A tribute to my friend!

Have you ever met a hero? A real, genuine, down-to-earth hero? I know I have. I see them almost every day. My heros are the small children carrying their baby brothers and sisters for kilometres on end to fetch water. They are the children who are orphaned, yet still have hope and work hard to get ahead in life. They are the selfless people who give up their lives to help children and people in need. My heros are those who live in slums, surviving each and every day. These are just a few of the many heros I see every day!

But there is another hero that I have. He has selflessly fought to achieve his goal. Against incredible struggles, threats from the lawmakers, lack of funding, bribery as well as rampant forms of corruption. He has continued his quest amongst unimaginable struggles, all whilst trying to be the best possible husband and father. He is one of my best friends. His name is Francis Muthama. I want to tell you a bit about him...and I’m sure he will be very embarrassed and a tad mad at me for writing this blog...but his story needs to be told! ;)

 I met Francis in 2009 when I was working with an orphanage in Ngong. At that stage he was single, enthusiastic, bubbly or (sometimes hypo) and very compassionate. We are the same age, had many things in common and he just seemed to be one of those people who gets along with everyone.

Fast forward a bit...and he fell in love and got engaged to Lilian, another friend I knew from Ngong! I was so excited and was very fortunate to be a part of their wedding on my return to Kenya in 2011. A little later, we found out that Lil was pregnant and 9 months down the track along came the MOST beautiful baby the world has ever seen. Princess Sarah.

During this time, Francis and his family had moved away to Thika (about 45 mins from Nairobi). In 2011 I had some drama with a place I was volunteering at and ended up moving in with Francis and Lilian for several weeks. They were more that wonderful hosts to me as I worked out my next plan. They blessed me so much!

And it was then that Francis came to me with an idea. He wanted to start a Non Government Organisation to help children learn about Dental Hygiene. The statistics in Kenya are sad (to say the least)....750 dentists for a population of 40 million. No dental education in schools, no free dentists. When he told me this idea, I knew of the importance of educating children about this, to prevent long-term dental needs. The need was huge...but I went along with his spirit of WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. In the back of my mind I doubted the scale of his incredible idea. He had researched and made proposals and funding plans and everything else...Without any concrete funding/ way to move forward.

But on he went...He gathered friends together and worked out how to set up a Non Government Organisation. He founded and created KINGA AFRICA.

As he kept going he met resistance from people who laughed and mocked his idea, as he is not a dentist or dental hygienist...he is a community development worker. “HA. Why would we support you? You’re not a dentist”. His calm response was always...I know I’m not a dentist...but I can teach children about brushing their teeth.

It took a looong time for anything to begin. He had challenges left, right and centre. Financial pressures for him and his family (with very limited income from another part time job). He asked me to ask a friend in Australia to make a website. So my friend Renee worked hard to get it together for Kinga.  

He kept going and going. He researched and wrote to many companies abroad to ask for donations, assistance, anything at all. He began slowly, going to a few schools to teach children. He was hooked. He wanted more. He decided something bigger and better had to be done. So he set up meetings and spoke with government officials, health organisations and representatives. He set up meetings with Colgate. They responded well! So slowly by slowly his dream started to take shape.

 

He began to need training for volunteers. He organised meetings where volunteers could be trained to work with Kinga Africa and go into schools, teaching the oral health message. He set up partnerships with schools all over the Yatta region (a rural area where many people have never even seen a toothbrush!)

Then they began. Over the first few months, things went more slowly (due to lack of funds!). All he needed was a few thousand shillings to transport the people and donated toothbrushes into the rural schools. Then as a few interested individuals became more involved they were able to visit more schools. So as of now they have visited dozens of schools, teaching all of the teachers and students about oral health and giving them free toothbrushes and toothpaste! They have now reached an amazing 51,000 needy children!

WOW! And it was all his wonderful plan and idea!

So last weekend Francis and his team from Kinga Africa had organised a free dental camp in Kiandutu Slums in Thika. I went with a few friends to see this amazing work...and MY, MY...it was AMAZING!

