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Kenya, Boro Trip Blog

Hillside Community Church

Saturday, October 31, 2009

A Final Note

I just wanted to let you know, the community of Hillside Community Church, that you can be very proud of the team you sent to Boro, Kenya. They represented you extremely well in all facets of the project. There are people whose lives have been changed in ways we will never know because of the sacrifice you as a church have made.But more importantly the name of Jesus Christ was honored and lifted up and the people of Boro know that it is because of Him that all these things were accomplished. I have been encouraged greatly by your team and I look forward to what God has in store for your church as you continue to recieve blessings from the Lord and in turn choose to bless those around you and across the world.

Thank you

Gerry Stinson

HFL Team Leader

Friday, October 30, 2009

All Is Well

"All is well" is Bishop Richard's standard refrain and we have grown to like it very much. All is indeed well... we wrapped up our time in Boro with a remarkable day. Too many highlights - Doc Kevin held Vision testing in the Boro clinic (eye needs seem to be one of the most common issues for people in this area.)

Even more exciting was the first use of the microscope that we purchased for the dispenary. Ben, the lab technician looked very proud as he was able to see the malaria parasite under the scope. This will be a very useful tool for the community and speaks of very good things to come.
On the greener front, the garden team planted some gardens and planted a tree in honour of each of the team. How cool is that? We'll have mango & guava trees named after us! Ben, the chief gardener seemed truly saddened at our departure. Goodbyes are diffcult here, it's true.

In the late afternoon and early evening, we hosted the mayor, the regional Kenyan representative, 8 pastors, and about 15 other community leaders. There were lots of speeches and presentations and feasting to be had. We presented a letter from the Mayor of Coquitlam, a certificate from a local MLA, along with CDN & BC flags. These were very well received

In the Siaya District Mayor's speech, he actually offered us a plot of land with which to have our headquarters in the centre of Siaya Town. (Only in Kenya, eh?) We then gave a big parcel of food for each guest along with a Bible. The pastors all had their names engraved on the Bibles - they were thrilled. The pastors, the poorest in the crowd certainly would very much benefit from the gift of food. The meeting (already 3+ hours long, was cut short by a massive rainstorm.) Getting home from the rural church where the event was held was a miracle in itself.
Well, we're packed, and we've left Siaya and are now waiting at an airport in Kisumu. An hour flight delay gave room for this blog. Okay, so we're homeward bound... thanks again for your prayers!Durwin :)

The final bricks.

Here is a man with no shoes....

Here is a man who gave up his shoes for a man with no shoes.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Home Stretch

Well, we're in the home stretch. It is so hard to believe that we are only a day away before we leave what has become our residence for a couple of weeks. We have gotten used to every day being filled with multiple surreal experiences that kind of make us shake our heads.

Today, the medical team were absolutely thrilled to discover that the young baby that was rushed to the hospital with seizures on Tuesday, had not only surrived but seemed to be thriving in the hospital.

That discovery was followed by a very busy clinic day.

Once again, please picture large crowds of mostly women and young children anxiously waiting our arrival. The need here can be overwhelming - the health needs are very great.

The clinic team, today made up of the usual Kevin & Carol, were supplemented by Diana, Durwin & Jennifer. Diana was Carol's capable assistant (she loves counting pills), Jenny helped with the malaria testing (staple medicine here), & Durwin started entertaining & weighing children, but quickly became somewhat of a traffic cop. By the way, for fun, several of the team had malaria tests... only Durwin cried when his finger was pierced. Jenny gave him a balloon & he was fine & none of the teams tested positive. Yeah!
On a more serious note, once again today, our van driver Tom became an ambulance driver, rushing another malaria stricken baby to the hospital. Throw a prayer for that baby girl... & perhaps for the whole region; a very neglected part of the world. Tired but satisfied, we dispensed the last medications as the sun began to set. And hey, because it was overcast all afternoon, the sunset was among the most glorious imaginable.
The market garden team had a very interesting day.

Today, I think we could call them tree planters... banana tree planters to be exact. Twelve banana trees are now planted in the demonstration garden. Way to go team!!! Banana splits on the next trip for everyone! Gardening here looks easy for the Kenyans, but wearies us Canadians. There's no shade and the African sun is bright and hot! But the garden has been replanted and the plan is to add several other types of trees tomorrow. Now, monkey hunting for the garden team was much more successful today. A family of monkeys was spotted not far from the garden property which provided some fun entertainment. Most bravely, the team managed to climb the large boulder again with the million dollar view. Africa is stunning!
Since the garden team were finished a little early, they took the opportunity to visit another local church that is affiliated with our project.

