Hi everyone,
Just wanted to let you know that my first post is up on the new CARE for AIDS blog at:
http://careforaids.org/blog
I would really appreciate it if you could check it out and leave a comment about the direction you think the blog is heading. We are praying that this blog will be a valuable tool for reaching new audiences and presenting interesting, challenging content, and any feedback is wonderful!
Thanks so much!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
New CARE for AIDS Website and Blog!
As promised, I want to let you all know that CARE for AIDS has a completely new website live online at www.careforaids.org Please check it out - there are all sorts of interesting video profiles of clients, descriptions of each church that we partner with, and breakdowns of how we do what we do. The website also includes a new blog! From now on, I will be posting periodically on the CARE for AIDS blog. My posts will focus on international development, Christian ministry, and what it's like to run a non-profit from the US.
I would love for all of you to follow this new blog. It will also have periodic posts from our Kenyan directors and each of the other Americans on staff with CARE for AIDS, and I think it will provide some challenging thoughts, no matter where you are in life. Please pray for the launch of this new site and the potential it holds to reach many new people with the work that is happening in Kenya. If you could share the site and the blog with your own friends and networks, I would really appreciate it!
I would love for all of you to follow this new blog. It will also have periodic posts from our Kenyan directors and each of the other Americans on staff with CARE for AIDS, and I think it will provide some challenging thoughts, no matter where you are in life. Please pray for the launch of this new site and the potential it holds to reach many new people with the work that is happening in Kenya. If you could share the site and the blog with your own friends and networks, I would really appreciate it!
Monday, July 11, 2011
These Days
Well, it's been two and a half months since I posted anything on this blog, but I've heard from a few people who requested a little update so I'm going to try and give you just that! I guess the last post wasn't really a "conclusion," but does life really ever have those?
Jane and I got back to the States in the first week of May and entered into a whirlwind summer of transition, families, and lots of big changes. I celebrated my brother Preston's graduation in Nashville and then went on a family trip to Peru for a couple of weeks, before Jane and I reunited in Charlotte during the first week in June. Since then we've bounced around between Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville,Winston-Salem, the Tennessee mountains (twice), and Cleveland. We've been blessed with wonderful time with each of our families, gotten to celebrate at a good friend's wedding, been a part of a joint family vacation, signed a lease on an apartment, and reunited with many old friends.
We've also had LOTS of wedding conversations and decisions! Right now we are 12 days away from THE day, so most things are planned and we're down to the little details. God has been so faithful to give us many awesome people to help in this whole process and to keep it all from getting out of control. I truly believe that we are both enormously excited about the wedding AND our life that starts together after that, and I thank God for how he has kept us from getting swept up in the craziness. Please pray for us as July 23 gets closer!
I've also had some people ask about what's going on with CARE for AIDS. As soon as we got back to the States, I started transitioning into my new role as Operations Director with CFA. I am our second full-time staff member here in the States, so for the foreseeable future I'll be handling the Operations side of the ministry from Winston-Salem. This will involve keeping tabs on what's happening in Kenya, coordinating textbook drives, working on marketing and back-office projects, planning Cornel and Duncan's trip to the States in October, getting over to Kenya with vision trips occasionally....it's really an unending list! It's exciting, though, and I'm blessed to have the opportunity to take my experiences over the past two years and apply them to the US-side of the ministry. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about CARE for AIDS - I'm probably a little closer to you now than I used to be!
I'm not sure if I'll continue posting on this blog. I probably will try to post from time to time - more often than the last few months but not as often as when I was in Kenya. We are also trying to start a true CARE for AIDS blog soon, so I will be posting from time to time there. I'll be sure to share that once it is active.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
Jane and I got back to the States in the first week of May and entered into a whirlwind summer of transition, families, and lots of big changes. I celebrated my brother Preston's graduation in Nashville and then went on a family trip to Peru for a couple of weeks, before Jane and I reunited in Charlotte during the first week in June. Since then we've bounced around between Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville,Winston-Salem, the Tennessee mountains (twice), and Cleveland. We've been blessed with wonderful time with each of our families, gotten to celebrate at a good friend's wedding, been a part of a joint family vacation, signed a lease on an apartment, and reunited with many old friends.
We've also had LOTS of wedding conversations and decisions! Right now we are 12 days away from THE day, so most things are planned and we're down to the little details. God has been so faithful to give us many awesome people to help in this whole process and to keep it all from getting out of control. I truly believe that we are both enormously excited about the wedding AND our life that starts together after that, and I thank God for how he has kept us from getting swept up in the craziness. Please pray for us as July 23 gets closer!
I've also had some people ask about what's going on with CARE for AIDS. As soon as we got back to the States, I started transitioning into my new role as Operations Director with CFA. I am our second full-time staff member here in the States, so for the foreseeable future I'll be handling the Operations side of the ministry from Winston-Salem. This will involve keeping tabs on what's happening in Kenya, coordinating textbook drives, working on marketing and back-office projects, planning Cornel and Duncan's trip to the States in October, getting over to Kenya with vision trips occasionally....it's really an unending list! It's exciting, though, and I'm blessed to have the opportunity to take my experiences over the past two years and apply them to the US-side of the ministry. Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about CARE for AIDS - I'm probably a little closer to you now than I used to be!
I'm not sure if I'll continue posting on this blog. I probably will try to post from time to time - more often than the last few months but not as often as when I was in Kenya. We are also trying to start a true CARE for AIDS blog soon, so I will be posting from time to time there. I'll be sure to share that once it is active.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A Chapter Ends
Well, next week this time I'll be in America, and not just for a visit! That still seems surreal to me, but I'm feeling convinced that the timing is right. With the ending of this chapter in Kenya, however, come a LOT of loose ends to tie up (which is why blogging hasn't happened a whole lot lately). This week I've been having final meetings with people, compiling things for a post-Nick CFA Kenya, creating final updates, going through drawers, saying good-byes, sorting clothes...and the list goes on.
In the midst of all that, I'm trying to get my heart prepared for all the changes ahead and attempting to listen and respond to where God is leading my thoughts and my actions in a period of upheaval. I would appreciate your prayers for this time - life in Kenya has become normal for me, and "normal" is about to look very different. While I'm excited for the next step, I'm also feeling a lot of uncertainty right now about readjusting to life in America. I know it's going to require patience, flexibility, and the wisdom of God to see where he is leading us.
In the midst of all that, I'm trying to get my heart prepared for all the changes ahead and attempting to listen and respond to where God is leading my thoughts and my actions in a period of upheaval. I would appreciate your prayers for this time - life in Kenya has become normal for me, and "normal" is about to look very different. While I'm excited for the next step, I'm also feeling a lot of uncertainty right now about readjusting to life in America. I know it's going to require patience, flexibility, and the wisdom of God to see where he is leading us.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Adoption vs. Life Sustained
I'm currently reading a book given to me by my Aunt called there is no me without you by Melissa Faye Greene. I can't give a full review or recommendation on the book yet (I'm only four chapters in), but I wanted to share an excerpt from early on in the book that hits at the heart of the perspective of CARE for AIDS on a role as an orphan preventer and not an orphan caretaker:
"Adoption is not the answer to HIV/AIDS in Africa. Adoption rescues few. Adoption illuminates by example: these few once-loved children -- who lost parents to preventable diseases -- have been offered a second chance at family life in foreign countries; like young ambassadors, they instruct us. ...
'Adoption is a last resort,' I would be told in November 2005 by Haddush Halefom, head of the Children's Commission under Ethiopia's Ministry of Labor, the arbiter of intercountry adoptions...'I am deeply respectful of the families who care for our children,' he said. 'But I am so very interested in any help that can be given to us to keep the children's first parents alive. Adoption is good, but children, naturally, would prefer not to see their parents die.'"
People often ask us what we are doing for the orphan victims of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. Sometimes its hard to answer, basically, that we aren't doing anything for the existing orphans. Thankfully, there are many other organizations, churches, and individuals raising money and reaching out to take care of orphans. Our focus is on the less apparent side - taking care of HIV-positive parents and enabling them to live 20 or 25 years to raise their children themselves. Right now there are about 800 current CARE for AIDS clients, representing at least 2,500 children. Two thousand five hundred children who won't have to experience what it's like to be an orphan.
"Adoption is not the answer to HIV/AIDS in Africa. Adoption rescues few. Adoption illuminates by example: these few once-loved children -- who lost parents to preventable diseases -- have been offered a second chance at family life in foreign countries; like young ambassadors, they instruct us. ...
'Adoption is a last resort,' I would be told in November 2005 by Haddush Halefom, head of the Children's Commission under Ethiopia's Ministry of Labor, the arbiter of intercountry adoptions...'I am deeply respectful of the families who care for our children,' he said. 'But I am so very interested in any help that can be given to us to keep the children's first parents alive. Adoption is good, but children, naturally, would prefer not to see their parents die.'"
