Shifting to a New Site

People who have followed my Africa traveling adventures (and prior triathlon, etc. trials/tribulations) may join me over at StephanieLChurch.com. I will be deleting my other blogs as I have exported the content to my new site, which is still very much a work in progress.

Expect to see more African travels (next trip likely in 2013) and a number of other stories on this site.

Thank you!

Final Days in Nyahururu

Another guest post from Hannah Massie:

As I type, six of our team members are spending some time hanging out at Rahab and Silas’ house in Nairobi, waiting to go to the airport for our various flights departing tonight. (Rahab and Silas are Centenary members who were in the United States for seminary and now are working as missionaries in Kenya). We have all been so blessed to spend time with them (as well as their son Solomon). They have been so helpful throughout our trip, and they’re a LOT of fun to be around!

Ellen, Christy, and Charlotte departed this afternoon to Masai Mara for a safari trip before heading back to the States. Julie and Stephanie will head to Mombasa, Kenya this evening for a few days of additional ministry. The last group of us (which includes Zadie, Hannah, Jill, and Christina) will leave Nairobi tonight around 11:30, and they will arrive in Lexington Monday evening. None of us are looking forward to the 24+ hours of travel, but we are all looking forward to seeing family and friends back home. It has been a great trip.

It’s been a while since the last blog post, so let me fill you in! This past week was spent primarily at the Good Shepherd Home, although we also visited several local schools in the morning while the children were are school. We retured to the Thiru School (mentioned in a previous post) to bring medical supplies and help treat some of the children’s feet that were infected with chiggers ... that was quite an experience. At the end of the day, we felt good about being able to help with the situation, and the teachers there seemed grateful for the medical care as well as the information on how to treat their students’ medical problems in the future. Many of the children had no shoes to wear to school (which only worsened the existing problem), so some of the team members bought shoes for those who needed them the most. It was a sobering experience for many of us to see children without shoes or proper medical care.

At the Good Shepherd Home, relationships flourished as the week progressed. The children began to recognize and know us, and we in turn began to grow closer to these precious kids that had so much love to give. I (Hannah) grew especially close to a 10-year-old girl named Monica. Monica has three brothers (none of which are at Good Shepherd) and one sister in secondary boarding school. Both of her parents have passed away. Monica was the first child at Good Shepherd to come up to me and hold my hand, and since that point, we rarely separated! It was hard to say goodbye. While we were getting to know the children and staff at the home, we heard so many stories of children being rescued from the streets, brought in from poor family situations, and given a home at Good Shepherd. Moses’ story was particularly compelling.

Moses has 16 brothers and sisters, none of which live at Good Shepherd. His mother left the family to return back to her homeplace, and his father struggles with depression and lives on the street. After living on the street himself, Moses heard one day about Good Shepherd and decided to walk there (a distance of about eight miles each way) to inquire about a place to live and go back to school. Today, at age 15, Moses is the student representative for the entire county that he resides in within Kenya. He excels in school, and he continues to show leadership at Good Shepherd. Hearing stories like this helped to further impress upon us the important work that Good Shepherd is doing in and around Nyahururu. The maturity and deep-set faith of the children there was a testament to the hard work of Simon and Lucy Mwaura, the founders of the home. Lucy was the person who saw the need in Nyahururu for a home for street children, and Good Shepherd developed out of her vision for sharing the love of Christ with these children. We have all grown to love Lucy and Simon, and we hope to continue our relationship with them as they continue to expand and improve upon their ministry to children.

Oh my ... there is so much to share, and so little time! Some of the highlights:

1. Stephanie took pictures of each of the children at GS and we brought a photo printer so we could print them. We handed out the pictures (in a tongue-depressor stick frame) for the kids to decorate, and they LOVED it! Many of them have no pictures of themselves, their family, or their friends, so this was a special treat.
2. On Thursday we hosted a day for women in the community at the Good Shepherd Home. About 40 women attended (many with their babies!). Included in our time together was music, sharing of testimonies, cooking lessons (Ellen taught them how to make pizza and fried rice! It was a big hit!), grief counseling, and time to fellowship together. Seeing the strength of the women in Kenya has been so powerful for our team. Women here are handed a lot of responsibility (with few resources), and being able to spend time with them and learn about their lives was an incredible experience.
3. During our final afternoon with the children, the team bought ice cream for the kids and leaders at Good Shepherd. What a success! Many of the children had never tasted ice cream before, and they didn’t want to give back the bowls when they were finished. How much we take for granted...
4. Christina and Jill brought sports equipment and taught the kids at GS how to play tennis!
5. Jill’s first aid training has been a big hit at all of the schools and at GS. Most of the schools have no medical equipment (not even Band Aids), so having a small supply for emergencies is a blessing for each organization. We have been overwhelmed at the need for medical attention, but we feel blessed to be able to provide the supplies for basic care.

