Nov 16th. Tuesday. busy, always busy. however, i’ve made a slower pace than usual. this has helped so much.
today we gave away much of the personal type items that we brought in the container, plus Dr. Kennedy came in a vehicle to pick up what he could carry. a wheel chair, xray viewer lightbox, needles, sutures, gloves, more.
we gave away some shirts that we got from Austin Samaritans because they were a misprint. they are a bright TGD blue. oh the students loved them! there was such great fun and celebration! we made a little video and they were so happy. i love them so much.
We gave away bras. oh the women loved them! they were so happy! we had so many. wait until you see pictures. no one is wearing them--have no worries---they are holding them and smiling!
Otis and Mickey have taken the message of health to the community. I still think like a “medic” and Otis has to set me straight. I’m trying to align myself with much of their way of thinking because in principle, I agree. but habits die hard. and it just shows how much work we have to help others see what is needed.
clean water, good latrines. My programming teacher, Joseph O. has typhoid--his first time. He takes Cipro.....which I have brought. of course, I need it in case I am ill, but I will leave it for the next one who is diagnosed. it is expensive.
we do so much all the time. mickey gave out cookies--does that count? ha ha! it is so fun to do it. the children love it. We took photos with Paul, Noel, and Ben. We got to give nutritional supplements to some loved ones with AIDS and some nutritionally compromised children and to an elderly woman who was recently quite ill and is still recovering.
I re-trained Catherine, programming teacher, on the midwife packet so she could re-train the midwives as they came for refills and give them kits. We will be making kits for Community Health Workers and giving them out when we arrange a training for them with the Community Health EXTENSION worker (a trained, paid professional who oversees the lay workers in the community.)
I gave away plenty of new mother items like diaper ointment, breast cream, and other items to Dorcas O., our top programming student who is a new mother to a tiny baby girl named Precious. I gave Rose some Bible song CDs from my mom and gave Alphabet posters and banners to Eunice from mom (mama Dot) and gave Pastor Joseph school supplies for his school of 70 students who train on one chalkboard together in the church building. (they do have a new latrine with a boys and a girls side.)
I gave toiletry items to all my TGD students and staff who were assembled and I gave some to the compound workers who were there. It was fun. We were taxed ridiculously on those items---we might as well enjoy them! they cost us THOUSANDS! (horrors.)
but there are so many wonderful items. Dr. Kennedy loved the surgical sets and was scooping them up. There are alcohol wipes and sterile gloves and bandages that can go for midwives. There is providone iodine (betadine) and there is bathroom antibacterial agents. There are surgical gowns and disposable cloths and new baby sets and so much! wow!
this will be such a help to the community. It was a tremendous privilege to be able to hand these out to people. I am so thankful to Mickey who has used some brain power to assist me. it is so much you can quickly get overwhelmed but you have to stay on track if this is going to get utilized well.
God is good. I am thankful. Thank you to all of you who have contributed throughout the container process. it was long and costly but those items are headed to a local hospital and it is encouraging the people that there is HOPE! someone CARES! and it will undoubtedly save lives.
the midwife kits from Only Believe Ministries have a sterile sharp to cut the cord and a plastic undersheet for the mamas. There are 500 of them and I have NO DOUBT that many lives will be saved because there is so much death here from Tetanus. Praise God that He has heard the cry of the families!
and a mother of children in the preschool died yesterday. she was early in her pregnancy and she died from high blood pressure. Thankfully, her children have a father who is alive. They live on the road that we are on---so they are neighbors and friends. Oh it is sad. I wish we could have done something sooner! I have blood pressure monitors here. oh it is hard the way the people die so easily, quickly and frequently.
Be thankful. Thank God for what you have. You are blessed. You were born in a country of plenty and have plenty all around.
Nov 17th Wednesday morning. I had a good night although terrible dreams about major catastrophe with some alien type being coming to kill and destroy people in mass. My stomach has done well--I have not had any sickness. We are mostly eating only at the hotel or grocery store, so there is little exposure to certain types of germs.
Poor Joseph O. has Typhoid and now Mickey and Otis have insisted he not come around others until he has completed his course of antibiotics. He doesn’t like to sleep when he is ill--I think he may fear dying at some unconscious level. He was eager to come up to Cornerstone at his leisure, but they insisted he stay away. He will be quite lonely. Let’s see if he can keep it up.
