Friday, June 29, 2012

Winding Down and Wrapping Up!

It is hard to believe that this is day 27 of the "SDB Kenyan Connection" trip with 3 more days to go until I land back home, Lord willing!

I had the opportunity to jump online this morning to check e-mail, Facebook and other internet-based necessities after the power had been out here in Kisii for two days but didn't leave enough time to blog at length.

Here is a quick synopsis of what has taken place since last Friday (June 22nd) and is planned to take place from now until my trip's end (photos and more details to come):
  • Last Sabbath was spent with the Riomoyo church.
  • Sunday morning we worshipped with a non-denominational church with which Benard has good relations and then we were off to Nakuru (a 4 1/2 hour long, sometimes treacherous trip)!
  • Monday was a safari day at the Nakuru Game Park and traveling back home.
  • Tuesday with the HIV/AIDS support groups in Bogwendo and Tinga and with a new branch church forming in the area of Nyandoche Ibera's pastor's home (close to Tinga).
  • Wednesday at a soap stone quarry and shop and conversation with Nurse Helen regarding the HIV/AIDS issues in Kisii and her passion to learn all she can to help her people live as fully as they can with the disease.
  • Thursday at Benard's room resting.
  • Today blogging, shopping, time with Benard's family and Dorcas.
  • Tomorrow at the Keera church with leaders/pastors/representatives from the other churches and groups I've connected with; evening time with leaders.
  • Sunday - morning communion with leaders and then off to Nairobi where I fly out at 11:25PM Kenyan time (4:25PM EST) for Zurich, followed by a quick flight to Geneva to catch the flight back to JFK and the USA, ending with a short flight to Syracuse and home!
Benard & Dorcas's wedding has been rescheduled for next month so I will miss out on witnessing a Kenyan wedding and the open-air meeting planned for Sabbath (with renting of tents and chairs and transportation of public address system and peoples from distant churches) in a public-square type of area has been revamped to better utilize the remaining missions funds to take place where this Conference began - at the Keera church. (No missions funds were used for my personal trips to Kisumu or Nakuru, by the way!)

There is so much to write about regarding ministry dynamics that took place in the activities mentioned above and will take place (tomorrow and Sunday morning) as well as many personal angles - such as my making Benard his first peanut butter & jelly sandwich a week ago and which has now become an almost daily favorite of his - but time doesn't permit me to finish.

This may be my last blog until after I get home (unless I can do so from the internet cafe at the Nairobi airport) - so again, I humbly thank you for your prayer coverage and your interest!

Friday, June 22, 2012

My Mzungu Friend, Ben!

So....since being in Kenya, I have come to know the name, mzungu, quite well! I have heard it shouted out by many, many children and we kid about it in conversations I have with other Kenyans, SDBs and others. It means "white man".

Ben sharing at the SDB Kenyan Conference Office
I saw people from other nationalities when I went to the Kisumu game park (zoo) the first Thursday I was here, but as far as being here in Kisii and in all of the running around we've done in these last 3 weeks, I've only seen two others: one was just the other day at the internet cafe (not my favorite one) when a dealer of some electronic gadgets came in to sell his wares to the cafe owner; one was in my favorite cafe as we worked on opposite sides of the booths; and then there is Ben.

He was the first mzungu that I had seen in Kisii.

Ben had been working at the Kisii hospital for the last two months as part of his enhancing his nursing skills, having recently graduated in that field. As we talked in Benard's office last week, he told me that on staff at the hospital there are other mzungus who are there for training and serving, but, with God's grace, I trust that I won't have to meet any under those conditions.

Ben with Pastors Benard & JohnSilas in Igorera
Ben is from Sydney, Australia, was serving here in Kisii through an organization called Cosmic Volunteers and has now moved to Nairobi for a month to serve in one of the hospitals there after which he will go home until October. At that time, he plans to come to the US, arriving in NYC, and travelling across the country. 

I invited him to come stay the night with us of course on his way through!

Ben is a really neat young guy, pleasant to have chatted with as he rode with us to the Riomoyo church site to see the sheep project and then to the Igorera site to see what they were doing as a project.

