not heavenly, then perhaps your home is not heaven. Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. If you look just like the people around you—you are not rising above. Jesus is WAY above us and we must keep our eyes on Him. We don’t even listen when people criticize. We listen for the rebuke and we check ourselves—if we are in the right, we keep going. If we are in the wrong, we correct our course. Otherwise, we ignore it. It is small minded people who need to criticize. Even I am small when I am criticizing. It just shows that I am weak. Instead, we want to build up or rebuke. But criticism? It is never motivated by love. Suggestions should be welcomed…they are usually motivated by a helpful heart that cares about the goal. They do not always need to be heeded, but a wise man welcomes suggestions at all times—and even course corrects when someone has made a good case for something different. I’ve been attacked for suggesting a different course of action. It just reminds me to listen to other’s suggestions more openly, but we alone stand before God, therefore, choose wisely always unto the Lord.
We have more news back from Frank, who has spoken with a lawyer in Nairobi and received feedback. We need evidence of what business has transpired. We need to send a registered letter outlining our negotiation history with him, including the day he came for the extra money “for late fees.” We need to find out where he delivered our papers so we can verify with the place he claims he has submitted. We need copies of the forms he created for us. We can do it. It will happen.
Tomorrow, Henry will submit papers for a CBO, a community based organization. We can have that within a week. We can begin work on exemption papers. We need those before July 10th. PRAY. BELIEVE! Trust.
Joseph came today with an amazing and terrible story of the trials he suffered when returning the orphans to their homes. The truck was lodged in the mud twice. The first time, drunk men came and recognized Titus’ vehicle and even though they were all drunk, they pushed him out of the mud together. Then they were stuck another time, but without gas. There is so much more to the story but I will wait until I can copy his notes. I’ve requested a summary so I can type it out on here for you.
The apostle came again today. He prayed over the building. He is leaving this area today. He prayed over the land. He showed me how much land God is declaring mine for the future. It was huge. He showed me where I should put my house in the future. He said to build the orphan home for now, but later put my own home in another place. He said God showed him a great Bible College there in the future. I like it! This is all the most fun stuff in the world! (not the heat. Not the bugs. Not the food.)
I cannot even imagine all that God will do—and I am so eager to see these things unfold. The computer lab is now the smallest of activities! And it was such a grand plan to begin with! We have already purchased the computers. We have the employees. We have the building (which will be finished by fall—sooner if you send support!) and we have the students. They are coming along fine. Catherine has ranked students according to programming skills with input from Walter and Joseph. Then I’ve asked them to grade those students on five elements: Positive attitude, Practical working, Entrepreneurship, Faithfulness, and Professionalism with a typical A, B, C, D, F sort of grade so I can see their strengths.
I’m going to talk with them more on body language. I wish I had shipped my book on world business culture and manners. It is a wealth of information that I could share with them. I would like to make a seminar sort of day but that is not likely to happen under current conditions. But there is much to share. They are young—near 20 as a rule. I was so pleased and surprised to see it is a female who is in 2nd place in class. Her name is Dorcus Ogola. When I get home—oh the photos I can upload when I talk about something or someone!
I sent Pastor Joseph home with my small camera to get photos of Daisy tomorrow. I will send Pastor Juma with my camera tomorrow so he can bring me photos of Evangeline, but when I tried to tell him, he did not really understand me. OH that I could speak in many languages!
The lawyer has not registered us. Frank is in Nairobi. He went to the registrar’s office. They checked and the name has not been registered and is available. Frank has picked up the forms for registering an NGO. The office told him that if we are registered as a charity in the USA, then we need to submit those official forms with our application. And God will be with us. Always. God is with us always.
I am sitting here in the office with Catherine. We are discussing the students. She was a great help to me yesterday. I could rely on her at a moment’s notice. We were in the church service and the Apostle (his name is so difficult. He is a Nigerian. Much easier to call him Apostle. He calls me Missionary.) He came as a special guest. He prayed blessings over so many people. We did communion and it was chaos but lovely. I had to be at his beck and call (my joy!) and Catherine was a real servant to me as I was a servant to the Apostle. We all worked in sync. Evelyn also was a great. If I needed something, she found a way to do it. So as the apostle relied on me, I also had opportunity to test my workers in other areas. One of our students, Jack, who is an outstanding young man, really hesitated when I was calling him out of the audience to assist me. Charles, an evangelist sitting in front of him, kept thinking I was calling on him. A widow who was sitting to the side of them, but closer to me, thought I meant her. We were all signing back and forth until finally the widow got up. I just said thank you and got her to hold the blood of Jesus for communion. Turns out she is one of the widows in Bulechia church (which I’ve been calling Ebulechia) where Joseph is pastor. She cares for the orphans in her home. She is precious. I’ve met her many times but now I know her name. Then I’ve heard of her many times and now I know her face. It is good!
I am having Catherine rank the students according to ability. I have spoken with them today about not being like others. You have to rise above others. You cannot rise above if you are just like everyone else. But it is difficult to avoid doing what everyone else does. But the reason AVERAGE is average is completely due to the clumping of people in the center. We want to be the outliers. The one in the chart that is way off in front. If we are not in the front, then we want to look out to see who is in front. Find out what they are doing and work to be like them. Ask them to help you. When you are in front, you turn around to teach others everything you know. You help others rise. You help others avoid just going with the crowd. You cannot just be a Kenyan. You cannot just be American. You have got to be a citizen of heaven. If you find your culture is not heavenly, then perhaps your home is not heaven. Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. If you look just like the people around you—you are not rising above. Jesus is WAY above us and we must keep our eyes on Him. We don’t even listen when people criticize. We listen for the rebuke and we check ourselves—if we are in the right, we keep going. If we are in the wrong, we correct our course. Otherwise, we ignore it. It is small minded people who need to criticize. Even I am small when I am criticizing. It just shows that I am weak. Instead, we want to build up or rebuke. But criticism? It is never motivated by love. Suggestions should be welcomed…they are usually motivated by a helpful heart that cares about the goal. They do not always need to be heeded, but a wise man welcomes suggestions at all times—and even course corrects when someone has made a good case for something different. I’ve been attacked for suggesting a different course of action. It just reminds me to listen to other’s suggestions more openly, but we alone stand before God, therefore, choose wisely always unto the Lord.
We have more news back from Frank, who has spoken with a lawyer in Nairobi and received feedback. We need evidence of what business has transpired. We need to send a registered letter outlining our negotiation history with him, including the day he came for the extra money “for late fees.” We need to find out where he delivered our papers so we can verify with the place he claims he has submitted. We need copies of the forms he created for us. We can do it. It will happen.
Tomorrow, Henry will submit papers for a CBO, a community based organization. We can have that within a week. We can begin work on exemption papers. We need those before July 10th. PRAY. BELIEVE! Trust.
Joseph came today with an amazing and terrible story of the trials he suffered when returning the orphans to their homes. The truck was lodged in the mud twice. The first time, drunk men came and recognized Titus’ vehicle and even though they were all drunk, they pushed him out of the mud together. Then they were stuck another time, but without gas. There is so much more to the story but I will wait until I can copy his notes. I’ve requested a summary so I can type it out on here for you.
The apostle came again today. He prayed over the building. He is leaving this area today. He prayed over the land. He showed me how much land God is declaring mine for the future. It was huge. He showed me where I should put my house in the future. He said to build the orphan home for now, but later put my own home in another place. He said God showed him a great Bible College there in the future. I like it! This is all the most fun stuff in the world! (not the heat. Not the bugs. Not the food.)
I cannot even imagine all that God will do—and I am so eager to see these things unfold. The computer lab is now the smallest of activities! And it was such a grand plan to begin with! We have already purchased the computers. We have the employees. We have the building (which will be finished by fall—sooner if you send support!) and we have the students. They are coming along fine. Catherine has ranked students according to programming skills with input from Walter and Joseph. Then I’ve asked them to grade those students on five elements: Positive attitude, Practical working, Entrepreneurship, Faithfulness, and Professionalism with a typical A, B, C, D, F sort of grade so I can see their strengths.
I’m going to talk with them more on body language. I wish I had shipped my book on world business culture and manners. It is a wealth of information that I could share with them. I would like to make a seminar sort of day but that is not likely to happen under current conditions. But there is much to share. They are young—near 20 as a rule. I was so pleased and surprised to see it is a female who is in 2nd place in class. Her name is Dorcus Ogola. When I get home—oh the photos I can upload when I talk about something or someone!
I sent Pastor Joseph home with my small camera to get photos of Daisy tomorrow. I will send Pastor Juma with my camera tomorrow so he can bring me photos of Evangeline, but when I tried to tell him, he did not really understand me. OH that I could speak in many languages!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
orphan dinner ...wish i could post photos here!
Sunday night. I have written plenty of blog entries on my Apple computer with no way to get them online. I have to use someone’s Dell computer in order to get online. Thank you, Titus and Walter.
Today an Apostle came and he was a great blessing to me. He spoke many good things over the area and the people. We took communion. I had several orphans come—11 out of 22. Plus two that want to be on the list and one child we just could not shake. So many children wanted to come eat with me. I’m sure they were hungry. The service went long. I gave the children that came with me an extra bag to take home with them. I gave plenty of food to the two women who cooked for me. They make about $26 dollars a month working 7 days a week from 5 or 6am to at least five and sometimes very late. They are very hard workers. Anne cleans the whole floor daily, washes all the clothes by hand and hangs them, washes all the dishes, takes out all the garbage (she keeps it out of the house all day by taking it out several times.) They cook. Doreen does other things like cooking and cleaning for 130 preschoolers. She totes water to them several times a day by pumping the well water into a big bucket and then carrying it on her head. Seriously, I think she does that a minimum of four times crossing the whole compound. She lays out the 130 dishes in a pattern and then fills them with rice and beans. She takes all the dishes and cups afterwards and washes them all by hand laying them in the sun to dry. It’s enough to make me want a nap. Her little Sasha—three years old—tags around at times. She is so cute!
Anyway, these women helped me today and were a great blessing to me. I had so much to do. I helped do communion and it seemed like a madhouse. People didn’t know which way they should go. They had to wash hands in a bucket first and then use the towel. Personally, I am quite against everyone using the same towel, but they do it all the time here and I just didn’t have any other good option. They dipped their cookie into fruit drink which was poured into a little pot that looked like a soup tureen. I had it on a tray that I bought for hopefully trying to make a pizza over the fire, but it was just too hard.
One man came back to church today after being away for 15 years. Praise God!
I know so many people now, it is just crazy. Everywhere I look there are people I know even by name! I filled three basin with water and had a towel for each basin. We had them come around one side wash hands, then take the communion and go back around the other way. Still, some people would come back the way they came and just clog up the whole aisle. It is very hard to give directions to people who don’t speak your language. Getting frustrated only means I think less, which makes it even less likely that I am communicating anything. But I enjoyed the whole messy process. Costly but worthy. We remembered Jesus. We took the bread and the cup. I bought little plastic shot glasses—400 of them. But after filling about 100…..I knew we could not do all of them. Too messy, I only had three trays. I continually improvised.
Then one lady was outside with malaria. Burning up! She went out and laid on the grass. I brought her back in for prayer. She was not doing well. I meant to get her some Tylenol but I was busy with the children.
It just is so good to spend the day in the house of the Lord. It was so good to see the children. Mary Barasa is doing much better with her eye medicine but still, her eye is so itchy! Vivian’s hair has grown back perfectly. Gladys was looking good. She has hair growing where she was shaved. I will check her again next week.
I met Abednego, a sweet boy. He is 11. I like him. ( I like them all. Seriously. These children were picked for me, I know it.) I got his profile and a couple pictures. He was embarrassed to answer questions in front of the other children. He seemed ashamed. I told him that I had asked all of them the very same questions. They translated it to him and confirmed it. He relaxed after that. Then I had them all prayed for, gave them some candy, told them NO LITTERING/explained all about that, and sent them off.
We need donations. We need an orphan program. I need these children all in one place so I can make sure they get donations and it doesn’t go to some family members alcoholism or get eaten up by the other children in the home. I really wanted to keep them in homes. I really think that is so good. But these homes are not good! They are in abject poverty! Giving them 25 a month just won’t cut it. PLEASE GIVE 25 A MONTH IF YOU CAN BECAUSE THAT HELPS MORE THAN NOTHING! Please, friends, so many of you hesitate to give me $20 because you think it is small—so you give nothing. Of course I enjoy gifts of $2000! But if many people GIVE, then it adds up to something LARGE. Do what you CAN do—don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do. Be a person of action. Be the solution. Be aggressive. Live with purpose. Don’t shrink back.
So instead of doing a home program that we have promoted from the first days of TGD, we are going to try to build a home. You know, God will make a way for us to do this alone. He can do it. But I can’t do the hospital alone. Unless I win the lottery and I never play—therefore, I need you. You are making the difference. TGD donations pay for people to have a job. Those workers EARN the money you freely give. We are not just giving it out. Orphans don’t earn a thing, but they should not have to earn yet. We want to prepare them to earn on their own. We have a system to work them into and find their gifting. There is plenty to do in the church, for orphans, computer lab, teaching, programming, and all aspects of hospital work. There is cleaning for those who cannot advance in their education. There is building for those who can work hard pounding nails. What they earn feeds their families. It is a good work. It is a good calling. I’m calling you to join me. THANK YOU!
I am so eager for the hospital. I cannot wait to help women during their time of birth. I cannot wait to help people with this constant threat of malaria—which KILLS! I cannot wait to help children get over simple infections that don’t have to be serious at all!! You know, when our children get a cut, we never even let it progress to red streaks. Around here, you can be nearly gangrene and they’ll put you to bed with Tylenol. Tylenol cures NOTHING. But they cannot afford to go to the doctor and they can’t afford transportation fees to go to the doctor.
Joseph is praying seriously for an ambulance. Wycliffe also told me he is praying seriously for an ambulance because the people need it so badly. I told them both, “If I had the money for an ambulance, though, I would not even buy it. I would put the money somewhere else. So you pray for an ambulance. I am believing that God will provide so many things and I just can’t even add an ambulance to the list.” They agree to pray. I suppose someone could choose to buy a Toyota Prado. It is a very nice SUV that has four wheel drive. You cannot go anywhere here without 4 wheel drive. EVERYTHING IS TRULY OFF ROAD!! Steve always says, “Oh, Jeff would love it here!” because Jeff loves to go off road. But if someone just gave me the $50,000 that thing costs, it would go to the hospital. That money could finish the building, get the electricity wiring we need for the expensive equipment, pay the electricity bill, buy medicines and supplies, and pay staff to care for the people. Yes, we need an ambulance here, but we need so much.
The computer students are a real blessing. They are so pumped. They are so eager for computers. Two excellent students, Duncan and Lawrence, came on Saturday to work on the one computer—but there was no electricity.
Seriously. All day. No electricity. I am clearly addicted. I missed my FAN! I have to charge all my gadgets! I like the fridge keeping the chicken safe to eat. But we all lived through it. Somehow. I really like electricity. I don’t even think of it as a luxury, but I guess it is.
Well, I am at halfway through my trip. On one hand, I cannot wait to get home to everything comfortable and predictable. On the other hand, how will I be away!?! Seriously! God is planting me here deeply. But I cannot even communicate with everyone. It is so frustrating. I cannot just go off by myself (I guess I could, but I haven’t yet.) There are bugs everywhere (they don’t get on you much) and the food is not familiar. There is no easy way to cook or get what you want. I just have to go without. (very un-American) It is so hot. I am so thankful Medine prayed for me. Like a miracle, the heat has not been as intense. I really thought I was going to go crazy from the heat.—and then it was cool for three days. AHHH. Even today I was lathered in sweat (completely common) and then the rain was coming. Oh the rains. It is like in the movie, Dune, when the fremin all look up and here are the rains coming to change the face of the desert planet. Ahhh. It came pouring down and I was just thinking, wow, this feels nice.
I eat a lot of corn flakes. Have I told you this 10 times already? I am such a repeater. Must make someone crazy to read my blog (SHE TOLD ME THAT TWICE ALREADY! MAN, GET TO THE POINT, GIRL!) There is so much to tell and I get tired and can’t think of a thing. I am pretty sure I blogged about Cynthia who has to ask men for money so her grandma can drink. There is a girl named Sharon here that was in the orphan photos of Todd’s. I think Todd is going to sponsor her. He gave photos to the non-profit called Help End Local Poverty (HELP) and they are going to sponsor some of the Kenyan orphans. That program has not yet begun and Sharon is not on my list, but she came today. She has AIDS, her parents died of AIDS, her growth is stunted, she has horrible marks all over her skin, and she has bumps all over her face. I hate it for her! She needs medicines. She’ll be in the group photos.
