Somehow, time so easily gets filled up here!

Last week I was at In Step Children’s Home overnight. My friend and I went over in the early afternoon. We helped a woman finish up her mural on the walls (I have pictures up in a previous blog). But we had to stop because it started raining crazy hard, and it started to rain down the walls where we were painting, and the paint was starting to run. It was pretty much raining in the veranda, so some of the kids and workers got buckets out to catch the rain and mopped up the water that was on the floor. I guess they need to get the roof fixed.

So, I made my way into the room with all the babies. Oh my. There were between 20 and 30 babies/toddlers in a small living room. There were two aunties taking care of them all. It was a bit overwhelming, so I just sat down, and held whoever crawled onto me. It was fun, but there were just so many babies in one room! We were in there for a couple of hours and then dinner started. Even though most of the people in that home are babies or small children, they go through so much food for one meal! It’s amazing, though, how they always cook a perfect amount. There aren’t usually leftovers, but everyone gets plenty.

That night I read the older kids some stories, and that was so fun! Ashley, a girl who is staying at In Step (from the States) for a few months, always reads to them, and then plays some games with them, and then prays with them before they go to bed. So when she started playing Hide and Seek, I stayed with the kids who wanted more stories and read. Then we prayed, and they went to bed.

After that I was able to spend some time with Ashley. She was holding a baby who has cerebral palsy. Every night, when all the kids and babies are in bed, she sits with him and straightens out his legs, arms, and even his hands and fingers. When he’s left alone his muscles automatically contract, and they said it took two weeks, when they first got him, to be able to get him to straighten his arms and legs. He was just curled up in a little ball. But she’s so sweet and gentle with him. And I was holding a little boy Teddy. I think he’s about three. He can’t talk yet, and he can only take a few steps. I don’t know what he has, but he is so adorable and I love spending time with him. Even though he doesn’t speak, you can still get him to smile and laugh, and it’s so great when he does that. And he’s such a little cuddle bug! If you sit next to him, he’ll crawl over to you to be held. And if you put your face near his, he smashes his face up against yours and laughs. He is just a sweetheart.

It was really good to spend time with Ashley too. It’s always so neat to meet new people and hear of how God has led, and directed, and provided for them. It’s so encouraging.

Yesterday I went to Graceway to a youth meeting. I was so confused about the people in the meeting because there were kids who were in their teens, and then there were adults my age and older. So it was explained to me that in Kenya, a youth is a person who is not married. In America, groups are often split into ages. A thirty year old wouldn’t be considered a youth. But here there are two groups. Married and not married. People ended up talking mostly about wanting to get married, and I felt bad for the younger ones who just sat there and listened because they probably don’t want to get married yet. It was a bit strange, but there were good conversations. They started off talking about challenges that youths face. So they brought up lacking things (job, money, resources), disunity in the church, wanting freedom (from parents), and all kinds of things. But the meeting mostly consisted of a couple of people talking about wanting to be married and asking questions like how do you know when you’re ready, and what if you don’t have a job, or how do you recognize who to marry. Then some of the pastors of Graceway came in and then they were asked the same questions. I was really surprised at how they were able to speak and answer questions when they were put on the spot like that.

One pastor talked about how a challenge, or pressure, is a good thing to face. He talked about how some things need pressure in order to be able to move. So pressure, in and of itself, is not a bad thing, it’s how you respond to the pressure you’re facing that is important.

Another pastor talked about how marriage is a good thing, but men do have to be able to provide for their wives. He said you don’t get married so you can parade down the street with your wife and tell people you finally got married (he’s kind of funny). But you need to provide for her, and take care of her, and put a roof over her head.

Another pastor basically said to grow up. That sometimes God delays things because you need to learn something first, or you’re not ready for something that you want. He said to learn to handle whatever stage you’re in before you expect to step into another stage of life. And he said God will work out His plan, so be patient.

I’m doing a very poor job recapping their conversations, because all the pastors talked for a long time, but it was really neat to listen to them, and then pray with them.

And today, after church, I was able to talk with Agnes for a loooong time. She’s the social worker at Graceway, and I kind of adore her. She’s older, has three children, and no husband. I spend a lot of time with her at Graceway when I’m there during the week, and she is the one who gets the women from Tuwani together on Wednesdays and goes over ideas for small businesses. She’s a counselor, and I love listening to her. She serves God wholeheartedly (from what I’ve seen) by serving people all the time. She’s always talking about others, how they can be helped, or what their situations are like (not gossiping, but trying to explain what it’s like to live in poverty or be left by your husband, and things like that). I have such a hard time understanding poverty, and the mindset that people have when they are living in it. I know it’s real, and that many people live in really dire circumstances, and I even see it all over. But, honestly, I don’t have an understanding of it. People are so poor that they will give you their child because they think you can take better care of them. I thought it was awful a couple of weeks ago, when that woman told me I could take her daughter back to America with me; but Paul explained it’s probably just because she thinks her daughter will be taken care of better. And Job (he works at Graceway too) told me that parents like when their kids go to boarding school because it’s one less child to worry about caring for. I can’t imagine being so willing to give up your children, but it comes from being in survival mode. And I don’t understand that. I have no clue how to relate to that. But these people pray and believe that God can and will change their situation.

Today, there was a woman in church who graduated four years ago, and she finally just got a job. She had only been doing volunteer work for four years, but had never had a paying job. When she told the congregation she found a job, they were so happy! They sang and clapped and yelled because God heard her and helped her. I’ve never seen anyone do that kind of thing in America when someone gets a job! I didn’t understand how big of a deal it was until after, when I was talking to Agnes. She said she and so many other people had seen this woman’s tears and prayed with her and for her. And God changed her situation. People here suffer together and they celebrate together.

Schools are open again this week, so I’ve been at Graceway again. The more I am there, the more I enjoy the people! I ate lunch there for a couple of days, and I finally was able to try sukumuwiki (I don’t think that’s one word, but I don’t know where to split it up). I was very happy to have this because Kenyans eat it often during this time of the year when the crops are growing. It is basically a green that they compare to kale. They chop it up and eat it with ugali, a white play-doh like substance (it tastes better than play-doh, it’s just dense and sits in your stomach as if you may have just eaten some play-doh). Ugali is flour ground from maize. It was very good! But you eat it with your fingers. It gets very messy. Also, when I’m around for lunch, the lunch ladies let me place the oranges on the children’s plates

When you’re white, people here like to just call you mzungu, rather than learn your name. The children at Graceway still call me mzungu! So I have been saying that, ‘Mimi si mzungu, mimi ni mkenya’ (I am not a mzungu, I am Kenyan), and they think this is the funniest thing. But I really wish they would just call me Aly. I tell them my name, but as soon as I do that, they ask me about all the other Americans they know (the Herring family and Timo), so I don’t think they remember my name after all of that takes place. I’m slowly learning their names.

Yesterday, I met with the women from Tuwani. A lady from Graceway has a meeting with them every week, and they talk about things like family and income. They struggle sometimes just to have food every day, and the woman who meets with them has such a heart for them! She would love to see them able to start small businesses. Anyway, I had brought over some beads for them (a woman in America gave me a bunch to give out), and yesterday they started making necklaces! I am so praying that they can begin to sell them and make some money.

I left the meeting a little bit before it was over because the rain was coming, and I don’t live too close to Tuwani. Actually, I wasn’t going home, but the compound I was going to is right near where I live. Anyway, I thought I had time, but as soon as the piki piki guy came, it started to rain. A few minutes later, when we reached town, it was so bad that we had to stop and sit in front of a store, under the roof. When it rains hard here, it rains to where you can barely see at all. And it almost hurts when you’re on a piki and getting hit directly. I felt so bad for my driver! I was at least shielded a bit from the rain because I was sitting behind him. We were already wet at that point because it was just pouring down rain. So I told him I would call a taxi to take me the rest of the way home (I was actually worried that his bike couldn’t make it up the muddy/river-like road to where I live), but he said it would be fine. So when it let up a little bit, we left again. I’m still surprised we made it through those roads! The roads had small rivers running down them, so you couldn’t see where all the potholes were, so it was a bumpier than normal ride. And then, on the last stretch of the road, we were fishtailing so badly that I put my feet down because I thought we were going to fall over. Then he told me not to do that. So then I hit him (very gently) and told him to slow down. Then he said he is very experienced, so it is okay. And right after that he continued to say ‘Oh. My. Gosh.’ over and over and over! That did not make me feel any better. But I got to where I was going, and I was given a towel and a dry pair of pants That made me so happy! But my poor piki man had to go all the way home after that!