There are countless stories and memories to share, and I would love to share them all! If you would like a more complete picture of our time in Kenya, we will be sharing with family and friends at Centenary UMC on Sunday, July 24, at 7p.m. During the past two weeks, nine “dadas” (sisters) have become great friends. We have grown closer to Christ and to each other. We have experienced Christ in a completely new way, and our faith has been strengthened. God is ever present throughout His entire world, and to see His work in Kenya has been a powerful experience. We look forward to our continued interaction with Silas and Rahab, the Good Shepherd Home, and Simon and Lucy. Thanks for coming along with us on our journey!

Stephanie will be back to post some more insights from the final few days in Nyahururu and the journey back to Nairobi.

Why did the Mzungu Cross the Road?

To see the hippos, of course.

(Yes, of course.)

All in all, today was a tough day and I’m still ruminating on what I want to say about our work. In the meantime I’m going to focus on some of today’s lighthearted moments. And since today marked Day 2 of the quest to see the hippos up close … but not too close … before breakfast, I have some perfect blog fodder.

We early risers donned the walking shoes and headed toward the pond/swamp where the hippos congregate for the morning hours. Apparently they are sluggish and snoozing, so this is the time you want to see them up close.

Yesterday’s hippo sightings were reasonable, but marsh grasses impeded our view. Today we were a little bolder in our approach—maybe it was because we had Rich, our new friend from the Washington State group that’s working with Heroes for the Nations (another orphanage in the area), along with us. He seemed to know where the invisible “don’t get any closer” line was.

We darted across the road, avoiding matatus (public transportation), bicycles with 60-pound loads of potatoes, motorcycles, etc., and headed toward the hippo hangout. Julie and I walked down a path canopied by acacia to get a peek from one angle that would afford great lighting, but the more impressive view came from a closer walk in a path through the swamp. The hippos looked like a bunch of boulders—giant yawning ones, some with their faces buried in mud. Despite their sleepy gazes, they were clearly checking us out, wondering why all the whispering.

A few of them began swimming, yawning some more, and making adorable hippo sounds (which are tugboatlike). And it became apparent there were little pairs of eyes floating above the water coming toward the big sets of eyes and ears. Eventually, several sets of eyes/ears began swimming toward us, so we took the hint and headed back to Thomson Falls. Really, there’s nothing like a hippo sighting to start your day. Later we saw some hornbills in the parking lot of the guest house (which was fun, because I had never seen one alight in a tree long enough to get a photo when I saw them in South Africa in 2009).

Ministry today took us to the Thiru public school for primary students (the equivalent of K-8) in the morning; to downtown Nyahururu to visit/serve lunch to older street children midday (some of the group members); and then back to Good Shepherd orphanage in the afternoon.

I spoke to the teachers this morning about God’s presence in the workplace, and described how He helped me navigate building a strong new team last year, blessing me with trustworthy and talented individuals through that process. I shared scriptures that have been helpful in keeping things in perspective when challenges arise. It was encouraging to me to be working with the teachers who have daily impact on some of the children that I’ve connected with at Good Shepherd. Jill commenced her first-aid training (complete with Christy serving as Heimlich “dummy”), and set up a makeshift clinic. We had a time of sharing and song with a HUGE group of children out in a field, while other team members worked with students on crafts and shared stories.

Some of the sights of the day were difficult to process.

In short, there seems to be a need to educate families/children on hygienic foot care/preventing “chigger” infection (not like the chiggers we encounter in the States, as far as I can tell). There were some tough cases to treat at the public school. Upside: This school, according to Simon, is one of the best public schools in the area—they could turn away students, but they don’t, and their administrators are good collaborators. You can tell the teachers are invested and passionate. So maybe there could be ways to help these children specifically in the future with basic footwear/foot care needs, for example.

Downtown, team members who helped serve lunch to street children were hit with the unfortunate reality of these young men’s lives. Upside: They were able to spend some time with individuals often forgotten and be aware of their plight.

