Global Action Kenya Camp 2007

Annelie's final thoughts

2007-09-08T09:08:00.000-05:00

This was my third and definitely not last trip to Africa. My heart belongs there...it beats with the drums of Africa. This trip has been the best yet. The way we were able to connect with each other as a team, the kids, and the Kenyan leaders in such a short amount of time is something that only God can do. I feel so blessed to have met the amazing leaders that we worked with. Everywhere I went, every person I met, every song I sang, was a gift from God. It's like He is giving me a glimpse of my future in every moment I've spent there thus far. The people of Africa have touched me in ways that no words on a blog can describe. My mindset in going over there every time is that I'm going to help them...to bless them. In return, I am always the one being blessed. Their steadfastness and faith in the Lord is unfathomable to me...but not unattainable. I have truly been inspired by these people and I look forward to my future in working with them on a long-term basis.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen"
Ephesians 3:20

--
..Holding Fast..
Annelie Ardan

"In my deepest wound I saw Your glory and it dazzled me." [St. Augustine]

Thoughts from Hector on his trip

2007-09-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

First Mission Trip
Location: Kenya, Africa
Purpose: To Glorify God

First of all, I want to thank God for giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
I strongly believe that the Holy Sprit guided me through making the decision between a short mission trip to Kenya Africa or a romantic vacation with my wife in Italy.

I am joyful because the decision was an easy one for me with His help. I had been given so many wonderful days vacations in my 27 years of life and I knew it was time to give some of my precious vacation days to praise the name of Jesus and share my life with my brothers and sisters in Kenya.

When we finally arrived Nairobi the joy of the Kenyans and everything about the trip surpassed every expectation I had. We shared 2 weeks playing, worshiping, sharing, and loving with incredible children of God. I am not just talking about the little ones but the big children too. Yes, I am referring to the Kenyan adult staff who helped us and encouraged us so much with their goals, spiritual ethics, and dedication to work for God. From the little children I learned be humble and worship with faith that is pure and innocent.

The team from the US had an amalgamation of talents that helped to touch many lives in Kenya. The main purpose of the trip was to glorify God and that is what the team did. I am keeping all the joy from this trip deep in my heart and am joyful to pass along the great commission that Jesus gave us as His brothers. I exhort all of you to fulfill this commission and become a member of God’s Team.

Then Jesus came to them and said "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."(Matthew 28: 18-21)

One of the most important aspects I learned from the trip is that the mission begins now. The great mission is our daily life at work with family, but especially around our communities. There are needs all around us and Jesus wants us to focus on those needs and love, keep loving, an keep loving!!!

My dear brothers and sisters, may Jesus illuminate the path of your lives to God, and may the Holy Spirit give you the gifts that are necessary to become a missionary for Christ all around the world.

Sincerely,

Hector J. Castellanos

We leave part of our hearts in Kenya as the sun sets on this trip

2007-08-27T12:43:00.000-05:00

Diane's final thoughts the last day in Kenya

2007-08-27T12:33:00.000-05:00

The last day of a mission trip is always an emotional day filled with mixed emotions. This was no exception. As much as we love being with the kids and hated to say goodbye, three of us ladies (Nancy, Missy and I) really wanted to have some special time with the AIDS widows at Homecare who meet on Friday. So we opted to spend the last day with them and left the rest of our teammates to finish out the camp with the teens.

Every Friday Homecare Fellowship has a special day with the AIDS widows in their ministry to come and spend time together cooking, praying, worshiping, and “just being” together. Despite the huge numbers suffering from HIV/AIDS, there is still great stigma placed on anyone found to be HIV positive, and these women have been ostracized by their community in many ways. It can be a very lonely existence for them, and having a place to come and be ministered to has brought new life for them.

These meals are especially important for these women; the antiretroviral drugs that many take are so powerful, and without food, can kill, as has happened to several of the women in the group. They found that if they had even one good meal a week, it could make all the difference in their survival and quality of life. Each of these women also cares for a number of children, and when food is scarce, they feed the children rather than themselves. Noble, but if they neglect themselves, the children will have no one to care for them, so these weekly meetings have brought physical, emotional and spiritual strength and healing to all of them.

