MONDAY--FEBRUARY 21, 2011

SIGN NEAR THE FRONT GATE

FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE BABY CENTRE

CRIBS IN THE NURSERY FOR UP TO ONE YEAR OLD BABIES

JOHN MARKING BOARDS TO BE CUT

JOHN USING ELECTRIC SAW TO CUT BOARDS FOR FENCE

KASEY AND JOHN PAINTING BOARDS FOR FENCE

BACK OF BABY CENTRE SHOWING TWO WATER TOWERS WITH THE RIGHT SIDE ALREADY FENCED AND THE LEFT SIDE YET TO BE FENCED

MWANGI AND JOHN BOLTING FENCE BOARDS TO METAL FRAME

MARY WITH A JUG OF WATER ON HER HEAD

GUARD HOUSE AT FRONT GATE SHOWING CONCRETE WALL

VIEW FROM MY BEDROOM

GUARD DOG JACK

GUARD DOG JILL

JOHN'S BEDROOM

SITTING ROOM/DINING ROOM OF OUR APARTMENT

Monday--2/21/11 We received orientation to the AGC Baby Centre with a tour of the three areas where the babies are housed and cared for.  The first section is for babies up to one year old; the second is for babies up to two years old; the third is for babies up to about four years old.  The Baby Centre is under the direction of missionary Staci Keter whose husband is Pastor Wycliffe Keter of the nearby Africa Gospel Church.  They are adopting twins from the Baby Centre and have a daughter of their own.  One of our ways to help at the Baby Centre is to assist the care-givers by holding, walking, or playing with the babies of which there are more than forty.  Visitors or volunteers cannot bathe or feed the babies.  Mwangi is the Maintenance Supervisor who gave us direction about the fence building.  He had already constructed a metal frame of supports on which we will fasten the boards.  A few inches must be cut from each of the over 600 boards needed.  We have been painting a primer coat on each board in the full sun of nearly 85 degrees most days.  We have some Kenyan ladies who clean our rooms, wash clothes every day, and either make all of the meal or prepare part of the noon and evening meals.  Mary is the lead Kenyan lady serving us.

     

      The compound for the Baby Centre is surrounded by a block wall topped with barbed wire.  There is a guard at the locked gate at all times.  From sundown to sun rise there are two guard dogs named Jack and Jill.  In the middle of the night, the two dogs can certainly make a lot of noise, especially when barking and running on the second floor veranda outside our rooms.  I share an apartment with Jeremy and Laura.  The apartment contains two very spacious bedrooms, one bathroom, a very large sitting/dining room, and a kitchen which contains the freezer and washer for the team.  There are five apartments of varying sizes on the second floor.  In the bathroom, my bedroom, the sitting room, and the kitchen there are electrical outlets for 110 volts since a missionary had previously lived here.  All floors are cement with an area rug.  All walls are block.  The ceiling/roof of the second floor is corrugated metal.  I hope there is rain sometime so I may experience the sound of raindrops on the metal roof/ceiling.

      The babies are placed at the Baby Centre by court order.  One came when only four hours old.  Others stay until about four.  After being cleared by the court, all of the babies are available for foster care or adoption.  Currently, the Kenyan government does not permit foreign adoptions.  There is a strenuous screening process for the foster care and adoptions.  Some people are not permitted to adopt for a variety of reasons.  But, all must profess to know Jesus.  The staff at Baby Centre matches a child with the prospective foster or adoptive parent.

