After a fun day in town, I headed over to Discover to Recover center to spend some time with the kids who live there. I love these kids so much and it was great to just spend a few hours with them. It was a little sad because in the back of my mind I kept thinking about how much I will miss these kids. Who wouldn't miss these faces?

Morgan

Benjamin

On a lighter note, today I got to spend the entire morning with Junior, Allan and Stella in town. Since leaving Endebes last year they live at the school so it is an extra special treat to go off campus. We went all around running little errands to make sure that these kids will have everything they need until the next time that I get back over here. It was so cute just to see how excited they were and to share those happy moments with them. I love these kids so much.

Junior, Stella and Allan happy to get new shoes that fit.

They were all still wearing the ones that we bought them last year.

All the Kids together

Junior

Allan

Stella

To Endebes

Sorry for the lag in posts yet again. I am trying so hard to fit in as much as I can as I prepare to head home in a few days. I am very sad that this trip is so short, but am enjoying every minute of being here. We finally made it out to visit Protenciana's mother, Pamela. . Last year we learned that Pamela was HIV+ and is stuck in a very desparate living situation. The Kenyan government offers free ARV's at the district hospital, but they need to be taken with three good meals a day or else they make the person very sick. This is a major problem for Pamela because there isn't enough food around, so she doesn't take the medicine. Pamela lives with her two sisters and their children. We have taken four children out of the house to ease a bit of the load, but now there is not any one old enough to collect firewood and Pamela is too weak. So while her sister is at work during the day Pamela stays home and cares for the kids.

We decided to take Pamela to the hospital to get the medicine that she needs and we took baby Marvelous with us. This was the most serious two year old that I have ever seen. I spend lots of time around kids at home and this baby did not smile even once during the entire first half of the day. It turns out that Marvelous had not eaten since the night before and it was almost 2:00 in the afternoon. So while Pamela was at the hospital waiting for the lab results we all went to lunch. After we ordered, Margaret, the headmaster of the school that Prote goes to, asked me if I had ever fed a baby before. I told her that it was a part of my job and Marvelous was in my lap before I knew it. So when the matoke, cooked bananas, came I started mashing them up and feeding her. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. She was lunging toward the spoon everytime it was lifted out of the bowl. This tiny baby ate the entire plate of food, which was probably about 7 whole bananas. Afterwards, Marvelous lit up and smiled for the first time.

It was a heartbreaking experience to see the true face of poverty. I have no idea what it is like to not know where my next meal is coming from, but this is something that this young baby thinks about everyday. It is a sad, but very real part of life out here. All I can do is pray for this family and others like it that God will provide for them.

Baby Marvelous

The house

It has been raining lots here. Last year there was a drought and this year the crops are getting too much rain. Our Endebes trip was delayed because the roads were too muddy for us to make it into the village. We are planning to make the trip out there on Monday. Until then here are some more pictures.

Cyril from Oasis of Hope

Here is a picture of me in town with Victor, who lives on the streets of Kitale.

Surrounded by tons of cute kids at Purpose Driven Academy.

This past Saturday I had a very cool experience that is unlike anything that I have done here in Kitale. The team was having a laid back day after a crazy week of going around nonstop when we got a call from the headmaster of Purpose Driven Educational Center. He called to tell us that it was Parent's Day for the 8th graders at the school. Parent's day here is much different than what I would have expected. The class had 49 students and there were only about 15 parents present. I went there to show my support and love for Protenciana. You may have heard about her before, her siblings, Junior, Stella and Allan, are the kids that we picked up and enrolled in school last year. The interesting things about being back in Kitale is that there are certain kids that God has placed on my heart and I have come to know and love them so much. Despite her circumstances, Protenciana has managed to be in the number 8 spot out of all of her classmates. She tries so hard at everything that she does and is not discouraged. She has a great heart and is completely selfless.

While I was sitting in the meeting it hit me that supporting someone in Kenya means so much more than just handing them money. Her teacher, Titus, who she stays with when school is on break always refers to her as "our girl" when he is talking to me. When I am here it is my job to make sure that she and her siblings are taken care of because if I don't there are very few who will. The sad reality is that it is likely that very soon these kids may become complete orphans. Without even knowing it, these four kids have become mine in a way. It is overwhelming, but I have great people around me to serve as an example of how to invest in people's lives in a way that shows your love and support for them. Pastor Steve has been involved in ministry in Kitale for 15 years and supports a group of children called the Mercy kids that he helped bring out of a horrible situation that involved neglect, abuse and intense poverty. These children are now students at Purpose Driven Academy and are thriving. I hope to follow his example and carry out God's will for my time here. I know that it impossible to step in and change every situation I see that breaks my heart, but I can provide my time, encouragement and love while I am here. I can't wait to see what God has in store for these kids and how he plans to use them in the future. Here is a picture of Protenciana and I in her classroom.