It is quite a different trip to remain in the Golf Hotel. There is very little difficulty like this. I am enjoying it. Maybe I’ll go this route each time? But it does cost me more and so I have to weigh it out. I’m keeping such a light schedule with the Stanley’s here. We often return to the hotel by 5 or 6pm and do very little in the evening. I could schedule more for myself but it is such a light pace that AGAIN....I am thinking perhaps this is a better way! Even like this I have not had quite enough time to download each day and recharge, I have not had time to type out a reporting of the days events, but instead I have used the extra time to SLEEP. Imagine! Sleep! what a concept. I think it is good. and the Golf Hotel is so cool at night. I am never hot. I spend a little time in reflection and some time reading scripture or reviewing some Swahili. I have not prayed much--it is as if this time is not so much the time of prayer as the time for action. I pray at home. I am counting on you at home to pray. I am counting on Steve to pray for me for protection. I know I will pray for Ed and Anita when they come. I pray with my team or in the churches from time to time during my visit. This has been less of a ministry focused trip although every action for others is a ministry and every suffering for Jesus is a ministry. If I get discouraged, I think of Hebrews 12: consider Him who endured such hostility by sinners against himself so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. and I have not yet resisted sin to the point of shedding blood. No. So I resist sin by loving others and working for those who may not always understand me. Many here want assistance from me and do not understand why I cannot give something to them personally. I get many requests---although significantly less than has been common in the past.
The women were really happy about the bras. We set up one of the rooms in the Trinity Global Development building so that the boxes were high enough that the men passing by as they carried wood to the back rooms would not see in. The women could sort of put the bra up to themselves and gauge if it was going to work for them. Each of them got more than two- I think all American women would agree that you need more than one or two! They must be washed and they wear out. The women here appreciated the generosity. There were so many to choose from! Some were a little on the wild side--i was not sure if I should even bring those--but I decided that they should come if they were given. I hate to be known as the bra lady but I do think that women should have the opportunity to dress modestly. It is respectful. God approves!
Praise God and All Glory to Him for all He is doing here! I just stand in amazement as I passed out children’s tylenol and toothpaste and lotion. Lotion is really appreciated here and soap is good. these are NOT things that we need to buy in the USA, though. We need to buy local products.
Soon I will make a list of things I would like to gather here with USA funds. I will be making kits for Community Health Workers and for Traditional Birth Attendants. I would like to raise funds to buy the local brand of tylenol because they know how to use it. If I bring something else, they don’t know it is the same things. The population of workers are not necessarily educated, so we don’t want to do anything that might be confusing. Simplicity and familiarity work best. The birth attendants are already requesting gloves, a sterile sharp, and something to put the birthing mother upon. We also are adding the importance of soap, clean ties for the cord, and some blanket for the baby. Poor women do not prepare properly. They may not even have the recommended four prenatal visits. They need to have tests run but they resist the cost. The whole cost of having a baby at Iguhu Hospital is 500 kenyan shillings or about $6.
I am keeping some scales, blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes and other valuable items for monitoring. We could also bring some dip sticks which give plenty of diagnostic information, but they need to stay out of the heat---quite a challenge here. We have gloves and gauze and we need some women’s feminine products for after the birth. We have some basins. We have betadine liquid and alcohol wipes. We have plenty of ace bandages (don’t need those for births, though!)
Did I mention I was hit on the head? I was in the TGD building and we have a large round table --about 60 inches diameter---and when we moved some boxes, it came crashing down and smashed my head. OH MY GOODNESS, it hurt and I was thinking in a flash that I was about to probably fall to the ground or start crying, but no. Nothing. It hurt but not in some weird way. So I thought ice would be good because surely it was going to be hurting insanely any moment. No. It didn’t . But Mickey was quick on the draw. She knew exactly where there was a disposable ice pack. She got it and activated it and we put it on my head. I thought I should sit down in case anything happened, but nothing. It hurt for one brief moment and I am still amazed that I am fine. It was a terrible accident and yet I am not hurt. Definitely in the miracle category. Even now I feel my head and there is no soreness--now that is impossible! So I thank and glorify Jesus. Angels must have assisted in some way. There is no natural explanation.
I want to tell stories about other people but they are hard to think about. Ummmm...Titus’ mom is visited by Dr. Iube (EYE--yube) and Abigail, the nurse, is Titus’ mom’s sister! that is wild to me. Abigail and Dr. Iube give her home visits. Even Dr. Kennedy went to give her a home visit after seeing us and packing his vehicle.
I am sure that the Kenyans might like if I gave thing away more ceremoniously, but I would rather just give it. I think it might add more respect to the giving if I did it in a ceremony, but in the USA, we have little ceremony except at beginnings and endings. In politics, there is so much ceremony and I am just not a political girl. My citizenship is in heaven, however, and I await the ceremony there.