Hundreds of children and adults lined up in the blistering heat to get a dental checkup from dental students from a local university. They checked teeth and referred any very needy cases to the two dentists who had come to the clinic. Rotten teeth were pulled by them and any more significant things were referred and paid for at the local hospital!!! It was so amazing to see these people SO, SO excited to be having a dental checkup. In the west we groan all too much about having to visit the dentist. These people waited and waited and waited to be seen. They all left with a new toothbrush and toothpaste and were also given new (second hand) clothes and shoes from some university students who had come to support. For almost all of these people, it was their first ever toothbrush.

So it blows my mind. One man’s idea, his goals and his passion to change this situation in Kenya...and so he kept striving to reach what needed to be done. And he continues this day. He continues to rally people together to help him with his cause. Please consider joining him as he works to prevent dental issues in Kenya! Check out www.kingaafrica.com to see the great work!

 

Francis Muthama. YOU are my hero and my friend. Your love for the children and people of Kenya is mind-blowing. Your determination is incredible. I hope one day I can love my future husband half as much as you love your girls, Lil and Sarah! You are blessed and a blessing. Thank you. Please Keep on...Keep on.

Terror

Even the word is awful... TERROR...A horrible, little, 6-lettered word. But the feeling of terror is much, MUCH worse. Until the 21^st of September I knew about Terrorism, I knew how it must affect people, but I didn’t grasp the hold terrorism can have on ones’ life. Every aspect of life. And I didn't even experience it first-hand.

Two weeks ago my life changed. It was an ordinary Saturday and I had luckily gone upcountry to visit my friends for the weekend. After swimming in a pool, I checked my phone and found 6 missed calls and multiple messages. “Please confirm your location...Trouble in Westlands- stay clear”. WHAT? Trouble? What type of trouble? I thought.

 

The ugly truth then revealed itself.

A shopping centre about 10-15 minutes drive away from my house has been attacked by an unknown number of terrorists. They stormed the building, firing randomly at innocent shoppers and workers. The worst part was that they held the building and many, many people hostage for hours... These hours then just kept passing and turned into days. 4 very long days.

4 days of pain. 4 days of deaths. 4 days of terror. 4 days of 24/7 military choppers flying over my house and place of work. 2 mornings of hearing gunfire and explosions as I lay, crying in bed. 4. LONG. Days. VERY long days. Different news reports were saying different things. Some were saying that it was over. Some were saying there were many hostages.

It was and still is a very confusing time. It is hard to tell what the truth of the situation is. How many terrorists were inside? How many hostages? How many people are still unaccounted for? Who set off the explosions? Did the terrorists escape through an underground tunnel?

One of my shopping centres...the only place in Kenya that I could find the appropriate sprinkles for making Fairy bread....The place I was at the very Saturday before exactly the time the terrorists arrived a week later. I went to buy a new pillow and food for Jesus Helper’s. The place I used to love going to for ice cream.

I thank God that I was not there on that day. I pray for those I know who were there and had to see and experience things one should never see or hear. I pray for the children at my school whose fragile little hearts are aching. I pray for the children from school who were shot and lost parents. I pray for healing for families who lost parents, cousins, brothers, sisters, loved ones.

I have always been one to be careful of my surroundings in Kenya...but now even more so. I analyse everything. Is it safe to go to that place? Do I need to do that? Will that place be busy? Can I go at a different time? Should I go alone?

Please pray for Kenya. We are hurting here. And it cuts very deep. I also pray for people in the world who have ever experienced such horrors. I pray for those who live daily in war zones. I can only just begin to imagine the pain that they go through each day.

I could also use your prayers for sleep. I have not had a good nights’ sleep since this began. I am running on adrenaline that wore off about a week ago. I continue to try and give the children in my class a normal routine...I am trying to be the usual enthusiastic, carefree ‘Miss Ross’ who sings songs and plays games and gives hugs...But my heart is simply heavy. I know God is in control and always has His way in everything. So I pour my heart to him and take rest in knowing that he spared my life for a reason. Please continue to pray for all involved and for ultimate healing for my home. Asante Sana.