Please pray for us. Please give. Please send us a check to:
TGD 1008 Vanderbilt Circle Pflugerville, TX 78660. Please send our newsletters to your friends and family. Tell them 100% of donations goes to people or projects. We fund all of our work. Our donation is making sure yours goes 100% to the needs. We can keep the clinic extremely basic if there is little donation. We can go without the orphan home and leave them where they are living. We will have the computer lab and employees no matter what because we can fund that ourselves. But please join us. Please pray about how much you can give. I know you have church building funds to give to---and how many people will be blessed through that work? How many lives saved? Here, you can change the world. In the USA, it is luxury as usual. It is rich people feeling broke all the time. It is giving your money away to your credit cards and then buying new clothes on the card before you have paid them off. You will always be in debt like that. When will you give to the poor? You can imagine that as I sit here among them, I cannot believe how selfish we are (even me with my fave pappadeaux meals and pedicures and the silly gifts we buy people for Christmas and birthdays---as if anyone even NEEDED ANY OF THAT!) Buy for the orphan—someone who can never pay you back. You get NOTHING for it. It is not selfish. It is noble. They need you.
Okay, sorry to get so preachy. Oh people come to me ALL DAY LONG asking me to help them. It is just crazy. The little boys at the grocery store, I can push them away like the homeless on the street corners. I put my money somewhere that the little boys can get help (clinic, computer lab, orphan home) and where homeless get aid (salvation army) and I’m not going to nickel and dime those people and think I’ve done the universe any good on my way to my $5 meal. The workers on my building work all day long in burning hot sun with intense labor for $6 a day---and they are praising GOD for it! Who says Africans are lazy and want a handout? Come see the people I know. They are workers. Hard workers. They are motivated. We just need to give them a chance. What will you do? What impact are you making eternally? Come change a life!
Today an Apostle came and he was a great blessing to me. He spoke many good things over the area and the people. We took communion. I had several orphans come—11 out of 22. Plus two that want to be on the list and one child we just could not shake. So many children wanted to come eat with me. I’m sure they were hungry. The service went long. I gave the children that came with me an extra bag to take home with them. I gave plenty of food to the two women who cooked for me. They make about $26 dollars a month working 7 days a week from 5 or 6am to at least five and sometimes very late. They are very hard workers. Anne cleans the whole floor daily, washes all the clothes by hand and hangs them, washes all the dishes, takes out all the garbage (she keeps it out of the house all day by taking it out several times.) They cook. Doreen does other things like cooking and cleaning for 130 preschoolers. She totes water to them several times a day by pumping the well water into a big bucket and then carrying it on her head. Seriously, I think she does that a minimum of four times crossing the whole compound. She lays out the 130 dishes in a pattern and then fills them with rice and beans. She takes all the dishes and cups afterwards and washes them all by hand laying them in the sun to dry. It’s enough to make me want a nap. Her little Sasha—three years old—tags around at times. She is so cute!
Anyway, these women helped me today and were a great blessing to me. I had so much to do. I helped do communion and it seemed like a madhouse. People didn’t know which way they should go. They had to wash hands in a bucket first and then use the towel. Personally, I am quite against everyone using the same towel, but they do it all the time here and I just didn’t have any other good option. They dipped their cookie into fruit drink which was poured into a little pot that looked like a soup tureen. I had it on a tray that I bought for hopefully trying to make a pizza over the fire, but it was just too hard.
One man came back to church today after being away for 15 years. Praise God!
I know so many people now, it is just crazy. Everywhere I look there are people I know even by name! I filled three basin with water and had a towel for each basin. We had them come around one side wash hands, then take the communion and go back around the other way. Still, some people would come back the way they came and just clog up the whole aisle. It is very hard to give directions to people who don’t speak your language. Getting frustrated only means I think less, which makes it even less likely that I am communicating anything. But I enjoyed the whole messy process. Costly but worthy. We remembered Jesus. We took the bread and the cup. I bought little plastic shot glasses—400 of them. But after filling about 100…..I knew we could not do all of them. Too messy, I only had three trays. I continually improvised.
Then one lady was outside with malaria. Burning up! She went out and laid on the grass. I brought her back in for prayer. She was not doing well. I meant to get her some Tylenol but I was busy with the children.
It just is so good to spend the day in the house of the Lord. It was so good to see the children. Mary Barasa is doing much better with her eye medicine but still, her eye is so itchy! Vivian’s hair has grown back perfectly. Gladys was looking good. She has hair growing where she was shaved. I will check her again next week.
I met Abednego, a sweet boy. He is 11. I like him. ( I like them all. Seriously. These children were picked for me, I know it.) I got his profile and a couple pictures. He was embarrassed to answer questions in front of the other children. He seemed ashamed. I told him that I had asked all of them the very same questions. They translated it to him and confirmed it. He relaxed after that. Then I had them all prayed for, gave them some candy, told them NO LITTERING/explained all about that, and sent them off.
We need donations. We need an orphan program. I need these children all in one place so I can make sure they get donations and it doesn’t go to some family members alcoholism or get eaten up by the other children in the home. I really wanted to keep them in homes. I really think that is so good. But these homes are not good! They are in abject poverty! Giving them 25 a month just won’t cut it. PLEASE GIVE 25 A MONTH IF YOU CAN BECAUSE THAT HELPS MORE THAN NOTHING! Please, friends, so many of you hesitate to give me $20 because you think it is small—so you give nothing. Of course I enjoy gifts of $2000! But if many people GIVE, then it adds up to something LARGE. Do what you CAN do—don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do. Be a person of action. Be the solution. Be aggressive. Live with purpose. Don’t shrink back.
So instead of doing a home program that we have promoted from the first days of TGD, we are going to try to build a home. You know, God will make a way for us to do this alone. He can do it. But I can’t do the hospital alone. Unless I win the lottery and I never play—therefore, I need you. You are making the difference. TGD donations pay for people to have a job. Those workers EARN the money you freely give. We are not just giving it out. Orphans don’t earn a thing, but they should not have to earn yet. We want to prepare them to earn on their own. We have a system to work them into and find their gifting. There is plenty to do in the church, for orphans, computer lab, teaching, programming, and all aspects of hospital work. There is cleaning for those who cannot advance in their education. There is building for those who can work hard pounding nails. What they earn feeds their families. It is a good work. It is a good calling. I’m calling you to join me. THANK YOU!
I am so eager for the hospital. I cannot wait to help women during their time of birth. I cannot wait to help people with this constant threat of malaria—which KILLS! I cannot wait to help children get over simple infections that don’t have to be serious at all!! You know, when our children get a cut, we never even let it progress to red streaks. Around here, you can be nearly gangrene and they’ll put you to bed with Tylenol. Tylenol cures NOTHING. But they cannot afford to go to the doctor and they can’t afford transportation fees to go to the doctor.
Joseph is praying seriously for an ambulance. Wycliffe also told me he is praying seriously for an ambulance because the people need it so badly. I told them both, “If I had the money for an ambulance, though, I would not even buy it. I would put the money somewhere else. So you pray for an ambulance. I am believing that God will provide so many things and I just can’t even add an ambulance to the list.” They agree to pray. I suppose someone could choose to buy a Toyota Prado. It is a very nice SUV that has four wheel drive. You cannot go anywhere here without 4 wheel drive. EVERYTHING IS TRULY OFF ROAD!! Steve always says, “Oh, Jeff would love it here!” because Jeff loves to go off road. But if someone just gave me the $50,000 that thing costs, it would go to the hospital. That money could finish the building, get the electricity wiring we need for the expensive equipment, pay the electricity bill, buy medicines and supplies, and pay staff to care for the people. Yes, we need an ambulance here, but we need so much.
The computer students are a real blessing. They are so pumped. They are so eager for computers. Two excellent students, Duncan and Lawrence, came on Saturday to work on the one computer—but there was no electricity.
Seriously. All day. No electricity. I am clearly addicted. I missed my FAN! I have to charge all my gadgets! I like the fridge keeping the chicken safe to eat. But we all lived through it. Somehow. I really like electricity. I don’t even think of it as a luxury, but I guess it is.
Well, I am at halfway through my trip. On one hand, I cannot wait to get home to everything comfortable and predictable. On the other hand, how will I be away!?! Seriously! God is planting me here deeply. But I cannot even communicate with everyone. It is so frustrating. I cannot just go off by myself (I guess I could, but I haven’t yet.) There are bugs everywhere (they don’t get on you much) and the food is not familiar. There is no easy way to cook or get what you want. I just have to go without. (very un-American) It is so hot. I am so thankful Medine prayed for me. Like a miracle, the heat has not been as intense. I really thought I was going to go crazy from the heat.—and then it was cool for three days. AHHH. Even today I was lathered in sweat (completely common) and then the rain was coming. Oh the rains. It is like in the movie, Dune, when the fremin all look up and here are the rains coming to change the face of the desert planet. Ahhh. It came pouring down and I was just thinking, wow, this feels nice.
I eat a lot of corn flakes. Have I told you this 10 times already? I am such a repeater. Must make someone crazy to read my blog (SHE TOLD ME THAT TWICE ALREADY! MAN, GET TO THE POINT, GIRL!) There is so much to tell and I get tired and can’t think of a thing. I am pretty sure I blogged about Cynthia who has to ask men for money so her grandma can drink. There is a girl named Sharon here that was in the orphan photos of Todd’s. I think Todd is going to sponsor her. He gave photos to the non-profit called Help End Local Poverty (HELP) and they are going to sponsor some of the Kenyan orphans. That program has not yet begun and Sharon is not on my list, but she came today. She has AIDS, her parents died of AIDS, her growth is stunted, she has horrible marks all over her skin, and she has bumps all over her face. I hate it for her! She needs medicines. She’ll be in the group photos.
Please pray for us. Please give. Please send us a check to:
TGD 1008 Vanderbilt Circle Pflugerville, TX 78660. Please send our newsletters to your friends and family. Tell them 100% of donations goes to people or projects. We fund all of our work. Our donation is making sure yours goes 100% to the needs. We can keep the clinic extremely basic if there is little donation. We can go without the orphan home and leave them where they are living. We will have the computer lab and employees no matter what because we can fund that ourselves. But please join us. Please pray about how much you can give. I know you have church building funds to give to---and how many people will be blessed through that work? How many lives saved? Here, you can change the world. In the USA, it is luxury as usual. It is rich people feeling broke all the time. It is giving your money away to your credit cards and then buying new clothes on the card before you have paid them off. You will always be in debt like that. When will you give to the poor? You can imagine that as I sit here among them, I cannot believe how selfish we are (even me with my fave pappadeaux meals and pedicures and the silly gifts we buy people for Christmas and birthdays---as if anyone even NEEDED ANY OF THAT!) Buy for the orphan—someone who can never pay you back. You get NOTHING for it. It is not selfish. It is noble. They need you.
Okay, sorry to get so preachy. Oh people come to me ALL DAY LONG asking me to help them. It is just crazy. The little boys at the grocery store, I can push them away like the homeless on the street corners. I put my money somewhere that the little boys can get help (clinic, computer lab, orphan home) and where homeless get aid (salvation army) and I’m not going to nickel and dime those people and think I’ve done the universe any good on my way to my $5 meal. The workers on my building work all day long in burning hot sun with intense labor for $6 a day---and they are praising GOD for it! Who says Africans are lazy and want a handout? Come see the people I know. They are workers. Hard workers. They are motivated. We just need to give them a chance. What will you do? What impact are you making eternally? Come change a life!
Friday, June 25, 2010
obstetrical needs list and me blabbing blabbing
BLOGGING FRIDAY June 25, 2010
Yesterday was another challenging day. Steve is the boss around here but he is thousands of miles away. I am running things—and we all know Steve and Stephanie are polar opposites. It is hard to clarify directions using text messages. They all cost me .40 each time and so I hate to see the day has gone by with well over 20 text messages. How spoiled I am in the USA. Unlimited texting. I make calls at whim. Normally, I feel apologetic for how easy my life can be. When I get home, though, I am going to praise God and revel in my easy life.
It is not that I live in pure joy! This life has its troubles even when you live with things going your way. Aches/pains, misunderstandings, frustrations, boredom, overwork, stress, strivings, random hunger or headaches, sleepless nights, and these are just in the good life. I remember hard times of going without things you need….even basic health insurance or not having enough underwear. But even with those things, I have the hope of eternal life with never ending PURE JOY that we are always wrongfully trying to create here. Thank You Jesus for having purchased for me what I could not buy.
What are we dealing with here today? We are trying to purchase some land for TGD Services. Yesterday, the owner of the land came to talk to one of my employees who also regularly deals with land. He is a surveyor. However, that employee only talked to the owner himself rather than getting another of his colleagues to talk with the owner as well, so we could have clarity as to what is going on. The owner said that on the land we were going to purchase, he has actually SOLD half of the parcel to the church that is currently standing there (it is a large building made entirely of tin roofing materials. Very low grade structure.) Previously, he said the church is leasing and when we checked the deed to the land, it was clear. We are not sure why he is now saying it is sold. But the employee let the owner leave and came to me to tell me we have to look for another parcel somewhere.
Walter, who is head over everything here, was disturbed because he should have been in on the conversation so they could question the owner about this change. Frank also was on the grounds and I was, too. So now we have to go investigate for ourselves. Steve thinks it is a ploy to get more money—and he is not willing to pay more than the agreed upon price. We are unsure if the man sold it to the church in the brief two weeks since we agreed on a price. Steve and I had difficulty communicating about this change by text. Even a phone call (very expensive) was difficult to make things clear.
Now Frank has gone to check on the deed to another plot ---MUCH more expensive but also in a prime location. There is a chance that it is involved in government dispute because a previous regime allocated land according to favor and illegally. Now the current government is requiring those lands to return to the government so they can be purchased legally. In the meantime, much of the land is on a 99 year lease—something we don’t understand, but I remember that they do that in China, as well.
In the meantime, Walter is going to check on the deed to Joyland and see if the church truly owns it. If so, I want them to see if the church will sell for half the price we are buying from the owner and the owner sell his parcel for half the asking price. That will still equal the same amount. It is a good place and I really would like either one of these plots. We have looked all over and the pickings are slim and undesirable. Most available land has one or two serious problems associated to it.
So there was also the confrontational work of Walter correcting an employee. He saw that although he’s gotten a salary, his work is not yet defined enough but he is not making the best use of his time. Henry is working double and so we assigned him an assistant. Then I came in during the group correction process and told me they needed to meet without me. That seemed pretty fishy to me and I said okay, letting them know I was not pleased and expected to hear what they were discussing when they were through. Thus I made a sensitive issue even worse. However, Walter was doing a good job and when he came to me we realized I had also addressed some of what he spoke. This confirmed his position and he knew I supported him in his actions. I can see he had TGD’s best interests in mind.
Then today I asked someone to take me to town since the small pick-up is running again. However, I came out to find it gone. This stuff happens all the time here. I had someone call the driver, who said he would return for me. Fine. Irritated but this is not a real problem, right?!
Then I walked into the office to see an employee wearing a TGD shirt. I brought shirts but was not sure what I was going to do with them. I wanted to maybe take them back home and sell them. I made sure that Walter had given out this shirt because I was concerned the employee had just taken it without asking—assuming it was for employees. However, Walter had given it to him. I neglected to greet anyone (probably a serious cultural offense) because I walked in, questioned about the shirt immediately. Then tried to back down and explain why I was questioning. Then asked someone to call the driver. Geesh. What a way to start the day. But you know what? I have not seriously set my heart on Jesus yet today. How do I expect power to live here? This was only in the first moments of the day! Much more is coming. So I am going to put this down and go pray.
I thought I would write about how my average day goes. I read a missionary update from Lauren in Sudan and she detailed her day. It was interesting to me so I thought maybe it would interest you.
BACK AGAIN:
Praying gives me such better perspective! Thank you, Jesus!
We had some trouble with the electrician. The engineer came to inspect and said he did it all wrong. Now he won’t answer his phone. He’s already been paid for his work. Walter and Henry thought it expedient to bring in another electrician for consultation. His feedback was the same as the engineer. So they requested to hire this new one to begin quickly. Much work has to be torn out. Another set back, but we are not deterred!
Then Wycliffe tells me he has asked the electricians around if they know about a gadget that changes over 220 volts to 110. They only know of transformers and don’t know of the thing Steve was talking about getting here. We may need to bring something from home in order to use all of our equipment. I pray the Lord goes before us and works this out.
I went to the store to buy communion for 400 people. I bought 400 little plastic shot glasses for about $26 and some cheap cookies for about $10 and some big jugs of fruit drink for about $15. I am so eager for Sunday! I bought some chicken for the orphans, $20. I will buy some eggs, white potatoes, rice, corn on the cob, and oranges. A good Kenyan meal, except that I’ll put my sage and thyme and salt in the boiling water for the chicken. I’ve made a list of things we will need for birthing mothers:
www.mooremedical.com
www.InHisHands.com
Chux pads
Surgical scrub brush individual pre-packaged
Betadine liquid
Stainless steel bowls-nesting sizes-3 or 4 to a set
Surgical set of utensils (12 items, forceps, hemostats, etc.)
