November 8. Hours and hours in a plane and in airports. I get restless to get on with it but the minutes tick by slowly. I left my home just before 9:30 am in Austin, TX Saturday. I arrived here in Nairobi at 8:30pm Sunday. I didn’t make it to my room until after 10:30 and I think i was able to lay down by 11pm--Sunday 2pm Austin time. ahhhhhh. To be laying flat means all that blood goes where it wants to go! ahhhh. I snuggled into my pillows and thanked Jesus. It took 28+ hours to get here. Even as I write, 28 hours does not seem like much---oh but when you are on an 8 hour flight with three more hours to go? Endless. And I had two 8+ hour flights.
My room at Hillpark hotel is lovely. I am so thankful!!! As I walked into the lobby last night, my soul appreciated the familiarity. The beautiful wood walls, the men in their uniforms at the front desk, and the tile floors. The smells were familiar and pleasant to me. They upgraded my room to a premium room although I was paying for a single standard. This room has a claw foot tub, A FAN (HALLELUJAH!), and a robe in the closet. This is really a great place and definitely one of the cheaper hotels where you get American amenities for $133. They have a tea pot, bottled water set out, and thick thirsty towels. I spoke a little swahili to the man checking me in...then we had a good little conversation. He said, “Tomorrow, only Swahili for you. That’s it. No more English. Starting tomorrow.” It was fun.
When I first came into my room, I breathed a sigh of relief. MADE IT! I looked around the room and what did I spy with my little eye? I saw cockroach spray for guests to use. Hmmmmnnnn. Either God enjoys a laugh or He was trying to warn me to be ready. Well, I brought two little plastic roaches for personal desensitization. So far...no roaches in the room (Thank you, Jesus.) know I want to be ready for anything and cockroaches should be low on the list of things that categorize as catastrophic. I can handle anything. I can handle anything. Thank you Jesus for making me strong to be able to handle anything. I fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Father. He is my role model and He does the work of transforming me...so I will yield and be filled with Him.
He is faithful and I trust Him. So I sit on my rented bed in my rented room and write to people I know who are living in a prosperous land. My fan blows my hair from time to time as it circulates. My nose is still so stuffy. My eyes burn with fatigue. Foolishly, and I’m not sure how or why, I woke up at 3am thinking I needed to get up and that it was 6:00 am. By the time I was showered with my hair dried, I looked at my watch and gasped. WHAT?? I’ve been getting ready too early? My hair was already looking hideous but since I am about to lay down on freshly dried hair, I will have a serious case of bed head upon arising for the second time. This is Kenya. You learn to roll with the inconveniences and praise God for all you have at home. Hair is nothing, right?
I have more than what I need on every trip. Packing is always a lesson in how little you really need but how fiercely you want to bring something for every contingency. I pray many of you experience your own internal battles with comfort on a future trip to Kenya with me!! If you like camping at all, it is a serious camping upgrade due to hotels. Think of it as rough camping and then you will be grateful for all God adds to it. However, even the Golf Hotel in Kakamega will cost you about $40 a day. Then again, you get a free breakfast buffet there with eggs, bacon, toast, cereals, milk, coffee, chai, tea, drinking chocolate, cokes, fruits, juices, and plenty of other options. It is wonderful to have full belly satisfaction each day. The rooms have showers, toilets, mosquito nets, TV, and there is laundry service available and cheap. The lobby has wi-fi which helps keep the connection with loved ones at home. You could write a trip blog and post to all your friends!
I pray you come with me and bring your tourism dollars to my community of friends here. Don’t you know that even in the coming, you are doing something helpful? The people here are like a family to me. Anita and I know and love so many and have both met people who really connect with us. Even though you cannot have long drawn out personal conversations with all of them, just to see friends, see them in their eyes, and to touch them in greeting is such a pleasure. We are eternal! People matter the most. People matter forever. And they will really give you a welcome for coming. I love that. It is such a gift.
I pray many more will come join me in Kenya rather than going to Europe or Hawaii or some other wonderful place. THIS is a wonderful place. I pray God will draw people to have a social justice vacation rather than a luxury indulgence. The rewards are intense satisfaction! When you go on a luxury vacation, what does it do? It makes you loathe to go back to your un-vacation life at home. Feelings of resentment over your lot in life can creep up because greed makes us want MORE vacations, MORE luxury indulgences, and MORE comfort. Instead we start feeling like, “Time to make the donuts.” (a commercial for Dunken Donuts.)
