The Masai Mara!

The Amazing Masai Mara

 After the mission portion of our adventure, the team was fortunate to wrap up our trip with an amazing safari in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.  WOW!!  It is hard to describe how magnificent all of God’s creatures appeared in this exquisite setting.

The Masai Mara is in southwestern Kenya on the border of Tanzania and is the country’s premier wildlife park.  Established in 1961 to protect wildlife from hunters, it is situated in the Rift Valley with Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains running along its southern end.  The Mara is the reason many visitors come to Kenya – to experience the beauty and abundant wildlife – and we were fortunate to be there during the annual Great Migration of around 2 million zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests on their journey back to the Serengeti.  Of the so-called ‘Big Five’, we saw cape buffaloes, elephants, and lions in addition to cheetahs, hyenas, jackals, mongooses, baboons, vervet monkeys, gazelles, zebras, wildebeests, waterbuck, elands, topi, hartebeest, giraffes, hippos, a monitor lizard, warthogs, ostrich, grants gazelles, Thompson gazelles, crocodiles, marabou storks, secretary birds and, of course, vultures!

The Masai Mara is named after the Maasai people (the traditional inhabitants of the area) and their description of the area when looked at from afar: "Mara", which is Maa (Maasai language) for "spotted," an apt description for the circles of trees, scrub, savanna, and cloud shadows that mark the area.  Our team had the opportunity to visit the Maasai people and journey into their village of mud huts, singing, dance, livestock, colorful and distinctive dress, all surrounded by their protective thorn fence.

One of my favorite memories while on safari, came to me as a bystander.  One evening after we had all retired to our rooms at the beautiful Keekorok Lodge, my roommate, Ann Petrov, stepped outside to talk to her husband Joe on the phone.  I was in bed reading and heard this loud rumble.  Often the sound of rolling suitcases on the sidewalk outside our window would spill into our room.  But this time I thought to myself – “that is a lot of suitcases going by…” Ann came rushing into the room telling me that a small herd of zebra had just run past her!  I can only imagine what Joe must have thought while on the other end of the phone line!!  So, to say that our team had many up close experiences with the animals is an understatement!!  What a trip!!

 

Alison Peeler

Letter from Samuel

As I mentioned previously, we interacted with many artisans and shop-owners in Maua during the week we stayed at the Maua Basin Hotel. One such person was named Samuel, a very talented artist who specializes in African art made out of banana fibre. On our last night at the hotel, as I was walking out to go back to my room, Samuel stopped me and told me he had written me a letter, he handed it to me and I went back to my room to read it. It was one of the most meaningful letters I've ever received, and I think does the best job of helping me explain to others how kind, generous, loving, and grateful the people we came across in Kenya were. So, here it is:

"Dear Katie,
Let me take this opportunity to thank you and this wonderful team for coming all the way from that great nation (US) to assist our community. I believe your people love Maua community and that is the reason some of you keep on coming back. We also love you. We also know that you sacrifice a lot in terms of money and time. May God bless you and your families back home.
Katie your people are kind, generous, and above all God fearing and loving.
Thank you once again for admiring and buying my banana fibre pictures. In fact, your wonderful team freely interacted with us and bought various items from all the shops. We are happy because we will use the money to help pay school fees for our children. I have two girls in high school.
Thank you for all donations you give to assist our community. I'm sure God will bless you immensely. Katie we shall miss you and your teamates. However, we shall pray for your safe safari back home. Please visit us again and again. You are always welcome.
I hope you have arranged to take our brothers and sisters to visit one of our many game parks. There you will see wild animals in their natural habitat. I am sure you will have nice stories to tell your families and friends back home. Not only will you see animals, you will see various kinds of birds and maybe meet people from other communities. Otherwise we would have loved to stay with you and your team a little longer. Thank you once again and may God bless you all. We wish you all the best. Asante sana (Thank you), Kwaheri (Goodbye), Mungu Akubariki (God bless you).
Samuel
Artist"

Why Did We Come?

By Gail:

Right before we left, Katie asked us each to write about why we signed up to go on the mission trip. On our last day in Meru (we now had worked both at the Maua Methodist Hospital and the Meru Bio-Intensive Farm), I started reflecting on what I felt the purpose(s) of the mission trip were. As I think we can all attest, it is more than difficult to put into words what we have experienced, however listed below are some of our purposes I see now for this trip.
We came here to work: to build an orphan home, to build doctor's housing, to paint a maternity ward, to build a pig house
We came here to learn: about the Kenyan way of life, how they trust God so completely, how they appreciate what they have, how well they use their limited resources
We came here to show that we care: individually as well as a church
We came here to appreciate God in this country.
We came here to establish friendships.
We came here to understand what we really need to be grateful for.
We came here to give of ourselves.
We came here to bond with each other.
We came here to be a part of dedicating the orphan home we raised money for.
We came here to fundraise and be ambassadors for those programs.
We came here to bless and BE BLESSED.
We came here to share God's love.

A few funny moments...