Pastor Steve and Pastor Stanley were married in Christian ceremonies in August. The brides wore white gowns and had attendants and much of what we have in the USA. It is a big costly affair but the men were also ordained in the same service. Now they wear the collar of a priest. I saw pictures where Titus had a very intense get up like a POPE! He had the tall hat and a cape. Even here when the Kenyan Deputy Prime Minister came, he wore some authoritative gowns.
Rose is happy to be home, but she misses KFC chicken. ME TOO! I love original recipe legs. She ministered in several churches. She brought home gifts from friends. She enjoyed the changing colors of the trees--so beautiful and vast. She visited the Shawnee Forest where Mickey and Otis live. The cold was difficult. She had to wear a turtleneck and then a dress over that, then a light sweater and then a coat. you never need that here. Maybe a dress and a sweater occasionally in mornings and evenings. Rose made a great lunch for us with Kuku, chungwa, chumvi, (rice,) scucuma wike, chapati, and more. She looks rested and happy. I know she will be glad to see Titus come home.
November 19.
Yesterday we met with the CHEW and the CHWs and Dr. Iube. We loaded things to go to Dr. Kennedy’s hospital in Iguhu and we loaded things for the Mukhaleri Clinic near Pastor Juma and for Emusanda Clinic up the road from Cornerstone--which is our community of Shibuli.
Also, I had many women come and get some bras for their family and friends. I think I told them four and they came out with maybe 10 each. But I know they will share them and trade them as gold. Anne really needed one so I was happy to give her a chance. Evelyn Wumlachi and Doreen got some and all my TGD students and staff got some. I think I sent Florence in there and Eunice. Lydia came to get bras. Her face is completely healed--she had Bell’s palsy but looks great now. So many women got to share in the blessing and the extra go to the women’s meeting in Isongo on Saturday.
I am pretty well worn out. I have not had the typical long days of all day Trinity work and all day church work because the Stanley’s were so good about ending the day early. They kept a relaxed pace and I think it really worked wonders for me. God used that time to give me SLEEP and strength. I had time to think and regroup as each new challenge came up. We had a lot of decisions to make as we learned that the clinic was not going to be feasible under these circumstances. There were great sanitation challenges on the current compound and we have no way to get more land. There was the government challenges as an outside NGO. I think the government is usually so glad to get extra help and when a local is doing good work, they will lower the standards, but Muzungus are kept to a higher standard (which really should be the normal standard.) Since I saw the lower standards, I hoped we could make a clinic work and our standards on cleanliness would be an improvement! But we would have no way to assure that drugs were used properly and not stolen. There is so much theft here and many people think of things in their environment as if they are there own to share with others. We can’t afford such liberties with drugs, which can kill. Those were some of my deepest concerns. Plus, a clinic would demand an increase in donations---how am I supposed to create that? I just rely on God but He just wants us blessing the community in the way of giving to the health community and encouraging their own efforts. We were happy to give the sonogram machine to Dr. Iube and we gave so many other things...hospital beds and blood pressure monitors and several weird machines that were unknown to us---to Dr. Kennedy. We have many supplies for Dr. Iube and for midwives and community health workers. I made some bags. Even some baby bags for Emelda and Janenite to use when they complete their nursing courses.
I doubt that I gave a good explanation here, but know that the computers are a great treasure here and the medical supplies were loved by all. My hopes of a maternity clinic are dashed but I know God used the hope in me to drive the efforts it took to get some materials here.
We are thankful to Medical Bridges and to Austin Samaritans for their equipment and supplies. At Emusanda clinic, we took one whole Land Cruiser packed full of boxes of supplies to them and returned to load the sonogram machine and sort out some personal items for the TGD students and staff. When we returned a few hours later, they had already put away the supplies from the morning at Emusanda. They were so happy and thankful! I was so overjoyed to be the bearer of such good news! it really is fun to go around delivering things that make people so happy. It really is fun to tell someone--hey, American women have given bras to you--go and take a look! and they come back smiling and singing. AMEN! and yes, I did get pictures of women holding bras. now, the woman at Panadol’s church who really inspired the drive was no where to be found. I didn’t see her on this visit. I pray God has made a way for her to be supported!