Ben and Benard became connected when he accompanied Benard to one of the HIV/AIDS support group sites and was impressed with what was taking place.

Ben & I part way up to the Riomoyo church site
Ben shared with me about his active involvement in a church in Sydney with young adults, asked about SDBs and about the Sabbath, shared about his family at home and his thoughts for the future.

Perhaps in October his visit to Verona will be something I can add to this blog as part of the "SDB Kenyan Connection" - I am thankful to have connected with him!


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Snapshots of SDB Kenyan Churches

If you've already "read" this blog (before this morning, June 22nd, around 9:15AM Kenyan time), be sure to look for new photos and additional info about the rest of the churches!

I have some more time to blog this afternoon (I guess blogging's in my blood today) so I thought I'd share some additional info about the churches I've met with at this point. Be sure to come back for further stories and photos about the churches mentioned below!

Keera Church
A youth bringing water for the day
I've said pretty much all I can say about the church so here are some additional photos of my three days with them. One thing that does come to mind is that along the hillside you can see "holes" - dirt spots...that's where "cow grass" has been planted for future selling.
Church land down to the river - planted cow grass

Overlooking ladies' bathroom (left) - notice cow in river?
Benard and I taking a break on hillside
Benard's brother, James - what an awesome youth!

School yard next door with kids looking at the mzungu!
Children carrying benches for Sabbath School outside

Sabbath eve sunset leaving Keera church



A children's choir - 1 of 4 different ones that day!

Filling the hole while James holds the banana tree!




















































River at the bottom of the church's hill. Comes down...

...and goes around. Baptisms take place to my left.

View of church land from river's edge.

















Kiabugesi Church
After being with the "mother church" of the Kenyan Conference, the Keera church family, I spent the next day with the Kiabugesi church family. Traveling from Benard's family's home, one would go about 4 kilometers on a paved road, and then another 27 kilometers on what has now become typical to me (two weeks later) of very rough, rocky, rutty dirt roads.

We first were welcomed into the home of Pastor James Opio and his wife, Salla were we enjoyed chai and wheat flour bread. There was good sharing about life in the US and other topics before we went down the hill to the church building.

James and his wife have a good farm that produces maize, tea and other crops as well as several cows. However, he, like Benard and the other pastors of the Conference, are struggling with rampant poverty in their country and, like his fellow pastors, has to use public transportation or his feet to get around as none of them have their own transportation. 

The day was spent in worshipping with them, teaching, enjoying a lunch and, like with the Keera church, hearing their joys and concerns for their church and their Conference.

Pastor James, wife Salla and some family members
The Kiabugesi church family who could gather Sunday


Enjoying the church's children

Lunch time at the pastor's home!
Traditional welcome with chai and bread

Local spring for area villagers on the pastor's property

The Kiabugesi church building

The youth group praising God in song and dance


Pastor's home - mother's is to the right.

Maize drying & sampled on pastor's yard

Coming together during singing

Another shot of the church building


Igorera Church
Pastor JohnSilas in the tomato garden
The next day we traveled a good distance to be with the core people of the Igorera church family pastored by Pastor John-Silas Marube. Their building is smaller than the first two I've seen but their hearts, like their brethren throughout their conference, is BIG! While I was able to meet with just a core, the hope is that, at the time of this addition to the blog (Friday, June 21 at 8:40AM Kenyan time), that tomorrow evening I will be meeting with the whole church for the close of the Sabbath.

Benard and JohnSilas


In addition to singing and sharing with them in the same way as the other churches, I was able see their "project" to help fund their work as well as minister to the surrounding community: growing lots of vegetables such as greens (outside the "greenhouse" and tomatoes (inside).  Water is pumped by foot up the slope from the well to a holding tank and from there it waters the plants outside and in.

When Pastor John-Silas greeted us, he was covered with dirt as he was tending to these "crops". He is an elderly pastor yet works hard for his family: both personal and pastoral. He is a man full of God's grace and with a vision for the future.

Inside of church - chairs graciously donated from US!




Pastor JohnSilas and the irrigation tank
Wasps all over the rafters just overhead!