Rhonda: On the first day in Maua, Jim and Sue told us some helpful things about the culture in Kenya.  They told us that the children love to fist bump with everyone.  Sure enough, children we encountered everywhere would smile and hold out a fist in greeting.  However, Debbie and I learned a variation of the fist bump on our day to visit the Zoe Hope Companion Projects.  We were visiting a young woman's seamstress shop when a child-like woman, we later came to know as Lucy, approached us.  She was babbling incoherently but every now and then she would say "I love you".   As I held out a fist to her she beamed and bumped my fist and when I lowered my fist she punched me in the boob!  Debbie didn't escape the "boob bumping" either.  Lucy followed us around the market center and never missed an opportunity to greet us again if we didn't get our arms up fast enough to block her.  Wc shared the cultural update with Jim and Sue that evening :0)

 

Katie: During our work in Maua, many of us got the chance to "sling mud" with a man named Moses...while helping to build flats for doctor's and their families to live in. Moses was a joyful, spiritual man who loved to sing and tell bible stories. On the first day, he taught Rhonda, who then taught all of us a song that went like this: (to the tune of "Pop, Goes the Weasel") "Everytime I come in, the monkey's on the table, I take a stick and knock it down, through, through the window". We all thought it was a cute children's song, and nothing more until...

The second day on the safar, we all got up very early to go out before breakfast...after a couple of hours we returned to the lodge for breakfast. Keep in mind these lodges are right in the middle of the Masai Mara, no fences or gates to keep the animals out. So, we were driving back in and saw a troop of Velvet Monkeys had taken up residence at the Keekorok lodges for the day. We "oohed" and "ahhed", and learned not to go near them because their bite is well poisonous, then went on to breakfast. I was the first to return to the table, which was sort of a corner of the lodge restaurant, surrounded by glass pane shutter windows which were open, as it was a beautiful morning. I sat down, and could see the outside patio, where several folks were getting their cameras out to take pictures of one of the monkeys who was on the roof. Richard and Marion were headed over to the table at this time, and I said "hey, look one of the monkey's is on the roof out there". Then I looked, and I couldn't see it anymore...at which point said, "no! it's right there!) and pointed to the seat right next to me! I looked over and sure enough the monkey was in the chair, grabbed Debbie's open jelly, and jumped back out the window....I was of course already up and on the other side of the table. The monkey then jumped back in and took most of my breakfast back outside with him! I guess he liked potatoes with jam! By this point, Marion had shooed him out with his napkin and the waiters had come over to assist, they closed all the windows, only to realize that the monkey was definitely smart enough to push open a shutter window! The funniest part was, Richard and Marion were the only ones who saw it happen, and when I told the others, they thought I was just making it up, or referencing the monkey song! Luckily, Richard got some of it on video...to be posted soon....

Bio-Intensive Farm Meru, Kenya

Nestled quietly on the eastern slopes of Mt. Kenya in Meru Central District is the Meru Bio-Intensive Agricultural Training Center.  Recently honored by the Kenyan government for their training and educational work, the farm is improving the quality of life for families all over the country.  Established in 1992, the farm organizes basic training courses for small farmers in ecologically sound agricultural practices and livestock management under zero grazing.  The objectives of the Center might be simple – but the impact on the lives of Kenyans is immeasurable. Those objectives are:

1.      Increase the livelihood of the small farmer by teaching conservation and bio-diversity.

2.      Demonstrate that a small family can grow food and maintain a cow and calf unit on less than an acre of land

3.      Provide facilities for training the small farmers

4.      Create awareness of technologies that are safe, efficient, and affordable.

 

Our team of 12 arrived at the farm on Saturday, August 25^th.  After getting settled in our rooms, we were given a tour of the farm and the main focus areas:  1. Livestock – including dairy cows and goats, fish (tilapia), pigs, rabbits and chickens,   2. Beekeeping,

3. Kitchen Gardening,  4. Farming “God’s Way” - natural composting,   5.  Fruit Trees,  6. Greenhouse Gardening, 7. Conferences for Farmers and ZOE program,  8. Extension Services. 

 

During our stay at the farm our task was to build a 4-room pig house!  We learned that pigs are one of the smartest domestic animals because they, by instinct, separate areas for sleeping, toilet, eating and bathing.  We spent a long day mixing cement, pouring foundation, sawing and nailing boards, and erecting the metal roof.  The afternoon was highlighted by the purchase of 1 male pig we named “Tex” and three female piglets we named “Kelly”, “Midland” and “Ish”. 

 

Each evening we ended our day with a devotional and a time of sharing the experiences of the day.  The final day of the mission portion of our journey, after hard work building a pig house, showering our tired and dirty bodies, and filling our bellies with good food, we had a worship service.  Kelly read from Phillipians 4: 8-13.   Kelly told us that we had been the face, the hands, and the feet of God as we served with and worked beside the people of Kenya.  We have seen the faces of poverty but more importantly the faces of hope.  He reminded us that as we return to the United States it is important that we take our stories back to the people at home.  To tell of the projects that are bringing about change for Kenya and will indeed make a difference in the world.

The kitchen staff at the farm provided bread and juice and Kelly used his beautiful chalice and plate, made by local artisan Peter Ewasa in Maua, to serve communion, with Alison's assistance, to us all.

The journey the 12 of us made has blessed us immeasurably.  The relationships formed half a world away as well as those formed and strengthened with each other have changed us forever.

 

-Alison Peeler and Rhonda Becker

Revisiting Kenyadoit2007 team's work!

The last day we spent in Maua, Marion and Leon were given the opportunity to visit the family for whom they built a home in 2007. I asked Marion to write a little about it, so everyone could see the lasting impact your contributions and our mission outreach makes!!!