 

Peace....

 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid". John 14:27

 

 

Waithera x

Hospital visits...

Let me just start by saying....I don't like blood, I don't like hospitals, I don't like flesh wounds....And the story can now begin... :)


So...it all started with a trip to Jesus Helper’s to arrange a surprise for Cheryl’s wedding which was going to be in a few weeks time! When we arrived at Jesus Helper’s, Brian came out to meet us with his head wrapped in a scarf. At first, I thought he was playing a joke on me so I laughed. He then unwrapped his head and it looked as if his entire face had been burnt. It was red, blotchy and he had awful looking, oozing wounds all over his face. It was swollen almost beyond recognition. I asked him what happened and he said that his face just blew up like that.

 

After speaking with Pastor Steven and Jane we worked out that about a month before Brian had been ‘diagnosed’ with epilepsy and had just had a reaction to the medication that the hospital had told him to take. His face looked so bad that I thought his airways may be restricted if his face kept swelling anymore. I told the Pastors that he HAD to go to hospital today. By this stage it was about 4pm. I knew we were in for a long night. So Jane and I went to a well-known and very good private hospital near my house. The doctor was very shocked by his face and told him he had to be admitted and was not allowed to go home. The problem was it was going to be a 50,000 shilling deposit upfront before they could admit him (money we simply did not have). So the only other option was to get a referral and take him across town to a different hospital.

We arrived at this hospital at about 9pm. The scene on arrival was beyond shocking. (Be warned if you don't like gross things...stop reading now!) Patients EVERYWHERE. All over the waiting room. Hundreds of them. Some lying on beds, some sitting on the floor, some on chairs, some standing. The smell was intense and the sounds were worse. Screaming, vomiting, crying, wailing. These patients were just waiting to be seen...some who had obviously been there for many, many hours. So we went to the counter and were told to go for assessment at the other side. We did so and waited for some accident victims to be checked. There was blood and all sorts of other things all over the floors and walls. And it was hot. Very hot.  

In the end we waited to see a doctor for a loooong time. During this time a woman came running out into the waiting room screaming at the top of her lungs in Kikuyu. She had just lost her father. It was one of the worst things I have witnessed in my life. I had seen scenes like this on TV, but never in real life. She dropped to the floor screaming and flailing her legs everywhere, grieving her loss. At this stage a whole crowd of people gathered to see what was happening. Then everyone started staring at me, the only white person in the hospital. It was awful. I looked down into my lap and tried to hold back the tears.

At about 1am we were finally seen by a doctor who said that it was indeed a reaction to the drugs. He also said that Brian needed to come back on Wednesday for treatment and to see a dermatologist. He was given a prescription for drugs as well. While we were in this room there were about 6 men, some sharing beds, heaving heavily, trying to breathe. I don’t think that some of them would have made it through the night. Just as we had finished with the doctor one man behind the curtain started vomiting mass amounts of blood in our direction. We made a quick exit.

We then had to wait at the medication counter for about 20 minutes while we waited for someone to come and serve us.

From this experience, I learnt many things.

1. Patience

2. It’s not that fun to be the only white person in a crowd of desperate, unwell people

3. How lucky I am to have good health

4. How wonderful the spirit of mateship is in Africa. Everyone at the hospital needed a friend to help them, to push their trollies around the waiting room. It really showed me how much love people have for each other.

5. How lucky I am to have medical insurance and how much the kids at the orphanage need it!

So we arrived home at about 3:30am, after a quick drive through the heart of Nairobi. I decided to take Brian and Jane home to my place as the road into the village that the orphanage is in would not have been safe at that hour. Brian was SO excited to come to my house and was happy to have a nice bed to sleep in!

We all crashed into bed after honey sandwiches, as I had not much else in the house to make at that hour!! I will never forget when Brian said, “the last time I had honey was in standard 2” (At least 6 years ago!)

