The Trip of a Lifetime

In July 2006, I was fortunate enough to take a trip to minister to small villages in western Kenya. Our ministry to them included medical, vision, education, pastoral support and financial support. The trip was organized by the sister church in Hawaii of our little church in Trumbell, Nebraska. Eash person who made the trip paid their own way through funds they individually raised. Funds were also donated that was used for various needs while on the mission including educational materials, toys, food, medical supplies, 6 months of teachers salaries and learning materials for the teachers. A total of 17 people went on the trip of which 4 were from Nebraska and 13 were from Hawaii. The occupations of the 17 included farmers, doctors, nurses, teachers, ministers, computer technician, general contractor, sales manager (your's truly), loan manager, x-ray technician and a business entrepreneur. Ages ranged from 22 - 78 years old. We were all one family by the time we came home.

Oue travel route

8-) We traveled 4,500 miles one way
8- We spent 18 hours in the air one way
8-( We crossed 9 time zones

The Nebraska team left from Omaha to Minneapolis to Amsterdam and onto to Nariobi, Kenya. The Hawaii team, that we met up with in Nairobi, went the other way around the world through Thailand, Dubai and then on to Kenay.

It didn't take long for us to start to tire out

Hawaii group

Other than Pastor Ron, who is on the right, this is the Hawaii group that we met up with in Nairobi. We spent a day with them before going on out into the countryside. Pastor Ron was a local missionary and our host for the trip.

A special trip

This was a very special trip for one of our Nebraska members. Jerry Arnold, on the left, is the father of Ron, who is on the right. Ron and Dee, his wife, are missionaries based in Kenya. They helped set up the trip and took us around to all the places we visited. Lake Victoria is the lake in the background.

Kenyan countryside

Walking the cows

They take their cows out in the morning, let them browse and forage along roadways, streams, etc all day and then walk them home before the sun goes down.

Truckload of pipe

Being the pipe salesman I am, imagine my suprise to see a truckload of pipe on the highway in Kenya. This road is a very good road and one of the few good ones we traveled on. The rest of the roads ranged from dirt roads to dirt roads full of pot holes.

Some of the people we met.

Pastors and their Bibles

This is a large group fo pastors just after they received their new Bibles in their own language. Some have preached many years and have never had a Bible of their own.

Baseball caps

We tood around 150 baseball caps with us and gave them all out. The people loved them!

Sister Pascuala

We gave Sister Pascuala, a catholic nun who was head of a school we visited, and the wore the hat all day and wouldn't take it off.

But it's still home...

The real wild kingdom!

It was a special treat for us to be able to spend 2 days on a safari while on the trip. We just couldn't believe it when this handsome guy just popped up out of the grass as we drove by. The safari was at the Masari Mara National Reserve in Kenya and is run by the Masari tribe. The lodge was acrually a tent that had a "dining room" in it. We stayed in 2-person tents with cots in them.

The newest warriors...

Safari van

This is the van we took out on the safari and traveled all over in it. We were not allowed to get out of the van while out on the safari. Notice the lion laying the the grass unfazed by us. The safari was an awsome experience and below are just a few of the animals we saw.

Lion cub in a tree

Mother elephant and her two babies

Going to the doctor...

The word just seemed to get around when we were going to be in a village. The people would walk for miles and then line up and wait for hours to see the two doctors in our group. We usually arrived in the villages around 10 a.m. after getting the supplies we needed for the day. Some of the people had already been waiting since 6 a.m. and there was no place to get food or water while they waited. The people would all clap, sing and smile when they saw the van coming. We prayed for them, dispensed medicines, glasses, toothbrushes, etc. As part of the check in process, we would write down the details of their ailments and get as much information as we could. Some pharmacists would join us from the town of Kisumu so we also worked with locals in the clinics. Some of the clinicks were just huts with dirt floors - not like the one in the above picture.

Exam rooms at the clinic

Not exactly the exam rooms that we are used to seeing when we go to the doctor.

Determination...

This woman walked 6 kilometers carrying the baby to get to the clinic. She had a very bad burn on her right leg and foot that was 5 months old. The doctors cleaned the burn wound and we drove her back to her little hut only to discover 4 other children waiting for her. Her husband had died of AIDS and she was caring for all the children although she could hardley walk. The team ended up scheduling help for her at the Kisumu hospital. They also went back a couple to times to see her and dress the wound. Money was given to her to cover the medical needs of the foot and to get her by on for two months.

Children - What it's all about..

We saw hundreds and hundreds of children while we were there and for me - that is what the trip was all about.

Lining up for morning breakfast

The children would line up for their breakfast porridge at 10 a.m. each morning. This was a very high protein drink. If the school did not have enought money to offer them lunch, then this might be all they would get to eat that day. The building to the right in the photo is the new kitchen that was built by another team before us. The old kitchen is just a room with a dirt floor and a fire in the middle of the floor that is used for cooking.

Meeting with the kids

The children would wait patiently for us to get ready to meet with them. We would tell stories, sing, play with balloons, blow bubbles, share cookies, bracelets, etc with them.

Play time

Big brother

Lots of the kids had their baby brother or sister with them that they cared for during the day while they were in school.

We can make a difference!

· There are many things that we can all do. Right now, we are endeavoring to raise $160,000 for a new elementary school in the Kapiyo village. The Hawaii church is also doing the same project. This will give the kids the opportunity to go on to the next grades of their education.
· We are also looking into where we can help with water, either wells or water transport systems to help various villages. This is a critical problem in western Kenya. Most existing water is unclean, full or diseases and far away. Malaria is the largest killer and many people become sick with stomach problems from drinking the unclean water but it’s all they have.
· Bibles?