2004 Kenya Activity Update

News/Updates:

by Becky Baker
thebeechfoundation.org

Two bronze plaques bearing the shapes of the African continent and the country of Kenya hang in our kitchen. Each bears a scripture inscription, one from Proverbs 14:26, "In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence," and the other from Matthew 6:11, "Give us this day our daily bread." 

Those plaques are gifts from Christian friends we met on a recent short-term mission trip to Nakuru, Kenya. Each time my husband and I glance at their pictures framed nearby, we are reminded to pray for our new friends and to remember.

Background:

We remember Monday morning, June 7, 2004, when thirty-five excited Smyrna Presbyterian Church missionaries left our church parking lot. We were part of a ROW trip to Nakuru, Kenya sponsored by the participants, members of Smyrna, other individuals feeling a call to help, and The Beech Foundation. Jeff and Greta Beech, who had visited Kenya in 2000, had read about mission work undertaken by Roswell Presbyterian Church in Kenya with ROW. After much prayer by the foundation board, Smyrna's Mission and Benevolence Committee, and ROW, Ben Mathis provided the contacts at Roswell and the church in Nakuru, God provided the plan, and we were off.

Jeff later wrote, "Part of His plan included growing the 'typical' mission team opportunity to include all people feeling the call to international Christian outreach. We all felt God would provide the individual purposes for those He would call, no matter what age, talents, circumstances, etc. So we invited ANYONE who felt God's call to His work in Kenya to join. He called men, women, and children from 6 - 80+ with a variety of talents and backgrounds."

Arrival:

In the United Kingdom we were joined by two ladies from Virginia, and the thirty-seven us arrived at our Nakura destination some 49 hours later. Our introduction to Africa Wednesday morning was a spectacular sunrise on the horizon as we awakened on the final leg of our British Airways flight into Nairobe.

The family of James Mwahuki, a Roswell PC college student who accompanied us, met us at the Nairobe airport. This would be the first time his family had seen him in three years. They greeted us with big smiles and roses and ushered us to the convoy of vans from PEGA Tours & Travel Agencies. These vans would drive us to a nearby restaurant for breakfast and provide transportation for the remainder of our stay in Kenya.

Peering at our new surroundings from the van windows, we were amused to note traffic so thickly congested that we were literally being passed by men pushing carts. Following breakfast, we moved on in lighter traffic. The vans ahead generated choking dust as they bumped along a road which might best be described as a series of potholes. Later, stopping to take pictures at a spectacular scenic overlook, we encountered our first glimpses of African wildlife as zebras grazed near the road. Children in neat school uniforms smiled and waved as we passed. 

As we pulled into the Merica Hotel in downtown Nakuru, the doorman and our van drivers waved back street vendors shoving their wares in our direction. We checked in, ate lunch, and drove to P.C.E.A. Nakuru West Suburb Church to meet with congregation members and visit project sights. 

P.C.E.A. Nakurua West Suburb Church and Community Resource Center
Church members greeted us warmly with a common introduction -"I am saved by Jesus Christ and my name is….." Their salvation was such a significant fact about themselves, they felt compelled to share it. From our first moments in their company, we sensed that these were people of great faith and integrity. 

Several weeks before leaving the U.S., their Roswell brother, Zablon Kuria, had attempted to teach us a Swahli praise chorus to sing when we met them. We stumbled through it that first day but found them to be forgiving and helpful. By the end of our stay, we were greeting folks with a smiling "Jambo", thanking them with "Asante," and praising God often with "Bwana Asifiwe!" 

The entire physical facility of the P.C.E.A. Nakuru West Parish in Suburb Church is designed for outreach and evangelism of the surrounding community. The P.C.E.A. Suburb Nakuru West Community Resource Center is situated within the parish facility and houses a clinic, a training center with computer, tailoring and dressmaking classrooms, a bookstore/library, and a nursery school. 

Our work activities would include retrieving and unloading a 3000 pound advance shipment of school supplies, fabric, clothing, soccer balls, books, and thirteen bubble-wrapped computers for the vocational school. Some of our team would help lay the foundation of a new classroom while others installed computers, assisted in tailoring classes, and helped in the bookstore, clinic, and preschool. We were also scheduled to visit a nearby state-run orphanage that is a ministry project and concern of the women of the church. 