 

In the morning we woke up slowly and I made some eggs and toast for breakfast. They were so happy to have eggs and bread. After this, Brian was desperate to take a cake back to the orphanage. So we baked a cake. I never knew the pure joy of baking until I did it with kids who have never seen an oven before! J

I am thankful for my health and the opportunity to serve Brian and Jane. They went back to the hospital on Wednesday and were turned away as all the doctors were on strike. They then returned another day. At this stage, Brian’s face has gone back to normal and he’s returned to school. We are still trying to get to the bottom of whether or not he actually has epilepsy. Please pray for this. It is sometimes a complicated process with doctors here. J

 Blessings!

Waithera (who doesn’t want to go to that hospital ever again... J).

Easter Sleepovers!!!

Since 2007 I have been known as Aunty Sarah, Waithera and sometimes Mum. I have stayed with kids in a couple of orphanages, taken them on trips, loved on them. For the first time ever last Friday I had the privilege of having sleepovers with some of my babies at my house! It was WONDERFUL!

I organised with Pastor Steven from Jesus Helper's for him to choose 2 boys and 2 girls who have worked very hard at home and at school to have a special treat (a night away from the orphanage!). He chose 4 wonderful children aged 12 and 13.

I am really missing having children around my house and up all night! The place I live is a compounded community, where children stay in their own places. The noises are different, the community is different. So I jumped at the opportunity to have a bit of noise in my house!

I went and picked up the children from Uthiru at about 2pm and brought them home to my house. They were SO excited. It meant that they didn’t have to do their chores or care for the younger children or do their homework for 1 night! They excitedly ran around my compound...looking at everything, exploring, smelling, touching all the new things. It was almost like watching someone have a visual overload!

We then went inside and they said “This is just paradise”. “It is SO clean”. To give you an example, the community where the children live is full of dust and mud and little grass. My home has some grass and trees and not much dust! So they were very happy. They then wanted to go and play...Femmy immediately began rolling down my tiny hill, screaming with excitement!

 

After some snacks I took them to play at my school. They were overwhelmed by the space that the school has. Tennis courts, big fields, trees...and best of all a PLAYGROUND! They ran with excitement and asked if they could play...They swung and swung and swung...Laughter filled the air. They spun on the grass, they rolled, the jumped, they explored...Oh what a joy to see them being kids! They then came and had a look inside my classroom. Again, they seemed overwhelmed to see such a big classroom.

 

 

I then text a friend on campus to see if they had a ball we could borrow. She said they did, so we went for a walk to get it! It was such a blessing to see these kids play football and basketball.

 

After that, we went back home to my house. My guard played ball with the boys while the girls came upstairs to help me! So sweet. We baked a cake together. They were so excited to crack eggs, stir things and use an oven! They tested all the electrical equipment with much eagerness.

 

 

The boys then came up and we all made dinner together. They laughed the wholllle time. We cooked fried potatoes, hotdogs and salad. We also had juice to drink. They were so happy and excited to eat a different meal. The kids back home were eating beans, so they thought they were pretty lucky to have potatoes! J This was also one of the first times for them to sit at a table. The kids just loiter around, standing or sitting anywhere they can to eat. We talked about life...the good things, the bad, their relatives. It was very special.

 

After dinner we decided to watch a movie. We watched Prince of Egypt and ate popcorn. After they got bored of the movie I taught them how to play Uno and they Uno battle began. We played for what seemed like hours.

 

After this, Kevin was interested in watching old movies that I’d taken of them at the orphanage. So we lay down and watched the movies. While we were doing this the kids were taking turns in the shower. This was the first time in a shower for them all and they were SOOO funny/cute. They didn’t know how to turn on the tap, so Aunty went in between each shower to teach turning on and off! Priceless. And the shower was warm!!! A reallll treat! Usually the kids just use a bucket of cold water to soap down! At about 11pm it was time for bed...so we all piled into bed. The girls shared my bed and I could hear giggling all night! They boys shared the visitor’s room. I had the couch! J It was beautiful hearing their chitchat and seeing them as kids.