Anyway, today, I went to Graceway, and then I ended up going to another school that is about a half hour away. Graceway only goes up to grade 2, so the children who graduate go to another school. I had to take some things to them, and I almost took a piki there but everyone told me not to because it would start raining. And it did! I took a taxi instead, and on the way home, it poured! The driver asked me if I could see anything, and I said no. Then I asked him if he could see anything, and he said no. So then I asked him if he wanted to pull over to wait until the rain let up, and he said no. So we kept driving, and I started praying. Transportation in Africa is just a whole different thing. I hope I get used to it someday.

It was very nice to see Jenelle though. She is a sweet girl that I met last time I was here, and she attends the school I had to go to today. It is always such a joy to see her. And my parents support another girl there, so it was good to see her too. She told me to tell my mom and dad to come here next year to see her! She wants to meet them so much; that is the second time she’s asked me to tell them! I told her I would ask!
Posted by aly at 3:54 PM

Summer Newsletter, 2010

“Partnering with the African community to facilitate transformation”… that’s a slogan we use on our presentation material. We’ve been home from the field in Kenya for 3 ½ months now. Is it happening? Is the partnership working? Is transformation within a slum of 200,000 people a reality?
We are extremely thrilled to say, “Yes!”, and thankful beyond words to be, with you, a part of this process.
In Luke 15 we read, “What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!” It has now been 4 years since Africa Connect began to work alongside Graceway Harvest Chapel to take on this “impossible” vision. Tuwani, a last resort for refugees of tribal clashes, drought and famine, and HIV/AIDS, has been lost in the fog of extreme poverty and spiritual void. The Graceway compound, on the edge of the massive slum near Kitale, Kenya, has now become a lighthouse to the locals, a place where people, and the children, are seen as precious and valuable. It’s a place of hope restored, where despair reigned unchallenged.
We can rejoice together for the many ways the things “lost” are being restored:
1) Neema Care Centre: Every year, 100 preschoolers are receiving their education, two daily meals, medical care, uniforms, and shoes in a loving and safe atmosphere. Most of these children have never known what it is to feel safe in their homes, with predictable meals, nor the guidance and protection of a father. In Job’s (preschool administrator) words, “We are so grateful to God and to those who are supporting the school and the children of Tuwan. The kids are very healthy and those who came in the beginning of the year thin and emaciated are now big and strong. Our school has just become more than a learning center, it is more than a home, it is actually a place one would like to be. Kids who came rejected have found acceptance and love.”
2) Graceway Victory Academy: We now have a primary school, with 50 students in levels 1 and 2. These children faced a poor future in government primary school, some would be lost on the streets. That’s where we found Peter, at left, a 2008 preschool graduate. The Kenyan team plans to add on one grade every year; if we could raise the funds to renovate the other side of the current building ($5,000), and hire two more teachers, 2011 could see us rescuing many more children! Africa Connect does not have these funds; we need some help from the parents, income from microbusiness ventures, and we need Western sponsors to help. It only costs $200 per year to support one primary student.
3) Community Medical Care: In addition to vitamins and health monitoring by Agnes, our Certified Health Aide, we are now conducting monthly school clinics alongside medical personnel from the local Ministry of Health. In Feb., our short term team organized free Community Clinics. Graceway is now sponsoring Free Community clinics on a regular basis, serving those who can not afford, or have no access, to a doctor or medicine. A great deal of interest has been shown in the area of medical missions, with Sue Choquette as AC’s Director of Health Services taking the reins. Sue hopes to return in 2011 with a medical team, outreaching to Tuwani and more remote places like Mt. Elgon. If you would like to get involved, please contact Sue at 413-243-3645 or smcthebuglady@aol.com.
4) Women’s groups, Adult Education, HIV Counseling: Agnes also serves as Social Worker, and is heading up the widow’s group, formed as an encouragement to single mothers and widows struggling to survive. As a single mother and businesswoman herself, Agnes is passionate, and effective, in assisting women to begin small businesses, and offers counseling to those who are HIV/AIDS positive. Many are also taking literacy classes offered at the school. Here, widows are learning how to make crafts to sell; for many, it supplies an alternative to the lifestyle of prostitution they have chosen to leave. Aly Dacosta, on the ground in Kitale, is participating with the women’s group, and is visiting their homes; she shared, “… today I went with Agnes to Beatrice’s home. (single mom w/ 6 children). Beatrice had bought thread to make a set of doily-like things, but she couldn’t buy enough thread to finish a whole set (she showed me one, and her work is very, very beautiful!). So Agnes was talking about how these women are very hard working, and they don’t need a lot of money, but just some to get a start on business. I didn’t know what to tell Agnes! She was not asking for money for herself, only saying that the women could use a small amount.”
Please consider if you could help, in a small or bigger way…
5) Microbusiness: The Graceway leaders have developed a plan to start diverse, low risk businesses, run by local trades people who will train others on the job. $1000 is the initial investment needed to begin, producing income to create more businesses, and also helping to support the primary school. Africa Connect has no funding for this, but we are convinced it is vital for long term change.
6) Church Expansion: Many lost individuals and families are finding a home and hope in Graceway. Ten new cell groups have been added, with the school teachers each heading one up in their home. The Graceway Pastors, besides holding regular jobs, are all busy planting new churches, conducting prayer meetings, speaking in local high schools and at youth conferences. In July, Bible school classes officially began, with the offering of a Foundations class to the leaders of the church and school staff. This will be repeated for the community, and expanded in the future as training in both the theological and practical aspects. The Church is also teaching principles of business, and hopes to be able to build a Community Centre soon, to house a clinic, kitchen, and vocational education classes, in addition to the Bible College. The land is there, the pillars are there, we just need…oh, yes, funding.
Update on the AC Team:
1) Bob and LuAnn, as well as Caleb and EvaJoy and others, all feel a bit lost until they return to Kenya. They plan to return to Kitale in January ’11 for at least 3 months, and Caleb and EvaJoy plan to join us in February with Jediah and Henry, their two little boys, and Caleb’s sister, Hannah Senecal. If you would like to help with team travel expenses, that would be great! But please, don’t forget to pray for all of us as we prepare for this next adventure. Prayer is really the biggest need of all, the challenges are many.
The team has been enjoying manning booths at Berkshire Events such as Third Thursdays and the Ethnic Fair, meeting and talking to people about the vision and selling some Kenyan crafts. We are also offering these at home parties, a wonderful way to talk about what we are doing in a more personal atmosphere.
2) An American on the ground! For years, we have been dreaming of the day we would have a person on the ground in Kitale. Suddenly, a person has been found, in an unexpected way. As of July 19th, Alyson DaCosta is now serving alongside the Kenyan team under the leadership of Pastor Peter Siakama. Aly was on an AC team in 2007-08 for two months, and previously lived with a missionary couple in South Africa for one year. She longed to return on a long term basis to Kenya, to be immersed in the language and culture, therefore better equipped to minister in a relational manner. When her plans suddenly fell through to work with another organization, she accepted our offer to pursue her goals under the covering of Africa Connect, for as long as God directs that she should be there. She is living in a safe compound, already making friends with other workers in the field, and is loving helping in the school, getting to know the children and their families alongside the Kenyan team. Some thoughts she shared with us:
“I am here to get involved in any way that would be beneficial to the Kenyans who run the school, and the Americans who rely on receiving updates about the work going on here in Kenya. So far, that has involved writing up bios on the children who attend the school…their backgrounds, where they have come from, and what situations they live in. Pray for these children at Graceway, along with their families. Many of them live in poverty and are having a hard time rising above that to make a living.”
“Just so you know, I think Graceway is running beautifully. I’m sure it’s not perfect, but it is a joy to be there, and it always seems so peaceful. The teachers are doing a good job and the children are happy overall…They all run the school well, because they are capable of it!”
That is successful partnership. Please consider helping in any of the areas mentioned above, or with the specific requests on the attached NEEDS sheet. Africa Connect pays no salaries to American staff, and the travelers pay most of their expenses. Your gift will go a long ways toward changing, and even saving lives. We depend on God to supply each month, through those who respond to His heart for “the least of these.”

Thanks for your time, your prayers, and your continued support of this vision.
God Bless,
LuAnn Herring, for Bob and the Africa Connect team
PO Box 598, Lee, MA 01238
herrings@africaconnect.org, www.africaconnect.org

Our Dear Friends and Africa Connect supporters,

Greetings on behalf of the Herring family, the AC team in America, our partners in Kitale, Kenya, and especially on behalf of the 150 precious kids now in our care! How we wish you could see the joy of these precious kids, and hear their prayers for you, the people who have made this miracle possible in their lives! We are thankful, beyond words, for your support in prayer and generous giving.

