Update - "Abandoned Child"

An update on the child left outside our friend’s place:

Vincent Kipli or “Kip” is the name of the boy.  He is actually three years old, not 18 months like we previously thought.  But you wouldn’t be able to tell by his size or development.  We had the chance to go visit him the other day and his mother actually came with us.  She showed up at the apartment where she left him asking to have him back.  He had already been placed in a home and a police report filed, so she was unable to get him back.

In most circumstances it is best for a child to be with its mother.  That may be so, but in this case the police, social worker and orphanage director will have to decide what’s best for the child.  It looks like it will depend on her finding stable work and a home.  She claims that she left the boy in hopes that the father would take responsibility.  She is a widow with two other teenage children.  She told us that she was convinced by this man that he would marry her and take care of their son, but a few months after Kip was born the father stopped coming around.  Come to find out, he is married and has kids of his own and won’t support or acknowledge the child.  Long story short it is a sad situation that we hope and pray will be resolved soon and that this child is given the best chance at growing up healthy in all aspects.

Here is a quick video of Kip.  He is playing with the flashlight on my key chain.  It took a while, but he finally started to smile and laugh.  The other child in the video was at the police station when Kip's report was being filed.  The police asked our friend to take him with Kip, the child had been there for several days.  It seemed like he was happy to have someone to play with.  Hope your Internet browser allows it to play because the two are adorable...

Going deep with the Christian Entrepreneurs Savings Society

Despite the events of last night that were constantly on my mind, today was a very productive day of brainstorming and idea gathering with businesses and leadership of the Christian Entrepreneurship Savings Society (CHESS).  

Today, we sat down with five successful entrepreneurs in CHESS who meet regularly as a cell group.  Cell groups consist of business owners meeting once a month to fellowship, share business lessons and struggles with the hope that they can mutually encourage and advise one another.  The members of this group have done well with their endeavors and they attribute much of their success to the counsel and camaraderie provided by their cell group.  Now this cell group would like to give back to other members of CHESS by providing business trainings and one-on-one work to help develop other people's businesses.

Another useful get together was a social hour(s) to help Andy and Kathy, CHESS' North American mentors, get a more accurate picture of the businesses involved with organization.  They also were able to hear what those members thought CHESS could do to better serve their businesses.  The meeting consisted of a cross-section of CHESS' membership.  From manufacturers employing dozens of people to shop keepers and farmers. 

Andy and Kathy were excited to get out and see their friends who run businesses in the area.  Unfortunately, good news was in short supply at the businesses we visited.  The two businesses Andy and Kathy are involved with have hit some trouble, all the more reason it is important for them to be here walking alongside them.  

One of them is a tailor/textile maker who has hit a bottom and needs people to speak truth into his life.  The problems have gone beyond financial.  In this picture he and his family are being prayed for by the team.

Abandoned child

Right now the future of a child is being determined.  

As Lydia and I ate dinner tonight we received a call from a bachelor friend of ours that lives nearby.  He was holding a baby who had been abandoned at the gate of his apartment and wasn't sure what to do.  The mother had brought the baby in from their rural village and tried to get the dad to take the child.  He refused and the mom walked off leaving the child.  Apparently, he waddled after his mom attempting to somehow to catch her across the busy street.  Thankfully, the guard at our friend's apartment was there and scooped him up just before he reached traffic.  The guard then watched the 18 month old child until my friend came home from work.  

After the call we ran over with some supplies to help bathe the baby and figure things out.  I can only imagine how scary it must have been for the baby to awake to us white people (Kenyan babies tend to be frightened by us) and without his mother around.  As he woke up he said "mama" twice and then didn't say anything else or cry.  His stomach was bloated.  Probably caused by worms and a mix of other problems. 

After he was cleaned up, Lydia dressed him in clean clothes we had brought.  His mom had left a dirty grocery bag of filthy clothes for him.

Right now, he is sleeping soundly at our friend's house.  Tomorrow, he will be taken to an orphanage that Lydia has volunteered at and has found to be a good place for kids.  To be honest, I just wanted to take the child home.  Still want to. 

