SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP

Up with the sun...

We joined GCR in the beginning of our 50 days of prayer, but fasting isn't happening here this week!  At least it doesn't seem to be that any of our crowd has been hungry!  The Kenyan food is varied enough for even the pickiest of us to enjoy bountifully!

Our worship was inspired this morning.  Tim interwove the stories of Thomas, Alfayo, Kennedy, Moses, John, Tim and each of us present to be used by The Lord as he calls and prepares us.  It truly was a blessing.  The Uriri youth had pulled our hearts into the very presence of God with beautiful themes of praise and unity...service and love...mercy and salvation!  Their joy fills the air inside and out!  Communion was shared at the table and tenderly accompanied by voices throughout the congregation.  Our hearts melted and blended as Stephen translated the service and George Oscar, one of our WBS workers visiting today, led the congregation into a time of offerings.

We have become a well oiled machine as we service in family union one with the other in this clinic.  It seemed the 94 children glided through our stations as each team member offered assistance as needed.

Rain in Uriri simultaneous with dust in Odessa, our lives are connected in worshipping our savior!

KIKITEMO MEDICAL DAY

Our first day in clinic took us back to the IDP camp, KIKITEMO. I love seeing Grace, Susan, Lucy and Tabitha in their beautiful aprons and the darling children. They have grown so since I began visiting in their homes in 2011.  They have matured in their faith, and their joy and enthusiasm continues to amaze me.  

Their new facilities are state of the art!  They have running water for the kitchen and the sink for hand-washing at the cho.  This sweet group of displaced people have become a family and a community reaching out to spread the gospel.  Their new homes are built on four of the six acres they raised monies to buy.  Immediately after buying their land, they donated one acre to KWO to be used for building the feeding station for the orphans in their care and offered to sell the sixth acre to KWO for the site of a possible future orphanage.  These are amazing people!

They welcomed us with songs and hugs...excited to see us and eager to spend the day with us!  Their love of The Lord is phenomenal!  It shines in their eyes.  It radiates from the glow on their faces and resounds from their praise in song.

Quickly we set up the dining hall into our makeshift clinic...the triage station at the door, the dental chair and materials in one area, the doctors on the other side of the pharmacy.  Hand washing instruction, teeth-brushing activities and an area for reading books we brought filled the room.  The children entered the room to be weighed and measured then registered with Maureen who completed the card and gave them their precious goodie bags from the members of Wesley United Methodist Church of Andrews.  Their smiles brightened as they received stickers on their foreheads and went from station to station...receiving a pen at one, toothbrush and cover at another...bouncy balls, Smarties, bubble gum, twirly birds, lollipops, friendship bracelets, etc.

Working the pharmacy, we stayed busy throughout dispensing the correct dosage for children as prescribed by the two doctors.  Barrett helped me organize and dispense today as we do not conduct eye exams at feeding stations.

Lunch was taken in shifts as we continued the flow of examinations for the children and residents of KIKITEMO IDP Camp.  It was delicious and served in Grace's home.

After clinic we had a little play time to sing and throw frisbees, kick soccer balls and learn new games!  What a fun and fulfilling day!

Our drive on to Kunste Hotel in Nakura was beautiful and invigorating as our new team members spoke in rapid-fire rounds about their love and amazement for the sights and joys of the day!

Dinner at the new Java House, a quick shopping spree at Nakumat and then checking into the hotel for a great night's rest!

TRAVEL DAYS

One by one and two by two our team trickled into airports in Midland, Tucson and Dallas early on Wednesday morning.  The excitement filled the air in Midland as friends and family helped carry in luggage and repackage medications and supplies--weighing and re-weighing bags to be sure each one was within the 50 pound weight limit.  Then all circled together for prayers and blessings.  It seemed our team was riddled with tedious issues as we began the day...issues beyond our control and absolutely random!  One by one we approached the counter and checked bags directly to Nairobi.  Krista's paperwork had a kink and the agent worked in different ways to try to clear their error.  Finally as we all prayed, her bags were checked to Kenya and her first boarding pass printed.  We boarded the plane. 

In Dallas we stopped in the jetway to claim our gate checked carryon luggage.  Cherie noticed my bag was caught in the mechanism of the luggage elevator.  We tried to pull it loose, but it was wedged in tightly.  Long story short...three times down and three times up produced a mangled and torn bag with the bottom ripped open like a tin can!  Shredded face wipes, burst bottles, crushed prescriptions could be replaced or ignored.  The cracked lens on Tim's camera was a different story!  AA replaced my carry on bag and cut a check immediately for the lens after we all did Internet research.  (Tim replaced the lens before we arrived!)

Flights and connections from that point were slick...other than seat mates, sick babies and unusual aromas!  Emerates is a wonderful airlines with terrific service.

All luggage arrived with us.  All team members gathered at Kamul safely and healthy with great anticipation!  Maureen had a delicious meal awaiting us.  Reorganization and repacking, we all found beds and slept a few hours.

KERICHO FEEDING STATION

Saturday dawned early in Kenya...eight hours before it did in Texas!  We enjoyed a hot shower and a delicious breakfast buffet in our hotel before packing up the vehicles.  We sent the medics on to the feeding station to set up the clinic while we waited for Risper to come from Nairobi to bring the missing needles for the dentist to use in extractions.  

The clinic was running by the time we arrived!  Hugs and kisses before finishing the set up for the pharmacy were greatly appreciated as we disembarked from the vehicles!  