In the month since our return from our stint in Kenya, we’ve enjoyed a refreshing time with our family (including new grandbabies!) and getting settled back in the Berkshires. As a team, we wrestled with a few rounds of malaria, typhoid, and such, but thankfully all arrived back in good health. The weight of what transpired during those three months is very difficult to describe in one report. If you are on our EMAIL NEWS LIST, you’ve already read some of these things; this is our attempt at an overview.

It has always been Africa Connect’s vision to interact with the African poor in such a way as to encourage self-sufficiency, and to progressively break the mental, spiritual, social, and financial chains of dependency on the West. The personal dignity of each soul inherent in the design of their loving Creator cries out for the ability and opportunity to live and function purposefully, and to provide for oneself and for others within a family and community setting. During this trip, we were privileged to see that vision begin to be “unpacked”, and we are very excited.

1) Short Term Team Arrives Jan 26

The arrival of the team to Kitale began three intense weeks of absorbing, and learning how to serve in, the atmosphere of extreme poverty in Kenya. Each visitor had a unique role.

Sue Choquette, as part of the Africa Connect core team since it’s inception in 2005, finally got to experience the reality of it all! Sue and Cindy Love (she was a blast!), as registered nurses, visited the Piccicci’s In Step Baby Home, then teamed up with Kenyan clinicians to learn about Kenyan medicine. They then hosted three free clinics, two at Graceway Chapel, serving the Tuwani community, the other high on war-ravaged Mt Elgon, the site of an AC relief expedition last year. The impact is best described in the words of our Social Worker, Job Mbako:

“The work that can be remembered by virtually all the residents of Tuwani is social work. It all started when the nurses from America held a community clinic at the premises of Graceway Church.

Many residents of Tuwan came to be treated and for two full days they worked without resting. That became a turning point for many and they started having a different view altogether about the church. They no longer just saw Graceway church as people who preach but people who live what we preach. And this preaching was going out to help those in need…

Then came the week for evangelism. …the Kitale team went out with the AC TEAM. I remember going out with Sue and how she was moved with compassion whenever she saw the sick people promising to give them treatment; and indeed she came the following day loaded with medicine… We traveled to Mt. Elgon at a place called Kipsigon and Sue and Cindy went to treat people in a whole District who didn’t have any medical center because everything had been destroyed in the tribal clashes.”

Caleb Senecal, husband to our daughter EvaJoy, returned to Kitale to serve as short term team leader, and also to investigate the prospect of moving there to work on the ground. It was wonderful to have him there; he was busy loving the kids, reconnecting with friends, getting video footage, and engineering showings of the “Hope” video in Swahili. One showing alone, on a Wednesday night deep in the Tuwani slum, resulted in hundreds of decisions for Christ. And, yes, he does plan to return with his family, as funding is provided and the timing is made clear. Please pray for that end.

Timothy Dipilato had visited Kitale with AC in 2007-08 for 4 months, and this time stayed on with the Herrings through the remainder of the trip. “Timo” is a wise and humble young man, consistently exhibiting God’s love and compassion for the poor, and for anyone he would meet; he was a tremendous help and blessing in so many ways! Timo just seems like a Kenyan native.

Despite the impact the team had on the Kenyan lives, each member would likely agree that their own lives were the ones impacted the most! By far, the most powerful part of this trip for all involved, was going into the homes, loving the people of Tuwani. The following blog about “Rose” is one story that serves as an example. Please read the stories of Ruth, Slyvanus, Hadija, and many more. These people will touch your life, also.

The team is very excited to share their experiences, and have already done some small group presentations. We also picked up some wonderful crafts from Kenya, which we are selling at these presentations to help raise money. If you would like to host one, please call or write us! Soon!

2)  Project Development

Primary School: Over the span of 2009, we must have heard Bob say “we need to double!” hundreds of times. Within the first week of our arrival, we leased a row of mud houses adjacent to the school for $400 per year, a perfect location for the new primary school, now named Graceway Victory Academy. It is exactly the same square footage as the preschool, so we doubled! Parents and guardians from Tuwani had been crying for a primary school, so the young preschoolers wouldn’t have to leave the healthy atmosphere of the Care Centre to go to government schools, which provide neither a feeding program nor a good education. Some of the graduates were not in school because they had no money for the required uniforms or desks, or they had become discouraged from attending school. We already had Grade One, and now, suddenly, there were 15 children in Grade 2! These were the ones that could not go to Pathfinder. They were studying in the back of the chapel, with plastic chairs serving as both seat and desk. We hired a primary teacher and began renovation immediately, which involved:

• filling in the sewage ditch that ran in front and creating a good drainage system;
• tearing down walls to create 4 bigger classrooms, rebuilding and remudding walls;
• repairing the tin roof, adding plastic sheeting to let in light;
• moving windows and doors for better placement, and to let in more light and air;
• cementing the floors, limiting dust and creating a cleaner, healthier environment.

As we walked through Tuwani during those months, we discovered some of our former Neema Students, and also encountered other families in desperate situations with children who were not attending school. By the time we left Kitale, the school was capped for the year with 50 primary students. We plan to add a grade every year, with the future possibility of leasing the other side of the building as we grow, which would again double our space!

School Supplies/Other Development: (In the words of Job) On this trip for the very first time the AC team made 100 chairs and 19 classroom tables for the ECD section. What a great achievement! We also had our school office cemented and now we don’t have to worry about dust ever destroying our computers.

The AC team has also helped us to demolish the old pit latrines and build new ones which are safer for kids…The bore hole was also finished and now water is in plenty, we no longer are afraid of shortages.

The AC team helped us to purchase textbooks costing more than Ksh 50,000 ($650) both for our kids and for the children attending Pathfinder. We have a stock of maize and beans which we bought in bulk which will take us for the next six months from the time it was bought which was a good plan to make us to be safe on the fluctuating prices of grains.

With the help of the Lee Elementary 6^th grade and others, we were able to supply the new students with books, uniforms and backpacks. AC also purchased two manual sewing machines, with a two fold goal; to employ and train poor parents as seamstresses, and to save money by making our own school uniforms.

Community Meetings: Our work with the school children is completely integrated with our vision for the community they live in; each child that enters the school means another family circle affected. In our three Parents Meetings called, each had at least 80% participation, and the level of excitement and interaction was astounding. We joined with our national team to begin visiting every student’s home, building relationships with the parent(s) and gathering information. We also encouraged them to participate in the business, literacy, and Biblical living classes the church is now offering. Tuwani is a massive place, now estimated from the recent census at 200,000; we had to define our priorities to know where to begin. The Team decided to first target the parents of the school children, in order to provide a more solid home life for the child, and stabilization for the community. The response was an overwhelming affirmation, not only of their readiness to participate in change, but their understanding of the motivation behind it. Not in one home were we asked for a handout; only for opportunity to work. In a slum this is rare indeed!

3) Team/Staff Development

Staff Changes: During our 2009 trip, we saw a need to increase oversight measures, and enacted new policies to that end. We enlisted the help of Love Mercy in Kitale for money transfers and reporting, and instituted more church involvement to further accountability. Last fall, we received troubling reports which demanded our investigation on the ground.  After many interviews and personal exploration, a difficult but unified decision was made to fire the Preschool Director for abuse of his position, and mishandling of funds. Efforts and prayers are ongoing seeking restitution and the restoration of the man and his family, who were also deeply affected. Though such problems are very common to those working in conditions of extreme poverty, we do not take this lightly, and have further solidified our systems of accountability to avoid such problems.

Going Forward: Despite this painful setback, we are confident that, in the words of AC’s original partner, Pastor Peter Siakama, “The vision is now unstoppable.” Our national staff is now more mature, balanced, and diversified. With the oversight of Pastor Peter, the leadership of Graceway Chapel and the school staff is strong and unified in their passion to see Tuwani transformed. When we arrived, they were completing 40 days of fasting and prayer to that end. Pastors Apollo, Eric, David, and Job all work full time jobs, yet still find time to sacrificially serve, regularly going into the homes to share the love of Christ and to do what they can to meet the desperate needs they encounter. We are so proud of these men and women, and privileged to be “one family” in heart and vision with them. We consider Graceway our home church away from home. Please keep this body in prayer as they daily face overwhelming obstacles, and consider how you can help. The harvest indeed is white; the people are ready to take responsibility, and to have their lives changed.

