Safely Home

Today our team arrived safely in Madison at 5:30pm Central Time (1:30am Nairobi time). Thus concluded our 40 hour journey that began around midnight Central time on Sunday. We began with a 5 hour drive along pot hole ridden roads from the Masai Mara National Park (where we enjoyed a safari) to Nairobi. Following showers, packing and dinner in Nairobi, we headed to the airport for our flight home. After our 9 hour flight to London, we connected to an 8 hour flight to Chicago which landed safely around 2pm Central time (10pm Nairobi time). Our last leg was a short 2 hour bus ride from Ohare to Madison. As we pulled into the parking lot at Blackhawk, it felt quite good to be back home. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. We will update this blog over the next few weeks with more stories and pictures.

James

Updated Pictures

Hello Everyone,
Holly and I arrived home safely last night and as I write this the rest of the team should be in transit. They will be arriving home tomorrow evening.

I mainly just want to let you know that I've added several pictures into the various postings on our team blog. Hopefully these will help you to put images with the words that are already there. If you have a chance, go back through and take a look!

Joel

Nearing the End

Well, the trip is drawing to a close. The last few days have seen some difficult times and some wonderful times together as a team.

First the difficult: Kibera. I'm not going to attempt to sum up our experience in Kibera, as I feel that would be saying too little about the personalities represented on our team. Future blogs will hopefully involve team members offering their take on Eastern Africa's largest slum.

But I will say this from my perspective: I spent the last year trying to forget Kibera. Not actively, mind you, but in subconscious ways I had created walls that forced those images out of my brain. So to see it again and spend a short afternoon there brought back a wave of emotions and feelings that hadn't surfaced in a while. There was also a marked poignancy to reliving the experience through fellow team members' eyes who were seeing it for the first time. Much of it was surreal.

There aren't words to describe places like Kibera. Even if I could manage to convey a picture of that place, it wouldn't suffice. How do you capture a smell--thick, nauseating, and inescapable--on a computer screen? (If you have time and want a better idea of what Kibera is like, check out the first part of this article that Dave shared with the team: http://www.economist.com/surveys/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=9070714) We sing songs about a God whose love and faithfulness and justice flow to every part of this earth, but I think many (ourselves included) leave that place wondering if God is really present there.

In an effort to keep this post to a reasonable length, let me just say: The key is not to look for God in the location. Sometimes we see God in the grandeur of the mountains and the beauty of the oceans, but miss him when it comes to sewage strewn alleyways through densely-packed mud shacks. But God is unmistakeably present in the people of Kibera (as Katelyn so eloquently put it after the experience). If we miss God in a place like Kibera, then we've lost sight of his connection with the "least of these."

Now the wonderful: Our team has just spent Wednesday evening and all of Thursday together processing what we have experienced here in Kenya. This has been a rich time of being alone with God, then coming together to share how this journey has shaped each of us. And the stories abound! The culmination of these days together was a time of worship and then affirmation of each other that really solidified the bonds that we had formed over the last 2 weeks. God really has brought this team together in an incredible way and this fact was very evident as we celebrated what He had done through each person. And we capped it off by joining Anthony and Jurim (our drivers) and Brian and Debbie (Jane and Ken's children) for a great night of eating and fellowship together at "The Moonflower." It was a wonderful night.

As I write, the team has likely arrived at their Safari destination in the Masai Mara, and Holly and I are hanging out at a cyber cafe as we wait for our flight to leave this evening. We will be home in around 30 hours...

The team may have a chance to blog again on Sunday before they depart, but in the meantime, thanks again for following along with us!

Joel and Holly

Earthquakes?

Don't be alarmed, we are all accounted for! Many of the team members experienced their first ever earthquakes yesterday, although we only really felt one of them. The quakes happened in Tanzania and were felt here in Nairobi as well. We were driving when the first 2 happened, so we would not have felt them enough to distinguish them from the potholes in the road. In fact we had no idea that it had happened. However, last night during our team time together the room started shaking a bit and we all realized that this was some kind of tremor or earthquake. The whole thing lasted around 10 seconds. It turns out that this morning's paper reported around a 5.0 earthquake in this area. I don't know of any major structural damage or injury that happened in Nairobi itself, but the epicenter was in Tanzania, just across the border.

So, a pretty interesting experience, but in case you are hearing it and worrying about us, we are all just fine.

This post will likely serve as our last before we arrive at home. Holly and I will be arriving in Madison on Saturday night, and the rest of the team will arrive on Monday night. But internet access will be sparse until we land.

So for now, thanks for following along, and look for more postings (with pictures!) as we return. Thanks for all of your support and prayers!

