WE NEED YOU! WE THANK YOU!

TGD Building—we need money to complete the building.
Shipping Container—we need help shipping it from Mombasa to the building site.

Medical Clinic- We need people who will have an ongoing commitment to sponsor a doctor for $1000 a month. We can do without a doctor if we must. But the care will be of less quality. We want to have a doctor’s oversight of the medical workers. We need a Registered Nurse sponsored for $500 a month. In my wildest dreams ( I can’t seem to dream bigger than this just yet, but wait for it!) I’d like to see two doctors in shifts around the clock and four nurses, two for each shift. Does that seem like so much? The area clinic up the hill is expensive and is open from 10am to 2pm. I think we get sick other times, don’t you? Help us. Help the children that need someone to see if they need an antibiotic OR NOT. Help the birthing moms be treated compassionately! We also will need medical records technician, a pharmacist and a lab tech for diagnostics. Someone has to check if that fever is malaria or you will die. It’s that serious. Here we take Tylenol, there they die. I am not making it up. I could get names. I don’t take pictures of dead people or I could show you that, too. Give generously and give repeatedly if you are at all able, please! You can’t imagine what a difference you can make!

Orphans- We need to build an orphanage for the children. We are trying to rent a house until we can build on the land we’ve chosen. The children live all around and administration would be costly, but we can provide local jobs (our vision anyway!) because the people there are ready to work and already serving in the community. Help us help others. Help us give jobs while taking care of the helpless. For those who can care for themselves, NO HANDOUTS...JOBS! For those who cannot care for themselves, medical care and consideration.

My Trip to Kenya May 27 - July 13

I had a wonderful six weeks in Kenya. I had imagined that I would have time to suffer and get irritated with people I loved. I imagined that I would have times of deep loneliness or isolation. No. None of that. I was really blessed. I was transformed. God took me deeper and farther than ever before. He took me to places of Grace I only dreamed of before. I could not ask for more—and I didn’t ask! Now I see how generous God is with his Grace. I only long to return.

You get grace when you need it. The times of suffering are brief. I think we imagine them all stuck together in a long story of horror, but when I was hot, I was only hot for a while. Times of cooling came later. When I was frightened, it passed. When I was disappointed that the money was not coming, I endured. God gave me songs in my heart. God showered me with His Love. Jesus was my focus and my mind was stayed on Him.

The only fearful experiences I had were a cockroach (well, SEVEN) and the shame of not paying the man who sold me iron on the day I promised. I was a bit afraid of facing the crooked lawyer at the police station because I turned him in-but I faked my way through it to show my team that I was a leader they could trust to face anything for them. I told them you don’t have to be confident, just act confident. God is with us. I want them to be the same way.

I am so thankful that my fears did not keep me from obeying Jesus. I am so thankful that my love of comfort did not keep me from serving others. I am so thankful that the love Jesus gave me in my heart gave me energy and strength. It wasn’t just gushy love emotions, it was a determination to see Love, Joy, and Peace. It was perseverance for Justice. It was the knowledge that I can do SOMETHING and I was doing it. The evil in the world will overtake us all if we hide away so we don’t have to face it. God gave me such courage!

When something seemed dreadful, my spirit spoke within me, “I can handle anything.” Now, I am not prone to handling anything! Sometimes trying to figure out what to cook for dinner makes me want to nap instead. I know that Jesus is near when I need Him. I don’t NEED Him to help me cook dinner. I need Him to help me face dead babies, children with illnesses I cannot medicate, funerals and robbers shooting people. I need him to help me hold Gladys down as she screams when Dr. Kennedy goes through lancing all the swollen puss pockets all over her scalp. I need Him to help me trust that others will hear my voice and respond generously. I stay focused on Him or I would just sit down and cry. Instead, I work another day and another. And I pray that you will give.

I have promised God I would give more, serve more, love more, die more. It is my privilege and it is my joy.

Perhaps God stirs you to join me over there, but you must be ready to sacrifice. We will not entertain you and we won’t always put you to work. You can only serve when there is opportunity and most of the time you just wait. Americans find African time disturbing but I enjoy it. In the USA, if you are late, it is your fault. Not in Kenya! It is a way of life, so relax into it. Do what you CAN. Love others. Take the time to build relationships rather than accomplish feats. Just hang out. Just laugh. Just smile. Stop thinking you are important. Visit the children in the preschool. They just like to see you. They like to touch you and look in your eyes for a real person. Are you in there? You have to be really there to enjoy Kenya. And oh it is beautiful. The people are beautiful. Tragedy does not stop them. They move through gracefully somehow that defies imagination. They cry when they mean it and they don’t cry otherwise. I want to grow to be like them. I’m learning.

Pastor Wycliffe Kweyu

Pastor Wycliffe Kweyu died yesterday suddenly while riding his new bicycle to a pastors meeting. A truck hit him from behind and he was instantly crushed. It is written, To be apart from the body is to be with the Lord. His spirit and consciousness are with the Lord forever. His body waits for the return of the Lord Jesus and transformation.

Titus came upon him right afterwards. Titus grieved that he had called the meeting. Anita grieved that she had purchased the bicycles. Those who donated for the bicycles may likewise grieve, but it is not our fault. We will miss him. HIs wife Phillis will miss him. Perhaps she'll be kicked out of her house as his family takes it over--she may have to go back to her parent's land. Pray for the children. Pray for school fees.

Henry on the left speaking with Bernard, Doreen's husband

Left to right is Henry Anjeje our accountant, Bernard, Clement, unsure of guy in red hat, then Pastor Zadok behind Pastor Henry Juma

Henry is safe!