The staff of the school has grown to twelve. In addition to Job, the Social Worker and Asst. Administrator, and Rose, the school Secretary, there are now 5 teachers, one sub, 2 cooks, and 2 night watchmen. Important part-time additions to the team are Susan, a parent certified in Adult Education Administration, who teaches free literacy classes, and Agnes, a certified Health Worker, who will oversee student health, coordinate clinics, and help with home visits. Agnes, as a Tuwani single mother and successful business woman, has been active in HIV/AIDS counseling and small business training for widows and single moms, and is helping to establish micro business groups.

Training; This has become a priority, as the team grows, and the community outreach becomes more diversified. They are eager to be trained further in administration and reporting methods, and are progressing well. Rose is now certified to teach computer, and was truly blessed to receive a laptop given by the Lee Elementary students. Job and Rose are undergoing classes in Quickbooks, besides receiving weekly hands-on training from our friend who is a bookkeeping professional.

4)      Needs and Vision

Budget Needs: With the 50% increase in students and staff, we find our budget ever increasing. We constantly search for ways to save money without compromising the care of the children. While the preschool will always be free, as long as God provides, we plan to see the primary school become progressively more self-sufficient. Parents are already volunteering help with their children’s uniform and other costs, as they are able, but fees are not required.

The bulk of our annual support comes while we are on the ground in Kenya, which is necessary because of our presence to oversee the spending decisions being made; however, it falls off when we return, so much so that we struggle even to feed the children and pay the salaries. We have a serious and immediate need for donors that will commit to the monthly operations budget. At the end of each month, we need to send a wire for school operations. Committed giving can help us to be able to plan our support in areas beyond the basic priorities, such as development, emergency relief, and expansion of our outreach to Tuwani. We appreciate your consideration in this matter.

Micro business: There is a dire need at this point to develop a comprehensive plan for micro business. Many of these single moms are coming out of lifestyles of prostitution and need wholesome employment, and many parents and guardians only need training and a small initial investment to be better able to support their families. AC is looking for a donor investment of $1000 to begin this vital step toward greater self sufficiency for individuals, the school, the church, and the community.

Community Centre and Bible School: Together with our Kitale team, we envision opening a Bible school that is accessible to the poor, outreach oriented, and practical. We see a clinic, with testing and counseling; vocational and business classes; a community kitchen; a lighthouse for Tuwani. We see the concrete pillars in the back lot, the faith beginnings of a place where all of these dreams can become reality, and remember that “All things are possible with God.” Please join us in prayer, and in this vision that is changing lives. More information on that will be coming in the next newsletter.

The conclusion? Hear it from the ones who are carrying on the work:

Job Mbako: “Without hypocrisy and undue appraisal we can attest to the fact that what has happened within the span of three and a half months outshines what happened in the past six years…Going out into Tuwani community is a pioneer work…For this and many other reasons we cannot fail to pray for our partners and sponsors abroad knowing that this God who has blessed and lifted many people will do the same for all the willing hearts. We are convinced beyond doubt that He is real because of what is happening in Tuwani.”

Eric Wabomba, Pastor at Graceway Chapel: “The church needs to come out of the limited space it has been occupying and play a more active role in preaching a ‘full gospel’ that is more practical… to come out of [its] slumber and establish institutions of learning, health centres and businesses that are run by God fearing men and women. We need to teach people honesty, hard work, selflessness and accountability in order to have a positive impact on the society… It is high time each one of us asked himself this question: What else can I do besides what I have been doing? Remember to whom much is given, much is expected.

When you give someone fish, you make him your slave. But when you give him a fish pond and a net, you liberate him. We need to establish an all round education centre that can accommodate the poor majority in the society, a centre of learning founded on Godly principles, where we equip people to serve God and the society, especially the less fortunate… I dream of an education centre…that offers both formal and non formal instruction in theology, primary education, computer skills and vocational training…

I believe in hard work and honesty. I also believe that people need a vision before they go out on a mission, that people need your agreement before they listen to your argument about Jesus. People need care and equipment before they can adapt your formula; People need a family before an organization; People need a relationship before they need a ritual; and that People need a compassionate touch before they listen to your compelling teachings… May God give us seeds and ideas that are viable as we sort to enlighten our society and ameliorate them from oppression. Amen.”

 Thanks for Reading!

Bob and LuAnn Herring and the AC Team

Every day that we spend visiting the homes of our preschool kids contains as many potential blogs as there are homes. Each visit has its own singularly important “people story”; but every once in a while, one hits me so hard, it will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. Sylvanus is one of those “people stories.”

Today we decided to go to Matisi, which involved renting a taxi, because of the distance of travel. I cringed at spending the money, but since Timo wasn’t going and Bob was sick, we could all fit in a large taxi. That’s 7 kids and 3 adults, besides the driver; and it was on and off rain all afternoon, anyway-a good day to use a taxi. We had 5 homes to visit, in a large area spanning both sides of the highway the school is on, about 5 miles down the road. I was again shocked at how far some of our kids walk to school. The first two we had to let out to walk home, the road was completely impassable. We’ll try to get back on a drier day.

We drove in a large circle, and got out of the car at a path running between fields. The driver stayed with the other kids while we followed Sylvanus another mile back off the road. There were quite a few jumps over ditches and puddles, through fields, around cows…but it was beautiful. A lot more green than in Tuwani, that’s for sure. But, as I was to find out, there are sad stories everywhere, they just are compacted in a tighter frame in Tuwani – with a lot less green around. As we turned a corner between fields, I saw in the distance a young girl in a red sweater running barefoot. She came up to us, saying, “that’s not his house, that’s the grandparents’ house, and they moved”, then ran back to where she came from. But Sylvanus said “no, that’s my house” and led us over a rickety slab bridge to a broken down mud house that appeared abandoned. As he tried the door, he found it was locked. Job, our social worker, and the teacher with us kept asking him, “Is this your home? Where do you live?” He would just nod, pointing at the house, and look around, then down at the ground, totally bewildered. So were we. I took a picture, as we did at every home, but it was so awkward asking him to smile…

As we started to turn the corner to go back, there was the girl in the red sweater, walking toward us with an old lady. I was getting nervous about leaving the taxi for so long, but Job thought he recognized the woman, and we went toward them. As they talked in Swahili, I noticed the woman’s lack of affection demonstrated toward the child; he hung to the side, hands in his pockets, listening sadly to the conversation. She told Job that the boy was the son of his deceased son’s wife, but from a different father. The mother apparently remarried, and left Sylvanus and his brother with the “grandmother”, who really didn’t want to take care of him. The boy stayed with one of her daughters during the week. She explained that they had to move, they just didn’t think to tell him they moved, and really didn’t feel responsible for him anyway, as he’s not a blood relative. Sylvanus just stood there, his total body language screaming the pain of rejection with every cell. I’ve seen a lot, working in the slum, but there have been few sights more heartbreaking.

I took a picture, urging him to stand next to the woman, and she took him home with her, with instructions from Job to visit him at the school the next day. She obviously had information she was not giving out. We discussed visiting a nearby orphanage we trusted to see if they would take Sylvanus. To assist a family like that financially will only serve the family’s needs; if there is no love or commitment to the child, nothing will change for that child in the situation. Sylvanus needs a rescue.

That day we went to four more homes, and though it was getting late, at none of them was there a parent home. They were all at work, or at the shamba (farm), or who knows. Our students were so disappointed and my heart was so heavy. There were very few adults, just so many kids everywhere, an endless maze of mud roads lined with them shouting “muzungu!” or the typical sing-song “How are you?” Little Augustine’s house was actually home to twelve people; the whole house must have been about 8’x10’.

When I got home, I couldn’t even talk about the day without crying. It’s a really, really good thing to be doing this, finding out what the living situations are for these kids; but it hurts. It’s a good hurt, at least to know I’m not getting too used to it all. And the more we know about their situation, the more capable we are to help them. That’s why we’re here.

The next day the grandfather did come to the school. It turned out he had a stroke, is basically blind, and is partially paralyzed, and the grandmother supports the family. Though the placement of blame may not be so clear, the plight of Sylvanus remains the same; he has no secure home, and he feels no one wants him. He came to school the next day crying.

We visited the “grandparents” home again, to see If they would be willing to sign permission for someone to take in Sylvanus. What an interesting house, what a poor house! There we met four year old Peter, the bedraggled, underfed little brother. The grandfather confirmed what was the obvious; with 6 children to care for, they would welcome someone taking the 2 boys.

Little Peter came to school the next Monday, so excited to get his new uniform and lunch!