From Marion: Leon Jeffcoat and I were on the 2007 St. Luke's Mission Team to Kenya. The 2007 team built an Aids Orphan home for a lady with three small children who was unable to walk because of a disease she had contracted. She had been furnished with a wheel chair but the family had no home because their previous home had washed away in heavy rains. We built a standard aids home but added a ramp so she could get in the door with her wheel chair. When Jerri Savuto visited St. Luke's in April, I had ask about the family. She related to me the lady had been taught to knit by a mission team and was able to help support her family by selling the things she knitted. After we inquired about the family after we arrived in Maua, we were given the opportunity to visit them. Leon and I along with a case worker and Stanley Gitari, who is in charge of the outreach programs for Maua Methodist Hospital, drove to the home over very rough roads on Friday morning. The house was as we built it in 2007 with the addition of an outdoor cooking area and an outdoor toilet. The three boys were there to meet us and the older two said they remembered us. The lady made her way out the door and into her wheel chair. She seemed glad to see us and would nod and answer in Swahili which Stanly translated for us. In response to a question, she said she did not have any knitting to sell. As we were leaving, the oldest child told Stanley she did not have money to buy any more yarn. Leon and I ask Stanley if we could give him some money to buy yarn for her and he said yes. We  gave him the money and that afternoon back at the Hospital, he came by with a large bag of yarn in several colors and said the yarn would be delivered to her and he would give us a report on how she is doing. 

This is another example how small things can change a family's life in Kenya. We saw many examples of this during our time there. God is good all the time.

August 24-Last day in Maua:(

Jambo! We are here at Maua Methodist Hospital spending our last day, wrapping up, some visiting the Zoe project, some slinging mud with Moses, some sorting ALL 500 pounds of children's clothes sent by YOU, some painting with Erastus, and Katie...blogging and painting a mural to leave behind from the team!
Today we want to tell you about 2 things, Kelly's amazing experiences with Jim, Sue, and the Chaplain this week, as well as all of our experiences building the home for the Zoe family, which was only made possible by YOU!

Tomorrow we leave to head back to the bio-intensive farm in Meru, where we will stay until very early Tuesday morning. Our job there is to help build a pig pen! Also, I apologize there have been no photos just yet, we are grateful to Jim and Sue for allowing us to use their personal computers to blog, but have not wanted to upload all 1000 photos on Alison's memory card onto their computers, and have not had much luck connecting an iPad to WiFi:(

Kelly: To say that this mission trip has been amazing would be a serious understatement! I have had the pleasure of getting to witness some special events while in Maua. On Tuesday and Thursday I was allowed the opportunity to make rounds with the hospital Chaplain, Reverend Alexander and another clergyman, Evangelist Johnson, in Maua Methodist Hospital. Chaplain Alexander and Evangelist Johnson brought a holy and peaceful presence to the pain and suffering going on in the hospital. in each of the wards Chaplain Alexander would tell the patients that I was there to show that people do care about them and know that they are alive...someone noticed that there is a need in the hospital. And, as I walked around the wards on Thursday, Evangelist Johnson read from John 15:7 in order to "give the patients encouraging words to lift their spirits because it was what the Lord called him to do each and every day". These two men represented hope to hurting and lonely people in their time of need.
I was also given the privilege of preaching twice while in Maua. The first time being later on tuesday where God used me as His "mouth-piece" to the relatives who were coming to visit their loved ones in the hospital. I shared Scripture and a prayer in order to help them know that God cares about their situation and so do I. I was also asked to bring a Word during chapel on Wednesday but only afar the team lifted their voices in song as they sang "Sanctuary". It was an incredible experience which I won't soon forget.
Another awesome experience was Thurdsay when I was asked to join Jim and Sue Monroe (the new mission coordinators) and Community Outreach Coordinator for MMH (Stanley Gitari) to attend a meeting of tribal leaders down the hill from Maua at Kiwaru. The meeting was a gathering of chiefs and tribal leaders in order to get their blessings to drill a water well at the primary school at Nkaanga, which is like West Texas on steroids...very dry and dusty with no food and no water. As the meeting started, the tension was high on both sides because Jim and Sue and their team of friends in the US have invested time and energy into the well, and could continue drilling despite the outcome of the meeting. However, they wanted the blessing from the tribal leaders as they move forward with the project. But, there was also tension from the tribal leaders chiefs due to our presence there in that place. But, the leaders unanimously agreed to move forward with the project and thanked us profusely for going all that way because it showed how much total strangers care for them. It was humbling, to say the least, to hear how much they believed God had sent us there and that they appreciated us and our efforts to make their lives better...one well at a time.
God's blessings and providence have been evident throughout this journey but no where more than these days at Maua. God is good...all the time, and all the time...God is good!!!!
"What does the Lord require but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God". Micah 6:8

