A Good Report

 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.

Matthew 10:42 (NIV)

Hello friends,

I hope this post finds you well and in good health. I also hope the weather is agreeable wherever you are. It seems the weather is so unsettling in many places around the world. These days you never know what to expect.

I reported just over a week ago about the abundance of hail we had here in Vancouver. Pictured below is the hail which had accumulated around my newly planted lettuce. Since that day, the lettuce (and other plants) seem to be fine.  However I find the lettuce doesn't grow that fast despite our sunny and very warm weather.  That might just be normal. I haven't grown lettuce for several years and I can't quite remember much about the experience.

The main purpose of today's post is to give you an update about missions work in Kenya.  Many of you have been following the plight of Angel Baby Fidelis pictured in the photo below with her advocate, Joseph Wanjau and the baby's mother.

Joseph has been raising the funds for Angel Baby Fidelis travel to Canada for surgery to remove the growth on her face and brain.  The baby also needs reconstructive surgery.  I am so thrilled to report that through Joseph's efforts and through the support of people near and far, the family is now able to travel to Canada!

Joseph is just waiting for word from the hospital as to when they will be ready to perform the surgery so that travel arrangements can be made.

I ask each of you to continue to pray for this family.  They will be far from home in a foreign land.  They will need to remain in Canada for 4 months for the surgery and recovery process.  I am grateful that they will get to make the trip during Canada's warmer months and not during winter. I only hope they will cope well with the humidity levels in Ontario.

Let us pray they will adapt and that they will have good success in surgery and recovery. Let us also pray for Joseph who is tirelessly working in Kenya to support orphans and to support disabled children and their families through the Hope Foundation for Orphans.

Photo Credit: Joseph Wanjau, Hope Foundation for Orphans ~ L to R, Joseph, Baby Fidelis & her mom

In other news, my good friend Jonah has continued to make his evangelistic outreach and humanitarian visits to the Pokot people of northern Kenya. These people are the Plains Pokot as they live in the dry, infertile plains herding goats, cows, sheep. Often it is too dry to keep the livestock watered and fed properly and the people also go hungry.

It takes a full day of travel to reach these people from home base in Kericho in the Highlands of Kenya. My friend Jonah has a huge heart for the Plains Pokot and has made many missions trips to reach them with the good news of the gospel and with practical food aid.  He does whatever he can and travels with other volunteers from his church about once per month or as funds allow.

You can see the people are very happy to receive their flour.

Some of the local men help to distribute the aid.

Jonah also likes to try and bring treats and fun to the people.

Here you can see them enjoying the succulent watermelon. I can only imagine how good it must taste when you are thirsty in a dry land.

In my last photo you can see the woman having fun blowing bubbles.

Perhaps it is the very first time she has ever experienced the childlike joy of blowing bubbles.

[Photo credits:  All photos of Pokot mission courtesy of Jonah of Missions of Hope, Kenya]

 I can certainly remember how much fun I used to have a child blowing bubbles.

As a grown up I love opportunities to buy bubbles for children just so I can watch them have fun and squeal in delight at such a simple pleasure.

In closing, I want to say that we value your faithful readership and as always we covet your financial and prayer support for the ongoing work to help the Pokot peoples

If you can help donation can be sent
to
kerichojoy[at]gmail[dot]com

via Pay Pal  

Donations to Hope Foundation can be made at their website.

Thank you.

If you have any problems or need any assistance with making your donation let me know and I will try to help you.

In the coming near future  I will let you know about another great initiative from one of my readers who is very keen to help raise funds for ongoing needs in Kenya.

March Update on Outreach in Kenya

I've been struggling with very low energy levels since just before Christmas and  even the barest minimum of  'to dos' has seemed so much at times.  This has caused me to get very behind in a lot of things.

Now I am feeling a little better.  My energy seems to be increasing.  Warmer temperatures and more frequent days of sunlight help. I started taking Vitamin D awhile back but haven't been too consistent about taking it  for the short time I did take it it seemed to help.

There are a few things I continue to do even when the energy levels are low.

One thing that I never really stop doing is blogging, sometimes tweeting. Here is a cute little carton I came across on line about the priority social media has become in our lives.

I am not on Instagram, Facebook or Tumbler but in addition to posting on my blog I also post to Google + on occasion.  I can't imagine how people find the time to be on all the different social media as well as keep up with other things in their lives. Keeping up with our own blogs daily or even every few days, takes a fair bit of time.  We have to find time to take the photos, select and edit them, upload them, then visit and comment on other blogs. I'm always amazed at people who get hundreds of visitors and comments yet manage to visit other blogs on a fairly regular basis.  Then of course there are those that have hundreds of visitors to their blog complete with comments who never seem to visit anyone else's blogs or if they do, they never comment. 