At the orphanage, I know I see the expressions on some of the young girls’ faces as they stand alone, contemplating, and I am aware that many have encountered abuse before coming to the orphanage. Upside: They are in a safe place now, with access to education, meals, and a steady dose of Truth.

At the conclusion of Day 3 at Good Shepherd, I can confidently say that Simon and his colleagues are doing great work. Each of us has connected with one or more of these phenomenal children (Tabitha, 9, and Lydia, 11, are constantly at my side—precious and mischievous little girls), and we look forward to sharing stories about their journeys from being orphaned or unwanted to becoming smiling students with a home … and hope.

Fourth of July: Africa Edition

Guest post from Christy Hiler

We were greeted at the Amazing Grace School by a large crowd of singing children J What a glorious way to start the day. Oh, they were just precious! So many around Ellie’s age (4).

Joe, the director of the school, and his wife, Grace, gave us a tour of the property, then hosted us for tea on their porch--which was surrounded by poinsettia, hibiscus, morning glory, and daisies. After some shortbread and tea we met with the teachers. I led a devotional and just spoke to them from my heart--words of thanks and encouragement from scripture. Jill followed with a lesson on first aid, showing them how to treat cuts, burns, breaks, and bites, as well as how to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

After lunch--yummy green lentils and chipati provided by Douglas and Angeline--we painted faces and got every child’s photo (for an activity we’ll be completing tomorrow). Oh, they love the simplest things--balloons, bubbles, and stickers. Then we gathered together to hear Christina read the book The Three Trees. Julie followed, speaking of the amazing things about trees: “they point to heaven and God and our wish is that you and your lives will always point in the direction of God.” Also, that there are many types of trees and every one serves a unique purpose. After the story, we decorated t-shirts and everyone put their handprint on a big sheet. Meanwhile, small groups of girls were talking to Jill and Rahab, to receive information about girls’ health.

Before leaving we enjoyed some delicious banana bread from Angeline, made from the same recipe that the previous mission team from Centenary shared with them. They asked us to put our painted handprints on another sheet to leave with them before we left for the day.

Saying goodbye is very tough, but I am so tired and know we all need to rest and refuel for another big day ahead of us!

Note from Steph: We did make sure to get our team's photo taken tonight after dinner with an American flag and several photographs of fireworks. Members of another American missions team also staying here at Thomson Falls took the photo. We got some funny looks from other guests. :)

Day 4 - Get Me to the Church On Time ...

Guest post from Hannah:

... Kenyan time, that is (which can be loosely interpreted. :-) )

Today (Sunday) was our first official day in Nyahururu. We arrived Saturday afternoon after a day of driving through the beautiful Kenyan countryside (including some rough roads and slightly terrifying Kenyan drivers). After a refreshingly cool night at our guesthouse (winter in Kenya!), we split up and headed to three different churches in surrounding villages. Sidenote- “winter” in Kenya consists of some cool weather at night, but generally warm weather during the day. It’s amusing to see the Kenyans bundled up in jackets and toboggans when we’re dressed in skirts and short-sleeved shirts!

Julie, Silas, and Rahab had been invited to preach, so the team divided up into groups of two and three to worship with each congregation. In this rural area of Kenya, we are finding that it is quite unusual for the locals to see what they call “mzungus”- strangers! They seem quite excited to meet us and exchange greetings, so we’re constantly working on our Swahili phrases. We’re amusing to watch (to say the least!). We may stick out, but the people here have been nothing but kind and appreciative to us as we have visited their homes and communities.

After returning from church services this morning, our team gathered for lunch at our guesthouse. The excitement in the air was evident as we exchanged conversations about what we had encountered in the local churches and villages. I (Hannah) had traveled with Silas to a church about five minutes away from our guesthouse. Upon arriving, the first faces I saw were the smiling faces of about forty children singing outside the church building. What a joy! I was pleased to hear them singing both in Swahili and English ... in fact, one of the songs they were working on was one that I had used in my own children’s choir in the US! We watched their “Sunday School” for a few minutes before heading into the main building for worship. Worshiping in Kenya is quite the experience! I was immediately drawn into the reverent nature of their worship--to try and describe it adequately would be impossible. The Kenyans are passionate about worshiping God, and that shows in their vibrant worship services.