Joel (for the team)

Joyful Worship

This is also a catch-up blog and was written on Wednesday night! Since arriving in Kenya, we’ve participated in incredibly joyful worship at the Nairobi Chapel Sunday morning service, Beacon of Hope morning worship and Bissil Tuesday night worship; I hope the sounds of the women’s voices at Beacon of Hope and the images of the men’s dances at Bissil stay with me forever. On Tuesday morning, the message shared with us at the Beacon of Hope was especially poignant. I was reminded of how universal God’s words are across thousands of years or thousands of miles and although the burden facing the women at Beacon of Hope can be beyond words; I’ve never heard God’s promise of hope loader than I heard here. We’ve truly been blessed to participate in God’s plan at Beacon of Hope.

Linda

Catch-Up Blogging

Dear friends and family,

I've been elected to write the team's first "catch-up blog". The last couple of days have been pretty hectic for us, and with today's time for R&R&R (rest and relaxation and reflection), I will try to fill all of our supporters in on what we've been up to.

On Thursday we found ourselves still recovering from our first attempt at a medical camp in Bissil the day before. We were all pretty drained physically and emotionally, so we slept in and started the day at Beacon's new site in the mid-morning. We had planned on spending the day preparing for Saturday's huge medical camp (the first official function at Beacon's new site!). However, when we arrived, we were instantly greeted by a missionary and four of her helpers from Elmbrook Church in Milwaukee! The five of them have been traveling to different sites in Kenya, hosting sports camps for kids. We instantly joined forces and put together a great day full of genuine smiles from the kids (and adults!) as they went through four different courses: playing with a huge parachute, rolling a gigantic blow-up ball, navigating an obstacle course, and challenging Joel in soccer. At one point, one of our team members observed that most of the children had never seen grass before, and now they were playing drip-drip-drop (much like duck-duck-goose) in Beacon's huge, grassy backyard.

On Friday, we dedicated our time to medical camp preparation. We again sorted medications and poured cough syrup for hours, and again we were blessed by great conversations that blanketed our mundane tasks. That afternoon, 7 of our team members went on our first home visit in the Kware slum. We met a woman who had only disclosed her HIV-positive status to her mother, and her mother had sought out Beacon to help them work through her daughter's diagnosis. We arrived at the home they shared and were instantly blown away by how welcoming they were - both women greeted us as if we were their closest friends. Even when we explained why were there and that we had been informed of her HIV status, the woman was still very gracious and allowed us not only into her home but also into her greatest point of vulnerability. We told her about all of the opportunities Beacon provides for HIV-affected and/or infected women, and also about the medical camp we'd be hosting the next day...

...And Saturday, we arrived at Beacon early to meet the other 85+ volunteers for the medical camp. The day was filled with great opportunities to serve the Rongai community. Lots of us learned how to direct foot traffic in Kswahili (co-cha is "come" or "follow me"), and at the warmest part of the day several team members helped by offering cups of cold, clean water to the patients in the waiting areas.

We came back to Gracia last night and had some time to process our day and our trip so far as a team. Many of us feel like we are dealing with sensory overload, and processing what we get to see every day is just too daunting. At lunch today we talked about our innate desire to record everything, to capture memories before they fade, to journal and so on, just in hopes of remembering what we've experienced. But for a lot of us, finding the words to explain the last week has not come with any sort of facility. I think we will be ruminating over our Kenya trip even still when we get back to the states, and probably in some sense for the rest of our lives.

One song that we've sang in several team times seems to be closest to sufficient for starting to articulate our Kenyan experience so far:

"I have been blessed...now I'm gonna be a blessing
I have been loved...now I'm gonna bring love

I've been invited...gonna share the invitation
I have been changed...to bring change, to bring change."

Thanks again for all of your support and prayers.

~Mandy

Making Friends

One of the best things for me in Kenya has been talking with many of the people whom we have met here. We are learning so much. The staff at Beacon of Hope have been incredibly open with us, allowing us to ask any question and sharing about their lives, their communities, and Kenyan culture. One of the girls that we have been able to get to know the best is Loretta, a young mom who volunteers at Beacon. Loretta joined us for lunch today, and we were able to find out a lot about her life and her view of the world. It is so cool to travel around the world and to find people who love God and love people. We are excited to have the opportunity to visit her house next week and to encourage her as she has encouraged us.

Paula

Downtown Nairobi

After the medical clinic last night we celebrated with dinner at the local mall’s food court. A large quantity of pizza and ice cream were consumed. Then we came back to the hotel last night and had a sweet time talking about the clinic, what God was teaching us, and had some worship and singing.

This morning we headed to downtown Nairobi for church. It was really cool to drive past the Kenya Parliament building and other buildings like the US Embassy. The church we attended is the Nairobi Chapel church plant called Mavuno Downtown (www.mavunodowntown.com). The church meets at a Chinese restaurant in the basement of one of the tallest buildings in Nairobi. Church went really well, they had these singers visiting that sang African music and had traditional African dress on. The talk was on the importance of having solid friendships in our lives. It hit home because on this trip our team of 16 has had to pull together and support one another and it has been awesome to see us become one big family. As we worshipped in downtown Nairobi with a church of about 100 young professionals, it hit home that just yesterday I drove through the Kware slum announcing the medical clinic. Driving through the slum my eyes could not escape the conditions that the people had to live in each day. The ground was all dirt, most of which was covered by garbage.