People often ask us what we are doing for the orphan victims of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. Sometimes its hard to answer, basically, that we aren't doing anything for the existing orphans. Thankfully, there are many other organizations, churches, and individuals raising money and reaching out to take care of orphans. Our focus is on the less apparent side - taking care of HIV-positive parents and enabling them to live 20 or 25 years to raise their children themselves. Right now there are about 800 current CARE for AIDS clients, representing at least 2,500 children. Two thousand five hundred children who won't have to experience what it's like to be an orphan.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Knowledge Multiplication
I'm an engineer (technically), which makes me, by default, a big fan of math and machines. While my current job doesn't involve too many machines of the mechanical kind - except when my car falls apart - it does involve the creation of mechanisms that attempt to maximize the effectiveness of the resources that CARE for AIDS has at its disposal. I love the idea of an exponential curve applied to growth of any kind, essentially a process where something multiplies then multiplies again and again and again...and never stops. This shows up in all kinds of ways through CFA. For example, if we can help one mother live an extra 20 years, she can keep 4 kids from becoming orphans...then each of those 4 kids can grow up empowered to give THEIR 4 kids a better life...and so it goes.
Another way this idea of exponential growth shows up is in the proliferation of knowledge. Last year, the Central Baptist center in Kisumu held a seminar hosted by an outside facilitator in which clients were taught how to use cheap or free materials to make baskets, which they can sell for people to use when shopping, carrying products to market, storing items in their homes, etc. One client, Mary Ochieng, took this skill and ran with it. She collected construction waste like the wrapping on bundles of materials and created baskets that sold well and provided a much-needed income. The workers at Central told the workers at a different CFA center in Nyalenda Baptist Church about Mary, and last week she visited the current group of clients at Nyalenda to pass on the basket-making skills that she learned last year. Not only is this a great encouragement to the new clients - they get to learn from someone who was in the EXACT same position that they are - it's an empowering experience for Mary. She gets a little extra income from spending a day teaching, but she also receives the confidence and hope that come from realizing that you have something to offer and knowing that you have helped other people.
Now the simple skill of basket-making has "jumped" from one community to another, and the training of one client at Central has multiplied to a whole group of clients at Nyalenda. That's engineering I can get excited about...
Another way this idea of exponential growth shows up is in the proliferation of knowledge. Last year, the Central Baptist center in Kisumu held a seminar hosted by an outside facilitator in which clients were taught how to use cheap or free materials to make baskets, which they can sell for people to use when shopping, carrying products to market, storing items in their homes, etc. One client, Mary Ochieng, took this skill and ran with it. She collected construction waste like the wrapping on bundles of materials and created baskets that sold well and provided a much-needed income. The workers at Central told the workers at a different CFA center in Nyalenda Baptist Church about Mary, and last week she visited the current group of clients at Nyalenda to pass on the basket-making skills that she learned last year. Not only is this a great encouragement to the new clients - they get to learn from someone who was in the EXACT same position that they are - it's an empowering experience for Mary. She gets a little extra income from spending a day teaching, but she also receives the confidence and hope that come from realizing that you have something to offer and knowing that you have helped other people.
Now the simple skill of basket-making has "jumped" from one community to another, and the training of one client at Central has multiplied to a whole group of clients at Nyalenda. That's engineering I can get excited about...
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| Mary teaches basket-weaving at a Nyalenda seminar |
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Switching Gears
I have a tendency to get in "work mode." On the positive side, this can make me extra-efficient and super focused on getting things done, but it can also make me keep going when I need to rest or struggle to take my mind completely off of responsibilities. Thankfully, I'm usually pretty good at getting myself out of "work mode" when it's not time to be working, but every once in a while occasions come up that flip the switch for a big chunk of time. The last two weeks of March were one of those chunks. Managing both of the CFA vision trips that came to Kenya took almost all of my brain power and close to all of my waking hours, and then the following week of spending time with Justin and Caleb was fun, but still pretty focused.
Thankfully, there is a place called the beach and a thing called vacation, and four days of that place and thing were just what I needed to get my "work mode" switch to the OFF position! Jane and I had an incredible trip out to the Kenyan coast, just south of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean. Spending time relaxing with each other, reading lazily by the pool, playing lots of volleyball, praying without feeling rushed, eating luxuriously decadent food, and laughing with incredible friends was the perfect follow-up to a very full month. Thank God for giving us the strength to persevere through the challenges, as well as the beautiful relief that follows them!
Thankfully, there is a place called the beach and a thing called vacation, and four days of that place and thing were just what I needed to get my "work mode" switch to the OFF position! Jane and I had an incredible trip out to the Kenyan coast, just south of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean. Spending time relaxing with each other, reading lazily by the pool, playing lots of volleyball, praying without feeling rushed, eating luxuriously decadent food, and laughing with incredible friends was the perfect follow-up to a very full month. Thank God for giving us the strength to persevere through the challenges, as well as the beautiful relief that follows them!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Kenya from the air!
A couple of weeks ago, I got to embark on one of the coolest days of my time in Kenya. Early in the morning, I drove in to the tiny Wilson airport south of Nairobi and hopped in a 6-seater Cessna 206 with a sweet Mission Aviation pilot named Reini. This plane was smaller than my car, and I got to ride in the "copilot" seat up front while we flew over Nairobi, past Mt. Kenya, and up to the Samburu area to meet the Thompsons. SO AWESOME!
We picked up Donald and Brenda and flew out over the Rift Valley to Kisumu, where we got a fantastic fish/ugali lunch by the lake and hung out with the center workers and clients at Nanga Baptist Church. It was so fun to introduce the Thompsons to Kisumu, and it was a huge encouragement for the CFA workers to have visitors all the way from America. Most guests don't get out that far from Nairobi, so the visit was a rare treat for them!
From there, we flew back across the Central Highlands to Nairobi. The weather took a turn for the worse on this leg, though, and soon we found ourselves dodging (literally!) giant black clouds and rainstorms. Listening to Donald and Reini make seat-of-their pants decisions on where to fly the plane and then holding on while we banked around towering clouds was surreal - a completely opposite experience from flying on a giant airliner! It was incredibly exciting, though, and we ended up making a safe landing at Wilson airport.
What an awesome day! I've never had a huge desire to be a pilot, but this just might have flipped a switch haha...
We picked up Donald and Brenda and flew out over the Rift Valley to Kisumu, where we got a fantastic fish/ugali lunch by the lake and hung out with the center workers and clients at Nanga Baptist Church. It was so fun to introduce the Thompsons to Kisumu, and it was a huge encouragement for the CFA workers to have visitors all the way from America. Most guests don't get out that far from Nairobi, so the visit was a rare treat for them!
From there, we flew back across the Central Highlands to Nairobi. The weather took a turn for the worse on this leg, though, and soon we found ourselves dodging (literally!) giant black clouds and rainstorms. Listening to Donald and Reini make seat-of-their pants decisions on where to fly the plane and then holding on while we banked around towering clouds was surreal - a completely opposite experience from flying on a giant airliner! It was incredibly exciting, though, and we ended up making a safe landing at Wilson airport.
What an awesome day! I've never had a huge desire to be a pilot, but this just might have flipped a switch haha...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Eye of the Storm
Whew...time for a deep breath! The second visiting team to Kenya is off on their safari for two nights, so I've managed to catch up on sleep and sanity a little bit since yesterday morning. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind - flying around the country, eating a lot of very Kenyan food and very nice food, enjoying Duncan's wedding, bouncing around in the Mara, walking around in the slums, and answering lots and lots of questions. More to come at some point on each of those points, but I wanted to quickly thank all of you who have been praying for me and Jane during recent weeks. It has been very busy, but God has done some incredible things and worked out the details according to His wisdom!
The team from Ft. Worth will be back here tomorrow afternoon before flying out, and then I'll have a week to hang out with Justin and Caleb. It'll still be action-packed, but a little more low-key. Look for some in-depth stories before too long!
Here's a little teaser from our trip to the Mara last week...
The team from Ft. Worth will be back here tomorrow afternoon before flying out, and then I'll have a week to hang out with Justin and Caleb. It'll still be action-packed, but a little more low-key. Look for some in-depth stories before too long!
Here's a little teaser from our trip to the Mara last week...
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Welcome to Kenya!
Well, life has EXPLODED in the last few days! We are now less than a week away from Duncan's wedding, which means that Kenya is getting flooded with Americans who want to celebrate the festive occasion and that I've got a lot of coordinating to do. It has been so fun to hang out with the Thompson's here in Kenya, and we have had some amazing adventures since they touched down in Africa. Riding in the copilot seat of a tiny Cessna and dodging thunderstorm clouds a thousand feet above the ground? Check.