This afternoon the whole team headed out to the Good Shepherd Home, the orphanage where we will be working throughout the week. Their campus is quite impressive. They have multiple gardens and greenhouses that are overflowing with vegetables to help feed the children and also be sold to the surrounding community. They have cattle, goats, and rabbits, as well as a biogas system that helps provide cooking fuel for their kitchen. We toured the girl’s and boys dorms as well, while the children eagerly showed us their bed (the only area that they can claim as “their own”). It is obvious that the children work hard to collectively help keep the orphanage running ... they tend the gardens, wash their clothing, and work at many other tasks that I’m sure we haven’t discovered yet. In both of the orphanages that we have visited this week, our team has commented many times on the work ethic of the children. It is both heartbreaking and inspiring to see how the children work together to care for each other and their home.

Trying to describe our time here in Kenya is difficult. There are so many memories, so many images that cannot be described or written down. The pure joy seen on the faces of the children, the beautiful scenery of Nyahururu, and the roller coaster of emotions that many of us are feeling are only a few of the things that can’t adequately be put down on paper (... or a Word document). :) We covet your prayers, and ask that you speicifically pray for the children living at the Good Shepherd Home. Please also pray for us as we continue our ministry this week by going into the local schools, providing classes for the women in the community, and continuing to work at Good Shepherd with the children.

P.S.- The wildlife here is incredible! Just driving from place to place, we have seen countless zebras, two giraffes, a few hippos, and several gazelles and monkeys. I’m always caught off guard when we’re driving down the highway and we see zebras grazing off the side of the road ... on the other hand, nobody seems to blinks an eye when we pass a field of horses.

Day 2 - Maasai Land

In preparation for visiting the Maasai land today, Julie reminded us that the Maasai we'd be visiting do not speak Swahili. So while working on our Swahili phrases is a good activity for us when we meet many of our new Kenyan friends, we'd need to find other ways to relate/interact with this particular group.

We had about a two-hour drive, along which we encountered some pretty fantastic potholes, one of which I'm confident could fell a good-sized elephant. Livingstone is skilled at weaving on and off and around the roads, and I'm happy to report that we neither flipped the van nor lost anyone to carsickness.

Along the way? Zebras. Oh, yes. Love. We wandered out toward a herd and we could see through my telephoto the band structure: Stallion out in front, guarding the others. Several foals at their dams' sides. Adorable. The herd turned their butts to us and looked like a bunch of UPC codes.

Onward to visit the Maasai. Most of the children were in school with exception of several youngsters. We met about 10-15 women, several of whom were dressed very traditionally: wrapped in brightly colored fabrics and wearing vivid beaded jewelry around their necks, in their hair, and in their ears. Some of their earlobes were stretched from wearing the traditional discs. Of the Kenyan tribes, the Maasai are those who have stuck to many of their traditions, both in lifestyle and dress. The place we visited is where they gather for church--they have some facilities for keeping cattle, sheep, and goats, and there are the ubiquitous chickens. The women were gathered, chattering among themselves and congregated around the kitchen. Not so different from America, I suppose. :-) Some of the younger women--I'd say they were in their early 20s--spoke both English and Swahili and were dressed in a more modern way with coiffed hair. We were admiring their hairstyles and they joked with us, saying they were striving to have hair like ours.

Indeed, we connected differently than with other people we’ve met. The connection point ended up being the photo books that we brought along to show what Lexington looks like and also photos of activities we enjoy and people that we love. The Maasai women were particularly amused by Christina’s photo of her son holding an alligator. Seems female squeamishness about reptiles crosses cultures. Team members and the men, women, and children we met spent a lot of time going through these books and communicating through the translator and also with some elaborate and not-so-elaborate charades. It was good fun.

A church isn’t a church in rural Kenya without a generator, a keyboard, and a PA system. We worshiped with our new friends, first with several of their songs (many old gospel hymns we knew), then with ours (which several of the younger women seemed to know). Once again I was reminded of how stoic much of American worship is—the Maasai dancing was unbelievable and I think we might have picked up a few of their moves. Christy took some video of the worship time that I hope we can share when we get home.

Julie spoke on the living God as evidenced by stories in Daniel. She also illustrated this concept, telling stories of answered prayer and proof of the living God from several experiences here in Kenya. Aside from the rhythmic hum of the generator and the occasional “amen” or clap from the congregation, the little church was silent, engaged completely in Julie’s stories that were translated, phrase by phrase into their language.