Orphanage: 

On Thursday afternoon, we visited the Arap Moi Children's Home which houses 101 children (with another eighty-nine away at boarding school). Mrs. Justine M. Oduya (Mama Justine), Regional Coordinator for the Rift Valley Region, heads the orphanage. One of her associates, along with the orphanage social worker, led us on a tour of the campus. Concrete block walls topped by embedded pieces of broken glass bottles surround a dirt playground with a set of swings, one merry-go-round, and some tires. A calf was tied to a tree, with a cow penned up near an empty chicken coop. 

We saw the open fire area where all food is prepared and watched as workers scrubbed the clothes of 101 children with a brush and hung them on a line. There was no detergent or bleach in sight, and we realized how rapidly one case of dysentery could spread throughout the student body and staff.

Our tour continued through dorms that housed bunk beds with foam mattresses and a cubby for each child's clothes. Some of the moms among us noted with astonishment that the boys' dorm was neater than the girls'. 

The baby nursery contained eight small cribs with mosquito netting over each. The baby beds had foam mattresses with no pads, and the smell of wet diapers dominated the room. As a grandmother of three toddlers, I scanned the area for familiar furnishings such as bumper guards and crib mobiles. There were none. A nursery worker sat in a straight back chair as she comforted little Cyndi, who had arrived only three days prior to our visit. 

We watched her put Cyndi down to change Robinson, whose wet diaper had soaked all of his clothing. She wrapped a dry, dingy rag around him, fastened it with a pin, and pulled some dry clothes over the makeshift diaper. In the far corner of the room, little Moses lay on his side staring at a bare wall. I looked up to see the stricken faces of fellow team members and watched as tears streamed silently down their faces. 

We moved on to a large room where all the children had gathered as our college and career students began filling little cups with juice and distributing the fruit we had brought. About halfway back, the cups ran out, and orphanage workers scurried to gather the first ones used, dip them in a bucket of water, and fill them again for the remaining children. I glanced up to see more stricken faces and more tears. 

In sharp contrast to us, joyful children dressed in their Sunday best sang and danced in a performance fit for royalty. Then we sang for them-- the only song that seemed appropriate, "We are standing on holy ground." As our voices rose in praise, we became increasingly aware of another tear-stained face, one with a well-established reputation for caring for orphans, one who had already engraved each of these little ones on the palms of His hands and who would call us to remember their faces for the rest of our lives.
After our snack time together, there was time to play with the children, and I slipped back into the nursery to deliver gifts my grandchildren had sent. A bright orange Tigger hand puppet attracted and delighted the toddlers as I read from a book with musical buttons on the side. I resolved to come back as many times as our short visit would permit.

There were two more opportunities to return, once to check on specific orphanage needs and again to deliver the first washing machine they had ever seen. While workers were being trained on the washing machine, I offered to watch the toddlers who were eating lunch. When I walked into the room, a group of little people who had been busily eating from their bowls of rice and cabbage immediately put their hands in their laps, looked up with broad smiles, and said "Welcome!" 

With each visit I became more convinced that these children are safe, loved, and provided for as well as resources permit. As Joyce and Rosemary, two of the women of the church, had observed, the great need is for nurturing parents. Many in our group inquired about and received information on sponsoring individual children. We were told that supporting a nursery school child for a year would cost about $100, with $240 being needed for primary school children and about $430 - $500 (depending on vocational classes) for secondary school children away at boarding school. 

The other glaring need, of course, is to expand the institution's resources. On one of our return visits, I slipped into the nursery as a toddler snatched the musical book from a baby bed. I followed her for what turned out to be a very short distance-around the corner to a quiet spot. She put the book to her ear, listened, and then returned it to the baby bed. The book's batteries, it seems, were gone in less than three days because it had been handled so many times. The sight tugged at my heart, and I resolved to find a way to make sure the nursery had some stimulating books and toys.

