THINGS DO NOT END WELL. NOT SURE WHERE ALL OF THIS IS GOING

A normal house for someone in Kenya.  Made with mud, sticks, stones, and palm tree branch roofs.  Easily washed away in rain season.  

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Today we were off to Vipingo, the red/maroon school to do the activity day.   When we youngest do activity days we break the kids into 2 groups.  The smallest three groups of kids and the biggest three groups of kids.  We have an outside large motor activity, a craft/inside activity, and a bible lesson activity.  The biggest kids act out the bible story in really fun ways. 

 Examples of large motor activities have been basketball, kickball, volleyball, baseball,  hip-i-t-hopes (balls you sit on a jump up and down on), sack races, ring toss, bowling.   This year we did a volleyball type of game I think.

I did the crafts and what we did this year and teach them about winter.  We read books about winter, had them hold ice to watch it melt, drank some hot coco, and cut out “snowflakes” with white paper and scissors. It was a real treat for them to use scissors as they do not have access to those types of things over there. We brought them to leave with them.  We take so much for granted here. They don’t have markers, scissors, crayons  or even paper and pens like we do here.

Then once the kids have been through every station, we serve the kids lunch. After lunch we get to sit around with the kids and play or talk or whatever for recess for a few hours.  This year, I hung out asking the standard 3 girls lots of questions.  Then had to say goodbye for another year.   Then we headed to Bomani just to say goodbye.

BOX LUNCHES

I think the most emotional part of the trip for me this trip was when we were handing out our boxed lunches out of our bus window as we drove through the village of Bomani.  Our hotel gives us boxed lunches which are not very exciting and we usually eat with the kids to get the full experience, so we hand out the boxes from the window of our bus to people that look like they need it, which is everyone in Kenya.  The most moving moment was when a woman came up to the bus and when we handed her the box, she started crying when receiving box lunch.  It looked as if she was so hungry and so desperate and this just changed her life.

There were two others that made a big impact on me too.  A little girl came up and got a box and her eyes were dancing.  She ran away saying thank you, thank you thank you.   Welcome. Welcome. Welcome she screamed.   She was so excited.  All that is in the boxed lunch is a hard roll, a boiled egg and a banana.   Then a little boy came running home to show his mom what he got and both her and the boy were so, so excited. 

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Quiet time this morning, the group left for safari – early this morning. This was the first trip I was able to not go on Safari. I was reflecting on time here and thinking, we all have our own personal “Kenya's”.   Where is the  place where you are being called to make a difference?  It might be with your young children, it might be in the inner city areas of where you live, it might be at the Humane Society helping animals.  Pray and figure out where you are being called and then take the time to pursue it.   Find yours and pursue it today.

Dorcas is driving me around for the next two days.  It was great to have meet here on this trip. She came with us to an orphanage and one of the kids there touched her heart and within a few weeks, she had him adopted into a great family.  I hear she is currently working on building a orphanage for teenagers that usually would take to the streets in Kenya.  I was very excited to have met her on this trip.  

I also met Jayne on this trip as well.  She has been working with Bomani school missionaries Bobby and Lisa Betchel on upkeeping the website and Facebook page, etc.  It has been a joy to meet her.  We finally had a chance to talk and it looks as though God has been leading her to work towards a pregnancy crises center in Mombasa as well. Look forward to working with her.

We spent the day revisited some orphanages from last Wanna Wa Mola the boys home, New Hope School in a slum near Mombasa – there we visited with all the older girls there an encouraged them to follow their dreams.  These girls have to deal with so much that we cannot even comprehend. They are followed and even attacked by pimps who do business near the hotels on the beaches. They try to forcibly take them or coerce them with promises of a great life and money to being sex slaves. This is what they deal with daily while walking to and from school.  Many of the girls in the school have succumbed to this in one way or another, especially the girls that are in the orphanage that is related to this school.   Violet the director of the school and orphanage is doing amazing work but needs so much help.

Then we meet with Father Dolan.  He is an attorney from Ireland who has been in Kenya for many years that George from Good Life Orphanage thought it would be good to talk with. He is doing great work in Blagadesh (a slum area in Mombasa toward the airport)  He specifically works on human rights issues with IMLU.  Police torture cases and lost of landlord tenant things in this area.  He gave me lots of guidance on a pregnancy crises center. He got very excited about this work.  He indicated that the only thing they had in Mombasa was called Maristops which was a place people could contact to get a referral to an illegal abortion. Nothing else is available to help woman who are in a crises pregnancy to help them in their time of distress.

He also gave guidance on how to get in to the police stations with the adoption work.

He also told me about a Dr. Susan from Chicago who reaches out to teenagers in Mombasa and has been here for several years.  She was in Chicago currently receiving an award of some kind. I hope to connect with her the next time I’m in Mombasa. 

Thursday, June 28,2012

George social worker from Good Life joined Dorcus, Jayne and I today to take us to a few places. 

First we went downtown to Children's Department  in Mombasa. The line was very long and employee was late and the area the adoption resource centre would be in is Mtwapa which is in Kiliffii district so we left without seeing anyone.   Saw the sign for PARC which was not been changed to the correct name, more on this later.

Then headed to view Children's Court in Tonoko.    Unfortunately it was not in session.  The courthouse was an open air pavilion.  But, we did find the CRADLE Office,  a UNICEF funded organization that takes woman's cases to court for child support and other woman related issues.  Faith the secretary was very helpful and gave us the Attorney, Collins’ contact information so I was able to touch base with him by phone and email.  He has helped me even right before my April 2013 trip, figure out some details on how to pursue a guardianship. 

Then we headed out to Kiliffii to visit the Children's Department which is the district the property is located in.  Thanks to George for coming with us and getting us in for a quick visit.  This is the first visit that far north for me.  It wasin a small rural village. We meet a very busy person, Rehab there. She was very gracious.  It is very interesting that that is her name.  The story of the most famous Rehab, in the Bible is about a prostitute that protects two spies of Israel and she is in the lineage of Jesus. 

We were asking for a checklist on the steps to follow to open an adoption agency.  She did not have our answers but assured us she would get that day or the morning of the next day.

Then we dropped George off in Mtwapa and headed to Shanzu for the Girl Guide purses.  The order was not ready so Jayne and Dorcus and I set outside and planned the run/walk for in Kenya which was awesome.  

By the time the purses were done, I was sick with a sore throat and headache  - migraine so went home for a short nap. 

Finally meet with Vicky, the Kenyan lawyer I am working with, due to the lack of phone early in the trip, this is the first time I was able to meet with her. Hellen, the Kenyan psychologist was not able to meet up this trip.   Got refocused on our goals and had a get meeting I thought. But when I ran upstairs for a minute and when I came  down Vicky seemed very upset about something and indicated I had all the answers and abruptly left. I have no idea what happened, but it did not end well. 

I was very upset and did not know what to do. I did not have much time left in Kenya and didn't want to push things when I had no idea what was going on.  

June 29, 2012

I’m heading home today.   Note to self - do not leave at 3:45am from airport without getting a hotel room for the night.  I didn't think there was anything more uncomfortable than sleeping in an airplane seat, but there is - not having an airplane to seat to sit in to sleep but instead a single seat in an airport with really uncomfortable, non-padded seats.

I will miss the people and especially the relaxing ocean waves.   Leaving feeling very unsure of what is going on with the works here in Kenya and feeling very rejected by Vicky and having no idea why.  It has been a rough trip and not feeling very optimistic on where things are going.