Madison, Alison, Katie: Many years ago, a native Kenyan whom we have come to know well as the Community Outreach Coordinator at MMH, Stanley Gitari identified a need in the Maua area. Children were becoming orphans due to the AIDS epidemic (see previous blog about Zoe Project).
Children are being left with crude shelter, and left to fend for themselves, older siblings left to care for younger siblings and grandparents. Part of the Zoe ministry aims to help those children secure a safe home for themselves and the ones they care for (they become the Head of Household). Stanley and others raised funds to build shelter for 1 of these families in 2004, and with the help of other groups and organizations have been able to build at least 10 units per year. These units include a concrete slab, 4 walls (sometimes a separating wall to create 2 rooms), and a roof. It is covered in creosote, painted, and ready to live in. Many times, the living situation for these families is much worse, a small shack made out of whatever scraps they can find, unwanted building materials, umbrellas, sacks, etc.
This week, with the help from St. Lukes UMC Midland church members, family and friends, the Kenyadoit2012 team was able to fund the supplies for and build a home for a Zoe family.
Mary, 16, head of household, her grandmother, Sopora, her sister, Wendy, 14 and Wendy's 2 month old baby, Zelma. Mary is still in school, and will soon start her business.
We were rained out on Monday, so building started Tuesday morning with 6 team members. Charles is the man in charge of the building, he has his own team that includes Margaret, the roofer. Since 2004, Charles has been in charge of the building of over 250 homes!
On Thursday, half of the team went out to finish the home, with the dedication at 3 pm. Around 2:30, we began cleaning up, and waiting for the rest of the team to show up. Several elderly neighbor women came to support our building of this home up in a village in the mountains.
We were surprised when, right around 3 o'clock, the neighbor women began singing a song while standing in the road...they greeted the rest of the team singing the song. We found out later that in Swahili, the song was about welcoming visitors and praising God. Evangelist Johnson led the ceremony which included scripture, prayer and a sermon. At the end, everyone surrounded the home, touching it, and Kelly read a prayer blessing the home! Stanley gave a wonderful talk, telling us over and over how this will CHANGE Mary and her family's life. In many ways, but especially because when children lost their parents to AIDS, there is a stigma attached to them, gaining a house helps them to gain some status back in the community. Alison said "the outpouring of joy and gratefulness was just so inspirational and moving", and Madison said "we were part of God's miracle"! When we exited, the women gathered again, walking us down the road to our vans, singing another song which meant "Thank you God for the miracle, asking God to send the miracle on to others". This was NO DOUBT THE BEST DAY EVER!
It costs just over $2000 American dollars to build one of these homes, and we were able to do it with YOUR help. We even got to hang a sign from the house that said "St. Lukes UMC, Midland TX, MMH, and all of our initials".
Kelly said " to hear the stories of God changing lives through the program and how we were a part of that mission was truly a God moment. Watching the face of the family including the new 16 year old head of household take the keys to her new home where she could take care of her siblings and grandmother while going to school was an incredible gift that was made possible by the team and members of the congregation known as St. Lukes UMC Midland!"
To say the least, THANK YOU from Mary and her family, and others for your support. WE ALL changed lives on August 23rd, 2012!

August 22-Much to write!

Jambo! We are having such an amazing time here in the village of Maua. We have been told the population here varies anywhere from 40-100,000. Right now, it's about 100. The past few days have spent working on our various projects, though due to the rain on Monday, yesterday was the first day anyone went to visit the Zoe Ministry adolescents or work on the house. 

So, for today, I asked Richard to write up something that I could put on the blog about his "adventure" yesterday. He spent the first half of the day doing rounds with the doctors. Also, Gail and Ann were the first to visit the Zoe ministry, so I asked Gail to write up about her experience. Leon, Ray and I went today, so some "Katie" input might get included:)

Richard: Today I went on rounds with the team on the Internal Medicine wards. In some ways it was just like rounds at any other teaching hospital I've worked at. The attending physician walks around with the interns an students, stopping at each patient to discuss the case. The intern presents the facts and should already have a working diagnosis. I've done this thousands of times, but the familiarity of the process was in sharp contrast to the bleakness of the surroundings. This dichotomy was the most disconcerting thing. I expected conditions worse than in the US, but seeing doctors in starched white coats talking about the minutiae of hypertensive crisis just like in the states, while all around were patients on dirty beds lined up and down the hall with no curtains separating them, IV bottles taped to the walls and charts consisting of stapled papers laying haphazardly on the beds, seemed a little surreal. 

The patient mix was also a little surprising. The things that I thought were common in Africa were not the things that we ended up treating. There were a couple of AIDS patients, surprisingly few actually. But there were many young men with organophosphate poisoning from  drinking insecticide, and a lot of old men with strokes.

But one patient really stood out because what she had is rare anywhere. We came upon a lady looking pretty sick on the bed. The intern said she had pneumonia and started going into the details. Dr. Tsuma, the attending, wasn't so sure and handed me the chart with the EKG while he took a closer look. I saw that it showed a pattern of strain to the left ventricle. Dr. Tsuma was chastising the intern and the nurse for not having the chest x-ray, apparently a very common occurrence, and turned to go on to the next patient. I stopped him and showed him the EKG. As we were discussing whether the patient needed further work up for a possible heart attack or if the changes could be from the poor oxygenation from pneumonia, someone handed him the x-ray. He held it up to look at it and my eyes must have bugged out like golf balls, because he almost laughed at me and said "You know what this is don't you"!. It was not pneumonia. Her aorta was about twice normal size, indicating a probable dissecting aortic aneurysm. That is a condition in which the lining of the aorta begins to split and bubble up. If it ruptures you die pretty quickly. He assigned the intern to get a CT to confirm the diagnosis, which was apparently going to be an ordeal. I have no idea how she's going to get to Nairobi for heart surgery. Dr. Tsuma is an intelligent and skilled physician who had no trouble diagnosing a very rare malady. I thought it would be a shame if, despite this, she didn't make it because of a lack of support and infrastructure to get her treated. 