Following the church service we had the chance to talk to the pastor and meet some of the church people. We had a nice lunch today in downtown Nairobi and then took some time to relax and hit up the local Masai Market. Some were better barterers than others, according to team members I would not get a passing grade but that is ok! Tomorrow morning we will hit the ground running and head to Beacon of Hope!

Tony

Medical Camp

Saturday we held an all day medical camp at Beacon of Hope's new 8 acre site. We were joined by Kenyan doctors and pharmacists from Gertrude's Children's hospital in Nairobi. Our team worked to assist with greeting new patients as they entered the camp, triage, the pharmacy and patient flow from one area to another. Some of the highlights included Brenda spending the day with a dentist teaching people how to brush their teeth and use floss (apparently some of the people were learning about flossing for the first time) and Tony driving around the slum in our van announcing the camp on a megaphone.

All in all we provided free medical care to 865 individuals and tested 76 for HIV with 6 being positive. The medications handed out as well as the tents used for seeing patients were paid for with money donated by our supporters. Thank you so much for your support. Without your monetary contributions, none of these people would have received care for their colds, rashes, infections, and other assorted ailments. Certainly this is the sort of work God calls us to-- caring for the poorest of the poor. Though we intended to be a blessing to the people of Kware slum, I believe it was truly we who were blessed.
James

Trip To Bissil

On Tuesday we arrived again at Beacon of Hope, after a 30-minute drive from our hotel to Beacon in Ongata Rongai. We spent part of the morning having a devotional with the Beacon of Hope staff and some of the mothers. As Mercy, the main cook, was speaking of staying strong in the faith, it was sinking in for the first time that many of these women were HIV positive.

After the morning devotions, our team started preparing for the medical camp. We left for Bissil around 3:00pm. About 2-1/2 hour drive southeast from Nairobi, Bissil is roughly 50km from the Tanzania border. It was a beautiful drive through the African plains. We saw our first zebras and giraffes! Even just the rolling hills and the trees, being so different from what we see in the U.S., were really cool. When we arrived in Bissil, we noticed right away that this village is in the middle of nowhere. We met with the people from the church in Bissil, and then walked around the village to see where people lived. The people who run the church were so extremely gracious. They got beds ready for us to sleep in, served us tea and dinner, took care of every detail and were so extremely polite. They also did not speak without first thanking God for something! They will leave a lasting imprint on me for sure. Our team from Blackhawk and about 10 Beacon of Hope staff members stayed up until about 11pm counting pills for the next days medical clinic. It was so neat to see us all working together so well for one purpose. We slept well that night with the lizards on the walls keeping us company!

The medical camp went extremely well. I am so proud of everyone on our team. A few team members played with the kids all day long. Others worked the registration all day long, taking good care to check all the incoming Masai people’s temperatures. The rest of us helped support the physicians and prepare medications for the Masai. The entire day you could look outside the building we were treating patients and see 50-75 people in their Masai dress. The craziest thing that happened to me was that I was asked to hold down this boy who had a bee fly in his ear a few days earlier. The doctors were amazing and saw all the patients and were awesome in answering all questions that came their way. In the early afternoon Joel and Holly arrived after making it through cancelled and delayed flights in Madison and Chicago. We got back to Nairobi at about 8pm and everyone was super tired but so encouraged after a successful trip. God is so good!

Tony

Home Visit

This is a catch up blog that was written earlier in the week. Tuesday, while in Bissil, Kortney and I met a Masai woman named Rahiyah Micah. Our Beacon of Hope guide, Rosemary, had invited us to meet her friend. Rahiyah, who only speaks the Masai language and was dressed in beautiful Masai clothing and jewelry, greeted us as she did her friend with a kiss on each cheek. We were invited into her home for a visit. Her home was made of sticks and bark and was about 3 1/2 feet high. As we entered her home we could not see anything as there were no windows. The only source of light came from the embers from a fire in the corner of the room. The pastor who also accompanied us lit a small lamp. As our eyes focused in the darkness, we saw that there was a child in the room, Rahiyah's grandson. Through our visit I was able to see the presence of God in this woman. She shares this joy with everyone she meets. Due to poor living conditions and poor health care, Rahiyah is sick. And yet, she is filled with the joy of Christ. I was in awe of this.

As I sat visiting with her, I became overwhelmed. It is difficult for me to clearly put in words how meeting this woman affected me. It brought out emotions that cut me deeply. I hope that God will help me make sense of all of this. Until then I am reminded that although Rahiyah and I are very different people from different parts of the world, we love the same God - the God that uses everyone to reach out to others.

