SATURDAY--FEBRUARY 26, 2011

SOME OF THE BABIES ON MATS OUTSIDE ON GRASS

SOME OF BABIES OUTSIDE FOR FRESH AIR AND FEEDING

PLAYING GAMES AT BIBLE CLUB AT NGATA AGC

VICTORIA AND DELMAR SHARING A BIBLE STORY AT BIBLE CLUB

MARY (RIGHT) STANDING AFTER PRAYER AND TREATMENT WEDNESDAY

MEN AT IDP CAMP WORKING ON FOUNDATION FOR WATER TANK

WOMAN WITH PAIN IN BACK, SIDES, AND ABDOMEN GETTING

MEDICAL ATTENTION MONDAY

GLADYS WILL RECEIVE INHALER FOR ASTHMA ON MONDAY 

MAIZE (CORN) DRYING ON PLASTIC IN SUN

WORKERS USING PLUMB LINE TO GET FOUNDATION STRAIGHT

WORKERS COMPLETING THE FOURTH COURSE OF HARD CORE FOR FOUNDATION

GOATS FEEDING ALONG HIGHWAY

We had a relaxed and restful morning today with no major assignments.  At 2:00 pm, we walked next door to the NGATA AGC for Bible Club with the children.  We were told to be prepared for approximately fifty children.  We played games, had a Bible story, and craft with the children.  During the time of the Bible Club, Pastor Meshack asked me to accompany him to the IDP Camp to check on the progress of the water tank installation.  While at the IDP Camp, I revisited some of the people seen on Wednesday, and talked with some new people.  They have so little to work with, but do it with such grace always thanking God for the hope that they have.  Their spirit was different today.  They were so proud to be doing the work for the foundation on which the water tank will be placed.  Many of the men are skilled but have had no work since being displaced in 2007-2008.  They still had their masonry tools and proudly used them.  It is awesome to see how this empowerment has affected the entire camp.  The tank should be in place by next week.  People now walk three miles or more to a river for water.  Mary, whom I prayed with on Wednesday and received medical attention that day, was walking in the camp today.  I met others, prayed with them, and then reported their medical needs to Meshack.  We intended to attend a pastoral meeting, but had to turn around because of the badly rutted roads.       

FRIDAY--FEBRUARY 25, 2011

MARY CARRYING WATER ON HER HEAD

MARY COOKS, LAUNDERS, CLEANS FOR US

SOME OF TEAM MEMBERS EATING AT GUEST HOUSE

SOME MEALS VERY KENYAN AND SOME VERY AMERICAN

Today, we stayed to work at the Baby Centre.  Most of the team went to the nearby elementary school for a Bible Club.  This is done each Friday by staff from the Ngata Africa Gospel Church and any visiting team to the Baby Centre.  I did not go because of exhaustion from the heat and overexertion yesterday cutting boards for the fence.  So, I took a nap after breakfast which helped.  Others have experienced the same on other days.