 

Saturday morning arrived and the kids were up around 7am....a nice sleep in for them (Usually they are up at 5!). We made a big breakfast (toast, cereal, hot chocolate and eggs). They watched to see how a toaster and a jug worked. They also enjoyed seeing the microwave. I asked someone to pray and Kevin prayed the most wonderful, Godly prayer (He’s such a gifted child and I know God has BIG things in store for his life!) They gulped it down with such care. After this, there was no time to waste.

The kids wanted to go back to school to have another play on the playground. We piled into the car and went back to play. They met some kids from Rosslyn and struck up a friendship with them. They borrowed the boys’ bikes, played games and swung again for about 2 hours! We then went to return the ball to my friend, Suzanne! She gave the kids some cookies to share. They kindly shared them with each other and offered me some too. We were walking back up to the car when they saw one of the boys they’d been playing with. I was ready to go by now so was trying to get them into the car...Kevin and Steven ran off to which I was like “come on guys”...and then they did the most wonderful thing. They each gave a cookie to the boy they’d been playing with and thanked him for letting them ride on his bike. As they came back I had tears in my eyes...I told them I was so proud of them. Nothing more needed to be said!

We then went and got my friend Teopard, who has become a really great friend and mentor to the Jesus Helpers’ kids. They were SO excited to see Uncle Teo (They LOVEEEE him!!) We went back to my house and the kids had to re-shower! We also had some yoghurt and packed up all the beds.

It was time to take the kids back home and they said they wanted to stay with my forever...I told them I wished that too. L On the way back the kids insisted that we take their brothers’ and sisters’ something special. We took the 2 cakes we had made and they wanted to take them bread. So we stopped at a shopping mall to buy bread. They were so excited to see a mall and to buy something for their siblings! It was precious.

We arrived home to excited families all around. They were happy the kids were back and I was sad to see them go. We then had a birthday party for my little baby Moses who turned 4! He was excited to have a freshly baked cake! It was then time to say goodbye.

I have said that every school holidays I will take 4 kids to my house for a treat...so now they have all promised to work hard at school so they can be chosen by Pastor!

I see God’s hand in these children. I see the way He has rescued them. I am thankful for the people who care for these orphans- day in, day out. I am overwhelmed by these people’s spirit of joy and love and peace. I am thankful that I see in these kids an attitude of hope. I am reminded of all I have. I am glad. I am happy. I am home.

Jesus saved me from a pit of despair...and he’s done the same for these kids too. In one sense, we are ALL orphans- until our heavenly father reaches in, we repent of our sins, we ask for forgiveness and God welcomes us into His family with open arms. Jesus died for us, so that we may live and live to the full. That’s what He did at Easter...and I’m glad I got to share this special holiday with those kids.

John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

 

I pray for these kids, that they may love fully and learn deeply so that they can continue sharing what they know with others. They WILL change the world...They sure changed mine....That’s all! J

 

Blessings,

x Aunty Waithera! :)

His leading...

This story hapenned a while ago, but I was just reminded of it!

I met a hairdresser in one of the towns close-by to here. I met her through my night guard when my housemate was needing to get her hair braids repaired. Subsequently, when I wanted to get my hair braided I asked Joyce* (Her name has been changed) to do mine as well. So there struck up a friendship. When you’re in a chair being braided for 8 hours, it’s pretty nice way to begin getting to know someone. We chatted about everything. She’s a spunky young woman who seemed to have a lot on her mind, but many ideas for her life too. After this first meeting I went back to visit her several times, just to say hi, while I was getting my fix of being in ‘real-Africa’. A few weeks later she gave me my first ever pedicure. It was an interesting experience! Haha.

I also brought her to my house for her to help me to remove the braids she had put in a month or more before and for dinner!

So, one morning I woke up and as I was praying I began thinking about Joyce. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. So I went to have breakfast. It was holiday time and as I had breakfast I decided I should go and visit her. So, I hopped in my car and off I went the 10 minute drive to Ruaka.