All team members got to speak a little bit and share... once again, meaningful times with some pretty awesome people.
Well, tomorrow, we wind up things with a final half day eye clinic in Boro. Turns out eye needs are pretty significant in this area. Late in the day, we are hosting a dinner for 8 pastors and 12 civic & community leaders. Great bridge building opportunity. Pray for meaningful connections and encouragment all around.
This may be one of our last blogs. We'll be travelling on Friday to Kisumu & then flying to Nairobi. Saturday, we have a Safari in a park outside Nairobi & then we fly out at midnight Saturday - pretty much 24 hours of flying to get home to Canada. Pray for us as we say goodbye to Kenya... pray that we will leave a lasting mark.Lots of love to all... can't wait for some good Canadian hugs!!!!
Durwin for the team

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Another amazing day!

Again, the team split into two; one group doing an outreach medical
clinic and one group working on a community project.
The work team (Durwin, Brian, Lauri, Gerry, Jenny, Holly and Ron) travelled to the demonstration garden, located a few kilometres outside of Boro, to assist the local workers. The local workers were proud of their achievments using the new techniques and were happy to teach us farming skills.

The team did slashing, hoeing, weeding, winnowing and planting. Boro is blessed with fertile red soil; deep, rich and stone-free. The demonstration garden is fenced and has a resident dog which provides protection from the local band of maurauding monkeys. Pastor George, who was visiting from another part of Kenya, accompanied the team and shared
his storey of how he and his family survived the violence in the days following the last
national election. Instead of fleeing the area, he stayed and helped to bring
reconciliation to the people of the conflicting tribes. This man has such an incredible
love for God and for the people of Kenya and great courage to put that love into action in
face of great personal danger...what in inspiration to us all.

The work team took a break and hiked out into the back country looking for the local band of
monkeys. They didn't find monkeys, but enjoyed unusual landscapes with giant boulders and
spectacular vistas.

The medical team (Kevin, Carol, Dianna and Beni) travelled to the village of Liganwa to
prove much needed care. A young child arrived at the clinic with severe symptoms of malaria
and went into grand mal seizure right there. Recognizing that the child was near death,
they put the mother and child in our van and sent them off to the hospital in Sieya. At the
end of the day, the team checked in at the hospital to see how the child was doing and found
that the hospital was unable to administer the needed medications because they did not have
any needles for the syringes! Fortunately, the team had needles and so provided them to the
hospital who then administered the meds. It makes me sad and angry to think that people
here die because of the lack of the most basic and inexpensive supplies. God help us!

In the evening the whole team (except for Carol, Dianna and Kevin who stayed behind to
finish the stack of prescriptions to be reviewed and filled), travelled to the orphanage to
visit and see the kids in their new outfits that the house mothers bought with the money we
had given them earlier. The kids were proud to show off their new clothes and the mothers
were so very grateful to us.Most people in the Boro area have very little material goods and live on the most meager
income or by subsistence farming. The assistance our team has provided to the community or
to individuals has been accepted with humbleness and great gratitude. It has been a great
joy to serve the Lord by serving these beautiful people.
Ron

Monday, October 26, 2009

Kodiere Church-Pastor Rose

Here is some video from the singing time during worship service.

God Loves His Church in Kenya ...

and We do too!

Sunday morning started off with a little bit of a sleep-in past 7:30am for those on the team who were a little weary from all the work of the previous week. The team split into two groups for Sunday morning services. One team attended Pastor Michael's church in Boro while the other team attending Pastor Rosemarie's church in Kodiere. Both services started exactly at 10:10am. Actually ... the services started some time around when the teams arrived at each site.

Durwin preached a message at Pator Michael's church while other team members taught Sunday School for 60 children. The children could recite The Lord's Prayer beautifully in English. The team prepared songs, games, crafts and a puppet show. Following the church service the team at Pastor Michael's church were served a beautiful meal in the hut of one of the founding church members - the first chance to taste ugali, a staple food made from maize.

Jennifer was able to preach at Pastor Rosemarie's church and the whole team enjoyed the worship time together with the congregation. The team taught a Sunday School class for 50 children.

They were also treated to a lavish feast following the church service.

Holly needed lots of orange Fanta to get down the chicken livers that were mistaken for beef chunks. Unfortunately for Holly, it is an insult in African culture to leave food on your plate. The church service in Kadiere ended at 1:30pm so there wasn't much time to get the chicken livers and soda down before leaving for the next church visit in Segeri. Pastor William's church, in Segeri, meets under an Oleander tree as they have outgrown their church shack. Both teams came together to enjoy this outdoor service with worship and teaching - Pastor Durwin was asked to preach and he gave a great message on three minutes notice. The outdoor service was cut short a little bit because of approaching storm clouds but the team did get a chance to bless the ground that the church hopes will be a new church building when God provides the finances. Each team member "planted" a stick in the ground at the building site as a symbol of the foundation of this building. Pastor Richard from the regional church did not have a complete understanding of Holly's name. He announced to all of those gathered together at the building site that the church will be called the "Holy Centre" in recognition of Holly's visit to the Segeri church. The faith and committment shown by the Christian believers at these three local churches was a great blessing to the team members. These people demonstrate the joy of Christ, love for each other, and generosity even in the midst of their significant poverty. It was a privilige to serve in these three churches and to receive the blessing of observing God's people worshiping in this African culture. Thanks for checking the blog and leaving your comments. To Suzanne, Sam and Zach: Holly and I love you guys and miss you alot! Thanks for your prayers.
Doktari Kevin