As we met with them that day, we enjoyed just being with them, sharing our lives, and being encouragers. We got to help chop up greens and prepare food, exchanging “woman talk” as we worked in their outdoor tent/kitchen. Again, we are reminded that “women are women” around the world, no matter how different our circumstances and cultures may be. While the food simmered over the wood fire stove, Nancy shared a wonderful devotional with everyone about Jesus’ encounters with several women in the Bible, illustrating how He loves and cares for women. We then got to do something that I have never done before, but had wanted to do for some time: wash their feet. It was the most precious time!! The Lord had prompted me some time ago to do this for these women, and He had also given the same thought to Nancy and Missy, so we knew it was His plan. These women who are so shunned and ostracized are not used to being noticed, served, or loved. It was such an honor and a humbling experience to gently wash their feet and lovingly rub lotion over each one. We had the chance to pray specifically with each woman, and it was an experience none of us will forget. These are our sisters; they suffer greatly and persevere with such courage, and it is a joy to stand with them. We were saddened to learn that one of the ladies who was not there that day because she had been ill went to be with the Lord the next day. Unfortunately, this is an all too common experience and death comes so quickly here. But they could rejoice knowing that Millicent knew the Lord, and we can be confident that she is with Him, no longer ill and weak, but fully healed and alive!

This was a day to cherish; it drove home what really matters in life: loving, serving, connecting, just as the Lord intended for our time on earth because He first loved us. And that is what is such a privilege about ministering to others; we continue to learn more about loving, caring, serving, and experiencing Jesus in every aspect of life, for to know Him is life itself.

Rachel's thoughts on the trip

2007-08-27T12:32:00.000-05:00

The 2 weeks I spent in Kenya changed my life. I have never met a group of people who are so joyful in the Lord, yet come from so little. They truly live out God's command "Seek Ye First..." and turn to Him FIRST, before anything else, to fill their basic needs. I started assessing my life and realized how many times I say I'm giving it all to God, but then take just a little piece back to try and control myself. The materialistic things in our culture can block our view of what's really important. Being a teacher, it was so encouraging to see how much the children desire to learn and how they value education and long for it to be completely free. If only we could instill those qualities in our children, who do receive a free education daily. I went on this trip, thinking I could make a small difference in the lives of these children, but came home realizing THEY made a huge difference in my life.

Coke every where

2007-08-25T10:47:00.000-05:00

Should I share this with my wonderful team mates???????

No way this is mine......but I still love all of them.

Wonderful local leaders

2007-08-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

Alice who heads up many of our programs especially the Saturday morning time with 300 kids in Kibera. they are hoping to increase that number to 0ver 1,000 next year as they are now working with 10 churches in the slums to reach the children and their families in Kibera.
Hector and Joseph. Joseph volunteered at the 2nd camp and helped lead worship and share with the young boys.

Last night of camp

2007-08-25T10:25:00.000-05:00

Our last night of camp. It’s hard to believe that our two weeks are drawing to a close. Each day has been so full, and we see God at work! Today’s session with the girls was another impacting time as we focused on how God sees them and what He thinks about them. Then they were lead into a time of reflection on their hurts, past experiences, which for many, include rape and sexual abuse, and given the opportunity to lay it all at Jesus’ feet and receive the healing that only He can give. They then had the opportunity to make a commitment to remaining pure until marriage, or for those who have already been involved sexually, to begin anew and commit to abstinence until marriage. This has been such a powerful week with these girls, and we have seen how the Lord has been working in their hearts, freeing them from guilt and shame that they were not meant to carry, and to see themselves at His beautiful creation, created in His image, and the delight of His heart.

Tonight each group gave a presentation about what they had learned this week. They are so creative! One created a play, one a song, several poems, and they all recited all their memory verses. Adding to the excitement was losing electricity twice during the chapel time….it is REALLY dark here when there are no lights! We were thankful that the power returned so that we could get the kids back to the dorms and into their rooms, which would have been a challenge in pitch dark.

Last days are always hard; there are so many emotions surfacing. As a team, we have all been touched in incredible ways, blessed beyond measure, impacted by all the children, teens, and local workers. Our view of the world with its suffering, injustice, lack of essentials to sustain life, and the huge challenges of poverty and the pandemic of AIDS, has been challenged and changed. We know that we will never be the same, and we know that these children have heard truth repeatedly and expressed in a variety of ways, not only in word, but in deed. They’ve felt love in every smile, hug, and laugh, and even in a few tears. They’ve been prayed for and over. We have been sowers of seeds, His seeds, and we can rest in knowing that He will water, cultivate, and harvest them. What a privilege to be the messengers of Good News!

The team leaves tomorrow night, after what will probably be a long, tearful good bye. We may not be able to add any more updates after this, since we may not have internet access. Please pray for the team’s trip back home; I know there are a lot of you anxious to welcome them! And please continue to pray for the people of Kibera, the more than 500,000 children who live there, for the outreach of Homecare Fellowship as they minister to families there. Pray about how you might be involved in praying and supporting this strategic ministry. This is truly a meaningful, tangible, personal, impacting ministry that is truly meeting the needs of those suffering from extreme poverty, disease, and despair, bringing help and hope for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, pointing them to Jesus, Who is the source of life and hope.