 

When I arrived at the place of the hairdressing parlour it was deserted. None of the other shops were open, but I thought I would just go down the alley and see if Joyce was there. To my shock she was there, sitting alone beside the doorway of her shop, with tears streaming down her face. She looked up and had a look of surprise on her face. She jumped up and hugged me with the biggest hug and smile I’d had/seen in a long time.

So there began my day. I sat with her and asked her what was wrong. She opened up to me and told me that she was pregnant and the father of the child had run away with another woman and got married on hearing the news she was expecting a baby.

She explained her family difficulties and the fact that she was completely alone and how she still loved this man. She has no friends to support her and her family lives in Western Kenya and would not be happy with the news she was pregnant. She told me that her pastor at Church knew and was asking her to keep the baby. Joyce opened up to me and told me that she wanted to abort the baby as it would be easier that way. Her other option was suicide. She had no idea how she was going to support herself and the baby on her limited income. She cried and we hugged and we talked. I listened to her as she poured her heart out. We prayed together. We cried out to God and asked for his wisdom. We talked about God’s love and what He would want in this situation. She was comforted and knew that she would be fine and that the God of miracles would save her from her situation.

Joyce then told me something I will never forget. She said “I was just thinking about you this morning and wishing you were here with me to talk, and then you arrived! I didn’t even have your number to call you!”.

Isn’t our God amazing! Looking back, the Holy Spirit sent me to Ruaka that day. He sent me there to listen, to be with Joyce in her time of need, to pray with her and to love her. When I looked up, we had been sitting chatting and crying together for more than 3 hours! Not another sole had come into or past the shop in that time. I then asked her if she would mind doing another pedicure on me (as I knew that she desperately needed money and didn’t want to just give her the money for nothing, as mzungus are often seen as ‘money-givers’). She happily agreed so I sat and had a several-hour pedicure. After my pedicure we prayed again and I left her shop. A few days later I found her an encouraging book and took it back to her shop. She seemed grateful for the encouragement and in a much more stable frame of mind.

I am thankful for God leading me to that place on that day. I am happy that I was able to speak truth to her life and am hoping she was touched by His words through me.

I always want to be a person who listens and responds to God’s call on my life. Please stand with me and pray for Joyce over the next few months, that she’ll find strength, healing and joy and more so that she will cry out to Him to help her.

 

I was reminded of several verses from Isiah 61....

ISIAH 61

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.

⁴ They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
⁵ Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
⁶ And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

⁷ Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.

⁸ “For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
⁹ Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”

¹⁰ I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.

Cross referenc

1. Isaiah 61:1 : S Isa 11:2; 2Co 3:17
2. Isaiah 61:1 : S Isa 50:4
3. Isaiah 61:1 : S Ps 45:7; S Da 9:24-26; S Ac 4:26
4. Isaiah 61:1 : S 2Sa 18:26; S Isa 40:9
5. Isaiah 61:1 : S Job 5:16; S Mt 11:5; Lk 7:22
6. Isaiah 61:1 : S 2Ki 22:19; S Job 5:18
7. Isaiah 61:1 : S Lev 25:10
8. Isaiah 61:1 : S Ps 68:6; S Isa 49:9
9. Isaiah 61:2 : S Isa 49:8; S Lk 4:18-19*
10. Isaiah 61:2 : S Isa 1:24
11. Isaiah 61:2 : S Isa 40:1; Mt 5:4
12. Isaiah 61:2 : S Job 5:11; Lk 6:21
13. Isaiah 61:3 : S Isa 3:23
14. Isaiah 61:3 : S Job 2:8
15. Isaiah 61:3 : S Ru 3:3; S Isa 1:6; Heb 1:9
16. Isaiah 61:3 : Jer 31:13; Mt 5:4
17. Isaiah 61:3 : Ps 1:3; 92:12-13; Mt 15:13; 1Co 3:9
18. Isaiah 61:3 : S Isa 44:23
19. Isaiah 61:4 : S Isa 44:26; 51:3; 65:21; Eze 36:33; Am 9:14; Zec 1:16-17
20. Isaiah 61:5 : S Isa 14:1-2; S 56:6
21. Isaiah 61:6 : S Ex 19:6; 1Pe 2:5
22. Isaiah 61:6 : Dt 33:19; S Isa 60:11
23. Isaiah 61:7 : S Isa 29:22; S 41:11
24. Isaiah 61:7 : S Dt 21:17; S Isa 40:2
25. Isaiah 61:7 : S Isa 60:21
26. Isaiah 61:7 : S Ps 126:5; S Isa 25:9
27. Isaiah 61:8 : S Ps 11:7; S Isa 1:17; S 5:16
28. Isaiah 61:8 : S Ge 9:16; S Isa 42:6; S Heb 13:20
29. Isaiah 61:9 : S Isa 43:5; S 48:19
30. Isaiah 61:9 : S Ge 12:2; S Dt 28:3-12
31. Isaiah 61:10 : S Ps 2:11; S Isa 7:13; S 25:9; Hab 3:18; S Lk 1:47
32. Isaiah 61:10 : S Job 27:6; S Ps 132:9; S Isa 52:1; Rev 19:8
33. Isaiah 61:10 : S Ex 39:28
34. Isaiah 61:10 : S Isa 49:18; Rev 21:2
35. Isaiah 61:11 : S Ge 47:23; Isa 58:11
36. Isaiah 61:11 : S Isa 45:8

