Today was a day characterized by one word: emotional!
It was the last day we got to work with and play with the FOCUS kids. This day is always the worst because you leave the center feeling as if you have been to a funeral. But there is also a lot of good things that happen on this day as well so here goes!
We started off the day with breakfast and a quick run down of the day. Then we loaded the bus and headed to FOCUS where we would spend the day. About half of us would start working on various projects around the property and the other half would play with the kids. When we arrived, we noticed that there were a lot more kids there than there were supposed to be. On a normal day, most of the kids would be in school. The only kids that stay at FOCUS all day are those in the younger stages of school. However, all the kids were there when we arrived because they had been given permission to miss school so they could hang out with us all day. This was an awesome surprise as we pulled onto the property.
Once there, we divided and conquered. About mid-afternoon we were slowing down with work to be done so many of us just started playing with the kids. We knew this would be our last chance so we wanted to get in all the time we could. Another hour or two went by and then we all gathered outside.
The FOCUS workers performed a couple of dramas for us and then we gave the kids their presents from all their sponsors. It was awesome to see them receive toys to play with because it was like Christmas to them. In fact, the little girl that Mallory and I sponsor would not open her baggie to see what she got. When we asked why, she said she wanted to save it til Christmas. The kids here don't get presents very often so it is always a big deal when they do. And in America, a lot of kids complain when they don't get a toy every trip to Wal-Mart. What does that say about us as a culture?
After the toys were given out, we played with the kids and just observed the love they had for their new found toys. Then Scott brought some furniture to put in the classrooms of the newly renovated and redesigned FOCUS center. It looks incredible! Completely different than when we first got here. There was so much work done while we were there and not just by us but by the workers as well. It's amazing how a place can be transformed!
Then came the horrible goodbyes. This is the time when we have to tell everyone goodbye because we are leaving tomorrow to come back to the States. There were a lot of tears but also a lot of smiles. We did say goodbye but these relationships that have been built will last. They will not be torn by distance because we know we will see them again, on earth or in heaven one day. For the second time, I am telling these Kenyans goodbye but deep in my heart I know it is a "til next time". I love each and every one of them so much. It hurts my heart to say bye but I know our friendship will only grow stronger!
There were a lot of tears, but the awesome thing is...we are all one in the same in Christ! Until later my friends...
P.S.- I will try to update the blog tomorrow afternoon before we leave for the airport but just in case I can't, our flight leaves about 11pm and we will see you soon after! Love you all!!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday-Wednesday, June 12th-15th
Well, we are back from Safari! Sorry, we haven't updated the blog in a couple of days because we have been out in the middle of the Masai Mara and let's just say there is no Wi-Fi out there! Anyway, we are back safe and sound and no one got eaten by a lion (even though we might have wanted to leave some there- just kidding).
What an incredible three days of exploring God's awesome creation! The Tea Farm is always a great precursor to what is to come on Safari because we are just dropped in the middle of the Mara and left to enjoy all that God has done. You know the excitement you get when you go to a new zoo you have never been to before and you see animals you have never seen before? No?
Well, imagine this...
You walk out of your tent at 6:25 in the morning and head to a 9-passenger van and get loaded up. Once everyone is there, you head out into this vast, expansive wilderness where your eye can see for miles. Spotted across the landscape are trees standing by themselves with nothing else around. There are zebras, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeests and other small animals grazing everywhere. The air is cool and there is a breeze as you stick your head out of the roof of the van to see everything. Then you drive up on a pride of lions just laying in the sun. That's followed by driving up to a couple of giraffes and then elephants so close you can hear them eating. That night you do the same thing. You go back out for a sunset drive. This time you see cheetahs laying in the sun and hippos swimming in the hippo pool.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is safari in the middle of the Masai Mara! What an incredible experience. I remember two years ago thinking the exact same thing. I am truly blessed to be able to see this with my own eyes. I know you are probably thinking, "That sounds so awesome! I can imagine what it must have been like." But the thoughts that you are imagining are not anywhere close to actually being here and observing it. It is indescribable. I can try using the most descriptive words I can think of but nothing will amount to the personal experience of being here!
As I took time out each night and afternoon to talk with our students who came on the trip, one thing kept coming up- this place is so different from home! What they meant by that is we can see Africa on the TV and Internet all day long but never really know how different and how much we are blessed to live in America. I have shown them pictures of our previous trips and explained things to them when I came back two years ago, but they never really understood what I was talking about. Now they do! They get it! They understand why this place is so different and how it is an amazing type of different. A type of different we love and so does our Creator.
I love what I do and I love seeing students "get it". What I mean by that is I love seeing them understand what it means to be a follower of Christ. There are so many facets of our relationship with God, and whenever a student understands and grows in one of those areas, I relish it! This trip has produced some serious fruit in not only our students but everyone on this trip.
Sorry about the tangent! Back to what I was saying before...it's just a different that shows you how amazing our God truly is. How creative He is. How joyful He is. How loving He is. How glorious He is. How extravagant He is. How merciful He is. I could go on and on but what I pray for most is that you see this in your everyday life. You don't have to come to Africa to experience this love for God! It is right in front of your nose and right in front of you every single day. You just have to open your eyes and realize that He is right there...waiting for you to notice! Will you?
What an incredible three days of exploring God's awesome creation! The Tea Farm is always a great precursor to what is to come on Safari because we are just dropped in the middle of the Mara and left to enjoy all that God has done. You know the excitement you get when you go to a new zoo you have never been to before and you see animals you have never seen before? No?
Well, imagine this...
You walk out of your tent at 6:25 in the morning and head to a 9-passenger van and get loaded up. Once everyone is there, you head out into this vast, expansive wilderness where your eye can see for miles. Spotted across the landscape are trees standing by themselves with nothing else around. There are zebras, gazelles, warthogs, wildebeests and other small animals grazing everywhere. The air is cool and there is a breeze as you stick your head out of the roof of the van to see everything. Then you drive up on a pride of lions just laying in the sun. That's followed by driving up to a couple of giraffes and then elephants so close you can hear them eating. That night you do the same thing. You go back out for a sunset drive. This time you see cheetahs laying in the sun and hippos swimming in the hippo pool.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is safari in the middle of the Masai Mara! What an incredible experience. I remember two years ago thinking the exact same thing. I am truly blessed to be able to see this with my own eyes. I know you are probably thinking, "That sounds so awesome! I can imagine what it must have been like." But the thoughts that you are imagining are not anywhere close to actually being here and observing it. It is indescribable. I can try using the most descriptive words I can think of but nothing will amount to the personal experience of being here!
As I took time out each night and afternoon to talk with our students who came on the trip, one thing kept coming up- this place is so different from home! What they meant by that is we can see Africa on the TV and Internet all day long but never really know how different and how much we are blessed to live in America. I have shown them pictures of our previous trips and explained things to them when I came back two years ago, but they never really understood what I was talking about. Now they do! They get it! They understand why this place is so different and how it is an amazing type of different. A type of different we love and so does our Creator.
I love what I do and I love seeing students "get it". What I mean by that is I love seeing them understand what it means to be a follower of Christ. There are so many facets of our relationship with God, and whenever a student understands and grows in one of those areas, I relish it! This trip has produced some serious fruit in not only our students but everyone on this trip.
Sorry about the tangent! Back to what I was saying before...it's just a different that shows you how amazing our God truly is. How creative He is. How joyful He is. How loving He is. How glorious He is. How extravagant He is. How merciful He is. I could go on and on but what I pray for most is that you see this in your everyday life. You don't have to come to Africa to experience this love for God! It is right in front of your nose and right in front of you every single day. You just have to open your eyes and realize that He is right there...waiting for you to notice! Will you?
Sunday, June 12th
It's Sunday in Kenya!! And what else would we do than go to church while we are here. This morning we had the privilege of going to a Kenyan church. It is one that Scott and Alisa worked closely with while they were missionaries here. The name of the church is Riuru Bible Baptist Church. It is an awesome experience to go to church in a different place much less a different country.
We started out with their youth service at 9:00am. One thing you have to understand about Kenyan culture is that you are a youth until you are married. So there are pretty old youth that are in their youth groups. We started with some songs and worship. We decided we are bringing back one of the songs to sing in our youth group on Wednesdays and Sundays that involves dancing and partners. It's pretty sweet!
After the worship songs, Isak, Kathleen and Julie got up and shared their testimonies with everyone. They did an awesome job of telling what God has done in their lives and what He is doing now! Then Christian Colson gave the message for the morning. He did an excellent job as well. He talked about what worship really is and used Romans 12. It was great even for us to hear because we all need to be reminded of what worship really is!