The last couple of days have been an alternating series of adrenalin and exhaustion, though, so I'm off to bed (before midnight, yay!). I know I'll have a lot of catching up on stories and pictures to do, but for now, I would love to ask for all of your prayers. Hosting so many people and figuring out how to help each one have an incredible, meaningful experience is an exciting and daunting task, and I would love your prayers for wisdom, patience, energy, safety, and all the other things that I'm sure I need but don't even know it. Please pray that all of these visitors would have an amazing time and that their lives would truly be changed...
The last couple of days have been an alternating series of adrenalin and exhaustion, though, so I'm off to bed (before midnight, yay!). I know I'll have a lot of catching up on stories and pictures to do, but for now, I would love to ask for all of your prayers. Hosting so many people and figuring out how to help each one have an incredible, meaningful experience is an exciting and daunting task, and I would love your prayers for wisdom, patience, energy, safety, and all the other things that I'm sure I need but don't even know it. Please pray that all of these visitors would have an amazing time and that their lives would truly be changed...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Road Destruction
Kenyan roads are REALLY hard on cars. Between gigantic potholes, corrugated dirt roads, stop-and-go traffic in Nairobi, and questionable mechanics, this is a dangerous environment for a car. I saw this firsthand last week...
On Wednesday, I was in the process of pulling out of one of the busiest shopping centers in Westlands when the Prado ground to an abrupt halt. I tried to get it started in every gear I could, but there was no moving it. The guards were yelling at me, cars behind me were honking and backing up, and there was absolutely nothing I could do! Eventually I was able to finagle it out of the way and get towed to a garage, where I found out that the clutch and flywheel needed to be replaced. Ouch. I guess after 220,000km it was about time, but it was still an expensive and poorly-timed development.
I collected the car on Saturday, but quickly realized that I couldn't drive over about 60 km/h without a strong vibration making its way from the engine up through my seat. Remember those questionable mechanics? That's why I've been out of a car again for the last two days while they try to figure out what they did wrong...
The REAL excitement took place between stays at the mechanic while I was driving back from Karen on Saturday. Going about 60 km/h (thankfully, the vibrations kept me from driving too fast), I felt the back of the car rocking around and then heard a big THUD while the back-left side dropped a good foot lower than it should have been. As the back end fishtailed wildly on the road, I looked out the window and saw my back-left tire and wheel passing me in the left lane, only to smash into a brick wall and fly up in the air...YIKES! I was able to get the sliding car under control and finally came to a stop partially in the median and partially blocking a lane of traffic.
This is one of those situations when you just have to take a deep breath and say, "well, here we go God!" I jumped out of the car and locked the doors as several Kenyans ran over to help (and to hopefully get a tip out of the deal). Thankfully, an awesome Kenyan guy who works for a USAID affiliate pulled over and offered to coordinate the recovery efforts. With his help, we sent one guy to buy lug nuts and another to collect the tire, while we got a couple more started jacking up the car and replacing the tire. About 30 minutes and a few bucks later, I was back on the road! I followed my new friend Mike to a service station to get the brake drum hammered back away from the wheel, and then everything was ready to go.
One thing about living in Africa - you never know when a little extra excitement is coming your way!
ps - while I joke about this kind of stuff, let's seriously thank God that there were no other cars right beside me, that my car stayed upright, and that none of these breakdowns happened in the middle of the Mara last week!
On Wednesday, I was in the process of pulling out of one of the busiest shopping centers in Westlands when the Prado ground to an abrupt halt. I tried to get it started in every gear I could, but there was no moving it. The guards were yelling at me, cars behind me were honking and backing up, and there was absolutely nothing I could do! Eventually I was able to finagle it out of the way and get towed to a garage, where I found out that the clutch and flywheel needed to be replaced. Ouch. I guess after 220,000km it was about time, but it was still an expensive and poorly-timed development.
I collected the car on Saturday, but quickly realized that I couldn't drive over about 60 km/h without a strong vibration making its way from the engine up through my seat. Remember those questionable mechanics? That's why I've been out of a car again for the last two days while they try to figure out what they did wrong...
The REAL excitement took place between stays at the mechanic while I was driving back from Karen on Saturday. Going about 60 km/h (thankfully, the vibrations kept me from driving too fast), I felt the back of the car rocking around and then heard a big THUD while the back-left side dropped a good foot lower than it should have been. As the back end fishtailed wildly on the road, I looked out the window and saw my back-left tire and wheel passing me in the left lane, only to smash into a brick wall and fly up in the air...YIKES! I was able to get the sliding car under control and finally came to a stop partially in the median and partially blocking a lane of traffic.
This is one of those situations when you just have to take a deep breath and say, "well, here we go God!" I jumped out of the car and locked the doors as several Kenyans ran over to help (and to hopefully get a tip out of the deal). Thankfully, an awesome Kenyan guy who works for a USAID affiliate pulled over and offered to coordinate the recovery efforts. With his help, we sent one guy to buy lug nuts and another to collect the tire, while we got a couple more started jacking up the car and replacing the tire. About 30 minutes and a few bucks later, I was back on the road! I followed my new friend Mike to a service station to get the brake drum hammered back away from the wheel, and then everything was ready to go.
One thing about living in Africa - you never know when a little extra excitement is coming your way!
ps - while I joke about this kind of stuff, let's seriously thank God that there were no other cars right beside me, that my car stayed upright, and that none of these breakdowns happened in the middle of the Mara last week!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Up Close and Personal with a GIRAFFE
Giraffe are weird animals. Everything about them seems oddly proportioned - from the obviously long necks to the spindly legs to the giant eyes and tongues. All of this appears even crazier when you're seeing them from a FOOT away and they are eating out of your hand!
This weekend, Jane and I got to have dinner with some of my good friends, the Thompsons, at an awesome hotel south of Nairobi called the Giraffe Manor. This place feels like it's straight out of the British aristocracy, and it's most unique attractions are the giraffes that live on the property and join the guests whenever they feel like - even sticking their heads through the breakfast room windows in the mornings! Before dinner, we hung out with an awesome giraffe named Helen, holding out food in our hands while the giraffe scooped it up with her long tongue. It felt like feeding a horse, but then it raised its head wayyy up in the air and reminded us that no, this is NOT a horse!
What an awesome experience...only in Africa! Thanks Donald and Brenda!
This weekend, Jane and I got to have dinner with some of my good friends, the Thompsons, at an awesome hotel south of Nairobi called the Giraffe Manor. This place feels like it's straight out of the British aristocracy, and it's most unique attractions are the giraffes that live on the property and join the guests whenever they feel like - even sticking their heads through the breakfast room windows in the mornings! Before dinner, we hung out with an awesome giraffe named Helen, holding out food in our hands while the giraffe scooped it up with her long tongue. It felt like feeding a horse, but then it raised its head wayyy up in the air and reminded us that no, this is NOT a horse!
What an awesome experience...only in Africa! Thanks Donald and Brenda!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Six Degrees of Separation
Sometimes the random connections that I identify with people I meet in Kenya are really mind-boggling. It started when I arrived here and starting talking with Joe, who has become a great friend. We realized that his girlfriend Caitlyn was the daughter of one of my professors at Vanderbilt. Then we realized his best college buddy Whitlow went to high school with me, and that MY dad had completely remodeled WHITLOW'S dad's house. A little bit freaky...
These crazy realizations continue to happen. This weekend I was sent to go pick up some Americans and bring them to a cookout, and after searching for the white people on the side of the road, I met Dusty and Cecily. We got to talking, and I told them about how my brother Preston just decided to take a church intern job in Jackson Hole. They said, "wait, I think we know about him!" Turns out that last week Dusty and Cecily were in the DC airport when they met a guy named David on their flight to Ethiopia. Dusty and Cecily spent the last few years in Malibu, so when they mentioned this, David told them about his good friend Preston, who had just applied for a job in Malibu but decided to take one in Jackson Hole instead. Well, Dusty had applied for the same job in Malibu - small world!
It continues, though. DAVID was flying to Ethiopia and then onwards to Rwanda, where he was spending a couple of weeks with a Peace Corps volunteer named Caitlyn. While he was there, he hung out with Caitlyn's boyfriend Joe for a week. On Saturday, JOE flew back to Kenya and came to hang out with me, Dusty, and Cecily at the cookout - yep, same Joe that's one of my best friends!
I think that the "six degrees of separation" shrink to about 2 or 3 for white people in East Africa...
These crazy realizations continue to happen. This weekend I was sent to go pick up some Americans and bring them to a cookout, and after searching for the white people on the side of the road, I met Dusty and Cecily. We got to talking, and I told them about how my brother Preston just decided to take a church intern job in Jackson Hole. They said, "wait, I think we know about him!" Turns out that last week Dusty and Cecily were in the DC airport when they met a guy named David on their flight to Ethiopia. Dusty and Cecily spent the last few years in Malibu, so when they mentioned this, David told them about his good friend Preston, who had just applied for a job in Malibu but decided to take one in Jackson Hole instead. Well, Dusty had applied for the same job in Malibu - small world!