Mine was not the only resolution made that day. Others in the group suggested leaving money for the purchase of 200 plastic plates, 200 plastic cups, 200 stainless steel spoons, 4 small buckets, and a supply of laundry detergent and bleach. Still others vowed to raise the money within their Sunday School classes to feed the orphanage for a month (about $200) or assist with healthcare for a month (about $130). The local church agreed to facilitate delivery of these purchases and funds in order to expand its ministry to the orphanage. 

Work Activities:

Besides the time spent at the orphanage, our group engaged in a variety of work activities. Several helped with the preschool program where six teachers conduct classes for 240 children. One group of children had won a national award for their dancing, and they performed for us, much to our delight. We were told that the church preschool charges tuition of about $250 per year but does not turn away children who cannot pay. 

Others in our group worked in the sewing and tailoring classes where students learn to make their own patterns before they actually begin working with fabric. Some in our group felt moved to contribute additional sewing machines and funds toward the purchase of an embroidery machine. One of our group wrote, "They have few resources, but they use everything to the fullest. I am so grateful I was able to be part of (it)."
Near the sewing and tailoring classrooms, a large group of our volunteers worked alongside church volunteers to lay the foundation for an additional classroom. One of our college students wrote that he was influenced by how hard the construction workers worked without water or lunch breaks. He was impressed at their willingness to contribute, even though many were unemployed. He was also touched when one African woman told him that she couldn't believe he would come all the way from the United States to do the work of an African.

During this flurry of activity with the preschool, vocational classes, and construction, three of our group labored quietly in the clinic. One of our college students later wrote, "The need that most impressed me was the health clinic and hospital. Because I work in these areas in the U.S., I was able to see how little they had, but how well they did with it. They have such wonderful workers and loving nurses, they just don't have all the equipment they need, or the money to get it. This was so frustrating because we have so much to give."

Hospitality:

Two wonderful interruptions punctuated the rhythm of each day's work as activity slowed for morning tea and later for lunch on the grounds. Workers who daily prepare tea and lunch for the school children prepared additional food over the open fire on the grounds for their American visitors. 

The daily ritual of tea began with Mama Karanga greeting us and pouring water from a pitcher to wash our hands. Then we enjoyed our choice of tea or chocolate along with a sandwich and occasionally a cookie. Lunch always included potatoes and greens, and there was often a pot of stew. 

Friday's Visits to Satellite Churches:

Many in our group visited P.C.E.A. Nakura West Suburb Church's four satellite churches on Friday afternoon. These churches included P.C.E.A. St. Stephens's Church, P.C.E.A. Soilo Church, P.C.E.A. Ndarugu Church, and P.C.E.A. Barut Church. We were touched by the number of members who waited even though we were over an hour late at some locations due to running out of gas, van breakdowns, and other adventures. Congregations in these churches number anywhere from 15 to 417 and each has its own distinct personality. These churches illustrate the remarkable growth of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. Already twice the size of the Presbyterian Church (USA), PCEA is adding 100 new congregations to its ranks each year. Like the denomination as a whole, these four churches face a leadership challenge. There are not enough ministers to go around, so lay people are prepared to preach each Sunday unless an ordained minister is present.

Friday Night Goat Eating:

The Friday night goat eating was a hospitality event in a category by itself. The equivalent of an American 4th of July barbecue, the goat-eating was held at the home of a retired school teacher. The party provided a relaxed environment for us to visit with our new friends and meet some of their family members. 

Dr. Samuel Wachanga, the Project Committee Chairperson, introduced his wife, Patricia, who is a school teacher as well as an intercessor and prayer warrior. Several in our group who are also involved in prayer ministry were intrigued to learn of the role of prayer in the last Kenyan presidential election as well as their prayer group's commitment to fasting and prayer walking. Patricia told us, "Four people (committed to intercessory prayer) can change a nation." 

Several of us resolved to continue the discussion with Patricia on Saturday morning and to share some printed resources and tapes between our two prayer groups. We discovered that she knew the author of one of the books we had brought. Emeka Nwankpa, coordinator of Intercessors for Africa, has taught classes on prayer which Patricia has attended. She has participated in the training of over 600 intercessors for Africa, and she gave us tapes as well as her workbook to bring back for our prayer group.

