Day 6 in Meru

Our weekend was full of opportunities to experience Meru life.

Friday night we ate dinner at Rev. Elijah Mwirigi's home. His wife, Pricilla, is an amazing gardener, and gracious hostess. She keeps a "shamba" (garden) full of all sorts of tropical fruits and vegetables, 2 goats, 1 cow, and 100 chickens. Getting to know them a bit that night was a joy. Our only challenge was the discovery of a flat tire on our van as we exited the house. Good thing our driver, Joshua, is quick at changing tires!

We were invited by Rev. Elijah to attend a wedding on Saturday. Cultural note here: when someone gets married in Kenya, the bride and groom invite their friends and family, and then friends and family invite their own friends and family as well - invite 100, expect 1000 to come! The son of the presiding bishop of the East African Methodist Church (Rev. Stephen Kanyaru, whose home we visited during our 2005 trip) was getting married at Kenya Methodist University (KEMU for short) right here in Meru. We were a bit of a spectacle to the children sitting around us at the reception - lots of giggles and staring - but we enjoyed the experience. Seeing the women singing and dancing, and the formalities of gift-giving, cake-cutting, and speeches from friends and family gave us a window into Kenyan celebrations. Because the groom was from such a well-known and well-off family, this particular wedding was attended by well over 1000 people. Amazing.

Saturday night we met once more with the Hope Board, and accomplished quite a bit. Unfortunately, Peter and Josephine were unable to join us, as they had visited Peter's mom in the village while we were at the wedding, and the car they were driving died on them just as they left his mom's home. They ended up having to wait until late in the evening for Peter's brother, Harun, to find them and fix the car.

For Sunday worship, we split into 2 groups: Karen, the Mburugus, and I joined Esther and her husband Joshua at their church, while Bob and Greg joined Rev. Elijah and Pricilla at their church. Esther and Joshua's church is a very small, young, somewhat charismatic congregation, while Elijah's is older and more traditional. The fun part for Greg and Bob was that this was Youth Sunday at that church, so the youth were in charge of the morning.

We all met up at Esther and Joshua's for lunch, and were joined by several friends of theirs. A great afternoon of fellowship and food.

Sunday night, the Board met one last time - this time without us Americans, so that they could sort out details on their own. Peter had to leave for Nairobi this morning, so we hope they got enough accomplished to feel peaceful about leaving.

This morning (Monday), we visited the HIV/AIDS clinic at Meru General Hospital. Our new friend, Lawrence, visits there every morning to provide counseling for the families affected by the disease. Mondays are especially for children - some with parents, some orphaned. We took the blankets from UPPC's VBS, and the notes the VBS children wrote and gave these out to the children we met at the clinic. The blankets will be such a blessing to those kids.

The rest of today is our chance to catch up with the few sponsored kids who did not attend the seminar, including Dorothy, to whom we will deliver a wheelchair! Almost done with our time in Meru - hard to believe.

Please continue to pray for health for all of us (so far, so good), for safe travels as we drive around the village today, and for a safe journey back to Nairobi tomorrow.

Greg's Reflections on Friday's Seminar

Greetings from (the new) Kenya--

I'm in a cybercafe in Meru right now with my colleagues from UPPC, specifically Bob Mohr, Emily Bosh, and Karen Lau. (Peter and Josephine Mburugu and their daughter Joy are also with us on the trip but off running errands right now.) It's my first chance to review email, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to check in.

It was especially touching to me that many of our sponsored children, who have never met us but received photos in our correspondence, asked after my wife, Peggy. This included three students from universities as far away as Eldoret, a full day's travel to the west of Meru, who had come simply to express directly their gratitude for the support we had been led by the grace of God to provide to them during their high school years. The Spirit-given poise and grace of these young people is simply amazing to behold! I can assure those of you who currently sponsor children in this program that you are doing a wonderful thing indeed!

I'll share more when I return. Meanwhile, may God's Peace be with each of you.

Karen's Reflections on Meeting Eric Gitonga

It was our great honor to have a chance to share a meal with our first sponsored child, Eric Gitonga, earlier this week. Eric is on break from the university and taking a course in Nairobi before he goes back to school in September. We met him at a restaurant in the YaYa shopping plaza. He was a quiet young man with a great smile. His concern kept coming back to Sharon Moffitt (his sponsor, who he calls "Mom") and her family. It was wonderful to see this young man as he explained his job with the communications company, and amazing to realize that at one point he was being let go from his school due to lack of fees. Awe inspiring.

Day 3 in Meru

The past few days have been so very busy, yet so very fruitful - we are all grateful for all that has been accomplished in such a short period of time.

We arrived safely in Meru on Wednesday night, and checked into Hotel Incredible in the heart of Meru Town. (Is that not the greatest name for an African hotel?) Our beds are comfortable, and the breakfast is great. We even have hot water (sometimes) for our showers, which is a bonus for Meru!