Next we moved into a time of teaching on dealing with loss. Jill spoke on the stages of grief and gave tips on what to do/say and what to not do or say to help the grieving. We split into three groups—two groups of women in the small building and a group of men outdoors—to discuss personal stories of dealing with grief. Again, through translators, we discovered we have more in common than you would think, despite our geographic distance and cultural differences. Our translator explained that historically, the Maasai culture is one that has feared death, but in individuals' conversion to Christianity, reactions have changed significantly. It seemed that supporting the grieving by helping them with chores, taking care of the children, and just standing beside them is something that the Maasai women desire. And while crying isn’t something that’s been encouraged in the culture before, it’s one that several Maasai (both women and men) today acknowledged they hope will change.

All throughout the afternoon there were interactions with the kids, women, and men of the group interspersed between activities in the church (and the obligatory trip to the choo—pit toilet ... we're going to have the tonest quads in Lexington when we get home from this). We shared a meal with our friends before saying goodbye and heading back to Nairobi. One of the toddlers was bawling as we left, wanting to come along with us!

The trip home provided a rare glance at two giraffes (commence the scene with me galloping across a field, long skirt hitched up above my knees, steering around the briars so I could get a closer shot with my camera, all to Rahab’s cries of “Stephanie, take care … be careful!”). We also were stopped in traffic for about an hour while the Kenyan president’s entourage passed, and then another hour in Friday night Nairobi traffic. We ended up walking several blocks home and had dinner at the guest house.

I’m not sure any of us will forget the colors and joy of this day, and how the Maasai women, men, and kids (not to be confused with goats J) touched our hearts. We weren’t sure how we’d communicate, but it was with an ease and joy that we should’ve expected with God’s help.

"You did no choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last." ~John 15:16

Settling in/El Shaddai Orphanage

Jambo! The money’s exchanged; the Kenya trip first-timers have been indoctrinated into the world of Stoneys, Krests (both ginger ale-type drinks), and pineapple Fantas; and we’ve all taken in the sounds, sights, and smells of urban Africa. Today marked our first day—an easy one—of activities. We headed with Silas and Rahab to visit friends at the El Shaddai orphanage, near Limuru.

Along the road we saw several coffee plantations. It was downright overwhelming to think how many of these plants and people it takes to produce that shiny bag of beans we see on a shelf at the store. We took apart a few Arabica coffee fruits and marveled at how much these do not smell like coffee. J We also stopped briefly to check out the plants on a tea plantation. While we were stopped, a large group of children came up over the hill on their way home from school. Fist bumps, “howahyous” all around. They were super cute. Only the first of the Kenyan children that we’ll be blessed to spend time with this week and next.

We headed on to El Shaddai, which was just past Limuru. We met the founder, Lydia, and she gave us a history of this home for 30 boys who formerly lived on the streets. Julie later explained that we get caught up in semantics sometimes in the U.S.—“orphan” in this case generally means “unwanted.” These kids might be single or double orphans (having lost one or both of their parents), but they might also simply be shrugged off by their parents and left to fend for themselves, or running wild because of dysfunctional family units who don’t stress the importance of school or responsibility. Lydia told stories of several boys at the home who have gone from displaying destructive habits to performing well in school and changing dramatically in their behavior, but she stressed the road to rehabilitation is far from easy or short.

The boys began trickling home from school as we toured the home. They immediately set to work washing their school uniforms, feeding the rabbits, etc. Then we had a chance to play with them in the courtyard. Tennis balls, bubbles, and the soccer ball we brought them were all put to good use. Hannah, Jill, Christina, and Zadie had the tennis ball games going. Charlotte was barefoot, playing soccer. Christy, Ellen, Julie, and I floated from activity to activity. Personally, I enjoyed the bubbles.

We had a time of presentation—the boys sang, danced, and performed skits. Each told his life verse and what he hopes to be when he grows up. Future engineers, an astronaut, a handful of pilots, and at least one president sat among this lively—and wicked smart—group of boys. We each spoke to the group, sharing the same information about ourselves and some words of encouragement.

After several blessings—at least one sung (Julie was requested to sing!)--and a quick song distraction :-), we settled in for a meal with our new friends before some more playtime in the courtyard and heading back to Nairobi. Navigating a traffic jam and a torrential downpour were among our evening activities, but we’re all safe and settled in this evening.