Blessings,

X Waithera.  

 

Hakuna Stima

So on Saturday I went to visit the kids at the orphanage. I was met with the usual excitement and tackling hugs!! After a little while Mum asked me to take the kids to the kinyozi (hairdresser). I happily agreed. So off we marched together (about 15 kids and myself). We walked through the village and a few people stopped to ask me if these were all my kids. To which I proudly said yes! J The walk was long and the sun was HOT. Baking, really. So I was sweating quite a bit! I was carrying Emmanuel (1.5ish) on my back with one arm and Kibe (2 years) on my hip with the other arm. After a little while they get heavy! Hehe. So we walked and we walked and we walked. The road was SO dusty as it hasn’t rained in Uthiru for a little while! My legs were covered in red dust (it was perfect, really!). So after what seemed like a lifetime and probably only about 2kms we reached the kinyozi. As soon as we arrived we were told “Hakuna Stima” (No electricity!!).

WHHHHATTT!!!! Soooo with a polite smile I thanked them for their time and greeted some people in the nearby shops. The kids were disappointed. And I was just plain hot. So back we trekked home. I was thinking when I was walking how moments like these are so precious and should never be taken for granted. I got the opportunity to talk and laugh and love with these angels. It was great! I wished there was power, but maybe another day!

Safari time...

Taking 53 kids on safari is a crazy idea...If anyone ever suggests this to me again...remind me!! haha!

It was crazy, exhausting, but wonderful!

For a special Christmas/New Year/ Holiday treat we decided to take the kids on a trip! Pastor Steven from the children's home suggested Nairobi National Park. So we organised everything and worked out if it was affordable (which it was).

I arrived at the children's home at 9 in the morning on the 31st! The children were all dressed and ready in their new Christmas clothes.

It was then that I started to see kids faces I'd never seen before...In very African fashion about 8 kids came from somewhere to come on the trip...haha. So Pastor Steven couldn't turn them away. But this meant that 8 more kids had to squeeze into the bus. In Kenya, children are allowed to sit on other people's laps in cars...so we ended up having WAY too many children in a bus.

We made it safely to the national park and in true African style the machines at the park were not working. So we waited and waited and waited for over an hour to gain access into the park. We split the children into 2 groups and 1 group went into the park on safari, while the other visited the animal orphanage.

In the park, there were hardly any animals. :( Maybe it was the time of day that we ended up gaining access to the park. But the children still enjoyed driving through such a beautiful landcape and going through rivers!

We then went back and had cakes and sodas. After this the other group went to a place called Safari walk, which has animals in a beautiful setting. Our group then went into the animal orphanage. There were SO many animals in the orphanage. Sort of like a small zoo for orphaned animals. The kids really enjoyed seeing animals so close.

It was SUCH an exhausting day, but the kids had a wonderful time- the most important thing!!