Small things with great Love...

Well, it has been over a month since I have last posted, and so much has happened. We have been to Mombasa and now at Macheo Children’s Home for around a month. Since being at the new children’s home, I have felt over-whelmed, encouraged, exhausted, helpless, excited, and peaceful. It has been quite the ride since my last post. But, to fill you in on a little bit of how life is going over here on the other side of the pond, it's been amazing. It has had its expected ups-and-downs, but nothing that isn't overshadowed by God's grace and peace.

- “Mombasa”: Before heading to the new children’s home in Thika we had a week long break at the beach in Mombasa. I have missed the beach a lot since leaving, and to be back for a week and to hear the soothing breaking of the waves on the beach and watch the turquoise-blue water fade into the distance was therapeutic, nostalgic, and amazing. It started off as a long 9 hour bus ride late at night and into the early morning from Nairobi to the coast. There were numerous attempts to sleep through the night, but it was nearly impossible with the bumpy dirt roads that we took. But, that was all overshadowed once we arrived at the hotel. It was a gorgeous place set right on the beach (Kikambala) overlooking the reef and breakers of the Indian Ocean. We all passed out for several hours once we arrived (6:00 am), and immediately went to the supermarket to pick up all of the essentials for the week. I can’t begin to describe want an amazing week of unwinding, fun, and relaxation it was. We swam in the ocean, swam in the pool, played lots of cards, and rode camels on the beach. AT and I went exploring the reef for several hours one morning and filmed several videos of the sea life we saw there (rivaling Discovery/BBC’s Planet Earth series). To elaborate, the reef was a really long stretch of shallow water, coral, tons of sea urchins, fish, and sand stars that faded out about ¾ of mile to the breakers. In our time of exploring, AT and I also found the perfect spot to set up our hammocks. There was an abandoned house right near our hotel with a gazebo overlooking the ocean. We both set up our hammocks there and read, listened to music and the waves a few times during the trip. All in all, it was insanely beautiful, fun, relaxing, and the perfect break in between transition from Tumaini Orphanage to Macheo Children's Home.

- “Thika”: I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical and worried about the transition to a new orphanage with new adults, children, and places. At the same time that it excited me, I was also hesitant like anyone would be that felt like they were leaving a family at another home only start a new one again somewhere else. The children’s home is run by a man named Marnix from Holland and several other caretakers and social workers. It is right outside Thika and right next to Thika’s own monstrous Del Monte pineapple plantation (the best fresh pineapple I have ever had in my life). The home houses 56 children ranging in ages from 3 to 13. The children’s home also helps to house several boys, originally from the orphanage “Stars for Jesus” that AT worked with two years ago, in a home called Joyous. So far, the adjustment to life in Thika has been a combination of smooth, overwhelming, busy, and exciting.

- “Non-stop”: Since arriving in Thika and at the Macheo (sunrise), we have been non-stop going and going. Marnix has the children’s home involved in a myriad of projects and is always thinking/analyzing new projects for the home to get involved in. Just to name a few of the things we are doing: we are working/researching green energy for the children’s home, working on funding for several projects, working on self-sustainability for feeding programs in different schools in slums, working with a malnourishment program, and trying to build a greenhouse at the home. It has been really exciting to be working in this type of environment, and a lot of the projects really speak to many issues that I am deeply passionate about. It has been amazing to see how God is working through us and the home to get these projects moving. On top of this, at least one of us works/shadows a social worker called Patrick. He is an amazing man: full of humor, insight, and love. He travels daily all over Nairobi, Thika, and Kenya visiting the boys that he works with to make sure they are doing well and have everything they need. It is inspiring to see his drive and love for people and how God uses him to reach others.

- “Malnourishment Program”: The malnourishment program has probably touched me the most. The program is run by a Catholic hospital known as Mary’s Immaculate Heart in conjunction with another local children’s home known as Watoto International. It treats severely malnourished children that live in the local area slum. It was difficult to watch as starving parents brought their starving children and waited for hours for a bag of uji (porridge, cornmeal and flour mix). Each of the children was weighed, and records are kept weekly to monitor the progress made. Most of the children, ranging in ages from just months to five, weighed less than half the expected weight at their age. It was a sad and helpless sight: baggy clothes , skeleton frames, and kwashiorkor (swollen bellies). We all helped pour the porridge until it ran out. Although it was extremely tough to see the abject poverty and malnourishment, it was encouraging to see all of the dedicated families and workers that participate in making this program work. However, we are currently working on raising funds to start a farm for them, to pay for health insurance for over 100 families (which is extremely cheap in US dollars), and to make the entire program self-sustainable.

-“Animal Orphanage and baby cheetahs”: The animal orphanage is located in Nairobi. AT and I took a day trip with Patrick and several of the boys from Joyous to the orphanage. Basically, the orphanage keeps injured and abandoned animals from the wild for a few years to rehabilitate them and prepare them for release back into the wild. There were so many animals there: monkeys, baboons, lions, cheetahs, birds, and jackals. It was great to walk around and see all of the animals up close, but sad at the same time to see such amazing and beautiful creatures in containment (but, good to know that they would be released); we were even able to pet large cheetahs through the fence (almost got to go into the cage with them!). But, by far, the highlight of the day came when we were near the lion (simba) cage and AT and I wanted to go around back behind the fence to get better pictures, because we saw some other wazunguu doing the same. So, we made our way to the fence and tried to sweet talk one of the workers into letting us back there, but he wasn’t easily convinced. He kept refusing us and saying that it wasn’t allowed and that he would get in trouble. We argued that he had just allowed some other people back, so we didn’t see the problem. After a few minutes of this, Patrick came to our aid and convinced him to let us back. As we walked behind the fence we started walking towards the lion pen, but the man kept leading us to a small house, eventually inside. As we stood inside, confused because we thought we were just going to get closer pictures of the simba, we looked around and saw several empty cages and we were even more confused. Soon, I heard someone walk in and I turned around to be met face to face with a purring baby cheetah that was immediately being handed to me. I was so shocked and excited I almost wet my pants. I couldn’t believe I was holding a baby cheetah! AT quickly got the camera and started filming a short video to catch our amazement and the baby cheetah purring and licking us. UNREAL! After this experience, we got our pictures of the samba and not too long after paid the man a bribe (kitu kidogo) for the experience….well worth it!

I know that was a lot to read, but there were so many important and exciting things to write about. Did I mention that we also have a German shepherd puppy living us? And, AT and I are in the process of building a solar oven? Haha…crazy! I can’t begin to tell you how excited and encouraged I have been and how eager I am to continue work on these projects. I am so amazed at what God is doing, has done, and wants to do. I feel kind of like Nathanael, in John 1:43-51, when he is amazed that Jesus knows him because he saw him under a fig tree. I can just see Jesus chuckling when he says in verse 50, “Because I said to you, I saw you under a fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these”. Not to say that in any way we have done great things; as Mother Teresa says, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love". That is what we strive to do, and we recognize that God can only do great things, and may he use us all in the process...