We are pretty much exhausted, but we still have more people to visit today before our plane leaves this evening at 11pm. It is impossible to explain all the sights, sounds, smells and experiences that we take with us from Kenya. It is a magnificent country filled with poverty and deprivation yet full of hope and progress. There is great pride and hospitality in the people. They are gracious and graceful. Our hearts go out to them and pray that Saint Joseph will respond to God's calling in a great way. Pray for our safe journey as we look forward to seeing all of you once again. We cannot express our gratitude enough for sending us on this mission trip. Thank you all, and to God be given all the glory.
Blessings on each of you.
Suzana, Saneta, Brad
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Riakonga Methodist Church – August 3rd, 2008
Sunday found us on a mountain top experience – literally. We had to travel approximately one hour on red clay and rock roads to arrive at Saneta's home church. During the trip we were delayed by a jack knifed semi trailer that blocked the entire road. We walked in our Sunday best for about 15 minutes (enough time to get hot and sweaty) before the driver was able to catch up to us. When we reached the farthest point we could go by car, we walked another mile to the top of the mountain where we were greeted by 300 screaming fans who are all members of Saneta's home church of Riakonga. Even though the service had started, they invited us in and placed us at the seat of honor at the front of the church. They sang for us, sang testimonials, prayed and preached all in Swahili. The service lasted 2 hours, which was a shortened version so that we could enjoy fellowship after the service. During the service we listened to the stories of the orphans, the needy, and those affected by AIDS. Most of these people earn less than $100/year. This low amount prevents them from attending even public school which costs around $50/year. There are many motivated students who are prevented from furthering their education due to their lack of financial resources. We counted 38 orphans, 80 special financial needs, and another 120 students with one parent, who are the victims of AIDS within this church community.
We then walked along the mountain top to the ancestral home of Saneta's parents. Saneta came from a very poor family who farms tea plants and other small crops on 2 acres on top of the mountain. There were 9 siblings growing up. The oldest child helped pay for the education of the next child, who then in turn paid for the next child. In this way all 9 children had achieved advanced education. We were graciously entertained by nearly the entire family. The traditional meal starts with the washing of the hands with warm basin water (reminiscent of the washing of the feet). Then the traditional foods were served by the women who prepared the meal in a detached kitchen where they cooked over a wood fire. We were given the grand tour of the farm before we left in a torrential downpour. We had to walk a mile downhill sharing umbrellas and canes to balance us. At one point we stopped and took shelter in an unfinished house with a metal roof during a lightning and hail storm. When we finally reached the bottom we were drowned rats. This does not come close to explaining the adventure and amazement of our experience of trekking down the mountain top with gushing water all around us. We were soaked thru and thru. The senior Pastor accompanied us down the hill holding one of the umbrellas to ensure we made it to the bottom safely. He then had to walk another 9 miles to his home.
The entire day taught us new meanings of the words faith, grace, and love. These are beautiful and kind people. Truly these are children of God whom we are called to love. Please keep all the Kenyan people in your prayers. The needs are great. The resources are few.
Bwana asifiwe (Praise the Lord)
We then walked along the mountain top to the ancestral home of Saneta's parents. Saneta came from a very poor family who farms tea plants and other small crops on 2 acres on top of the mountain. There were 9 siblings growing up. The oldest child helped pay for the education of the next child, who then in turn paid for the next child. In this way all 9 children had achieved advanced education. We were graciously entertained by nearly the entire family. The traditional meal starts with the washing of the hands with warm basin water (reminiscent of the washing of the feet). Then the traditional foods were served by the women who prepared the meal in a detached kitchen where they cooked over a wood fire. We were given the grand tour of the farm before we left in a torrential downpour. We had to walk a mile downhill sharing umbrellas and canes to balance us. At one point we stopped and took shelter in an unfinished house with a metal roof during a lightning and hail storm. When we finally reached the bottom we were drowned rats. This does not come close to explaining the adventure and amazement of our experience of trekking down the mountain top with gushing water all around us. We were soaked thru and thru. The senior Pastor accompanied us down the hill holding one of the umbrellas to ensure we made it to the bottom safely. He then had to walk another 9 miles to his home.
