My trip summary

I was looking for an amazing adventure that would help me see the grace of God, gain perspective, and help me build new friendships. I achieved that on the first day in Nairobi. We covered an unbelievable amount of ground in a week with two or three significant experiences each day – each of which occupy several pages in my journal. Some highlights:
 I saw joy at Mamlaka Chapel where we participated in a 2 hour worship service that felt like 15 minutes.
 I saw beautiful handicrafts and shrewd negotiators at the Masai Market.
 I saw hope at New Life Homes where babies are rescued and positioned for a full life that can lead to giving back to the community (since the home has been around for ~20 years some of the “babies” are now in law and medical school).
 I saw happiness in the faces of orphaned older children at The Ark who live together as a family.
 In the Mathare slum, I saw extreme poverty as people lived in closet sized hovels with uneven dirt floors, no electricity, and leaky roofs. I saw an initial disbelief in our group that children could learn and thrive in this environment. As we met the children and teachers of St. Phillips School, I saw perseverance, a thirst for knowledge, discipline, and strong faith. I saw how life sustaining a simple bowl of porridge that costs only pennies a day can be since many of the children at the school receive their only meal of the day there. In 25 year old Professor Nelson I saw a commitment to teach and help these children break out of the poverty they are in. I saw a place that helps children learn to set goals and believe they can achieve them through God’s grace. I learned how $50 a month is enough to take an 8th grade graduate of the school and send him or her to a boarding school in the country to complete their high school education.
 At Kazuri Beads I saw how >200 single mothers can earn a sustainable living wage making beautiful beads out of clay.
 Riding between sites, I saw hundreds of people manually digging ditches and saw men in suits walking miles from any apparent place of living or work
 At the Renguti School outside of Nairobi I saw how small investment of $100/month could lead to the founding of a school that now serves over 200 kids. I saw children with a thirst for education. I saw how important something as simple as a pair of shoes can be when a child has to walk 6 miles to school. I saw how a church, school, and clinic can co-locate to the serve the broader needs of a community. I saw first grade children who knew who their president was and ours. I saw how HIV positive and special needs kids can mix harmoniously with “normal” kids. I saw 5th grade kids learning Spanish in addition to English and Swahili.
 At the hospital in Kikuyu I saw a peaceful place to seek medical care and I saw a prosthetic workshop where artificial limbs are made in an affordable manner for patients who have had accidents, cancer, or diabetes.
 At Amani ya Juu (meaning “higher peace” in Swahili) I saw a refugee cooperative where women of different tribes, faiths, and countries come together in harmony to produce beautiful sewing projects and make a living wage. I saw a woman from Tennessee who was visiting for 3 weeks to teach sewing techniques. I saw an African proverb on the wall that states “If the leaders starts to limp the followers will too.”
 At New Life Homes in Nyeri I saw how a newer, smaller orphanage is integral to infant rescue and adoption processes. I saw love and kindness in the faces of the family that runs the place. I learned how HIV positive babies can become HIV negative with proper care and nutrition.
 At Tumutumu Hospital I saw the strength and longevity of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa which established the hospital over 100 years ago. During home visits to HIV patients, I saw how strong families care for each other and learned how hospital and social workers would literally carry patients on their backs so they could reach care. I saw a group of missionaries humbled as a dying HIV patient was so strong in her faith that she wanted to pray for us.

If I had to sum up what was special about the trip it was the people who:
 Graciously offered hospitality, displayed joy, and had a richness of faith that comes from focusing on the things that really matter
 Appeared unfazed by hard work, rain, walking long distances, or lack of the many of the things we would consider “necessities”
 Are not looking for a handout but would welcome a hand
 Live the view that “you may be able to change the whole world but you can change the world for one person”

I take away a deeper understanding of the inverse correlation between “stuff” and “happiness” (with less possessions, there is less separation from God and ultimately greater happiness) and a commitment to give back to the people of Kenya. I hope I can play a part in educating and energizing our congregation but regardless I know that I can change the life of a child by helping to pay for secondary education and hopefully impact many children by helping to supplement teacher salaries.

Hike up Mount Kenya

Seven hearty soles adventured up Mount Kenya. The scenery and fellowship were awesome. We started at the Sirimon Gate (8694 feet above sea level) and climbed to 16,355 feet over 3 days. The peak ascent started at 3:15 AM in driving rain and included hands and feet scrambling up icy car size rocks in the snow and darkness. Our longest day included over 17 miles of hiking!

We had an entourage of about 17 guides, cooks, and porters. Despite the hard work of carrying the heavy loads, they were always cheerful and professional. We knew we were in good hands when we found out the leads were named Moses, Peter, and Paul. The conversations with our hosts were fascinating and provided insight into a day in the life of a Kenyan. Rebecca talked with one porter about living with family. He could not understand that we did not live with our parents. "Then everyone needs their own house?" I talked with a guide who said that he worked at a bank for 3 years after high school until the bank manager told him he would have to pay a bribe to keep his job. One porter told me he would make around $30 for the 4 day trip - it was not great work but it was work. Given the economy, the next trip is not scheduled for 2 months!

As I reflect on the Africa trip as a whole, one of the take aways for me is from a sign I saw somewhere along the way. It said "You may not change the whole world but you can change the world for one person." I am convinced that small efforts on our part can have meaningful and lasting impact on people in Kenya - yet the ultimate benefits may be realized here based on what we learn and how we grow in our faith.