After the youth service we went to "big church" as we call it in the states. There we sang worship songs in Swahili and then Casey, Gary and TJ (Christian's student who came with him from Georgia) all gave their testimonies intermixed with Scott's message. It was an awesome message as well based on Psalm 1.
After church, we left and headed to the Tea Farm. It is a magical place that seems like it is only found on the front of postcards. It is a cottage estate surrounded by tea fields. It truly is beautiful. We had lunch there and then went on a tour of the farm. When you look out at the rolling hills covered with tea plants, you really do see God's creative essence! You see how much of an all-knowing God He really is to be able to make something so gorgeous. And the coolest thing is...we get to enjoy it.
You see, we deserve nothing. We deserve the least of anything. We should get nothing. But, because of our God and because of His love for us, we get everything. Because of His Son that was offered as a sacrifice, we get it all. Without forgiveness we would be nothing, but since we have it, we are made right with God again. When I was here at the farm two years ago, I remember thinking the same thing. How undeserving I am of any of this! How crazy I am because I take advantage of it so often!
What do you take advantage of? I know there was a pretty big storm back in New Albany last night, but how many of you take advantage of the fact that lightning is gorgeous? That rain gives us water to drink and cook with? That you even have the very breath in your lungs to breathe? Because it is all because of one final sacrifice!
We started out with their youth service at 9:00am. One thing you have to understand about Kenyan culture is that you are a youth until you are married. So there are pretty old youth that are in their youth groups. We started with some songs and worship. We decided we are bringing back one of the songs to sing in our youth group on Wednesdays and Sundays that involves dancing and partners. It's pretty sweet!
After the worship songs, Isak, Kathleen and Julie got up and shared their testimonies with everyone. They did an awesome job of telling what God has done in their lives and what He is doing now! Then Christian Colson gave the message for the morning. He did an excellent job as well. He talked about what worship really is and used Romans 12. It was great even for us to hear because we all need to be reminded of what worship really is!
After the youth service we went to "big church" as we call it in the states. There we sang worship songs in Swahili and then Casey, Gary and TJ (Christian's student who came with him from Georgia) all gave their testimonies intermixed with Scott's message. It was an awesome message as well based on Psalm 1.
After church, we left and headed to the Tea Farm. It is a magical place that seems like it is only found on the front of postcards. It is a cottage estate surrounded by tea fields. It truly is beautiful. We had lunch there and then went on a tour of the farm. When you look out at the rolling hills covered with tea plants, you really do see God's creative essence! You see how much of an all-knowing God He really is to be able to make something so gorgeous. And the coolest thing is...we get to enjoy it.
You see, we deserve nothing. We deserve the least of anything. We should get nothing. But, because of our God and because of His love for us, we get everything. Because of His Son that was offered as a sacrifice, we get it all. Without forgiveness we would be nothing, but since we have it, we are made right with God again. When I was here at the farm two years ago, I remember thinking the same thing. How undeserving I am of any of this! How crazy I am because I take advantage of it so often!
What do you take advantage of? I know there was a pretty big storm back in New Albany last night, but how many of you take advantage of the fact that lightning is gorgeous? That rain gives us water to drink and cook with? That you even have the very breath in your lungs to breathe? Because it is all because of one final sacrifice!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Saturday, June 11th
It's Jameson again!
Today was another awesome day and very cool day. We started the morning off with meeting all the kids at the Giraffe Center (you can see pictures of this if you go to the blog entry with our schedule on it and click on the link). This is such a big deal to all the kids! Most kids will never leave the small town of Riuru outside of Nairobi. They won't ever go anywhere else until they are old enough to be done with school and they are looking for work. So for them to be able to go to the Giraffe Center is a HUGE deal. At the center, you get to feed, look at, and even "kiss" a giraffe. It is almost like a game preserve but they have about 3-4 giraffes that are there.
The kids love it and really get so excited. Plus, they get to ride in a big bus to get there (which is a thrill in and of itself). They have a program that lasts the better half of a day for the kids with information, a movie, and, of course, feeding the giraffes. They also have turtles and warthogs at the Center as well.
One of the amazing things was the simple trip that we took the kids on. Schools in the US go on field trips all the time but most of the time the students have probably been to the place they are going already (i.e. the zoo, museum, or park). Here, the kids haven't even thought about going because it is not something they can just go to. So when they find out they are going, it is a huge deal, not only to them but to their families as well. It is an amazing thing to see so many kids so excited about a field trip. It will be something they talk about for a very long time!!
When the kids went in to watch the movie, we left to head back over to FOCUS to continue working. Once we got there we started on our projects. Some of us continued painting the walls to the inside classrooms, some of us did landscaping and removed some shrubs, some of us fixed the sand box, and some of us hung a tire swing! It was awesome to see everyone pitching in to accomplish all that needed to be done!
The property that Project Lucas and FOCUS now have is amazing! It is so much more useful and suitable for the kids. I think back to two years ago when we came to their other property and I am just blown away by how much this new one is so much better. The kids really have a sanctuary to go to when their life is crazy and horrible at home. They have this place, like a refuge, to have people love on them and care for them. They have a place to come and eat a meal and learn in school. They have a "home" away from home.
I love the fact that we can be a part of it. We are changing the lives of some of these kids right now in the two weeks we are here. It seems like there is so much that needs to be done and there is only so much we can do, but at least we are doing something! As Scott says a lot, "It's a drop in the bucket." What we are doing is a drop in the bucket but at least it is a drop and it is, even more importantly, a HUGE drop for these kids!
One of the cool things with Project Lucas and FOCUS is that even if you didn't come on this trip, you can still provide that "drop" for one of these kids. It's as simple as sponsoring a child for $30 a month! My wife and I as well as our high school students and leaders sponsor children from Project Lucas. I can't tell you the blessing it is to come here and see them and hang out with them, but, even better, is knowing that our "drops" are affecting a child for the rest of their lives. What a blessing!
What can you do? What will your "drop" be? It's very simple...just do it and stop putting it off til tomorrow. There will always be tomorrows but there always won't be the chance to change a child's life!
Today was another awesome day and very cool day. We started the morning off with meeting all the kids at the Giraffe Center (you can see pictures of this if you go to the blog entry with our schedule on it and click on the link). This is such a big deal to all the kids! Most kids will never leave the small town of Riuru outside of Nairobi. They won't ever go anywhere else until they are old enough to be done with school and they are looking for work. So for them to be able to go to the Giraffe Center is a HUGE deal. At the center, you get to feed, look at, and even "kiss" a giraffe. It is almost like a game preserve but they have about 3-4 giraffes that are there.
The kids love it and really get so excited. Plus, they get to ride in a big bus to get there (which is a thrill in and of itself). They have a program that lasts the better half of a day for the kids with information, a movie, and, of course, feeding the giraffes. They also have turtles and warthogs at the Center as well.
One of the amazing things was the simple trip that we took the kids on. Schools in the US go on field trips all the time but most of the time the students have probably been to the place they are going already (i.e. the zoo, museum, or park). Here, the kids haven't even thought about going because it is not something they can just go to. So when they find out they are going, it is a huge deal, not only to them but to their families as well. It is an amazing thing to see so many kids so excited about a field trip. It will be something they talk about for a very long time!!
When the kids went in to watch the movie, we left to head back over to FOCUS to continue working. Once we got there we started on our projects. Some of us continued painting the walls to the inside classrooms, some of us did landscaping and removed some shrubs, some of us fixed the sand box, and some of us hung a tire swing! It was awesome to see everyone pitching in to accomplish all that needed to be done!
The property that Project Lucas and FOCUS now have is amazing! It is so much more useful and suitable for the kids. I think back to two years ago when we came to their other property and I am just blown away by how much this new one is so much better. The kids really have a sanctuary to go to when their life is crazy and horrible at home. They have this place, like a refuge, to have people love on them and care for them. They have a place to come and eat a meal and learn in school. They have a "home" away from home.
I love the fact that we can be a part of it. We are changing the lives of some of these kids right now in the two weeks we are here. It seems like there is so much that needs to be done and there is only so much we can do, but at least we are doing something! As Scott says a lot, "It's a drop in the bucket." What we are doing is a drop in the bucket but at least it is a drop and it is, even more importantly, a HUGE drop for these kids!
One of the cool things with Project Lucas and FOCUS is that even if you didn't come on this trip, you can still provide that "drop" for one of these kids. It's as simple as sponsoring a child for $30 a month! My wife and I as well as our high school students and leaders sponsor children from Project Lucas. I can't tell you the blessing it is to come here and see them and hang out with them, but, even better, is knowing that our "drops" are affecting a child for the rest of their lives. What a blessing!