The entire day taught us new meanings of the words faith, grace, and love. These are beautiful and kind people. Truly these are children of God whom we are called to love. Please keep all the Kenyan people in your prayers. The needs are great. The resources are few.
Bwana asifiwe (Praise the Lord)
Harusi Kusumu – August 2nd, 2008
Over the last few days we travelled several hundred miles through Kenya via Public Transportation, aka bus (not Greyhound)!! However, we have been blessed with enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Kenya which we Wazungu (all of us who do not have brown skin) have never experienced before. Along the highways we have witnessed some magnificent wild beasts including; Giraffes, Zebras, Monkeys, Elephants, Boar, Camels, Antelopes, Rhinos, Hippos, Masai leading their cattle, herds of Goats and Sheep, and exotic birds.We were privileged to be invited to Saneta's brother's wedding (Harusi in Swahili). Amidst about 300 celebrants we witnessed the Christian matrimony of Clement and Dorcas Maiko. It was a beautiful affair with the bride dressed in white. Somewhere during the ceremony, not sure when, we were adopted by a 3-year old orphan boy that latched onto us. We could never find out his name but he was starved for affection and food in equal measure. By the grace of God we were able to provide a little of both.
Bwana asifiwe (Praise the Lord)
Bwana asifiwe (Praise the Lord)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Nairobi to Mombasa and Back
We are pleased to say that our trip to Nairobi was excellent but tiring after 28 hours on the journey. Our first full day here was Sunday where we attended a Swahili speaking Methodist church in the poor section of town. Saneta's sister, Lydia, lives nearby with her two children. The experience was beautiful, the music was wonderful, the people were generous and very hospitable. We each were given the opportunity to stand and tell them about ourselves and any message we wanted to give to them. The whole service lasted about 3 hours!! Note to pastors: 1 hour is good.
That afternoon we visited an orphanage in the slums of Nairobi. The children were all abandoned by there parents or their parents died early, mostly of AIDS. Grace is the leader and calls each child a King or Queen to let them know that they have worth and are loved. They live in a palace, even though they sleep 6 to a bed. Even though they don't have enough to eat every day, they are happy and learning in the safe habitat that Grace provides. There is much too much to say in this short blog, but we are eager to share her story with you later.
Monday began the grueling 8 hour trip to Mombasa, the second largest city in Kenya. On Tuesday morning we went to Ribe, the home of the first Methodist church in East Africa started by Thomas Wakefield. By his courageous actions, he was able to help establish Christianity on the continent. Before that, the Arabs and Muslims dominated the coast and the culture. Because of his braving malaria and other diseases along with wild animals and the jungle, that area is predominantly Christian today. The Ribe Methodist Church is still going strong with 300 members in a small village. They started a school to improve the quality of education and have done a marvelous job even though they suffer from a lack of services.
Will report more the next time we have access to the internet.
God Bless.
That afternoon we visited an orphanage in the slums of Nairobi. The children were all abandoned by there parents or their parents died early, mostly of AIDS. Grace is the leader and calls each child a King or Queen to let them know that they have worth and are loved. They live in a palace, even though they sleep 6 to a bed. Even though they don't have enough to eat every day, they are happy and learning in the safe habitat that Grace provides. There is much too much to say in this short blog, but we are eager to share her story with you later.
Monday began the grueling 8 hour trip to Mombasa, the second largest city in Kenya. On Tuesday morning we went to Ribe, the home of the first Methodist church in East Africa started by Thomas Wakefield. By his courageous actions, he was able to help establish Christianity on the continent. Before that, the Arabs and Muslims dominated the coast and the culture. Because of his braving malaria and other diseases along with wild animals and the jungle, that area is predominantly Christian today. The Ribe Methodist Church is still going strong with 300 members in a small village. They started a school to improve the quality of education and have done a marvelous job even though they suffer from a lack of services.