Saturday Afternoon Visit to Lake Nakuru National Park:

Those of us who had been impressed with zebras grazing by the road between Nairobe and Nakuru had not seen anything to compare with what was to come at Lake Nakuru National Park. On our game drive Saturday afternoon we saw amazing wildlife--flamingos, rhinos, giraffes, water buffalo, pelicans, baboons, water bucks, monkeys, impalas, gazelles, and many others. The scenery was breathtaking.

Sunday Morning Worship and Lunch:

As we arrived on the church grounds Sunday morning, we heard the strains of a spiritual sometimes heard in the U.S., "There is something today in the house of the Lord…." The song reflects the keen anticipation with which this congregation approaches worship. It is an event, the key event of the week, a time of encounter with the Living God. No one was disappointed. Our pastor, who spoke at one of the services wrote, "I loved having the privilege of serving by preaching the Word of God on Sunday for the early English-speaking service. This was like a wonderful dream, one I can still hardly believe God allowed me to be part of." 

Our associate pastor, who preached at the Swahili service through an interpreter, shared some of the insights from our church's recent Forty Days of Purpose emphasis. Her comment that God cares more about our character than our careers touched both American and African worshippers alike. 

Others in our group worshipped at the various satellite churches and found God speaking to them through the same scripture references He had ministered to them at home. 

Reflecting on this experience later, Pastor Glen shared in a sermon, "I saw people in love, passionately in love with the Lord. I saw people who understood, to the core of their being that everything they had was provided, not by their own hands, but by a loving Jehovah God, to whom they gave all thanks and praise. I saw people who understood the meaning of sacrificial giving, who gave of themselves far beyond their means, to welcome and serve 37 somewhat bewildered American Christian visitors in their midst. I saw notable spiritual power at work in the prayers and in the ministries of that church and its people-they did so much with next to nothing-it could only be God's hand providing for their needs at just the right moment. And they have the eyes to see it, and the hearts to be gladdened by it."

Following worship, we gathered for lunch at PCEA Nakuru West and witnessed the arrival of the much-anticipated washing machine for the orphanage. James' mother had come from Nairobi bringing the machine as well as handmade gifts for each of us - necklaces and bracelets for the girls and shoe horn key chains for the guys. It was a great time of fellowship.

Sunday Afternoon Home Visits:

The church had planned for us to make home visits with elders on Sunday afternoon. By that time, many in our group were tired and some felt insecure about separating from one another to visit in the homes of people we had not met. One group member wrote, "…I was dreading the home visits. I was tired…(and) Elder Jeffrey…said we would be walking over 2 Km to the first house. It was hot. This did nothing to help my attitude. The widow was not home at the first house we visited. However, at the second home, Frances was home. He is an amputee from a bad burn when he was a child. He has no feet. He has wood posts at the bottom of his legs. He walks over 2Km to church each Sunday. Frances is a shoe cobbler. The fact that he had no feet and made shoes for those who did literally slapped me in the face. The first thing he said is that his name is Frances and he is saved. His spirit and attitude truly blessed me. God used Frances to humble me again as I was humbled so many times on the trip. On Monday, for the farewell ceremony, Frances walked back to the church again to see us off. He asked that I remember him in prayer and not forget him. I was so moved that he walked to the church again, and the obstacles he has overcome. His attitude is truly a witness to me, and I think of him often as I work…and am surrounded by people who are not as kind…."
The home visits blessed all of us in different ways. One of our college students wrote, "…our strongest impression of Kenya was the hospitality, loving welcome, and their giving nature. One woman gave us her last bananas as a gift during the home visits. This made us feel horrible and honored at the same time." 

Our pastor wrote, "…I greatly enjoyed being taken around to visit about 8 of the homes in Elder Sammy's district, to sit in their living rooms, talk, and pray. This was a great privilege and honor which I will cherish for a long, long time; I left each home feeling myself blessed."

Monday Afternoon Farewell Ceremony:

Only five short days after we had gathered in the sanctuary to meet our new friends from Nakuru West P.C.E.A. Suburb Church, we gathered again for farewell ceremonies. There was a moving presentation of a pace-maker from Roswell PC to Nakuru West church member, Ezekiel Ndung'u, whose pacemaker needed to be replaced literally within days of the gift.