I am not exactly sure why I was so extra low on energy for so long.  Now am in a bit of whirl of activity to "catch up".  With Spring having arrived I am also thinking about what needs to be done in the garden.  There is always the Fall and Winter debris to clean. I don't do this in the Fall due to all the rain and cold.  In Spring I am often late to the garden and never seemed to find the rhythm. Perhaps that will change some day but for right now I just manage as best I can.  I'm also planning on a visit to see my mom and so I'm putting a care package together. That always involves some planning and preparation and this month is no exception.

Despite lower energy levels, I also never fail to keep up with the  missions in Kenya.  The people's needs there are so great and needs don't take a rest.  I do my best to try to help the people and bring awareness to others in hopes they may also want to help.  In all the years I've been doing this, it hasn't been easy getting others involved but I keep trying.  I truly greatly appreciate those of you  who do stop and lend a hand. The little we can do means so much to another who is burdened by their load.

Several weeks ago I wrote about a young mom who had to be rushed to hospital and ended up losing her baby before it had come to full term. That was a very sad situation especially since the young mom not only lost her baby but she had to remain in hospital for weeks after because she didn't have the funds to pay the medical bills.

I am happy to report that she is now home with her family and can now start her real journey of grieving and healing. Yes, that means while she was in hospital her unborn child was buried.  One can only imagine how difficult this was to deal with on so many levels.  It also meant her other young child and her husband were without her presence in the home for weeks on end as they struggled to cover the medical bills.  They were feeling very low in spirit during this time.

My blogging friends Joy and John, Jan and Regina, and other friends in Kenya who organized several fund-raisers  helped to get her home.  I especially want to thank Joy who I met through blogging through our shared love of crochet.  It was through her very kind efforts to raise awareness of this desperate situation that really helped.

Kindness is so refreshing in this very busy world where people often turn the other way after hearing about someone needs; someone they don't know and who lives so very far away.  Sometimes we become immune to someone's desperate needs when we are bombarded daily through television, internet, social media and newspaper.

I realize too that there are many competing good causes.  Sometimes people have limited means and their our own needs have to take priority. It takes intention and work not to become cold to the desperate situations around the world.

So again a sincere thanks goes out to Joy, John, Jan and Regina for their kindness.  I pray that the goodness you have put out there for this mom will be returned to you in good measure soon.

Kenyan flower ~ Sending you all a little green in honour of Saint Patrick

In February I wrote about another humanitarian food aid mission to the Pokot people in northern Kenya.  You can read more about that mission here.  Then last week some of my Kenyan friends went on yet another humanitarian mission to the Pokot people in the northern part of Kenya.  This time they went to an entirely different region which was even more isolated than where they usually minister to the Pokot people.  On the team's return journey the terrible terrain was too much for the SUV they had borrowed from their church and they were stranded far from home where things were very expensive.

When my friends go on voluntary missions they basically have to raise the food donations and fund their own journey.  The team leader has to sign a form to acknowledge responsibility for the vehicle when they go on food aid missions and that means there is no help from the church when things go wrong.  In any case, the churches my friends attend are not like the big, prosperous churches in America.  Their congregations are made  up of hard working humble people who are mostly eking out a living through small scale farming.  They grow their own corn and vegetables and if they are fortunate they have a few chickens, goats or possibly a cow or two for milk.  They have very little in the way of extras and cold, hard cash.
 
The mission was to an area of Kenya that is very hot and dry and you cannot grow anything (sorry though the  precise name escapes me it is north of a place called Chemolingot). The locals raise goats and camels as their means of sustenance.  In places like, as in most other difficult to access communities in other countries, food and necessities are incredibly expensive because of the cost and time involved in importing the food.  Fixing the car was also very expensive and  not very straightforward.

Photo Credit:  Jonah, Missions of Hope

Mechanic help had to be summoned from about 6 hours away. The insides of the care were taken apart and the mechanic returned to Eldoret with some of the parts.  The team members had to wait until the next day for the mechanic to return with the car parts.  The team members had a real awakening of just how hard it is for the people in the area as they said they have never seen such high costs in all the places they have travelled.

Thankfully the car worked after the mechanic brought the car parts back and attended to the vehicle.  The cost of repairs was great and it was urgent.  The team had a very long journey home and arrived home at 5 a.m. on Sunday morning.

 These are a few photos of the hungry children that were fed on this mission.

The children are enjoying bread and liquid refreshment in these photos.

Photo Credit:  Jonah, Missions of Hope

Photo Credit:  Jonah, Missions of Hope

The team members also left behind food items and clothing for the people.

Friends, these needs are very real and the hunger is very difficult to experience or to see.

It is what drives my friends to help and what drives me to assist them.

Photo Credit:  Jonah, Missions of Hope

You see the people in these isolated areas of Kenya are literally starving.  

When drought comes they are hardest hit and commodities are out of their financial means. 

My friends are not well to do.

They too  live close to the edge economically.

