Tender Hearts, Calloused Hands

The last week has been a whirlwind. We are finally settled in Nairobi and the last week has been spent planning, meeting with all of our contacts, and beginning our work. Our main form of transportation is public transformation. The this looks slightly different than in London, here we ride Matatus. 

These small vans are our only mode of travel. They are privately owned, but incredibly inexpensive to get around on. One ride is 30 Ksh which is roughly 35 cents. They play loud music and run strobe lights and when you interchange at a competitive stop the drivers fight for your business, sometimes even pulling you in the direction of their Matatu. The convenience of having a car all to myself in America is something I have never cherished so much.

This past weekend we spent two nights and three days at Kenya's Kids, a rehabilitation center for abandoned street children from the Nairobi area. They currently have 52 orphans at their center. We slept where they sleep and ate what they eat. It was one of the most challenging weekends we have ever faced. 

To start off, these kids know how to work.....HARD. They have an acre of garden that must be watered by hand every morning and evening. They have 3 milk cows that are milked morning and evening, they also have an operating pig, rabbit, and chicken farm that they breed and sell year round. They extract the methane from cow and pig manure as bio gas to boil drinking water and make the morning porridge The children wash all of their clothes by hand and cook nearly all of their food over open fire. As if that wasn't enough, they mop every indoor floor surface every day by dumping water on the floor and then skweegeeing it off by bending over and dragging towels across the floor. They wake at 6 a.m. every morning and have to fit in all of these chores and participate in one of the most demanding education systems in the world before 7 p.m. At that time they have a one hour child led praise and worship service in their dormitories, then they have a one hour study hall from 8 to 9 before going to bed at 9 p.m. It didn't matter how hard the beds were when our heads hit the pillow on Friday night, we wanted to sleep.

With all of that work and study these kids need a lot of food, and unfortunately they don't get everything they need.

The meal you see above is Ugali, local boiled spinach, and warm fresh milk. Ugali is difficult to describe, it is made with corn meal, flour and water, and it tastes about as appetizing as it sounds. The consistency is similar to dried up cream of wheat cereal, but it is spongy and you can break off chunks to eat. This was dinner Friday evening. The children had put in a full day of manual labor and study and this is what they had to eat. On Saturday we had porridge for breakfast and a plate of rice for lunch. The only protein we ate all weekend was the very small chicken thigh on Saturday night. We would finish eating and I would look at my watch an hour later when my stomach would growl and wonder when the next meal was coming. Even under those circumstances we never heard the words, "I am hungry." Not once! 

The children are truly thankful for what they are given, they understand that without parents in Kenya it is nearly impossible to get an education, a home, or eat. They willingly go about their work and they study hard to be successful. They have huge aspirations and goals for their life and know that without Kenya's Kids they would likely be without what little they do have. 

During their study hall I had an opportunity to tutor some of the boys above. They are 16 or 17 years old, they only have an 8th grade education, but their math capabilities are comparable to that of an average U.S. university student. Every student who graduates from secondary school in Kenya completes the equivalent of Calculus I. It is amazing how proud, hard working, and devoted to the lord these kids are.  

The children had so many questions about us, about America, and they longed for affirmation of their hopes and dreams. They wanted to show us everything they had to their name, it all fit in a little trunk they kept under their beds. They wanted to show us how they did their chores and how they played basketball and soccer on their dirt fields. Jen and I even got to celebrate our first wedding anniversary with them on Sunday.

Though our impact can't be measured we hope that it will be felt by the children for days and years to come. We are planning on going back to Kenya's Kids sometime in July or August with a donated shipment of bibles to hand out. Wile the weekend was no doubt challenging, physically and mentally, it was one of the most rewarding experiences we have ever had.

The Hearts of Africa

Over the past several days we have settled into Nairobi quite nicely. Right when we think we are stocked up on food and supplies we realize something that we have forgotten to pick up. Considering the position we are currently in, we can’t just jump in the car and run to Wal-Mart. We have to wait until a nearby missionary is planning a trip to the market and invites us to ride along. Fortunately, we have not had to go more than a few days without the opportunity to catch a ride.

Over the past week we have met many of the local missionaries and their families. It is amazing how they become family to each other and how welcoming they are to the three of us. We have been invited over for dinners and even an upcoming 4^th of July celebration. It is clear that everyone understands the trials that we face being away from friends, family, and everything that is familiar to us. They have gone out of their way to make us comfortable and ensure we have what we need.

A group of four guys from ICC (International Christian Center) came for a meeting to discuss possible modes of transportation for us while we work in two different schools around Nairobi. It was our first time to entertain guests in our new home. Ironically, it was also our first time to cook a full meal in our kitchen. Similar to everything else, cooking in Africa is NOTHING like cooking in America. It was a fun experience and it gave them the opportunity to taste something they had never eaten before.