Bright light for perineal repair
Needles and suture
Lidocaine for injections
Individually wrapped sanitary pads
Diapers-cloth and disposable
Diaper pins
Antibacterial soap
Hand sanitizer
Antiseptic liquid
Hydrogen peroxide
Alcohol
Gauze- large and small squares wrapped individually
Placenta bowl/tray
Cord clamps
Newborn hat
Newborn socks
Receiving blankets
Towels
Washcloths
Doppler (electronic fetal heart monitor, looks like a microphone on a cord connected to a speaker)
Blood Pressure cuff
Fetalscope (looks like a stethoscope except that it has an extra part that goes on the mothers stomach)
Stethoscope –adult and pedi
Oxygen
Oxygen masks
Packaged individually alcohol wipes
Cotton balls
Amnihook (to break waters)
Eurythromycin
Vitamin K injections (if circumcision is to be performed)
Measuring tape
Portable infant scale (midwife hanging type)
Industrial grade infant scale
Portable potty chair
Birth stools
Pillows
Sheets
Rubber sheets for mattress
Urinalysis strips
Herbs- cohosh, immortal, angelica, shepherds purse
Blankets
Sterile gloves
Exam gloves
Fingernail scrub brush
Eye examining light
Ear examining light
Tongue depressors
Q-tips (only Q-tip brand please)
Kleenex tissues
Toilet paper
Vaseline
Pressure cookers-large pot
Gowns-cotton nightgowns of shorter length
Gatorade powder mix
Baby oil
Baby lotion
Baby wash
Footie socks-all cotton
Bendable straws
IV solutions, dextrose, lactator ringer?, etc.
IV needles
Surgical tape
Special suction tube to put down baby throat using manual suction (de Lay)
Suction bulbs
Pots for boiling water
TYPICAL DAY:
On a typical day, I wake up with the light or because Titus’ boys are up at 5am. I wait until 6:30 or 7 to begin getting ready so they can get ready first. I have a bottled coke with the old bottle top that needs an opener. I may boil water in my little pan on their gas stove eye. They have a two eye set that sits on a low shelf with a butane tank sitting next to it. I go to the bathroom in their close to western style bathroom that has a toilet without a seat. I don’t sit on it but squat over it. There is a shower head in their bathroom—a great luxury. But I do not trust it. There have been many inconveniences from other users. You have to turn on this switch so that the water gets hot. Then I don’t really understand the mechanism, but it drips slowly much of the time. Down below, about 8+ inches above the floor is a faucet with a short spigot. I prefer to just bend ALL THE WAY OVER and stick my head under this cold water faucet and wash my hair. Sometimes the water has stuff in it and I can’t imagine washing it all over me. Just a personal preference. Then I take water in a basin to my room. I used to wash my hair using a couple of basins but it was messy. I can do it though. Now I just use a basin to wash my body and by now my hot water is ready to add to my basin for washing (if I am having corn flakes. If I am having oatmeal, then I pour boiled bottled water over my plain instant oatmeal and make another pot of regular water for washing.
I’ve changed my patterns a little. Now I have washed my hair at night. I bought a british powered blow dryer so the outlet works and I have my travel hot rollers. It is much cooler at night but in the morning, I get hot and sweaty using that blowdryer. I get so hot and sweaty anyway, so I wear my hair up in a pony tail almost all day every day. It is hideous and I hate it. I don’t like how I look one bit. Oh well.
I eat and bathe myself and start packing up my purse for my days activities. I have several suitcases in my room. I have two large ones and a small one filled with stuff. Then I have a closet full of food stuffs and my few hanging clothes. I also have two trunks in the other room filled with medical things I bought from medical bridges right before leaving. Then I have a large metal trunk I bought here with a lock on it.
I used to get ready to out to churches. I spent time in prayer and preparation each day. I read my Bible morning and night to keep focused. I read it much more than usual. I often have it with me and will take it out and read it. I prepare messages. Sometimes I have something nice prepared and then when I get there, I think of something absolutely different—and speak on that instead. It is much harder to stay coherent like that, but it is also more exciting. I speak for anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Sometimes a few times. Then there is praying for people as they come up. That takes a while. We eat a meal with the pastors and family then go back and speak again. There is usually much singing between speakers. It is a fun time. The heat is unbearable at times. I try to stay out of direct sunlight but it is not always possible. I usually meet an orphan or two on the way there or back.
Sometimes we go to two churches in one day. That can be emotionally draining. Sometimes other things. Right now I am usually going to the TGD office or working on a building issue or land issue. I try to greet the students sometimes and give them rousing messages of hope and vision. That is so fun! They just drink it up. I am usually fed chicken, rice, ugali (grits with no taste and very firm), chapatti (tortilla things, fried flat breads I used to love) and sometimes other treats like oranges, watermelons (YUM!), corn on the cob, they may have sweet potatoes (I am not a fan), peanuts (fave!) and they usually give us all a coke. I would like some KFC original drumsticks or a Pappadeaux meal. I’d like a pizza from Reale’s or wheat thins. Maybe graham crackers and milk! Maybe mom’s wontons. Maybe Chuys chicken enchilada. Nope. None of that here. The milk is some kind of interesting milk that has been high heat processed so it doesn’t need to a fridge. It tastes close enough that I enjoy some every day. I bought some frozen chicken thighs in the new western grocery store because I don’t want to kill a chicken I know. I like these chickens.
Today I sorted beans with Anne. She cleans Titus’ house. I see Doreen’s little girl, Sasha, each day. She’s very cute and likes me now. One day I let the puppies out of their kennel and the little black one raced around. Sasha was screaming and crying in terror. I was afraid I had set her back a bit. Today I saw her over near the latrines with Nicole (wycliffe’s daughter) and Sasha had pulled down her shorts and panties to pee or poop in the garden even though she was just five feet from the latrine. I saw little boys come from the school to the latrine and go pee behind it. Curious.
Every day Anne and Doreen wash dishes and do laundry and so does Mama Nicole (Evelyn, Wycliffe’s wife.) They are always bent over at the waist. OUCH. When I went to sort beans with Anne, I got a towel so I could sit on the ground. There is so much chaff and she pours the beans into another bucket, letting the wind carry away the chaff. Very biblical. I liked it. But then she laboriously picks the beans out of the stubble that fell to the ground. She made it fall on some sort of food sack, like potato sack that is plastic. But it was slow work. I got a chance to ask her questions, though. It is good to know people.
I usually don’t have time for that but I was waiting for Wycliffe to return from an errand so he could take me to the grocery store in town. It costs about $6 in gas just to go. I went and made Steve a reservation at the hotel and was able to use the wi-fi for a few minutes to write him an email. I was able to post on facebook—all in about 10-15 minutes instead of the horrible amount of time it takes just get on here. I write on a word document and then copy it. I get online and just paste and get off. That takes 12 minutes just to get to TexasRivers.blogspot. I can be so patient here, but not with the computer. Man. Tedious.
I make some weird food at night. I did the boiled chicken the other night and sometimes just cereal. Sometimes just peanut butter and jelly. Food is not a highlight of my life here. I did get some oreos. I have three packages of four oreos. Normally, I seriously shun oreos. POISON! But oh, to taste something familiar is so good. I am thankful for it.
I doubt I have lost any weight at all because I eat a lot. Not good stuff and not satisfying but it hurts to go hungry here. I am always so busy that I’m not sure if I’ll get food so I think I eat too much at a time. It is such a bother to eat, too, not the easy routine of home. I eat ramen noodles by Heinz.
At night the boys come home and they have tons of pent up energy. They are very rambunctious and run around for quite a long time. You can tell they have sat still all day. I like to look at their English and Swahili books. Sometimes they say Swahili with me. For several nights I had Gladys with me and after the first few days of shyness, they began to interpret for me and even entertain her. I’ve gotten Catherine to work on the profiles which frees me up. I did a couple of interviews on video.
I change my clothes and wash myself again. I now see why it was so disgusting to wash the disciples feet. Feet get gross and dirty here. I am used to my little pudgy piggy toes being so soft and clean. I am not always current on a pedicure and have tried to reduce them to save money—but my feet are always so soft from soaking in the bath. No bath here. Ugh. No rose candles. No classical music piped through my house. I don’t have my little precious puppies smiling at me, hoping for a piece of cheese or a tortilla chip (Penelope loves tortilla chips.) and I don’t have Steve to debrief with here.
I go to bed alone. It is his busy time of day. My 10 pm is his 1pm—busy at Dell or with the children on the weekends. I know how busy our life is. And mine is busy here but I still long for our texting sessions. Usually he texts me between 3 and 5pm my time as he gets up. Then we talk again when I go to bed and it is his afternoon. I might text if I wake in the middle of the night—his evening. I have had great trouble with communications. I MIGHT have my Kenyan phone figured out now. We’ll see.
I go visit the preschool children and pass out candy or a cookie. They love to see me on site in the day. They know I love them. I always wave to them and touch them and greet them. They call out to me or come running to me. They are really precious children. They are so different. Some smart, some outgoing, some shiny clean, some unbelievably dirty, some shy, some slow. But you can get them all to smile. Even Paul is smiling a little now.
I try to check on the little puppies. I bring them snacks. I have taught the little black one to lay down to get a snack. They get very little stimulation but I explained to titus the importance of their brain development at this early age. He’s going to get them out more. He had a man training them but he had a death in the family. I honestly meet a minimum of 2 people each week (up to 10) that have had a very recent death in the family-within the month. I met a woman yesterday who lost her husband three months ago. She was holding a 6 month old baby and there was a young teen girl who had just lost her brother the day before. When we have a death in the family, it seems to shake us up for YEARS. Maybe even we never get over it. Here, they must deal with it all around. The pain! The loss. The grief. It is suffocating sometimes. I know the hospital work will increase it. It is okay. God will take me through and help me comfort them in their sorrow.
Oh the afternoon rain has come and the temperature is dropping. Hallelujah! That’s all I can think of. There must be a million things to tell and my mind is blank. I’m getting tired. Perhaps I can sleep. Nap.
Yesterday was another challenging day. Steve is the boss around here but he is thousands of miles away. I am running things—and we all know Steve and Stephanie are polar opposites. It is hard to clarify directions using text messages. They all cost me .40 each time and so I hate to see the day has gone by with well over 20 text messages. How spoiled I am in the USA. Unlimited texting. I make calls at whim. Normally, I feel apologetic for how easy my life can be. When I get home, though, I am going to praise God and revel in my easy life.
It is not that I live in pure joy! This life has its troubles even when you live with things going your way. Aches/pains, misunderstandings, frustrations, boredom, overwork, stress, strivings, random hunger or headaches, sleepless nights, and these are just in the good life. I remember hard times of going without things you need….even basic health insurance or not having enough underwear. But even with those things, I have the hope of eternal life with never ending PURE JOY that we are always wrongfully trying to create here. Thank You Jesus for having purchased for me what I could not buy.
What are we dealing with here today? We are trying to purchase some land for TGD Services. Yesterday, the owner of the land came to talk to one of my employees who also regularly deals with land. He is a surveyor. However, that employee only talked to the owner himself rather than getting another of his colleagues to talk with the owner as well, so we could have clarity as to what is going on. The owner said that on the land we were going to purchase, he has actually SOLD half of the parcel to the church that is currently standing there (it is a large building made entirely of tin roofing materials. Very low grade structure.) Previously, he said the church is leasing and when we checked the deed to the land, it was clear. We are not sure why he is now saying it is sold. But the employee let the owner leave and came to me to tell me we have to look for another parcel somewhere.
Walter, who is head over everything here, was disturbed because he should have been in on the conversation so they could question the owner about this change. Frank also was on the grounds and I was, too. So now we have to go investigate for ourselves. Steve thinks it is a ploy to get more money—and he is not willing to pay more than the agreed upon price. We are unsure if the man sold it to the church in the brief two weeks since we agreed on a price. Steve and I had difficulty communicating about this change by text. Even a phone call (very expensive) was difficult to make things clear.
Now Frank has gone to check on the deed to another plot ---MUCH more expensive but also in a prime location. There is a chance that it is involved in government dispute because a previous regime allocated land according to favor and illegally. Now the current government is requiring those lands to return to the government so they can be purchased legally. In the meantime, much of the land is on a 99 year lease—something we don’t understand, but I remember that they do that in China, as well.
In the meantime, Walter is going to check on the deed to Joyland and see if the church truly owns it. If so, I want them to see if the church will sell for half the price we are buying from the owner and the owner sell his parcel for half the asking price. That will still equal the same amount. It is a good place and I really would like either one of these plots. We have looked all over and the pickings are slim and undesirable. Most available land has one or two serious problems associated to it.
So there was also the confrontational work of Walter correcting an employee. He saw that although he’s gotten a salary, his work is not yet defined enough but he is not making the best use of his time. Henry is working double and so we assigned him an assistant. Then I came in during the group correction process and told me they needed to meet without me. That seemed pretty fishy to me and I said okay, letting them know I was not pleased and expected to hear what they were discussing when they were through. Thus I made a sensitive issue even worse. However, Walter was doing a good job and when he came to me we realized I had also addressed some of what he spoke. This confirmed his position and he knew I supported him in his actions. I can see he had TGD’s best interests in mind.
Then today I asked someone to take me to town since the small pick-up is running again. However, I came out to find it gone. This stuff happens all the time here. I had someone call the driver, who said he would return for me. Fine. Irritated but this is not a real problem, right?!
Then I walked into the office to see an employee wearing a TGD shirt. I brought shirts but was not sure what I was going to do with them. I wanted to maybe take them back home and sell them. I made sure that Walter had given out this shirt because I was concerned the employee had just taken it without asking—assuming it was for employees. However, Walter had given it to him. I neglected to greet anyone (probably a serious cultural offense) because I walked in, questioned about the shirt immediately. Then tried to back down and explain why I was questioning. Then asked someone to call the driver. Geesh. What a way to start the day. But you know what? I have not seriously set my heart on Jesus yet today. How do I expect power to live here? This was only in the first moments of the day! Much more is coming. So I am going to put this down and go pray.
I thought I would write about how my average day goes. I read a missionary update from Lauren in Sudan and she detailed her day. It was interesting to me so I thought maybe it would interest you.
BACK AGAIN:
Praying gives me such better perspective! Thank you, Jesus!
We had some trouble with the electrician. The engineer came to inspect and said he did it all wrong. Now he won’t answer his phone. He’s already been paid for his work. Walter and Henry thought it expedient to bring in another electrician for consultation. His feedback was the same as the engineer. So they requested to hire this new one to begin quickly. Much work has to be torn out. Another set back, but we are not deterred!
Then Wycliffe tells me he has asked the electricians around if they know about a gadget that changes over 220 volts to 110. They only know of transformers and don’t know of the thing Steve was talking about getting here. We may need to bring something from home in order to use all of our equipment. I pray the Lord goes before us and works this out.
I went to the store to buy communion for 400 people. I bought 400 little plastic shot glasses for about $26 and some cheap cookies for about $10 and some big jugs of fruit drink for about $15. I am so eager for Sunday! I bought some chicken for the orphans, $20. I will buy some eggs, white potatoes, rice, corn on the cob, and oranges. A good Kenyan meal, except that I’ll put my sage and thyme and salt in the boiling water for the chicken. I’ve made a list of things we will need for birthing mothers:
www.mooremedical.com
www.InHisHands.com
Chux pads
Surgical scrub brush individual pre-packaged
Betadine liquid
Stainless steel bowls-nesting sizes-3 or 4 to a set
Surgical set of utensils (12 items, forceps, hemostats, etc.)
Bright light for perineal repair
Needles and suture
Lidocaine for injections
Individually wrapped sanitary pads
Diapers-cloth and disposable
Diaper pins
Antibacterial soap
Hand sanitizer
Antiseptic liquid
Hydrogen peroxide
Alcohol
Gauze- large and small squares wrapped individually
Placenta bowl/tray
Cord clamps
Newborn hat
Newborn socks
Receiving blankets
Towels
Washcloths
Doppler (electronic fetal heart monitor, looks like a microphone on a cord connected to a speaker)
Blood Pressure cuff
Fetalscope (looks like a stethoscope except that it has an extra part that goes on the mothers stomach)
Stethoscope –adult and pedi
Oxygen
Oxygen masks
Packaged individually alcohol wipes
Cotton balls
Amnihook (to break waters)
Eurythromycin
Vitamin K injections (if circumcision is to be performed)
Measuring tape
Portable infant scale (midwife hanging type)
Industrial grade infant scale
Portable potty chair
Birth stools
Pillows
Sheets
Rubber sheets for mattress
Urinalysis strips
Herbs- cohosh, immortal, angelica, shepherds purse
Blankets
Sterile gloves
Exam gloves
Fingernail scrub brush
Eye examining light
Ear examining light
Tongue depressors
Q-tips (only Q-tip brand please)
Kleenex tissues
Toilet paper
Vaseline
Pressure cookers-large pot
Gowns-cotton nightgowns of shorter length
Gatorade powder mix
Baby oil
Baby lotion
Baby wash
Footie socks-all cotton
Bendable straws
IV solutions, dextrose, lactator ringer?, etc.
