And you thought keeping up with the Kardashians was "entertaining"! Rick Calenberg is one man on the move,with an incredible vision and passion that is quite catching! I'm not sure he's ever had a geriatric team before, but so far, we're keeping up...for the most part. So sorry for the delay in updating the blog but we have been on a dead run. Let's see if we can catch you up.
Friday (I have no idea what day that was, have lost all contact with that world!), the team all came together as Rick, Liz, and Chuck flew in to Eldoret, where Lynne, Andrea and Jonathan picked them up. We then drove to Kitale and checked into our accomodations at the ICM Seminary where Rick taught 6 years ago. Nice clean cottage with electricity most of the time. We have been cooking our own meals here, which has been an adventure, but very thankful for a safe, clean place to stay.
And VERY thankful to have Jonathan and Andrea added to our team for Friday through Sunday. Their understanding of the culture and grasp of Kiswahili (it is rather amazing how much Andrea has learned in just 4 1/2 months - must be those Worcester genes) proved invaluable. It was difficult to see them go Sunday afternoon (especially for the momma - picture swollen eyes here), but before they left, they added some incredible insights and observations. If you're reading this, THANK YOU, A & J, and God bless you abundantly.
Our first stop Friday late afternoon was to see Elizabeth and the chidren. What an amazing thing this servant of God is doing. The children, 20 in all, are so happy, well fed, and totally cared for. We just could not get enough of them, so we went there 3 times!!! We played games with them, just cuddled, swung them around by the arms, blew bubbles with them, Chuck played the flute for them which delighted them to no end...in short, we had an incredible time just loving on the children and being loved in return. They also sang us some songs and shared their scripture memory verses.
Elizabeth now has a team of volunteers who help her with the cooking and washing, and a wonderful woman, Lucy, who is a pastor and also finishing up her education degree, who teaches the children and just is a double Elizabeth. Also Alfred, who worked in a children's home for years and is now retired. Truly, the children were well cared for and so very happy, even though maybe 10 or 12 sleep in one room on mats on the floor. The standard of living is so very different, but the joy of the Lord is present abundantly.
Then on Saturday, after a morning visit to Elizabeth and the children, we went to see Pastor David Mutei and his children at TanJed Orphanage. The Omega class heard from a young man named Elias who founded Certain Truth Ministries, an organization that has helped to build a school and home for the children. It was a blessing to see what they are doing, and again, the sacrificial love of these precious servants of the Lord.
From there, Pastor David took us to see a most amazing feeding program he is involved with in a town nearby. There were so many orphans and vulnerable children in this area that the community came together and brainstormed how they could help them, Kenyans helping Kenyans. They now have a feeding program that feeds 280 children at least twice a week, with a vision to build houses for them in a sizeable, by Kenyan standards, field. The Kenyan people are so very communal, so involved in each other's lives, and so aware of how interdependent they are. They have a prominent saying here - "I am because we are." Pretty inspiring.
Sunday we attended Pastor David's church, were we heard 3 wonderful sermons, one from Jonathan while we were waiting for everyone to show up, one to the whole congregation (ok, so it was us, the children, 3 pastors, and about 6 women) by Chuck, and one by Dr. Rick Calenberg. And then of course, as is customary and mandatory per Kenyan culture, we were fed a delicious meal. We have eaten so much ugale, sukumowiki, and chipati that we may explode at any moment. Delicious and FILLING!
One major challenge here is that everywhere we go, there is an underlying, sometimes subtle, sometimes overt request for money. When the mzungu comes, they know we have the money to help and they want to make sure they are in the running. It can be uncomfortable, but as Andrea said, if you had starving children around you every day and you saw someone who could help, wouldn't YOU be very vocal in advocating for them? Of course we would. It must be such a challenge for them to try to trust God to meet the need and speak up for the need to anyone who can help at the same time. Another part of the challenge is that if they are SEEN with a mzungu, then their neighbors assume they were given money and they come to demand some. Even Elizabeth had us clearly tell her staff that we had not given her any extra money. Wow, truly a different world, brothers and sisters deeply in need.
Today, Monday, we have had a quiet day at the Seminary. We sat in on the most incredible class on the philosophy of religion and wow did we ever get an education on the issues that pastors here struggle with an the NEED FOR TRAINING OF PASTORS! It was almost like Rick had planned it so we would see for ourselves the intense need for the training he does with the Roman's project. So incrediby vital here. And that's where we are off to tomorrow morning, the next Roman' Project Pastor's Conference in Kisumu.
Pray with us, please, for continued health and safety, and for the pastors to find their way to the conference unhindered. We greatly desire and appreciate your prayer support. Oh, and DO pray we CAN keep up with the Calenberg!
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