The best part of the entire night was the genuine relationships that we developed with these four young men. Ryan and I contemplated the best way to describe the hearts of these people and we basically decided that there is no way to fully explain it. We invited them over for the opportunity to ask their advice on the best form of transportation, and they arrived offering much more. Prior to their visit Joseph and the pastor at the church he attends arranged a team of young adults that will travel to and from the schools with us each day. When we acted surprised and so appreciative they responded with bewilderment. They acted as if they would have it no other way. We told them that we had a meeting with the principal of one schools scheduled within the next 2 days each of them picked up the phone and started making contacts to find someone that would ride the matatu (bus) across town to pick us up and ride back to the other side of town to take us to the school. This could take them up to two hours one way. It was within in minutes that they found someone that was willing to spend their entire day just helping us get to a meeting. Then we told them that we were scheduled to spend the weekend at an orphanage that is located out of town. One of the guys at dinner made arrangements to borrow a car to drive us to the school, potentially a 3 hour drive one way, depending on traffic. When trying to express our gratitude and feelings of guilt for “putting them out” Elias stopped me and said, “Let me explain, in our culture you do not feel guilty for us offering to help you. We are honored to help and the best way to show your appreciation is to accept what is offered.” That is just one example of the many ways they showed how big their hearts really are. They were a direct answer the prayers the three of us have been praying since we started this adventure. 

We look forward to continuing to develop these relationships and hopefully begin developing new relationships. The Lord continues to bless us in many ways, further affirming our presence here in Africa. 

The road less traveled…….kind of

Our time in Tanzania was well spent. We stopped in at Mavuno Village outside of Mwanza, Tanzania and met Dan Tanner. He is a man who was raised in Tanzania. His vision for his orphanage is to raise Christian, hardworking Tanzanians. The living conditions in Tanzania are pretty rough and that unfortunately isn’t going to change any time soon. Dan has seen generations of missionaries come to East Africa and set up orphanages for abandoned children, but these orphanages are furnished with comfortable furniture, western kitchens and bathrooms, free meals, and technology that isn’t available to the average Tanzanian. When these children grow up they are not ready for the conditions that most Tanzanians must live in. These children usually turn to crime, drugs, or prostitution to continue getting their “free lunch,” thus continuing the cycle of poverty that plagues these third world nations.

Dan’s goal is to build an orphanage around the family unit. A mother and father will be given a home, a plot of land to raise their own fruits and vegetables, and means to earn their own income. In return they must “foster” 8-10 children. These children have chores for the family and the orphanage and see that nothing they receive is “free lunch.” They will have a school onsite and the parents and children will maintain the grounds. He allows each family to maintain their own garden and record their sales at the local markets, creating motivation through competition to work more efficiently.  This place creates an opportunity for adults to have a safe place to live and work while simultaneously giving back to members of their community. Also producing hardworking, skilled, and educated Tanzanians who are ready for the conditions they must live.

 

Dan is also opening the doors of his orphanage to house Albinos. African Albinos are sought after for their body parts by witch doctors. The youth are targeted and especially vulnerable, his security and proximity to Mwanza create a good safe haven for Albino orphans. We had an opportunity to meet and play with Helena. She was abandoned by her mother at the age of 2. Many parents are embarrassed and shamed by their community when they have an Albino child. She spoke Swahili and English and was just as rambunctious as her 8 “brothers and sisters.” We loved the opportunity to see this man’s dream becoming a reality and seeing how happy these children were to have a home with a mother and a father.

Our time in Tanzania was short and we have been talking about our drive to Nairobi for quite a few months. When we first decided that the car would be our method of transportation from Mwanza, Tanzania to Nairobi, Kenya I didn’t even give it a second thought. I thought, well I have driven thousands of miles in the states visiting family and friends and I can handle one 400 mile drive in Africa. Well famous last words. I think the one 400 mile, 10 hour drive is honestly equivalent to a drive from the Santa Monica pier in Los Angeles to Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida. I know you think I am exaggerating, but seriously it’s that bad. In Africa, there is not a lot of law enforcement so there aren’t very many officers sitting behind the trees with the radar gun, one might thing that would great, you can drive as fast as you would like. Well, when people started being run over by speeding cars the government had to step in, their solution, speed bumps. Not just American parking lot speed bumps, but the kind of speed bumps that if you are driving faster than 10 miles per hour your passengers in the back hit their head on the roof of the car. These speed bumps come on average 3 per mile. So on a 400 mile journey you can plan on hitting over 1,000 of these things. Now you were only lucky enough to have the speed bumps when the road is paved. Over the course of the trip you can plan on over 30 miles of the trip to be dirt road. Now think of the worst dirt road you have ever driven on, then make the ruts cut from the monsoon type rains 18” to 24” deep. Then add the crazy drivers and the herds of cattle, sheep,  goats, or monkeys and it makes the 400 miles through the mountains and tea fields from Mwanza to Nairobi very exhausting.