Continuing to pursue this, we went to see the “aunt”, who lived in Tuwani, and watched Sylvanus sometimes so he could walk to school. It turned out that Bob had already visited her and her husband with Pastor David, because they are school parents! We found them to be rare not only in the fact that both parents are there, but they were better off, having land, and a large garden near the spring. It was a beautiful walk, it didn’t seem we were in Tuwani; by the time we reached the place, we had about 20 kids following, some we knew as our own.

The mama was welcoming, but I noticed right away she was not warm with Sylvanus. As we engaged with her (thank God for Job interpreting in Swahili!), the conversation became increasingly more honest. In short, the boy is there because the husband is distantly related; she didn’t want to take care of him. I guess that is common in Kenya, blood is often a big factor. She had already sent Peter, back to the home in Matisi, which was at least 5 miles for the 4 year old to walk. She reluctantly agreed to let them stay that night, as it was too late to take them home; we had to promise we weren’t trying to trick her into keeping them! I watched Sylvanus’ face drop, and as we left and turned the corner, I glanced back to see him in the doorway, bearing the same face of rejection I had seen outside the house in Bidii. We had to find him a home, not only where he would be fed, but where he would be loved.

We began pursuing the possibility of a particular church family taking him in; it wasn’t that hard. The day after our first visit with Sylvanus, I was telling Job and a couple of the pastors about it, we all became really broken. A bit later Pastor David, who had just taken in Nevin and his sister last year when their father was murdered, shared that he would like to help, but had to ask his wife. They had just borne their first child, a miracle after 14 years of waiting and prayer. His wife had been fighting with malaria the whole pregnancy, hindering his ability to work; their finances were already in trouble. We visited their home twice, and I saw how happy Nevin was there, and how he truly knew them as his parents now. It would be a great home.

We waited, and after returning to America, received this wonderful report: David and Ruth had visited the “family”, and had now taken in the two little boys, Sylvanus and Peter. They needed help with mattresses and clothes, not only for these, but their other two orphans.

This is not a small matter to the Heavenly Father of these two guys; He is jealous over them, He wants to see them loved the way He would. That’s what the Body of Christ is for, to be His hands and feet, expressing His heart until He returns again. This whole episode made me realize that all over again, and also, what this little school means to these kids. Thank God Sylvanus, and so many others, have the stability of the Care Centre, with the nurture of a loving staff – and a church where the members are willing to sacrifice to show His love.

Rose has lived in Tuwani as a single parent for many years. Two of her children attend Neema Care Centre, the free preschool Africa Connect supports. Abandoned by her husband, she struggled to feed and clothe her children, finally resorting to making and selling changa’a (a strong homemade liquor) for a living. Then came the inevitable sexual abuse by her customers, turning into a life of prostitution and more and more babies. The day we met Rose, we were visiting the parents/guardians of our students; among the many impoverished homes we had visited, hers was uniquely overwhelming for me to be in. It was so dark, I couldn’t even see her face for some time. There was one chair to sit on, the lone table was covered with a dirty linen; a torn blanket hid the rest of the room. The smell of alcohol was present, but the reek of oppression and despair was debilitating. For the first time in Tuwani, I felt utterly hopeless to give even consolation, let alone answers. I was so thankful I was not alone, but part of a team – Apollo, the head pastor of Graceway, his wife Rose, our school secretary, and the school social worker, Job, were with me.
I prayed, introduced myself, and began talking about God’s love, and the importance of the family to God. The children in the school are being fed, clothed, educated, and shown the love that God has for them; what good is it, though, if the home does not reflect the same understanding and values? After some time, Apollo and Rose ended up praying with Rose and her daughter, Nancy, to receive Christ. Nancy was suffering from malaria, with no money for meds; she and her two children had been abandoned by her husband, and she was visiting her mother. Outside in the light, we took a picture, and (through Job) gave Nancy some money for malaria medicine. As we walked away, Apollo told me that Rose had around 6 children, was HIV positive, and would be the first mother to be offered small business training and, if she was diligent, funding to begin a business. Frankly, I had doubts as to the reality of a life change.
Agnes, a single mom of Tuwani herself, is now working on staff in the areas of student health care and clinics, social work, and small business for the single moms and widows. On my last day in Tuwani, Agnes and I were attempting to make one last home visit, but were stranded under a roof overhang by a sudden downpour. She spoke to me about Tuwani, her own history, and about Rose. I was thrilled to hear that Rose had been coming to church faithfully, was learning to read and write in the literacy classes, and had, with Agnes’ help, started a new business selling bananas. Other church members had been giving her food and helping out of their own meager resources for some time. No longer was she selling changa’a, nor herself, nor were her children trapped in that lifestyle of degradation. She was receiving HIV/AIDS counseling, and was truly a new woman with hope, on the threshold of a meaningful and productive life.
Rose is just one of these women; there are now several, the forerunners of many more to find real life, even in Tuwani. I remember at the last Parent’s meeting, I said to them, “Many of you can’t leave Tuwani; what I suggest to you is, if you can’t leave Tuwani, be part of changing Tuwani!” I was stunned at the response to that challenge; they clapped and shouted their agreement. They were ready.
There is very little we can do, as Westerners, to change the entire way of life of a place like Tuwani. But if we can be the hands of God to be a catalyst, to bring hope and inspiration and tools and training, we can empower the people who live there as the true agents of change. They alone can sing to their peers, with their own story behind them, “I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”

LuAnn Herring, May 2010

THE BURDEN
BY Eric Wabomba, Asst. Pastor, Graceway Harvest Chapel

Total liberation of our community requires equipment of the soul and the spirit (with proper moral values) as well as the mind (with skills and attitudes that are practicable. An average human mind is bound to be corrupt, wicked and immoral especially when not engaged in the right direction, or idle for that matter. It is so with the learned and illiterate, Christians as well as non-Christians. It is against this backdrop that we have rampant spiritual and moral decay in our nation. We hear of rape, robbery with violence, tribal wars and other social vices, almost daily.
In Kenya especially the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. There are so many illiterate people, amidst so many learned people and helpless ones against the rich few, who are so insecure. The church has existed and preached the gospel using the same old methods, for years on end, yet very little seems to be changing. Handouts, crusades and revival meetings seem to be bearing negligible and meager fruits. In fact, we have been experiencing diminishing returns. The church has cowed down and relegated itself into a corner somewhere for lack of tangible evidence of their faith.
A wake up call:
The church needs to come out of the limited space it has been occupying and play a more active role in preaching a “full gospel” that is more practical. For a long time, the church (especially the evangelical churches) has had a split personality syndrome. We have said that there is the spiritual and the secular, that the spiritual is good but the secular is bad; that man can live by faith without hard work; that the body is not important after all; that people should live today as they prepare to go to heaven. As a result of this, our churches are full of lazy, excited and uninnovative people, who are so heavenly bound but of no earthly good. To me this is escapism and departure from reality.
This myopic approach to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has left the major decisions and opportunities into the hands of the wicked, as the church plays a subordinate and defensive role from the periphery.
The church needs to come out of this slumber and establish institutions of learning, health centres and businesses that are run by Spirit filled and God fearing men and women. We need to teach people honesty, hard work, selflessness and accountability in order to have a positive impact on the society. Otherwise what report are we going to take to heaven? That we were defeated? That we preached the gospel and people refused to get saved? This is defeatism and we need to come out of it. It is high time each one of us asked himself/herself this question: What else can I do besides what I have been doing? Remember to whom much is given, much is expected.
Approach/Methodology
When you give someone fish, you make him your slave. But when you give him a fish pond and a net, you liberate him. We need to establish an all round education centre that can accommodate the poor majority in the society, a centre of learning founded on Godly principles, where we equip people to serve God and the society (especially the less fortunate members of our society). I dream of an education centre under the church umbrella that offers both formal and non formal instruction in theology, primary education, computer skills and vocational training. There is a very wide catchment of unemployed teachers and instructors in Kenya. We can tap from such (especially the born again ones).
I believe in hard work and honesty. I also believe that people need a vision before they go out on a mission, that people need your agreement before they listen to your argument about Jesus. People need care and equipment before they can adapt your formula; People need a family before an organization; People need a relationship before they need a ritual; and that People need a compassionate touch before they listen to your compelling teachings. All things are possible unto them that believe. May God give us seeds and ideas that are viable as we sort to enlighten our society and ameliorate them from the oppression of the devil. Amen.