What can you do? What will your "drop" be? It's very simple...just do it and stop putting it off til tomorrow. There will always be tomorrows but there always won't be the chance to change a child's life!
Friday, June 10
This post is by Susan Clark and Casey Mackie
What a joy to be in this great country of Africa and meet our brothers and sisters in Christ on this side of heaven. There are no words to describe what this trip has meant to me and the deep love I have for these precious children of FOCUS as well as the workers.
After a great devotion and breakfast this morning we arrived at FOCUS around 10:00 or so and began working on improvements. There is a gate as you enter the orphanage that was all rusted. We painted it a bright blue and on each side of the gate we painted the logo of Project Lucas and FOCUS. It looks amazing as you drive up to the entrance! Then, in the main building, we added walls to the school to divide the large room into two separate rooms and painted them white to bring in some much needed light. We also cleaned the windows inside and out which made a huge difference.
As we were cleaning things up and making "all things new" so to speak, it reminded me of what Jesus does with us. He takes a dirty exterior shell, adds some color, a fresh coat of paint, renovates our structure and makes something beautiful out of something dirty and unattractive. He puts "The Smile of a Child" on our face, brings joy to our hearts and makes all things new. What a great God we serve!
While some stayed and cleaned up The Focus Center others went to the coffee fields to hand out back packs to another school. They were so happy to see us and had remembered us from the last time we came. The smiles on the faces of 150 students opening their back packs reassured us of the mission we were here to accomplish. It gave them hope of another year with supplies they would need.
Scott presented the gospel to over 250 children and adults that day. Many raised their hand wanting to receive Christ as their Savior. I still get chills as I recall seeing so many hands raised as flags of mercy. Hope for the day and a friend to walk beside them for the rest of their life.. Powerful..
We served each of them two rolls and an orange drink. I prayed God would bless the food and fill them. We had found out that for most this was the only meal they would have that day. Many are not able to attend school because the parents cannot provide more than one meal a day and the children would be too weak to walk to and from school. Can you imagine? I watched as the children would reach for the crumbs that fell from the table. It reminded me of a passage in the Bible as the beggars would long for the crumbs that fell from the kings table. Starving children and parents surrounded us and my heart broke with such sadness it was all I could do to keep from crying. I remembered what a wise lady had told me here. "Don't cry," she said. "They will think they cannot make it another day. Smile and give them hope." I held it in until the night.
There is so much need here and as I have heard Scott say, the need is so big but the solutions are so simple. Your giving makes such a huge difference in the lives of so many. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here and to be reminded of how important it is to reach out to those in need. I am not sure what God is planning in my life but I know that I will never be the same.
What a joy to be in this great country of Africa and meet our brothers and sisters in Christ on this side of heaven. There are no words to describe what this trip has meant to me and the deep love I have for these precious children of FOCUS as well as the workers.
After a great devotion and breakfast this morning we arrived at FOCUS around 10:00 or so and began working on improvements. There is a gate as you enter the orphanage that was all rusted. We painted it a bright blue and on each side of the gate we painted the logo of Project Lucas and FOCUS. It looks amazing as you drive up to the entrance! Then, in the main building, we added walls to the school to divide the large room into two separate rooms and painted them white to bring in some much needed light. We also cleaned the windows inside and out which made a huge difference.
As we were cleaning things up and making "all things new" so to speak, it reminded me of what Jesus does with us. He takes a dirty exterior shell, adds some color, a fresh coat of paint, renovates our structure and makes something beautiful out of something dirty and unattractive. He puts "The Smile of a Child" on our face, brings joy to our hearts and makes all things new. What a great God we serve!
While some stayed and cleaned up The Focus Center others went to the coffee fields to hand out back packs to another school. They were so happy to see us and had remembered us from the last time we came. The smiles on the faces of 150 students opening their back packs reassured us of the mission we were here to accomplish. It gave them hope of another year with supplies they would need.
Scott presented the gospel to over 250 children and adults that day. Many raised their hand wanting to receive Christ as their Savior. I still get chills as I recall seeing so many hands raised as flags of mercy. Hope for the day and a friend to walk beside them for the rest of their life.. Powerful..
We served each of them two rolls and an orange drink. I prayed God would bless the food and fill them. We had found out that for most this was the only meal they would have that day. Many are not able to attend school because the parents cannot provide more than one meal a day and the children would be too weak to walk to and from school. Can you imagine? I watched as the children would reach for the crumbs that fell from the table. It reminded me of a passage in the Bible as the beggars would long for the crumbs that fell from the kings table. Starving children and parents surrounded us and my heart broke with such sadness it was all I could do to keep from crying. I remembered what a wise lady had told me here. "Don't cry," she said. "They will think they cannot make it another day. Smile and give them hope." I held it in until the night.
There is so much need here and as I have heard Scott say, the need is so big but the solutions are so simple. Your giving makes such a huge difference in the lives of so many. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be here and to be reminded of how important it is to reach out to those in need. I am not sure what God is planning in my life but I know that I will never be the same.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Thursday, June 9th
I'm just going to go ahead and say for the foreseeable future, you are stuck with me writing the blogs because of the Internet haha.
Today was another tough day but for completely different reasons. We started the day with our normal breakfast and devotion time. Our devotion time consisted of mainly a share time with all of team members sharing what we have been learning and how we have been feeling about the trip. The responses ran the gamut. God is doing some awesome things in peoples' lives and really growing some! It's awesome to be able to sit back and watch it happen.
Once breakfast was over, we loaded the bus and van and headed to FOCUS. Once we got there we played with the kids for a little bit and then we set out to deliver some gifts to the families of the kids. We split into 5 or 6 different groups and went to multiple homes each. Now, you must realize that when I say home, I mean mainly a 5ft x 5ft shack. Most of the guardians of the FOCUS kids are just trying to put food on the table and pay rent where they live. That is a huge struggle for them. The second house that my group went to was the mother of 2 FOCUS kids (which she had two others of her own) and she also took care of 5 other children of her brother and sisters. So, all in all, she had 9 kids living in the space of a bedroom in the US. And in that bedroom was also the kitchen and the dining room.
When I say they are struggling to make rent and get food, most of us don't realize what that is like. We work jobs and even if we are unemployed, we still have a government that assists us for a while with money. Here, that is not the case by far. One of the groups found out that the amount of money this family needed for rent was 400ksh or 400 Kenyan Schillings. The exchange rate right now is about 85ksh to $1. That's about $4.71 for rent!! And they are struggling to earn that!! Do you see how difficult it is to see this and hear it as Americans?! $4.71 is about how much it is to buy a large coffee drink at Coffee Crossing! So for that ONE drink, you could pay a families rent for an entire month! What a perspective shift!
We had many of our team members just crumble when they heard this because we just don't realize how good off we have it in America. We are not only free to do whatever we want (within reason), but we are also not worried about the roof over our head or the food that we will eat. Before my wife and I came on this trip, we went to Olive Garden to eat dinner as our last American meal. The meal was about $35 total after tip. With that money, we could have paid a families rent for almost 7 months!
But there was something else that we learned from doing these home visits that was more indicting. As we went to their homes, we saw their joy for what they did have and their joy for a God who is protecting them. They didn't have a happiness that could be lost with their situation. They possessed a true joy in the Lord. I think in the US we get too caught up in being happy. There is a HUGE difference in being happy and being filled with joy. Joy comes from a relationship with Christ and happiness comes from a feeling. If we have no joy, I would ask where our relationship is. To see their joy reminded me of the necessity to find it within my Creator and not my circumstances. It is so pure here and it really gets you back to where you need to be when it comes to this relationship. They have no idea about how much they encourage Americans in our faith!
So, as you are sitting in your chair reading this blog and drinking your coffee or on your lunch break at work or at your computer at home after dinner, I want to ask where your joy comes from? Does it come from the fact that you have a nice house, a nice car, a huge TV on the wall? Or does it come from the fact that you have a real relationship with Christ that is based on His sacrifice for us? If you do not have that relationship, I really encourage you to think about it and pray about it! If you have never tasted true joy, then now is the time! There is none better!
After visiting the homes, we came back to FOCUS and started doing some repair work at the building. Then we loaded up and headed back shortly after that! It was an awesome day to be reminded of what, in this life, really matters- having a relationship with God the Father!!