IV needles
Surgical tape
Special suction tube to put down baby throat using manual suction (de Lay)
Suction bulbs
Pots for boiling water
TYPICAL DAY:
On a typical day, I wake up with the light or because Titus’ boys are up at 5am. I wait until 6:30 or 7 to begin getting ready so they can get ready first. I have a bottled coke with the old bottle top that needs an opener. I may boil water in my little pan on their gas stove eye. They have a two eye set that sits on a low shelf with a butane tank sitting next to it. I go to the bathroom in their close to western style bathroom that has a toilet without a seat. I don’t sit on it but squat over it. There is a shower head in their bathroom—a great luxury. But I do not trust it. There have been many inconveniences from other users. You have to turn on this switch so that the water gets hot. Then I don’t really understand the mechanism, but it drips slowly much of the time. Down below, about 8+ inches above the floor is a faucet with a short spigot. I prefer to just bend ALL THE WAY OVER and stick my head under this cold water faucet and wash my hair. Sometimes the water has stuff in it and I can’t imagine washing it all over me. Just a personal preference. Then I take water in a basin to my room. I used to wash my hair using a couple of basins but it was messy. I can do it though. Now I just use a basin to wash my body and by now my hot water is ready to add to my basin for washing (if I am having corn flakes. If I am having oatmeal, then I pour boiled bottled water over my plain instant oatmeal and make another pot of regular water for washing.
I’ve changed my patterns a little. Now I have washed my hair at night. I bought a british powered blow dryer so the outlet works and I have my travel hot rollers. It is much cooler at night but in the morning, I get hot and sweaty using that blowdryer. I get so hot and sweaty anyway, so I wear my hair up in a pony tail almost all day every day. It is hideous and I hate it. I don’t like how I look one bit. Oh well.
I eat and bathe myself and start packing up my purse for my days activities. I have several suitcases in my room. I have two large ones and a small one filled with stuff. Then I have a closet full of food stuffs and my few hanging clothes. I also have two trunks in the other room filled with medical things I bought from medical bridges right before leaving. Then I have a large metal trunk I bought here with a lock on it.
I used to get ready to out to churches. I spent time in prayer and preparation each day. I read my Bible morning and night to keep focused. I read it much more than usual. I often have it with me and will take it out and read it. I prepare messages. Sometimes I have something nice prepared and then when I get there, I think of something absolutely different—and speak on that instead. It is much harder to stay coherent like that, but it is also more exciting. I speak for anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Sometimes a few times. Then there is praying for people as they come up. That takes a while. We eat a meal with the pastors and family then go back and speak again. There is usually much singing between speakers. It is a fun time. The heat is unbearable at times. I try to stay out of direct sunlight but it is not always possible. I usually meet an orphan or two on the way there or back.
Sometimes we go to two churches in one day. That can be emotionally draining. Sometimes other things. Right now I am usually going to the TGD office or working on a building issue or land issue. I try to greet the students sometimes and give them rousing messages of hope and vision. That is so fun! They just drink it up. I am usually fed chicken, rice, ugali (grits with no taste and very firm), chapatti (tortilla things, fried flat breads I used to love) and sometimes other treats like oranges, watermelons (YUM!), corn on the cob, they may have sweet potatoes (I am not a fan), peanuts (fave!) and they usually give us all a coke. I would like some KFC original drumsticks or a Pappadeaux meal. I’d like a pizza from Reale’s or wheat thins. Maybe graham crackers and milk! Maybe mom’s wontons. Maybe Chuys chicken enchilada. Nope. None of that here. The milk is some kind of interesting milk that has been high heat processed so it doesn’t need to a fridge. It tastes close enough that I enjoy some every day. I bought some frozen chicken thighs in the new western grocery store because I don’t want to kill a chicken I know. I like these chickens.
Today I sorted beans with Anne. She cleans Titus’ house. I see Doreen’s little girl, Sasha, each day. She’s very cute and likes me now. One day I let the puppies out of their kennel and the little black one raced around. Sasha was screaming and crying in terror. I was afraid I had set her back a bit. Today I saw her over near the latrines with Nicole (wycliffe’s daughter) and Sasha had pulled down her shorts and panties to pee or poop in the garden even though she was just five feet from the latrine. I saw little boys come from the school to the latrine and go pee behind it. Curious.
Every day Anne and Doreen wash dishes and do laundry and so does Mama Nicole (Evelyn, Wycliffe’s wife.) They are always bent over at the waist. OUCH. When I went to sort beans with Anne, I got a towel so I could sit on the ground. There is so much chaff and she pours the beans into another bucket, letting the wind carry away the chaff. Very biblical. I liked it. But then she laboriously picks the beans out of the stubble that fell to the ground. She made it fall on some sort of food sack, like potato sack that is plastic. But it was slow work. I got a chance to ask her questions, though. It is good to know people.
I usually don’t have time for that but I was waiting for Wycliffe to return from an errand so he could take me to the grocery store in town. It costs about $6 in gas just to go. I went and made Steve a reservation at the hotel and was able to use the wi-fi for a few minutes to write him an email. I was able to post on facebook—all in about 10-15 minutes instead of the horrible amount of time it takes just get on here. I write on a word document and then copy it. I get online and just paste and get off. That takes 12 minutes just to get to TexasRivers.blogspot. I can be so patient here, but not with the computer. Man. Tedious.
I make some weird food at night. I did the boiled chicken the other night and sometimes just cereal. Sometimes just peanut butter and jelly. Food is not a highlight of my life here. I did get some oreos. I have three packages of four oreos. Normally, I seriously shun oreos. POISON! But oh, to taste something familiar is so good. I am thankful for it.
I doubt I have lost any weight at all because I eat a lot. Not good stuff and not satisfying but it hurts to go hungry here. I am always so busy that I’m not sure if I’ll get food so I think I eat too much at a time. It is such a bother to eat, too, not the easy routine of home. I eat ramen noodles by Heinz.
At night the boys come home and they have tons of pent up energy. They are very rambunctious and run around for quite a long time. You can tell they have sat still all day. I like to look at their English and Swahili books. Sometimes they say Swahili with me. For several nights I had Gladys with me and after the first few days of shyness, they began to interpret for me and even entertain her. I’ve gotten Catherine to work on the profiles which frees me up. I did a couple of interviews on video.
I change my clothes and wash myself again. I now see why it was so disgusting to wash the disciples feet. Feet get gross and dirty here. I am used to my little pudgy piggy toes being so soft and clean. I am not always current on a pedicure and have tried to reduce them to save money—but my feet are always so soft from soaking in the bath. No bath here. Ugh. No rose candles. No classical music piped through my house. I don’t have my little precious puppies smiling at me, hoping for a piece of cheese or a tortilla chip (Penelope loves tortilla chips.) and I don’t have Steve to debrief with here.
I go to bed alone. It is his busy time of day. My 10 pm is his 1pm—busy at Dell or with the children on the weekends. I know how busy our life is. And mine is busy here but I still long for our texting sessions. Usually he texts me between 3 and 5pm my time as he gets up. Then we talk again when I go to bed and it is his afternoon. I might text if I wake in the middle of the night—his evening. I have had great trouble with communications. I MIGHT have my Kenyan phone figured out now. We’ll see.
I go visit the preschool children and pass out candy or a cookie. They love to see me on site in the day. They know I love them. I always wave to them and touch them and greet them. They call out to me or come running to me. They are really precious children. They are so different. Some smart, some outgoing, some shiny clean, some unbelievably dirty, some shy, some slow. But you can get them all to smile. Even Paul is smiling a little now.
I try to check on the little puppies. I bring them snacks. I have taught the little black one to lay down to get a snack. They get very little stimulation but I explained to titus the importance of their brain development at this early age. He’s going to get them out more. He had a man training them but he had a death in the family. I honestly meet a minimum of 2 people each week (up to 10) that have had a very recent death in the family-within the month. I met a woman yesterday who lost her husband three months ago. She was holding a 6 month old baby and there was a young teen girl who had just lost her brother the day before. When we have a death in the family, it seems to shake us up for YEARS. Maybe even we never get over it. Here, they must deal with it all around. The pain! The loss. The grief. It is suffocating sometimes. I know the hospital work will increase it. It is okay. God will take me through and help me comfort them in their sorrow.
Oh the afternoon rain has come and the temperature is dropping. Hallelujah! That’s all I can think of. There must be a million things to tell and my mind is blank. I’m getting tired. Perhaps I can sleep. Nap.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Your Wed pm, my thursday am
Newsletter from Stephanie
What is the news at TGD Kenya? Wonderful things are happening. We were blessed yesterday with a visitor who prayed blessings over the current work and the future work. We are thankful to God that we are able to participate with Him in His Work.
Henry is our accountant and he has been doing a fine job. His salary is low (we raised him from 10,000 ksh or $130 from 3,000ksh or $39) but he works as if he is highly paid and very enthusiastic. He definitely needs another raise. His wife is Eunice, my favorite Cornerstone preschool teacher who has been diligent from the beginning. They have a son in the school, Ian. They also have a daughter in elementary named Linda. Eunice urges us to add to the children’s diet. In the morning they get gruel (just flour and water)and she says even an addition of sugar and especially milk would be appreciated. In the afternoon, they may have only rice, but some days they get beans—a very important protein. Some of these children have very poor diets at home. The parents are relying on the school to give the children meals. There are 130 children attending right now. I enjoy seeing them and waving at them each day. Today I will go over and give them each a “sweet,” which is a piece of candy. I purchased eggs for $13 so they can each have one egg for a meal. I asked about the purchase of corn to add to the beans—it would be $26. I cannot remember the price of the beans, but it was maybe $65 …working out to about $13 dollars each week to add another day of beans. It was not TGD money, but my money. We are going to have to cut the TGD offering to the preschool. We give them $400 a month but we need it for salaries. However, I am concerned that it could compromise preschool teacher salaries or the children’s food.
Henry Juma is now our foreman over the construction. He is a builder by trade. He is doing a great job. We have limited funds. I’ve asked him to even cut back the workers if I see them slack in work. We have not had all the materials we needed. Steve has bailed us out and sent more money; Praise the Lord for Dell jobs!
Anita did a lot of work in Illinois sharing with others about the great need here. She represents the church aspect of TGD. We have helpful projects under our umbrella of services. She collected amazing amounts for the work thanks to the generosity of her friends and family in Christ. We were able to purchase $300 worth of mosquito nets, 15 bikes for pastors, so many Swahili bibles and several sewing machines for women. She also fixed Titus’ car and other things I will need her to write about! She visited churches and has been teaching about marriage. Due to traditional customs here, many people are not schooled in biblical marriage and Anita has been doing a great work among the people that has encouraged their hearts and strengthened the families. The culture is truly transforming and people are hungry for the truth and the skills to improve their foundational relationships and their character.
Medine really ministered powerfully in her last days here and surely the Lord will bring her back again. People were healed and delivered and blessed and comforted. She also brought practical help in the form of eye glasses, Christian jewelry for sharing salvation messages, and she repaired the home of one precious pastor who suffered from the rains and the floods. His wife and children were displaced until repairs could be made. One entire wall and a portion of the roof washed away. Mud huts and floods don’t mix. Both Medine and Anita will have to write a letter to the general TGD family so that we can hear their own testimony of all that God was doing and all they were able to give. I loved ministering to the body of Christ with these beloved sisters of mine! What a tremendous joy! Here we were 20 years later in Africa together! God is so good!
There has been so much legal work here. I am busy making decisions all day long. I don’t think I could have managed even five years ago. And I praise God for the training God gave me in applying to graduate school and working towards that goal. Creating, writing and presenting research has been a good preparation for many things I am doing now. Even the decisiveness required was something I struggled with a decade ago. How good God is to prepare us for great things! I am amazed at the work God does through me. It is truly impossible. I know my character. I can be so weak. Yet God is so powerful here and I go to bed at night and I say, “Wow! Was that me? Thanks, God!” You would think I am used to being an executive like Steve. I am proud that I have always stayed keyed into all that Steve is required to do and know because even supporting him through many challenges of the past seems to have prepared me to face them. I do not mean to boast in myself. For heaven’s sake, YOU GUYS KNOW ME! I have little to boast of! But I can boast in the amazing work of God and I declare that He can do it through you, too. If I can do this stuff, anyone can. It is so challenging and always changing—but I do love that! I am not one for boring. This is all anything but mundane and boring.
But there are challenges, like the waiting and the never ending lack. Things don’t work. There are barriers to everything you try. You cannot expect anything to be sure. It can wear you down. Still, this sort of ambiguity is truly something God built in me to tolerate. And God sent someone to do my dishes and my laundry. Ha ha!! Thank you, Jesus! So I have to really sacrifice here due to heat, food, bathroom facilities, technology—these are nothing. Now the roaches really threw me for a day or two—but I am back on track and fearless! Gas prices are obnoxious as well and roads are unpleasant. The roads don’t bother me much but I know Anita finds them challenging, yet Medine didn’t mind the heat one bit. Each of us has our own priorities for comfort, but this is not a place for comfort. The flesh suffers, but the soul soars! The work here is so plainly good and Godly that you lay down at night with joy and peace. Such a satisfaction that is amazing. Like when you have put your crying baby to sleep peacefully; you lay down with joy and sleep soundly as well. Like when you have finished a large project, not just with excellence, but on time and under budget. Pleasure of the soul! It is worth a life of good food and a/c in a castle. It is like being loved fully.
I have worked to make many videos and pictures. I have done so many that I am tired of working them. They definitely interfere with relationships. Very uncool. But important, and so I do it. I have a great video of our employee Catherine who is a great model of what God is doing here. I have a great video of our foreman, Pastor Henry Juma who also oversees three churches. One of the workers is named Clement and he had no job but now he is so grateful to be feeding his family. He has been able to invest in tools for future jobs. I have people come to me interested in working for us. I pray I can employ them. I am relying on you. We need funds over here to pay for the equipment, supplies, and workers. The blessings here spill out onto families so that if you could see each worker go home at night, you would see how many he has gathered around his table. His salary may feed 10 people each night since the ones without work come to family members who are able to feed them. Even though what we give him is meager in our eyes, we multiply it greatly. They live on such a low standard that their costs are low. The staple foods are ugali, rice, or chapti. Even one orphan, Gladys, would have sweet potatoes in the morning with her tea. I asked one house girl what she ate in the morning. She said she liked to have tea when she could afford it. She has three children, 12, 8, and 6. She is 30 years old and makes $26 a month working 7 days a week for 12 hours a day. She scrubs the entire floor of Titus’ house daily with a rag. I bought her a sponge mop. It did not agree with her. I bought her a string mop (whatever you call it.) and she likes that one. She was using a rag and bending over wiping. It makes me cringe. I bought them something like a Lysol equivalent. She loves it! She cleaned the whole kitchen and even was going into closets to get old stains off walls. They were amazed when I showed them how well windex works on mirrors since they clean them with plain water. I was buying cleaners so that I could see what I would use in the hospital and in a house where I live with orphans (God willing and I believe He is!)
Okay, so I thought I would do a newsletter and this is just really a blog, right?! I am here with no other natural English speaker. I usually need to blab for an hour at least every third day. There is no blabbing here. Who would understand me? I have to phrase my sentences differently because of the order of their sentences. I must speak slowly and distinctly. It is best if I can use an English sort of accent and pronounce the second to the last syllable on every word. (I say aLARM, they say ALarm) They describe things differently here. I will think of an example conversation and write one later. I often speak differently when preaching. I sort of wish I had a video of my preaching, but then I would have to look at myself (loathsome!) and would end up with criticism rather than trust. I know God uses me. I know I speak His Word. That is all I need to know. Even my video on YouTube from my first day in Western Kenya is a video showing the trees and you can hear some drums beating. I had met Titus and was already using my slow clear language for clarity. It cracks me up. But it also is challenging to speak carefully all day every day and know that people still may not fully understand what you said.
There is so much I want to tell. Too much. One of our orphans is a girl of 12. Her grandmother makes her go find men to give her money so the grandmother can buy alcohol. We know what that means. The girl is asking the pastors to help her. She is ashamed. I wish I could save them all. I hope I can provide her a home here where she goes to school and is CARED FOR rather than being used.