Saturday, October 24, 2009

OLE OLE OLE OLE OLE

A few pics from the Sports Day. It was a blast. Thank you for all your prayers

Special Day for Diana

One of yesterday's highlights at the construction site was the birth of a new baby. A healthy, beautiful baby Annette was born at 10:30 am in the maternity ward adjoining the Boro clinic. We met Annette's mama, Doris, at the mobile clinic 10 km away from the Boro clinic the previous day when she came with her four other children tosee Dr. Kevin. Welcome little Annette to the world!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Settling In

In Kenya, storms come and go. Unlike Canada, the two we’ve seen in 24 hours have lasted just 15 minutes. But to see it hail straight for 10 minutes, leaving white on the ground in Africa was not what we expected. We were glad to have tin roofs over our heads and concerned for our Kenyan friends that did not.

The mobile clinic and construction project are both progressing well. Our second day was probably easier on the team in some ways – since we knew what to expect. Crowds of people at the clinic, piles of 4kg bricks at the construction site. The clinic managed to double the number of individuals treated. The builders decided not to count the bricks.
The team is faring well - there's a great spirit among the team. Daily team debriefs are usually very entertaining. Lots of adjustments as we go. When we first arrived, we took pictures of everything. Now the cameras are coming out less frequently the environment is thankfully a little less stimulating.:) Some of the team are finding their Kenyan appetites growing, while some are finding them fading. Lots of chicken & kale & kale & chicken.
The days tend to be pretty hot… at the construction site, Durwin has the lead in drinking close to 4 litres of water in 6 hours. He sweat just a little. At night, some have difficulty falling asleep because of the heat. Room fans will be our suggestion for the guest house comment box. Speaking of our rooms, it is interesting to see that each of us have such variety in terms of our bathrooms. Showers particularly come with a self heater that you turn on before taking the plunge. Some showers don’t work, some have cold water, some give just a tinkle. We compare notes in the morning.

Probably the greatest thrill of the trip so far, was Diana running from her bathroom screaming. A cockroach, the largest anyone had ever seen (even at the zoo), was tucked nicely under her toilet roll. Good thing Diana had presence of mind to pull up her pants before running from the room. Beni, the good husband provided further fun as he tried several methods to eradicate the insect. We’re having roast cockroach for dinner today.:)
We may be out of contact on the blog over the weekend. On Saturday, we are expecting 600 kids at the sport’s day; however, our field worker Edgar is giving us some last minute higher estimates - up to double the number. Lord help us. Sunday we are visiting two churches - Jenny is preaching at one, Durwin at the other. The rest of the team will be doing a program with the children. Thanks again so much for your prayers... life here is hard, but we're having the time of our lives!
Some more pics

P.S. All of us are missing our families... but to the young kids from the crowd: Sam, Zach, Caleb & Noah, their Dads say from the bottom of their hearts... "Stop giving your Mom's such a hard time!" (Lol, Luv u lots)Pastor Durwin

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Hard days work

Hey all, Lauri here. Thanks for all your comments, we are all reading them and are very encouraged. today we hit the field in a big way. Half the team started in on the construction project at the Boro clinic, finishing walls on the one ward and literally laying the foundation for the other ward.

It was hot today, and the team were such hard workers. Diana was the brick moving star! Brian and Benny gave it all, moving bricks, mixing mortar and generally impressing the local workers. Holly was absolutely covered with red dust from hauling these oversized bricks from one side of the yard to the other. Jenny loved working with the team and said it was the hardest work she has ever done;

Durwin was as usual entertaining the crowds while working and he kept the spirits of the team elevated.
The other part of the team headed out to our first mobile clinic.

We set up in a small empty building in a very outback area, Kevin and carol shared an 8x8 room with Carol dispensing medications out the window.

The people here speak lua, not swahili, so we were relying completely on translators to help us figure out what was wrong, talk with the patients then explain the meds. We had several local nurses a lab tech and several counsellors with us. Ron was in charge of weighing babies and generally directing traffic. I was taking down names and helping get symptoms to try to make Dr. Kevin's job a little easier.