Please pray for this child.  I don't know what the prayer should be...maybe that humans, whether the police, parents, relatives, would place as much value on this child as God does. That his precious little life would somehow be filled with love and acceptance even though today was a day of abandonment.    

Here is a picture of the Lydia and the baby...

Visitors and a shot/thought

This week, an American couple has come to work with one of our business groups - the Christian Entrepreneurs Savings Society (CHESS). Andy and Kathy's family has a long history with Partners Worlwide. Kathy's parents were there at the beginning of PW and have been alongside ever since. During their week here, we will be meeting with CHESS' manager, Board of Directors and member businesses strategizing ways to better serve Christian entrepreneurs so that they can create jobs and be a beacon of light as business owners.

In preperation, my coworker Tim and I met with several members of CHESS. We wanted to get an understanding of what they thought were the business group's strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. Also, we wanted to hear if they had any ideas or opportunities CHESS can take advantage of. We found out that these businesses were effected by the violence following the elections earlier this year.

Bwana Jowamu's business produces and sells textile products in Nairobi that are then distributed throughout rural Kenya. During the post-election chaos, civilians set up road blocks and murdered drivers that were of the "wrong" tribe. Obviously, this severely limited commerce especially transportation. Because Jowamu's customers were unable to go into the rural areas to sell their products, his business suffered. Fortunately, he was able to retain his seven employees and business has begun to pick up again. Here is a picture of Jowamu and some of his retail bed covers:

And a shot and a thought:

"I love public transportation"

Yes, a car provides more flexibility and safety, but a matatu mini-bus ride in Kenya costs $0.25 (much less expensive than driving on $6.00 gallon gas) and can be much faster in a traffic jam. These buses obey no rules, except that of making money - the more customers the more money you make. So they cram as many people as possible into the van and then go as fast as they can on the shoulder, into oncoming traffic, or just making a new lane for themselves straddling what would be the center yellow line. This photo shows one of the largest "stages" where you can grab a matatu. The real matatus are hard to see in the photo. They are the small, white 15 passenger vans. If you don't mind sitting on people's laps, extremely loud rap music, and going over speed bumps at 50 mph, it is the best way to get around town.

Obama Day

The excitement is palpable. Everyone here is proud of President-elect Obama, a "son of their soil."

Today has been declared a national holiday by Kenya's president and everyone given the day off. Lydia and I plan to go to the "Obama Cup" to watch our friend play soccer.

While people around the world are rejoicing and praising Americans for electing their first African American president, my pride rests in a different aspect of our democracy - the fact that when you lose the race you accept it and congratulate the winner. In conversations I've had and news clips I've seen, Kenyans have acknowledged Senator McCain's graceful concession, despite not all the votes not being counted. This seems unfathomable to most Africans and especially Kenyans considering their recent election experience. This is an example I hope is repeated in the future here in Africa.

Things

If it weren't for Safaricom's go-anywhere Internet and a pretty consistent power supply, I'd have good excuses for being so inconsistent on this blog. Regardless, here is a smattering of what has been going on in our lives this past week:

We are recovering from our first bout with the common Kenyan cold and flu type bugs. It is almost like we are not equipped with the antibodies to the illnesses over here. I have yet to see a Kenyan with a sniffling nose. It's only white expats with red noses...and it is not a sunburn. All the antibodies I gained from eating dirt as a kid is doing my no good over here.

Our not feeling so hot may have been brought on by our camping experience. Surprisingly the nights get pretty chilly, especially near Lake Naivasha where we stayed. The lake was gorgeous and provided a wonderful backdrop for our first night in the "wilderness." Electric fences kept the hippos away as they came on shore to feed during the night.

We also had the chance to go walk with the animals on an amazingly $3 safari. Check out stylish Lydia hanging out with zebras.

One last picture. These are the hands of a woman Lydia is getting to know and work with. She helped take her to a Christian hospital about an hour away to continue treatment for severe burns that cover her face, chest, and arms. Her injuries were caused by a man dousing her with gasoline and lighting her on fire.

