Friday:
We went into town after breakfast to do the Internet cafe thing, then
went by the supermarket in town, Nakumatt, and did some shopping. Alex
and I had woken up that morning feeling quite crampy and we both took
our Cipro, a pill to help deter any bad reaction we might have to the
food here. I took mine a little too late, it seems. By the time we got
back to town, I was ready to drop, so I went to lie down until dinner
time. Once dinnertime came around, I decided to join the others and
have some ginger tea. Bad idea. I had my very first missionary
experience with projectile vomiting outside the room where we eat. Some
of the kids were fascinated and came by to inquire on the nature of my
crouching beside the building. The team did a good job of supporting me
as I spewed, so I feel especially blessed to be with these good people.
The stomach issues continued through the night and well into Saturday.
Alex got better but poor Kristina got sick in the middle of the night
and hurt her back on top of it all. Moises has been having stomach
issues but is recovering nicely. Hopefully this will be the last time
we get sick, but I can't say what God has in store for us for the rest
of our time here. But we can pray!
Saturday:
The KDPL (Kenya Deaf Prayer and Leadership) conference took place at
Sam's Place, another orphanage for deaf children about 15 minutes away
from LDO. I wanted to go, so I did. Moises stayed behind with
Kristina. We got the pleasure of seeing the grounds of Sam's Place,
which is far larger and more established. A large number of deaf
Kenyans showed up for the conference which was a wonderful opportunity
for us to interact with the locals. I got in some socialization but
started feeling quite bad again. Moises and Kristina showed up at
lunchtime and after the local Kenyans took turns singing their version
of Christian songs, which are AWESOME, the ODO group (with the exception
of Kristina and I) gave performances related to bible stories and
morals. Kristina and I decided to leave shortly after to go back and
get some rest.
I look forward to Sunday because I'll actually have a chance to really
focus on the orphans at LDO. All week, we've been focusing on projects
and shopping for projects and have had little time with the children :(
But come Monday, we officially start camp! From there on, it'll be all
about the kids and I'm really looking forward to that. I know the
others are too.
Sunday:
Awesome, awesome day today! I finally got to spend nearly the entire
day with the children. We hosted church service for everyone this
morning and it was wonderful, especially under the pavilion the ODO team
built instead of cramming into one of the 12 ft by 12 ft classrooms
like the children usually do. Javier gave a sermon focusing on
kindness, patience, love, self control, peace, etc. since the children
have issues in some of those areas. I have to say that I'm absolutely
in love with the Kenyan way of singing songs about Jesus, God, anything
Christianity-related. The songs are simple and the message they send
are simple as well but the dancing and the joy they put behind the songs
are captivating.
Javier's sermon seems to have gotten through to most of the children
because every time they started to misbehave, we reminded them of what
they learned this morning and they mostly obeyed. :) But we rarely
ever have to reprimand them, they're such good kids.
After the sermon, the kids did their chores and we did some of our own
errands before going over to Nakumatt and doing some shopping. We were
back before lunch, as were Alex and Dallas (they went to the 2nd day of
the KDPL conference while the rest stayed behind). Then it was..... PLAYTIME!
While the boys played soccer in the small field they have in the back of
the property, I had a blast playing various games with the girls. They
absolutely love jumping rope, playing volleyball, and Pickle. While it
was all fun, I kept feeling bad that the only place the girls have to
play is near the front entrance, between the cow and the bathroom (I
call it the squat room because thats what we do in 'em...squat). It
made it worse when Twitchy the cow took a liking to me and kept
following me around to get its ears scratched and its nose nuzzled.
After playtime, we did some work before the storm hit (it rains nearly
every evening here). The tarp pavilion didn't survive the wind,
unfortunately. We're rethinking the design and will redo it since it
has made such a big difference to this place what with providing shade
against the sun and a place to gather. Pray for that and please
continue to donate to Alex and Alexa's fundraiser for projects around
here!