Today was another tough day but for completely different reasons. We started the day with our normal breakfast and devotion time. Our devotion time consisted of mainly a share time with all of team members sharing what we have been learning and how we have been feeling about the trip. The responses ran the gamut. God is doing some awesome things in peoples' lives and really growing some! It's awesome to be able to sit back and watch it happen.
Once breakfast was over, we loaded the bus and van and headed to FOCUS. Once we got there we played with the kids for a little bit and then we set out to deliver some gifts to the families of the kids. We split into 5 or 6 different groups and went to multiple homes each. Now, you must realize that when I say home, I mean mainly a 5ft x 5ft shack. Most of the guardians of the FOCUS kids are just trying to put food on the table and pay rent where they live. That is a huge struggle for them. The second house that my group went to was the mother of 2 FOCUS kids (which she had two others of her own) and she also took care of 5 other children of her brother and sisters. So, all in all, she had 9 kids living in the space of a bedroom in the US. And in that bedroom was also the kitchen and the dining room.
When I say they are struggling to make rent and get food, most of us don't realize what that is like. We work jobs and even if we are unemployed, we still have a government that assists us for a while with money. Here, that is not the case by far. One of the groups found out that the amount of money this family needed for rent was 400ksh or 400 Kenyan Schillings. The exchange rate right now is about 85ksh to $1. That's about $4.71 for rent!! And they are struggling to earn that!! Do you see how difficult it is to see this and hear it as Americans?! $4.71 is about how much it is to buy a large coffee drink at Coffee Crossing! So for that ONE drink, you could pay a families rent for an entire month! What a perspective shift!
We had many of our team members just crumble when they heard this because we just don't realize how good off we have it in America. We are not only free to do whatever we want (within reason), but we are also not worried about the roof over our head or the food that we will eat. Before my wife and I came on this trip, we went to Olive Garden to eat dinner as our last American meal. The meal was about $35 total after tip. With that money, we could have paid a families rent for almost 7 months!
But there was something else that we learned from doing these home visits that was more indicting. As we went to their homes, we saw their joy for what they did have and their joy for a God who is protecting them. They didn't have a happiness that could be lost with their situation. They possessed a true joy in the Lord. I think in the US we get too caught up in being happy. There is a HUGE difference in being happy and being filled with joy. Joy comes from a relationship with Christ and happiness comes from a feeling. If we have no joy, I would ask where our relationship is. To see their joy reminded me of the necessity to find it within my Creator and not my circumstances. It is so pure here and it really gets you back to where you need to be when it comes to this relationship. They have no idea about how much they encourage Americans in our faith!
So, as you are sitting in your chair reading this blog and drinking your coffee or on your lunch break at work or at your computer at home after dinner, I want to ask where your joy comes from? Does it come from the fact that you have a nice house, a nice car, a huge TV on the wall? Or does it come from the fact that you have a real relationship with Christ that is based on His sacrifice for us? If you do not have that relationship, I really encourage you to think about it and pray about it! If you have never tasted true joy, then now is the time! There is none better!
After visiting the homes, we came back to FOCUS and started doing some repair work at the building. Then we loaded up and headed back shortly after that! It was an awesome day to be reminded of what, in this life, really matters- having a relationship with God the Father!!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Wednesday, June 8th
It's Jameson again! Sorry you have to keep hearing from me but the Internet is always down at night so therefore, you are stuck with me in the mornings.
Today again was a very challenging yet very rewarding time for all of us. Today was one of two backpack days. We went to the FOCUS center this morning to begin the ceremonies. It is so awesome because every day we arrive, the kids come running out to greet us. Our bus and van come around the corner and there are 52 little smiling faces waiting for us! You can hear them when we turn the corner as well. They are yelling and you can tell the excitement they have to see us. What a greeting every morning!
We got off the bus and van and immediately began playing and loving on the kids. By the end of the day there would be about 800 kids at the FOCUS center to receive a backpack. The ceremony was supposed to start at 10:00am but that is American time. We actually started at about 12:30pm, which is Kenya time. There is a saying that the Kenyans have, "Kenyans have time and Americans have watches." This was a difficult two and a half hours because as more kids started arriving, they wanted to play and be loved on as well. If you can imagine 27 "Mzungus" (what they call white people) surrounded by 800 kids all starving for your attention, it got pretty intense. Plus, the sun was out and it was about 85-90 degrees as well. It was a bit overwhelming but in a very good way!
The ceremony lasted until about 3:00pm. During the ceremony, Scott presented the Gospel and did an amazing job. I am not quite sure how many responded but it was very clear and understandable (even with a translator). Government officials were there as well as TV stations and we actually made the news that night! After all the speaking had taken place we started giving out the backpacks.
All the kids came up one by one and we placed the backpacks on their backs. It was so awesome to see that we were supplying them with a years worth of school supplies and how much they appreciated it. Education here in Kenya is a big deal. It is much bigger than the US. So, giving them a backpack is really giving them hope for their future! What an amazing gift we had the chance to give! This was all because of the awesome giving body we have at Graceland Baptist Church too. Our goal was 500 backpacks and we brought 1,000 with us! That speaks volumes to who this church is!
After we gave all the backpacks out and then played with the kids a bit more, it was time to leave for the day. Exhausted was a good word to describe how we all felt (both emotionally and physically). Scott told us as we were leaving that we were going to get some gelato (Italian ice cream) on the way home as a surprise and it was really good!!
That was pretty much our day, but there is more to it than just that. Something I think we all faced yesterday was just being exhausted after the day we had. A couple of days ago in my quiet time, I learned this phrase, "The awareness of God's presence energizes us for our work." That was the summarizing statement for yesterdays events. It was sunny, hot and crazy with tons of people everywhere and tons of needs as well. But the one thing that got each of us through that afternoon was the fact that God was supplying all we needed. It was almost as if we were energized and feeling fine while with the kids and parents, and then when we got on the bus, we all realized how exhausted we were. That is the essence of God's power for His work. God really does supply us with great power and strength and energy when it comes to the things He wants us to do. He has not only supplied financially for this trip but also physically and emotionally.
I can't wait to see how He keeps on giving us what we need to step up to the challenges we will face here! But it also reminds me to have this same attitude in the States. A lot of times we can begin to do what we need to do and lose sight of what God wants us to do. Focus on what He has laid out for you (no matter how big it seems) and He will give you the power and energy to complete the task...you just have to accept it!!
With love to all our family, friends and others who are reading this!
Jameson and the team
Today again was a very challenging yet very rewarding time for all of us. Today was one of two backpack days. We went to the FOCUS center this morning to begin the ceremonies. It is so awesome because every day we arrive, the kids come running out to greet us. Our bus and van come around the corner and there are 52 little smiling faces waiting for us! You can hear them when we turn the corner as well. They are yelling and you can tell the excitement they have to see us. What a greeting every morning!
We got off the bus and van and immediately began playing and loving on the kids. By the end of the day there would be about 800 kids at the FOCUS center to receive a backpack. The ceremony was supposed to start at 10:00am but that is American time. We actually started at about 12:30pm, which is Kenya time. There is a saying that the Kenyans have, "Kenyans have time and Americans have watches." This was a difficult two and a half hours because as more kids started arriving, they wanted to play and be loved on as well. If you can imagine 27 "Mzungus" (what they call white people) surrounded by 800 kids all starving for your attention, it got pretty intense. Plus, the sun was out and it was about 85-90 degrees as well. It was a bit overwhelming but in a very good way!
The ceremony lasted until about 3:00pm. During the ceremony, Scott presented the Gospel and did an amazing job. I am not quite sure how many responded but it was very clear and understandable (even with a translator). Government officials were there as well as TV stations and we actually made the news that night! After all the speaking had taken place we started giving out the backpacks.
All the kids came up one by one and we placed the backpacks on their backs. It was so awesome to see that we were supplying them with a years worth of school supplies and how much they appreciated it. Education here in Kenya is a big deal. It is much bigger than the US. So, giving them a backpack is really giving them hope for their future! What an amazing gift we had the chance to give! This was all because of the awesome giving body we have at Graceland Baptist Church too. Our goal was 500 backpacks and we brought 1,000 with us! That speaks volumes to who this church is!
After we gave all the backpacks out and then played with the kids a bit more, it was time to leave for the day. Exhausted was a good word to describe how we all felt (both emotionally and physically). Scott told us as we were leaving that we were going to get some gelato (Italian ice cream) on the way home as a surprise and it was really good!!
