Posts Tagged ‘poverty’

Another aspect

January 22nd, 2012

You’ve read here before about Caring For Kenya’s Kids (C4KK) and C4KK Children’s Shelter.  Helping to supply basic needs for orphaned children, widows and employing workers so they in turn can afford their families needs.  Today I’m going to show you another aspect of C4KK’s ministry.  We work with a friend, Ben, a local Kenyan and Executive Director of My Brother’s Keeper, who works with HIV/AIDS victims and those living in the slums.  We help support Ben on a case by case basis in which Chuck gets more detail on the situation, prays about it, asks God’s guidance and then proceeds with support if called to do so.  Here are a few stories of recent situations C4KK has supported.  Photos and captions are Ben’s:

This family had no water to use because there money to buy the precious commodity. I bought them soap and enough water to cook with, drink, wash their clothes and utensils, and most importantly to bathe with. Water is life.

The widow could not believe her eyes. She later told me she never even dreamt of getting good things like the items and food we brought her.

Today during our daily home visits i came across this woman and her baby. She is floorridden, pregnant (5 months), hiv+, has TB, vomiting, with a relentless diarrhea. She told me she had not eaten for many days.

When we arrived at Petronilla's house this morning.

Ben’s team cleaned the one-room home, cleaned mother and child, prepared food for them and the doctor came to check on her.  They brought the love of Christ directly into this mom and baby’s life.  ”She was so hungry and desperately ill even to talk. She murmered something like petronilla or something as her name. Today i get to go bathe them, clean the house and buy them anti diarhea and anti vomit medicines.”

Then bathed her for she had not fellowshiped with water for a very long time and badly needed one.

Feeding baby Mike whom we found eating her mother's feaces as there was nothing to eat.

There is no handshake or pat on the back which can reward Ben this side of Heaven for his love, care and concern for the “least of these”  but you can help Ben continue this work by donating at our secure donation site, marking “other” in the Allocation drop-down box and writing “Ben” in the comment section.  Those donations will be used on a case by case basis for helping these precious children of God.

Chuck will keep you informed on the cases which are supported by reposting Ben’s updates through Facebook.  Thank you in advance for your prayerful consideration in helping bring the love of Christ to so many.

Quote from Eric…

October 3rd, 2010

“They go to bed hungry?”

     -  Eric is 12 years old and we were discussing the situation at Mercy.

Quote from a government official…

September 12th, 2010

“Watoto (children) are born every day”

     -  this was not said in a ‘please help us because children are born every day’ sort of way, but a ‘what’s you’re hurry to help, children are born every day there will always be more to help’ way.

Bread alone?

September 7th, 2010

How do you tell a child God loves them yet do not fill their stomach?  I know, I know “…man does not live on bread alone…”  (Deuteronomy 8:3 NIV, emphasis added).  But as I was thinking and meditating on that question and verse the word alone jumped out at me.  To me there is a lesson to be learned here…we need bread (food) to live, surprised!?

You may already know that from basic science of the human body… food = energy.  If I need food then how can I overlook those who aren’t getting food?  For me it was very easy in the States where any type of food is available 24/7.  It was easy to be obsessed with food – what will I eat, how much will I eat, how little will I eat, am I eating too much, am I eating too little, where will I eat, when will I eat, when will I eat again…I think you get the idea.  It was easy to think everyone, everywhere had enough food.   

Tala is just one small speck in this world, but it’s the speck on the globe where God has called Chuck and I to live.  Living here I’m finding it easier to see those who do not have even their basic needs being met.  Are there more people here than in the States who are going hungry, absolutely.  But even being surrounded by needs I find I can close my eyes to it…that selfish, wicked heart rears its ugly head.  God always finds a way though to open my eyes to the need He wants me to see and whether I am able to help or not I say a prayer to our Heavenly Father because I know:

  • the LORD will hear when I call to him“, He will “be merciful to me and hear my prayer“, “You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry” – Psalm

As it says in Brandon Heath’s song:

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

I believe we can all open our eyes, no matter where we live, and allow God to show us what He wants each of us to see and how He wants each of us to respond.

A cook, maid and guard

May 18th, 2010

At first glance it may seem unbelievable to you that we assist to employ a cook to do all the cooking, a guard to watch out over us and the compound and a maid who does the laundry, but this is the reality of what is going on…when God gives anyone in Kenya the ability to pay someone to do these jobs they are helping them provide for their own families.  Even though I could do my own laundry (which I did with a few items and it took me about an hour to wash, rinse, rinse again very well, ring out then hang outside to dry) we are helping multiple families by allowing them to do what they do for the family.  In addition, the amount we pay is around $50…..A MONTH. 