Our projects are mainly: The building, the hospital/clinic, and the computer lab. The computer lab is almost here. What seemed impossible is now soon to be here. Now the hospital and orphan home seem impossible—Let them come! The building is not on time and under budget—it is way way over budget. I think it will end up 125,000 instead of 75,000. We had already adjusted to 100,000 but the timber is more and the metal is more. There is still a long way to go before we can get that first floor operational but we need TWO operational floors. I need an autoclave. Frank found a 15 liter one for $500 and there is a 40 liter ($7000) and a 75 liter ($11,000.) I must have an autoclave. We need more diagnostic equipment but I am so excited that they really have several programs in place here to help. Thank you, Bill Gates, Thank You, USAID, Thank You World Vision, Thank You to so many generous donors who see the critical need here on this continent and are rising to the challenge of dispensing aid and care. We have come to provide jobs as well because not everyone wants a handout. Our people are diligent! They work so hard! They have great dreams and visions.
I think God may do a miracle and send us the money we need—and perhaps the building will get done miraculously in record time. But even if God does not do a miracle, He has given me peace that the work will be completed. The building will get done, the shipment will come, and we will open the building at some point. If we cannot get support for a hospital, we will just use the materials we have until we run out. I hope that you will think it is important enough to invest in. I just got the good news that we can use a 2nd septic system to dispose of placentas and other biohazardous waste. Hooray! We did not want to put it in the ground near water wells!
I also got the bad news that the plot we wanted to purchase for the TGD Services (FOR profit consulting to fund our projects) is half owned by a church that purchased the land rather than having leased it. They do not want to give up their land (understandable.) The remaining plot is too small. We will need to look for another place to put the building. It is discouraging because we have spent so much time looking in various areas. But I know it will work out over time.
Each day I work with various people here. Pastor Joseph investigated the orphans and has identified 22 children that he feels are in great need and at great risk. Even now, he and Catherine are in the office with me working through all the profiles I have made. I have tried to get a picture and a video of each child, plus general information on their age, who they live with, what they want to do when older. I met so many just trying to get a feel for their circumstances. It is hard work. Very hard on the heart. I cannot save everyone, yet I want to help them so much. I worked with Gladys for her health and for Cynthia. Mary has been a favorite –Laura is supporting her. Pastor Joseph told me today that he saw her yesterday after she’s had a few days treatment of the medicine I purchased for her (we have no orphan fund so I am just buying these things myself.) She was much improved, happy, and she had gone back to school. He said she looked like a different person.
So right now Catherine and Joseph are working on my computer (I am on Walter’s) and making a computer record of the notes I made and creating the profile out of the notes. They are matching the photos and videos to the profiles. That way Frank can create orphan pages on the website. It’s hard work. There are many pieces to organize and put together. How satisfied I will be when I see people called to serve these helpless ones! All this work will pay off, I am sure.
Pastor Steve is working on hospital administration, so each day I have given him tasks as we prepare for something we’ve never done. We’ve made hospital visits and spoken with doctors. We’ve spoken with government officials in health. We are working to keep the building up to code for a clinic. I have him checking with the head medical guy to try to get us a government funded doctor and two nurses. They offered partial funding. Anything is welcome! I can’t imagine paying those salaries myself!!
Pastor Stanley created the schedule (along with Pastors Steve and Joseph) for a ministry itinerary for Anita, Medine, and me. I have had to cancel most of them since Medine left in order to be available to the TGD workers and direct the work. Frank, Walter, Joseph (not Pastor Joseph) and Catherine teach classes twice a day. Henry is our accountant and he manages much of the work for the building. Again, he is a great blessing and easy to work with. He is very diligent.
Frank, Walter, and Joseph are designing changes for the website, too. I’ve told them anything is welcome! Caribu! (“welcome!” –an all purpose word in swahili, here meaning, “Come and do it, Yes!)
Pastor Henry Juma is in charge of the building itself and he is often seen on top of the building. I am so eager to see them pour that concrete for the second floor! We’ve got to close in that first floor for storage. If the worst happens, we can always use upstairs church offices for the stuff. There were four workers when our funds were low. There are 12 workers right now. When the concrete pouring comes, there will be 30+ workers, even 60? It is very laborious manual work and we will need many day laborers. I wish I could easily load photos, but it is too slow here. I have to wait maybe one minute for a page to load. It sure makes you loathe to click something! Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait more. Start to get impatient. Remind yourself to stop it. Wait more. Wait. Here is comes…..YES! okay, now click again. Wait wait. Wait. You get the picture. That is why I am writing this on a Word Document so I can just select all and paste it into the blog. Just getting to the blog takes forever, posting takes forever. And sometimes we run out of electricity here.
One really cool thing is that the Apostle (or Bishop) who came yesterday spoke that anyone who stole anything from me would suffer. Money would run away from them. Ruin would come to them. He told me he doesn’t believe in thieves. I love that! It is scary seeing all your money going into something that people just carry off. Like all of our wood. It is so expensive! But they cook by fire here. There is the never ending chore of daily water collection and daily firewood collection. That is on top of laundry, cooking, dishes, working, homework, etc. It’s a hard life. But this is how man has lived for centuries. The work is not the hard part. It is the sickness. It is the broken families. AIDS just kills so many people here. So many families without their primary caregivers. Men get jobs away from home to send money home—and this puts them at risk for HIV behaviors. The terrible thing is how easily HIV transmits between man and woman here. This could destroy even the USA. I think the globe has caught onto that and so they come here to try to stop the transmission—but preaching condoms doesn’t work. They need abstinence preaching. Condoms still allow body fluid transmission. They break. Another thing is that the ignorant will reuse their condoms over and over. Even when they are broken, cracked, ripped, etc. Because they have been taught the condom protects them—and that is a lie. And it is NO HELP in the way they are using it. Men bring it home and infect their wives. Parents die. Even so many high school girls have sex and get pregnant. They leave that baby with a grandma. They may die from AIDS because they are sexually active. Several of these orphans lost a parent to AIDS. Some mothers have abandoned them. Some have their mothers but there is no one helping an unemployed woman to make ends meet. Some are abused. Some are loved. Gladys is loved! But her mother never took her to the doctor and she could have died from infection. She was near the septic stage. Gladys has her natural mother and her mother loves her very much. You can see how much Gladys loves her mother and hangs on her proudly. Still, Gladys does not get washed. She sleeps on the dirt floor. Any aid to her will go to the mother or the other siblings who are older and stronger. Yes her mother loves her, but the care is not good.
It has been fun speaking with the computer students. They are so encouraged and hopeful. They are so thankful that we give them free education. They do not have jobs. They are investing their time here and hopeful for the future. Some of them clearly have potential. I am believing great things for them!
The lawyer is horrible. We paid him $2000 for nothing. Now he wanted another 500 but he is lying.
What is the news at TGD Kenya? Wonderful things are happening. We were blessed yesterday with a visitor who prayed blessings over the current work and the future work. We are thankful to God that we are able to participate with Him in His Work.
Henry is our accountant and he has been doing a fine job. His salary is low (we raised him from 10,000 ksh or $130 from 3,000ksh or $39) but he works as if he is highly paid and very enthusiastic. He definitely needs another raise. His wife is Eunice, my favorite Cornerstone preschool teacher who has been diligent from the beginning. They have a son in the school, Ian. They also have a daughter in elementary named Linda. Eunice urges us to add to the children’s diet. In the morning they get gruel (just flour and water)and she says even an addition of sugar and especially milk would be appreciated. In the afternoon, they may have only rice, but some days they get beans—a very important protein. Some of these children have very poor diets at home. The parents are relying on the school to give the children meals. There are 130 children attending right now. I enjoy seeing them and waving at them each day. Today I will go over and give them each a “sweet,” which is a piece of candy. I purchased eggs for $13 so they can each have one egg for a meal. I asked about the purchase of corn to add to the beans—it would be $26. I cannot remember the price of the beans, but it was maybe $65 …working out to about $13 dollars each week to add another day of beans. It was not TGD money, but my money. We are going to have to cut the TGD offering to the preschool. We give them $400 a month but we need it for salaries. However, I am concerned that it could compromise preschool teacher salaries or the children’s food.
Henry Juma is now our foreman over the construction. He is a builder by trade. He is doing a great job. We have limited funds. I’ve asked him to even cut back the workers if I see them slack in work. We have not had all the materials we needed. Steve has bailed us out and sent more money; Praise the Lord for Dell jobs!
Anita did a lot of work in Illinois sharing with others about the great need here. She represents the church aspect of TGD. We have helpful projects under our umbrella of services. She collected amazing amounts for the work thanks to the generosity of her friends and family in Christ. We were able to purchase $300 worth of mosquito nets, 15 bikes for pastors, so many Swahili bibles and several sewing machines for women. She also fixed Titus’ car and other things I will need her to write about! She visited churches and has been teaching about marriage. Due to traditional customs here, many people are not schooled in biblical marriage and Anita has been doing a great work among the people that has encouraged their hearts and strengthened the families. The culture is truly transforming and people are hungry for the truth and the skills to improve their foundational relationships and their character.
Medine really ministered powerfully in her last days here and surely the Lord will bring her back again. People were healed and delivered and blessed and comforted. She also brought practical help in the form of eye glasses, Christian jewelry for sharing salvation messages, and she repaired the home of one precious pastor who suffered from the rains and the floods. His wife and children were displaced until repairs could be made. One entire wall and a portion of the roof washed away. Mud huts and floods don’t mix. Both Medine and Anita will have to write a letter to the general TGD family so that we can hear their own testimony of all that God was doing and all they were able to give. I loved ministering to the body of Christ with these beloved sisters of mine! What a tremendous joy! Here we were 20 years later in Africa together! God is so good!
There has been so much legal work here. I am busy making decisions all day long. I don’t think I could have managed even five years ago. And I praise God for the training God gave me in applying to graduate school and working towards that goal. Creating, writing and presenting research has been a good preparation for many things I am doing now. Even the decisiveness required was something I struggled with a decade ago. How good God is to prepare us for great things! I am amazed at the work God does through me. It is truly impossible. I know my character. I can be so weak. Yet God is so powerful here and I go to bed at night and I say, “Wow! Was that me? Thanks, God!” You would think I am used to being an executive like Steve. I am proud that I have always stayed keyed into all that Steve is required to do and know because even supporting him through many challenges of the past seems to have prepared me to face them. I do not mean to boast in myself. For heaven’s sake, YOU GUYS KNOW ME! I have little to boast of! But I can boast in the amazing work of God and I declare that He can do it through you, too. If I can do this stuff, anyone can. It is so challenging and always changing—but I do love that! I am not one for boring. This is all anything but mundane and boring.
But there are challenges, like the waiting and the never ending lack. Things don’t work. There are barriers to everything you try. You cannot expect anything to be sure. It can wear you down. Still, this sort of ambiguity is truly something God built in me to tolerate. And God sent someone to do my dishes and my laundry. Ha ha!! Thank you, Jesus! So I have to really sacrifice here due to heat, food, bathroom facilities, technology—these are nothing. Now the roaches really threw me for a day or two—but I am back on track and fearless! Gas prices are obnoxious as well and roads are unpleasant. The roads don’t bother me much but I know Anita finds them challenging, yet Medine didn’t mind the heat one bit. Each of us has our own priorities for comfort, but this is not a place for comfort. The flesh suffers, but the soul soars! The work here is so plainly good and Godly that you lay down at night with joy and peace. Such a satisfaction that is amazing. Like when you have put your crying baby to sleep peacefully; you lay down with joy and sleep soundly as well. Like when you have finished a large project, not just with excellence, but on time and under budget. Pleasure of the soul! It is worth a life of good food and a/c in a castle. It is like being loved fully.
I have worked to make many videos and pictures. I have done so many that I am tired of working them. They definitely interfere with relationships. Very uncool. But important, and so I do it. I have a great video of our employee Catherine who is a great model of what God is doing here. I have a great video of our foreman, Pastor Henry Juma who also oversees three churches. One of the workers is named Clement and he had no job but now he is so grateful to be feeding his family. He has been able to invest in tools for future jobs. I have people come to me interested in working for us. I pray I can employ them. I am relying on you. We need funds over here to pay for the equipment, supplies, and workers. The blessings here spill out onto families so that if you could see each worker go home at night, you would see how many he has gathered around his table. His salary may feed 10 people each night since the ones without work come to family members who are able to feed them. Even though what we give him is meager in our eyes, we multiply it greatly. They live on such a low standard that their costs are low. The staple foods are ugali, rice, or chapti. Even one orphan, Gladys, would have sweet potatoes in the morning with her tea. I asked one house girl what she ate in the morning. She said she liked to have tea when she could afford it. She has three children, 12, 8, and 6. She is 30 years old and makes $26 a month working 7 days a week for 12 hours a day. She scrubs the entire floor of Titus’ house daily with a rag. I bought her a sponge mop. It did not agree with her. I bought her a string mop (whatever you call it.) and she likes that one. She was using a rag and bending over wiping. It makes me cringe. I bought them something like a Lysol equivalent. She loves it! She cleaned the whole kitchen and even was going into closets to get old stains off walls. They were amazed when I showed them how well windex works on mirrors since they clean them with plain water. I was buying cleaners so that I could see what I would use in the hospital and in a house where I live with orphans (God willing and I believe He is!)
Okay, so I thought I would do a newsletter and this is just really a blog, right?! I am here with no other natural English speaker. I usually need to blab for an hour at least every third day. There is no blabbing here. Who would understand me? I have to phrase my sentences differently because of the order of their sentences. I must speak slowly and distinctly. It is best if I can use an English sort of accent and pronounce the second to the last syllable on every word. (I say aLARM, they say ALarm) They describe things differently here. I will think of an example conversation and write one later. I often speak differently when preaching. I sort of wish I had a video of my preaching, but then I would have to look at myself (loathsome!) and would end up with criticism rather than trust. I know God uses me. I know I speak His Word. That is all I need to know. Even my video on YouTube from my first day in Western Kenya is a video showing the trees and you can hear some drums beating. I had met Titus and was already using my slow clear language for clarity. It cracks me up. But it also is challenging to speak carefully all day every day and know that people still may not fully understand what you said.
There is so much I want to tell. Too much. One of our orphans is a girl of 12. Her grandmother makes her go find men to give her money so the grandmother can buy alcohol. We know what that means. The girl is asking the pastors to help her. She is ashamed. I wish I could save them all. I hope I can provide her a home here where she goes to school and is CARED FOR rather than being used.
Our projects are mainly: The building, the hospital/clinic, and the computer lab. The computer lab is almost here. What seemed impossible is now soon to be here. Now the hospital and orphan home seem impossible—Let them come! The building is not on time and under budget—it is way way over budget. I think it will end up 125,000 instead of 75,000. We had already adjusted to 100,000 but the timber is more and the metal is more. There is still a long way to go before we can get that first floor operational but we need TWO operational floors. I need an autoclave. Frank found a 15 liter one for $500 and there is a 40 liter ($7000) and a 75 liter ($11,000.) I must have an autoclave. We need more diagnostic equipment but I am so excited that they really have several programs in place here to help. Thank you, Bill Gates, Thank You, USAID, Thank You World Vision, Thank You to so many generous donors who see the critical need here on this continent and are rising to the challenge of dispensing aid and care. We have come to provide jobs as well because not everyone wants a handout. Our people are diligent! They work so hard! They have great dreams and visions.
I think God may do a miracle and send us the money we need—and perhaps the building will get done miraculously in record time. But even if God does not do a miracle, He has given me peace that the work will be completed. The building will get done, the shipment will come, and we will open the building at some point. If we cannot get support for a hospital, we will just use the materials we have until we run out. I hope that you will think it is important enough to invest in. I just got the good news that we can use a 2nd septic system to dispose of placentas and other biohazardous waste. Hooray! We did not want to put it in the ground near water wells!
I also got the bad news that the plot we wanted to purchase for the TGD Services (FOR profit consulting to fund our projects) is half owned by a church that purchased the land rather than having leased it. They do not want to give up their land (understandable.) The remaining plot is too small. We will need to look for another place to put the building. It is discouraging because we have spent so much time looking in various areas. But I know it will work out over time.
Each day I work with various people here. Pastor Joseph investigated the orphans and has identified 22 children that he feels are in great need and at great risk. Even now, he and Catherine are in the office with me working through all the profiles I have made. I have tried to get a picture and a video of each child, plus general information on their age, who they live with, what they want to do when older. I met so many just trying to get a feel for their circumstances. It is hard work. Very hard on the heart. I cannot save everyone, yet I want to help them so much. I worked with Gladys for her health and for Cynthia. Mary has been a favorite –Laura is supporting her. Pastor Joseph told me today that he saw her yesterday after she’s had a few days treatment of the medicine I purchased for her (we have no orphan fund so I am just buying these things myself.) She was much improved, happy, and she had gone back to school. He said she looked like a different person.