Gail: Zoe Ministries: Empowerment is what the Zoe Ministry for AIDS orphans is all about--empowering orphans to take care of themselves. Due to AIDS there are: 2.5 million orphans in Kenya, 45,000 in the Maua Methodist Hospital "Catchment" area, as of now, 7800 orphans in the Zoe program in the Maua area. 

When children are orphaned due to AIDS they have no where to turn, they may not know where the next meal will come from or where they will sleep. Often their village shuns them and you have very young teens or preteens acting as the head of a household. So, the Zoe project was implemented in Maua 5 years ago, they step in and teaches the heads of households how to start a business so they can provide for their siblings. The project organizes several families (sibling groups) into what are called working groups. The working groups come together, and they choose a name. The heads of the households are taught a specific skill so that they can provide for their siblings. Often, you will find two heads of households in the same working group running a business together. They nominate a mentor, who is someone in the community, they are called "aunties or uncles", this is someone they can ask for advice, etc. The working groups dream together, which includes identifying things which make them sad, and how to move forward, what they want to be/do. They are encouraged to become a support network for each other. Most of the working groups include about 45 households (5-7 per household). 

The key program intervention areas include 1) improving household food security (securing land, planting seeds) 2) Enhancing health and environmental situation (they are taught specific skills to keep their homes sanitized) 3) Improving household livelihood (social workers provide counseling) 4) Ensuring children's rights are respected (they are taught what their rights are) 5) Awareness on HIV/AIDS. The organizations mission is PASSION (purpose, available, service, servant, industrious, obedient, notice). 

Katie: Reagan, Moses, Helema, and Agnes are the workers with the Zoe Project (social workers). These people are responsible for over 7000 orphans who participate in the program, training them, following up with them, doing home visits, etc. The children stay in the program for 3 years, enough time to learn a skill, obtain funding to start their business, and "get on their feet". Today Leon, Ray and I met several orphans who were the head of households running a business including: Silus, a 15 year old carpenter caring for his blind grandmother and younger siblings, Josephat, a tailor who lost both of his parents to AIDS as well as his two older brothers, Christopher, a 19 year old farmer caring for his sisters, Jane and Sharon (Jane is 17 and able to go to school because Christopher is able to provide for her --high school in Kenya is not free and costs 10,000 shillings per year--about 120 US dollars), among others who are tailors, restaurant owners, and vendors of various items. As a social worker in the US, it has been hard for me to wrap my mind around children being left to fend for themselves, however, they certainly are making the most of the situation, and that has been inspiring to see. 

The rest of the group have either been painting in the maternity ward, building a house for a family involved with the Zoe project (a young lady raising her siblings), or helping "sling mud" to build the doctor's flats with a wonderful man named Moses. No doubt, family and friends reading this will hear ALOT about Moses and his inspirational joy, singing, and storytelling. 

It is Wednesday afternoon, and we are becoming very sad to think about leaving all of our new friends in Maua. Saturday we leave to do some work at the bio-intensive farm in Meru, which is actually a training facility for many of the orphans who farm as their main business (Christopher who we met today was trained there--and his crop was amazing!). Then, off to safari! 

My goal is to be able to post some pictures on Friday, as well as write about the house we are building, and I've asked Kelly to share some of his experience following the chaplain on his rounds. 

In the mean time, wakati wakazi! (time for me to go back to work). Lots of love and greetings from Kenya. 

Jambo!

Jambo! Katie and Madison here. We apologize for the length of time it took to update the blog, but hey, we are in Africa! We arrived safely and are having an amazing time so far!

We left from the Midland Airport on Thursday morning at 11:35 a.m., spent 6 hours at DFW...walking, eating some Mexican food, etc..and left there at 5:35 p.m. We arrived at London Heathrow at 8:30 a.m. Friday morning (keep in mind a 6 hour time difference there and 8 hour time difference in Kenya). Left London at 10:25 a.m., arrived in Nairobi at 9:00 p.m. Friday night. So, after traveling for almost 30 hours, we were finally in Nairobi. We spent a while getting our Visa's and going through customs, then were greeted by Daniel and his crew (Daniel is our driver/tour guide for much of the trip). We arrived safely with ALMOST all of our luggage, including the 12 trunks/cases of supplies...unfortunately, Richard's bag did not make it with us. There is only one flight per day from London to Nairobi, and we were told that it would arrive in Nairobi Saturday night, and Daniel's drivers would bring it on Sunday. Well, it's Monday...and still no sign of Richard's bags:( He has had an awesome attitude, and making do with what he has and what the team has been able to help him out with! Pray that it gets here SOON!

We were excited to feel the fresh, COOL air in Nairobi. We stayed the night at the CHAK guest house, our first experience sleeping with mosquito nets! We woke up to an amazing breakfast (well, some of us are still getting used to beans and french fries at 7 a.m.), then hit the road at 8 to head to Maua.

