Wednesday, May 30, 2012

okay, so not everyone smiles when we come bearing gifts....

Here is my little namesake, Baby Stephanie. Hasn't she gotten big? She looks a bit grouchy here but I am sure she loved her new green dress and her little bunny toy.
Thanks to Mama Medine and her church---- Pastor Bernard and his wife, Rose, got a new roof when the heavy rains flooded them out a couple years ago. Their roof and a whole wall caved in and they had no where to stay. Mama Medine had come with me. She is my mentor and role model as a missionary who was obedient to her husband and did not begin going to the nations until she was over 50!! (That's after being called of God at age 8.) What a delight! Her loving gift was somehow accorded to me and Pastor Bernard praised God that his family was remembered in their time of disaster.

 I first came with Mama Anita and Bwana Ed (Mzee?!)  He was my Pastor from 1988 who faithfully taught me to rely on (AND DO) the Word of God and Anita was another mentor and role model as a wife and loving mother. She also has prompted a couple of Baby Anita's. Thanks to our loving and thankful Christian family in Kenya who rejoice when we come and just bless us so much! May all our families be blessed in Jesus Christ forever and ever, to His Glory, Amen. 

Fun shopping for homes in our program

Thanks be to God for those generous people who rejoiced in their abundance and spread the joy to others across the seas. Good neighbors like the Good Samaritan who have not looked the other way but remembered orphans and widows in their distress. We had such celebrations-- party time in Kenya!! How many thanks rise to God when people know He has remembered them and sent your gifts. We have SO MUCH FUN distributing on your behalf! To see faces light up as we arrive. To see the pleasure and longing in the children's faces. To know we have connected soul to soul and conveyed value to the Beloved of God. The long, costly trip seems just the blink of an eye!! Thank You!!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

so good to be in Kenya

I went into visit Titus and Rose and it felt like home. The compound is developing so nicely. They have an electric fence to guard the computer center! Roxana, the dog, is still there and seems to remember me. i have so many pictures--I am so proud of our TGD Team and all they have accomplished. They work in unison with a common goal and they get a lot done. The distribution day grows more challenging with more orphans but Henry excels at tracking finances and Frank works with students on all the logistics. It's a great operation!

Monday, May 14, 2012


Bishop (Head Pastor) Titus with Dr. Otis and Mickey Stanley. Below, Agnes shares information presented to Community Health Workers in our community.