Note:
They desperately need and wanted a bigger property when they
bought this one but funds didn't allow for it. Hopefully we can raise
enough money once we go back to America to get a bigger property and
build better accommodations for them. There's so much we want to do for
them but funds are limited. I have faith that in the long run, we'll
be able to do so much more for them with your help. It is amazing how
just 100 USD goes such a long way here.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Hello all!
So far it has only been one week since our arrival at Lance's Deaf Orphanage/School for the Deaf but it feels like we've been here for weeks. I'm typing this out on my little iPad, so please bear with me as I try to give you a general account of what we've been up to thus far.
Friday I arrived at 9:30pm after over 30 hours spent in the air and wandering around terminals in Tallahassee, North Carolina, NYC, and Paris. The flight from NYC to Paris wasn't the most pleasant flight, what with being crammed into economy class with the air conditioning on the fritz and a woman intent on elbowing me in every part of my body. But I survived and got the entire aisle all to myself on a deliciously cold jet from Paris to Nairobi. Score.
Once I got out of the airport, I was greeted warmly by the entire ODO team and our two Kenyan team leaders, William and Winston. William is an interpreter and Winston is a deaf pastor, both of whom work closely with LDO and have done so for years. Not much happened after that. Just checked into the hotel, had an frigid shower, ate beans with hominy (they call it maize here), and then passed out. Saturday We did some errands and finished our big-city business before heading over to the bus station, where we waited for hours for our rental van to pick us up at 2pm. Then it took three men to cram all 14 of our luggages and 9 of us into the van for a long but beautiful ride through the countryside to Kisii. We got to enjoy the views of Rift Valley and a herd of zebras grazing on the roadside. No lions or any other large, vicious mammals. We got to LDO past the children's bedtime, so naturally we were disappointed. But after the men pushed the van out of the mud bath it was intent on taking in the middle of the road, we walked up the road into an ambush. All the children were awake and waiting for us by the road. It was the best feeling in the world to see their smiling faces and to shake their hands and warmed our hearts after a long and tiring trip. A fantastic, blessed start to our stay here in Africa.
We were given two rooms with brand new beds, sheets, and mosquito nettings, all thanks to Lance McWilliams (yes, that Lance) and his team. You can scroll down to an older blog to see pictures of the rooms. I was put into a room with the married couples (Abenchuchan/Arteaga) and the two single guys (Javiar Reyes and Dallas Brock) took the other room. The accommodations are basic but they fulfill our needs to our satisfaction. The entire orphanage consists of two long buildings, an outhouse, a separate kitchen, and a rabbit cage. In each of the buildings are several small rooms- bedrooms for the children, the staff, three classrooms, an office, and two guest rooms (which we're staying in). There are generations of rabbits living on the grounds, a kitten, and a cow.
Sunday: We woke up a little late and walked out of our bedrooms to find the children waiting for us at our door. I got into a game of Pickle with the girls and William, and that was when I learned they aren't at all fragile, timid, or afraid to test their strength. The girls (and the occasional boy) all have vicious throwing arms. Fortunately, they play with a hacky sack so whenever I got hit, no bones were broken. We spent the majority of the morning playing with the kids and getting to know them. Then after lunch, Alex led a short sermon on how Jesus loves all and we got to play name games to help us get to know one another. Then we headed into Kisii to get some much-needed supplies for the orphans and drinking water for us. We got to travel Africa-style, (public transportation) crammed tightly into a 8-seater van with maybe 8 other people. At least I got to sit by a window. With my head and half of my upper body hanging out, I didn't have any issues with the body odor steaming up the van. It.....was.......FUN! No, I'm not kidding, it was! Totally awesome. At the store, we were able to buy 10 new mattresses, sheets, and blankets for the children. Also a new water tank for the orphanage- their only source of clean water is rainwater collected by gutters leading into a tank. If it doesn't rain for a while, they don't have water. This way, they can have more water in storage. We also got some seeds and trowels to start a garden for them, some chairs, and a large tarp for a pavilion we're planning to build between the two buildings. These items had to be delivered the following day as we didn't have a way to haul them all back to LDO (they do not have a vehicle). All these things we bought were made possible by the donations of wonderful people back home. Thank you - your donation has made a huge difference already, on the first day. We wrapped up the day with the kids, trying to memorize each other's names. I've never seen a more well-mannered and cheerful group of kids before. Their energy and smiles are contagious and warms my heart. It is evident that God watches over these kids and has given them a wonderful group of teachers and staff at LDO (ALL VOLUNTEERS).