We loved seeing the beautiful countryside, this was a day-long trip. Daniel told us it was actually less than 400 miles from Nairobi to Maua, but because of the 55 mile per hour limit, and lots of swerving through hillsides, it took much longer. We stopped in Embu for tea (for what turned into an hour...we are learning to become more flexible and "ish"ers...for example, 30"ish" minutes means an hour or so, arriving at 7ish means well, about 7...for those of you who know Gail, this has been difficult!) After leaving Embu, we stopped in Meru at the farm that we will be returning to at the end of the week, had delicious lunch straight from the farm, did a little shopping, and went on our way. We saw sooo many cool things on the drive, lots of traditions, women carrying baskets, and even 6 people squeezed onto a motor-bike or a motor-bike hauling a love seat! We arrived about 2 hours later in Maua, it was about 5:00 p.m. Just in time to unpack, begin meeting the friendly, amazing Kenyans that we have already come to know as our friends, and protectors! We were all quite tired, feeling a little gross, and ready to get some good sleep! But, not until we ate a delicious meal, which included a dish they coined "chicken Midland" which was so good...fried chicken topped with a fried plantain and bacon. We were greeted by Jim and Sue Monroe and their colleague Stanley (PS Jim and Sue have named themselves "Sujimo", so henceforth that is what they will be called).

Sunday: AWESOME! We started out with breakfast, then walked with Sujimo and Titus (our guard!), to the St. Joseph's Methodist Church of Kenya. PS it's Alison's bday! Alison wants the people to know that she had an EXTRAORDINARY birthday! The morning started out with a very disheartening story from Sujimo about some of the cultural traditions that still occur including female circumcision, and the process that has occurred up until this point in trying to educate and provide alternate traditions for girls to become women. This is still a big controversy within the church and among the people, please pray that they are able to find fund and people to make this change. Then...thankfully the rest of the day was filled to the brim with JOY! We started out sitting in the children's Sunday school class, where the children sang to us, including Happy Birthday to Alison! We then went to the service, which ONLY lasted 2 1/2 hours! We all agreed that it certainly did not feel like a long service, it was full of music, prayers, and scripture. The theme was "you must bear fruit"...and the pastor said something in his sermon that made us feel he was speaking directly to us! He said "allow Jesus Christ to prune you so that you may bear much fruit"...and that is EXACTLY what we are doing! We also got to stand up in front of the church and introduce ourselves, and felt so welcomed by everyone. Following church, we had lunch, did some more shopping, and were taken on a hike to the top of the village by Patrick, a native Kenyan. This was about a 2 hour walk, that took us to a point looking over the entire village of Maua (a population of about 100,000). We were followed by many curious children, which just made the walk even more enjoyable. On the way back, we passed a game of "futbol" between two villages, which was very neat to watch. We returned to the Maua Basin hotel to shower up, and have dinner....again...delicious! Each night, after dinner we have been meeting briefly for a devotional, and to process the day. Last night, just as soon as we were done meeting, it started raining! It continued to do so through out the night, and into the morning. Things we wish we had so far on the trip: warmer clothes, more rain gear!

Upon arrival and meeting with Sujimo on Saturday evening, we found out what our "jobs" for the week will be:
1) The Hope Companion Project: Teens as heads of households due to losing parents to AIDS. Visiting with the teens, praying with them, hearing their story.
2) Painting the maternity ward at the Maua Methodist Hospital: we were told that the hospital is currently out of compliance, us doing the painting will help!
3) Building home: A teen who is raising her siblings due to parents dying of AIDS was chosen for our group to build a home in just 3 days! The dedication of the home will be on Thursday afternoon!
4) Bricking doctor's flats: They are working on building apartments on the hospital campus for doctors and their families to live in, and we will also be working on this through out the week. Sujimo let us know that this is so important, because without places for the doctor's to live, it is difficult for the hospital to be a competitive campus without places for the docs to live!
5) Kelly and Katie will be visiting families with Alexander, the hospital chaplain two of the days.

Hold on! We just got word that Richard's suitcase is here!!!! As we are sitting in Sujimo's home, Stanley just came to let us know! Also, Leon is not feeling well:( Please pray that it is JUST a little bug and he will be well soon!

People worth mentioning:
Sue and Jim Monroe: these two have been incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, amazing people who are giving 3 years of their lives to live on the hospital campus to coordinate mission teams!
Florence: Sue and Jim's housekeeper...this woman makes some delicious food! She is getting over malaria, so we pray she will feel 100% soon!
Stanley: Director of community health, he and his wife Mary have done much for this village, Stanley is part of the brains behind the Hope Companion Project!
Virginia: This lady RUNS the hotel we are staying at. She is so friendly, and has been very patient with our Texas accents (Kelly, cough cough).
Leena: If you are a family member and/or close friend of a team member, it is a STRONG possibility that you will receive a gift sold or made by Leena. Her shop is connected to the hotel, and she sells some of the most beautiful things, along with Samuel, who makes banana fiber art!
Frieda: Also friendly, beautiful woman who has a shop here.
Peter: We first met Peter because he asked Sujimo for a bible. In Kenya, kids take 1 year off between high school and college, for many reasons, but  mostly to save money. Peter is in his year in between, and wants to be an engineer. So, Gail presented him with a bible signed by the team. Peter is also an artist, and collectively, we have likely paid for his first semester tuition by buying his creations!
Ciprian and Titus: Dads, husbands, fiances, brothers....DO NOT WORRY about our safety! In addition to the caring, supportive Kenyan's we are surrounded by, we also have two guards at our hotel, they walk us to and from places, and stand outside, night and day, rain or shine, warm or cold, and they carry a BIG STICK!
Doris: Doris is here to help coordinate our projects, and well, to make sure we are comfortable!