Some of the core coming together

Pumping water from tanks below woman
Pastor JohnSilas and me!

Riomoyo Church
The next day Pastor Benard, myself and my first "mzungu" that I had met since coming to Kisii, a nurse named Ben from Sydney, Australia (more about him later), travelled to the Riomoyo church site to see the "sheep project" that they have going in order to support their church financially as well as serve their community. Since it is remote from the actual homes of the church members, several of them personally care for the sheep in order to eventually produce a flock from which offspring can be sold.

The Riomoyo church's sheep project
It was quite the climb to this site after having parked outside of one school yard where we'll be holding a public open-air Sabbath service on the 30th and then walking past another set of classrooms for another school (there are many public schools here for the many children in the many villages). But what was even more challenging was getting back to the car!

Sheep outside of the church building

One of the caregiver's of the sheep - kitchen in distance

A sea of children to see a "mzungu" - a white man!


















As soon as a couple of the children saw a "mzungu" go by (Ben was able to slip past - I made it a point not to), dozens and dozens literally surrounded me, pouring out of the entrance and almost toppling a fence that they were reaching over just to touch me and try their English on me by asking me "How are you?" I said I had to go and they somehow knew what I meant and shouted "No!" If it weren't for the head teacher, a man named Charles, and his assistant, coming to my rescue, I don't think I would have been let go of for quite some time!

As of this update to this entry (Friday, June 22nd, 9:30AM Kenyan time) the plan is to be worshipping with the people of this church tomorrow morning!





Nyondoche Ibera Church
The path to the home of James & Joyce
I was able to meet with this church family for teaching and sharing on Thursday, Friday and Sabbath Day. We arrived first at the home of one of the leaders, James, and his wife, Joyce, for the traditional chai and light eating. I was also treated to sugar cane, of which two types are grown in the area - one for sugar as we know it (although not as refined) and the other just to chew on, swallowing the sweet moisture and spitting out the rest.

We then walked down the road to where the church building was (I thought) - after all, there was a building and a sign right there together on the corner. Was I ever mistaken!!  The church building was located way up a very steep hill (or mini-mountain) and so, for the next three days, God blessed me with a brief aerobic workout to start my day!

What I thought was the church location!
While such a climb isn't normal for most of us, this is what life is like for the people of the area. Each day, except Sabbath Day, the mid-day meal was prepared below at James & Joyce's home, and then carried up the hill for all to enjoy. Any other necessities needed would require another run down the mountain and back up again.

In my "American" mind, I would have thought this to be a hindrance to having guests come (we think of parking spaces and easy access to the facilities) - but this doesn't discourage the church's, nor the community's, spirit. In fact, on Sabbath day, they had 4 guests join with them for the service!

Pastor James on our way up the "hill"!
About 3/4 of the way up, past family compounds and a variety of crops being grown, was the site. And what a sight it was! The view from their spot was breathtaking to say the least! You could see all over, once the mist created by Lake Victoria cleared the hillsides (which mist reached to our position even though the lake itself was quite a distance away!)

The property which the church family owns is enough for two buildings and one "latrine" (hole in the ground covered by timber with four standing tree poles holding a tarp for privacy) at this point - both the property and buildings made possible by gracious donations from several individuals and a couple of churches in the US, including the Verona church. Prior to this, they met in a home, then on their plot in the shade, then in the "pastor's house" and now in their church building.

What a sight from the church site!

Catching our breath while taking in the view!

Another shot!
The "pastor's house" is a single room structure that served them well while construction on the worship house was being completed. After the placing of iron sheets on that structure, they awaited my being with them to officially open the building for worship.

Much of the walls are unfinished so one could see how they are made from various mixtures of dirt, rocks and such, along with tree limbs acting like 2x4s throughout. The floor, like at every church building I've been to, is dirt. The raised dirt platform, where I and the other leaders were sitting, was soft in places, and so I found myself often sinking into the dirt depending on how I positioned not only the chair, but my weight on the chair!

The "pastor's house" aka worship building
Led by Pastor John Omenta, who travels 4 hours each way every week from his home and family (7 children) by matatu (public transportation via an overly crowded van), this church family, like the others I've spent time with, has a great vision for the future in their desire to reach out. They also have a sheep project like some of the other churches and a desire to share the love of Jesus Christ with many!