The Trinity students were blessed. There were so many boxes of lotion, shampoo, sanitary pads, diapers, blankets, socks, and other items that we were seriously taxed on. How good it was to see them eager to pick these things up! We placed them all in one room and opened boxes and set them out on tables and against the walls. Then one by one, in order of student ranking after the leadership team, the students came in to pick ONE item. Then they went out, placed it in some spot they had chosen and got back in line in order. After some time--we did that at least five times, we increased the items to FIVE each time and we went through the line again maybe twice, possibly three times. Then I gave each person 30 seconds to go through and get what they could. Even everyone made it through once. Then I did Walter and Frank at the same time, Henry and Catherine at the same time (we made a special pile for Joseph O. because he is home with Typhoid.) Then the top two students, next top two, then the next few, then the last few and we were all done.
I always have so many things to leave with them like.....cliff barts, a small five dollar walmart lantern with batteries, a pack of batteries I didn’t use, ketchup I bought to put on fries, ovaltine i never used, bisquick steve sent me from home last time that came after I left, kleenex tissues, cold medicine, no brand nyquil, ibuprofen, tylenol, soaps from the hotels, shampoo from hotels, wash cloths, band-aids, sewing kits, and pens. I like to lay them out on the table and let them pick one by one. it’s fun. I leave my old suitcases. I bring purses I don’t use as much. I might bring an old pair of shoes (not this time.)
I make much of it because it was a wonderful day of fun and blessing for my team and students! I dismissed them all and headed back to town. We gave a bassinet to Frank as he has a baby on the way and lives in the city (it’s not really an appropriate piece for a mud hut.) He is tickled to get it! He was so funny as we sorted things out for Dr. Kennedy or Dr. Iube or midwives or for TGD or for us. We have an unbelievable load of tape---he wanted to keep it. There was some funny piece of something--we didn’t know what it was---he said, “keep it. we can use it for something.” and he cracked me up. He didn’t want anything to go out away from the community. and while its true that we laughed about it, it is also what Steve and I were thinking. It is a hard line to make when deciding what to bring. It seems like they have such great need that at home in the USA, I hate to throw away anything or give it to Salvation Army when I could bring it to Kenya. But you can only take so much luggage. it is heavy, troublesome and it costs. so it stays home.
but when we got things from Austin Samaritan’s, they gave us some things that were expired and we were not sure what to do with those. do we even bring junk into the homes of our friends? Would they be offended and think we think less of them? but with a memory of hard times, we considered that even something useless could be given a new purpose with some creativity. We threw it all in and brought it.
I’m glad I did. I definitely wish that I had the ability to get most of it to the best destination, but I am glad that there is so many ways that these items can be a blessing.
Now the computers? they are amazing and I have to buy extension cords and some other things so they can use them. Those students are so excited that it cannot be explained. I think the whole community is excited that they have them nearby. I pray we can get that building finished and bring people in!!
NOV 20th: Saturday
I’m in my room resting. I have had time to pray and read scripture and meditate on the Lord. It’s been rejuvenating. I think I will come on short visits from now on, rent a car, and stay at the Golf Hotel. It really makes for a pleasant trip. It can maybe be Monday through Friday and I’ll do a Wednesday out at Ebulechia Church. There was a funeral for a local leader going on when I visited which reduced attendance. I think Peter Washika presides over Pastor Wycliffe’s church? or is it Pastor Bernard Masoso?
Bernard is so thankful to Mama Medine’s church. He has the biggest smile. His house was rained out in the floods of spring and I’m sure he felt so hopeless. His family was farmed out and separated and imposing on others. Now they live in one big house. I think his wife is over the women’s ministry somewhere. I’ll have to check with Joseph. I don’t remember meeting her before. I loved meeting little Stephanie! I remember when Bernard was an associate pastor but then he was over Shianda--that’s a hard church in a Muslim area that has seen many come to Christ anew. That means plenty of family conflict. I can’t imagine what sorts of issues come up in a church like that.
I went to the bank yesterday to close the original account we opened with Steve, Titus, Rose and Me. It has been drawing on the funds there for monthly fees and Henry just told me. I tried to close it when we were here last time--I don’t know why it is still opened. I went to the bank yesterday and the line was about 30 people long. I have never seen it so long. There were maybe 2 or three tellers for all those people. There were many people waiting in the area of Eunice’s desk, but I didn’t see Eunice. There is another desk there and the women seated was unfamiliar to me. She had customers she was speaking with. I looked around for other areas that might be possible. There were some offices against the other wall but it didn’t look like what I needed. How to even get someone to ask??? So I got in the shortest line....the one where you check your balance. It is called “Enquiries.” There were three people ahead of me...I was in for a wait. But I kept looking around and looking at that unfamiliar lady. Finally, she was getting up and headed into the back of the bank which is closed off to customers by a door with an alarm. She looked at me long. She was looking at the Muzungu. I used the occasion to lock eyes with her so as not to be interrupting but to get attention. When she realized I was staring right back, I said, “Excuse me, is Eunice in?” but she was not in at all on this day. I asked if I needed to speak with her to close one of my accounts. She said I was in the right line for it. HALLELUJAH! now that was fortuitous! Praise the Lord. I also needed to exchange US dollars for Kenyan shillings but that was not going to happen.