In the waiting room she saw Lydia reading our DC pastor's recent book "The Wild Goose Chase" and loved it after reading only a couple pages. We had to share this with the author who then posted about it on his widely read blog - http://evotional.com/2008/10/why-i-write_20.html. I hope that people are prompted to pray for her and her two children.

Two shots and and two thoughts

The first shot is of the car Lydia and I are driving here in Kenya. You can see a little damage done to the car by a matatu bus while taking a "short cut" through the Kawangare slum. My colleague Tim and I were headed out of the city with my friend Michael to go meet with a entrepreneur. Once we got deep into the slum a matatu stopped in front of me. All of a sudden he started backing up. Before I could do anything he had hit me.

After getting out of the car looking at the damage, looking at the matatu driver, and looking at all the people who were suddenly interested in what these white people were doing in their part of town, I decided it was best to just drive on and get out of there.

So the thought for this shot is - don't get so close to a matatu that you can't back out of his wreckless way in time.

This is a shot of Lydia finishing up a delicious meal in the dark. The power has been spotty lately and we've learned to do without. Tonight in mid-meal preperation the electricity cut out. Luckily, we had cooking gas and these handy headlamps.

Thought for this shot - do allow your older brother to pick out high quality headlamps for you, especially when he's buying!

The past week or so

You know how a kid who receives a sled for Christmas keeps looking out the window to see if it has begun to snow yet so he can go enjoy the gift? That is my feeling. I have been given some neat experiences during our short time here so far and I keep looking out my window (Microsoft Vista) to see if I have a good enough Internet connection to post pictures and write here. Finally it has begun to "snow." Here is a snippet so far...

Tuesday, September 9
The Partners Worldwide Kenya team (Tim, Martin and myself) headed to Kibwezi, a rural town of 11,000 in southern Kenya. It is somewhat underdeveloped due to the water be saline. An American donor funded a project to bring water in from hills 50 kilometers away. The benefits of the expensive pipeline have not yet been fully realized. Partners Worldwide is discussing stepping in to help utilize the excess water to develop the area's agriculture.

Thursday and Friday
Apartment shopping proved fruitful when we found a place central to where Lydia and I will be working. It is close to a Nakumatt (Walmart type store), cinema, and Java House (tasty, affordable Western food). We almost feel guilty by how fortunate we are to be in such a nice, clean apartment, but then we realize it is a blessing from God and a refuge for us in this crazy city.

Monday
Again on Monday, the Kenya PW guys traveled to the rural areas surrounding Nairobi. They introduced me to the leaders of the business groups I'll be working with for the next year. That night, my good friend Michael and his sister flew into Nairobi. They have friends here, but fortunately they are staying with us. Great to have a friends visit so soon. We hope more come ;-)



Tuesday

On Tuesday, Michael and I drove around and picked up furniture all day. We then hauled it up four flights of stairs. Coincidentally, Michael helped Lydia and I move out of our apartment in Washington, D.C. a month and a half ago. It feels good to begin settling down after living out of suitcase for that long. It will feel even better once we figure out how to get warm water for the shower.

Here at last!

New foods, new smells, new sights. It all seems surreal to finally be here in Nairobi. God has blessed us richly with great people to work with and a fun family to help us transition into life in Africa.

We are staying with a family of four who works with First Love. The five acre property they live on is in the Karen area of Nairobi. It is named after Karen Blixen, made famous in her book and the movie Out of Africa. The area is mostly for diplomats and other expats, but it was gifted to the organization from two very generous donors ;) to be used to develop as a refuge for kids from the Kibera slum, a school and a trade center for training young men with skills to provide for themselves and their families. The property has great potential, with several buildings currently under construction.

The nights are perfectly cool with a nice breeze that comes through the gated windows. Security is a much larger concern than I would have imagined. With the breeze comes the barking of the dogs protecting the property along with the Swahili chit chat of the guards. The other night a Ramadan festival at a nearby Mosque woke us up with fireworks and some long winded Muslim teaching over a loudspeaker.

Today, I am at the office learning more about the business groups Partners Worldwide works with - Gitithia Rural Agro Frinance Group and CHESS. Also, Martin and Tim are briefing me on possible partnerships in the less productive agricultural areas to the west. Lydia is off in Kibera at the educational center and feeding program.