Cultural night

2007-08-25T10:15:00.000-05:00

Each tribe (44 in Kenya) shared some of their songs and dance for us. Great time.

Of course the U.S. team had to do our culture stuff so they danced to a country song and 2 stepped. Later we sang our National Anthem.

Great leaders

2007-08-25T10:12:00.000-05:00

Kendra
Laurie, Alice, Beatriz and Diane
Beatriz sharing about the boys being gentlemen during the day and showing respect for the girls.
Chris sharing

Some of the families of local students

2007-08-25T10:10:00.000-05:00

Just sitting thinking of life
Good football game in progress
All of these guys got new bikes this week and learned to ride, I never saw them getting off of them. Other children would just run behind them for the fun of it.
Hector putting on his moves for the youth.

There is always time to hang out with new friends

2007-08-25T10:08:00.000-05:00

Kendra and her girls
Laura, David and James
Kendra and Terry
The girls all hanging together

Work project at PAC

2007-08-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

Each monring for an hour at PAC the teams volunteered to do a service porject which we really a neat thing to do. We cleaned the grounds and mopped the sidewalks and the staff really appreciated our efforts.

Cecilia's dream to play in the big band someday

2007-08-25T10:04:00.000-05:00

Bible study time each day

2007-08-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

Wednesday at Camp

2007-08-15T13:15:00.000-05:00

Another great day! The sun actually came out some today and took the chill off. Yes, I said chill! It's been very cool here. It's early spring here, but the winter has seemed to be extended longer than usual. We have been able to see our breath most mornings...how's that for mid August! Everyone has been scrambling for blankets; quite a switch from what we're used to.

These kids continue to amaze us! Bright, articulate, gifted, so creative....in spite of limited education and training, these young people persevere. Our afternoon sessions for the guys and gals remain the highlight of our day. Today, one of the girls gave two recitations, one on abstinence and the other on the African woman. Both were so powerful and eloquently presented! We tried to capture it on video. I wish you could all see and hear it.

Tonight was the "cultural show" where the kids share dances and songs from their various tribes. It's interesting to see how central one's tribe is to most everything in this culture. It's really fascinating to learn about the diversity and history of these groups.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is our last full day. Friday camp will end after lunch so the team can prepare to return to the US. We have all been impacted so greatly. The local partners are thrilled with what has taken place The kids seem to be soaking everything in and sharing more of their thoughts and questions. We have had some very deep questions during the sessions that let us know they are truly seeking to know and understand.

Our hope and prayer is that this will not be just a "camp experience" for them. We want them to have fun, and they have, but most of all, we hope that they realize how much Jesus loves them and wants them to know Him. The solutions to the overwhelming challenges here are in endless debate, but the core issue is still a heart issue; they, like everyone, need the Lord.

Kelsey came to join us, what would we do without her? Go girl.

2007-08-14T14:36:00.001-05:00

Time sharing with the girls and boys

2007-08-14T14:33:00.000-05:00

Making new friends at camp

2007-08-14T14:30:00.000-05:00

Having some lunch at PACU

2007-08-14T14:29:00.000-05:00

The kids are excited about coming to camp

2007-08-14T14:28:00.000-05:00

Our team waiting for the youth to arrive on Monday

2007-08-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

The Colorado girls cold in Kenya at the camp

2007-08-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Tuesday teen camp

2007-08-14T13:47:00.000-05:00

After an active night (the kids were so hyped up being here that very few got any sleep…including the counselors!), we began a packed day, starting with great praise and worship, Bible lesson, and prayer. The small group sessions have been really good times to connect with the kids. Many of them are asking very deep questions, and the discussion has been really good. The central theme of this camp for teens is sexual purity. Since the HIV/AIDS and death rate are so very high in Kibera, this is a key life issue for these teens. Our afternoon sessions with the guys and girls have been very impacting. Beatriz has led the discussion for the girls, and she has done an incredible job presenting information about sex and its physical, emotional, and spiritual implications. Both guys and gals can write anonymous questions to be addressed during these sessions, and from these we can tell that they are listening, learning, and there are also a lot of wounds in these young people. We know that sexual abuse is so common here, and we are praying especially for tomorrow’s session when we will concentrate on God’s healing and restoration for those who have been abused. Pray especially for these sessions, that they will truly penetrate and transform these young people.

Each day, we get a better sense of the struggles these teens face every day. We realize how very blessed we are and what we take for granted. And we also realize that we are called to minister to those who are hurting, sick, lacking food and shelter, and these kids qualify for that and more. We are so honored to partner with Homecare Fellowship. They are doing an amazing work to minister to the people of Kibera, and we want to support them in any way we can. You, too, can be a part of that! If you have ever wondered what you as an individual can do to effect change in the world, especially for those suffering from HIV/AIDS, this is an excellent way to truly make a difference!! It’s direct, personal, one-on-one ministry sharing the love of Jesus in word and deed. It’s love fleshed out in real, tangible ways that are transforming and changing Kibera. Pray for this ministry; join us in helping them do more! Who knows which child or teen we’ve been with during these camps may be a strong, Godly influence in this country. We know the Lord has great plans for each of these boys and girls, but we are all called, as believers, to help them be all that He means for them to be. A privilege indeed!