Lisa

The Masai People

What an amazing day yesterday was! We began the medical camp in Bissil around 8:30am and went until 4pm. During that time, we were able to serve ~375 people! Praise God! It was amazing to look out at the "waiting area" and to see all of the Masai people, patiently waiting for their turn to receive services. The people were all decked out in their Masai clothing and ornaments - lots of colorful clothing and beautiful bead work. As James stated to the group, it felt like we were part of a National Geographic magazine!

Dave, Lindsey and myself quickly got to work by registering all of the people by getting the typical information (name, age, sex) along with taking their temperature. It was an incredible experience to be able to be so intimate with the individuals...as well as somewhat humorous as it was difficult to explain how to use a thermometer!

Everyone worked extremely hard and were stretched in many ways - it was amazing to see God's work in progress!

Along with working the camp, we also had a chance to get to know some of the Masai people. I had the privilege of getting to know one of the local pastors pretty well and hearing his testimony. Pastor Geddial was a Masai warrior - a warrior's duty is to protect all of the Masai people at all costs. He shared with me that this also meant killing people who threatened their community. When he was ~17 years old, a pastor approached him and shared the gospel with him. He stressed that we were all sinners and that if he did not turn his life over to God and change his ways, he would end up in hell. Geddial was very proud (never apologized to anyone for his actions) and a mean man and told the pastor that he chose to side with the devil. He then was going to kill the pastor, but the pastor was able to de-escalate the situation by assuring him that he did not have a battle with him - that he just wanted to share the Word with him. After the pastor asked for Geddial's forgiveness, Geddial let him leave unharmed.

Shortly after this encounter, Geddial had the same dream 3 different times. The dream consisted of a bush being completely on fire, with animals coming out of it (Geddial did not know the story of Moses and the burning bush). In addition, there was a voice calling out to Geddial from the bush in the name that his mother named him at birth (this is a name that no one else knows and one that he has not shared with anyone else). The voice kept calling him and asking him where he was going to go (heaven or hell). Finally on the 3rd night, Geddial answered the Lord in his dream by apologizing for his sinful life and asking him into his life. Immediately after doing this, Geddial woke from his dream and felt a peace about him.

He then walked away from the lifestyle of that of a Masai warrior and went back to school. He eventually went to college and is now an assistant pastor to the one who initially shared the gospel with him.

What an amazing testimony! I praise God for the privilege to hear it and to get to know Geddial. I have faith that God will use him to be a huge impact with his people.

As we continue on our mission (now back at Beacon), please pray for our team that we would be the hands and feet of God...and that we would be stretched even more while we are here. Please also continue to pray for our health and safety - we have been very fortunate that none have yet to be very sick.
Amy

Off to Bissil

Tomorrow we depart for Bissil, a Masai town two and a half hours outside of Nairobi. Once we arrive, we will begin the set up for our medical camp on Wednesday. We hope to serve nearly 500 people during the free all-day camp. Though we will treat many different conditions, our main hope to to increase awareness about HIV in the area by providing HIV testing on-site. One local pastor stated that he believes the HIV prevalance to be nearly 15% in the area surrounding Bissil.

In the future, Beacon of Hope plans to expand their operation into Bissil. The Masai people are well known for their bead-work. The hope is to create a training center for women that will provide the same holistic care as the site in Ongata Rongai centered around bead-work that can be sold for a fair price. Thus, in many ways tomorrow will also be about raising awareness that Beacon of Hope cares about Bissil and will expand into the area in the near future. We are truly privileged to take part in what God is doing as He expands the influence of Beacon within Kenya.

As we travel tomorrow, please pray for our journey and for the health of our team members. We have had a select group of individuals who have begun to feel nauseaus, but no one has yet to become truly sick. We hope to be able to serve whole-heartedly without the distraction of feeling crummy.

James

Surprises

As we departed from Gracia Guesthouse this morning, a number of mixed emotions swept over the team. Uncertainty, nervousness, and excitement can only begin to describe what we felt when we looked toward the day ahead. When we arrived at the Beacon of Hope Centre and began the day our flurry of previous emotions quickly turned to thoughts of awe and amazement.

We began the day with powerful and moving time of devotions with the staff and trainees at the centre. God's presence filled the room as it became alive with the sounds of clapping, shouting, singing, whistling, and praise. Though we could not understand the language and the words being spoken (Swahili), we felt the energy and the faith in their voices, and saw it in their actions.

Our team then began a morning-long tour of the Beacon facilities. We encountered women weaving, sewing, cleaning wool, spinning yarn, beading and we spent time in the preschool where children ages 3-6 smiled and waved and each class sang us a song. A short walk over to a rented site revealed yet another training department in which men and women wove kikoys, the native shoulder wraps and skirts. Paula and I each tried our hand at the weaving but lets just say that the experts final words were "It's okay, I'm just going to undo your rows anyways".

After the tour we traveled to Beacon's new 8-acre sight which was like everything else: incredible. The beautiful house and gardens will be the sight of our medical camp on Saturday. Following lunch our team split up and some sorted medical supplies and medications and others posted fliers and visited the Kware slum. The work was tiring but necessary and beneficial.