THE BURDEN
BY Eric Wabomba

Total liberation of our community requires equipment of the soul and the spirit (with proper moral values) as well as the mind (with skills and attitudes that are practicable. An average human mind is bound to be corrupt, wicked and immoral especially when not engaged in the right direction, or idle for that matter. It is so with the learned and illiterate, Christians as well as non-Christians. It is against this backdrop that we have rampant spiritual and moral decay in our nation. We hear of rape, robbery with violence, tribal wars and other social vices, almost daily.
In Kenya especially the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. There are so many illiterate people, amidst so many learned people and helpless ones against the rich few, who are so insecure. The church has existed and preached the gospel using the same old methods, for years on end, yet very little seems to be changing. Handouts, crusades and revival meetings seem to be bearing negligible and meager fruits. In fact, we have been experiencing diminishing returns. The church has cowed down and relegated itself into a corner somewhere for lack of tangible evidence of their faith.
A wake up call:
The church needs to come out of the limited space it has been occupying and play a more active role in preaching a “full gospel” that is more practical. For a long time, the church (especially the evangelical churches) has had a split personality syndrome. We have said that there is the spiritual and the secular, that the spiritual is good but the secular is bad; that man can live by faith without hard work; that the body is not important after all; that people should live today as they prepare to go to heaven. As a result of this, our churches are full of lazy, excited and uninnovative people, who are so heavenly bound but of no earthly good. To me this is escapism and departure from reality.
This myopic approach to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has left the major decisions and opportunities into the hands of the wicked, as the church plays a subordinate and defensive role from the periphery.
The church needs to come out of this slumber and establish institutions of learning, health centres and businesses that are run by Spirit filled and God fearing men and women. We need to teach people honesty, hard work, selflessness and accountability in order to have a positive impact on the society. Otherwise what report are we going to take to heaven? That we were defeated? That we preached the gospel and people refused to get saved? This is defeatism and we need to come out of it. It is high time each one of us asked himself/herself this question: What else can I do besides what I have been doing? Remember to whom much is given, much is expected.
Approach/Methodology
When you give someone fish, you make him your slave. But when you give him a fish pond and a net, you liberate him. We need to establish an all round education centre that can accommodate the poor majority in the society, a centre of learning founded on Godly principles, where we equip people to serve God and the society (especially the less fortunate members of our society). I dream of an education centre under the church umbrella that offers both formal and non formal instruction in theology, primary education, computer skills and vocational training. There is a very wide catchment of unemployed teachers and instructors in Kenya. We can tap from such (especially the born again ones).
I believe in hard work and honesty. I also believe that people need a vision before they go out on a mission, that people need your agreement before they listen to your argument about Jesus. People need care and equipment before they can adapt your formula; People need a family before an organization; People need a relationship before they need a ritual; and that People need a compassionate touch before they listen to your compelling teachings. All things are possible unto them that believe. May God give us seeds and ideas that are viable as we sort to enlighten our society and ameliorate them from the oppression of the devil. Amen.

Hello, Friends,
I apologize for the scarcity of blogs during this trip. We are very busy these days, trying to use the remaining weeks to the best advantage. We have so much to do! But there are so many wonderful things happening, I have to share some of it, or it will just to be too overwhelming to tell when we get home. Right now I am recuperating from typhoid, forced by that and the rain to spend a day at home, staying in bed with the computer on my lap. I won’t try to be comprehensive, will save that for the quarterly newsletter that also I need to write; instead, I’ll tell you some recent events to catch you up to speed on the progress here.
After about 3 weeks of visiting the homes of the students in the slum, we held our first Community Meeting for the parents. We had been telling them that we realized that everything we are doing for their children in the preschool, and now primary school, would have really limited effect if the home was not a place that complemented that. The whole family needed to be involved.
Tuwani is a huge place, full of prostitution, guns, gambling, rape, theft, disease, desperation and despair, make no mistake about it. Yet in that environment, you will find such a range of attitudes. Some of the mud homes are decorated with plants outside the door, and attempts to make a drop ceiling of sorts, with newspapers hung from strings. The lace on the table or over the chair will be clean, and blankets, though old and threadbare, hung neatly to separate the sleeping area. The floor will be swept, the windows open – in one house, there was even a plastic sheet in the roof, and ivy was growing inside! In fact, it seems the amount of light in the room often reflects the spiritual state of the inhabitants. Some homes will be so dark, your eyes have to adjust from the afternoon sun to be able to see the hostess. The few belongings will be piled in the corners, or on the chairs, the plastic over the windows smeared with mud from many rainstorms. The children’s uniforms will be filthy, their faces and hair unwashed with spots of fungus. There are always exceptions, though; old women with radiant faces, who just plain have no way to make things better, or a young mom who is poorer than most, because she refuses to cave into selling her body to feed her four children. Those are the most heartbreaking, and motivating cases for me. But I them all these people. Bob and Timo would say the same.
So, the 140 students of Neema Care Centre were released Wed. afternoon with instructions to bring their parents. We’ve never seen such screaming enthusiasm, even from them! Before long, the church was full, in total 90 parents came, quite the turnout. This was not just a Parent’s meeting, but a beginning of weekly classes with a focused purpose: to evaluate the different need groups, train in business principles and literacy, to start, with a goal to develop the ones that are serious by starting small businesses, computer and vocational training, and finally referrals to microbusiness and loan companies geared to their situations. However, as Peter addressed the parents, it was made clear that all these offerings would be based on, and saturated with teachings of Biblical life principles. The Word of God, and the Love of God, is what will stabilize them and best create a platform for these skills to be used to the greatest advantage for their families. About 10% of the crowd was men; Peter asked “Where are the men?” One woman answered, “Most of them are dead.” Indeed, many of these women are refugees of tribal conflict, drought, and AIDS. In this area, unemployment is estimated at around 80%; options are few.
I was able to speak to them, grateful for the opportunity to thank them for welcoming us in their homes, and to share something that I was confident would help them; the love that God had for them. I told them I couldn’t understand their situation, because “at the end of the day, I can leave. Many of you can’t leave Tuwani; so I say, why don’t we change Tuwani.” I was shocked at their enthusiastic applause. They are ready. I spoke on John 4, about how Jesus left Jerusalem, the place that was seen as “good”, walking a long distance to go to a forbidden area, to speak to a woman who was rejected and frowned upon. He sought her out, because He saw past her current condition; His eyes saw the woman that would receive the life He offered, turn in simple faith from her life of shame, and become a woman that would forever impact the territory she lived in. When the interpreter invited any who would like to commit to become a Christian to come forward, 9 women and 1 man courageously did so. From my 56 years on this planet, there is nothing more rewarding. Two of the women were Muslim, one of those Elizabeth, a young mom due to have a baby next week, whom I had spent time with just the day before. Her husband being Muslim, she is risking much for this decision, you could see the gravity of it in her eyes. Five of these people came to church Sunday, and the man stood and testified that he had been instantly delivered from alcohol.
Every time we go on home visits, at least one mom or neighbor will make a decision for Christ. Last Friday, March 12, we were in one home in which a single parent named Rose, pregnant with 6 children, seller of chang’a and herself, did so, along with her young daughter. Nancy had recently been forced to return to Tuwani with her two small children when her husband suddenly divorced her. Pastor Apollo and his wife had spoken to them in Swahili; he told me Rose would be one of the first to be offered small business training, and perhaps start-up funds if she remained serious.
The church we partner with, Graceway Harvest Chapel, has really taken up this vision of reaching out to the community, and now consider themselves a Community Center. The 16+ cement pillars throughout the plot stand as a monument to their patient faith that they will have a clinic, vocational training, counseling services and a kitchen for feeding programs. On our arrival in January, they were just finishing a 40 day fast to that end. We are now confident that, though our presence has somehow acted as a catalyst, that the outreach and diversified development programs will continue. It is not just our vision, it is now their own. That was always the intention, and it is truly so exciting, to see it coming to pass! Church services have been incredible, with new people turning to Christ every service.
We envisioned the resources of transformation springing out of the community; we also see this happening. One of the parents, Susan, is certified as an adult education supervisor, and as of the Wednesday meeting, now has 25 enthusiastic literacy students signed up! Another aunt of one of our students, who received Christ last week during a home visit, is trained in HIV aid and counseling, and has offered her services. A pastor in the church, David, is highly experienced in business, and had been hired by a microfinance company to monitor their group loan projects. He has volunteered to take leadership in this. We have challenged the leaders of the church to come up with a comprehensive business plan for adult education, small business empowerment, and ways to develop progressive self-sustainability for the primary school and other projects. They have committed to do this before we leave (April 13); if the plan is suitable to our AC Team at home, we will in turn offer the first $1000 as a foundational investment. The rest will be up to them. That’s trusting the $1000 will come in!
The new primary building is nearing completion, though we are out of funds for that, or anything else for that matter. Two of the rooms are cemented and in use by Grades 1 and 2. We want to use the other two for adult education, and have purchased a manual Singer sewing machine for that purpose, and also to make uniforms for our preschool students. The well is running nicely, but still needs to be piped to the new utility sink and water tower. We have cemented the current office, in order to keep the dust down for the sake of the staff and the new laptop donated by the Lee Elementary students, but hope to convert another area to a larger office. The school secretary, Rose, is soon completing Computer and Quickbooks Training, and will then be certified to teach computer. Much is in process to continually tighten up the accountability and reporting system. We have diversified the staff, and further empowered our accountant at Love Mercy.
As you can see, there is a lot of progress going on, but there is much more to do; the more we can oversee while on the ground in Kenya, the better. We really appreciate the support we have been receiving, and continue to ask for your help if you are able. We now have Paypal on our website at www.africaconnect.org, which is great for emergency funds, but a check in the mail to PO Box 598, Lee, MA 10238, will avoid the finance charges, meaning more of your donation hits the ground. But if you are able to mail something, please send it soon! We only have 3 weeks!
Thank you for reading, and if you are praying, it helps to explain the successes going on here. Please don’t stop. In fact, if you could gather a small group to purposefully pray for AC and for Bob, Timo, and I here, we would so appreciate it. We are pioneering an unusual work, and the challenges, and spiritual battles, are great. We hope for good health for the rest of our time, and for the grace to be able to, once more, leave these people we have grown to love so much.
Blessings!
LuAnn, for Bob and Timo, Africa Connect Team