It continues, though. DAVID was flying to Ethiopia and then onwards to Rwanda, where he was spending a couple of weeks with a Peace Corps volunteer named Caitlyn. While he was there, he hung out with Caitlyn's boyfriend Joe for a week. On Saturday, JOE flew back to Kenya and came to hang out with me, Dusty, and Cecily at the cookout - yep, same Joe that's one of my best friends!
I think that the "six degrees of separation" shrink to about 2 or 3 for white people in East Africa...
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Mara Photos!
I've gotten all of my photos edited from our trip to Naboisho last week, so if you want to see more pictures like this one...
...head to this link: Naboisho - Facebook Enjoy!
...head to this link: Naboisho - Facebook Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Spiritual Growth
One of the big challenges that faced me as I began this role with CARE for AIDS was the need to standardize the services that we offer to all of our clients in different centers across the board. Spiritual counseling was an especially tricky subject - how could we make sure that each of our individual spiritual counselors would offer the same kind and quality of spiritual teaching and encouragement to the clients? At least part of an answer to this problem has arrived in the form of a partnership with the Kenya Bible League. Over the past six months, each of our centers has met with their local Bible League office and worked out a plan for all of the clients to receive a workbook called "Steps to Victory" when they enter the CARE for AIDS program. The spiritual counselors help them form into small groups of about 5 clients, and during the week they meet together to read through the fundamental aspects of a Christian faith and answer questions based on scripture references in the workbook. Then, they meet together with the spiritual counselor to check their answers and review what they've learned.After completing the Steps to Victory workbook, the groups are given a second workbook titled "Bearing Fruit," which focuses on how to live out a Christian life and share the gospel with other people. When they successfully complete this book with good grades, they are awarded a certificate and a Bible written in Swahili, English, or their local language. This process is producing great results with the clients. They really enjoy the challenge of the workbooks, meeting together in a group, and reviewing their answers each way. This method allows us to ensure that each client has a foundational understanding of scripture before we hand them a Bible, and this fact combined with the personal time investment that they put in means that they will value and use the Bible more than they might otherwise. Kenyans also LOVE certificates, so that aspect definitely can't be overlooked!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Night Drives
Another awesome part about our trip to the Naboisho conservancy last week (see last post) was getting to go on NIGHT game drives through the bush. This was one of the sweetest/freakiest/amazing-est things that I've done in a while. We hooked up two big spotlights to the car, and someone would take each of them and sit on the windowsills or stand out of the sunroof, scanning side to side and looking for eyes. Yep, the way you spot animals at night is by picking out the reflections from their eyes through the bush - that's where the FREAKY part came in. We'd be driving along and then, way off in the distance, see two glowing greenish or reddish dots kinda like this...
Then, we would head off through the bush in that direction, and if we were lucky, our spotlight would show us that the crazy eyes belonged to something like this guy:
Talk about a humbling feeling. Sitting in the stillness of the night, with absolute blackness pushing in from all sides except for in the two small circles lit up by the spotlights, and with a four hundred pound male lion looking directly at you. You also know that there are at least ten or twelve other lions in the area, but you've only spotted four. They could be creeping up right behind you...
AWESOME! It was absolutely exhilarating. The whole experience was made even more magical by the fact that the skies were full of more stars than I could ever count, with the bright cloud of the milky way cutting a line across the blackness. What a great way to spend an evening...
Then, we would head off through the bush in that direction, and if we were lucky, our spotlight would show us that the crazy eyes belonged to something like this guy:
Talk about a humbling feeling. Sitting in the stillness of the night, with absolute blackness pushing in from all sides except for in the two small circles lit up by the spotlights, and with a four hundred pound male lion looking directly at you. You also know that there are at least ten or twelve other lions in the area, but you've only spotted four. They could be creeping up right behind you...
AWESOME! It was absolutely exhilarating. The whole experience was made even more magical by the fact that the skies were full of more stars than I could ever count, with the bright cloud of the milky way cutting a line across the blackness. What a great way to spend an evening...
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Angry Elephants
Jane, Joe, and I had a pretty darn SWEET adventure this weekend going to visit our friend Cath who works at the African Impact volunteer project in the Naboisho Conservancy adjoining the Masai Mara Reserve. Since we were safari-ing in a private conservancy, in our private truck, the door was wide open for a little more freedom of exploration that you'd normally get on a Mara safari, and we did our best to take full advantage of that opportunity! The weekend held several great stories and a LOT of great pictures, which I'm only just starting to wade through, but I'll start with an elephant encounter that we had on our first evening in the bush...
A great part of the conservancy is the lack of established roads and, therefore, the lack of need to stay ON the roads like you need to do in the reserve. This meant a lot of off-road exploration, which gave me ample opportunity to put to use all that off-road driving skill acquired in high school. On our first evening, we drove down to a riverbank and parked opposite a big group of about 12 elephants of all ages and sizes. This "Big Mama," as we christened her, is the dominant female that leads the group, and she spent the next hour happily chowing down on this brush inside the riverbank.
Seeing that all of the animals were on the other side of the riverbank, we decided that this would be a good time for me to try out my "trumpeting" skills that I'd been working on for the last couple of weeks after hearing about an elephant research who can "talk" with the elephants. This is another thing that you can't do in the Mara Reserve (also known as antagonizing the animals). Anyway, after a few strong trumpets, we were surprised to see many of the elephants look at us and hastily retreat up the riverbank to group up on the opposite side. Wow...didn't expect them to actually respond!
We waited a few more minutes, watching the elephants eat, and then observed that a baby and a couple of older animals were moving across the river about 30 yards away from us. A fairly large female was leading the group, and she was looking at us very suspiciously:
Without taking her eyes off of us, she climbed to the top of the riverbank, spread her ears out wide, and started shaking her head around at us. These are all signs of anger and aggression from elephants, and we decided to name this overly emotional girl "Rhonda." Rhonda wasn't content just to flap her ears at us, though, and a minute later she started pawing the ground and taking quick steps towards and away from us, all while making ominous grumbling noises. At this point, Cath ordered all of us inside the car (we'd been sitting on the windowsills and roof) and said something along the lines of, "Uh-oh...that's not good." Rhonda seemed to remember my ill-advised trumpeting from before, and she also didn't seem to like the clicking of my camera, or our general presence anywhere near her.
Thankfully, Rhonda cooled off after a few minutes and moved away to antagonize some baboons, so our attention turned to another adult that we called "Roger." Roger was probably actually a female, but it seemed like an appropriate name to us as we observed him pushing himself so far into a tangled fallen tree in pursuit of choice leaves that he got completely stuck. Luckily for him, elephants are MASSIVELY strong, and he proceeded to simply smash the offending tree into the dirt and go on his merry way. This led into a discussion of how elephants can flip over a truck using only their TRUNK and unpleasant images of what could happen if one charged full speed into ours...
Ready to move on to the next adventure, we put away our cameras and started to drive away from the riverbank. We must have come a little too close to Roger's backside, though, because he swung around in front of us and let out a full-fledged, super-loud trumpet. Yikes. We were about to calmly back away when Joe yells, "Here comes Rhonda!" and we turned around to see our old friend Rhonda running FULL SPEED and trumpeting with her trunk in the air through the bushes about 30 yards away from us. CRAP! Thankfully, Rhonda diverted away from us to stand in front of a baby elephant, Roger calmed down and went back to eating, and we were eventually able to slowly make our way out of the midst of the herd, which had managed to completely surround us during the last hour.
Whew...I don't think I'll ever forget that moment when I was sitting in the driver's seat with an angry elephant trumpeting 20 feet in front of me and another one charging from the opposite side, yelling "Cath, what do we do??" and getting no good answers from the expert! At least we had this to look at and calm us down during the whole process:
A great part of the conservancy is the lack of established roads and, therefore, the lack of need to stay ON the roads like you need to do in the reserve. This meant a lot of off-road exploration, which gave me ample opportunity to put to use all that off-road driving skill acquired in high school. On our first evening, we drove down to a riverbank and parked opposite a big group of about 12 elephants of all ages and sizes. This "Big Mama," as we christened her, is the dominant female that leads the group, and she spent the next hour happily chowing down on this brush inside the riverbank.
Seeing that all of the animals were on the other side of the riverbank, we decided that this would be a good time for me to try out my "trumpeting" skills that I'd been working on for the last couple of weeks after hearing about an elephant research who can "talk" with the elephants. This is another thing that you can't do in the Mara Reserve (also known as antagonizing the animals). Anyway, after a few strong trumpets, we were surprised to see many of the elephants look at us and hastily retreat up the riverbank to group up on the opposite side. Wow...didn't expect them to actually respond!