We see this not only in our home but also in the village.  Someone will offer to help carry your purchases to the car hoping for a small token of your appreciation (20 shillings is the standard in Tala – about 25 cents)…it’s the opportunity to help another without them feeling like they are begging (although we do have people who beg here too).  I learned this lesson too late for one gentleman.  I went to a store to buy eggs (actually a kiosk but we call them stores).  Pauline had told me approximately how much the eggs should cost (another aspect I’m learning – most everything is negotiable) and when I went to purchase them it was about 100 shilling more so I questioned the shop owner.  He didn’t speak English so another customer helped with the translation and when I asked if I was getting the “mzungu (white)” price the shop owner came down 60 shilling.  Another lesson, always have Pauline or Gideon give us a price before purchasing anything so we aren’t taken advantage of.  When I turned to leave the shop with my eggs (they were in crates of 36 and I had 2 crates) the customer who helped me offered to take them to the car.  Now me being an “American woman” I thought “hey I can carry my own eggs thank you very much” and I insisted on taking them to the car myself, only later to find out this offer to help is common practice for people so they can do something small and be paid the 20 shilling for their assistance.

It is a living example of when St. Paul says “… [he] must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”  Ephesians 4:28

Unemployment may be high, jobs are simply not available, but some are attempting to do “something useful” and I pray I can leave behind my American can-do attitude a bit and allow others to help and be helped.

Cry out to God

February 8th, 2010

Saturday night we received an email from Gideon (Nice View Academy) saying they were out of food and are purchasing food on a daily basis as they can and medical needs were a daily occurrence.  My first reaction was one of frustration and I basically felt helpless which took me directly to my knees, crying out to God.

I didn’t receive a clear, direct answer to that cry but on Sunday morning I woke up with this line from a song on my mind – how to save a life?  I asked myself this question and through God’s grace I know I can’t save a life, only God can. 

Then at church later that morning I read this from our notes - ”trials are not the cause but the occasion to reveal my sinful heart.”  How easy it would have been to just throw in the towel and say “I can’t do this so I’ll just forget those kids in Kenya and move onto something easier”.  That’s how sinful and selfish my heart can be without the guidance and strength of God, but instead I was given words of encouragement:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  James 1:2-4

and

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.  1 peter 1:6-7

I know that each time food is purchased or a child sees the doctor it results in God’s glory being revealed because I can’t save a life, only God can and each time struggles/trials/circumstances come up in life that seem to overwhelm me it can either drive me away from God or closer to Him.

Life is short

December 22nd, 2009

Ndiso Malinda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During this joyful season of celebrating our Savior’s birth we received sad news that Ndiso Malinda (pictured above) passed away after a short illness.  Ndiso was in Class 3 at Nice View Academy and during my interview with him in 2008 he told me his favorite color was red, he liked to play football (American soccer) and his favorite subject in school was CRE (Christian Religious Education) because they talked about God.

Ndiso’s death is a reminder to all of us the brevity of life and how important it is to tell others of God’s saving grace through His son Jesus Christ.  While we anticipate Christmas please remember in your prayers, not only Ndiso’s family, but all those families who have lost loved ones.  Continue to live out the gospel message so those around us may see His light and give God the glory!

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.  1 Peter 2:12 NIV

To plug or not to plug?

December 7th, 2009

Construction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like a scary way to plug something in, doesn’t it?!  I was sitting at my desk at Nice View one day and the welders were fixing my window.   They set up their welding machine and handed me these wires.  I held them in my hand and must have had a dumbfounded look on my face because the two workers pointed to the electrical socket.  Yeah right, I thought, this is something I want to do, plug in two wires to a 240 volt socket!  So I handed the wires back to them and shook my head no – saying to myself, they must think I’m either a crazy mzungu (white person) or asking for a death wish!

The one worker came into the office to plug in the wires.  Now, to plug these in you have to stick a ball point pen cap into the top hole to push a piece of metal down so the wires will slip into the bottom two holes!  I’m not big on electricity anyway and this was even more of a deterrent!  I’m ok with a real plug – three prongs to fit nicely into the socket, but bare wires aren’t for me! 

The workers were lucky this day, we actually had electricity!  We can anticipate the electricity going out at least a couple of times during the week, especially on Thursdays when that seemed to be a planned outage day for Tala.  Then I would use the computer, phone and camera until the batteries died and not recharge them until the next day.  It was frustrating when the electricity would suddenly go out, right in the middle of printing or before our phone was recharged but on Thursdays it was relaxing because we would have reading material, sit and chat it forward with tea, walk around the compound watching the classes or going to the market to walk around and talk to neighbors.

We are praying for a reliable source of electricity at Nice View so the kids will have lights in their classrooms for nighttime studying, outdoor lights for safety and walking to the latrine at night, better lighting in the kitchen, setting up a computer lab, printers etc.  We see the Lord using Nice View as a hub of activity for the area – holding bible studies, church, after school activities, craft classes etc.

Amazing what a little electricity can do isn’t it?

Snakes in the water!