Monday: After breakfast, while the children were in school, we had a lesson in Kenyan Sign Language from Daniel Ogembo, the Director of the orphanage. Alex and William went back to town to ensure the delivery of the things we bought the day before. Once the things arrived, we spent the rest of the time before lunch hauling out the old mattresses, putting in the new ones and putting on the sheets and blankets. When the kids got out of school for their lunch, we all started playing on the old mattresses piled up high in the area between the two buildings. Dallas showed the kids how to flip up side down onto the mattresses and then there was no stopping them. I had a go several times myself on the mattresses. Fun funfunfun. We also gave out the clothes and toys that our friends and families donated back in America. The excitement of the kids were overwhelming. They've been playing with their toys every chance they get since then. We spent much of the day discussing projects we need to do for the children's benefit and ended up with a long list. Sadly we had to edit the list so we wouldn't go over the budget ODO has for projects. Which brings me to this- please donate so we can have some more money for projects! To donate for this specific reason, go to the ODO website and make a donation to Alex and Alexa's ODO fundraiser.
Tuesday: We spent most of the day in town buying supplies, which was no easy feat since they don't have one-stop stores here like Lowe's or Home Depot. We got back after dark, so we weren't able to see the orphans for very long. Once the kids went to bed, I manually washed my clothes using three plastic bins: one for the wash cycle, one for the rinse cycle, and the last for the extra rinse and spin cycle. This is how the kids wash their clothes too. Only they hang their clothes to dry on the barbed wire fence that surrounds the property.
Wednesday: I went into town with Kristina, Alex, William, and Winston to finish buying supplies for the building projects we had and to rent a lorry to haul all of our purchases from the previous day to the orphanage. A lorry is a large truck that resembles an army cargo truck. Moises and Kristina had someone donate 200 USD for them to buy shoes for the children, so we were able to get three pairs of shoes for them all. Alex, Kristina, and I rode in the back of the lorry with the supplies. Bouncy fun funfunfun. We got back to the orphanage before dark and were able to socialize with the children some. The children got their shoes that evening and it was wonderful to see them running around in shoes that doesn't have large holes and chunks missing from them.
Thursday: We spent all day on two projects. We broke ground for the garden we're going to put in and worked on erecting the massive pavilion that now stretches from one building to another. The pavilion will provide relief for the children during hot days and rainy days as well. Hopefully the garden will provide extra food for the children.
Friday: We're in town for to update our blogs, but will go back and continue to work on the garden and other projects. Camp officially starts on Monday! Pray for us and the people at LDO. I'm getting addicted to the Kenyan way of life! Everything's so much simpler here, but the poverty that surrounds us is heart breaking. The children are starting to show their personalities more and more now and we're starting to know them better now. Once the pavilion was erected, the children had great fun playing under it. I want to thank God for making all this possible because without God, we wouldn't have been able to do anything. Also, if you want to, I'm still asking for donations to help cover my living expenses while I'm here. Since my arrival, a few additional expenses has come up (transportation, interpreter, team leader, supplies, food) so any donations are appreciated. You can still donate via the ODO website, just follow instructions on the "How To Donate" page above. God has definitely blessed us in this trip. We're the lucky ones, to get to meet these wonderful children and people of LDO. I know my life will be far richer for having known these kids.
Stay tuned for my next update! God Bless, Kat
P.S.- I met Rolling Stones drummer Chuck Levell's brother, Billy, on Thursday! He's deaf too and has been to Kenya multiple times to work with the deaf people. This mention is for you, Daddy. :)
Friday I arrived at 9:30pm after over 30 hours spent in the air and wandering around terminals in Tallahassee, North Carolina, NYC, and Paris. The flight from NYC to Paris wasn't the most pleasant flight, what with being crammed into economy class with the air conditioning on the fritz and a woman intent on elbowing me in every part of my body. But I survived and got the entire aisle all to myself on a deliciously cold jet from Paris to Nairobi. Score.