THURSDAY--FEBRUARY 24, 2011

HOME OF BABY CENTRE STACI KETER AND FAMILY

NGATA AFRICA GOSPEL CHURCH NEAR THE BABY CENTRE

DEDICATION PLAQUE NEAR FRONT DOOR

FLOWERS ALONG THE GRAVEL WALK

FLOWER IN NGATA AGC GARDEN

FLOWERS IN NGATA AGC GARDEN

JOHN ENJOYING CHAI TEA BREAK AT 10:30 AM

BEANS COOKING OVER CHARCOAL BURNER FOR BABIES AT BABY CENTRE

LAUNDRY EVERY DAY IS LIKE THIS

ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL KENYAN BIRDS

JOHN BEING WELCOMED BY DR. JULIET WHO TREATS VERY NEEDY PATIENTS

DR. JULIET--MY NEW FRIEND

Today, we stayed to work at the Baby Centre.  Again, we spent time with the babies or working on the fence project.  The Baby Centre is located in the area of Kenya that is very dry.  Many Kenyans need to travel a great distance to obtain water.  Pastor Meshack took Jeremy with him to begin the process of providing a water tank which will hold six thousand liters (1500 gallons) of water for the IDP Camp.  This tank is the same size of tank used here at the Baby Centre.  The process for installation is very lengthy since the source of supplies is scattered around a great distance.  People from the IDP Camp must walk three miles to obtain water.  This tank will provide clean water on site at the IDP Camp.  The availability of the water tank will make it possible for the residents there to have a greenhouse in which they can grow vegetables to eat and sell.  The goal of Pastor Meshack is to instruct the people in the IDP Camp how they can help themselves and not have just handouts.  Everything that the Camp people will begin to do for self-improvement will be constructed for movement during the promised relocation.  The government promises the people things that do not happen.  The people have been in the IDP Camp now for three years.   The wind over the nearly barren hillside is very strong.  We received much dirt and dust in our eyes, ears, noses, and mouths, and of course all over us.  The wind is so strong that it breaks down the tents and weakens and rips the plastic and tarpaulins.  Tonight, as we prepared to eat supper, Staci arrived from Nakuru with a new baby boy.  He is perhaps three weeks old.  The young mother knocked on the window of a couple of women, handed the baby to them, and ran away.  Thank God, the baby has been well fed and is very healthy from all indications.  The police were called and then they called Staci to come to Nakuru to get him.  He seems to be adjusting well.

WEDNESDAY--FEBRUARY 23, 2011

TEAM RIDING IN FIFTEEN PASSENGER VAN TO SALGAA

BANANA TREES ALONG THE HIGHWAY

NEARLY EMPTY TRUCK STOP DURING DAY AT SALGAA

ORIENTATION FOR TEAM AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS INSIDE CLINIC

PASTOR PAUL(ASSISTANT AT NGATA AGC) SPEAKING TO

SEX WORKERS, TEAM, AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

SONNY, JOY, JOHN, JOAN, LYNNE

WOMEN ARE TAUGHT CRAFT SKILLS AND HEALTHY PRACTICES IN WOMEN'S MINISTRY

FIRST VIEW OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE CAMP NEAR BENBUR, KENYA

PASTOR MESHACK TALKING WITH DOREEN AND TEAM

BLANKET FROM SALVAGED YARN MADE BY DOREEN

FORTY-SIX YEAR OLD MARY SITTING ON FLOOR VERY SICK FOR DAYS

PLAN IS FOR HER TO RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION TODAY

HER STRENGTH COMES FROM THE LORD

CHILDREN OF ALL AGES COLORING A BIBLE PICTURE 

CHILDREN AND ADULTS PROUDLY DISPLAY COLORED PICTURES

MORE TENT HOMES AT THE IDP CAMP NEAR BENBUR, KENYA

CHARCOAL COOKPOT STATION FORMED WITH MUD

WOMAN PREPARING UGALI (A STARCHY STAPLE) OVER CHARCOAL FIRE

BOY CARRYING TWENTY LITRE CAN OF WATER FROM RIVER THREE MILES AWAY

GOD'S BEAUTIFUL SUNSET BACK AT THE AGC BABY CENTRE

Pastor Meshack, who pastors the Africa Gospel Church near the Baby Centre, led us today as we went to Salgaa.  Salgaa Ministries works with prostitute women who are HIV infected/affected women.  There are 600 trucks that stop each night containing a driver and tommy boy (assistant) equaling 1200 men.  The truckers negotiate for sex with prostitutes for perhaps 100 Kenyan shillings equaling about $1.23.  Sex workers receive at most 400 shillings per night or $4.92.  Sex is performed anyplace--in trucks, on walkways, roadways, and even under the trucks.  By 5:30-6:00 am Salgaa is empty; the trucks are gone and sex workers sleep during the day since they work at night.  HIV infected/affected women and children live in Salgaa.  When women become too sick to service clients, they have their daughters as young as twelve or thirteen years of age begin to service their clients.