Various animals at the game park

2007-08-13T15:02:00.000-05:00

Animals at the game park

2007-08-13T15:01:00.000-05:00

Monday - The Campers Arrive

2007-08-13T14:30:00.000-05:00

The team was up bright and early to get everything set up for the arrival of the campers. About mid morning, the bus arrived, and an excited group of young people jumped out, anxious to see what camp was all about. This is quite a new experience for them, staying at a school campus, staying in a dorm, having three large meals a day, and having a huge amount of space to play in. Very different from life in Kibera. They also have the challenge of learning how to use showers and toilets, since they are not accustomed to these at home. What we take for granted! As soon as we began our time together in the chapel, you could feel their excitement and joy just to be here!

We have such a talented group of local counselors, as well as very talented team members. The Bible lessons and skits have been amazing, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it all today. The peace and calm of the campus, now on semester break, was definitely broken today with the high volume of praise music and singing! We have small group Bible study every day after chapel and a special sessions for guys and gals in the afternoon to discuss issues pertinent to their lives. The primary focus this week is on sexual purity. With the high percentage of people in Kibera being HIV positive and high death rate from AIDS, this is indeed a very important topic. The leaders prepared excellent material to share today. As we learned at last year's camp, once the campers feel a bit more comfortable, they have many, many questions they want to discuss, and we try to give them a "safe place" to explore these questions and concerns and address them from a Biblical point of view.

We begin and end each day with a chapel time, full of lively worship and praise, some skits and just "fun things." Our prayer is that each one of these teens will realize how much God loves them, what Jesus has provided for them, and how they can come to know Him personally. We are praying for transformed lives! Please pray with us that they will truly experience His personal touch this week.

Sunday Worship and Culture

2007-08-13T14:14:00.000-05:00

We had the joy of worshiping again with our Kenyan brothers and sisters, and what a time of worship!! They had just completed a VBS with their children, and the service began with the entire front of the church filled with children singing praises. And praise they did!! To share what they had learned that week, a group of children recited most of Colossians 3. Oh, that most of us could do that ourselves! It was truly an amazing time of praise and worship. We also had the privilege of hearing our ministry partner, Judy Mbugua, share a challenging message on forgiveness. It was one of the most impacting worship services we have ever experienced.

The Kenyans are some of the most hospitable people you could ever meet, and we were honored guests for lunch at Judy's house after church. Not only were we served a delicious lunch, with enough food to feed an army, but we were also welcomed by some of our sweet Masai sisters with whom we worked in June. They had walked for hours just to be with us for a quick meal! They shared some of their traditional songs and shared about what Homecare Fellowship has meant to them. It is wonderful to see these ladies now able to read and write; they've never had the chance to go to school, and now they have opened their second Masai school for women.

Then the team got to experience a great "taste of Kenya" at the BOMAS Kenyan cultural show. Talented dancers and musicians demonstrate songs and dances of many of the tribes of Kenya with brilliant costumes, amazing drums, and lively dances. It is a great way to get a better picture of the diversity of this country and appreciate their culture. The highpoint of the show was probably the acrobats who perform amazing feats. It's quite an entertaining and educational show! They also have a handcraft village where the team enjoyed finding some Kenyan souvenirs and seeing a variety of beautiful hand work.

Then it was time to load the bus, and we do mean load it to the hilt and stacked on top, to move on to the Pan African Christian College to set up for the second week of camp with the teens. It's been such a full week; we've seen God do amazing things, and we are trusting that He will continue to do a mighty work in the lives of the teens, our team, and our Kenyan helpers. Pray with us that the hearts of these young people will be tender and receptive to what they will hear and experience this week.

Saturday game park Lake Nakuru

2007-08-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

The weekend has given us a chance to see a bit of Kenya, and it is a beautiful country! Saturday we went to the Lake Nakuru Game Park, which is about three hours away from Nairobi. To get there, you pass over the Great Rift Valley, a spectacular sight at 8,000 ft. altitude. The view was a bit hampered by the weather; it started raining in the morning, and the clouds obscured the view of the mountains. But we could still see the lush green valley. After surviving the “bumper car” like ruts in the part of the road under construction, we began our safari. There is nothing like seeing magnificent creatures in their natural habitat! As we wove through the park, we encountered antelope, impalas, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, hyenas and warthogs. We were initially greeted by many baboons and monkeys, who seem quite used to humans and ran up to anyone “begging.”
What incredibly entertaining little critters they are! Lake Nakuru is also the breeding ground for flamingos. As you approach the lake, the first thing you see is a wide ribbon of pink surrounding the water. The closer you get, you begin to see the individual birds clustered all around the shore of the lake; a gorgeous spectacle. By the time we got into the park, the clouds had lifted, the sun began to peek through, and we had a gorgeous day.