The church then presented each of us a beautiful hand-carved wooden animal like those we had seen on the game ride Saturday.

Most memorable, though, were the speeches. So many of them reflected what we knew to be true: "If we do not meet again in this life, we will fellowship again at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb." 

As of this writing, one of our group has already taken her place at that table. Mary Thayer, a Smyrna member who had accompanied two of her sons on the trip, died in a car accident within a month of our arrival home. The church in Nakura has proved to be a great source of support to Smyrna in this loss. Their prayers and words of love, encouragement, and support have meant much as we have communicated about ways to provide a memorial to Mary's life and her work in the clinic. With Roswell's help in providing transportation, we were able to send back a Fetal Doppler that can be used to listen to the heartbeat of a baby in a mother's womb. It will provide a way to monitor life in memory of a precious life treasured and appreciated by both congregations.

Masai Mara National Reserve: 

Our reluctant good-byes were followed by another long road trip over Kenya's dusty, bumpy roads to Masai Mara National Reserve. We were greeted at the end of the trip with glasses of juice, warm wash cloths, and a wonderful meal. The following day, June 16m 2004, was easily one of the most enjoyable days of our lives as we spent the day on one long game ride. We saw animals we had missed at Lake Nakuru, including lions, elephants, hippos, cheetahs, and crocodiles. The ride was a photographer's dream and a worshipper's opportunity as we gazed in awe at God's amazing handiwork. The day closed with an African sunset as spectacular as the sunrise that had greeted us on our arrival in Nairobi. 

Returning Home:

After returning home, Jeff e-mailed the group, "Many times, as I unpack items, my mind goes back to Kenya--the sights, sounds, smells, and blessings. We have shared so many things including the love of our Savior." 

Lane Alderman, pastor of Roswell PC, echoed those sentiments when Roswell returned a month later. "We arrived home Sunday night, exhausted but incredibly renewed. Once again, it was an amazing trip."

Epilogue - Ways God Continues to Work:

Since returning, Smyrna Presbyterian Church and the Nakuru West Parish have felt called to establish an on-going partnership to further this ministry work on into eternity which will build on the foundations and bridges built between ROW, PCEA, Nakuru West Parish, Roswell Presbyterian Church, and others with God. That partnership was recently finalized by the sessions of Smyrna and P.C.E.A. Nukuru West Parish.
An informal but highly effective partnership has also been forged between the prayer ministries of the two churches. There have already been two exchanges of printed materials and tapes to facilitate ongoing education in intercession for both groups, and prayer requests are exchanged frequently.

One amazing example of shared prayer requests occurred recently during General Assembly. Our Kenyan friends are part of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa which severed its mission partnership with National Capital Presbytery last spring over the proposed ordination of persons engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage. They willingly forfeited almost $300,000 from the Presbyterian Church (USA) rather than accept money from an entity they believe to be violating scripture. 

When our Nakurua West friends expressed a sense of devastation over the recent deliberations at General Assembly, both prayer groups committed themselves to intercede. The motion that had caused so much concern was defeated by four votes, the same number of intercessors that Patricia had assured us could change a nation. The event underscored what God can do through prayer and was a great lesson for each of us.

Ways we grew spiritually: Rev. Clarence Drake, retired Alliance pastor and friend, wrote recently, "Before a person can rightfully lay claim to the marvelous blessings that God provides us in Jesus Christ, that person must lay aside all ideas of self-sufficiency and openly acknowledge his need." The spiritual maturity, faith, and joy of our brothers and sisters in Kenya helped each of us see our need to grow. We left determined to be worthy of the family name.

We also left with a radically altered worldview. God is so much bigger than anything we had thought previously, so far beyond anything we could have asked or hoped. Further, He seems to be "on the move", blessing the church worldwide with a gracious outpouring of his Holy Spirit and stirring the hearts of Christians everywhere to prayer. As Gary Wiens puts it in Bridal Intercession, He seems to be looking for "worshippers who will seek His face and His will for the earth." 

Along with a radically altered worldview, we left Kenya with a renewed commitment to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. My prayer is that we will continue to open ourselves to see God's world as He sees it and to offer ourselves in partnership with the One who is moving to "make all things new."