These past two days the team has spent a lot of time with Sister Freda. Yesterday we went to help with a clinic in Kipsango. Kipsango is one of the biggest and poorest slums in Kitale. It is known for being a place full of idle people with nothing to do and nowhere to go. There are almost 3,000 people that live in an area that is only 3 acres. The people there are completely desperate, left with no way to make money and no hope. We walked through and greeted everyone and just showed them that we loved them. Many residents of Kitale go their whole lives without ever going to Kipsango because of the things that go on there. Without having any education they are unable to find work so many resign themselves to the fact that their lives will never change and sit around drinking the local brew all day. The houses are mainly made up of trash bags, clothes and other various materials that other people discard. The clinic line was full the entire day and Sister Freda and her staff worked all day to serve as many people as they could. The people came in with everything from malaria, tuberculosis, huge open wounds and pretty much any disease imaginable. Despite their desperation it was good to see Sister Freda's love for these people that everyone else avoids.

Today we visited Sister Freda's hospital. For those of you who don't know she serves the community by providing a feeding program for children around the area. There is also a place where children who have no where to go stay and live on the property. They are in the process of preparing to open up a nursing school to create a generation of nurses with huge hearts for the hurting. Of course there is the hospital that provides people with the healthcare they need regardless if they are able to pay or not. Here are some pictures of the many kids that Sister Freda helps. I know that many of you love Sister Freda and the people that she helps and loves so here are some pictures for you.

Some of the orphans that stay at Sister Fredas

From left to right: Adoti, Agustine, and Elia.

This picture is for all of my 4-H'ers out there.

Elia

Moses

Playing with the kids from the feeding program

Richard and the mobile ambulance that they use to

transport all of the supplies and staff to the clinics

Sorry for the big break in blog posts.Things have really picked up speed around here. The rest of the college students that will be serving here this summer have arrived and we are busy showing them all the wonderful places that I have come to know and love over the few months that I have spent over here. This week I have been reminded of how much God has done in everyone's lives and how everyone has an incredible story to tell. As the team gets acqainted with Kitale, I am getting a second chance to hear the testimonies of the directors of the different ministry sites and of many of the kids who benefit from the work that goes on there. As I hear these stories I continue to be amazed at the joy that these people have despite where they have come from and what they have been through.

We went to visit Gigal Secondary School. They had just moved to a new place with more room, better buildings and out of the slum area in town. I love this place because of the huge hearts for God that everyone there has. The directors, Ben and Christine are a perfect example of what it looks like to live by faith. They started this high school as a way to fund their church and other ministries, and it ended up becoming their main ministry. They are by no means considered wealthy and often times come very close to running out of food for their students. Ben said that just this week the teaching staff called to tell him that there was no food left to make the kids lunch. Ben responded by telling them not to worry and that God always provides. Sure enough shortly after, Ben recieved a call from a friend who was visiting from England and wanting to give him money to help with the school. Ben has countless stories just like this, he is a man of faith and he and his wife have passed this onto the 48 high school students who are under their care. Ben was talking about the kids and said, "I love these kids because they wake up everyday knowing that God is going to do something great." God has blessed there ministry and they have recently expanded and started an orphanage with 28 children. I love this school and can't wait to spend more time learning from everyone there. Here are some pictures of a few of the kids that I had a chance to talk to and share with.

This picture is with my favorite kid from Oasis of Hope. His name is Brian and he is thirteen years old. It is hard to get his full story because of his limited knowledge of English and my limited knowledge of Swahili. Despite the language barrier, I was able to learn that he lives with just his mother and walks 2 hours each way to get to Oasis of Hope everyday. His mother cannot afford food or school fees so Oasis is his only hope. I love that despite his situation he is still so happy and works hard in school.

Thanks once again for checking out the blog to see what I have been up to. Your prayers and support are much appreciated. More pictures and stories to come soon!