Home Visits, March 11

One of the highlights, and maybe the main purpose we are in Kenya this year, are the visits to the homes of the children that attend the Care Centre. Most of the students live in Tuwani, though there are now children travelling from Lessos, Matisi, and Bidii. We wait for the children to be dismissed, around 3pm, the teachers separate a group of children from the same general area, and they show us where their homes are. They are so proud and excited, leading us through their neighborhood. Yesterday we went to visit the homes of the two students that live in Bidii; this day we had to take a taxi, because it was so far, and Bob was feeling pretty sick and weak. As we rode along, passing from crowded houses into fields dotted with tree groves and an occasional group of homes, we couldn’t believe how far we had gone. The kids, Ferdinand and Alvin, had never ridden in a taxi before-and we just drove at least 7 miles! Ferdinand gets a ride on a boda boda with his neighbor sometimes, but 7 year old Alvin walks the 8 miles every day, to and from school! He lives a ways back off the road, in a swampy area that often has their maize crop ruined when the rains get hard. The mom, Jennifer, was so happy to have us visit, as we were leaving she gave us a chicken! A visiting neighbor told us the chickens had just dug up the sorghum they planted, and I made a joke about maybe we should eat the chickens. Then one walked in past my chair, (there were only two chairs in the house) and I commented how nice a chicken it was. Well, that was now our chicken. We brought it home to Abraham at Karibuni, he said he’d cook it up for us before we left for America. We had to promise Timo we’d let him be the one to kill it…Africa does strange things to people.

Today was tougher, but beautiful too. Not uncommon to have that mix here. Tuwani is really huge. As soon as I get a few blocks from the school, I’m totally lost, it’s an endless maze of mud row houses, sewage ditches, run down kiosks, chickens, sheep, cows, and always lots of raggedy, cute kids yelling, “muzungu!” or “How are you?”, which is the only English they know. There’s mamas, selling vegetables, grilling corn, frying chips, or sitting empty-eyed waiting for some better fortune to come their way. Then there’s the drunk men either glaring at you or staggering over to ask for “lunch” money or, on a good day, to tell you “welcome”. The occasional grassy field is littered with plastic bags tied on one end…Job, our social worker, told me he calls them “flying toilets”. There’s no outhouses in those areas.

I remember one house, the smallest darkest home of the week, populated by a sweet young single mom with six children. She is a friend of one of our teachers, Judith, and babysits for her two year old. She is also the mother of Jessica and Derek, two of our new Pathfinder students this year, and wants to learn how to plait hair to make some money. As I left her house and turned the corner, I had to quick jump with one foot over a dead rat, then with the next foot over a sewage ditch, then quick turn through a very small barbed wire-laced iron gate. The people are starting to get used to us being there, but every time we go further out to a new zone, there’s little kids who obviously have never seen a white person before. Some cry, some just stand open mouthed, and some run up to touch your arm real quick and run away…just to say they touched white skin, or see how it feels, I guess.

The moms have been incredibly grateful to have us in their homes. They are usually shocked when we first walk in, moving things around so we have some place to sit. They really seem to get it that we’re not here to hand out money, because not once has a mom asked us for shillings or anything. Except maybe prayer that she could get a job. If there is an extreme emergency, like a young mom with malaria and no money to get medicine, we’ll give it to Job and he tells her it’s from the school emergency fund, which it really is, if there is enough money in the fund. Once they see us reach in our pocket for one person, it’s all over. The line-up would be miles long. We have to trust the same God that we tell them cares about them and wants to help them, and look for an avenue in case we’re to be part of the solution.

One such case is Ruth. Every time her name comes up, tears well up in me, and it’s the same with Bob; she seems the epitome of what this is all about. Ruth is a stick thin elderly grandmother with eyes that go so deep…such joy in those eyes. We had been driving for hours through a tight maze of horrible roads, compounds and fields called Lessos, which starts across the road from our school. Bob was sick, and it would have taken many hours to walk. We came to the last house, belonging to Peter from baby class. We went down an alley with half-shredded linens on the line, into the smallest home we had seen yet. It must have been 6’x8’; there was no blanket hung to separate a space for the bedroom, there was no bedroom – only one thin piece of foam and a couple of folded blankets for her and her 3 grandchildren she was caring for. There was little space to stand, and the only piece of furniture in the whole house was a low table. We saw no stores of maize or oil or soap, no suitcases stuffed with clothes, no shoes. Ruth had been chased off her farm in the hill country during the post election violence of 2008, her husband had been killed by the “other” tribe. Her daughter died, leaving her children with Ruth; she had been raising Peter since he was eight months old. Now, she watched someone else’s animals for a little money every day, trying to feed them all. It was the poorest home we’d been in. We invited her to the Community Meeting next Wed, and prayed for her, returning to the taxi absolutely broken. Peter, our driver, heard us talking about her, and a few days later sent a bag of maize to her house via the school staff, and gave her 100 shillings to be able to grind it. He told us she can’t even pay the 2-300 shillings per month rent for her place, we’re going to help her out. But for a better solution, we called an American friend that works here that night, knowing that his focus is home care for situations just like this grandmother’s. His social worker, Anne, would visit Ruth with our social worker, Job, and do an assessment. One of the children Ruth cares for is a 14 year old girl who had to leave school after 8th grade, and is wandering around idle. If his NGO can help, they will comprehensively help all the children in the home in a long term solution. It’s so great to work with other organizations, to help fill in the endless gaps.

Since then, Ruth has appeared in the school office a couple of times, and we gave her lunch. She received the bowl of mixed maize and beans thankfully, then asked if it could be reheated, as only an African grandmother could. We took her picture in front of the world map; this is the way global transformation will work, one person, one family at a time. Ruth is incredibly important to God, you can see it in her eyes. And if I ever begin to doubt that His love is enough, in every situation, I think of Ruth, and am challenged again to get back to Square One.

4/15/09 

Wow. What a historical day!

After buying our tickets to get to Nairobi on Monday, we headed over to the school to meet with the team doing the distribution today. The team was not the usual one; in the past, Wycliffe had called the parents and the guardians to the school during the holiday months of April, August, and December, to give them beans or maize. The school children’s ability to find food outside of school during that month is really dubious and can put them in extremely unhealthy situations. These distributions assure that the families will have at least some food, and helps them to feel more involved in the school and in the care of the children.

Today, however, was different. Today, the children were going to lead the adults out into the streets of Tuwani, for they knew where all 100 homes were. Besides the practical reasons, it would also serve as a wonderful object lesson for us adults, to follow these little “generals”, as Wycliffe called them. It is a powerful thing, a simple visit to a destitute home in the slum – but to bring along food, a kind word of encouragement, maybe a prayer, and this time, a mosquito net – for some, this is unforgettable. The kids understand what it means.