Once I got out of the airport, I was greeted warmly by the entire ODO team and our two Kenyan team leaders, William and Winston. William is an interpreter and Winston is a deaf pastor, both of whom work closely with LDO and have done so for years. Not much happened after that. Just checked into the hotel, had an frigid shower, ate beans with hominy (they call it maize here), and then passed out. Saturday We did some errands and finished our big-city business before heading over to the bus station, where we waited for hours for our rental van to pick us up at 2pm. Then it took three men to cram all 14 of our luggages and 9 of us into the van for a long but beautiful ride through the countryside to Kisii. We got to enjoy the views of Rift Valley and a herd of zebras grazing on the roadside. No lions or any other large, vicious mammals. We got to LDO past the children's bedtime, so naturally we were disappointed. But after the men pushed the van out of the mud bath it was intent on taking in the middle of the road, we walked up the road into an ambush. All the children were awake and waiting for us by the road. It was the best feeling in the world to see their smiling faces and to shake their hands and warmed our hearts after a long and tiring trip. A fantastic, blessed start to our stay here in Africa.
We were given two rooms with brand new beds, sheets, and mosquito nettings, all thanks to Lance McWilliams (yes, that Lance) and his team. You can scroll down to an older blog to see pictures of the rooms. I was put into a room with the married couples (Abenchuchan/Arteaga) and the two single guys (Javiar Reyes and Dallas Brock) took the other room. The accommodations are basic but they fulfill our needs to our satisfaction. The entire orphanage consists of two long buildings, an outhouse, a separate kitchen, and a rabbit cage. In each of the buildings are several small rooms- bedrooms for the children, the staff, three classrooms, an office, and two guest rooms (which we're staying in). There are generations of rabbits living on the grounds, a kitten, and a cow.
Sunday: We woke up a little late and walked out of our bedrooms to find the children waiting for us at our door. I got into a game of Pickle with the girls and William, and that was when I learned they aren't at all fragile, timid, or afraid to test their strength. The girls (and the occasional boy) all have vicious throwing arms. Fortunately, they play with a hacky sack so whenever I got hit, no bones were broken. We spent the majority of the morning playing with the kids and getting to know them. Then after lunch, Alex led a short sermon on how Jesus loves all and we got to play name games to help us get to know one another. Then we headed into Kisii to get some much-needed supplies for the orphans and drinking water for us. We got to travel Africa-style, (public transportation) crammed tightly into a 8-seater van with maybe 8 other people. At least I got to sit by a window. With my head and half of my upper body hanging out, I didn't have any issues with the body odor steaming up the van. It.....was.......FUN! No, I'm not kidding, it was! Totally awesome. At the store, we were able to buy 10 new mattresses, sheets, and blankets for the children. Also a new water tank for the orphanage- their only source of clean water is rainwater collected by gutters leading into a tank. If it doesn't rain for a while, they don't have water. This way, they can have more water in storage. We also got some seeds and trowels to start a garden for them, some chairs, and a large tarp for a pavilion we're planning to build between the two buildings. These items had to be delivered the following day as we didn't have a way to haul them all back to LDO (they do not have a vehicle). All these things we bought were made possible by the donations of wonderful people back home. Thank you - your donation has made a huge difference already, on the first day. We wrapped up the day with the kids, trying to memorize each other's names. I've never seen a more well-mannered and cheerful group of kids before. Their energy and smiles are contagious and warms my heart. It is evident that God watches over these kids and has given them a wonderful group of teachers and staff at LDO (ALL VOLUNTEERS).
