Greetings from Kenya - June 20th!

Jambo Kenya! (Greetings from Kenya!)

Wow, it is really hard to believe I have already been here in Kenya three weeks! Time seems to pass very quickly here – probably mostly because the days and weeks are very full of activity.

It is equally hard to believe that this is my first blog post in those same three weeks! There have been a variety of computer and internet issues that contributed to that delay, on top of the long days that make time to sit and reflect about the experiences, or even just record them, very scarce indeed. At any rate, the technical issues seem to be resolved and I expect to be able to provide much more regular updates…which I hope you will enjoy reading!

Please do share your feedback with me through the blog webpage, Facebook, or email. I especially would like to know what types of things you want to hear about – ministry in the slums, daily life in Kenya, the World Cup, whatever! This entry may be longer than most, since I need to catch up on three busy weeks! Won’t attempt to do that all in one “go” as they say here, but at least make a dent in the backlog today!

The first week of the trip was an RMCC short-term trip and I had the pleasure of leading a “small but powerful” team with Lora Roth and Felicia Powell. Much of our time was spent conducting a VBS (Vacation Bible School) in one of the elementary schools operated by Missions of Hope International (MOHI) in the Mathare Valley slum. The school that we worked at is called Mathare Family Hope Center – Huruma. The picture above is of the three of us with Mary Kamau (2nd from left), Executive Director of Missions of Hope International, and Jennifer Ogola (far right), Head Teacher for the Huruma school. Amazing women – all 4 of them!

The school has 239 kids from the Madoya and Huruma neighborhoods, ranging from pre-school to grade 4! How did three of us pull off a VBS for 239 kids, you ask??? Well, the first answer is “only with God!” We were amazed by the many challenges that were overcome in unusual ways, despite our occasional doubts!

The second answer is – the Kenyan teachers and staff from the Huruma school! They are an awesome team, very good teachers, and very flexible and willing servants. Jennifer proved to be our biggest ally and resourceful problem solver. No doubt that without her and her wonderful staff we simply couldn’t have done a VBS! Here is a picture of them holding the teddy bears (courtesy of RMCC’s “Bears Without Borders”) they received at the end of VBS!

And, below are a few more pictures from the various aspects of VBS – bible story (with puppets!), crafts, games, and memory verses/music – and the wonderful farewell celebration the kids gave us. A big thank you to Laurie Los, Joy Springer, Judy Grant, and Titia Jonas for their help with music, craft ideas, puppets, skits, and the “Be-Attitudes” curriculum! It wouldn’t have been possible without your help, either!

Well, that’s going to do it for today…I thank all of you for your prayers and support, the entire trip has been challenging yet rewarding! More updates, stories, and pictures in coming days.

In the meantime, Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there, and may your day be blessed!

Asante Sana! Mungu Awa Bariki! (Thank You Very Much! God Bless All of You!)

Glenn