Tonight we decided to do something a little less physical, so Benny and diana pulled Pictionary out of their magical suitcase and, well, the girls soundly defeated the boys... yay girls!! we love you all and so appreciate all your prayers and encouragements.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Another Great Day

Yesterday, Tuesday was a national holiday here - kind of a memorial day to the people who lost their lives during Kenyan Independance. As for us, the morning was an opportunity for a much needed rest. In the afternoon, we visited an orphanage about 15 minutes from our guest house. The orphanage has 11 children, cared for by Mama Leocadia and Aunty Rose. They gave us a very warm welcome - looking forward to our visit for weeks. The home they live in is very rustic, no indoor plumbing, no stove and no electricity. That said, the orphans from the home were in good health and spirits; anxious to play our team a game of soccer. It truly was a magical afternoon - another 20-30 children from the area showed up and they loved skipping with Lauri and Diana.

Even Beni got in on the skipping action - most entertaining! Carol blew bubbles for the kids until she could no longer blow - very skilled. Beni & Durwin entertained the children by chasing and tickling them... it turns out they giggle just like Canadians.

After a long afternoon, we gathered the kids from the orphanage into our vans... six crammed into the back seat with Holly.

No problem - smiles all around. Back at the guest house, every child got a Fanta or a coke and quietly sat & waited for dinner. At some point they began to sing for us - & we almost have never heard such angelic sounds

We sang a few of our songs; not nearly so angelic.

Dinner came, okay, we cannot describe how much these children ate - heaping plates of rice, french fries, chicken & beef. Once finished a plate, they were back for helpings just as large. None of our team could touch their hollow legs. The evening ended with a presentation of backpacks to each child, filled with an assortment of kid's stuff - very happy children at that point. At our debrief at the end of the day, there were grateful smiles all around; many of us still considering adoption. By the way, our health is improving... migraines gone by the end of the day. God is very, very good. We are counting on your prayers!!!Lots of love from your Hillside Boro Team...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

French Connection

On Monday we first visited a shopping district in Kisumu and negotiated the purchase of a microscope for the clinic, along with purchasing a few more medicines; primarily de-wormers and other liquid medicines. We then made the trek from Kisumu to Siaya. We drank in the beautiful countryside and enjoyed a quick stop at the centre of the earth (the equator line that is.)

Once in Siaya we made it to our new guest house "Chez Albert"; no obvious French influences that we can see. We soon got busy in the dining room, emptying luggage and sorting hundreds of containers of medications. After a visit to the regional health authority, we see that we have brought enough medicines to outfit 4 clinics + the mobile clinic we'll be operating! Awesome to see!
The highlight for everyone on the day was a visit to the Boro clinic and a couple of the Boro farms (about 20 minutes of seriously rocky & muddy roads to get there.) The clinic construction is well under way with a large laundary building already completed. The foundation for the laboratory is laid and the materials are all in hand to complete the men's ward of the hospital.

Walking on the farm land and seeing how productive the market gardens were was so encouraging. We've had brief doses of rain while we've been here, but there is still a desperate need for rainfall.
But there was no question, it was the children who stole all of our hearts. They were ample in number, and off the charts beautiful and charming. They start off bold, then get shy, but after a few minutes they are quite outgoing with us, pinching our white skin.

They are quite happy to have their picture taken and look on in wonder when they see their own faces in the little screen.
In terms of prayer...we're all doing quite well. The guest house is quite adequate... the food is better than we expected. We have a couple team members who could use better sleeps and a couple who struggled with migraines this morning. We value your prayers but are encouraged by the special sense of God's presence.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Made it, safe and sound....and tired

Hi EveryoneWe have arrived safe and sound in Kenya. After our night flight from London to Nairobi, and then a 4 hour lay-over, we took a small prop plane to Kisumu (only a 45 minute flight).

We were then picked up by our Kenyan partners Edgar and Richard. Considering pretty minimal sleep during the 2 solid days of travel, all team members were in remarkable shape - chipper even!

After lunch in Kisumu, we drove through the city an amazing city with a population of about 800,000 - an overwhelming number of bicycles & people & cattle. We drove past one of the largest markets in all West Africa.

Our drive led us to our guesthouse for the night - called "Hillside Villa" - no kidding. It's a beautiful setting, complete with a very friendly staff, roaming chickens & a gate guarded by a Masai warrior. We're hearing great stories of what God is doing in our village area of Boro... we go there tomorrow.

Pastor Durwin

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Packed and Ready

The team held their last meeting yesturday before heading off to Kenya. It has been a long road with a lot of hard work. The final preperation had the team sorting out all the items and supplies and packing them into their extra suitcases. Carol mentioned that there was around $40,000 worth of medical supplies they are bringing to provide much needed medical help. The team leaves this friday so make sure you check back to see how they are doing on the field and to uphold them in prayer