We ate lunch on the top of a high ridge overlooking the lake. The area was swarming with baboons and monkeys! They are quite aggressive animals and weren’t hesitant at all to approach people. The little ones were so fun to watch; they wrestle and play like children, and even get in “spats.” But when “Daddy Baboon” approached, he didn’t seem so playful. He sauntered up to where our group was eating. We’d been told to hold onto to our food, but we hadn’t thought about a bag containing some bottles of juice. The Big Guy strutted right up to us, grabbed the bag, and high tailed it over the cliff, right in front of our noses! We were caught off guard, but none of us attempted to rescue the juice. He stopped on a ledge below the ridge to examine his “find.” We watched him attempt to open the plastic bottles. After a while, he just bit into the bottle and juice spewed all over him. It didn’t seem to faze him one bit, and he continued to drink it up. Life in the wild!

After several hours of watching in awe as we encountered various animals, it was getting late, and we knew we needed to get back on the road. Just as we were about to exit the park, we noticed a number of vans gathered near the entrance. Figuring that they had found something interesting, we joined them to discover two lionesses and two cubs perched high up on a fallen tree!! This was our first lion sighting, and they are truly magnificent! They seemed to pose for the crowd, and we were so thankful for this special treat, as they aren’t often seen. As we left the park, we looked out at the mountains to discover a beautiful rainbow that had formed after the rain, the perfect ending to a wonderful day. It’s easy to see why the Kenyans are so proud of their country. It is a rare beauty.

The gorgeous day turned sour as we began the trek home. Fog set in, and it was a tough drive on the rutted, dirt road. After lots of prayer, and thanks for our very able driver, we made it back to Nairobi. It was a wonderful day, one that made us remember how the scripture tells us that all creation sings and bears witness to our Creator, and we join in the chorus!

Male baboon steals our bag of drinls and has a few for himself

2007-08-13T13:18:00.000-05:00

As far as you can see the color of Pink

2007-08-13T13:15:00.000-05:00

Perched way up high over looking the Lake

2007-08-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

Even in the wild a man's job is never complete

2007-08-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

Big flock of Peligans

2007-08-13T13:10:00.000-05:00

Baby rhino nursing, we decided not to bother them

2007-08-13T13:09:00.001-05:00

Rhino taking a mud bath

2007-08-13T13:08:00.000-05:00

OK which are the more beautiful flamingos?

2007-08-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

Flamingos every where

2007-08-13T13:06:00.000-05:00

Mama lions and their cubs

2007-08-13T13:02:00.001-05:00

Final scenes from the game park

2007-08-13T13:00:00.000-05:00

Brittany and the church family that she has been working with this summer, they came to say goodbye

2007-08-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

Kendra one of the talented Global Action staff

2007-08-10T23:59:00.000-05:00

New shoes for the kids

2007-08-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

The feet of the children of Kibera

2007-08-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

Views of Kibera

2007-08-10T23:52:00.001-05:00

The following pictures of our visit to Kibera on Thursday, I hope this will give you a little taste of what we are working with and where these dear children who came to the camp this past week and the teens who will be coming next week live. You will see some of the places where the widows live and survive with the help of Home Care Fellwoship our partners in Kenya, what an incredible ministry.
Please continue to pray with us this coming week as we move to PAC on sunday night and pray about joining us in 2008 to Kenya.
We will be out of communication until Monday sometime as we are heading up to Lake Nukura today to the large game park up there for a bit of game watching and relaxation and then a full day on Sunday of worship, lunch with Judy and Richard then off to a cultural show at Bomas and then to get set up at Pan African Christian Univ. for the kids to arrive Monday morning.
Have a great week.

Wilson works with 3 families in Kibera wants to have 10 or 100 great man of God helping

2007-08-10T23:49:00.000-05:00

Kibera kids on the streets

2007-08-10T23:47:00.000-05:00

Kibera sites

2007-08-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

Girl chewing on a hack saw blade

2007-08-10T23:43:00.000-05:00

Mariam and her new home

2007-08-10T23:42:00.000-05:00

Kids in Kibera Salvation Army Church

2007-08-10T23:40:00.000-05:00

Life in Kibera

2007-08-10T23:39:00.000-05:00

Sites of Kibera

2007-08-10T23:38:00.000-05:00

Walking thru Kibera

2007-08-10T23:36:00.000-05:00

Looking over Kibera

2007-08-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

Great message

2007-08-10T23:32:00.000-05:00

Women of Global Action.....go ladies

Kibera thru the eyes of Annelie

2007-08-10T10:29:00.000-05:00

Today we went to the slums of Kibera. The area we went to was called Kianda. Kibera is now the largest slum in Africa with a heart-stopping population of one million people. The entire area equals roughly 600 square acres. (In case that didn’t register…that means that there are almost 1,700 people per square acre). That leaves no room for claustrophobia. This is their reality and they live it every single day.