Monday: We woke up this morning to RAIN! It rained all night, we even lost electricity and had to search for our flashlights. Special thanks to Richard's wife who encouraged him to put his rain jacket in his backpack...or he would have been even worse off today! We had breakfast by candlelight and walked 1/2 mile to the hospital grounds in the rain! After chapel, we had a tour of the hospital, then TEA...yes, Kenyan's stop for tea every day at 10 a.m. We are working on ways to bring this tradition back to the states. Everyone is now working on painting or working on the doctor's flats, the other two projects were postponed today due to the rain. The rain has stopped, and we are so excited about the work to be done! However, this morning, Jim said something we felt was very important: it is not about the work we accomplish, but just about our presence here. It gives people hope that others care, and are willing to help the mission.

Yesterday, Katie (yes, "touchy feely" Katie), asked the group to say one word to describe a feeling/emotion they have had thus far in the trip that maybe surprised them, and here is what was said: holy ground, welcomed, inspiration, warmth, beauty of children's voices, encouraged, roller coaster of emotions, awe, joy, familiar faces, and uplifting spirits.

It has been quite a journey so far. Now that we have access to a computer and internet at the hospital, we will work on updating daily. Alison has taken over 300 pictures thus far..no surprise there...we will be posting some soon!

Thank you for your prayers and support. We love you all!

August 16

And we are off! Bringing 600 lbs of children's clothing and medical supplies with us!

This morning we leave for Kenya! While I am saddened to leave my family and fiends for a mission field unknown to me I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. For me, this mission trip to Kenya is a journey that has taken my entire life to reach. This trip is the realization of the goal of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reach out to love those around us without any thought or regard for what we might receive in return. We have the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in new and exciting ways to people whom we have never met or imagined. I am leaving Midland with and nervous anticipation for what lies ahead knowing that I have no expectations for what god is going to do because He is so much bigger than anything I could hope or imagine! God be with us as we embark on a new journey together because life is not about the destination but is more about the journey! LET'S GO!!!!


Kenya Do It!... YES WE CAN!!!!!

Written by Kelly Inman

Gail's Thoughts...

After praying and supporting Jerri and Bill for many years, I really wanted to go on the last mission trip in 2007 - however timing was just not right. It truly is surreal that I am going!  I have already been so blessed by gifts and prayers from many around me and we haven't left yet!

To me, the most important thing is NOT to have a preconceived idea of what I am supposed to do because I do not know what is in store for our team. What is the purpose?  To me, it is NOT that we are going to HELP, rather than to SHARE.  Almost all of the time when God puts me in opportunities like this, it is because He has something He wants me to learn! So that's what I want - to learn from the people of Kenya. Christianity is exploding in the southern hemispheres so they must be doing something right in their daily lives and walk with God and I would love to bring ideas back to Midland.

I am so excited to be with this team that is all about doing it right and so full of excitement - besides the fact that they are all such wonderful role models and my friends! Thank you St. Luke's for all you have done to support us in so many ways!  I have no idea why I am so blessed; however I am extremely grateful and hope that we will make a difference in their lives we are able to touch as they certainly will in ours.

ALISON'S POUND PURGE!

Leaving on a jet plane! Now how do I eliminate camera gear  - I know that half-way through - all this gear will not be important.  So today is about SIMPLIFYING!!
Thank you to the St. Luke's Outreach Council for our wonderful send-off dinner last night!  Tammy - the decorations were beautiful.  As I head out on this trip - I will remember the statement shared during our first training:
                               "You are not taking God to them - God is already there!"
And we are off.......................

Ready to go!!!

It's Tuesday, August 14th, and we leave THIS Thursday! The team met tonight, had an awesome dinner, shared packing ideas, heard from Charles, a friend of the Methodist church from Kenya,  prayed for the journey ahead as well as for the loved ones we are leaving behind. We are so excited, anticipating what is to come! We will be meeting at the airport Thursday morning at 9 a.m., each bringing our own suitcase, as well as an extra 50 lb. suitcase or trunk full of infant and childrens clothing, medical supplies, and bibles. Thank you to all those who donated money, items, time, as well as to those who have prayed for us and will continue to do so while we are in Africa.
(From left: Leon Jeffcoat, Ann Petrov, Rhonda Becker, Ray Peacock, Katie Parker, Kelly Inman, Debbie Peacock, Alison Peeler, Gail Hankinson, Madison Peeler, Richard Culbert, Marion Daily)

Richard's Thoughts

No man is an island, entire of itself
Each is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.

                                                             John Donne


We all live our lives individually, responsible for our own thoughts and our own actions.  And yet we are each connected to those around us.  We are directly connected to our families and friends, the people we see and work with every day, the people we talk to and know in our our town, our own locale.  But we can also be connected to others who are half a world away.  Through our church we have a connection to the people of another continent, whose lives are very different from our own.  We can have an effect on their lives and they in turn can effect our own.  We are instructed to love God and to love our fellow man, and so we go forth in this spirit of love to renew and strengthen connections already present, and to forge new connections both here and across continents. 


Richard Culbert

Marion's Thoughts...