On Monday the students continued with practicals we want them to know well the keyboard and parts of the window. And then we filled the assessment test you requested us to do it was fun. The same Monday Otis and Mickey came to visit us. On Tuesday we had a meeting with Frank as the students watched a video tutorial on the basics of word while Mickey and Otis went to Ebulechia. On Wednesday we continued to have a meeting but this time Frank, Imelda, Judith and I on what we do exactly in the field. We deal with the sponsored children, guardians, staff, students, front runners and the community as a whole. In other words Frank has the whole report as to what is done. On Thursday we attended a seminar which was hosted by Mickey and Otis and it was as follows:
COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER
PURPOSE, GOAL AND OBJECTIVE
What is the duty of a community health worker?
Ø  To provide basic health services to the community or Village health worker(VHW)
Ø  Educate and advice the community and individuals or training
Ø  Should know the basic first aid and give people medication i.e. Provide first aid and emergency
Ø  Demonstrating a healthy diet
Ø  Providing guidance and cancelling
Ø  Demonstrating personal hygiene
Ø  Help access of water
How does the Community Health Worker support the community and the individual?
1.       Serves as an observer of community and the individual on matters relating to health and advice to improve it.
2.       Serves as an advocate in seeking health services and projects
3.       Is the primary interface of health system
4.       Provide potential conduct for house hold and community leaders to help them solve their problems like Safe water, Nutrition and Sanitation
GUIDING PRINNCIPALS
1.       Make clean water available to all (protected from contamination and bacteria and should be chlorinated if contaminated
2.       Ensure access to healthy and safe foods i.e. Fruits should be washed before eating and the food should come from inspected places
3.       Provide education for safe disposal of human waste i.e. water should be protected from animals and human waste. Latrines should be protected from insects and vermin to prevent cross contamination of food and water.
4.       Give mothers and babies good nutrition and care i.e. children to receive vaccines
5.       Provide access to healthcare for the sick and old
6.       Encourage healthy behavior to the young i.e. taught on the importance of hygiene and against smoking
7.       Encourage abstinence and loyalty to avoid AIDS. Use of condoms to prevent spread of ads and the only way to abstain is to be faithful
8.       Protect people from disease carrying disease carrying pests i.e. dwellings should be made insect proof like garbage which can serve as harborage  for disease carrying rodents and other pests should be buried
9.       Work for a safe environment free of harmful agents  like minimizing sources for air pollution like engine exhaust will reduce asthma
New Mother, Early Childhood, Late Childhood Adolescent, Adult and Elderly
COHORT 1:
Pregnancy, Delivery and New Born
1.      Importance for all pregnant mothers and their household to have a birth plan and to organize resources for getting skilled assistance like during delivery they should be under the care of midwife, nurse or the doctor.
2.      The couple should plan who will take care of the children the mother has given birth
3.      They should receive confidential counseling Test for HIV. If positive precautions taken to prevent baby form getting infection like when breast feeding no for aids but there is prevention
4.      The pregnant mothers to be given ant malaria to prevent malaria and getting anemic
5.      Blood pressure to be controlled
6.      Pregnant mothers need the best food available to the family like fruits- mangoes, guavas, oranges, vegetable- kale, meat, fish- dry and fresh, eggs, grains and beans, ion giving foods. They are safe to eat
7.       Pregnant mothers are particularly usceptible to malaria which can cause serious problems.
8.       Pregnancy before 18 and after 35 or within 2 years of the precious delivery increases health risk for the mother and her baby and child birth
9.       Family planning is the responsibility of both men and women
10.   Physical of women and children is a serious public health problem and is inacceptable. Abuse during pregnancy is dangerous to the mother and the child.
11.   Every woman has the right to health care especially during pregnancy and child birth. Health care providers should be available
12.   Pregnant mothers and new born should be screened for disabilities and impairment  in order to plan for any in corrective measure to address the problem
13.   All new born babies need to be protected need to be protected from infections that may interfere with their growth and development measure body temperature for baby on mother
Early Childhood 2 weeks to 5 years
1.       Care and affection during the earliest years help the child to thrive. Bottle feeding can lead to illness and death of the baby if the mother cannot breast feed her infant the baby should be breast fed with milk or a substitute from a clean cup
2.       Weigh your baby regularly from birth to the age of 2 years if the child has not gained the weight for 2 weeks then something is wrong
6 weeks to 2 years
1.       The child needs to feed five times a day in addition to ustained breast feeding there after the child can be fed on family foods five times daily without breast feeding
2.       During illness children need to continue to eat and drink regularly. After an illness children need at least one extra meal everyday
3.       Immunization is urgent every child needs a series of immunization during the 1st year of life. A child who is not immunized is likely to suffer illness and become permanently disabled.
4.       Diarrhea kills children by draining water from the body. Give extra fluids as soon as diarrhea start.
5.       Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or ash with water after contact with stool and before touching food or feeding children
6.       Child with cough and cold should be kept warm and encouraged to eat and drink as much as possible if the child is breathing rapidly is dangerous
7.       Child with fever should be examined immediately
8.       Families and communities can prevent spread of mosquito by cutting grass, keeping bushes away from homes, draining stagnant water, keeping battery acid and medicines away from reach of children
9.       Young children need more food to develop. It is good to nature their growth. Children learn how to behave and adults set as their role model
10.   All children should be wormed at least twice every year
11.   Parents should talk to their children on the issue and sexual act. Early childhood is unsafe, abortion and STDS are threatening. They should also advice them on drug abuse too.
12.   Everyone who is active should contact VCT (counseling)
13.   . They need sufficient nutrition especially more proteins
25-59 years are at risk of getting AIDS and transmitted diseases
1.       Need check up of Blood pressure, blood sugar, and regular check ups
2.       They are at risk of Tuberculosis and it is curable
Over 60 years. They have the risk of getting blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. Advice is that they should try to be physically active every day
When to refer to medical facility: (conditions that warrant immediate attention)
Vomiting, Convulsions Not alert, Not responding, Not able to drink or eat, Coughing seriously, Difficulty in breathing, Diarrhea, Fever.
With breathing problem check for:
Chest in-drawing, strange sounds (strider) fast breathing.
With diarrhea look for:
Not alert, not responding uninterested slow return of skin pinch, not able to drink or eat (breast feed), severe dehydration irritable or restlessness, thirsty drinks eagerly.
When you want to know one is suffering from the following you check for: malaria they have stiff neck, hot body, higher temperature, .When one has measles one feels hot, felt hot in past 3 days. With Ear problem, one feels pain, swelling, rubs, pulls ear frequently. With malnutrition, visible wasting or oedema of both feet. Anemia, severe Palma
Baby born and has not visited health center has rigidity, bulging, fontanel, pus draining from the eye
ABCD (basic first aid)
A – Airway
B -Breathing
C- Circulation
D- Dressing the wound
We are eagerly waiting to see you next week and praying for safe journey to Kenya. Be blessed
Agnes