EMAIL FROM WALTER ABOUT HENRY:
He was hijacked by 3 armed gangsters who blind folded and hand cuffed him, drove off with him from Kakamega to Webuye about 50 miles from Kakamega town where he was dumped in a thicket. They stole from him 70,000 KSH belonging to TGD, 800 KSH his personal money and his cell phone. They also took from him two ATM cards but never injured him.

I am so thankful! Thank you to those who prayed him through to safety. They stole around $1000 US dollars but they can not take Jesus from him! He is worth much more than $1000 and I am so grateful that they did not torture him or beat him. It was a long morning and I know his wife struggled in fear. I thank God for his family that he is returned safe to them. I am thankful to Walter for going to pick him up. You know he was so happy to see someone come get him! We love Henry and praise God for him.

Frida and Gladys

Ophans

I am really blessed and excited to have ONLY BELIEVE MINISTRIES behind our orphan sponsorship program. They have successfully built orphanages in India and provided sponsor support for four years. Cindy is working with me to profile the children.
Here in Texas, I have four people who have confirmed sponsorship and four who have indicated serious interest. One strategy for support is for each child to have 2 sponsors of $25 a month. If we could get all our children double sponsored, we'd have $1000 a month to support them. It is around $6000 a year to send them all to school. It is an achieveable goal.

I can build a house for maybe $15,000 and they can sleep on foam mattresses that can be put away in the day. We can have house staff for about $30 a month each. Depending on the TGD facility progress, we can begin building an orphanage in October. I'd like to plant a garden but I know nothing about gardens.

The children will be blessed. They are hopeful that someone would sponsor them. It meant so much to them just to get profiled. As if they were chosen already. So I pray every child is chosen (twice!) and then school fees should be able to come out of monthly support. I will find out the time table for tuition. Many children in grades under Class 8 do not always pay their fees, do not have books, do not have food for lunch, are not able to take exams. That may happen to our children at first, but with faithful sponsorship, all fees can be paid eventually. I know some of the children do not always go to school if they are kept home to help with little children (I think Dianah had a problem with that.) Others are not expected to take care of other children in the home (Jane, Vivian, and Lillian's grandmother does not push childcare onto the girls but does it herself.)

Pray, friends. Pray for these children. God has all provision for them somewhere. and I know it is coming if we thank God in advance for what HE is going to do.

from Habitat for Humanity

Nearly 60 percent of Kenya’s 37 million residents are rural subsistence farmers and live on less than US$2 a day. Although parts of the country are lush, green fields of healthy crops, many people in the rural areas suffer extreme poverty. Families live in inadequate, overcrowded homes, typically with only one room and no windows. The houses usually have mud walls, cow dung and dirt floors and thatch roofs. Poor home construction means they serve as breeding grounds for diseases including malaria, amoebic disorders and respiratory conditions, which are commonly life-threatening.
http://www.habitat.org/intl/ame/105.aspx

Wycliffe and Sarah

Doug and Dorcas (biblical name)

Steve and Stephanie

one of my favorite pictures

Things to take next time

I really loved Bare Minerals Matte foundation. an absolute BOON for sweaty faces in Kenya--me. I will bring FRESH BATH from REI--Adventure Medical Kits Fresh Bath Wipes with .1% Benzalkonium chloride. Wow--keeps the stink off! Fresh! seriously! They only come in packs of 8, but you can cut them into fourths and so you can get 32 days out of one package, but the luxury of using a whole 8x10 wipe is amazing. I had two packs. They lasted me the whole trip because I often used Dial Antibacterial soap (white) and a basin of water --even bottled water when I needed it. and the FEET need soaking on some days due to dust. Really makes me think about Jesus washing disciples feet. Feet get gross. I soaked mine and then would use a pocket knife to scrape off the scum and dead skin and under the toenails. kind of interesting experience.
macaroni and cheese. easy to cook there. and ovaltine. I will bring ovaltine. probably bisquick. milk is easy to get, and coke, and bread. rice and pasta are there. chicken is there. Conditioner is needed although they now have some very strong smelling (perfume) Herbal Essence conditioner. Deodorant/anti-perspirant is great. Walmart had SURE and it really worked in the heat. I took too many clothes that i didn't like--and therefore did not wear. you have to bring your favorites. I still wore my big dresses that were like tents but they are good for the villages where the women do not wear pants ever.

I really love those roosters!

Sarah, Lydia, and Mama Anita

Praying for widows

This is the widow Risper and two of her daughters

Scroll for pictures -- i have mostly text but there are plenty of pictures interspersed througout

Here is a speech I gave at Elijah Musungu's funeral. Titus wrote it out for me and I practiced my pronounciation.

Jina langu ni Stephanie Rivers
Abahiele bosi nende abasakhulu nende abana bosi melembe muno.
Bwana Asifiwe,
Yesu ni Bwana na mwokozi wangu.
Ninapenda Yesu.
Nimetoka America kuja matanga ya mzee Elijah. Yeye ni mtu mzuri sana.
Pole kwa family yake, pole kwa mama Risper.
Nyasaye abalinde mwezi, murio muno.
mimi ni dada yenu kwa jina la Yesu.
Kama haumjui Yesu umupokee leo ndani ya moyo wako.

It was a very large funeral. I don't know how many were there, but many local Bishops and pastors and area leaders were there. Many families and the extended family and people coming from Nairobi. It was a weeklong ceremony culminating in a day long affair.