Many Kenyans will not go to Salgaa.  It is a place of sinners.  The church offers a clinic and health instruction.  Medication is free from government, but no one monitors or administers follow-up for taking the medication.  The church is doing that.  Because of the AGC, some have changed their way of living by accepting Jesus into their lives, learning good nutrition, and taking care of their bodies.  Some have been able to break away from Salgaa.  Training has taken place to teach the women a small trade—tailor, bead/jewelry making, soap making, hair design, and basket making.  Many women live in one small room with one or two children, and have no man around to help with support.  Even though condoms are freely available, women still become pregnant since some men will pay more for sex without a condom.  They cook over a charcoal camp stove outside their door.  Salgaa is full of pubs/bars.  One lady, Joan, has two small children, wants to be a missionary wherever God opens the door, but has no money for training or advanced schooling while working in a bar.  Lolita has some medical issues and the church is helping her receive the medical attention needed.  She suffered from bleeding for three months before the church helped with medical expenses.  She now has swelling in the knees and needs some testing to determine the problem.

Internally Displaced People Camp (IDP Camp)—We visited an IDP Camp near Salgaa with 400 households at 7000 people displaced because of war.  Tents are made with poles for structure or shape covered with tarpaulins, plastic, and tent material.  People were given money by government for relocation.  They pooled the money to buy the three acres on which everyone lives.  We visited Doreen who lives with her grandma.  She is physically disabled and has not been out of the tent for a year.  She disassembles old sweaters or blankets to obtain yarn which she uses to crochet beautiful blankets and afghans while sitting on a couple of blankets on the ground.  Another lady, Mary, has been sick for two weeks.  The church is helping to transport her to a medical facility today for an evaluation.  She looks to God daily for her strength.  She is 46 years old, but looks much older because of her hardships.  Her daughter had a terrible cough a couple weeks ago.  The church got her medical services with strong medication and Pastor Meshack was surprised to see her walking today.  Many of the tarps and plastic are torn from the strong winds.  The church has a goal to provide strong polyurethane covering for each household to protect the families during the rainy season.

NOTE OF EXPLANATION—Although I finally received internet access yesterday, we have been so busy during the day in the heat that by the time there is free time in the evening, I am so exhausted that I cannot think to write or post on the blog.  Electricity is not always reliable.  When the electricity is off, the server is down.  And, sometimes when I can connect to the internet, the server is down.  Consequently, communication is spasmodic at best.  We had no electricity for over twenty-four hours until late today.

TUESDAY--FEBRUARY 22, 2011

JEREMY NELSON PAINTING PRIMER COAT ON METAL SHEETING AROUND BASE OF WATER TOWER INSIDE NEWLY ENCLOSED PLAY AREA

KASEY AND SHEILA ENGLERT PAINTING BOARDS FOR FENCE

TRUCK DELIVERING WATER TO FOUR ABOVE GROUND STORAGE TANKS

PLAY AREA COMPLETED PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL

JEREMY NELSON PREPARING PANCAKES FOR THE TEAM FOR BREAKFAST

TEAM MEAL AT THE GUESTHOUSE AT THE BABY CENTRE 

INSTANTEOUS WATER HEATER IN SHOWER

We played with the babies at various times during the day.  We also worked on the fence project.  We continued to paint white oil-based primer on the boards.  We now have enough boards painted that bolting each one on the metal framework was possible.  Jeremy and Laura Nelson from Winona Lake completed the painting of the metal safety sheeting around the base of the water tower inside this play area.  The Baby Centre is located in a very dry part of Kenya.  The Baby Centre has a bore hole, which we would call a well, about ten miles away.  Water is transported nearly daily to the Baby Centre and pumped into large plastic storage containers.  From the storage containers on the ground, the water is pumped to three towers on the grounds.  Water is sold to Kenyans at the front gate.  This is a source of income for the Baby Centre.  By gravity the water flows from the towers into the water pipes of the Baby Centre giving adequate pressure at the faucets and showers and toilets.  Water is heated instantaneously at the site of use by a very small electric burner—at the sink or at the shower.  Many of us took cold showers until we were properly instructed by Mwangi to turn on water before turning on the electric switch to heat the water.  During the evening the electricity went off at the Baby Centre for about an hour.  This is not uncommon.  It did come back on for a couple of hours and then was off again all through the night.