It was the second time I’ve walked through the slum. I thought I wouldn’t be affected as much…seeing that I’ve seen it all before. I was so wrong. The kids that were being shuttled home from camp today arrived in Kibera right before us. They clutched our hands and walked with us the whole time. Every few hundred feet, we picked up a new 3-4 year old child. We wondered if they shouldn’t wander away from their homes to follow a group of mazungus (white people). When we looked, there was no one to claim them. Their huge smiles and warm, “How are roo’s” make my heart skip a beat.

The stench lingers on my clothes and the images of what I saw today are forever burned into my memory…into my heart. I don’t think I will ever be able to see it all. The depth of the slum goes far deeper than what you see when you walk through. In each and every home there are the hearts of these people. They are lost, they are found, they are poor, they are rich, they are dying, but they are alive, they are hoping, they are praying, they are much in need of help, of rescuing, of salvation, of light.

The first home we visited was that of a woman named Evelyn. The home was pitch black in the middle of the afternoon and 8 x 8 feet (give or take a few feet). We were a group of 5 people, including Wilson, who guided us through to each home, and we couldn’t all fit inside. She held a lifeless baby in her arms. The baby’s name is Violet. She is one and a half years old and is the size of a 6 month old infant. All Evelyn said was that Violet was “sick” and needed to go to the hospital…that can mean a lot of different things here in Africa so I’m not sure what she meant. Could be a malaria…could be HIV…could be pneumonia…we don’t know. Her face was a pale shade of gray. The sight of her was heart-wrenching. Her mother could do nothing. It breaks my heart. But at the same time…in the very dark mud hut that we stood…I could see. God is here. He is there. As we prayed for Evelyn and Violet…I felt His presence and I saw His light.

We walked where they walk. We felt a fraction of their despair. More importantly, we caught a glimpse of their hope. Our God is so much bigger than those 660 square acres. To look deep into the eyes of the children of Kibera is to see the light that only God can provide…the light of hope…that tomorrow will be better than today.

The last lady’s home that we visited was infected with HIV/AIDS. When we asked her how she was feeling she replied,”Some days are good, others are bad…but I praise God because once I was dead…but now I live.” That is what this is all about. That is why I won’t make excuses any longer. I cannot not do anything anymore.

“Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” –Isaac Watts

In His Grip… Annelie Ardan 8 August 2007

Kibera

2007-08-09T23:41:00.000-05:00

I have run out of time this morning but I will share later today about our time in Kibera yesterday with lots of pictures and some other things. We are all doing well and the team sends it's love back to everyone. Have a great day.

Thursday at camp

2007-08-09T23:40:00.000-05:00

If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7:14

If ever we have seen this scripture fleshed out, it was today. We joined in the weekly Homecare Fellowship prayer meeting today. Rarely have we experienced prayer with such passion and desperation for a nation, their leaders, spiritual leaders, and families. As the women cried out to God, their prayers were centered on confession of the sins of the nation, their total dependency on God to heal and restore their country and place men and women after His heart in places of authority. They prayed over those who shepherd believers in Kenya for protection, purity, and expanded ministry. They cried out over the decline of the family, confessing sexual sin, selfishness and failure to honor the marriage vows so that God would heal and restore families. This all lifted up while we were on our knees before the Lord. Homecare Fellowship has been asking for one million prayer intercessors to pray specifically for their upcoming political elections. They know the power of prayer and put it into action! It was very convicting to think about our upcoming elections; few of us have been stirred or seen prayer such as this for our own country. We have much to learn from our sisters and brothers here! What a privilege to share this time of testimony, sharing from the Word, and especially, such powerful prayer.

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day with the children. The week has flown by; it has been so very full, but we are trusting that the seed sown this week will continue to be watered, grow, and be harvested. We know that His Word never returns void, so we rest in His promises to complete His work.

We are getting to know our Kenyan team better and are so inspired and challenged by them. Pray for each one on both teams that the Lord will fill us, renew us, give us His strength and energy and prepare the hearts of the teens coming on Monday.

We stand in awe of all the Lord has done, is doing, and confident that He will indeed reign over Kibera. With God, all things are possible!