SUNDAY--FEBRUARY 20, 2011

THE TEAM STAYED AT GRACEHOUSE RESORT, NAIROBI, KENYA

MY BED SURROUNDED BY MOSQUITO NETTING

THE KENYAN MEN WHO SERVED US BREAKFAST

JOHN SMITH EATING BREAKFAST AT GRACEHOUSE RESORT

LYNN SNITKER AND LEONA HARLIN EATING BREAKFAST AT GRACEHOUSE RESORT

SHEILA ENGLERT AND KASEY ENGLERT EATING BREAKFAST AT GRACEHOUSE RESORT

VICTORIA HENDERSON AND ALEXANDRA KEISTER EATING BREAKFAST AT GRACEHOUSE RESORT

MISSIONARY STACI KETER GIVING THE TEAM ORIENTATION

GOOD SHEPHERD AFRICA GOSPEL CHURCH, NAIROBI, KENYA

SANCTUARY OF GOOD SHEPHERD AFRICA GOSPEL CHURCH, NAIROBI, KENYA

I slept well last night.  After about five and one-half hours of sleep, I was awakened by men’s voices outside and the chirping/singing of some native birds.  The bird songs were beautiful!  So, I lay in my bed surrounded by mosquito netting listening and resting.  Breakfast was outside at the Grace House Resort where we stayed in Nairobi.  There were many Kenyans preparing and serving at the buffet.  There was much fresh fruit, juices, coffee, and pastries of different kinds.  Pancakes and omelets were made to order.  All table service was on glass dishes; there was no styrofoam or paper used.  Dishes were removed from the table as soon as the food was finished.

We worshiped at the Good Shepherd Africa Gospel Church pastored by Pastor Patrick Murunga.  The music was a mixture of English and Kiswahili. Some of the songs I had sung in the states.  But, some were completely new to me.  Pastor Patrick was known to some in our team who had been here before this trip.  The length of the worship was about one and half hours.  We ate lunch at Java House outside under umbrella tables.  The menu was similar to the menu at home.  I am surprised that so much of the communication is in English.  Kenyans speak a mixture of English and their native language when communicating with one another.  Most Kenyans readily understand English when spoken.

We experienced about a three hour trip to the Baby Centre near Nakuru.  We were transported via two seven passenger vans along with the luggage of the nine member team.  Adjusting to the movement of vehicles on the left-hand side is difficult and sometimes scary because of the unexpected movements.  Because of British influence, the driver sits in the right-hand front seat.  Movement of traffic through the many round-abouts is also scary.  Vehicles approach from the opposite side from expected.  Produce and other items needing to move from one location to another is done by lorry which is a very large truck.  The lorry reminds me of the large military transports that the US Army Reserve uses.  The lorry has twenty-two tires.  Some of the lorries are so heavy that the roadway is deeply rutted.  Few Kenyans have automobiles.  Most walk wherever they go to conserve money.  While traveling through a nature preserve we could see in the distance zebra, buffalo, gazelles, wild boar.  Cattle, sheep, and donkeys grazed along the highway.  We arrived at the Baby Center about eleven.  Along the way one of the vans quit running.  So, the other van towed it about half a mile to the Baby Center where we arrived about 11:00 pm Kenyan time.  Most of us readily went to bed.  But, few slept through the night.  The wear on the body is exhausting during about nineteen hours of flight plus walking and standing.  Adjustment to humidity, heat, and elevation changes has not been easy.

FRIDAY/SATURDAY--FEBRUARY 18/19, 2011

My flights from Indianapolis to Detroit, Detroit to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to Nairobi were uneventful except for some turbulence from Detroit to Amsterdam.  Although my flights were booked with the travel agent at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, their partner airline is Delta.  So, from Indianapolis to Amsterdam, I really flew by Delta.  All of those flights were rather full.  The 747 KLM Airline plane from Amsterdam to Nairobi had 380 passengers with not an empty seat.  In Nairobi we needed to go through customs which took over an hour with us standing in line in the hot non air-conditioned airport waiting to be checked through by very few customs workers.  There were also three other flights landing near that time whose passengers also needed to clear customs.  The food service was exceptional on each of the flights with snacks, beverages, or meals offered every two or three hours.  Six of our team of nine are from Oregon and are acquainted.  Three of us are from Indiana.

Tuesday -- February 1, 2011

I completed my drive home with little delay because of the weather.  After unloading the car, I then became snowed in my condo for a couple of days giving me ample time to unpack and begin the large task of checking my mail.  With my taxes complete for another year, I now await the time to begin my next travel adventure to Tenwek Hospital, Kenya, Africa.

Monday -- Jaunary 31, 2011

I left Largo to drive towards snowy Indiana.  I was warned by family members about the severity of the ice and snow near Marion.  I stopped at Hephzibah Children's Home, Macon, GA.  Hephzibah is owned and operated by the Wesleyan Church.  It is a Missions Outreach of my home church Lakeview Wesleyan Church.  After a brief tour I returned to the Interstate System driving until I reached Nashville, TN, for the night.