When i got up to the teller, I told him my dilemma. We were four of us and only I was available. I was leaving town and my husband was in the USA. Titus was out of town. could I fill something out to close the account? He asked what my account number was. I told him I did not know. Could he look it up? He asked for my bank card and I told him it had been hijacked. Curiously, he did not even bat an eye at this! He asked for my passport. I said I forgot to bring it (now I look so bright, right? ) and I gave him my Texas Drivers License (surely as good as a passport, right?) and he could see my picture and my signature. His computer looks me up and he can see my signature, so he asked me to sign a piece of paper--which then he matched to my license and my bank record. a match, yes.
So he had me write a letter to say what I wanted to do and to sign it. then Titus needs to come in next week and do the same. I pray we get it done this time!
We still have the account with Henry. The bank cards were cancelled but the account is open and it is how I wire funds each month. Now Henry never goes to the bank alone. Someone takes him on a motorcycle, which is much safer. Whoever those robbers were, they still know he is around and where they found him and how much money he had ($1000.)
Nov 20: Saturday 2nd Entry
Why did the chicken cross the road? To show the armadillo that it could be done.
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit out in his boat on the lake all day drinking beer.
True Story from Otis: Abe Lincoln moved to a new town in Illinois where a man was notorious for being the ugliest man alive. The big ugly man heard that Abe Lincoln was even uglier and he had to see for himself. When he saw Abe, he told him, “ I am going to have to kill you because you are uglier than me!” and Abe replied, “Sir, if I am uglier than you, I deserve to die.” And because he spoke well, they became the best of friends.
After we dropped off the ultrasound machine up the road at the Emusanda Clinic, we were driving down the hill. A beautiful rooster was on my side of the road and was startled by our approach. Right as we came to him, he darted in front of the vehicle. It seemed to me he had no where to go but under! I gasped, frightened. Oscar and Don were in the back of the car and quickly assured me that the rooster had made it across and they were even then looking right at him. Frank laughed that I would be so scared for the rooster. He told me that the chickens in the area were very clever. They were rarely killed in the road. He said, “ I thought you only cared about the chickens whose names were known to you.” I had told him that I could eat chickens, but not when they were pets. Although my daughter Sarah refused to eat the chicken given to me feeling it was cruel, I could have eaten that one as long as I had PLANNED on eating it. If by chance I considered a chicken a sweet pet, then forget it. I would not want to eat any pet.
The interesting thing about that is that the passover lamb was to be taken in the house in the year before it was eaten. This sweet lamb was to be loved by the children and cared for all year. It was this sweet little lamb that was slaughtered at passover and eaten. This lamb was the picture of Jesus, a sweet beloved son of Israel and our Savior and King. He comes hurting no one and yet is slaughtered for our protection and forgiveness forever. Jesus is no stranger, he is the beloved Son that whoever believes in Him has eternal life. I think of the pain it caused the children to slaughter the lamb and it mirrors the pain of the Father to put all our sin on Jesus. I am thankful! I am thankful that my beloved Jesus died for me!
Nov 20: Third entry Saturday.
I’ve come down to pay my bill. I get the local rate of 3800 ksh which is 50 a night. It cost me about 664 to stay here for 14 days plus a small amount of food. I only had three other charges...one for 280 ksh (milk and pasta), one for 50 ksh (milk), and one for 800 ksh ( I didn’t know it was so much--like 10 dollars to let Frank eat breakfast...I would have made him EAT MORE FOOD at that price!) So I’ve saved plenty of money. I’ve hardly eaten. I bought some cokes one time and I think I bought one or two meals at the Nakumatt restaurant. It’s low priced considering how good it is. Today I have eaten corn flakes in my room and before that I ate the trail mix steve bought me in my care package that arrived in July as I left for home.
I’m going to take Frank and Cynthia to eat at Nakumatt and I’m getting fried chicken. I think I will come home and eat some original recipe KFC legs which have a little meat on them. The chickens here are quite scrawny, but I’m thankful for them. and I don’t know their names.
There was the great stork out on the lawn this morning. He and his pal were walking along slowly away, and I wanted a photo.
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