Debroah and Alice to great workers

2007-08-09T23:37:00.000-05:00

Beautiful children

2007-08-09T23:36:00.001-05:00

Brittany and some of her friends

2007-08-09T23:36:00.000-05:00

Rosemary and Diane catching up

2007-08-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

Megan and Annelie friends forever

2007-08-09T23:34:00.000-05:00

Mark you are messing with the wrong girl

2007-08-09T23:33:00.000-05:00

So you want to come back and stay all summer next year?

2007-08-09T23:32:00.000-05:00

John and David on how to solve the world problems

2007-08-09T23:31:00.000-05:00

Debroah and Rachel enjoying the conversation

2007-08-09T23:30:00.000-05:00

Oh Laura what can we say

2007-08-09T23:29:00.000-05:00

Kendra and a few of her buddies

2007-08-09T23:28:00.001-05:00

snack time

2007-08-09T23:23:00.000-05:00

Kids are kids no matter how old they are

2007-08-09T23:22:00.000-05:00

Kids having fun

2007-08-09T23:20:00.000-05:00

The kids

2007-08-09T23:19:00.000-05:00

Faces in the crowd

2007-08-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

Everyone is helping with the kids

2007-08-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

Our team at worship

2007-08-09T23:13:00.000-05:00

Beatriz, Rachel, Brittany, Annelie

Kids during worship today

2007-08-09T23:10:00.000-05:00

Wednesday camp and Kibera visit

2007-08-08T23:41:00.001-05:00

We awoke to the sound of raindrops this morning. It’s been very cool here, and the moisture of the rain makes it seem even cooler (thinking of all of you sweating in Houston!). As refreshing as it was, we had to rethink game time and prepare for a more difficult tour of Kibera, where the dirt pathways can become treacherous when wet.

We’ve seen amazing theatrical talent in our team, and today was no exception. Each day a group has acted out the Bible lesson in engaging ways, and several of the team have pulled together impromptu skits and puppet shows for the closing sessions. Today Max played a patient found with a severe “heart condition,” hate, jealousy, anger, which needed immediate attention from the doctor. The treatment was a huge injection of the Holy Spirit, removal of “infected” internal organs, and ultimately a heart “transplant.” It definitely captured the kids’ attention!

Worship continues to be joyful and spirited! We are so grateful to Pastor Ben for his enthusiastic leading of worship, as well as the local helpers, Chris and David. We’ve especially enjoyed learning the Swahili praise songs.

Today was our first time to visit Kibera, the 600 acre slum where our campers live with one million people. Words can’t adequately describe the conditions there! As half of our team broke up into two groups to visit homes, we carefully followed those who are working in the community down dirt roads filled with everything from stacks of charcoal for cooking, small fires used to roast corn or cook small meals and snacks for sale, chickens, dogs, throngs of children, women washing clothes in a tub, and every activity of life going on simultaneously along the pathways. Homes are tiny huts made of mud and sticks with tin roofs. What is just as striking as the refuse found everywhere and visible evidence of no sanitation is the darkness inside these homes. With no electricity or windows and narrow passageways leading to the houses, even at midday you can barely see inside. When we entered, we couldn’t even see the women we came to visit. One mother had to move toward the door for us to be able to see her and her infant. What appeared to me to be about a two month old child was in fact an 18 month old girl who appeared desperately ill. Her eyes were glazed, mouth coated with some sort of film, and her cough was deep and severely congested. Our hearts broke for this baby and her mother, left with four children since her husband went to prison. As we prayed for them, we were thankful that Homecare Fellowship is ministering to her as well as to the other widows, single mothers and their children.

We visited with one woman who told us that she was diagnosed as HIV positive last year. She was extremely ill and in dire condition when Homecare began working with her. Today she said she praises God that she is alive, because she once was dead, and now lives because of Christ! She struggles with meeting basic needs like rent and food, and needs adequate food to be able to tolerate the antiretroviral drugs that she has to take. This is an all too common situation in Kibera; women are infected with HIV/AIDS, left with a number of children with no means to support them. They die without the drugs, and they often die from the drugs without proper nourishment. What an incredible ministry Homecare has to these women! They literally give them life, spiritually and physically by providing food, helping with rent and school fees for their children, and most importantly, offering them true hope and encouragement in Jesus. These women truly have an eternal perspective; they live in squalor, but this is not their home. They know they have an eternal home where they will no longer suffer hunger, pain, ostracism, fear and shame. They have been “accepted in the Beloved,” and they rest in that truth. Certainly causes us to reexamine our faith and worldview.