We waited a few more minutes, watching the elephants eat, and then observed that a baby and a couple of older animals were moving across the river about 30 yards away from us. A fairly large female was leading the group, and she was looking at us very suspiciously:
Without taking her eyes off of us, she climbed to the top of the riverbank, spread her ears out wide, and started shaking her head around at us. These are all signs of anger and aggression from elephants, and we decided to name this overly emotional girl "Rhonda." Rhonda wasn't content just to flap her ears at us, though, and a minute later she started pawing the ground and taking quick steps towards and away from us, all while making ominous grumbling noises. At this point, Cath ordered all of us inside the car (we'd been sitting on the windowsills and roof) and said something along the lines of, "Uh-oh...that's not good." Rhonda seemed to remember my ill-advised trumpeting from before, and she also didn't seem to like the clicking of my camera, or our general presence anywhere near her.
Thankfully, Rhonda cooled off after a few minutes and moved away to antagonize some baboons, so our attention turned to another adult that we called "Roger." Roger was probably actually a female, but it seemed like an appropriate name to us as we observed him pushing himself so far into a tangled fallen tree in pursuit of choice leaves that he got completely stuck. Luckily for him, elephants are MASSIVELY strong, and he proceeded to simply smash the offending tree into the dirt and go on his merry way. This led into a discussion of how elephants can flip over a truck using only their TRUNK and unpleasant images of what could happen if one charged full speed into ours...
Ready to move on to the next adventure, we put away our cameras and started to drive away from the riverbank. We must have come a little too close to Roger's backside, though, because he swung around in front of us and let out a full-fledged, super-loud trumpet. Yikes. We were about to calmly back away when Joe yells, "Here comes Rhonda!" and we turned around to see our old friend Rhonda running FULL SPEED and trumpeting with her trunk in the air through the bushes about 30 yards away from us. CRAP! Thankfully, Rhonda diverted away from us to stand in front of a baby elephant, Roger calmed down and went back to eating, and we were eventually able to slowly make our way out of the midst of the herd, which had managed to completely surround us during the last hour.
Whew...I don't think I'll ever forget that moment when I was sitting in the driver's seat with an angry elephant trumpeting 20 feet in front of me and another one charging from the opposite side, yelling "Cath, what do we do??" and getting no good answers from the expert! At least we had this to look at and calm us down during the whole process:
ps - you can also hear Jane's take on our trip TO the reserve here
Thursday, February 24, 2011
MARAAA!!!
Tomorrow Jane and I are heading out over some very bumpy roads to the wonderland known as the Masai Mara! We are going to spend the weekend at a volunteer project run by ACTS in the Naboisho conservancy, adjacent to the Mara Reserve (where all the tourists go). Basically, that means we get the same animals and less rules for WAY cheaper...can't complain about that!
Please pray for safety as we drive over some crazy roads and interact at close range with sweet (but apparently dangerous) animals. Also, pray that I don't do anything stupid around said animals...the temptation is so strong. Hopefully we'll come back with some more stories and pictures of guys like this one:
Please pray for safety as we drive over some crazy roads and interact at close range with sweet (but apparently dangerous) animals. Also, pray that I don't do anything stupid around said animals...the temptation is so strong. Hopefully we'll come back with some more stories and pictures of guys like this one:
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
CFA Email Updates
One part of my job that has developed quite a bit over the past six months consists of updating donors on the progress of the CFA centers that they support. Our goal is to send out email updates every three months or so, which means that (at this point) I put together two or three updates each month. It's an interesting opportunity to apply some of my "artistic" side, in addition to being a great chance to investigate the great things that are happening in each center. I usually interview the workers to get some quotes and statistics, scour the monthly reports for stories, take some pictures or commission them from the regional coordinators, and then try to combine all of these things into an encouraging and aesthetically-pleasing format. Here's a recent update that describes the graduation of the first group of clients from the Gachie center - praise God for the great things He is doing!
Gachie Graduation Update
Gachie Graduation Update
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Numbers vs. Change
I ran across a really interesting article from the Harvard Business Review about, among other things, the criteria that people look for in choosing which organizations in the humanitarian sector warrant their charitable contributions. It seems to be an overriding trend that the average American is much more interested in a low overhead percentage than in actual, demonstrated results from a non-profit. In one study cited in the article, 79% of respondents reported that they wouldn't give money to a cause without knowing how much goes to overhead/administration, while only 6% said they needed to know if their money was going to make a difference.
That's REALLY frustrating for me! As one of the people working in the humanitarian/non-profit/whatever sector, I've experienced firsthand the intrinsic difficulties caused by an obsessive focus on showing off a pie chart with a little tiny sliver labeled "administration" and the rest proudly marked "project costs" or something like that. The problem is that this system doesn't reflect the positive change that is resulting from an organization's work. I've seen many groups that are just giving away things to people in need...helping them for a day but hurting them for the rest of their lives and creating absolutely zero long-term benefit for the individuals, their families, or their societies. Many times this even creates a negative overall impact by cultivating an attitude of dependence, hampering local businesses, and stifling the development of skills. BUT it looks great in a pie chart.
If you don't pay anyone to teach people or monitor their progress, you can get a lot of volunteers to hand out things and make themselves feel good. If you don't put any effort or spending into researching needs and evaluating results, then all of your money can go into whatever short-lived "thing" you decide from the other side of the ocean to throw at people. If you don't hire locals as real employees and give them the benefits they deserve, then you won't have much admin cost. You'll have an awesome pie chart and you'll probably get a lot of money thrown at you from innocent Americans, but you won't be doing any good.
It's a struggle for me to see organizations doing this while we try to run CARE for AIDS with an ultimate goal of producing actual change. This means that we do buy computers to track the progress of our clients and analyze our results. It means that we do give our employees benefits like social security, health insurance, and ongoing training seminars to make them effective in their jobs and equip them for the rest of their lives. It means that we spend money on professional teachers and trainers to help our clients learn skills, not only collect handouts. It even means that we pay for quality marketing materials and professional financial advising in the States, because we view them as a long-term investment in our ability to reach more people here in Africa. All of this adds up to more than just a sliver on our pie chart, but it contributes to the real, sustained, long-term change that is taking place in the lives of the clients we serve, the futures of the Kenyans we employ, the health of the churches we partner with, and the reality of the AIDS crisis all across Kenya.
ps - here is the article mentioned
That's REALLY frustrating for me! As one of the people working in the humanitarian/non-profit/whatever sector, I've experienced firsthand the intrinsic difficulties caused by an obsessive focus on showing off a pie chart with a little tiny sliver labeled "administration" and the rest proudly marked "project costs" or something like that. The problem is that this system doesn't reflect the positive change that is resulting from an organization's work. I've seen many groups that are just giving away things to people in need...helping them for a day but hurting them for the rest of their lives and creating absolutely zero long-term benefit for the individuals, their families, or their societies. Many times this even creates a negative overall impact by cultivating an attitude of dependence, hampering local businesses, and stifling the development of skills. BUT it looks great in a pie chart. If you don't pay anyone to teach people or monitor their progress, you can get a lot of volunteers to hand out things and make themselves feel good. If you don't put any effort or spending into researching needs and evaluating results, then all of your money can go into whatever short-lived "thing" you decide from the other side of the ocean to throw at people. If you don't hire locals as real employees and give them the benefits they deserve, then you won't have much admin cost. You'll have an awesome pie chart and you'll probably get a lot of money thrown at you from innocent Americans, but you won't be doing any good.
It's a struggle for me to see organizations doing this while we try to run CARE for AIDS with an ultimate goal of producing actual change. This means that we do buy computers to track the progress of our clients and analyze our results. It means that we do give our employees benefits like social security, health insurance, and ongoing training seminars to make them effective in their jobs and equip them for the rest of their lives. It means that we spend money on professional teachers and trainers to help our clients learn skills, not only collect handouts. It even means that we pay for quality marketing materials and professional financial advising in the States, because we view them as a long-term investment in our ability to reach more people here in Africa. All of this adds up to more than just a sliver on our pie chart, but it contributes to the real, sustained, long-term change that is taking place in the lives of the clients we serve, the futures of the Kenyans we employ, the health of the churches we partner with, and the reality of the AIDS crisis all across Kenya.
And I'm much more proud of THAT than a pie chart.
Ongoing one-on-one training and counseling means more
spending on salaries/benefits and less spending on handouts,
but it actually makes a difference!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Crazy Weather
The weather here in Limuru has gone CRAZY the last couple of days! First there were a few random rain showers, which is unusual because this is usually the driest and hottest time of the year. Then, yesterday we had an insane hail storm. Out of nowhere, I started hearing hailstones hitting the roof of our office, and within seconds we could hardly see out the windows. Marble-sized hail was bouncing around all over the place and producing an almost-deafening noise.