That was pretty much our day, but there is more to it than just that. Something I think we all faced yesterday was just being exhausted after the day we had. A couple of days ago in my quiet time, I learned this phrase, "The awareness of God's presence energizes us for our work." That was the summarizing statement for yesterdays events. It was sunny, hot and crazy with tons of people everywhere and tons of needs as well. But the one thing that got each of us through that afternoon was the fact that God was supplying all we needed. It was almost as if we were energized and feeling fine while with the kids and parents, and then when we got on the bus, we all realized how exhausted we were. That is the essence of God's power for His work. God really does supply us with great power and strength and energy when it comes to the things He wants us to do. He has not only supplied financially for this trip but also physically and emotionally.
I can't wait to see how He keeps on giving us what we need to step up to the challenges we will face here! But it also reminds me to have this same attitude in the States. A lot of times we can begin to do what we need to do and lose sight of what God wants us to do. Focus on what He has laid out for you (no matter how big it seems) and He will give you the power and energy to complete the task...you just have to accept it!!
With love to all our family, friends and others who are reading this!
Jameson and the team
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Pictures Thus Far
Check out our pictures thus far on Debbie Jo's Facebook page:
Days 1
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1602978094541.64757.1838770843&l=f6bc62252d
Day 2
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1602931893386.64750.1838770843&l=6c283e4660
Day 3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1605502877659.64899.1838770843&l=869a43d82b
Day 4
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1606433580926.64945.1838770843&l=72f583283d
Day 5
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1607793214916.65020.1838770843&l=d719b604fd
Days 1
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1602978094541.64757.1838770843&l=f6bc62252d
Day 2
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1602931893386.64750.1838770843&l=6c283e4660
Day 3
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1605502877659.64899.1838770843&l=869a43d82b
Day 4
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1606433580926.64945.1838770843&l=72f583283d
Day 5
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1607793214916.65020.1838770843&l=d719b604fd
Tuesday, June 7th
Jameson Barker (in place of Susan because there was no Internet last night)
Today was an amazing day! Today was the day that we hung out with all the kids at FOCUS for the entire day! This morning Scott opened the day with a devotion covering the last part of Matthew 25. Here is a little excerpt from those verses...
"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’"
This was especially true of today! Christ commanded us to love the least, to clothe the naked, and feed the hungry. This is what this day was all about! We had the whole day to hug, play with, and love on these 52 kids that are in the FOCUS program. What a joy! In today's culture, especially in the US these kids would be viewed as the least. Many times, we would just walk by them on the streets and not think anything about them. What a travesty on our behalf! These kids are just the same as us in God's sight and they deserve no less love than we get as Americans.
Scott told us that most the kids only have one parent in the home or they live with close relatives. Those who are in charge of the household (i.e. mother, grandparents, etc.) spend over 10 hours in the day trying to find work or working to be able to provide for their kids. Can you imagine that? That is the very reason why these kids desire to be loved so much. When their parent or guardian gets home from working, they are exhausted and don't have the energy to love on their kids. Now, I know that seems crazy to us in America but it is the culture here. If you spent most of your day trying to find work to feed your kids and then came home with nothing because there was no work, you would be exhausted too (especially after doing that for multiple days in a row).
The kids at FOCUS are so incredibly grateful! We did a day full of VBS type activities. We started off the morning with just hanging out and playing with them. Then we played a game of 3-legged races which they loved! Debbie Jo lead a craft time after that where the kids made foam animals out of pieces of foam and Popsicle sticks. They loved it! They don't get these amenities very often (if ever) so when they do, it is awesome! After the craft, it was time for lunch. They ate and so did we. We have boxed lunches from Heart House everyday that we share with our FOCUS workers that we are partnered with. In the boxes is chicken which is a delicacy to them. After lunch we played a game of "Silly Mwhili" which means silly body (aka the hokey pokey). Then we had a time of sharing a Bible story.
The students and some of the team members acted out the story of David and Goliath. Isak Morehous was Goliath and one of the FOCUS kids was David (with the help of Christian). Part of the story was the five smooth stones which we used marshmallows for. They never get to taste or eat marshmallows so this was fun for them as well. Many of them put them in their pockets to take home to give to siblings. This broke my heart because even in their situations, they are still thinking of others and sharing what they only get a little of. What a challenge to us in America to share the wealth that we experience every day!
After the Bible story, we had time for one more craft and made little pipe cleaner people with beads and pipe cleaners. After this, it was playing time. We had about 45 minutes left so we just played with and loved on the kids.
Once we were done, we went packed up and loaded up and headed for home. Last night we packed all 1000 Project Lucas backpacks. It took about 2 hours with everyone helping and then most of us crashed pretty hard. This day was a day of blessings for all of us on this team!
The daily verse reminds me of my responsibility (and our responsibility) as a Christian to love and cherish everyone I come in contact with. There is not one person on the face of this planet that does not deserve my love and care. That is hard to swallow when we think about people we don't like or people who we don't agree with, but it is very true. So, my question to you today is who do you need to love on today? How do you need to get out of your comfort zone and help those in need that you know? Do you need to stop and give food to the homeless man on the interstate ramp? Do you need to go to downtown New Albany and love on homeless kids? Do you need to work in a youth shelter? Where is God calling you to serve what culture would call "the least of these"?
Today was an amazing day! Today was the day that we hung out with all the kids at FOCUS for the entire day! This morning Scott opened the day with a devotion covering the last part of Matthew 25. Here is a little excerpt from those verses...
"Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’"
This was especially true of today! Christ commanded us to love the least, to clothe the naked, and feed the hungry. This is what this day was all about! We had the whole day to hug, play with, and love on these 52 kids that are in the FOCUS program. What a joy! In today's culture, especially in the US these kids would be viewed as the least. Many times, we would just walk by them on the streets and not think anything about them. What a travesty on our behalf! These kids are just the same as us in God's sight and they deserve no less love than we get as Americans.
Scott told us that most the kids only have one parent in the home or they live with close relatives. Those who are in charge of the household (i.e. mother, grandparents, etc.) spend over 10 hours in the day trying to find work or working to be able to provide for their kids. Can you imagine that? That is the very reason why these kids desire to be loved so much. When their parent or guardian gets home from working, they are exhausted and don't have the energy to love on their kids. Now, I know that seems crazy to us in America but it is the culture here. If you spent most of your day trying to find work to feed your kids and then came home with nothing because there was no work, you would be exhausted too (especially after doing that for multiple days in a row).
The kids at FOCUS are so incredibly grateful! We did a day full of VBS type activities. We started off the morning with just hanging out and playing with them. Then we played a game of 3-legged races which they loved! Debbie Jo lead a craft time after that where the kids made foam animals out of pieces of foam and Popsicle sticks. They loved it! They don't get these amenities very often (if ever) so when they do, it is awesome! After the craft, it was time for lunch. They ate and so did we. We have boxed lunches from Heart House everyday that we share with our FOCUS workers that we are partnered with. In the boxes is chicken which is a delicacy to them. After lunch we played a game of "Silly Mwhili" which means silly body (aka the hokey pokey). Then we had a time of sharing a Bible story.
The students and some of the team members acted out the story of David and Goliath. Isak Morehous was Goliath and one of the FOCUS kids was David (with the help of Christian). Part of the story was the five smooth stones which we used marshmallows for. They never get to taste or eat marshmallows so this was fun for them as well. Many of them put them in their pockets to take home to give to siblings. This broke my heart because even in their situations, they are still thinking of others and sharing what they only get a little of. What a challenge to us in America to share the wealth that we experience every day!
After the Bible story, we had time for one more craft and made little pipe cleaner people with beads and pipe cleaners. After this, it was playing time. We had about 45 minutes left so we just played with and loved on the kids.
Once we were done, we went packed up and loaded up and headed for home. Last night we packed all 1000 Project Lucas backpacks. It took about 2 hours with everyone helping and then most of us crashed pretty hard. This day was a day of blessings for all of us on this team!
The daily verse reminds me of my responsibility (and our responsibility) as a Christian to love and cherish everyone I come in contact with. There is not one person on the face of this planet that does not deserve my love and care. That is hard to swallow when we think about people we don't like or people who we don't agree with, but it is very true. So, my question to you today is who do you need to love on today? How do you need to get out of your comfort zone and help those in need that you know? Do you need to stop and give food to the homeless man on the interstate ramp? Do you need to go to downtown New Albany and love on homeless kids? Do you need to work in a youth shelter? Where is God calling you to serve what culture would call "the least of these"?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, June 6th
Over the next two weeks, we will have almost everyone on our team post on this blog. There are individuals and families that will post each night we are here so that you can hear from a lot of different perspectives. Tonight we start the rotation! We hope you enjoy!