December 1st, 2009

We’ve received some updates from Kenya recently but where to begin?  Let’s start with Gideon, he’s the Director at Nice View Academy in Tala, Kenya.  Chuck received an email from him recently and the kids were all finished with their exams and leaving for break.  Gideon hasn’t decided yet if they will offer tutoring during the break, parents are asking for tutoring but that decision hasn’t been made yet.  Fees would have to be collected from the parents in order to pay the teachers since what we had was just sent to Gideon for food and November salaries for the teachers.  Also, we found out Monday that Catherine, principal at Nice View, is getting married next year!  Congratulations Catherine!

Please pray for God’s wisdom and providence and blessings for Catherine.

Next I talked with a friend, Ruth, who lives in Machakos, which is very close to Tala.  She is expecting twins within the next month so we are continuing to pray for her health and the health of the babies.  Ruth said their shamba (garden) is doing very well and they are expecting a good harvest from it – thank you Lord!  With the rains she said it has cooled off a bit and it’s not so dusty.  I remember that dust – it got everywhere and in everything (my poor camera was not happy)!

Please keep Ruth and her pregnancy in your prayers for a safe delivery.

Then I called Anastacia, house mom at Mercy Child Foundation.  She said the kids were doing great and finished school.  The headmaster at their school told Anastacia how happy  he was with their progress and I told her to tell the kids how very proud I am of them for doing such a great job with their studies.  She said their shamba is doing well, but still  needs rains.  If rains don’t continue they will need to pump water – which requires funds – funds that we don’t have right now.  Also she said they needed a cover for the well since snakes are getting into the water and they are scared to drink the water!  Yikes!!  I will pass that information onto Chuck and Gideon, but again, funds are needed to do anything about that too.  I wasn’t able to finish my conversation with Anastacia because our phone card ran out of money and we were cut off.  I was however able to ask her to tell the kids we love them and miss them.

Please pray for continued rains and providence so they will have a bountiful harvest.

I received an email from Fransisca, manager at Eldama Ravine Children’s Village.  She said the children are doing well and are ranking at the top of their classes again!  I also talked with Magie, founder of Eldama Ravine Children’s Village and she said five of the boys were circumcised.  It seems to be more of a manhood ceremony than anything else but the 5 boys are in seclusion right now for  healing.  Magie received a call Sunday night that one of the boys was taken to the hospital, but was not given any details.  Women are not included in that information since it is a “man” thing.  Crazy I know and hopefully we will get some details on the boys condition soon, but nothing as of this post time. 

Please pray for quick healing for the boys and continued wisdom on working with Eldama Ravine. 

I feel like I’m hounding on funding this post, but doesn’t most of what we do require some sort of funding?  I eat today, that takes money; I drink water today, that takes money; I put on clothes today, that takes money.  Please prayerfully consider helping Saved By God’s Grace so we can help these orphanages eat, drink and be clothed.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

A stop here, a stop there…

November 5th, 2009

I can remember when our four kids were little and I did grocery shopping, it would be a one day event, stocking up on:  bread (freezing several loaves), milk, (pouring a bit from each gallon into a container and freezing the rest), canned veggies and soup, cheese by the pound (also freezing a couple of pounds).  Saturday would be the day to pick up anything “fresh” since dad was home and could watch the kids while I had some time to rush into the store for bananas, apples, oranges etc.

Shopping in Tala is totally different.  There is no stable electricity so nothing can be frozen and kept for later.  Beans, rice and flour don’t have to be refrigerated and milk is bought in cartons off the shelf (I haven’t tried this milk on it’s own only boiled for tea).  Everything else would be bought on a daily basis. 

After arriving at Nice View Academy in the morning we would get things settled then make plans to go into town for items needed that day - cabbage and tomatoes to be cooked for lunch (for the kids at school) and dinner (for the kids who live at the Academy).  Then every night after leaving the Academy we would stop at one kiosk for milk, one store for bread, another kiosk for eggs, a vegetable stand for cabbage/tomatoes etc. and then the butchers, most used for dinner and tea that night and breakfast the next morning.

Saturdays though we were able to go to the market for our produce, plastic basins, salt and many other items.  Because many people do not have the funds to purchase large quantities of salt, band-aids or soap, you can buy one tablespoon of salt, one band-aid, one dixie cup size container of soap.  Not only were we able to buy produce in one area (instead of going to different kiosks) but we got caught up on local news too!  It was not only a grocery shopping day, but a social event.

Tala market

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved (and will love again) walking around the market, seeing how people stack their produce (see the tomatoes in the above photo), telling you their avocado’s are best, their mangoes are the sweetest.  Shopping may not be a one day event in Tala, more like a once a day event, but each and every day we pick up our necessities we thank God for His providence, not only for us but the three orphanages!

As it says in 1 Timothy, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.“  Thank you for your continued support.