While we are settling in Nairobi we are meeting new people and finding that our friends from previous trips are offering to help us in every way possible. We are excited about our possibilities to impact people in Nairobi. We will keep you posted in the coming days as our plans for the summer solidify. 

When we thought it couldn't get any better..........

     The past two days have been amazing, but in totally different ways. Each day held great emotion and was a demonstration of how great God truly is. Sunday we visited a Bible School and attended the morning church service. The praise and worship was all in Swahili but we have never felt so moved in our lives. The African people have a love for life and an even greater love for God. This love pours out through every song they sing and every step they dance. They have so few things and so many worries, yet they are more thankful and grateful than anyone we have met before. The entire congregation was singing and dancing along with the speakers and music provided. Without notice the electricity went out and without missing a beat they continued to worship as thought nothing had happened. This simple example is a pure demonstration of how little value they put on material things and what great value they put on the love of God.

      Today we were provided with the opportunity of taking a safari through the Serengeti. Little did we know that this time of year happens to be during the Great Migration. Minutes after entering the game reserve we spotted hundreds of thousands of Wilda-beast and Zebra. They covered the hills like cattle in Texas. We drove upon several families of giraffe, totaling about 20. We desperately wanted to see an elephant and we were blessed with finding two small families and one large heard with approximately 10 large and small elephants. Right as we were about to give up on spotting a lion, between two trees we found a female lion. She walked right toward our car and around the back. We had several minutes of gazing at her when we noticed she kept looking back at the trees behind her. We turned that direction to see what she was protecting and spotted a large male lion. He walked down to the nearby stream to get a drink and laid down to rest. We were within 5 feet of the female lion and 15 feel of the male lion. For everyone that wants to witness our safari, don't worry we took over 600 pictures and 3 hours of video.    

First Taste of Africa

Our time in London was exactly what we had hoped for; an interesting hostel stay, a lot of sight seeing, and an opportunity to taste an international community before jumping into the culture shock of Kenya.

The flights from London to Tanzania were much different than the flights to London. We arrived into Dar es Salam, Tanzania after an all night 10 hour flight from London. The Dar es Salam airport is an open air airport on the banks of the Indian ocean. You can imagine how much fun waiting in line for our visas and customs was. After Leaving security we had to get new tickets and recheck in on a different airline. They would only allow us 1 checked bag each! Between the 4 of us we had 13 pieces of luggage. This flight costed the group 240,000 TSH. I'll let you work the conversion rate on that! After mutliple trips to the banco de conversion we ran to our terminal and arrived in Mwanza, Tanzania where Tim Jarvis, Sarah's father, was there ready to pick us up from the Mwanza airport. 

The Mwanza airport was smaller than the average American home. It contained a few rooms and the "baggage claim" was a number of African men running from the belly of the plane then coming and asking you if the bag belonged to you.

We have only been in the Jarvis home for about 24 hours, but they are already making us feel at home with delicious cooking and amazing stories from 15 years of Tanzanian Missions. We are truly blessed to have an opportunity to visit this country and be treated to such great company.

In the next week we plan to spend time at the a few Albino orphanages including, Jellies, visit a local open air market in Mwanza, have a full day Safari in the Serengeti Game Reserve, tour the Nile Perch store, eat Nile Perch, play with the local children, and drive to Nairobi Kenya.

Landed in London

So we have finally made it to the first and shortest leg of the trip. We are currently sitting in our hostel in London, England. After 24 hours if traveling and a 6 hour time difference we are exhausted! It is a struggle between deciding if we should lay down to rest, or push through it and get out on the town while we can. We have decided that we do need to take some time to freshen up a bit since we've been in the same clothes for some time now.

The flight was wonderful. We had the honor of riding in a aircraft that was quite fancy. We slept the majority of the time so we didn't exactly have the opportunity to use all of the amenities but it was a fun experience. Great weather while flying and here in London. We could not ask for anything more!

 Our plans while we are here is to make it to most of the main tourist sites and hopefully have time to see some local hide-outs as well.We are meeting up with the Gould brothers tomorrow afternoon to have them show us their view of London. :0)

We are so appreciative of everyone's love and support. It is such a wonderful feeling to be taking the adventure knowing that we have constant prayers for our safety and wellbeing. We love you all and hope to have another opportunity to post in the next 3-4 days.