Monday: After breakfast, while the children were in school, we had a lesson in Kenyan Sign Language from Daniel Ogembo, the Director of the orphanage. Alex and William went back to town to ensure the delivery of the things we bought the day before. Once the things arrived, we spent the rest of the time before lunch hauling out the old mattresses, putting in the new ones and putting on the sheets and blankets. When the kids got out of school for their lunch, we all started playing on the old mattresses piled up high in the area between the two buildings. Dallas showed the kids how to flip up side down onto the mattresses and then there was no stopping them. I had a go several times myself on the mattresses. Fun funfunfun. We also gave out the clothes and toys that our friends and families donated back in America. The excitement of the kids were overwhelming. They've been playing with their toys every chance they get since then. We spent much of the day discussing projects we need to do for the children's benefit and ended up with a long list. Sadly we had to edit the list so we wouldn't go over the budget ODO has for projects. Which brings me to this- please donate so we can have some more money for projects! To donate for this specific reason, go to the ODO website and make a donation to Alex and Alexa's ODO fundraiser.
Tuesday: We spent most of the day in town buying supplies, which was no easy feat since they don't have one-stop stores here like Lowe's or Home Depot. We got back after dark, so we weren't able to see the orphans for very long. Once the kids went to bed, I manually washed my clothes using three plastic bins: one for the wash cycle, one for the rinse cycle, and the last for the extra rinse and spin cycle. This is how the kids wash their clothes too. Only they hang their clothes to dry on the barbed wire fence that surrounds the property.
Wednesday: I went into town with Kristina, Alex, William, and Winston to finish buying supplies for the building projects we had and to rent a lorry to haul all of our purchases from the previous day to the orphanage. A lorry is a large truck that resembles an army cargo truck. Moises and Kristina had someone donate 200 USD for them to buy shoes for the children, so we were able to get three pairs of shoes for them all. Alex, Kristina, and I rode in the back of the lorry with the supplies. Bouncy fun funfunfun. We got back to the orphanage before dark and were able to socialize with the children some. The children got their shoes that evening and it was wonderful to see them running around in shoes that doesn't have large holes and chunks missing from them.
Thursday: We spent all day on two projects. We broke ground for the garden we're going to put in and worked on erecting the massive pavilion that now stretches from one building to another. The pavilion will provide relief for the children during hot days and rainy days as well. Hopefully the garden will provide extra food for the children.
Friday: We're in town for to update our blogs, but will go back and continue to work on the garden and other projects. Camp officially starts on Monday! Pray for us and the people at LDO. I'm getting addicted to the Kenyan way of life! Everything's so much simpler here, but the poverty that surrounds us is heart breaking. The children are starting to show their personalities more and more now and we're starting to know them better now. Once the pavilion was erected, the children had great fun playing under it. I want to thank God for making all this possible because without God, we wouldn't have been able to do anything. Also, if you want to, I'm still asking for donations to help cover my living expenses while I'm here. Since my arrival, a few additional expenses has come up (transportation, interpreter, team leader, supplies, food) so any donations are appreciated. You can still donate via the ODO website, just follow instructions on the "How To Donate" page above. God has definitely blessed us in this trip. We're the lucky ones, to get to meet these wonderful children and people of LDO. I know my life will be far richer for having known these kids.
Stay tuned for my next update! God Bless, Kat
P.S.- I met Rolling Stones drummer Chuck Levell's brother, Billy, on Thursday! He's deaf too and has been to Kenya multiple times to work with the deaf people. This mention is for you, Daddy. :)
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Hello all!
Just a brief update this time around since we're short on time. I got to Kenya safe and sound last night! Everybody stayed at a hotel not too far from the airport last night and are now getting ready to head over to Kisii, where LDO is. The energy of this group is a positive one and everybody seems ready and raring to go, despite minor issues with jet lag. Fortunately the time difference isn't so bad, approximately 7 hours. Should be easy to adjust.
We all got such wonderful donations of materials from friends back in the states and actually have 14 bags between us, mostly full of donations!
Please continue to pray for us as we go on this journey. Times up! Gotta go, but will update as soon as I get a chance to. More details, promise!
God bless from the gorgeous country of Kenya!
Kat
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