Kenya Trip Update

Have you ever been in a place, other than your home, and felt totally at “home?” Have you ever felt such peace and enjoyed the beauty of the land and the love of the people? If so, did you stand there and “drink it in?” Well, this is how I feel when I am in Kenya!

In the earnest eyes of a pastor’s wife seeking knowledge from God’s Word to pass along to the ladies of her church; in the midst of traffic with no emission control nor air conditioning; in the heart break of the largest slum in the world that has no running water and uses car batteries for electricity where 1 million people live in 1 square mile; in the miracle of a rescue of a child in an orphanage from abandonment in a sewage trench or open air market place; while taking part with a group being good Samaritans to young boys whose home is the bleakest streets; while visiting an orphanage where every child is HIV/AIDS positive and has witnessed first hand the cruelty of death and the blessings of God through caring people who have created a home for them; in observing the self-less love of national Kenyans caring for their countrymen and sharing Christ with others; while drinking in the amazing majesty of God’s handiwork in the plains, mountains, hills and animal kingdom. A huge slice of my heart and soul are in Kenya! I consider this a tremendous blessing from God.

Just recently there were six of us who partnered with MotherWise through our local church, Johnson Ferry Baptist, to go teach two Wisdom for Mothers conferences in Eldoret and Mombassa, Kenya. In these conferences we had over 300 pastor’s wives and lay leaders in attendance from 8 AM until 5 PM. We were training these ladies to teach their own women in their churches or communities and also equipping them with materials.

Many women traveled before dawn in busses for over four hours, cars and walked. Ninety two different churches were represented. Two ladies were from Uganda and a group was from an island off Kenya. Baptists, Pentecostal, Quakers, Anglican, African Inland Church, Assemblies of God, Isaiah 61 Ministry (a ministry for widows), Lutheran, Church of God and Presbyterian.

At the end of the conference in Eldoret, one lady who had previously worked through the materials with a small group in her church, stood up and announced, “You will be really mean and very selfish if you go through this Bible study and don’t share it with other ladies!” She talked of changed lives, reconciliation in families and that Wisdom for Mothers is supportive of what pastors are teaching from God’s Word.

We earnestly thank our church, Johnson Ferry Baptist in Marietta, GA, for sending our team and equipping these ladies in Kenya with a conference and access to materials. We thank MotherWise for giving us permission to use the materials and represent the ministry.

Also while on this trip we visited the following ministries:

· Compassion International’s Child Survival Program in Nairobi where 75 women come for prenatal care and Bible study from the Korogocho slum.

· Raila School, which is adjacent to Kibera slums, the largest slum in the

world, in Nairobi. 1 million people live in 1 square mile with no running water and car battery electricity. As a community run school, Raila allows workers from First Love International to assist. This was our entry. Heather and Brian Dellamater are with First Love and they took us. We were blessed to be allowed to work with 41 of the primary children.

· The Dellamaters are also working and living on a five acre plot of land to build an orphanage and a workshop to build items needed in the community through First Love International. It was a blessing to see their vision and walk the land. They have been there since January of 2007 with their two young sons and are from the US.

· In Eldoret we saw a start-up program from Happy Church for young street boys, where they are feeding the boys and sharing God’s love for them. These boys have no home and no one caring for them. Their ages range from approximately 5 to 16 years.

· In Eldoret we also visited Isaiah 61 Ministries and met with its founder, Gladys Mwangi, on the property they have obtained. The have a vision for a future building to be used to minister to women in all circumstances, especially widows.

· In Nairobi we visited Tumaini, which is a home for HIV/AIDS children and is run by the women’s guild of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. These precious children are orphaned, were born with HIV, are cared for medically, educated, clothed, fed, and, most of all taught the love of Christ and that He chose them before they were created. We were all touched by this loving, caring ministry. A new building is under construction to house up to 60 children in the near future.

· In Mombassa we visited Chrislambs where infants are brought that have been abandoned in mosquito infested sewage trenches, local air markets, rubbish dumps and hospitals. It is run by women who are sacrificing their lives to raise these children in a healthy-home environment. Holding those babies will never leave our hearts.

Our team was touched by the people of Kenya who are serving the Lord by helping the poor and destitute. One team member said, “I know in my knower that the mountains of Kenya are ready to be marked for Jesus…are we ready as Christians of faith to participate in the marking?” Another believes that, “Kenya is the key to Africa, that the Lord of Hosts is going to battle for Kenya for His Kingdom and that we must enlist in this battle.” Yet another feels, “Through a strong team of prayer warriors our team was fully supported while we were there, which enabled us to see a glimpse of God’s vision for the Kenyan people.” God certainly opened the eyes of the hearts of our team!

There are unlimited opportunities for serving these precious people. From teaching men, women and children the Bible and life skills, to building and construction of homes and schools, to encouraging and equipping individuals to change their world, and their health conditions, to raising up a Godly generation…all these opportunities are available to those who will go.

We were blessed to have the opportunity to go, to teach Wisdom for Mothers, which we earnestly feel will change their relationships with God and their homes through God’s Word. We feel that through the knowledge of God’s priorities for our lives, many families will grow to know the Lord better.

Claire Crigler, Team Leader

Joyce Weru, Kenyan MotherWise Coordinator

Lori Ballington, Carol Battles, Karen Carley, Sara McEvoy, Becky Smith - JFBC

May 27 – June 8, 2007