Later on last night, I woke up to the sound of thunder and pouring rain. Just seconds later, the room lit up with a lightning flash and the loudest thunder I've ever heard in my life literally shook the house. You know how you always learn to count the seconds between the thunder and lightning? Well these were at the EXACT same time. After a few more gigantic claps of thunder, the storm seemed to start moving away and gradually subsided, not without knocking out our power for the whole morning though!
Storms always serve as reminders to me of how small we are and how powerful God is. To think of Jesus standing in a boat during a storm like one of these and calming it with his words blows my mind. How incredible that our God has control over the forces of nature that we can only hope to endure...
Here are a few shots from the storm yesterday:
Later on last night, I woke up to the sound of thunder and pouring rain. Just seconds later, the room lit up with a lightning flash and the loudest thunder I've ever heard in my life literally shook the house. You know how you always learn to count the seconds between the thunder and lightning? Well these were at the EXACT same time. After a few more gigantic claps of thunder, the storm seemed to start moving away and gradually subsided, not without knocking out our power for the whole morning though!
Storms always serve as reminders to me of how small we are and how powerful God is. To think of Jesus standing in a boat during a storm like one of these and calming it with his words blows my mind. How incredible that our God has control over the forces of nature that we can only hope to endure...
Here are a few shots from the storm yesterday:
Monday, February 14, 2011
Calendar love
One of the quirky things that becomes evident after spending some time around here is that Kenyans LOVE calendars. Desk calendars, flip calendars, and especially wall calendars are prized commodities, and many companies will give away calendars as a marketing tool. Because many poorer Kenyan families don't indulge in things like home decorations, you will often find a one-room house that is covered inside with calendars going back years into the past. For this application, it's not so much about the dates on the calendar as it is the pictures and slogans that you find printed around the dates - it's art!
It's not surprising, then, that CARE for AIDS has a calendar for 2011. You'll find these hanging on the walls of all our centers and offices, making sure that all of our workers know what the date of the third Wednesday in April will be...
Also, what better wedding favor than a calendar commemorating the big day? Steve gave me this awesome wall calendar as a gift for being in his wedding - it features lots of pictures from the wedding and even an inspirational verse. Sweet!
And if none of those match your home decor, you could always go with the ever-popular Obama family calendar, sold at all fine Kenyan supermarkets! Just what we've always wanted to "Brighten the year 2011"...
It's not surprising, then, that CARE for AIDS has a calendar for 2011. You'll find these hanging on the walls of all our centers and offices, making sure that all of our workers know what the date of the third Wednesday in April will be...
Also, what better wedding favor than a calendar commemorating the big day? Steve gave me this awesome wall calendar as a gift for being in his wedding - it features lots of pictures from the wedding and even an inspirational verse. Sweet!
And if none of those match your home decor, you could always go with the ever-popular Obama family calendar, sold at all fine Kenyan supermarkets! Just what we've always wanted to "Brighten the year 2011"...
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Pray for Robert
This is Robert Muteithia - he's the CFA Regional Coordinator for the Limuru region and, if you can't tell from what he was wearing in this picture from our staff retreat, he is the man. Robert started working here in the office last April, and he has been an incredible asset to the CFA team and our ministry. 
Unfortunately, Robert's father passed away last weekend after a long battle with sickness, and Robert is at his family's home in Nyeri this weekend preparing for the burial this weekend. The whole process of his dad's illness has been a difficult struggle for Robert, and I know that he is really hurting right now. I would really appreciate your prayers for him and for the rest of his family - Robert has several siblings, but he is the leader in these situations. Please pray that he would have peace and strength this week as he spends time with his family and gets ready for the funeral this weekend, and pray that all of the rest of us can be an encouragement and source of love for him. Thanks so much!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Kenya on the Rise
Not what you expect to find in Kenya, right? You CAN enjoy this incredible cappuccino here though, which is exactly what I'm doing as I work (and blog) on my computer from the new ArtCaffe at the Village Market in Nairobi. It actually feels much more like I am in Italy or France than Kenya at the moment, and the bustling activity here serves as another sign to me of the manner in which Kenya is growing. Even in the last two years, I've observed the "middle class" expanding, with not only expats and foreigners enjoying places like ArtCaffe, but with more and more Kenyans gaining enough disposable income to frequent nicer establishments. At the same time, this is providing more jobs (I can see at least 25 people working on the wait staff and in the kitchen - labor is MUCH cheaper here) and hopefully building an economy that is less and less reliant on foreign aid to survive.
That's enough of the big-picture theorizing, though...back to my coffee!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Kisumu like a local
I spent three days last week in Kisumu, a Kenyan city on the shore of Lake Victoria where CFA has several centers. The purpose of the trip was for me to spend some time with each member of our Kisumu administrative team, but it turned into an adventure in living like a local for a few days.
First of all, I decided to take the bus instead of driving myself halfway across the country. A bus ticket is WAY cheaper than paying for gas, plus driving is stressful, especially on your own. The bus ride was great - I had a front-row seat and I got to sit next to a music professor who helped compose the Kenyan National Anthem...exciting! It took about twice the time that driving would have, but at least I could sit back, relax, and read a book instead of having to maintain a fanatical focus on avoiding potholes, animals, and 18-wheelers.
Second, I decided to stay at Cornel's house in Kisumu instead of my usual guesthouse. Many of you have met Cornel, one of the Kenyan CFA Directors, so you know what an awesome guy he is. I didn't really know what to expect in terms of staying with his family, but it ended up being a ton of fun! Cornel and his wife Irene have three kids: Brian is in middle school, Justin is almost three years old, and Sherry is about 7 months old. All are amazing kids, but Justin especially is super fun right now. He is just to the point where he recognizes me and remembers my name, so he likes to run around (often naked) screaming "NIIIICK" and then barreling into me full speed or trying to kick my very white feet. I'm pretty sure that being around me makes Justin much more violent and loud than normal. I don't try to have that effect on him, but it just seems to happen...
It was also humbling in some ways to stay with all of the Onyango's. They were so thoughtful and accommodating - everything from heaping food on my plate whenever it got low to improvising a shower system so I wouldn't have to take a typical Kenyan "bucket bath." It really was amazing how hard they tried to anticipate anything that I could ever want and make sure it was there. I definitely didn't feel like I deserved that kind of treatment, but it was a huge encouragement nonetheless!
Even apart from the CFA work, I felt like it was a great trip just for the relationships that I was able to continue to build with Cornel's whole family. They are an incredible group, and I'm so blessed to have them as friends!
First of all, I decided to take the bus instead of driving myself halfway across the country. A bus ticket is WAY cheaper than paying for gas, plus driving is stressful, especially on your own. The bus ride was great - I had a front-row seat and I got to sit next to a music professor who helped compose the Kenyan National Anthem...exciting! It took about twice the time that driving would have, but at least I could sit back, relax, and read a book instead of having to maintain a fanatical focus on avoiding potholes, animals, and 18-wheelers.
Second, I decided to stay at Cornel's house in Kisumu instead of my usual guesthouse. Many of you have met Cornel, one of the Kenyan CFA Directors, so you know what an awesome guy he is. I didn't really know what to expect in terms of staying with his family, but it ended up being a ton of fun! Cornel and his wife Irene have three kids: Brian is in middle school, Justin is almost three years old, and Sherry is about 7 months old. All are amazing kids, but Justin especially is super fun right now. He is just to the point where he recognizes me and remembers my name, so he likes to run around (often naked) screaming "NIIIICK" and then barreling into me full speed or trying to kick my very white feet. I'm pretty sure that being around me makes Justin much more violent and loud than normal. I don't try to have that effect on him, but it just seems to happen...
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| Cornel ADORES baby Sherry! |
Even apart from the CFA work, I felt like it was a great trip just for the relationships that I was able to continue to build with Cornel's whole family. They are an incredible group, and I'm so blessed to have them as friends!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Luxury at the Tribe
On Saturday, Jane and I snuck into a super nice hotel in Westlands called Tribe and spent the day lounging by their fabulous pool - talk about a stark contrast with the rest of the week! It was probably 85 degrees and sunny, so we got to soak up some sun in luxurious chairs and eat a fantastic lunch next to the pool. There were very few people there, and ZERO screaming kids, so I was pretty darn happy.
Doesn't that sound nice to all you people stuck in the Nashville snow?
Doesn't that sound nice to all you people stuck in the Nashville snow?
Friday, January 28, 2011
New Centers in Thika
Yesterday I drove with Duncan to check out the newest CARE for AIDS region in the Thika area, on the North side of Nairobi. We picked up Kevin, the regional coordinator, and headed out to the Kia-ndutu slum, where the first center is located. Kia-ndutu is a crazy place - one of the more hectic slums that I've been around. Narrow, dirt paths snake their way between ramshackle wood or tin dwellings, and it was a driving test for me to maneuver the car all the way to the Full Gospel Church in the center of the slum.