A Kenyan vacation is better. You come home so grateful for public water fountains, our 10,000 restaurant options, and air conditioning (which I always hated before because it is unnaturally cold.) You come home thankful for our health care system that we utilize continually. You come home thankful you have a job! Whereas luxury vacations make even a good job seem mundane and beneath you.
SECOND ENTRY:
Ok. I cannot sleep. I am so eager to show Otis and Mickey the countryside! It is so beautiful and lush here. It is a feast for my eyes. Suddenly I remember we get to go to Nakumatt in Kisumu! It is a very large grocery store and it carries some western items. I need shampoo and conditioner and I knew I could buy it here instead of carrying it in my bags.
I keep thinking of things people could do when they come here. The preschool is a great opportunity for ministry. There are 130+ children- but i don’t think they are always all there. There are at least three classes. Bringing books would be welcomed. Any one of us could read books to the children. Once I thought of it, I had to ask myself....why haven’t I done that before! What beautiful entertainment and connecting for everyone involved. yes, they understand some english and they are learning english in class--so it benefits them to hear a native speaker read to them. and with pictures? fun fun for little ones. You can leave the books for the teachers--even read them to the children on another return visit and they will associate that story with you.
Another opportunity is tooth brushing. You simply ask friends and family to donate toothbrushes until you have 150 of them. It probably only takes four tubes of toothpaste to cover every child. Most of these children don’t use toothpaste on a regular basis, so there is no need to get them some--and they might eat it. But toothbrushes will forever be an ongoing fun opportunity because toothbrushes wear out!
I really see that I need others to come alongside me and join this work. What can you champion? A well costs about 2500. Is there some way you could do something fun to raise money for a well? What about church groups, clubs, bunko or golf groups? If you are part of any organization, there may be an opportunity for you to be a spokesperson for the poor. Just gather those donations in the same way we have all done (and do) for our children’s school projects. If you’ve ever sold chocolate bars, entertainment coupon books, held a tupperware/southern living/ Mary Kay/ jewelry, gift wrapping, or been sponsored for a run-----YOU COULD DO THIS! You are more than qualified to make a difference in the lives of impoverished children!
I will say this over and over. The most important thing is to bring yourself and just love others you meet. God intended for us to love and serve one another. He has empowered us to do it. He is not as interested in works as He is in your heart. And this will break your heart in the best way. Noble themes here. The stuff of life. Day in, day out survival and community. You don’t have to preach or teach anything--you can come just meet people. If you don’t come with me--go somewhere that is not perfect luxury and show your soul just how rich you are and how little you need. It is refreshing!
Champion the orphanage. Own it as yours. Help build a home for those children. They are going to be squished into Titus’ home without appropriate spacing. 19 children in a three bedroom of less than 1000 sq. feet. We need several rooms so we can separate girls from boys and older children from younger children. That is five rooms alone when you consider that Pastor Joseph’s family will need their own room. They will all be squished into the master bedroom but that is also the room with the toilet! Which means constant interruptions. All total, it would be Pastor Joseph’s family of seven (they just had a new baby girl!) and 19 children. Seems to me they need a larger place!
I don’t know how much it would cost, but $40,000 should be plenty. Several church members in Illinois got together and raised $40,000 for a home for Evangelist Harrison and the fourteen people who live in his house--and they did it quickly! It is in my heart to see this for MY children. It is my dream. I am taking action rather than pining about how I want to help. Here is a clear call to action: Help these orphan children get a home!
Come now fount of every blessing, tune our hearts to sing your praise. Let us praise you by sharing in your heart for the poor. Let us love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. My people here do not just HAVE a neighbor who can help them --so God is sending light across the seas through YOU. I praise God for you. I praise God for the orphan sponsors and those who have joyfully contributed to the computer lab. The work here is bearing fruit and is a great blessing to this community. God is at work here! He does not forsake His people.
3 comments:
very cool. I'll be in Kakamega visiting with the local hospice group in about a week. I'll also stay at the Golf Hotel a bit. Any helpful tips? How was the Wifi connection for you? I'm going to try to blog as well.
very cool. I'll be in Kakamega visiting with the local hospice group in about a week. I'll also stay at the Golf Hotel a bit. Any helpful tips? How was the Wifi connection for you? I'm going to try to blog as well.
Golf Hotel is great. The wi-fi does not always work, but often does. Sometimes if you wait a bit, it will come back on. I am thinking it would be cheaper NOT to do the breakfast option. It cost me 800 ksh when I fed a guest. you can order breakfast off the menu cheaper. Don't bring food in the room if you can avoid it--then keep it in the bathroom if you must. No roaches unless I had food in there (tiny roaches.)
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