The weather is unusually cold, probably lower to mid-60s, and rainy. This kind of weather is normal for July here, but not late August - we expected 70s and 80s, and yet we are all wearing the one sweater or jacket we brought every single day!

Most of Thursday was spent with the Hope Board: Esther, Rev. Elijah, and Ibrahim (Josephine's father). The other 2 board members (Amalia, who is currently taking classes in Nairobi, and Harun, who works during the day) were unable to join us. We visited together, got to know each other a bit, and then launched into business: comparing logistics of how we send sponsor and donation information with logistics of how the Board receives and distributes the donations, family by family. We also checked out the computer at the Hope office to check for internet capability. We took a break for lunch (which did not actually get consumed until close to 4pm!), visited Esther's home-to-be, which is under construction, and met up with John Ikiugu - who has been living in Tacoma for the past year - and his new bride, Heldine. Our dinner meeting with the Board later in the evening was a brainstorming session on what kind of administrative support might be needed for the ministry to grow and continue; we will continue that discussion when we meet tonight.

The seminar for the sponsored kids and their families took up all of Friday. What a day! Some highlights:

• We estimate about 250 attendees, including sponsored kids, siblings and friends, parents/guardians, and alumni.
• All but about 10 of our sponsored kids came to the seminar - some from very far distances! Gifts from sponsors were given, pictures were taken, and each kid wrote a letter back to their sponsor.
  
• The alumni who came had big smiles on their faces, and encouraging words for the younger kids who are currently sponsored. One gal came all the way from Nairobi, where she is in her 2nd year at a university.
  
• The breakout sessions included sustainable farming for the adults, study skills for the high schoolers, "sex education" for the standard 4-8 (grades 4-8) kids, and playtime for the younger kids.
• I was able to give a brief nutrition lesson to the entire crowd, which seemed to be received well.

All in all, we feel like the seminar was a huge success. It was a great way to see as many sponsored kids as possible in a short period of time, and an opportunity to witness how effective the program has been here in Meru since we last visited.

Today, Saturday, we are catching up on email, attending a wedding, and then meeting one last time with the Hope board. Our remaining days here will be spent trying to meet up with the sponsored kids who did not attend the seminar, and visiting dear friends here. God has been so very good to us! Everyone is feeling healthy and well - pray that we remain so.

Driving to Meru

Here's a fantastic example for you of the way things work in Africa:

Last night, as we were dropped off at the Methodist Guest House, we arranged with our driver, Joshua, to have our bags ready by 8am this morning so he could load the van while we ate breakfast; departure for Meru would be 8:30am.

Reality: Some of us slept a bit late, but still managed to get all our bags out by 8:30am. Breakfast ended at more like 9am. We left the Methodist at more like 9:30am (after deciding on arrangements for the wheelchair we're delivering to Meru... an item that does not fit in our van; and after purchasing more minutes for our cell phone). We then made a stop to visit one of the families who have sponsored kids here in Nairobi- the home of Stephen and Lucy. Now it is 11am, and we are waiting for Joy Mburugu to be delivered to us here at the YaYa Centre so we can finally depart.

The bonus for me: I get to drink a lovely cup of spiced chai while I update this blog.

Day 2 in Nairobi

Greg has made it to Kenya safely, and is adjusting to the time zone better than I have. It is good to have the whole team here at last.

This morning started out with an early trip to International Justice Mission here in Nairobi. The organization has offices all over the world, advocating for victims of various forms of injustice. The Nairobi office focuses its efforts on children who are sexually abused, and people who are illegally detained by police. Check out their website for more info: http://www.ijm.org

Other highlights for today:

• Visit to Nyumbani AIDS Orphanage (http://www.nyumbani.org)
• Visit to Kazuri Bead Factory (http://www.kazuri.com)
• Lunch with Eric Gitonga, former sponsored student who now goes to school and works in Nairobi. More on that visit later...
• Visit with Irene, who Jason & I sponsor through Homeless Children International. What a sweetheart! The last time I saw here she was 10yrs old, very shy and quiet, and not too great at speaking English. Today, I met a confindent 15yr old, who spoke very good English, and told me about her dreams to become a TV newscaster.
• Dinner with Josephine's sisters' families

We almost tried to squeeze a visit to Kibera into the day, but realized we were all too exhausted, and didn't really have enough time to do so today. We'll do that visit when we come back to Nairobi next week.

Off to Meru tomorrow...

Safe in Nairobi

All of us are here in Nairobi except Greg- he arrives tonight. All of our bags AND the wheelchair we brought with us made it safely as well. Praise God!

Weather in Nairobi feels exactly like it did in Tacoma on Saturday when we departed: cool, cloudy, but sun breaks here and there. Very pleasant.

Karen & I are sharing a room at the Methodist Guest House (http://www.methodistguesthouse.org). We slept great last night until about 4:30am, and then proceeded to chuckle about all our tossing and turning and inability to get back to sleep.... We'll get our body clocks straightened out in another day or two.