Katherine Ward :)
After a refreshing but short night we woke up to an awesome breakfast provided by the staff here at Heart Lodge! We then headed to the ABC Orphanage which partners with Feed The Children. The staff at the ABC Orphanage gave us a tour of the orphanage. This part of the day was difficult for me. For several years, I feel that God wants me to adopt when I'm married. Seeing these beautiful and happy children moved me so much.
We weren't allowed to pick the children up, but we were allowed to play with them. When we entered a room for toddlers I went over to a boy, Moses, who couldn't be much older than a year. Moses was separate from the rest of the children. He immediately wanted me to hold him and he hugged my knees and held my hands the entire time. Oh my goodness, my heart felt so much for this beautiful little boy. We were there for only about 10 minutes, but I will never forget him. I teared up as I left because I felt like I already loved him so much. Seeing these children made me appreciate the family God has so graciously blessed me with!
After touring the Orphanage, we toured the Feed The Children facility and storehouse. I was amazed at how much work goes into their organization! They put so much effort and time into serving others, something I'm still learning to put into action and not just in words. I cannot wait to see what else God has in store for the team and I during the next 2 weeks!
Well, I'll let Julie take over now. I could write so much more but I'm tired and I want sleep. Haha
<3 Julie Jackson
Jambo! That's hello in Swahili, in-case you didn't know :) After waking up this morning, the Heart House made the team and I a satisfyingly delicious breakfast that included foods like bacon and bread filled with chocolate, not a croissant, but close.
At 9:15, we left for the ABC orphanage. It was emotional to leave the children because they had no family. You just wanted to stick them in your pocket and take them all home, but sadly we had to wave goodbye for the first and last time. When we left the orphanage, we drove to a school that was associated with Feed the Children and located in the slums. Not only was it hard to just drive through the area, but to quickly say hello and goodbye to the kids we fed at the school was even harder.
Leaving that area, we drove a bumpy 45 minutes to an hour. Although, if it weren't bumpy, I wouldn't feel like we were in Kenya, so it was cool! This road led us to Focus, where we met all the adorable kids that are involved with Project Lucas. I don't even know how to explain how amazing these kids were. They were amused by the littlest things such as a clap or a tire. Not only were they grateful, but they were so loving. They would run up to you and give you hug, even if you didn't know them.
At the end of the day, we sadly had to give our goodbye high-fives and knuckle-touches to the children. Thankfully, it wasn't our last goodbye! We get to work with them for the next two weeks! :D Well, considering i have been writing this blog too long and Jameson is kicking me off... I should go! Have fun in the states! We will get back to you tomorrow!
Katherine Ward :)
After a refreshing but short night we woke up to an awesome breakfast provided by the staff here at Heart Lodge! We then headed to the ABC Orphanage which partners with Feed The Children. The staff at the ABC Orphanage gave us a tour of the orphanage. This part of the day was difficult for me. For several years, I feel that God wants me to adopt when I'm married. Seeing these beautiful and happy children moved me so much.
We weren't allowed to pick the children up, but we were allowed to play with them. When we entered a room for toddlers I went over to a boy, Moses, who couldn't be much older than a year. Moses was separate from the rest of the children. He immediately wanted me to hold him and he hugged my knees and held my hands the entire time. Oh my goodness, my heart felt so much for this beautiful little boy. We were there for only about 10 minutes, but I will never forget him. I teared up as I left because I felt like I already loved him so much. Seeing these children made me appreciate the family God has so graciously blessed me with!
After touring the Orphanage, we toured the Feed The Children facility and storehouse. I was amazed at how much work goes into their organization! They put so much effort and time into serving others, something I'm still learning to put into action and not just in words. I cannot wait to see what else God has in store for the team and I during the next 2 weeks!
Well, I'll let Julie take over now. I could write so much more but I'm tired and I want sleep. Haha
<3 Julie Jackson
Jambo! That's hello in Swahili, in-case you didn't know :) After waking up this morning, the Heart House made the team and I a satisfyingly delicious breakfast that included foods like bacon and bread filled with chocolate, not a croissant, but close.
At 9:15, we left for the ABC orphanage. It was emotional to leave the children because they had no family. You just wanted to stick them in your pocket and take them all home, but sadly we had to wave goodbye for the first and last time. When we left the orphanage, we drove to a school that was associated with Feed the Children and located in the slums. Not only was it hard to just drive through the area, but to quickly say hello and goodbye to the kids we fed at the school was even harder.
Leaving that area, we drove a bumpy 45 minutes to an hour. Although, if it weren't bumpy, I wouldn't feel like we were in Kenya, so it was cool! This road led us to Focus, where we met all the adorable kids that are involved with Project Lucas. I don't even know how to explain how amazing these kids were. They were amused by the littlest things such as a clap or a tire. Not only were they grateful, but they were so loving. They would run up to you and give you hug, even if you didn't know them.
At the end of the day, we sadly had to give our goodbye high-fives and knuckle-touches to the children. Thankfully, it wasn't our last goodbye! We get to work with them for the next two weeks! :D Well, considering i have been writing this blog too long and Jameson is kicking me off... I should go! Have fun in the states! We will get back to you tomorrow!
Sunday, June 5th
We are here!! It was a long and incredible journey! Here's the low down...
We started off at the church at 6:30am. From there we left and drove to Cincinnati to start our flights. Checking our luggage went amazingly smooth and we had an awesome American Airlines attendant. Once we checked all our bags and bins, we went to the gate to wait for our flights. 7 members of the group took an earlier flight to Chicago and got there ahead of the other group, so we just hung out there in the food court and played games.
Once the second half of the group got there, we went to our international gate to wait for our flight. We waited for about an hour and then our flight came. We boarded our Boeing 767 and got ready to travel for over 8 hours. We didn't have screens in the back of our seats but we did have movies and music to listen too. Most of us slept the whole way but there were a few who didn't. The food was pretty good as well (for airplane food)!
Once we landed in Belgium, we headed to our next gate and had about an hour til we boarded our final flight. Some of us took what I call "airport showers". That's when you bring all your travel size toiletries and go to the bathroom and take a shower. It was great! Wash your hair, brush your teeth, wipe off your face, and reapply some deodorant. You feel SO much better.
We boarded our flight to Nairobi and we were on our way. Another almost 11 hours later we landed here in Kenya. At this point we went to get our Visas and then get our luggage and bins. After we got all of them (praise God), we started to load the vans and buses. Then we left to head to Heart House and get settled and go to bed. We ended up laying down at about 1:30am local time.
Katherine and Julie are posting tomorrow so be sure to check it out!!
Jameson
We started off at the church at 6:30am. From there we left and drove to Cincinnati to start our flights. Checking our luggage went amazingly smooth and we had an awesome American Airlines attendant. Once we checked all our bags and bins, we went to the gate to wait for our flights. 7 members of the group took an earlier flight to Chicago and got there ahead of the other group, so we just hung out there in the food court and played games.
Once the second half of the group got there, we went to our international gate to wait for our flight. We waited for about an hour and then our flight came. We boarded our Boeing 767 and got ready to travel for over 8 hours. We didn't have screens in the back of our seats but we did have movies and music to listen too. Most of us slept the whole way but there were a few who didn't. The food was pretty good as well (for airplane food)!
Once we landed in Belgium, we headed to our next gate and had about an hour til we boarded our final flight. Some of us took what I call "airport showers". That's when you bring all your travel size toiletries and go to the bathroom and take a shower. It was great! Wash your hair, brush your teeth, wipe off your face, and reapply some deodorant. You feel SO much better.
We boarded our flight to Nairobi and we were on our way. Another almost 11 hours later we landed here in Kenya. At this point we went to get our Visas and then get our luggage and bins. After we got all of them (praise God), we started to load the vans and buses. Then we left to head to Heart House and get settled and go to bed. We ended up laying down at about 1:30am local time.
Katherine and Julie are posting tomorrow so be sure to check it out!!
Jameson
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
**CHANGE IN SCHEDULE**
This is a VERY important update!! Please read!!
Due to the amount of luggage and bins we will be transporting with us, we have had a change in the time that we need to arrive at the Cincinnati Airport. We will be meeting at church Saturday morning June 4th at 6:30am instead of 9:30am. Everything else is the same!
Again, we are meeting at the church Saturday morning June 4th at 6:30am!! Please be on time!!
See you in 3 days!!!
Due to the amount of luggage and bins we will be transporting with us, we have had a change in the time that we need to arrive at the Cincinnati Airport. We will be meeting at church Saturday morning June 4th at 6:30am instead of 9:30am. Everything else is the same!