Will report more the next time we have access to the internet.
God Bless.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Pre Trip
Dr. Rev. Saneta Maiko is heading a mission team going to Kenya July 25 - August 8. The other team members include Suzana Bacon and Brad Foster. During this trip we will visit orphanages, youth centers, clinics and other potential ministries that Saint Joseph would be interested in assisting. Our objective is to find a ministry that St. Joseph would partner with to help an ailing continent deal with the AIDS crisis. This crisis is the cause of one death every 8 seconds within Sub-Saharan Africa. That means a city the size of Fort Wayne perishes every month. This crisis manifests itself in many social ills including child prostitution, orphans, low life expectancy (which is 48 years in Kenya and as low as 34 years in Zimbabwe), and other health problems. Ours will be a fact finding mission that will enable us to find solutions to some of these problems that are actually working within the Kenyan culture. This is an exciting time and an awesome opportunity to answer a call to mission on the world scene. While it is good to do missions within our country and communities, it is also good to connect to the world wide AIDS crisis, since this problem cannot be corrected within Africa alone. They need much help from around the world. We hope and pray that your prayers will be with us the whole way and that you will connect with us on this blog with suggestions or questions that we can respond to. If you would like to contribute to this mission, you may submit a check made out to Saint Joseph United Methodist Church or you may bring jeans, t-shirts, or dresses for children ages 5-17 to the church. Let us now introduce ourselves to you:
Dr. Rev. Saneta Maiko: Saneta is a Methodist pastor from Kenya and will be leading us on this exciting mission. He has lived in the U.S. for 7 years with his wife and daughter. He is eager to connect Saint Joseph to the many opportunities which exist in Kenya for mission work.
Mrs. Suzana Bacon: I am so excited about leaving on this mission trip. Traveling to Africa has been a childhood dream of mine. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I would actually go there, however here I am just days away from departure. God certainly works in mysterious ways. I feel blessed to have the support of my family and to be a part of this journey. I have been asking God to reveal His purpose for me during this mission trip. I am going to Kenya with an open mind and a willingness to follow whatever His purpose is for me. I am looking forward to sharing with you what God places before me during this visit to Kenya.
Mr. Brad Foster: God is clearly calling me to this ministry. African problems in general, and an ever worsening AIDS crisis is driving me to respond to the cries of the African people. I work as part of the staff of Saint Joseph United Methodist Church and have been worshiping there for 15 years. I have a wonderfully supportive wife and 3 grown children. Having been abundantly blessed, I now have a passion to help others less fortunate within Fort Wayne and beyond.
Dr. Rev. Saneta Maiko: Saneta is a Methodist pastor from Kenya and will be leading us on this exciting mission. He has lived in the U.S. for 7 years with his wife and daughter. He is eager to connect Saint Joseph to the many opportunities which exist in Kenya for mission work.
Mrs. Suzana Bacon: I am so excited about leaving on this mission trip. Traveling to Africa has been a childhood dream of mine. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I would actually go there, however here I am just days away from departure. God certainly works in mysterious ways. I feel blessed to have the support of my family and to be a part of this journey. I have been asking God to reveal His purpose for me during this mission trip. I am going to Kenya with an open mind and a willingness to follow whatever His purpose is for me. I am looking forward to sharing with you what God places before me during this visit to Kenya.
Mr. Brad Foster: God is clearly calling me to this ministry. African problems in general, and an ever worsening AIDS crisis is driving me to respond to the cries of the African people. I work as part of the staff of Saint Joseph United Methodist Church and have been worshiping there for 15 years. I have a wonderfully supportive wife and 3 grown children. Having been abundantly blessed, I now have a passion to help others less fortunate within Fort Wayne and beyond.
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