Overall today was an amazing day full of surprise, learning, and the shy waves children who just wanted to touch the "white people". We thank you for your continued support and hope tomorrow can bring as much joy and hope as today.

Katelynn

Amazing Day

What an amazing day! God has shown His light in Ongata Rongai! We made our first visit to Beacon of Hope today, where we will spend the majority of our time in Kenya. The day began with morning devotions, where we had the opportunity to meet Beacon staff as well as the women who are taking part in one of several trade-training programs. We toured the facility and learned more about the processes and function of Beacon. The staff was so wonderful and welcoming. After morning tea, founder Jane Wathome, gave us an extensive tour of their new facility which is a little over 2km from their current location. The Lord has truly blessed this project with the necessary funding, skilled engineers and countless others who are deeply emersed in building the new site.

Our team later broke up into groups to begin our set up for Wednesday's Medical Camp in Bissil and Saturday's VCT Camp at Beacon. I had an opportunity to place posters around the city and in the Kware slum. The response was remarkable. Several men and women stopped us on the street and inquired about the services and care they could receive. It was a long day, but the fruits of our labor will be evident throughout the week.

Laura

Off to Beacon

In fifteen minutes our driver will arrive and we will load our vans with all of the team items we packed a week ago Thursday. We will drive 40 minutes outside Nairobi to Ongata Rongai, the town that Beacon serves. As preparation for this first day at Beacon, last night we discussed as a team what people are looking forward to experiencing today. The responses were varied. Some are simply excited to see what the training center looks like, while others look forward to seeing Jane once more. All in all, our team has a sense of excitement about beginning our work in earnest.

We will certainly need to hit the ground running. Our current schedule has us traveling to Bissil, a small Masai town 2 hours outside Nairobi, on Tues to hold a medical camp on Weds. Much of our time today and tomorrow will likely go toward preparing for this upcoming project. Please pray that we would be able to accomplish much in these next few days-- both with the tangible work of setting up for the medical camp and also for the intangible relational elements. We truly desire to connect at a deep level with our Kenyan brothers and sisters, so that we might really be one body of believers united in Christ. Our team is very excited about what God is going to teach us through our time among his Kenyan children.

James

We made it!

Hi All!
Greetings from Nairobi. After a very long journey, we are here, safe and sound. We left Madison from Blackhawk on Friday afternoon. We then took a bus to O'hare in Chicago. We had about a 7 hour flight to London. Our flight from London to Nairobi took a little over 8 hours. We arrived at the airport here in Nairobi a little after 9pm their time Saturday (which is 1pm Madison time). Praise God -- all our luggage arrived! We are all still trying to adjust to the time change and finding ourselves a little tired this afternoon.

This morning, we went to church at Nairobi Chapel. We attended a service that they have called ''Xpressions''. It is geared toward youth and was complete with a DJ and turntable. It was incredibly lively and energetic. The highlight for me was doing the ''cha-cha'' slide along with the rest of the congregation and the pastor, Oscar Muriu. I was surprised to see how similar Blackhawk and Nairobi Chapel are. They are also relocating to a new facility in September and are in the midst of exciting things that God is doing.

All in all, our time here so far has been very enjoyable. Tomorrow we will be going to Beacon of Hope for a tour and to meet the staff there. Thank you for all your support and prayers.

Brenda

Wheels Up

In a few short hours our team embarks on the 25 hour journey to Kenya. As we travel, I realize that we leave behind many friends and loved ones. In fact, it is these very individuals who have supported us through prayer, finances and by generously donating shoes, hats and socks for the women and children of Beacon of Hope. These supporters have enabled us to go to reach out to our brothers and sisters in another part of the world. Thus though many of you remain at home in the States, you are a crucial part of the work we are doing in Kenya.

Here is how all of you members of our sending team can serve our traveling team while we are abroad…

Pray, pray, pray-- More than anything, our trip needs to be covered in prayer. As we travel to participate in what God is doing in Kenya, those of you at home can partner with us by regularly praying for our trip. Please pray for our team and the relationships we set out to foster at Beacon of Hope. We will update this blog in an effort to keep everyone updated of our activities and to provide a medium for sharing specific prayer requests as they arise.

Thank you all for your love and support.

James

Leaving for Kenya tomorrow!

I am amazed that we are leaving for Kenya tomorrow! I have had many life distractions as I've prepared for this trip. From searching for a job and then a new place to live, it has been difficult, at times, to get my heart and mind into this trip. However, as God has closed many doors in my life, He has made things fall into place for this trip. When some doubted that I would go due to the amount of support requested, God provided twice as much as I needed.