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Ramblings during a happy mood--Rejoice!

okay, i just put a photo to make it interesting. Don't we look YOUNG?!

I just changed to the new timeline on facebook --AND IT MADE MY PAGE SO INTERESTING!!! To me, anyway. It has so many family photos, puppy photos, good things I shared, quotes, friends, and so many wonderful Kenyan photos in large size. I am loving it! I could post all day! But by now I have posted on my mom's and Pamaw's, then "liked" several things and changed my profile picture on the new timeline, so anyone who has me on their list might delete me. :-(

I remember hearing someone say they got off of Myspace because someone posted all the time. well, that's the fun of it! and when someone posts all the time, it is like listening to a big talker! I can't imagine getting irritated at people's posting ( I suppose three mean ones in a row would get to me) because that is the whole idea of it. it's like being in a circle with people and some talk more than others.

well, if I am with people I know, I am LOUD. If I am with people I don't know, I am quiet and subdued. (This can be very brief since an hour together might put anyone in the I-know-you catagory.) And then with groups, you have to be careful not to dominate. Find ways to include the ones who aren't talking. But you know, you ask the wallflower a question and they start answering and someone else will just burst out and talk over them. Happens to us all!

I really like including the left out people. Don't you hate it when the left out one is YOU? Every now and then, you can find yourself with some people and something happens that makes you feel stupid. It's a terrible feeling. Or left out. Terrible feeling. Who wants that? No one. But when it happens to you....just maintain composure and try to focus outwardly on loving and esteeming those around you. It doesn't make you less, it makes you MORE! (Now, it is a bit harder to do this if you stuck your foot in your mouth and are now trying to recover. Ouch!)

God is so good to love us through embarrassing or humiliating moments. You know, if you were humiliated, just humble yourself and it can flow right over you! When someone criticizes, just ask yourself, "Is there any truth to what they said?" and if there is....just agree. There is some Christian guy --and this would work better if I could remember who---He would say to his attacker. "Oh, soandso, you are too gentle. For I know worse things about myself." Now what is a bully going to say to that? Ha! Bullies only have fun if they really get you tortured. Or if someone mocks you, you can say, "Excuse me?" as if you didn't quite hear, and most people will back right down. Because it is just a bully type of spirit and you just need to confront that one mildly to maintain your dignity. God is with you!

Now how did I ramble onto THAT?  Well, someone needed that today. I pray you walk in Godly dominion and overcome the victim spirit. If you are in Christ, you are an overcomer! and you do not have to PROVE that to all humanity. You will find yourself in glory forever with Jesus at the end of all this. Wait patiently when suffering. In fact, Jesus says, Count it all joy when you encounter trials of many kinds because this is good for your faith! (Okay, look that one up because i botched the quote there.) Rejoice in the Lord always, again, I say, REJOICE!

and if you are on facebook, go scroll down through my page. I so enjoy that! Thank you Jesus!

AND WE HAVE THREE NEW CHILDREN SPONSORED THIS MONTH! WOWOWOWOWOWOOOOO (that is wow and woo put together.)

Monday, May 07, 2012

Our Nurse Emelda!




God paid for Emelda's education through Anita and now we have Emelda working for us, our community, our children. She has a new sponsor through Mama Anita so she can continue her good work with those who cannot pay. She needs medicine and gloves. All donations are still welcome because there is never an end to the need. We want to reduce the burden on the child bearing women, the elderly and the children. Praise the Lord! He cares for us so gently!