So right now Catherine and Joseph are working on my computer (I am on Walter’s) and making a computer record of the notes I made and creating the profile out of the notes. They are matching the photos and videos to the profiles. That way Frank can create orphan pages on the website. It’s hard work. There are many pieces to organize and put together. How satisfied I will be when I see people called to serve these helpless ones! All this work will pay off, I am sure.
Pastor Steve is working on hospital administration, so each day I have given him tasks as we prepare for something we’ve never done. We’ve made hospital visits and spoken with doctors. We’ve spoken with government officials in health. We are working to keep the building up to code for a clinic. I have him checking with the head medical guy to try to get us a government funded doctor and two nurses. They offered partial funding. Anything is welcome! I can’t imagine paying those salaries myself!!
Pastor Stanley created the schedule (along with Pastors Steve and Joseph) for a ministry itinerary for Anita, Medine, and me. I have had to cancel most of them since Medine left in order to be available to the TGD workers and direct the work. Frank, Walter, Joseph (not Pastor Joseph) and Catherine teach classes twice a day. Henry is our accountant and he manages much of the work for the building. Again, he is a great blessing and easy to work with. He is very diligent.
Frank, Walter, and Joseph are designing changes for the website, too. I’ve told them anything is welcome! Caribu! (“welcome!” –an all purpose word in swahili, here meaning, “Come and do it, Yes!)
Pastor Henry Juma is in charge of the building itself and he is often seen on top of the building. I am so eager to see them pour that concrete for the second floor! We’ve got to close in that first floor for storage. If the worst happens, we can always use upstairs church offices for the stuff. There were four workers when our funds were low. There are 12 workers right now. When the concrete pouring comes, there will be 30+ workers, even 60? It is very laborious manual work and we will need many day laborers. I wish I could easily load photos, but it is too slow here. I have to wait maybe one minute for a page to load. It sure makes you loathe to click something! Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait more. Start to get impatient. Remind yourself to stop it. Wait more. Wait. Here is comes…..YES! okay, now click again. Wait wait. Wait. You get the picture. That is why I am writing this on a Word Document so I can just select all and paste it into the blog. Just getting to the blog takes forever, posting takes forever. And sometimes we run out of electricity here.
One really cool thing is that the Apostle (or Bishop) who came yesterday spoke that anyone who stole anything from me would suffer. Money would run away from them. Ruin would come to them. He told me he doesn’t believe in thieves. I love that! It is scary seeing all your money going into something that people just carry off. Like all of our wood. It is so expensive! But they cook by fire here. There is the never ending chore of daily water collection and daily firewood collection. That is on top of laundry, cooking, dishes, working, homework, etc. It’s a hard life. But this is how man has lived for centuries. The work is not the hard part. It is the sickness. It is the broken families. AIDS just kills so many people here. So many families without their primary caregivers. Men get jobs away from home to send money home—and this puts them at risk for HIV behaviors. The terrible thing is how easily HIV transmits between man and woman here. This could destroy even the USA. I think the globe has caught onto that and so they come here to try to stop the transmission—but preaching condoms doesn’t work. They need abstinence preaching. Condoms still allow body fluid transmission. They break. Another thing is that the ignorant will reuse their condoms over and over. Even when they are broken, cracked, ripped, etc. Because they have been taught the condom protects them—and that is a lie. And it is NO HELP in the way they are using it. Men bring it home and infect their wives. Parents die. Even so many high school girls have sex and get pregnant. They leave that baby with a grandma. They may die from AIDS because they are sexually active. Several of these orphans lost a parent to AIDS. Some mothers have abandoned them. Some have their mothers but there is no one helping an unemployed woman to make ends meet. Some are abused. Some are loved. Gladys is loved! But her mother never took her to the doctor and she could have died from infection. She was near the septic stage. Gladys has her natural mother and her mother loves her very much. You can see how much Gladys loves her mother and hangs on her proudly. Still, Gladys does not get washed. She sleeps on the dirt floor. Any aid to her will go to the mother or the other siblings who are older and stronger. Yes her mother loves her, but the care is not good.
It has been fun speaking with the computer students. They are so encouraged and hopeful. They are so thankful that we give them free education. They do not have jobs. They are investing their time here and hopeful for the future. Some of them clearly have potential. I am believing great things for them!
The lawyer is horrible. We paid him $2000 for nothing. Now he wanted another 500 but he is lying.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
BLOG Tuesday JUNE 23
First, I pray this makes it online. It is a hard day. I fought cockroaches two nights in a row. Then I had very realistic dreams that demons were attacking me in the bed pinning me down and not allowing me to speak the name of Jesus. It was far too realistic. I’d sure like to have a nice night of sleep, but the Lord sustains me. Today is a particularly hard day made harder by lack of sleep, I am sure. I have so many decisions to make all day long and so many instructions to give people. Steve is far better at decisiveness and yet I am growing daily. I want to just sit on here and mourn. I want to just complain. I’d like some sympathy, some comfort. I’d like a break. I praise God I have no desire to quit or run away.
The building costs are much more than estimated. The salaries for the medical clinic are even $2000 a month for only a doctor and two nurses! We need an autoclave. We need to dig some sort of pit where they dispose of medical waste. They call them sinks. (like a sink-hole, I guess) I saw some at an area government hospital that I toured briefly but the quality was so low. They tell me you may show up with malaria and go home with typhoid. Scary. We have issues with the building plans. The original plans were only for the computers, a library, tailoring and carpentry. Now we are just computer lab and medical clinic. We have orphans everywhere. Even if I blink, the number of orphans grows. But I am halting at 19—although I am willing to profile 3 more, which makes 22. There are three older boys who need school fees.
I was to go to the bank today. I went the other day. Every time I get in the car, it costs me 6 to 13 dollars, even 29. I want to stop getting in the car! Well, be careful what you pray for. The car broke down today. So I took the Matatu—minivans that function as a public transport system. It was a nice one. The Lord blessed me. Then I get to the bank and now they want my passport. I had come with my passport the first time. They only used my drivers license. I even came another time with only my license. But this time, I had no car. They wanted my passport. The bank tells me, “Go back and get your passport if you want your money.” Well, I asked for a superior because I was in a difficult situation. I prayed. I explained. The amount of withdrawal was huge. She finally relented. I will bring it from now on!
Then I realized. Okay, I’ve got $9,000 US dollars on me. And I need to take public transport back to Shibuli, ALONE? (gulp) Okay, you have to know I never even walk around with cash at home. Seriously, I never even have over $80 on me at any time. I usually have $20 that I got from the grocery store and I end up giving that to children or spending it quickly. So we called Frank to come and get me to give me a ride back on his motorcycle. The roads here are scary and ridiculous at times. They do not bother me, though. I just take it in stride. There is constant waiting around here. I just take it in stride. But this was not a “take it in stride” day, so had Henry call Frank. Henry, our accountant, had to go into town with nearly $2000 on HIM in order to buy supplies for the building. We are trying so hard to finish the building! It is so expensive. I pray God will make it in some sort of miracle, but I think we may need to look at storing the equipment in these upstairs rooms at the church and just pray mightily for protection over it all. The building needs changes—I was mentioning that. We have to put in extra sort of electricity for the medical equipment. A doctor was advising us of what we needed. He is such a good man. He works up at Emusanda. Every medical professional has been so kind and welcoming. They have assisted us in any way they could and have been very free with instruction or information. They are so thankful we are coming to help the people here. The need for maternity services is tremendous. I have such high hopes and big prayers, but financially, I am just wondering today if I am stretching too far. Unless we have regular donors to support the hospital, it may just have to wait. I would have to just give away this wonderful equipment we have purchased, but the area hospitals could put every single piece to good use. They work in such lack.
Also, one horrible thing is that at some point the government will come and make sure our employees are paying their taxes (that part is good and normal) and then they will make us put them on health insurance but their national program is HORRIBLE. It is expensive with minimal benefits. I realize why the government has it----because most of the services rendered here are LOW priced or even free. So the workers with jobs are subsidizing the rest of the population. Doesn’t seem fair but I suppose someone has to pay.
And now to make things WORSE, the lawyer came today. He says he needs another 40,000Ksh in order to get the signature for our Kenyan NGO. We have already paid him nearly $800, which he said would be total. But now he needs another payment of over $500? He said the registrar’s is suddenly requiring a late fee.
OH BUT PRAISE GOD!! As I sat typing, in comes an Apostle of God. My eyes turned to Jesus. He sent me a miracle! This man comes in and immediately begins to preach faith to us and wow! I was so blessed! He spoke some amazing things over us. He said some people had some money they were going to give to some other organization, but God would not let them. It was for Trinity Global Development.
He said that we would have the building. He spoke so many good things over us. He spoke about the hospital. He prayed over the land for the orphan house. He told me he would come back and tell me how it should be. I will make it like that, whatever he tells me. I am trusting God, not this man. God is speaking to me through him. I had him pray for the preschoolers. I had him pray for our computer students that were in class. I had him pray for the construction workers.
I am going to post. I haven’t had time to write because people come in over and over for meetings. We have 10,000 details to deal with (that might not even be an exaggeration.) But God is stretching me and I am excited about how Great the Work of God can be!
First, I pray this makes it online. It is a hard day. I fought cockroaches two nights in a row. Then I had very realistic dreams that demons were attacking me in the bed pinning me down and not allowing me to speak the name of Jesus. It was far too realistic. I’d sure like to have a nice night of sleep, but the Lord sustains me. Today is a particularly hard day made harder by lack of sleep, I am sure. I have so many decisions to make all day long and so many instructions to give people. Steve is far better at decisiveness and yet I am growing daily. I want to just sit on here and mourn. I want to just complain. I’d like some sympathy, some comfort. I’d like a break. I praise God I have no desire to quit or run away.
The building costs are much more than estimated. The salaries for the medical clinic are even $2000 a month for only a doctor and two nurses! We need an autoclave. We need to dig some sort of pit where they dispose of medical waste. They call them sinks. (like a sink-hole, I guess) I saw some at an area government hospital that I toured briefly but the quality was so low. They tell me you may show up with malaria and go home with typhoid. Scary. We have issues with the building plans. The original plans were only for the computers, a library, tailoring and carpentry. Now we are just computer lab and medical clinic. We have orphans everywhere. Even if I blink, the number of orphans grows. But I am halting at 19—although I am willing to profile 3 more, which makes 22. There are three older boys who need school fees.
I was to go to the bank today. I went the other day. Every time I get in the car, it costs me 6 to 13 dollars, even 29. I want to stop getting in the car! Well, be careful what you pray for. The car broke down today. So I took the Matatu—minivans that function as a public transport system. It was a nice one. The Lord blessed me. Then I get to the bank and now they want my passport. I had come with my passport the first time. They only used my drivers license. I even came another time with only my license. But this time, I had no car. They wanted my passport. The bank tells me, “Go back and get your passport if you want your money.” Well, I asked for a superior because I was in a difficult situation. I prayed. I explained. The amount of withdrawal was huge. She finally relented. I will bring it from now on!
Then I realized. Okay, I’ve got $9,000 US dollars on me. And I need to take public transport back to Shibuli, ALONE? (gulp) Okay, you have to know I never even walk around with cash at home. Seriously, I never even have over $80 on me at any time. I usually have $20 that I got from the grocery store and I end up giving that to children or spending it quickly. So we called Frank to come and get me to give me a ride back on his motorcycle. The roads here are scary and ridiculous at times. They do not bother me, though. I just take it in stride. There is constant waiting around here. I just take it in stride. But this was not a “take it in stride” day, so had Henry call Frank. Henry, our accountant, had to go into town with nearly $2000 on HIM in order to buy supplies for the building. We are trying so hard to finish the building! It is so expensive. I pray God will make it in some sort of miracle, but I think we may need to look at storing the equipment in these upstairs rooms at the church and just pray mightily for protection over it all. The building needs changes—I was mentioning that. We have to put in extra sort of electricity for the medical equipment. A doctor was advising us of what we needed. He is such a good man. He works up at Emusanda. Every medical professional has been so kind and welcoming. They have assisted us in any way they could and have been very free with instruction or information. They are so thankful we are coming to help the people here. The need for maternity services is tremendous. I have such high hopes and big prayers, but financially, I am just wondering today if I am stretching too far. Unless we have regular donors to support the hospital, it may just have to wait. I would have to just give away this wonderful equipment we have purchased, but the area hospitals could put every single piece to good use. They work in such lack.
Also, one horrible thing is that at some point the government will come and make sure our employees are paying their taxes (that part is good and normal) and then they will make us put them on health insurance but their national program is HORRIBLE. It is expensive with minimal benefits. I realize why the government has it----because most of the services rendered here are LOW priced or even free. So the workers with jobs are subsidizing the rest of the population. Doesn’t seem fair but I suppose someone has to pay.
And now to make things WORSE, the lawyer came today. He says he needs another 40,000Ksh in order to get the signature for our Kenyan NGO. We have already paid him nearly $800, which he said would be total. But now he needs another payment of over $500? He said the registrar’s is suddenly requiring a late fee.
OH BUT PRAISE GOD!! As I sat typing, in comes an Apostle of God. My eyes turned to Jesus. He sent me a miracle! This man comes in and immediately begins to preach faith to us and wow! I was so blessed! He spoke some amazing things over us. He said some people had some money they were going to give to some other organization, but God would not let them. It was for Trinity Global Development.
He said that we would have the building. He spoke so many good things over us. He spoke about the hospital. He prayed over the land for the orphan house. He told me he would come back and tell me how it should be. I will make it like that, whatever he tells me. I am trusting God, not this man. God is speaking to me through him. I had him pray for the preschoolers. I had him pray for our computer students that were in class. I had him pray for the construction workers.
I am going to post. I haven’t had time to write because people come in over and over for meetings. We have 10,000 details to deal with (that might not even be an exaggeration.) But God is stretching me and I am excited about how Great the Work of God can be!
BLOG Tuesday JUNE 23
First, I pray this makes it online. It is a hard day. I fought cockroaches two nights in a row. Then I had very realistic dreams that demons were attacking me in the bed pinning me down and not allowing me to speak the name of Jesus. It was far too realistic. I’d sure like to have a nice night of sleep, but the Lord sustains me. Today is a particularly hard day made harder by lack of sleep, I am sure. I have so many decisions to make all day long and so many instructions to give people. Steve is far better at decisiveness and yet I am growing daily. I want to just sit on here and mourn. I want to just complain. I’d like some sympathy, some comfort. I’d like a break. I praise God I have no desire to quit or run away.
The building costs are much more than estimated. The salaries for the medical clinic are even $2000 a month for only a doctor and two nurses! We need an autoclave. We need to dig some sort of pit where they dispose of medical waste. They call them sinks. (like a sink-hole, I guess) I saw some at an area government hospital that I toured briefly but the quality was so low. They tell me you may show up with malaria and go home with typhoid. Scary. We have issues with the building plans. The original plans were only for the computers, a library, tailoring and carpentry. Now we are just computer lab and medical clinic. We have orphans everywhere. Even if I blink, the number of orphans grows. But I am halting at 19—although I am willing to profile 3 more, which makes 22. There are three older boys who need school fees.
I was to go to the bank today. I went the other day. Every time I get in the car, it costs me 6 to 13 dollars, even 29. I want to stop getting in the car! Well, be careful what you pray for. The car broke down today. So I took the Matatu—minivans that function as a public transport system. It was a nice one. The Lord blessed me. Then I get to the bank and now they want my passport. I had come with my passport the first time. They only used my drivers license. I even came another time with only my license. But this time, I had no car. They wanted my passport. The bank tells me, “Go back and get your passport if you want your money.” Well, I asked for a superior because I was in a difficult situation. I prayed. I explained. The amount of withdrawal was huge. She finally relented. I will bring it from now on!
Then I realized. Okay, I’ve got $9,000 US dollars on me. And I need to take public transport back to Shibuli, ALONE? (gulp) Okay, you have to know I never even walk around with cash at home. Seriously, I never even have over $80 on me at any time. I usually have $20 that I got from the grocery store and I end up giving that to children or spending it quickly. So we called Frank to come and get me to give me a ride back on his motorcycle. The roads here are scary and ridiculous at times. They do not bother me, though. I just take it in stride. There is constant waiting around here. I just take it in stride. But this was not a “take it in stride” day, so had Henry call Frank. Henry, our accountant, had to go into town with nearly $2000 on HIM in order to buy supplies for the building. We are trying so hard to finish the building! It is so expensive. I pray God will make it in some sort of miracle, but I think we may need to look at storing the equipment in these upstairs rooms at the church and just pray mightily for protection over it all. The building needs changes—I was mentioning that. We have to put in extra sort of electricity for the medical equipment. A doctor was advising us of what we needed. He is such a good man. He works up at Emusanda. Every medical professional has been so kind and welcoming. They have assisted us in any way they could and have been very free with instruction or information. They are so thankful we are coming to help the people here. The need for maternity services is tremendous. I have such high hopes and big prayers, but financially, I am just wondering today if I am stretching too far. Unless we have regular donors to support the hospital, it may just have to wait. I would have to just give away this wonderful equipment we have purchased, but the area hospitals could put every single piece to good use. They work in such lack.