On Easter Sunday, Peter had surprised the congregation by calling up 30 proven lay leaders and assistant pastors to the front, asking them to please help him to reach Tuwani. He announced that no longer was this Sunday service to be considered church; it was more of a celebration. From now on, church was out in the community, and our experience as a church would be serving the people of Tuwani. He asked them to set aside time for training, and to gather ten people each to begin a cell group in their neighborhood. And the first step would be helping to deliver food to the children’s homes in their area, and beginning relationships through that. They agreed, committed themselves to God, and the revolution began.

Apollo and another pastor, Eric, had come early to join Bradley and Job in sorting all the maize and beans into 200 smaller bags, and combining them in a package with soap and a mosquito net.  About 10 mamas showed up, despite the fact that it was a work day and planting season. With Irene, Pastor Peter, Sammy, Wycliffe and two of our teachers, we now had a good sized team, to be able to hit 100 houses in less than two hours. As a bonus, Boniface and his wife, and Pastor Mark from Mt Elgon, happened to arrive for a visit, and they were promptly handed a bag of beans and maize and became commandeered by the children.

The leaders organized the teams according to the number of student’s houses in the various neighborhoods, and we prayed and sent each team out with cheers. What a joy to see those teams go out! This was a fulfillment of years of dreaming and praying. I remembered having dinner with Daniel Lipparelli early on in the trip, during which he was describing a distribution method that was quick, effective, and didn’t attract much attention. As he described the pre-packaging of the bundles, assigned to prearranged families, and the simultaneous group distribution, I was overwhelmed with the thought, this is what the Church should be doing! This is ideally the job of the Kenyan church, not muzungu organizations! On mentioning it to Peter, he had loved the idea, but said, “We just need someone to show us how to do it.” Now, here we were, the Church, doing the job of the Church. Our team was merely connecting them to the reality of it, and again, to the resource and power of the children.

Peter, Wycliffe, Bob and I were the only team without a child general; we had a special mission. We returned first to Kelvin’s house, to find his mother out, and the neighbor lady caring for him. We went back into his house with him, with all the neighbors hovering near. The neighbor explained to us that Kelvin’s mom was desperately looking for another place to live, as that mud room carried such horrific memories, even etched in the burnt walls. The ex-boyfriend, who had come in the night, piled pillows and mattresses on top of the children, and set them on fire, was still threatening the family. The little brother had died, and they lived in stark fear. Peter told us that the man was a Pokot; this tribe is noted for their revenge, a revenge that will not be appeased until death. Just yesterday, they started a new series of raids in Cherangani, and had killed a policeman and several people.

Kelvin was still in shock, completely unresponsive to our efforts to comfort or converse with him. I took out a blanket that a grandma in America had made, big, soft, and blue, and wrapped it around him, hugging him. I spoke to him about God’s love and His desire for him to be happy and whole again, and that he could think of the blanket as the loving arms of Jesus wrapped around him. Peter was so moved by the child’s obvious trauma, he determined to pursue counseling him, and poured his heart out in prayer for him, for his mind, his healing, his destiny. The neighbor lady promised to cook up the food for him, and we told her we would return to take him back to school with us. He hadn’t been to school during the month he had been out of the hospital.

 
From Kelvin’s house, we went to check out another desperate situation. Wycliffe had received a report from some neighbors, that two preschool aged children had been locked inside a compound, uncared for, for nearly four months. The mother had abandoned them, and the father worked as a watchman by night, and a street hawker by day; he was never there. We were met by Samuel, the young landlord, who led us to a larger plot, surrounded by high tin walls, and unlocked the solid gate. Inside, 3 women were tilling the ground to plant some vegetables, but didn’t live there, they only rented the farming space. Samuel took us to the two little boys, Emmanuel and Junior, about 5 and 3. They were so dirty, covered with skin diseases, and from the telltale thinning hair and bloated bellies and limbs, very malnourished. Beyond that, it was obvious they had virtually no nurturing or socialization whatsoever. Emmanuel didn’t speak, and was very unresponsive. When Bob tried to give him a hug, he screamed, not in fear of a muzungu, but because he didn’t know what Bob was doing to him. I know it sounds hard to believe, but they didn’t know how to smile. As we spent time with them, and especially when we gave them the bags of food, they began to lose some fear and relax a bit – you could see them trying to imitate us smiling, especially for the camera – but they didn’t know how to do it. This is not just my interpretation; Peter and Wycliffe said it, then we had to agree. Kids who can’t smile? Extreme poverty is like the universe out of joint.

When Bob finally bent and picked up Junior, the little guy’s tense fear slowly settled into acceptance. Then he began clinging to him, like he never wanted to be put down. So heartbreaking. Wycliffe started talking to the five year old about school, and in his wonderful animated way began drawing letters and numbers on the ground; we were shocked when Emmanuel began eagerly copying his movements. He was disoriented with malnutrition, but eager to learn. He was the most withdrawn, but after some time, he let Bob pick him up, though still reserved. Then I picked him up, and held him as a mother would. He was so filthy, but this was no time to think about that. He hugged me back. From our first impressions, we would never have believed it.

 

Peter said that if we called the police or social services, they would arrest the father and throw him in jail. Then who would care for the kids? His first impression was that we should take them into the school. We have a limit of 100…but I don’t even see how we can say no. As we were leaving, we gave one of the ladies 200 shillings and asked her to cook them some food; we believe she will. She was one of the people who reported it. She, the two other ladies, and the landlord, Samuel, all said they would go to church Sunday, without us even inviting them.

As we walked back, Peter was so excited, he was like a little kid. He told me that after years of studying evangelism and church growth methods from all these noted ministries, he realized that the answer was so simple, and right in their hand. To go out to the people, to meet their physical needs with love, caused them to see a bit of Jesus, and they will come to know more. He said “I have done so many things, been in so many kinds of ministry, but nothing makes me happier than this! We have found it, not by copying others, but by looking to God for His strategy. And now, after all my talking to the congregation about them being the church, not me, they are finally getting it! They are doing it! This is the way they will grow as leaders!” He also noted that Boniface, Mark, and Eric, pastors that visited from other areas, are now excited, and will begin doing this in their communities also. Really, it’s a spiritual revolution.

So why does it take us so long to see this, when it was exactly what Jesus said, and what Jesus did? Religion is so spirit-numbing, it hinders us from assimilating the most foundational principles. It’s taken a long time to strip away those layers of self-conscious fog, but I believe many of us are entering into the reality of the gospel; and our lives promise to be very exciting because of it. More importantly, other lives can be rescued from this living death! Finally, those who need it and hunger after it most, will see it is attainable for them, too. The ones that God always considered priority, are finally getting to sit at our table with us-and we will be serving them. As Wycliffe said, “I want these children to go out to learn to serve the community. When I am gone, it will be natural for them, for they have grown up serving others.” Only as a child…

As we gathered in the school yard to thank God together, we found Kelvin, now bathed and decked out in his new uniform, backpack, and sandals. But though changed outwardly, his heart is just as damaged. How can he get his childhood back? If we can keep him in the school, he has a chance; at least he’s in the right place for it to begin.

 

We called Wycliffe around 7:00 pm to find he was still at school, giggling on the phone that he couldn’t leave, because so many people kept coming to thank him, and tell them how happy we had all made the community! Peter called it “A day better than any I’ve ever known!”

As reports from the other teams came in, we heard that they experienced the same type of response from the people; respectful, sober promises to come to church.

We’re not only going to need more chairs, we’ll need a much larger building ….but that’s another chapter.

Addendum, 4-28-09:

I am home now in America, recovering from a somewhat traumatic departure from Kenya. With a combination of typhoid, malaria, and pneumonia, the kindness and prayers of the saints literally got me home. As soon as I was able, I had to call Wycliffe, to hear his voice and get the latest report on these kids. It was mixed; on returning to Kelvin’s house, they found not only the house empty, but all the neighbors gone, too. In my mind, I imagine the abuser returned, threatening not only the boy and his mother, but the neighbors who helped her, too. I hope that isn’t true, but I don’t know if we’ll ever see him again.

However, our team there returned to see Emmanuel and Junior with some clothes purchased at my request. They were shocked not only to find the father there with the boys, but the kids looking better already, from the beans and maize we had brought the first visit. The father was so thankful for the hope we had brought to his children, he promised to come to church on Sunday and agreed to let the boys come to the school! As of May first, Emmanuel and Junior will be students of Neema Care Centre! Thank God.

Ingram’s grandmother was moved out of Tuwani by her family, who built her a house on family land. His uncle came to us, asking if he found someone to care for Ingram, if he could stay in the school. He was so happy here, he didn’t want to leave. We agreed, of course; we hope he comes.