Combine Demolition Derby

What do you get when you combine hicks, boredom and big machinery? A combine demolition derby! You may be asking what that is, so I've included a little video. It boils down to five combines (machines used to harvest fields of grain) ramming into eachother. A sort of "king of the hill" or "last man standing." This particular derby took place at the Tri-River Fair in my hometown of Salina, Kansas. I enjoyed the event with my family after eating fried chicken from the historic Brookville Hotel - a perfect evening in my opinion.

Home, Home On the Range

We made it to Kansas yesterday evening after a total of 22 hours in the Altima. God's good grace enabled Lydia to put up with me driving much of the way. I was never close to getting in an accident, but I do spend a decent amount of time on the rumble strip. With the radio, Blackberry, and a cute passenger my attention isn't always where it should be.

Saying goodbye

We have begun saying goodbye to some of our homeless friends. They have been such a huge blessing to us. We've celebrated birthdays with them. Shared prayer requests. And studied the Bible together. We've seen them down and out and we've seen them doing well (relatively speaking). Their friendships are important to us, but I fear that staying in touch with them will be difficult. I've started taking some parting shots - both video and photographs. Here is a snippet...

4th of July Weekend

What a fun weekend with friends...




A clip of Whimsical Donkey

Harvest update

My first video blog post...

Friends

Lyd and I are sitting at the airport in Denver after a weekend in CO hanging out with college friends and seeing one get married. This caps off a week and half of being in the midwest. A week with some friends and a week away from others makes me appreciate both so much.

My college roommate and I spent Sat through Thurs harvesting wheat on my family's farm in Kansas. We then were at his place in CO for a couple days. What a good guy and a good time. It's a blessing to be headed back to DC where we also have great friends. One of which just sent us an email with this encouraging scripture for our upcoming move to Kenya...

Isaiah 58:Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Food...everyone needs it. Jesus provided it.

One of our church's great pastors, Heather Zempel, used a good analogy that has me thinking. She started by saying "no one ever gave their life to Christ because they lost an argument, or because someone made them a sweet diagram on a napkin." Sharing our faith is not about a good argument, it is about being in love with God and desiring that others enjoy a similar relationship. She went on to say "if I want someone to fall in love with someone I love, say my niece for example, I am going to show you pictures of her. A picture of her looking adorable. I am not going to tell you about how cool she is and how you should like her. No, a picture will show you just how cute she is. That's what we should do for Jesus. Let's show people pictures of Jesus."

I want to figure out what are some of the images of Christ we can see repeated through Scripture. And then find which of these pictures has God equipped and gifted me to be able to act out so others will see Jesus' love.

The crisis of food prices skyrocketing has been on my desk and on my mind much of the day lately. In the U.S., around 13% of our income goes to food. That's crazy! So when the price of food increase we make choices - eat out less, eat different foods. Going without food isn't an option. The "bottom billion" who live on less that $1 dollar a day do not have choices when this happens. They spend around 80% of their income on food. The math says that if food prices double, this population who was probably already malnourished, is now going to be going hungry.

Okay, so people are hungry. They were in Jesus' time too. Jesus fed the multitudes with miracles. They may not have been starving because of global market effects, but Jesus made sure they were fed. What I also notice about these miracles is they are closely tied with when Jesus was feeding these people spiritually. He didn't preach and walk away. He may have just provided them with true teachings never heard before, but Jesus still thought it important to make sure they were fed. Two instances of Jesus' concerns for food - spiritual and actual.

A third example of Jesus taking care of this need is after he was crucified and ressurrected. Some of the disciples decided to go fishing. They were out all night and had no luck. Then a man walked up and said "Morning, you all catch any fish?" They responded "no luck." The man instructed the disciples to try their nets on the other side of the boat. They obliged and when they pulled the nets in they started to break because they were so filled with fish. The disciples then recognized this was Jesus.

My prayer is that after feeding those who are hungry, after investing spiritually into Kenyans, and after providing ways for them to feed themselves, that at that point they will recognize that this was because of Jesus. That is the picture of Jesus I think I am called to portray.