Also, one horrible thing is that at some point the government will come and make sure our employees are paying their taxes (that part is good and normal) and then they will make us put them on health insurance but their national program is HORRIBLE. It is expensive with minimal benefits. I realize why the government has it----because most of the services rendered here are LOW priced or even free. So the workers with jobs are subsidizing the rest of the population. Doesn’t seem fair but I suppose someone has to pay.
And now to make things WORSE, the lawyer came today. He says he needs another 40,000Ksh in order to get the signature for our Kenyan NGO. We have already paid him nearly $800, which he said would be total. But now he needs another payment of over $500? He said the registrar’s is suddenly requiring a late fee.
OH BUT PRAISE GOD!! As I sat typing, in comes an Apostle of God. My eyes turned to Jesus. He sent me a miracle! This man comes in and immediately begins to preach faith to us and wow! I was so blessed! He spoke some amazing things over us. He said some people had some money they were going to give to some other organization, but God would not let them. It was for Trinity Global Development.
He said that we would have the building. He spoke so many good things over us. He spoke about the hospital. He prayed over the land for the orphan house. He told me he would come back and tell me how it should be. I will make it like that, whatever he tells me. I am trusting God, not this man. God is speaking to me through him. I had him pray for the preschoolers. I had him pray for our computer students that were in class. I had him pray for the construction workers.
I am going to post. I haven’t had time to write because people come in over and over for meetings. We have 10,000 details to deal with (that might not even be an exaggeration.) But God is stretching me and I am excited about how Great the Work of God can be!
First, I pray this makes it online. It is a hard day. I fought cockroaches two nights in a row. Then I had very realistic dreams that demons were attacking me in the bed pinning me down and not allowing me to speak the name of Jesus. It was far too realistic. I’d sure like to have a nice night of sleep, but the Lord sustains me. Today is a particularly hard day made harder by lack of sleep, I am sure. I have so many decisions to make all day long and so many instructions to give people. Steve is far better at decisiveness and yet I am growing daily. I want to just sit on here and mourn. I want to just complain. I’d like some sympathy, some comfort. I’d like a break. I praise God I have no desire to quit or run away.
The building costs are much more than estimated. The salaries for the medical clinic are even $2000 a month for only a doctor and two nurses! We need an autoclave. We need to dig some sort of pit where they dispose of medical waste. They call them sinks. (like a sink-hole, I guess) I saw some at an area government hospital that I toured briefly but the quality was so low. They tell me you may show up with malaria and go home with typhoid. Scary. We have issues with the building plans. The original plans were only for the computers, a library, tailoring and carpentry. Now we are just computer lab and medical clinic. We have orphans everywhere. Even if I blink, the number of orphans grows. But I am halting at 19—although I am willing to profile 3 more, which makes 22. There are three older boys who need school fees.
I was to go to the bank today. I went the other day. Every time I get in the car, it costs me 6 to 13 dollars, even 29. I want to stop getting in the car! Well, be careful what you pray for. The car broke down today. So I took the Matatu—minivans that function as a public transport system. It was a nice one. The Lord blessed me. Then I get to the bank and now they want my passport. I had come with my passport the first time. They only used my drivers license. I even came another time with only my license. But this time, I had no car. They wanted my passport. The bank tells me, “Go back and get your passport if you want your money.” Well, I asked for a superior because I was in a difficult situation. I prayed. I explained. The amount of withdrawal was huge. She finally relented. I will bring it from now on!
Then I realized. Okay, I’ve got $9,000 US dollars on me. And I need to take public transport back to Shibuli, ALONE? (gulp) Okay, you have to know I never even walk around with cash at home. Seriously, I never even have over $80 on me at any time. I usually have $20 that I got from the grocery store and I end up giving that to children or spending it quickly. So we called Frank to come and get me to give me a ride back on his motorcycle. The roads here are scary and ridiculous at times. They do not bother me, though. I just take it in stride. There is constant waiting around here. I just take it in stride. But this was not a “take it in stride” day, so had Henry call Frank. Henry, our accountant, had to go into town with nearly $2000 on HIM in order to buy supplies for the building. We are trying so hard to finish the building! It is so expensive. I pray God will make it in some sort of miracle, but I think we may need to look at storing the equipment in these upstairs rooms at the church and just pray mightily for protection over it all. The building needs changes—I was mentioning that. We have to put in extra sort of electricity for the medical equipment. A doctor was advising us of what we needed. He is such a good man. He works up at Emusanda. Every medical professional has been so kind and welcoming. They have assisted us in any way they could and have been very free with instruction or information. They are so thankful we are coming to help the people here. The need for maternity services is tremendous. I have such high hopes and big prayers, but financially, I am just wondering today if I am stretching too far. Unless we have regular donors to support the hospital, it may just have to wait. I would have to just give away this wonderful equipment we have purchased, but the area hospitals could put every single piece to good use. They work in such lack.
Also, one horrible thing is that at some point the government will come and make sure our employees are paying their taxes (that part is good and normal) and then they will make us put them on health insurance but their national program is HORRIBLE. It is expensive with minimal benefits. I realize why the government has it----because most of the services rendered here are LOW priced or even free. So the workers with jobs are subsidizing the rest of the population. Doesn’t seem fair but I suppose someone has to pay.
And now to make things WORSE, the lawyer came today. He says he needs another 40,000Ksh in order to get the signature for our Kenyan NGO. We have already paid him nearly $800, which he said would be total. But now he needs another payment of over $500? He said the registrar’s is suddenly requiring a late fee.
OH BUT PRAISE GOD!! As I sat typing, in comes an Apostle of God. My eyes turned to Jesus. He sent me a miracle! This man comes in and immediately begins to preach faith to us and wow! I was so blessed! He spoke some amazing things over us. He said some people had some money they were going to give to some other organization, but God would not let them. It was for Trinity Global Development.
He said that we would have the building. He spoke so many good things over us. He spoke about the hospital. He prayed over the land for the orphan house. He told me he would come back and tell me how it should be. I will make it like that, whatever he tells me. I am trusting God, not this man. God is speaking to me through him. I had him pray for the preschoolers. I had him pray for our computer students that were in class. I had him pray for the construction workers.
I am going to post. I haven’t had time to write because people come in over and over for meetings. We have 10,000 details to deal with (that might not even be an exaggeration.) But God is stretching me and I am excited about how Great the Work of God can be!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunday June 20...3rd post
4 (can't erase that 4!) if you want this to make sense, go down and start at the first june 20 entry.
I want to discuss the clinic. We need support. We need to finish the building. We need to buy drugs. Health is a crazy serious need here! Oh my goodness! So much sickness, so many funerals, so much malaria, so many pregnancies. Women have babies at home (which i love that part--but it is NOT sterile in any way and they have NO equipment or supplies!) and they need a clean baby blanket, antiseptic soap. We need to make birth sets with 2 diapers and pins, clean cloths, a couple of maxi pads, sterile gloves, a cord clamp. Do you know what they use? Emelda (Imelda?) told me the mama will rip the dress she is wearing to make a tie that they put around the baby cord. It becomes infected. The health and sanitation director of western province told me that mothers have their babies outside in the dirt and the babies die of tetanus. They need health training. There are no baby classes here. You go to your prenatal appointment and pray they have time to tell you a thing or two. but many women do not go to the prenatals because they have no money. then they don't want to go to the hospital because they get yelled at for not going to prenatals. they are told, "What? You came her last year! are you trying to make a football team?" and the nurses shame the mothers and treat them disrespectfully. Mothers hate it.
When I was at the provincial hospital, I asked the training nurse, "Have you comforted this mama?" and she said, "What?! I did that earlier. I'm tired!" and waved her hand to dismiss the notion. I rather doubt she did any comforting. I would hate that treatment. I became a birth advocate for far lesser transgressions.
The health and sanitation director said they have a serious need for the birthing mothers. What a coincidence! I have a serious need to love on the birthing mothers! It is a hard time and a miraculous transition. The mother needs love, Daddy may need direction, and baby needs instructed parents who feel competent with such a new blessing.
So we need baby warmers, incubators, we need tons of gauze and sterile tools. We need to be able to have surgery in a sterile environment. I will be listing more and hope God will put it on your heart to contribute. i pray even that you will have fundraising parties and find ways to gather items. we will ship again and i pray it is full of those things you have purchased for the poor. they need a neighbor, they need you. You can change their life. I know I am! and it is so fulfilling. I know this is God's work. There is much to be done and much we can do. I pray hospitals will donate to us, pharmacies, and doctors. Oh God! May your Kingdom come and Your Will be done!
I want to discuss the clinic. We need support. We need to finish the building. We need to buy drugs. Health is a crazy serious need here! Oh my goodness! So much sickness, so many funerals, so much malaria, so many pregnancies. Women have babies at home (which i love that part--but it is NOT sterile in any way and they have NO equipment or supplies!) and they need a clean baby blanket, antiseptic soap. We need to make birth sets with 2 diapers and pins, clean cloths, a couple of maxi pads, sterile gloves, a cord clamp. Do you know what they use? Emelda (Imelda?) told me the mama will rip the dress she is wearing to make a tie that they put around the baby cord. It becomes infected. The health and sanitation director of western province told me that mothers have their babies outside in the dirt and the babies die of tetanus. They need health training. There are no baby classes here. You go to your prenatal appointment and pray they have time to tell you a thing or two. but many women do not go to the prenatals because they have no money. then they don't want to go to the hospital because they get yelled at for not going to prenatals. they are told, "What? You came her last year! are you trying to make a football team?" and the nurses shame the mothers and treat them disrespectfully. Mothers hate it.
When I was at the provincial hospital, I asked the training nurse, "Have you comforted this mama?" and she said, "What?! I did that earlier. I'm tired!" and waved her hand to dismiss the notion. I rather doubt she did any comforting. I would hate that treatment. I became a birth advocate for far lesser transgressions.
The health and sanitation director said they have a serious need for the birthing mothers. What a coincidence! I have a serious need to love on the birthing mothers! It is a hard time and a miraculous transition. The mother needs love, Daddy may need direction, and baby needs instructed parents who feel competent with such a new blessing.
So we need baby warmers, incubators, we need tons of gauze and sterile tools. We need to be able to have surgery in a sterile environment. I will be listing more and hope God will put it on your heart to contribute. i pray even that you will have fundraising parties and find ways to gather items. we will ship again and i pray it is full of those things you have purchased for the poor. they need a neighbor, they need you. You can change their life. I know I am! and it is so fulfilling. I know this is God's work. There is much to be done and much we can do. I pray hospitals will donate to us, pharmacies, and doctors. Oh God! May your Kingdom come and Your Will be done!
Sunday June 20 ...2nd post
The orphan Laura sponsors, Mary, was sick from school with an eye issue. She has this one painful and itchy eye. They say it is allergies--but in one eye? I went to visit her and she looked miserable. She misses a lot of school. She looks 8 years old--she is 12. Sad. I bought them dresses. They don't have many clothes. Her medicine was more than I was expecting, but I am concerned that it is not addressing whatever is the root problem. She sat in Mama Violet's home dejected and looking like she had a migraine. The room was so dark I could barely see her face. it is one room with couch type chairs around the perimeter and coffee tables in the center. this is the kenyan way. it was a mud hut and the chicks were in the corner peeping. the thunder was rolling outside warning us of coming rain. The wind picked up and cooled the room (ahhh.) We went outside and I gave them the sewing project Kerry Blumenthal sent me and I actually got a video of it! i told them to sew it and sell it--if it sells well, do it again. I want to have a contest of all the sewing women to sew dolls and I'll give $25 to the best one--then tell them to make them and sell them. there are no dolls here! I know some parents would buy them.
also a plan to sell bibles. buy them wholesale in Kisumu, add the gas/transport costs, add a small amount for profit for the bus program. I think it is a good idea. people ask for Bibles but part of the problem is there is no supply. if someone can BUY one, they should buy it themselves. We should not just give to someone what they can earn. it makes them devalue to object. may it never be!
So I will take mary to dr. kennedy. I took cynthia and she is better. i am taking gladys and she is much improved. I cannot take all the orphans to the doctor because I would be broke. and they are not all orphans, some have mothers. Some have just been left.
There are two little children who go to the preschool--Ben and Noel. They both live with a grandma who is handicapped. She brews for money. when she has no money and they are hungry, she gives them alcohol to make them sleep. They are sweet little children. Both had fathers that died and the mothers abandoned them to the father's mother while they went and married another man--who didn't want to bring along children from earlier unions. how sad is that? and they are precious!
Poor Paul, whom I have followed for a while now, he might be learning disabled. He is slow. It is discouraging. but there are girls like Sharon, a new girl I met, and she seems so bright. she wears no shoes to school. she asks for support from some kind person. Oh my gosh, it breaks your heart. another girl, daisy, would barely even speak to us. we met her in the principal's office of her school---maybe that was the problem! ha! but we could barely get any words from her, but she just asked for any help. another girl asked for shoes, school supplies, a mattress. I don't remember who. Most of them want school fees and school items. the older children are distressed about lack of school. some of them have to stay home to help in the homes where they live.
But we still need the hospital. We want to focus on maternity. so more on that --i need to post to be sure it makes it.
also a plan to sell bibles. buy them wholesale in Kisumu, add the gas/transport costs, add a small amount for profit for the bus program. I think it is a good idea. people ask for Bibles but part of the problem is there is no supply. if someone can BUY one, they should buy it themselves. We should not just give to someone what they can earn. it makes them devalue to object. may it never be!
So I will take mary to dr. kennedy. I took cynthia and she is better. i am taking gladys and she is much improved. I cannot take all the orphans to the doctor because I would be broke. and they are not all orphans, some have mothers. Some have just been left.
There are two little children who go to the preschool--Ben and Noel. They both live with a grandma who is handicapped. She brews for money. when she has no money and they are hungry, she gives them alcohol to make them sleep. They are sweet little children. Both had fathers that died and the mothers abandoned them to the father's mother while they went and married another man--who didn't want to bring along children from earlier unions. how sad is that? and they are precious!
Poor Paul, whom I have followed for a while now, he might be learning disabled. He is slow. It is discouraging. but there are girls like Sharon, a new girl I met, and she seems so bright. she wears no shoes to school. she asks for support from some kind person. Oh my gosh, it breaks your heart. another girl, daisy, would barely even speak to us. we met her in the principal's office of her school---maybe that was the problem! ha! but we could barely get any words from her, but she just asked for any help. another girl asked for shoes, school supplies, a mattress. I don't remember who. Most of them want school fees and school items. the older children are distressed about lack of school. some of them have to stay home to help in the homes where they live.
But we still need the hospital. We want to focus on maternity. so more on that --i need to post to be sure it makes it.
Sunday June 20
I have blogged on my computer but i had to get on Titus' computer because my CDMA card won't pick up a signal. FRUSTRATING. okay. i'm hot. really hot. it is so hot here! i was really thinking that i cannot take it anymore. Medine prayed for me on the day she was leaving. OH God is good. The days have been cooler! and she told me to make time to rest. so I listened. I would not go to all the places I was requested on Thursday and made it back early. I was still caring for Gladys, though. Have i mentioned Gladys? She's staying with me for treatment because she sleeps in the dirt and has a nearly septic infection. But due to three surgical treatments and continually cleaning with Betadine, her condition has improved significantly. If you could hear her screaming when they lanced her wounds. It was terrifying. I will be able to tell you more about it at home.
Today we got the bikes given out with photos and video. Thank you to those donors! One man was 26 kilometers from his destination. OH MY! Now he can ride a bike. What a difference that will make!
The building is slow. We need more money. The container is coming and it is not prepared to hold all the precious equipment. Please pray-Please give. God is going to do miraculous things here and you want to be a part of it! I know it is my joy! Ni Furaha Yangu (it is my joy!)
I have learned so much swahili. I can hear a word i know every time someone speaks swahili. Luhya? going quite slow. It is a hard language with a lot of rolling and very fast talking. I can barely remember the words even if I learn them.
I preached today on "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." You show your heart by your words. One thing I did not say is that sometimes I just show how foolish I can be since I am loose with my talking! But I pray my heart is focused on the Lord so that only good things come out. It is easy enough to focus on Jesus all day here. Everyone talks Jesus all day long. OH I love it!
but the food and the heat are difficult. I miss Steve. I miss the children. I miss my puppies. I actually miss the a/c. Remind me of this when I complain about how cold it is in the a/c.