The "real" worship building
Sabbath Day service was much like that at the Keera church, highlighted by officially opening their church building for worship services. We commemorated the time by prayer, cutting a "ribbon" and having a soda together. I also enjoyed sharing peppermint candies with the children and youth while teaching them songs like "Jesus Loves Me", "Father Abraham", and Camp Harley classics like "Singing in the Rain" and the "Hatracker" song with my own twist of "...That's why I think God is cool - yahoooo!"


Discussing the making of the walls










The "iron sheets" Verona provided













Inside the "pastor's house" for our first two days










Thomas' drum used during singing











My view from the door while teaching

Unfinished walls to the church building

Angle on the church property (most of it)

Walls in different stages

Lunch break!

Benard preparing sugar cane to chew on

The sheep project

Mother and lamb

Youths Sarah and Nancy with "SDB" lamb

Mobile Medical Outreach/sheep project committee





























Sabbath morning on the mountain!


Gathering for prayer and worship!

Special music being shared

"Ribbon" cutting time!

Benard and church elder after their cutting of a "ribbon"!






Pastor John and I wearing the ribbons



Getting ready to pray over soda
Everyone enjoying a variety of soda flavors!

Explaining how to enjoy the hard peppermint candy

Passing the treats out to one and all - twice!

Back in town - caught in heavy rain - sitting in a restaurant!


Kerobo Church
Sunday morning shoe-shine
On Sunday, it was off (and up) to the Kerobo church to meet with their core people and hear their story and their hopes. After a long journey on VERY rough roads, as well getting stuck in one of a number of muddy patches (good thing I had my boots as I had the privilege of pushing us out and on at one point), we then made the climb up to the home of Pastor Jeremiah Momanyi and family.

The church family gathered in his home for chai and light food were so welcoming and gracious. We shared for a time and then made our way back down the hill, past crops they were growing, and the beginning of one of the son's first home (just poles from trees at that point), and to the church building.

The view from the Kerobo church site




I was immediately struck by the fact the a large portion of one wall was caved in, having just happened the Thursday before. Due to that incident, and because the corners of the other walls were showing large cracks, the church family was reluctant to meet inside for worship the day before I came, fearing that it might collapse. Because Sabbath had been a rainy day for them, they weren't able to meet under the shade either.

Another similar angle
We did, however, sit in the structure for our time of sharing and it was such a blessing to see their joy and hope on their faces and in their expressiveness as I encouraged them from 1 Corinthians 3, Ephesians 2, 1 Peter 2 and Matthew 16:18 as to the kind of "building" God was making of them! It was hard for Pastor Jeremiah to keep his seat, his heart was so overflowing with joy and encouragement from God's Word.

And another!
They later showed me their goat project, which is to not only foster flocks from which they can sell goats, but the milk from kind of goat the bearded male represents, has strong medicinal qualities that can help those affected by HIV/AIDS as well as TB and other respiratory ailments. While a cup of cow's milk may sell for $50 KSH (which is about 75 cents US), a cup of this goat's milk goes for $250 KHS, or about $4 in US currency).

Walking down to the church building from the pastor's

A new home starting in center of photo

The outside where wall portion collapsed




































A view of the collapse from the inside

Looking towards the "pulpit" area - wall collapse left

Singing to the Lord - Pastor Jeremiah on the right, back!

Pastor Jeremiah with the breed of goat for medicinal milk

Other goats in the outreach project

The outreach team caring for goats and a cow

View while leaving the Kerobo church

There are still one or two churches on the schedule to meet with starting tomorrow (June 23rd), a time with the Conference leaders next week, as well as a personal day for a safari before things wind down with Benard's wedding next Friday, the open-air, public Sabbath service and baptisms next Sabbath and my 4-hour trip back to Nairobi on Sunday, July 1st, where I fly out around 11:25PM Kenyan time (4:25PM EST).

Thank you for your continued interest and for lifting not only me but this foundational missions trip before the throne of our Father in heaven!