On the agenda today: get shillings from the bank, get a phone to share amongst the group, and maybe visit some Nairobi attractions (Nyumbani AIDS Orphanage (http://www.nyumbani.org), Giraffe Center (http://www.giraffecenter.org), Nairobi Museum, Bomas of Kenya... we'll see how much time we have). I am also hoping to connect with my dear friend, Lucy Kayiwa today so we can have a good visit. Today or tomorrow we also hope to connect with Eric Gitonga, one of our ministry's original sponsored kids, who is now a college graduate doing an internship here in Nairobi with a travel company.

We are blessed to be here. Thanks for checking in!

Prayers for the Team

From Greg:
My prayer is that this trip would redouble our enthusiasm to joyfully serve this mission in our capacities as leaders and sponsors, and that God grant that we will be able to effectively communicate the spirit of this mission trip to the many sponsors back home that we are representing on this journey.

I would also ask for prayers for my wife Peggy, who has had to withdraw from the trip due to health issues.

From Bob:
My prayer requests...

1. Safe, easy, and uneventful journey for Emily Bosh
2. That the travel team will work together and have no disagreements
3. That we would see God's work in Meru and provide encouragement to the teachers, students, and board members to continue their work
4. Prayers and support for the students
5. Prayers and encouragement for the Board of Hope International Ministry Trust
6. Prayers for Elijah Mwirigi (Board member) and his work

From Karen:
My prayer request would be that we would be able to make meaningful connections with the HOPE team and the children we are sponsoring, from Amalia to Zaleen. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to meet these youngsters and their families. May they feel as blessed as I do.

From Emily:
My main prayer requests...

1. Health and safety for everyone on our team
2. Open hearts, minds, ears for what God has in store for us there
3. For our fellowship as a team to be "sweet incense to the Lord"
4. For our encounters with friends in Kenya to be life-changing; may we be the hands and feet of Jesus to change their lives, and may they do the same for us

Change of Plans

We haven't even left U.S. soil yet, and unexpected changes are already afoot. Peggy Yuckert has decided, due to health concerns, not to travel to Kenya. Impacts of this change:

• A new prayer assignment for you: pray for Peggy, for her health to improve, for her time at home without Greg during the trip; and, pray for Greg on the trip without his bride.


• We are, of course, now a team of 7, which changes roles, budget, accommodations- none of which are a big deals, just different than expected.


• Greg will likely join us for the tail end of our trip (side trip Sep 3-4, Nairobi Sep 5-6), spend a few extra days in Nairobi with Josephine's sister's family, and then join up with his daughter and son-in-law.

I'm sure this won't be the last surprise...

Pregnancy Update

Third trimester began on Saturday, although my belly is so much bigger this time around, I feel as though I'm more like a few weeks from delivery. Everything is healthy and looking fantastic so far. THANK YOU to everyone who has been praying for me & baby.

I have one more midwife appointment this Thursday before I leave; my final chance to ask questions, and her final chance to tell me if there are any contraindications for my departure.

My biggest concerns at this point:
1. That baby would not be affected at all by the malaria medication I take (mefloquine/Larium)
2. That I would make it comfortably (is that too much to ask??) through my flights to Kenya and back.
3. That riding around on the bumpy roads in Kenya would not cause any harm to baby, placenta, etc. The bumps are also a concern for Peggy, who has pretty painful arthritis issues in her back and legs.

Again, thanks for all the support and encouragement out there! God is good...

Trip Itinerary

As with everything in Africa, this "itinerary" is tentative. Everything is subject to change, except our departure and return dates. But, this gives you a general idea of what we will be doing during our time in Kenya:

• Sat, Aug 21 - Depart Seattle, 4hr layover in Amsterdam


• Sun, Aug 22 - Arrive Nairobi in the evening


• Mon-Tue, Aug 23-24 - Visits to International Justice Mission, Homeless Children International, home of Mrs. Lucy Kayiwa (my host mom from when I was a student in 1999); Greg & Peggy arrive Nairobi Monday evening


• Wed, Aug 25 - Travel to Meru, approximately a 5-hour drive


• Thu, Aug 26 - Meet with Hope International board members


• Fri-Sat, Aug 27-28 - Assist with Hope Seminar for sponsored kids and their families


• Sun, Aug 29 - Attend church in Meru, possible visits to sponsored kids


• Mon-Thu, Aug 30-Sep 2 - Visit sponsored children, visit a school, meet again with Hope Board if needed


• Fri-Sat, Sep 3-4 - Possible safari or other trip, Greg & Peggy may part ways (plan to spend additional time with their daughter elsewhere in Kenya later the next week)


• Sun, Sep 5 - Return to Nairobi


• Mon, Sep 6 - Depart Nairobi in the evening


• Tue, Sep 7 - Arrive Seattle late morning