It's also (apparently), one of the most dangerous places around. The spiritual counselor at the center, Patrick, grew up in Kia-ndutu, so people know him and he is comfortable there. All of the other staff members from Thika refuse to walk through Kia-ndutu unless they are in a group or with Patrick, though, even during the day. As I spoke with Patrick, he told me that during the previous day at about 1pm, he looked out the church window and saw a man get stabbed and robbed...yikes!
That means that there is a LOT of need in the area, and thankfully Patrick and his fellow worker Louise are hard at work meeting with clients and helping them to turn their lives around. We hung out with about 15 clients in the waiting area of the church yesterday and watched as Patrick and Louise counseled them. Only two months into the program, they are already seeing some wonderful developments and learning a lot about the real needs of HIV-positive people in this area.
We then drove to the opposite side of Thika and met with the pastor and center workers for the second Thika center in an area called Kiganjo. We visited the Deliverance Church of Kiganjo, where everyone is excited to host Duncan as a guest pastor this coming Sunday when they officially launch the center. The two CFA counselors, Ann and Patrick, spent some time staying at the house a couple of weeks ago training, so it was great to see them again and share in their excitement to begin working. They have already been visiting support groups and local clinics, and they are well on their way to recruiting a full group of clients for the brand new center.
Please join with me in praying for both of these young CARE for AIDS center. Pray that the workers in Kia-ndutu would have wisdom in working with people of extreme poverty, and that they would stay safe in such a difficult environment. Also pray that the church and staff at Kiganjo would be welcoming to just the right clients as they spend time recruiting people and visiting their homes. Finally, pray for Kevin as he manages both of these new centers and works out logistics in a new area, all while getting used to living in a new place. Thank you so much for your continued prayers - God is truly working miracles in the lives of people with nowhere else to turn, and we praise Him for it!
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| Good ol Prado - still goin strong with 214,000 km! |
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| Kia-ndutu slum...not the nicest place to live |
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| Patrick talking with a client at Full Gospel Church of Kia-ndutu |
That means that there is a LOT of need in the area, and thankfully Patrick and his fellow worker Louise are hard at work meeting with clients and helping them to turn their lives around. We hung out with about 15 clients in the waiting area of the church yesterday and watched as Patrick and Louise counseled them. Only two months into the program, they are already seeing some wonderful developments and learning a lot about the real needs of HIV-positive people in this area.
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| Pastor Newton, Patrick, and Ann |
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Beauty
Last night I got home to find a dark house and a lack of power. It shouldn't have surprised me, because when I left in the afternoon the power lines across the street were spewing sparks at the top of a pole...yikes. Not having power isn't the end of the world - just the end of hot water, internet access, coffee makers, and some of those little "conveniences" that we all get used to.
Anyway, I walked in the house last night and Edwin, who guards and takes care of our compound, had set up little candles in strategic places to provide some light for Duncan and I. I stopped for a few minutes in the living room, struck first by the amount of light that came from one small candle in the midst of a completely dark room (I could stop here and break into a reflective post about being a light in the world, but we've probably all heard that one before), and second by the beauty that these tiny lights brought to an ordinary environment. Compared with the ordinary light bulbs I'm used to, these little flickering candles seemed to transform their surroundings with a silent, understated beauty.
Something that's has been a trend in several conversations lately for me is optimism. Now, I know that it's possible - and obnoxious - to be overly optimistic. I've been guilty of that before. In most cases, though, I think that optimism is a good thing, because it draws our minds toward things that are "true...noble...right...pure...lovely...admirable...excellent...or praiseworthy," and brings us to "think about such things" (Philippians 4:8). Part of this is recognizing beauty, and seeing things that are beautiful as a reflection of God and His love for us. John Eldridge talks in The Way of the Wild Heart about the transition that occurs in a man as he matures and comes to appreciate beauty, and through it, the Creator of beauty. For me, the initial recognition of beauty came through BIG things...the snow covered Swiss Alps, or the golden light on the African savanna. Over time, though, I think I'm coming to acknowledge beauty in the small things, the daily things. Things like the moon behind clouds at night, the blue sky, green grass, and brown dirt that surrounds me. Things like the light from a single candle in a dark room...
Where can you find beauty today? Last night in our small group we talked about the signs that God uses to remind each one of us that He is here. What is it that shows you God is present, that reveals the work of our Creator? Choosing and learning to see beauty in the small things can be a great source of joy, and even the most optimistic people can always use a little more joy!
Anyway, I walked in the house last night and Edwin, who guards and takes care of our compound, had set up little candles in strategic places to provide some light for Duncan and I. I stopped for a few minutes in the living room, struck first by the amount of light that came from one small candle in the midst of a completely dark room (I could stop here and break into a reflective post about being a light in the world, but we've probably all heard that one before), and second by the beauty that these tiny lights brought to an ordinary environment. Compared with the ordinary light bulbs I'm used to, these little flickering candles seemed to transform their surroundings with a silent, understated beauty.
Something that's has been a trend in several conversations lately for me is optimism. Now, I know that it's possible - and obnoxious - to be overly optimistic. I've been guilty of that before. In most cases, though, I think that optimism is a good thing, because it draws our minds toward things that are "true...noble...right...pure...lovely...admirable...excellent...or praiseworthy," and brings us to "think about such things" (Philippians 4:8). Part of this is recognizing beauty, and seeing things that are beautiful as a reflection of God and His love for us. John Eldridge talks in The Way of the Wild Heart about the transition that occurs in a man as he matures and comes to appreciate beauty, and through it, the Creator of beauty. For me, the initial recognition of beauty came through BIG things...the snow covered Swiss Alps, or the golden light on the African savanna. Over time, though, I think I'm coming to acknowledge beauty in the small things, the daily things. Things like the moon behind clouds at night, the blue sky, green grass, and brown dirt that surrounds me. Things like the light from a single candle in a dark room...
Where can you find beauty today? Last night in our small group we talked about the signs that God uses to remind each one of us that He is here. What is it that shows you God is present, that reveals the work of our Creator? Choosing and learning to see beauty in the small things can be a great source of joy, and even the most optimistic people can always use a little more joy!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Something I love about Kenya...
...is that flowers are REALLY cheap! Kenya produces many of the flowers that get sold across Europe and South Africa (at a huge markup), so it's super easy to find all sorts of exotic flowers being sold on the side of the road for next to nothing. For example, yesterday I got this bunch of 20 long-stem roses for $1.88...yep, you read that right: less than ten cents a rose!
As a side note, you might also notice the following items in the background of this picture: American football (one of a kind here in Kenya...gotta love the ol pigskin), Duct tape (along with WD-40, which is also in my room, prepares us for any emergency), sunglasses (yep, it's sunny and summery all the time these days), Turkish Airlines blanket (thanks for that Turkey!) and Brackenhurst-labeled water bottle (which gets replaced in Jane's cottage every day by her housekeeping staff).
Livin the dream...
As a side note, you might also notice the following items in the background of this picture: American football (one of a kind here in Kenya...gotta love the ol pigskin), Duct tape (along with WD-40, which is also in my room, prepares us for any emergency), sunglasses (yep, it's sunny and summery all the time these days), Turkish Airlines blanket (thanks for that Turkey!) and Brackenhurst-labeled water bottle (which gets replaced in Jane's cottage every day by her housekeeping staff).
Livin the dream...
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Food Discoveries
Even though we've only been back in Kenya for a week or so, Jane is already taking maximum advantage of her personal kitchen and her grocery budget. She gets all kinds of joy from planning out meals, going to the grocery store, preparing food, and watching me voraciously shovel it down...in the end, everyone is happy!
We've come to several criteria that give bonus points to a great meal here in Kenya. Apart from tasting great, it's extra-awesome if:
1. Sauteed chicken with QUINOA mixed with onions and tomatoes. Obviously, I had no idea what quinoa was a couple of weeks ago (or how to pronounce it, or how to spell it, which I still might not be doing properly). Despite the fact that it looks like something along the lines of molding shrunken beans, it actually tastes good! It's also a "superfood," in that it apparently turns you slowly but surely into Superman. Or at least that's what I'm being told...
2. Polenta with sauteed onions/butter beans/kale, topped with a poached egg and a little chipotle Tabasco sauce. Now, this one I was REALLY skeptical of at first, but it actually tasted great when it was all put together. Plus, kale is another "superfood," I was informed, and it's super cheap because it grows everywhere in Kenya. This meal was also an interesting (and much more tasty) twist on the typical Kenyan meal of ugali and greens...so local!