Initially I wondered what God would do while we are in Kenya. I was not prepared for all that He would do prior to leaving. Because of this trip, I have been able to share my faith with many as well as connect with complete strangers. As I attempt to pack the things that are needed, I am filled with joy and excitement as well as a little nervousness about the unknown. I wonder how I will be able to give hope to strangers in a strange land suffering from things that I do not understand. However, I feel that God has made this trip possible and have faith that He will take care of the rest.
Lisa

Anticipation

We are just a few days out from leaving now. Amidst the hurry of final preparation and errands and packing, there's a sense of anticipation welling up in me that I can't ignore. On the one hand, the stark reality is that we are getting on an airplane headed to Africa in a matter of days. It becomes substantially more concrete the closer it gets. That reality brings with it a little bit of panic to get everything done before we go, and to make sure we are ready.

On the other hand, there's a sense of longing in me to be back there. With the exception of James, Holly and I are the only returning team members from last year, and I think a part of my heart has been there this entire past year. I'm excited to see the friends we made: Jane and Ken, Jurim, Laban, Rosemary, David, Mwangi, Gugi, Mary, Bernadetta, and many others. I'm excited to see what God has done in the ministry of Beacon of Hope since we were last there. I'm excited to walk the streets, to experience the sights and sounds and smells, and to make new friends.

Amidst all of the anticipation, I have an overwhelming sense that I'm not ready. I don't know what it is. It goes beyond the practicalities of packing and getting physically ready. That stuff will come together in due course. This uneasiness seeps into my memories and emotions and deep into my heart. I remember the challenges of last year, yes. But I remember more poignantly the joys and the sorrows and the ways God moved in my heart and I'm just not sure I'm ready for all of that again. Compound that with the hurry that I feel in these days, with so much to do and not enough time to do it. And I'm left with the sense that the time I should be spending preparing my heart is actually being spent preparing my toiletries.

I reflect back on one of the biggest lessons that God hammered home in me last year: We're not taking God to Africa. He's been working there for a long time and we get to see a small glimpse of it. When we are there we'll see a snapshot of how God is making new the broken things in this world. And sometimes it's too much, because it points with neon glow to our own desperate need for Him. Yes, there is a physical difference between our worlds. Madison, Wisconsin to Nairobi, Kenya. But the spiritual depth of a people that so desperately rely on God to meet their physical needs is humbling. God is so real for them in ways that I can't even fathom, and it makes me wonder why He doesn't seem that real in my life most of the time.

So, I'm not ready. I doubt I ever really could be. But we're going. And I know this year will bring with it new challenges that I don't yet see. I know that God will rock my boat in ways I can't imagine. My biggest hope for myself and for this team as we go is that we would respond well. That what we learn to be true of God in faraway places would awaken our sense of Him when we return. That we might latch onto aspects of God's character that we've never grasped before and let Him change us in the process.
Joel

Africa Dreaming

i thought about africa while i was riding my bike on the military ridge trail yesterday. as the sun was sinking low, i was taking in all the different types of plant life and listening to the birds. i wondered how different the sights and sounds in africa would be in comparison. the sun was warm but the air was cool and breezy. i pretended i was on a dirt trail in africa. i watched the sun turn a deep red and knew it would be rising for my (soon to be) friends in nairobi. it still boggles my mind that i will get to meet them in a few days. my heart was welling up. i can't believe i have this opportunity to go to a new and different place where the faces always look so warm and kind, even in the midst of severe poverty....man, i just don't get it.
but i want to understand it.

as i headed home i felt God's presence. I feel Him most when i'm alone...it's when i hear Him best. His whispers fill my life. all my questions about the universe in it's enormity, the world with it's injustice and poverty...all my worries about this life... they all just fall into big hands. they have to. i felt surrounded by the three in one. all the integral parts of the whole reassuring me that "everything's gonna be alright".

then this song by fernando ortega came into my mind...road song.

"One rides in the summer wind beside me, One flies with the stars That set the wild night on fire, One runs close and steady as a river, I could drive for miles Carried by that choir. "

each and every one of us are carried by big hands.

kortney

Meet the Team

Kenya team 2007.

Front Row from left to right: Holly Hassenzahl, Laura Grady, Mandy Wickman, Paula Bigham, Lizzi Luebke, and Lisa Underhill
Back Row from left to right: Joel Hassenzahl, Amy Theusch, James Bigham, and Linda McKinley
Not Pictured: Dave Gennrich, Lindsey Bollig, Tony Piek, Katelynn Kermicle, Brenda Pigeon, and Kortney Kaiser.

Beacon of Hope Prayer Requests

Below is a list of prayer requests drawn from the Beacon of Hope website www.beaconafrica.org. If you have time, please take a moment to pray for our partner in ministry.