August 10, 2012
It is now one week before we depart for Kenya. I look forward to the trip with anticipation along with a little apprehension. I have been working to make sure all the details have been taken care of and all the things I will need are set out to pack. I wake up in the night sometimes thinking of something else I will need to take. I was on the St. Luke's mission trip to Kenya in 2007 so I have an idea what I am getting into.  We will work with some very wonderful people who are doing very important work with very limited resources. The fact that 12 people will leave their comfortable life and travel that far is not lost on the people in Maua. Our team will be blessed beyond our comprehension and we will be glad we answered the call to go. Thank you for your prayers.

What Ann is hoping for

Ever since I first heard that we are God's hands and feet on earth, I have thought what a wonderful privilege and an awesome responsibility.  I am hoping that I, and the rest of the team, will do well with this responsibility.  We will need your prayers and God's help.  I am very excited to be able to visit Kenya, and especially Maua Hospital, the village for children whose parents have died from AIDS and the bio-intensive farm.  I have heard so much about these missions from people serving there and people who were a part of the last mission trip.  I know that I will be blessed by this experience. 

What Debbie's looking forward to . . .

When St. Luke’s began talking about sending a mission team to Maua Methodist Hospital, I asked my husband (Ray) offhandedly if he would like to go Africa. To my surprise, he not only wanted to go, but he had wanted to go with the team that went 6 years ago! Well ok, then – we’re both going to Kenya!

As excited as I am about going and all the preparation involved, I find myself a little apprehensive. Are we truly going to be as helpful as we think we are? Can we be everything they are hoping for? I know we can’t do it all, but I pray that we are more of a blessing than a hindrance.

Based on my experience of other mission trips, no matter how much I involve myself in working to better someone’s life – I am far more blessed than I ever imagined. It somehow doesn’t seem quite right that I receive more than I give! And, the more I give – the more I receive and it just never seems to even out. I always come out the winner!

KenyaDoIt 2012!!  Wow, I am so excited.  After many years of supporting and praying for the mission work at Maua Methodist Hospital - I am so blessed to be able to see first-hand how the hospital, orphanage and bio diverse farm are changing lives in rural Kenya.  To be able to share this experience with my daughter, Madison, and the rest of our mission team adds to my excitement.  Pray for us and pray for the people and work of the Maua Methodist Hospital, Aids Orphanage and the farm.
                                 KenyaDoIt -- YES WE CAN!             - Alison Peeler

What Katie is looking forward to...

In our meeting today, we decided it would be neat if we each posted on the blog what we are looking forward to/why we are excited/what we are hoping to do/learn/etc...

Katie: As many of you know, St. Lukes has been doing Broadway themed church services this summer, it sounds very odd, but it all made sense to me when I was able to go to church this morning. The theme today was based on the amazing broadway musical, Wicked...which I have seen twice. The entire service touched me in so many ways, not because of how much I love the musical and wish I could have seen the original on broadway with Kristen Chenowith and Edina, but because of what the story means. It is about figuring out who you are, and realizing that each experience you have and the people you surround yourself with help you grow and become exactly who you are.

Alison and Tammy sang a beautiful duet, which happened to be my FAVORITE song from Wicked, "For Good". The entire song speaks to me, especially this part "I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow if we let them, and we help them in return. Well I don't know if I believe that's true. But I know I'm who I am today because I knew you. Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood. Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you I have been changed for good. It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part, so much of me is made of what I learned from you. You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart. And now whatever way our stories end I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend."

In a not so short way of getting there, this is what I KNOW I will "get out of" this trip. That it will change me for good. That I will meet people who I would not have had the opportunity to meet before, and though I may never see them again, they will leave a handprint on my heart.  This is what I can't wait for, I know that the time we spend in Africa will impact my life in nothing but a good way.

Countdown...

Wow. We leave for Kenya in 17 days! We met today as a team (minus a few who were out of town) to get down to the "nitty gritty" and work out the logistics for our trip. Madison and Katie mostly concerned about what to pack, others hoping for a specific itinerary, and previous "Kenya go-ers" sharing valuable "lessons learned" from their previous trips (thanks Leon!). I am only speaking for myself, but I am the MOST excited I have been about this trip since God presented this opportunity to me.

Here are a few things we need from our supporters: we are still collecting childrens clothing and cloth diapers at St. Lukes UMC. We also have a sign-up for a prayer chain, you sign up for a 12-hour block to take some time and pray for us, and BONUS...you get a yellow KenyaDoIt bracelet! You are, however, welcome to pray for us at any time prior to our departure and during our mission:) If you have any questions, contact Kelly Inman at the previous stated e-mail address.

Kenya Do It!

August 16 - September 1
The St. Luke’s UMC "Kenya Do It!" mission trip is coming! The group will spend two weeks in Kenya building a home for children who have been orphaned due to their parents having AIDS, visiting and working with the needy, and more. There are ways you can help spread the love of Christ to those in Kenya: first, you can pray for our team before during and after the trip. On Sunday, July 15th we will have a booth in the office foyer for you to sign up to pray for us and the people of Kenya on our journey. Second, we need your help in providing some much needed items for the care of the children of Kenya. We are asking you to bring new or gently used clothing for children from birth to age 8 as well as cloth diapers. You can drop these items by the front desk or to Kelly's office at the church. Thank you for your help in sharing God's blessings and love through this mission and ministry.
Be sure and check back on the blog periodically, we will make sure to post lots of pictures and updates throughout this mission! Please contact Kelly Inman at KInman@StLukesUMCMidland.org if you'd like to help!