3. WHOLE roasted chicken with roasted butternut squash and onions. Yep, we can buy a whole chicken for four bucks, and Jane showed that thing who was boss last night. It was delicious! Definitely a far cry from the Hamburger Helper that I was making for myself last year...
Basically, Jane is a magician in the kitchen. I am never quite sure what to expect when she describes these things to me, but they seem to always turn out great!
We've come to several criteria that give bonus points to a great meal here in Kenya. Apart from tasting great, it's extra-awesome if:
- the ingredients are CHEAP
- it uses all or mostly local Kenyan ingredients
- it's healthy
- it produces a small amount of dirty dishes (this one is a bit of a reach haha)
1. Sauteed chicken with QUINOA mixed with onions and tomatoes. Obviously, I had no idea what quinoa was a couple of weeks ago (or how to pronounce it, or how to spell it, which I still might not be doing properly). Despite the fact that it looks like something along the lines of molding shrunken beans, it actually tastes good! It's also a "superfood," in that it apparently turns you slowly but surely into Superman. Or at least that's what I'm being told...
2. Polenta with sauteed onions/butter beans/kale, topped with a poached egg and a little chipotle Tabasco sauce. Now, this one I was REALLY skeptical of at first, but it actually tasted great when it was all put together. Plus, kale is another "superfood," I was informed, and it's super cheap because it grows everywhere in Kenya. This meal was also an interesting (and much more tasty) twist on the typical Kenyan meal of ugali and greens...so local!
3. WHOLE roasted chicken with roasted butternut squash and onions. Yep, we can buy a whole chicken for four bucks, and Jane showed that thing who was boss last night. It was delicious! Definitely a far cry from the Hamburger Helper that I was making for myself last year...
Basically, Jane is a magician in the kitchen. I am never quite sure what to expect when she describes these things to me, but they seem to always turn out great!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Goals for 2011
One of the things that makes me happiest in the course of my job is when I see the members of our Kenyan staff growing and developing as leaders and as reliable, innovative workers. A test of this growth always occurs when I'm gone for a little while. Last year at Christmas, I left a list of things that needed to get accomplished before the end of the year, and when I returned in January, very few of them had been completed to the specifications I'd expected. Over the course of the year since then, though, our whole team in Kenya has really grown in areas of organization, responsibility, and job definition, so I had high hopes when I left behind a few tasks to be completed over this Christmas.
When I returned last week, I wasn't disappointed. Almost everything that I'd asked for had been done just about perfectly, and there was a stack of papers waiting on my desk for me to review - praise God! It made me proud of our administration - the directors and regional coordinators are all really stepping up these days and allowing CARE for AIDS to grow with stability and consistent quality, and this professionalism trickles all the way down to the way that our center workers relate to clients each day.
One thing that the regional coordinators collected from each center while I was in the States is an annual center report for 2010. As part of this report, the center workers were asked to list some of their goals for 2011. I really liked the answers that we received, so I thought I'd share a selection of the responses with you...
Goals for the clients (from Sarah at the Gachie center):
Please join me in praying that God would work through each of these workers to accomplish all of their goals during the coming year. I am so thankful for the passion that each member of our staff has for transforming the lives of people suffering from HIV/AIDS, and I know that the power of the Gospel has only begun to accomplish the fullness of the work of Christ here in Kenya!
When I returned last week, I wasn't disappointed. Almost everything that I'd asked for had been done just about perfectly, and there was a stack of papers waiting on my desk for me to review - praise God! It made me proud of our administration - the directors and regional coordinators are all really stepping up these days and allowing CARE for AIDS to grow with stability and consistent quality, and this professionalism trickles all the way down to the way that our center workers relate to clients each day.
One thing that the regional coordinators collected from each center while I was in the States is an annual center report for 2010. As part of this report, the center workers were asked to list some of their goals for 2011. I really liked the answers that we received, so I thought I'd share a selection of the responses with you...
Goals for the clients (from Sarah at the Gachie center):
- Spiritually - they would know their God, accept the Lordship of Jesus, and be able to witness to others
- Physically - they would adhere to medication and avoid reinfection
- Economically - they would be empowered with skills and ideas so that they can start an income-generating project and be independent financially
- Socially - help them form support groups that can benefit them financially, and discover their talents and strengths
- Move clients to higher echelons of faith
- Be a role model to clients in matters and faith and Christ-likeness
- Give the best that I can give
We have various goals to achieve in our center during 2011. First and the foremost is to let each and every client know that, despite of having HIV and AIDS, and sometimes being hated by their friends, families, and relatives, God still loves them and there is hope to live and serve Jesus.
The other goal is to make sure that every client has known the Word of God through the proper doctrine of the Bible and gets born again for those who are still in darkness.
The other thing is to empower the clients through the seminars and after nine months, each client will be able to depend on his or her own. Spiritually, every client will not have any stigma, and will be able to stand before people or anyone who will be having the same problem and help him or her to transform that person.
Please join me in praying that God would work through each of these workers to accomplish all of their goals during the coming year. I am so thankful for the passion that each member of our staff has for transforming the lives of people suffering from HIV/AIDS, and I know that the power of the Gospel has only begun to accomplish the fullness of the work of Christ here in Kenya!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Vandy Snuggie!
Another AWESOME part about Christmas this year was that Preston gave me this:
I love pretty much anything with Vanderbilt on it, so this was a SWEET present! I'll be wearing/using/snuggling it for years to come while I operate the tv remote without making my arms cold...
I love pretty much anything with Vanderbilt on it, so this was a SWEET present! I'll be wearing/using/snuggling it for years to come while I operate the tv remote without making my arms cold...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
God bless America!
So Jane and I had an AWESOME Christmas in the States - 3 weeks of football, snow, great food, and even better people. We had debated on whether to return to the US for Christmas or to take a trip somewhere else in the world, and I think going home turned out to be the right decision. It was such a blessing to have time with both of our families, and I returned to Kenya feeling loved, encouraged, and recharged for the next four months.
One of the hardest things for me to wrap my mind around now is the fact that I have less than four months left here in Kenya! That feels like such a finite amount of time after the last year and a half, and right now it seems like there are so many things that need to happen in that time frame. Between CARE for AIDS projects and African adventures, I know the time is going to fly by and May 4, our return date to America, will be here in a flash. Before I spend too much time looking forward, though, here are a few highlights from the past month:
1. Pictured below is the limo that 20 other people and I took for my GRANDMA's 80th birthday - insane! We went out to the Speedway Club for dinner, and while Jane and I were fighting off some serious jetlag, it was a really cool night.
2. After hearing for years about Jane's family's Christmas traditions (every family does things in their own unique way I guess), I got to experience them firsthand during Christmas in Ohio. I was introduced to things like traditional Swedish smorgasbords, gingerbread house building parties, matching family pajamas, and Mediterranean Christmas Eve dinner at the church! We also went ice skating and snow tubing at the Cleveland Indians ballpark one day - it was sweet, as you can tell from some of the Slattons' faces...
3. SKIING! Jane and I got to join my family in Colorado for a week, and I was so happy I didn't have to break my 20-year streak of skiing every winter. Despite some extra-cold days (20 below...yikes), we had a blast and Jane absolutely ROCKED the slopes! We also got to eat some really cool meals, including one on top of the mountain after a gondola and snow-cat ride. It seems like food is a trend here, hmm...
These are just a few of the many things that made for a wonderful holiday. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, and Happy New Year!
One of the hardest things for me to wrap my mind around now is the fact that I have less than four months left here in Kenya! That feels like such a finite amount of time after the last year and a half, and right now it seems like there are so many things that need to happen in that time frame. Between CARE for AIDS projects and African adventures, I know the time is going to fly by and May 4, our return date to America, will be here in a flash. Before I spend too much time looking forward, though, here are a few highlights from the past month:
1. Pictured below is the limo that 20 other people and I took for my GRANDMA's 80th birthday - insane! We went out to the Speedway Club for dinner, and while Jane and I were fighting off some serious jetlag, it was a really cool night.
2. After hearing for years about Jane's family's Christmas traditions (every family does things in their own unique way I guess), I got to experience them firsthand during Christmas in Ohio. I was introduced to things like traditional Swedish smorgasbords, gingerbread house building parties, matching family pajamas, and Mediterranean Christmas Eve dinner at the church! We also went ice skating and snow tubing at the Cleveland Indians ballpark one day - it was sweet, as you can tell from some of the Slattons' faces...
3. SKIING! Jane and I got to join my family in Colorado for a week, and I was so happy I didn't have to break my 20-year streak of skiing every winter. Despite some extra-cold days (20 below...yikes), we had a blast and Jane absolutely ROCKED the slopes! We also got to eat some really cool meals, including one on top of the mountain after a gondola and snow-cat ride. It seems like food is a trend here, hmm...
These are just a few of the many things that made for a wonderful holiday. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, and Happy New Year!
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