· Pray for the team that is involved in assisting us with the renovations and construction of our new centre the architects, contractors and workers who are involved.
· Pray for guidance, wisdom and discernment during the process.
· We thank God for those who have pledged and committed to give resources towards this new centre.
· Pray that God may touch many more people to give sacrificially towards this assignment
· Pray that we shall be able to move by the end of august 2007.
· Pray that God will raise more sponsors for the many children who require to go through school.
· Thank God for the enquiries we have received about our products from the USA, Canada, and UK. Pray that they will become orders that will lead to increased income for the women and their families.
· Pray for continued good health for staff, volunteers, interns and beneficiaries.
· Pray for the huge medical camp that will be held at Bissil and at the New BOH centre in July. Pray for our new partners (PEFA Church) at Bissil who together we hope to transform the Maasai community

Trip Preparation

Last Thursday our team gathered to begin packing for our trip. Everyone brought team items they collected to add to the multitude of shoes, socks and hats donated by the people of Blackhawk. The room was strewn with everything from stuffed animals to IV tubing for the medical clinic.

In all, we loaded 14 bags full of craft supplies, medicine, hand sanitizer, shoes and more! It was encouraging to see how well our team dove into the task at hand, working with an incredible sense of unity. At the end of the night, the chaotic mass of team items had been neatly packed into a long line of luggage. As we prayed over the bags-- that their contents would be a blessing to the intended recipients-- it was overwhelming to realize how much of an impact people can have by simply giving.

The many donors will never meet those who receive the goods they gave. In fact, few of the donors may ever travel to Kenya. However, through their generosity, these contributors are extending God's love to those with few material possessions. In so doing, they are heeding the call of Jesus to love the unlovely.

Thank you to all of you who have donated items and money to this endeavor. You may never fully know the impact of your giving. However, we hope to communicate many stories from our time in Kenya so you will get a taste of the fruit of your giving.

James

Death Stalks Us - Ruth's Story

The following excerpt was selected from Beacon of Hope's website: www.beaconafrica.org

The saddest moment for us at Beacon of Hope has been the death of some of our recruits. It takes a long time to win the trust of women who have struggled with poverty and disillusionment all their lives. When, by God's Grace, some begin to have hope and develop a fledgling belief in a God of love, it is very rewarding for us at Beacon of Hope.

However, the reality of AIDS is constantly in our faces. The majority of those who come to this center are AIDS infected. Even as their souls are being renewed by the power and love of God, their bodies are decaying from the virus. It is a fighting battle to keep them alive. Many become stronger because of regular meals and the provision of medication, which they would otherwise not afford. The Word of God nourishes their souls and there is a renewed hope and courage as they study the Scriptures regularly with our volunteers.

Despite this, some will succumb to the virus, and like Ruth, they will eventually die.

Ruth Wanjiru was a lively, small-framed woman. Despite the hardships she faced daily in the slums, she still managed to eke out some form of existence. On April 11th this year, Ruth was blessed with a baby boy Simon Muriu. Sadly, he too had AIDS.

Ruth started coming to the BOH center early this year and before long she had committed her life to Christ. Though her body continued to deteriorate, one needed only sit with Ruth for a few minutes to see the shining light in her eyes and to bask in her contagious optimism. Knowing Christ for herself gave her a strength that no medication could.

Unfortunately, before long Ruth succumbed to AIDS and struggled through feverish nights with a breast abscess, diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Her malnourished son Muriu was not doing any better, and though we at BOH tried to ensure they both received the medical attention they could from the medical centers that dotted the area, and from our clinic, it seemed to do no good. Soon she was bed-ridden and we determined to visit her daily, to encourage her in the Lord. Watching her deteriorate before our very eyes was heart-rending.

Before long, Simon developed a chest infection, and rapidly lost weight because he could no longer ingest milk. Finally, God took both of them to rest; Ruth died on a Monday, and Simon on the Thursday following.

We saw the love of God through various volunteers and friends who helped finance a funeral for Ruth and her son. A friend of BOH provided the flowers, another still provided the casket; the local pastor who is also a BOH Board member led the funeral service, and Ruth received a fitting funeral in a slum where such funerals were unheard of for the expense. It was a very sad time for all of us, but it also sobered us. We realized the urgency of spreading the Gospel for we are all on transit to a better place, only, because of AIDS, some will get there sooner.

Reality in Kware Slums

The following excerpt taken from www.beaconafrica.org is a look at Kware slum, home to the women trained at Beacon of Hope

The Kware slums are no different from other slums beyond the suburbs of Nairobi, the capital city. They are densely populated and congested, and poverty is rampant. Kware has about 60,000 people living on square feet and desperate poverty has led to a deep sense of apathy and hopelessness, alcoholism, prostitution, battery, and an increase in crime in the surrounding estates.

The people in Kware are desperate for some form of employment, they dream of one square meal a day when most of us indulge in three. Most of all, poor nutrition, inadequate health information and services leads to widespread infection and disease. Poor immunization means even preventable diseases are unchecked.

Depression, the resultant alcoholism and promiscuous living also lead to a high level of HIV infection. In fact, 90% of the women who work at the BOH center are infected with HIV; a majority has full-blown AIDS and constantly struggles with, and succumbs to opportunistic diseases. This reality has prompted us to open a makeshift health clinic on the BOH premises where we stock medication donated by well wishers, and friends of BOH.