Again, we are meeting at the church Saturday morning June 4th at 6:30am!! Please be on time!!
See you in 3 days!!!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Final Info Meeting
Prayer Requests
Flight Info
What will happen at the airport?
Once in Nairobi, we will deboard the plane and head to the VISA line
What will happen?
PLEASE see the earlier posts for a review of what all we have covered in our meetings!
If you have questions, see the earlier posts as well because they will probably answer them
If you still have questions, feel free to contact Scott this week and get them cleared up before we leave (the only stupid question is the one that is not asked)
- Bins
- Luggage
- Safety
Flight Info
What will happen at the airport?
- Luggage (lots of it- everyone will have 2 bins and 1 checked bag)
- Cincinnati (check in will be chaotic but be prepared) (eat lunch here)
- Chicago (we have to go to the international gate which is a long walk) (eat dinner here)
- Brussels (we will go through customs here as well)
- Nairobi (see Customs section below)
- New York City (Customs is very good but high security)
- If you need a ride from Cincinnati back to New Albany, please let Scott know so we can plan accordingly
Once in Nairobi, we will deboard the plane and head to the VISA line
- Pack a pen in your carry on bag
- Fill out your form to answer the question, "Why are you visiting Kenya" to be, "We are traveling for tourism"
- Turn in your VISA and head to the top of the steps
- Once everyone is done, we will head down to Customs
- During this whole process, PLEASE be quiet and on the best behavior so we don't draw a lot of attention to our group in the airport
- We need the group to do multiple tasks including getting luggage and bins, getting carts, collecting VISA receipts, and then loading the carts
- Debbie Jo and Alisa will be checking in the bins and accounting for them
- Susan will be collecting your VISA receipt as well
- Christian, TJ and Isak will be getting the luggage and bins off the carousel
- Jameson will be loading carts
- Everyone else will be getting carts over to the carousel to load them
- Once they are all loaded we will head through customs
What will happen?
- Be here 6:30-7:30pm in the Family Life Cafe (park in the side parking lot)
- You don't have to bring your carry on or your personal item but you can
- Your checked bags can be no more than 50lbs (your carry on can't be more than 40lbs)
- Make sure you have 3 Passport copies (Checked bag, Scott and Alisa and carry on)
- You will be paired with a FOCUS worker to build relationships and, hopefully, share your faith
- Many are Christians but not all of them
- See next blog for the rooming list
- VBS (games and a Bible story- David and Goliath)
- Whoever is not helping with VBS will be painting and doing some work around the new FOCUS Center
- Fill out the form and get it to Alisa ASAP
- This is where you want to buy your souvenirs
- There will be tons of stuff
- 79 Schillings = $1 US (at this moment but it could change)
- It is HIGHLY recommended to buy something for the people who sponsored your trip
- NEVER pay the first price given (barter your way to a better deal)
- We will shop at Java House, the Tea Farm, the Market or the Masai Village (if you go) but those are the only places to really shop
- We need some people to share their testimonies in the church service and the youth service
- If you would like to do this, let Scott or Alisa know (we need about 6 total)
- Expect this in the email this week
- The phone cards are for you to mail to your sponsors for them to keep up with what's going on on the trip
- No news is good news (so if you don't hear from us, that's a good thing)
- Scott's Facebook will be updated occasionally, so you can check his profile as well for stuff
PLEASE see the earlier posts for a review of what all we have covered in our meetings!
If you have questions, see the earlier posts as well because they will probably answer them
If you still have questions, feel free to contact Scott this week and get them cleared up before we leave (the only stupid question is the one that is not asked)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Info Meeting #4
We are 20 days away...that's less than 3 weeks from leaving!! As we get closer, the details and info gets more intense. So, here is the stuff from our last meeting on Sunday night May 15th in case you missed it.
New News
Project Lucas has moved properties! After receiving an eviction notice on their current property, Project Lucas was forced to look for other properties in and around Nairobi. After A TON of prayer and searching God provided an AWESOME property!!
Meeting Agenda
Ministry Schedule Update
*See the next posting
**The schedule is still TENTATIVE so there could be changes made day of
Here are some highlights of the schedule:
June 3rd
New News
Project Lucas has moved properties! After receiving an eviction notice on their current property, Project Lucas was forced to look for other properties in and around Nairobi. After A TON of prayer and searching God provided an AWESOME property!!
Meeting Agenda
Ministry Schedule Update
*See the next posting
**The schedule is still TENTATIVE so there could be changes made day of
Here are some highlights of the schedule:
June 3rd
- You get one suitcase to pack your belongings in and then one bin assigned will be assigned to you
- Bring your luggage to church this night between 7:30pm-8:00pm and drop it in the Family Life Cafe
- We will meet at the church at 9:30am and we will eat lunch at the Cincinnati airport so bring some money to buy lunch
- First day of ministry begins
- Breakfast is amazing and awesome!! Two words...MANGO JUICE!!
- We are going to visit the Abandon Baby Center (ABC) Orphanage and school for disabled children
- With the same organization, we will go into Kibera (the largest slum in Kenya)
- We will be feeding kids and then walk around the slum but we will be EXTREMELY safe because we are with the organization Feed the Children which has respect and recognition
- After this, we will go to Java House for lunch (think combination of Starbucks and Red Robin)
- Then, we will go to visit FOCUS and hang out with the kids
- Spend time and love on all the FOCUS kids and leaders all day
- We will have our first backpack ceremony where we gather all the kids and their families to give out some of the backpacks that we collected
- This will be a ceremony including music, songs, drama, speaking and even government officials
- This is the day we will visit homes of the FOCUS kids and visit with the family and deliver some gifts to them as well
- This will be an awesome opportunity to speak to the Kenyan families and, hopefully, present the Gospel to them
- Backpack ceremony in a rural coffee field community
- This will be different from the first ceremony because the people will be standoffish due to a lack of education but we will do lunch and the Gospel
- We will be taking the kids from FOCUS on a field trip to the Elephant Orphanage
- We might also be going to the Giraffe Center as well but that's a maybe
- It's Sunday so we will be going to church in Kenya at Ruriu Bible Baptist Church where Sylvester used to be the youth pastor
- Once church is over, we will head to Mitchell's Tea Farm which is one of the oldest tea farms around Nairobi
- SAFARI at Fig Tree Camp in the Masai Mara
- We will be going out on the safari in the middle of the Masai Mara for two days to look at the African animals and eat good food
- You will have the chance to go to the Masai Village as well to see what a real Masai tribe is like
- This trip is so crucial because of everything we are taking in as we do the ministry we will be doing; plus, it's an amazing reminder of our God and how amazing and creative He is in creation
- This is the last day to hang out with the FOCUS kids and there will be a ceremony at the end
- We will go to the Village Market and go shopping before we leave for the airport
- Arrive back in America
- See next posting for this list also
- Pack clothes that you don't care what happens to them
- You can wear jeans but we encourage you to wear khakis
- Your suitcase cannot weigh over 50lbs
- Put a copy of your Passport in your suitcase, give a copy to Scott for the trip and make a copy to keep at home
- Church clothes need to be skirts below the knees for the ladies and nice pants and shirt for the men
- DO NOT bring anything expensive (laptops, jewelry, etc.)
- Go to the bank and get $50s or $100s that are the newest the bank has
- An estimate of how much to bring is anywhere from $100-$300 depending on how much you want to spend on souvenirs
- The Giraffe Center is $7 and the one lunch you are responsible for is about $8
- When it comes to debit cards and credit cards, call your bank and let them know you are traveling to Belgium, Kenya, New York, Cincinnati and Chicago and you can use them on this trip
- Make sure you sanitize and wash your hands
- Do not put your hands near your mouth or in your eyes
- Permethrin is a bug repellent that you can get at Bass Pro for Safari
- Make sure you have your Malaria medications as well and pay attention to when you are supposed to start taking it before the trip
- Make sure you also have all your shots (Yellow Fever, Typhoid, etc.)
- We will be commissioned at the end of the first service on May 29th
- Don't take it during the day because it could be pick pocketed
- Check with your carrier to see about international charges and plan upgrades because it can be expensive ($2-$3 a minute)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Info Meeting #3
Hey everyone! We had a great meeting last night! The excitement is building and God is really pouring out blessings on this team. He has got some amazing stuff in store for us! Here is what we covered and talked about last night if you couldn't be there or if you missed part of it for some reason.