We quickly fell into the flow and dispensed meds for doctor and dentist throughout the day.  We completed serving the children before sitting down for a delicious lunch prepared by the widows and church members.  The selections were unbelievable!

Maureen and I met with Evans, Harrison, Richard, Samuel and Francis before and through lunch.  It is so nice to get names, faces and personalities together for our WBS workers while in a more informal setting.  They enjoyed serving as interpreters and helping to coordinate the clinic today.  These men are incredible evangelists spreading the word of God to neighboring villages, family and friends!  

The travel through tea country is always beautiful as are the faces of the people we pass along the way.  We stopped for fuel across from the Tea Hotel long enough for the new members to take a quick tour of the grounds and catch sight of monkeys on the lawn!

We arrived in Kisii at the Dados Hotel in time for 7:30 dinner and fellowship.  Now it is off to bed for early morning departure for worship and clinic tomorrow!

PREPARATION DAY FOR JUNE MEDICAL MISSION KWO

Wednesday morning we will load our bags into cars in Odessa, Andrews, Dallas and Midland to gather in the lobby of the airport and distribute supplies prior to check-in for our first leg of the June Medical mission with KWO.  Our travels Wednesday will take us first to DFW where we will complete our team and then over the Atlantic to Dubai where we will spend Thursday morning.  

Then we will depart for our destination of Kenya!  Come travel with us via this blog.  Anticipate meeting up with our Kenyan brothers and sisters as we work hand in hand along the way!  Look forward to seeing into the eyes of over 400 of our precious young children who live in our KWO orphanages or who are fed from the widows who serve in our feeding stations.  Be ready to be amazed by the love, concern and tenderness you will witness as this team of sixteen Texans...five medical personnel and eleven non-professional servants...and countless Kenyan KWO & WBS personnel and volunteers ministers to the needs of these children, widows and church members.  Then hold onto your hats as a smaller group of us go on safari!

Each of us will wear many hats this trip.  I will serve on the team as "pharmacist" and will also meet and work with our WBS workers in their communities.

We are packing medical equipment, WBS office supplies, baptismal waders, treats for the children and some very special treat bags.  

Five hundred bags have been painted by members of Andrews Wesley United Methodist Church to be given to each of our orphans and widows.  Sunday the church in Andrews held a special dedication during their morning worship praying for the children who will receive and cherish their bags.

(My mother enjoyed lending these saints a hand during her recent visit in my home and painted twenty nine of the bags herself.)

DAY IN THE WILD

Today Francis drove Jonnie and me into Nairobi to visit three "wild" sites. First we tackled the Nairobi traffic to travel twenty-five miles to the David Sheldrick Nursery for rescued orphaned baby elephants. The trainers ushered them out for feeding in groups according to their age ranging from one month to two years. The trainers stay twenty-four hours a day with their charges to help them acclimate to their surroundings. At the end of two years in the nursery they are transferred to the Tsavo National Park along with their keeper. We enjoyed watching the antics of the babies and hearing the story of each orphan's rescue. Our heart broke for an older orphan that is kept with the tiny ones because he is lame. The poachers had broken both of his back legs. He still limps badly and has a crimped leg.
We then drove to the Giraffe Center where we fed Eddy the young giraffe and his mother. Other giraffes foraged in the park as the warthogs grubbed for the pellets dropped by the giraffes.
The tortoises grazed on carrots and greens while we watched.
The Java House is always Francis' treat for driving the tourists around town.
Our third "wild" adventure of the day was the Maasai Market which sets up six days a week in various locations of town. We are not big trinket shoppers, so browsed more than we shopped here.
We returned to the Mbuvi house for a delicious dinner to find Tim and John had already loaded the luggage on the top of the vehicle.
After all our goodbyes with Risper, Ester and Olive, the Mbuvi family took us to the airport for more goodbyes.
We arrived at the airport at 6:30 for our 11:15 departure and 27 additional hours of travel. That gives us 33 hours from airport arrival in Nairobi to airport arrival in Midland!

KIKITEMO IDP CAMP

The Internally Displaced People' Camp has moved to the top of the hill! Many of the original group have come and built their own homes in the new camp ...bigger and sturdier, but similar in form. Their view is awesome overlooking the valley just beyond. The breeze is fresh and the air is clear.
The goat pen now houses ten goats. There are two cows and a dozen chickens in their farm.
The cho has covers for each one and soon will have running water for hand washing!
The dining hall/church building is larger and stronger than any other of the KWO sights. They maintain the flavor of the original church with stone seating combined with the pews.
The kitchen stands as the premier model for future building. It has running water with a fabulous drainage system for the gray water. The stoves are well vented, metal with three cook spots, grates and vents on the doors to regulate the heat! The ventilation system is capped off to facilitate cleaning. And the counters and back splash are tiled! Even the serving window is decorative and tiled!

We shared the last of our gift bags with the 12 widows here who will share the treats with the children. These orphans received our last bubblegum sweeties. As they continued serenading us fore the duration of our visit with a totally different group of songs than we had heard at the other sites.
Our visit ended as we blew kisses from both sides of the van windows.
Back at Kamulu, we repacked bags and regrouped for a night on the town.

Along the road home, we saw zebras, impalas and deer, but no baboons.

The Safari Park Hotel Dinner Show is much similar to a Brazilian churrascarria. We had our contentment of chicken, ostrich, crocodile, camel, pork, lamb, turkey, goat, sausages and beef! The show was well choreographed and included expert tumblers.