The fight to survive has led many to prostitution. It is no longer surprising to learn of families where the mother and her daughters are engaged in commercial sex, many times with the full knowledge and reluctant support of other needy family members. As these men move from hovel to hovel and sexually take advantage of these women, they leave behind a deep sense of hopelessness, disease and bitterness. After some time, the women become skeptical and they are driven by bitterness and hopelessness to infect others with HIV even by choice.

The single women especially are easy pray for wealthy business men who promise them a meal or two in exchange for sex. Unfortunately, there are illicit beer points all over the slum, where cheap, but highly flammable and corrosive alcoholic beverages are found in plenty. Many have been known to die of toxic poisoning from these brews.

Inevitably, there is also a high level of teenage pregnancy and the vicious cycle of poverty continues as children raise children.

Beacon of Hope Prayer Requests

Below is a list of prayer requests drawn from the Beacon of Hope website www.beaconafrica.org. If you have time, please take a moment to pray for our partner in ministry.

-That God will provide resources to develop our ten-acre plot in the Ongata Rongai area for a Community Centre to house a vocational training school, a day care and primary school, a VCT Centre, Counselling Centre, Medical Clinic, a Hostel, a large multipurpose hall and much more.

-For the many families living below the poverty line in Kenya and in Ongata Rongai in particular.

-That the churches in Ongata Rongai and Kenya will rise up to the challenge of HIV/AIDS by becoming agents of hope and healing to the many affected and infected.

-That the word of God may continue to penetrate and bear fruit in the lives of the families we are assisting and that the women of the centre may truly understand the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

-That God may continue to raise more labourers to help Beacon of Hope with the current programmes as well as assist with future BOH plans and programmes.

-That God will provide a high turn over of our products.

-That God will provide funds to continue running Beacon of Hope more effectively and efficiently as well as cover the operational costs.

-That God may be glorified through Beacon of Hope’s work and that people will come to know Him as Lord and Saviour.

Why do short term missions?

In our busy lives, many of us often only experience God as the overseer of our daily concerns. Thus, when individuals depart comfortable lives in Madison to venture on a short term mission trip, many people may wonder, “Why would anyone go on a short term missions trip?”

Here is a response in three parts.

You will foster relationships
God has called His Church to be a body of believers. In this body, we are to love and support one another so the world will see our good deeds and praise Him. Thus, when one part of the body is hurting, we are to serve and care for those parts in need. Therefore, if one individual in the Church has HIV, the Church has HIV. Where one Christian lives in poverty, the Church is impoverished. For us not to lovingly respond to our brothers and sisters is to disobey God as He calls us to unity. In fact, solely sending money and resources is not enough. We must export our most precious commodity: ourselves. Through this act of compassion, God’s love is clearly manifest. In turn, He blesses us with new relationships with our international brothers and sisters in Christ.

You will take part in what God is already doing
As the maker of the universe, God’s Spirit oversees all humanity. Thus, He is currently working to bring about His kingdom in every corner of the world. In fact, God doesn’t need us for His plan to succeed; however, as a loving father He allows to take part in what He is doing. To be a part of God’s plan, no matter how small is a blessing, is humbling, and is significant. This after all is our calling: to be ambassadors of God’s kingdom.

You will be changed
When one pursues cross-cultural experiences, she experiences more of our infinite, global God. As we allow ourselves to stretch in this way, we learn to seek after God with increased faith. One Kenya team member noted, “I learned how to look at confusing and potentially disastrous situations and say ‘God you are in control, tell us what to do.’ On learning this, I realized that I don’t say that enough in my own life.” Being stretched deepens one’s relationship with God. Here He becomes more than your very own personal savior. Rather, you recognize God as the Lord of the weak and poor. In fact, by venturing to international locales, one is called to partner with God in resolving issues of social justice such as poverty, physical and sexual abuse, and oppression. Once your eyes are opened to these horrors, it becomes impossible to turn away at home or abroad.

James

t-minus 6 months to departure

Now that January has arrived, snow covers the ground in Madison, WI. As a result, setting foot on the red clay of Kenya this July seems a long way off-- another world, a seeming lifetime away.

As of NYE, our team was selected for our July trip to Nairobi. We have individuals from 15 to 40 yo, with skills as diverse as graphic design and infectious disease nursing. All in all, the entire team is excited to get on the ground in Ongata Rongai to work with Beacon of Hope.

The plans for this year's trip are quite exciting and diverse. We are slated to again participate in home visits in Kware slum and to run a free medical camp at the Beacon training center in Ongata Rongai. However, new this year is an opportunity to travel to the Masai land to establish a new VCT (government sponsored HIV clinic) along with a general medical clinic.

This new direction is an answer to prayer as God continues to expand the influence of Beacon of Hope throughout Kenya. Come what may!

James