I should post so I don't lose this.
Today we got the bikes given out with photos and video. Thank you to those donors! One man was 26 kilometers from his destination. OH MY! Now he can ride a bike. What a difference that will make!
The building is slow. We need more money. The container is coming and it is not prepared to hold all the precious equipment. Please pray-Please give. God is going to do miraculous things here and you want to be a part of it! I know it is my joy! Ni Furaha Yangu (it is my joy!)
I have learned so much swahili. I can hear a word i know every time someone speaks swahili. Luhya? going quite slow. It is a hard language with a lot of rolling and very fast talking. I can barely remember the words even if I learn them.
I preached today on "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." You show your heart by your words. One thing I did not say is that sometimes I just show how foolish I can be since I am loose with my talking! But I pray my heart is focused on the Lord so that only good things come out. It is easy enough to focus on Jesus all day here. Everyone talks Jesus all day long. OH I love it!
but the food and the heat are difficult. I miss Steve. I miss the children. I miss my puppies. I actually miss the a/c. Remind me of this when I complain about how cold it is in the a/c.
I should post so I don't lose this.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Today is Monday. I woke up and decided to write. i was sick in the night. it scared me. had to run to the bathroom. i texted Steve and Donna Rohwer to pray for me. I was able to settle in and sleep, Praise God! I was very thankful to wake this morning and feel okay. I went ahead and took an antibiotic because I’ve had this throat and chest cold continuing to plague me somewhat.
It is around 5am. That will give me some time to eat and get ready before my meeting. I need to see the preschool children, the computer students and the construction workers. I don’t get time to do it due to the schedule of visiting all the churches. There are so many! Anita and Medine have gone to a church every single day except when Anita left and we went to a funeral.
Still, when I woke this morning, I had a message in my heart. I was thinking, okay....maybe You want me to go to the church today. but I’ve got to slow this visiting schedule to be sure I get my work done for TGD. I appreciate Stanley and Joseph for all the work they have been doing. They are a joy to work with. Both are servants of the Lord and to the people. Joseph has really worked to represent the orphans and to check on their welfare. The church tries to do what it can for the orphans. Sometimes they take them to the doctor but then the family never buys the medicine for the child.
The four girls at Ebulechia church are living in the homes with widow Mama Violet and widow Mama Phanice. They each get 50 from my children in support of Mary, Brendah, Shaline and Morphine. Those girls don’t really even know me, but I sure love them. and I appreciate Mama Violet. She speaks good English, too, which sure helps when you are trying to communicate.
I think one of my qualifications for the workers with me in my home here must be English competency. I really want to be able to communicate and the barriers are high. True work is more than greetings and short phrases. It takes understanding.
I wrote a blog yesterday listing many of the words I know in Swahili and Luhya and it did not get posted to the internet. The connection was lost. We all know how frustrating that can be. But I am getting along well and impressing the people. They get great joy when they hear me. When I began in the church yesterday (the one like a catholic church, probably angelican,) I heard the pastor gasp in delight. He was surprised. and I am able to continue on for a few sentences which creates smiles over the audience. They know I’m trying. They appreciate it so much. Oh we have so much to learn in America. When someone speaks English poorly, they get disdain--as if we are the french and above everyone else. But here, when I speak in their language, they embrace me and it lightens their mood and it creates a bond between us. It encourages me to persist.
I gave 2 pairs of shoes to Willington, a worker for Titus and Rose. He comes in each day and helps the boys get ready for school. Then he helps them with homework afterwards. His feet looked the right size. I offered them to him in the name of Doug and told him to pass them along if he found they were not comfortable for him. I saw him wearing them today. Praise God. House workers only get paid about 26 dollars a month, so the shoes will bless him for a long time. Thanks Doug!
I am going to give the sewing project to the widows at Joseph’s church. Perhaps they can sell them for 100 shillings or something very low and reasonable? I will talk with Rose about it. Or it can be a practice project. The widows at Ebulechia are very industrious, though. They took a project of chickens and grew to gain a goat. Now the goat is pregnant. I think I am missing some other step that was in there, too. I really admire Joseph’s church. They work for the widows and the widows work! They work for the orphans. They work to educate children in a small free school using only a chalk board! I bought them chalk the other day. They need chalk desperately. They don’t have books and the children don’t have notebooks or writing utensils. But they are learning.
I reviewed a video of Cynthia, an orphan I took to the doctor yesterday. OH it was awful. you can barely even see her and several minutes of the video were just dark as if it were sitting face down. it has the audio, so maybe I can use it somehow. but I’ll have to have skill. At least I got a good video of her on the way to the doctor. I asked her if I could take a video of her. She was so sick, poor baby! How my heart ached to comfort her. We aren’t close, though, she doesn’t know me. I can’t just push myself onto her, but I loved her and talked to her and I’m glad I could get her medicine. People are dying from malaria all around us. It is depressing. Old, young, and in between. Horrible. They need nets. But even I find that some nights I am sick of messing with the stupid net. It was such a joy at first, like being a princess in a special fortress! But now it is something that I have to fight with every time I want to check the time or go to the bathroom.When I’m flopping around in bed, I get it caught on a foot or hand. Makes me crazy, so I throw it off. Not a good plan. I try to remind myself---do I want to lay in the hospital like those women I prayed for yesterday? I need to put up with the inconvenience. But I’ve been here over 2 weeks. There is plenty of inconvenience and I find myself starting to look for any way to minimize it.
I got a good video of the roads. It is hard bumping around on these roads each day. We go way back sometimes and it is just a chore if you are not feeling well. On a strong day, it is fine. You can handle it. but with the heat and the constant jarring jostling, you just want it to stop. You start to wonder, “how much longer?” but we keep going. sometimes two hours.
TODAY IS MONDAY!
HOW COULD I TYPE THAT THE OTHER DAY WAS MONDAY! TODAY IS MONDAY!
Today was a busy day. I woke before 5 and laid in bed. I thought about where I was and what I needed to do. I considered not going to the churches today. I had a 9am meeting with Pastor Titus and Pastor Steve--we were meeting the health and sanitation officer. ( i think i have a mosquito bite.) So I woke early and began to get ready. I ate some cereal--the chocolate puffs. they are not my favorite but their taste is familiar. I am needing that now. I have reverted back to an “eat more” mentality that I wish I could shut off.
But i was sick in the night. bad. serious runs. I ran to the bathroom. I immediately prayed. I took some immodium. I did not have a panic attack like usual, which was a tremendous and unusual blessing. One other time I had the same problem and it was also without a panic attack. I’m grateful for prayer! I hate this weird quirk of my physiology and want to be healed of it! I also went ahead and started on the antibiotics because I have had this voice issue and in case it is not allergies. and just to kill any bug. But truly, it seemed miraculous to have only one brief bout and to be able to return to sleep after such an event!
So in the morning, I decided to get up early and get ready. I went and got my two tubs of water. Today I did not even want to bother with warm water. I blow dried and had put my hot rollers on to heat earlier. So I was completely ready for the meeting by 7:30 and had one hour to do other business. I went and had an interview with Pastor Juma, Henry Juma. He is now our foreman. Then i had another interview on camera with Clement, a man who was without a job until Trinity work arrived.
I took some pictures of the workers and then went up to the computer students. I talked to them about how to carry themselves professionally. You will see from some interviews with them that they are timid. you cannot even hear them. This has to change. It is time for them to come up higher. They can do it with encouragement and training. They need to be prepared for jobs around the world. They need to work on their English but mostly their presentation. I’m eager to work with them again.
I took some candy to the children before Titus was ready to leave. They see me and get so excited. They love their pictures taken or a handshake and a smile. They all shout, Welcome to our school! in unison. I make them all sit and they hold out their hands and I go around and bless them. I only made it to the first two classrooms and had pastor Steve finish the third while I got my stuff. We had a very good meeting with the officer who was a smart and interesting kind man. He laughed and joked. He will be inspecting for sanitation and building requirements. I am eager to exceed international standards. In fact, he said what they needed was a place for birthing mothers. What? You got it! My very heart indeed! and he mentioned that they don’t even have a nappy (napkins are diapers) and Anita and I want to work on that very thing!
Oh there is so much to say. We also went to a Muslim hospital to pray for one of the church members. A boy of three is urinating blood. When we got to the hospital, they would not let us through the inner gates to get to the family. We were turned away. Two mamas came out. We laid hands on them, embraced them, and prayed for them. They appreciated us. We went on to a new church led by Pastor Ken, a young man with a sweet wife with a lovely booming singing voice. It is called Kisumu Kidogo, small Kisumu. Medine began and told wonderful stories I had never heard about how God called her to prison ministry. She was praying, ‘What do you want me to DO!?!” and she banged her fist on the bed at God to tell her RIGHT NOW---and the phone rang. Well, she never answered during prayer but it seemed timely, so she answered. The voice of a woman she did not even KNOW told her to be at the prison at 9am monday morning. She asked, Who is this??! and the woman said, I don’t know you but God told me to call you. She said, “I suppose God gave you my number?” Yes, He did! and she hung up. Medine didn’t want to go to the prison. she didn’t like them. she tried not to go on monday but God just pressed her and pressed her, so she went angry. she stood in the parking lot and told God he had 10 minutes. she was down to the last minute and even counting the seconds on her watch. in the last 5 seconds, God told her PLAINLY, “you are not in the jail, you are in the parking lot.” she looked down. yep. she was in the parking lot. so she went to the door. when she had one foot on the first step, the door opened and a large lady said, I’m the one who called you now come inside. Well, they did a Bible study. Medine did not believe in healing and there was a large black man who had been in the war when his tank blew up. He lost his hearing (in at least one ear, I can’t remember) but the woman told Medine to pray for him to be healed. she didn’t want to and told the woman she didn’t know how. the lady said, Just say be healed in Jesus’ name. so medine started to pray and the woman said WAIT, God wants you to spit on your fingers and put them in his ears. Well, she thought that was gross, so she just barely touched them to her tongue and the 6’4” man bent over for the 5’ woman. She prayed. He shouted and picked her up and twirled her around! and then he even kissed her! she was shocked and said, No! You can’t hear! and somehow she just kept insisting it was not true, but it was true. and she told many other amazing stories, like one where she was smuggling Bibles into China. One where she was gathering coke cans to buy bibles for India, one where she was hit by a tree and died and went to Jesus but came back to life. It was great. She was sharing the promises. It was amazing. and so then they had her pray for people and I did, too. We laid hands on the sick and prayed. I can’t say we saw any immediate miracles. I admit I am discouraged that God has not done more miraculous healings. How come He healed my headache and He healed my stomach? why won’t He heal the malaria and the sickness or blindness here? Medine prayed for one guy’s foot that was broken and then he could walk on it and he got saved. so that was amazing. that’s the only one I know of besides my migraine. I think we heard some other smaller testimonies and some people have gotten well, but people have still died, too! like the guy steve went to pray for..... he died as they walked in. (had not prayed) and then I went to his funeral. He was a good Angelican. Actually, he had just become born again five days before he died! wow! thank God!
Well, we went to lunch. I got some cute pictures but i’m not very good with this intense camera. but it sure takes nice pictures if I can get it right! so I will keep it up. I love you guys! if only I could share with you from my heart! if only I could share with you from my mind! if only I could bring these people to you or you to them (it would be easier for you if I could bring them to usa! it is HOT here!)
then I preached. I was going to speak on 2 corinthians chapter 4. However, during Medine’s talk I felt VERY impressed to do Matthew 20 where Jesus says, What do you want me to do for you? and I felt it was a Word to this small group. So i told them to ready 2 corinthians 4 later and I told them some stories from my own life--about how God answered prayers I asked of Him and How He showed Himself to me.
well, we were winding up when Titus comes along. He has a man with him. it was incredible. He asks us to give this guy just some few minutes of our time and he comes out with major blessing! It was the same message as me but totally different in African Man Preaching Style (I LOVE IT!) I wanted to wave my scarf. I wanted to jump up and down. I was shouting Amen even with baby Precious Marion in my arms. I had to get off the front and go into the audience so I could face him from the back and wave my hands without being a disturbance. He was awesome speaking the word of God over us. He was saying God is with you. Speak to the mountain. Ask anything in my name and it will be given you. Oh it was a faith filled message filled with the glory of God. He started off saying stuff about the Lion of Judah. Oh, he said he was a LION. He said God is with me. but he was talking about provision in God and you know, I can get so weighed down with the size of what I am asking God to do, but I just received this message FOR ME! God was speaking to me! I know God was saying to ME that He would do it! It comes from His heart! It originates in His Heart and He will carry out His Kingdom. Hallelujah! I jumped and shouted. It was a rousing Glory to God event!
Praise God for His Word and His Promises. I am so encouraged. He spoke over me prophetically, too. He said Apostolic Ministry. Now, an apostle plants churches. that is crazy serious. I cannot imagine planting churches, but I receive any and all God has for me and I say YES and AMEN. He prayed that I would get none of African diseases and we would be comforted on our return flights. He is coming again in two weeks and how eager I am for this man to preach the Word and bring me close to Jesus and to encourage me to trust Him at His Word and not to look at circumstances.
TODAY IS TUESDAY
Right now I am in the computer class. The students are supposed to review what they have done so far. They are working on Microsoft Visual Studio. They are working on creating a database. They gave it a name. They imported an image after resizing it.They wanted to learn how to make it so on a website someone could click on the picture and they would get information about the program. Then the message would display. They want the application to connect to the database. Frank is asking the students to explain bit by bit. They use regular language trying to say what they do and then he rephrases it so they know what the right way to talk about the subject. For example, when they say “made the picture smaller,” Franks says, “We resized the image.” another phrase, “We define the fields.” They talk about the database and the tables. Frank sits at the front of the class with a laptop in front of him but the students have a separate computer that they all look at together with the screen facing the students. Behind Frank is a white board with diagrams. There are signs on the wall showing “increment and decrement operators” --whatever that means! And another chart, Visual C#types and value limits.
He is saying they are at a design phase and he is explaining that term.
You know, it does seem that they are a long way from providing services for a company. God speed them. Quamba Tu--translates to “Just Praying” which means this comes about by prayer and praying to God repeatedly so until He answers.
My goodness these students need computers! how thankful I am that they have already begun learning! Now I cannot imagine if they were only at square one on the first day that Steve could get the computers together. One serious problem is that we will only have one floor ready. ONE FLOOR! and we need TWO. We need to be ready to set up the computer lab immediately with the wiring and electricity. Do the students get opportunities to work on this computer alone? How could they advance by sharing?
We have gone over several concerns with the hospital. I see now that I must go view the good hospitals in the area. There is a good hospital in Eldoret and there is a good one in Nairobi. I think I should fly Joseph with me to Nairobi rather than have him take a bus. Definitely. I will ask Steve for clearance. When I get to Nairobi, Walter has a brother there who can drive us around. There is a good hospital there and we can get pricing information and learn from them. We have so much to consider, it boggles my mind. We have prayed for so many with malaria complications. It is terrible. Little babies and pregnant women and old ladies. Men get malaria as well, with alarming frequency. Pastor Steve had malaria when we came last time. Titus had it while we were gone. One of his children had it and Sheila and Rose got Typhoid. Now I have taken one of my very few little children in for Malaria after seeing her one day, she came down sick that evening. It is terrible.
Joseph is on me about getting an ambulance. He tells me how good it would be for all the distant church members to only have to pay for the gas of the vehicle. They could call them and get picked up for only the price of gas. But a CAR? Very expensive. If I had the money for a car--i would be buying an autoclave, an incubator, a baby warmer, a surgical suite, a generator, a doppler, suction machine, drugs for the clinic and more. I am building an orphanage without the money--so I do not have time for an ambulance. I am right near our TGD building so the orphans that we are caring for will be certain of medical care immediately. They are near all levels of schools. The preschool is here at the church compound, the junior high and high school are across the main road. Only five minutes or less walking time door to door. They will be well positioned. If God sovereignly brings me a CAR, then I will give Him glory and bless His name. For now, I do that anyway, but I cannot yet imagine going as far as an ambulance. I am already so far out of my comfort zone that only God can save me. He has the cattle on a thousand hills and the universe is His creation. He has all riches and can bring me everything I need. He controls the atoms and holds the world together; the world that was made through Him. Therefore, I am in good hands. The children are in good hands. God is doing a mighty work here among His people. He gently cares for those who have young. He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. A bruised reed He does not break and a smoldering wick He does not snuff out. He daily bears our burdens. He will fulfill His purpose for me. It is God who works in me to Will and to Act His good purpose. He is able to make all grace abound to me so that in all things and at all times having all that I need I will abound in every good work. I know this work is good. I know this work is God, therefore, I am anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, I present my requests to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
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