To visit Kibera is always sobering; the conditions are deplorable, the future dim. Extreme poverty, HIV/AIDS, alcoholism, drugs, violence, sexual abuse….all these combined present a pretty hopeless picture. BUT….God is in the midst of it! One by one, lives are being redeemed and restored. It is especially encouraging to see the impact of the Homecare Ministry on this community, and we join in their prayer that one day, these people will not be in bondage to poverty and pain, but will be able to offer a better life to their children and grandchildren, in this world and the world to come.

Drama today

2007-08-08T23:17:00.000-05:00

Man has so much sin in his life he needs to have surgery to get it out
they give him several shots of the Holy Spirit to make him better
Still there are issues that need to be resolved
Wow what a mess he is in

Continuing with drama

2007-08-08T23:15:00.000-05:00

The patient had a heart as hard as a rock.
They had to cut all of the sin out of his life
Now he is better and his family is rejoicing

Rained today

2007-08-08T23:11:00.000-05:00

Since it was raining today we had to bring game time inside, a little musically chairs
Hector was pretty intense on winning this thing but Beatriz his sweet wife encouraged him to let the children win. Nice decision Hector, always do what your wife tells you.

Let's talk

2007-08-08T23:08:00.001-05:00

Diane and Lauri discussing the craft for the day.

Brittany sharing the Bible lesson

2007-08-08T23:08:00.000-05:00

Prayer time today

2007-08-08T23:05:00.000-05:00

Wednesday worship

2007-08-08T23:04:00.000-05:00

Great time of worship today with the kids. they really get into the worship when they sing the Swahli songs. So much energy and fun.

Tuesday camp

2007-08-07T23:56:00.000-05:00

Mambo, sawa sawa
Mambo, sawa sawa….
We began the day with the familiar strains of a Swahili chorus that we learned last year about how things are better because Jesus is on the throne. How we love joining the campers and local leaders in praise and worship, especially when it is expressed in their own language and rhythm.

Each day allows us to interact more with the kids and especially, the local leaders. How wonderful it is to encourage and love on these children with smiles, hugs, and laughter, and how they soak it up! But we were particularly impacted by the local leaders as we spent the afternoon listening to them share about their lives and how God has worked in their lives and continues to lead them. Each one shared about their relationship with Christ, His call on their lives to serve, and the joy they have in ministry. The maturity of these young people is amazing; their passion and commitment is so deep. Many of them have come through harsh struggles, but all exemplified total dependence on God, His trustworthiness and faithfulness. Stirring indeed!!

We are excited that these leaders will be working with us next week at the youth camp. We look forward to having more time to interact, share, and pray together as we join with them to reach out to young people in Kibera.

Tomorrow half of the team will visit Kibera and have a chance to visit in some of the homes of those in the Homecare ministry group. It will be sobering and probably somewhat distressing. The sheer enormity of the area, 600 acres with a million people, is overwhelming. The conditions are so dire; no water, electricity, sanitation in such dense population produces extreme difficulties. Add to that the high rate of unemployment in Nairobi and it is not surprising that such severe conditions exist.

BUT….God is at work here! As overwhelming as the problems are, He is greater, and we are thankful that God is indeed on His throne, He is drawing people and transforming lives and with Him, Mambo sawa sawa….life is better because of the Lord.

Please continue to pray for the team and the campers for health, stamina, enthusiasm and ability to connect even with language and cultural challenges. It’s only been two days, but we have all been touched immensely, have seen God with new eyes, and seen Him in the lives of our brothers and sisters here. What a great God we serve!

Faces around camp

2007-08-07T23:53:00.000-05:00

Alice and douglas
Shamin

Faces of the kids

2007-08-07T23:52:00.000-05:00

Getting along

2007-08-07T23:51:00.000-05:00

Chuck and Fredrick
Lauri and a friend
Rachel and Rose
Getting water it never ends

Max made some new friends today

2007-08-07T23:49:00.000-05:00

Talent every where they love to play and smile

2007-08-07T23:47:00.000-05:00

Hanging with the kids

2007-08-07T23:46:00.000-05:00

Don't try this without supervision or an expereinced intern from Colorado
These guys are good
Tell me more

Faces of some precious kids

2007-08-07T23:44:00.000-05:00

Even in Kenya victory is always sweet

2007-08-07T23:42:00.000-05:00

Games with the kids

2007-08-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

This was a relay where they had to change big bulky clothes with one another and then bounce a ball on the gravel around a chair. great fun.

Bible lesson time

2007-08-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

Diane opening with Chris
Hector did a great job with the lost sheep and coins
Missy looking for her lost coin
Rejoicing in the end

Prayer time

2007-08-07T23:34:00.000-05:00

Tuesday morning Praise and Worship time

2007-08-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

Pastor Ben is back
These kids can worship
More worship

No respect

2007-08-06T10:55:00.000-05:00

All I did was lay down for 10 minutes and woke up with this on my face...no respect from certain team members