Stuff
Praise
Stuff You Need to Know
Dates of the Trip: June 4-18 (Flights are still the same just date changed)Total Cost of the Trip
Total Cost of the Trip: $2,960.00
T-Shirt Design (You get two of these shirts):
Running Shirt: It is the same as above only in Carolina blue and they are $15 a piece (see Jameson ASAP if you would like to order one)
Prayer Needs
Stuff
Praise
- Everyone has their plane ticket money and most everyone is already completely DONE!!
- They like to have meaningful conversations and talk. They are a slow moving culture and therefore, they like to stop and talk and get to know you and who you are. In fact, it is rude to just say hello and then move on. They have a saying that goes like this, "Americans have watches and Kenyans have time!"
- Friendship is VERY important to them. It is more important than money even. If someone is in need and they ask for help, Kenyans will give it whether they have it or not because they want to help and because their friendship means more to them than money.
- There will be language issues with the kids especially because they do not know English really well.
- Poverty is part of their life. They don't have electricity and running water. This is just life for them.
- When asked for money, your response should always be, "You need to go ask Scott"
- Women are to NEVER walk or travel alone or without a guy with them
- Bring shoes that are comfortable because you will wear them all week (no sandals when we are out in Kenya)
- Wear pants (preferably khakis), Capri's, etc.
- When brushing your teeth, DO NOT use the water from the tap (use the purified water jug in the bathroom)
- DO NOT eat food that is not cooked at HEART or at a restaurant because it could cause illness
- If you ever have any questions, ask Scott
- We had to cut off the backpacks at 1,000
- We are taking over 3,000 folders, 20,000 pens, 24,000 pencils, etc.
- Backpacks might go to up to 6 schools
- We want to do home visits (20-30 minutes in each home with conversations and prayer)
- Any questions, no matter how you feel, need to be answered by, "He's my President"
- Always be positive and answer positively
Stuff You Need to Know
Dates of the Trip: June 4-18 (Flights are still the same just date changed)Total Cost of the Trip
Total Cost of the Trip: $2,960.00
T-Shirt Design (You get two of these shirts):
Running Shirt: It is the same as above only in Carolina blue and they are $15 a piece (see Jameson ASAP if you would like to order one)
Prayer Needs
- Fundraising for everyone
- Funds to get the backpack supplies over to Kenya
- Airline to show mercy for checked bag fee
- May 15th
- May 29th
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Prayer Support
Here is a list of everyone who will be going on this trip. We ask that you keep us in your prayers leading up to, through, and after the trip.
If you are wondering what to be praying for, here is a list of some specifics:
- Pray that God will prepare the hearts of those we will be working with and presenting the Gospel too
- Pray that God will be working and preparing each team members hearts for what we will experience on this trip
- Pray that each member of the team would rely on God for the financial and prayer support that needs to be in by March 31st
- Pray that God would use this team in a mighty way while we are there
- Pray that the 900 backpacks that will be given out help change kids lives for the better
- Pray that Scott and Sylvester would be strengthened by God as this trip nears and that God would work details out as He sees fit
Team Members:
Debbie Johannes
Leah Johannes
Mallory Barker
Jameson Barker
Lucas Dishong
Scott Dishong
Alisa Dishong
Olivia Smith
Michael Henderson
Laura Henderson
Genevieve Henderson
Edward Henderson
Julie Jackson
Michelle Cavanaugh
Logan Cavanaugh
Kathleen Himmelheber
Katherine Ward
Isak Morehous
Kim Morehous
Susan Clark
Casey Mackie
Riley Mackie
Christian Colson
Thomas Chesnut
Ben Benson
Gary Clark
Matt Clark
James Dishong
Robin Dishong
Info Meeting #2
These are the things we covered in our second info meeting for everyone who is going on the trip
Backpack Update
We have collected almost 900 backpacks!!!! Praise God!!!!
Tentative Ministry
Working with the FOCUS kids
Giving out blankets, mattresses, and spending time with the families of the FOCUS kids
Handing out almost 900 backpacks
Sharing the Gospel with and feeding everyone at the ceremonies for the backpacks
Taking the kids on a day trip
Cost
The total cost of the trip is going to be around $2900
Plane Ticket
You must pay for your plane ticket by March 31st
Flight Schedule
June 5th:
Leave Cincinnati at 2pm
Arrive in Chicago at 2:30pm (central time)
Leave Chicago at 5pm
June 6th:
Arrive in Brussels at 8:15am
Leave Brussels at 10:40am
Arrive in Nairobi, Kenya at 10:05pm
June 17th:
Leave Nairobi, Kenya at 10:50pm
June 18th:
Arrive in Brussels at 6:10am
Leave Brussels at 10am
Arrive in New York City at 12:30pm
Leave New York City at 3:30pm
Arrive in Cincinnati at 5:50pm
Luggage
You are allowed 1 checked bag and 1 carry on bag
Your other checked bag will be a container with backpack supplies in it
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Where Are We Staying?
We stay at a place called Heart House. It is an old game lodge that was purchased by a Christian organization to house missionaries in Kenya. They have summer missionaries that come in every summer as well to serve and reach out to the local community. The lodge has rooms (like the one to the left) and full kitchen facilities. They cook for the employees and visitors every day and the food is amazing!
The compound is composed of the lodge, two staff houses, the kitchen, and a beautiful courtyard! It is a truly awesome place to come back after serving all day and then wake up to in the morning. The whole place is surrounded by a security wall and a full-time security guard as well.
I can't wait to be back here!!
Tentative (and we mean that) Schedule
Here is a sample schedule of our time in Kenya. This schedule could, and probably will, change in the months leading up to the trip. As needs arise, we will do our best to meet them which could change our schedule.
Sunday, June 5th
Leave Cincinnati, OH
Monday
Arrive in Nairobi, Kenya (about 10pm)
Tuesday
Tour ABC Orphanage and Kibera Slum
Visit FOCUS Orphan Care Center
Wednesday
Ministry at FOCUS Orphan Care Center and local community
Thursday
Outreach to Ruiru Community
Construction and Backpacks
Friday
Construction
Saturday
Field Trip for Orphans/Ministry in Community
Sunday
Ministry at Ruiru Baptist Church
GOOD FOOD
Monday
Safari
Tuesday
Safari
Wednesday
Safari
Thursday
Ministry in Community: Blankets, Mattresses, and Mosquito Nets
Friday
Shopping
Tea Fields
Leave Nairobi, Kenya
Saturday, June 16th
Arrive in Cincinnati, OH
Leave Cincinnati, OH
Monday
Arrive in Nairobi, Kenya (about 10pm)
Tuesday
Tour ABC Orphanage and Kibera Slum
Visit FOCUS Orphan Care Center
Wednesday
Ministry at FOCUS Orphan Care Center and local community
Thursday
Outreach to Ruiru Community
Construction and Backpacks
Friday
Construction
Saturday
Field Trip for Orphans/Ministry in Community
Sunday
Ministry at Ruiru Baptist Church
GOOD FOOD
Monday
Safari
Tuesday
Safari
Wednesday
Safari
Thursday
Ministry in Community: Blankets, Mattresses, and Mosquito Nets
Friday
Shopping
Tea Fields
Leave Nairobi, Kenya
Saturday, June 16th
Arrive in Cincinnati, OH
Info Meeting #1
These are the important notes and info from the first meeting with the team of people going to Kenya in June
Trip Dates: June 5th-18th, 2011
Total Cost: $3,000
You need to start fund raising NOW!
- Enclosed in the packet you received are multiple sample letters that you can use in preparation for writing your own support letters
- You need to send these letters out ASAP
- You can participate in and start any fundraiser you would like as an individual or group. However, we ask that you not use Graceland's name on any fund raising you do
- Passport Applications need to be done ASAP as well!
Shots/Meds
- Here is a list of shots that you REQUIRED to have in order to travel to Kenya: Yellow Fever
- Here is a list of shots that are RECOMMENDED (HIGHLY) for travel to Kenya: MMR, DPT, Polio, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Typhoid
- You will also need Malaria medication from your local doctor. This comes in the form of pills that you take with you and start taking before you leave and finish after you get back.
- Check out the blog from our last trip @ www.kenyagbc.blogspot.com
- Check out pictures from our last trip @ www.picasaweb.google.com/chinnylates
- March 6th @4:30pm
- April 3rd @ 4:30pm
- May 15th & 29th @ 4:30pm
- June 4th (luggage drop-off) @ TBD
- Please be in prayer for the finalization of details
- Pray for Sylvester who we will be working with while we are there
- Pray for all the kids we will be working with and loving on
- Pray for the team that will be going
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