But they know that the people they are helping live even closer to the edge.

Kenyan cactus plant.

I want to welcome all of my new followers.

If any of you have an interest in Africa and Kenya and you want to find out how to help with the missions needs, please get in touch (email on profile page). I mostly help in Kenya where we try to feed the hungry or look after their medical needs.

Also, if you are travelling to Kenya soon and want to take a missions team with food aid or medical helps,
let me know.  I can put you in touch with people who could use your help.  If you are going alone or with a friend, and you have enough funds to pool, even that would be a great help.

Linking with Our World Tuesday

Have a great week.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to those of you who celebrate.

Precious Water

Recently, my friend Jonah went on another mission to the Pokot people of Kenya, near Lake Baringo (circled in red on the map).

I have travelled to the area a few times and can tell you from first hand experience that is a very dry place.  (Over the last year the general area has been hit hard by flooding and lake overflow causing destruction of several hotels).  There isn't much in the way of towns and cities and amenities beyond a place called Marigat which I have written about before.

Jonah is pointing to some water but this isn't Lake Baringo which is much larger and has resident hippos and crocodiles.

Water is a scarce and precious commodity.

Jonah joins the others in refreshing his hands in the wonderful water.

See all the water bottles and oil containers. The people will fill them with water.

Close Up of Some of the Women 

I love their faces and their smiles. They still show much joy despite the harsh living in a dry climate.

I also love their traditional beaded adornment.

You can help Jonah go on future missions to help the vulnerable.

Please donate if you can by

clicking  the donate button

 If you have any problems please let me know.

Thank you for your kindness.

A True Missionary Heart: Eva Tonui

Mrs. Eva Tonui (click on the link below to read her story)

Kenya Missions of Hope: Missionary Eva: Hello friends, I have some words to encourage you this week. At 59 years of age, Mrs Eva Tonui is a self-sponsored missionary to an ...

Crisis In the Horn of Africa

In my last post, I let my readers know about the urgent food insecurity situation in Kenya and Somalia, and in the whole of the Horn of Africa.

I was surprised that several people were unaware of the drought in this part of the world. Many people seem to be experiencing inadequate information or not getting updates on the situation there in East Africa.

Here is a map to help you find the countries of Kenya and Somalia. See eastern Kenya just under Yemen in the middle east.

The United Nations has reclassified the situation from a  "drought" to a "famine" due to the severity of the crisis. If I understand correctly, they say the world has been slow to respond to the situation in the Horn of Africa.  By upgrading the description of the situation to a "famine" they hope to illustrate for the world just how critical the situation is. 

So in light of the urgency of the crisis, I've decided to present a few facts and show you some videos.  This will help you to get a quick overview of the situation and to help if you are so inclined.  There is plenty of information on line but I know that some people are unable to go on line for various reasons. Hopefully this overview (in blue font) which I've taken from the World Food Programme website and the videos will give you a quick introduction. If you have a connection fast enough to watch the videos please do. Each of them are only 2 and a half  minutes long.

Overview

Kenya is experiencing one of the worst droughts in recent years. Northern Kenya is particularly affected and the government has declared the drought in this region a national disaster. The poor March to May 2011 long rains, coming successively after the failed October to December 2010, have greatly undermined the food security situation in the country. Up to 3.5 million people are affected by the drought and their plight has been worsened by high food prices resulting from both local and global factors. A mid-season assessment of the March to May long rains indicated a dismal performance of the rains and it is projected that up to 3.5 million people will need food assistance from August, a 1.1 million increase from the current 2.4 million. The actual number will be determined by the July long rains assessment, the results of which are expected in August.

The number of severely malnourished children admitted to hospital has increased by 78 percent this year compared to last year. Malnutrition rates among children below the age of five years have risen dramatically with reports of up to 37 percent in some northern districts -- more than double the emergency threshold of 15 percent. The most affected districts are Turkana, Moyale, Isiolo, Wajir, Mandera and Marsabit. WFP is providing supplementary food assistance to about 80,000 children and pregnant and nursing mothers. To curb the increase in the rate of malnutrition in northern Kenya, WFP is strengthening the supplementary food assistance safety net by linking it to general food distribution to ensure that the supplementary food is used to address malnutrition among those affected. In addition, WFP plans to give blanket supplementary food assistance to all children under the age of five and pregnant and lactating mothers in the six most affected districts in northern Kenya.

Dadaab refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya continues to receive large influxes of refugees mainly from Somalia with about 30,000 new arrivals in June alone. Kenya currently has about 447,000 refugees with Dadaab hosting about 368,000 and Kakuma in north-western Kenya about 79,000. Most of the refugees arriving in Dadaab have high malnutrition rates, having walked long distances with little or no food and water. WFP is providing the new arrivals with a 15-day ration of food at reception centres as they await registration after which they are included in the regular food register for refugees. WFP also provides refugees with supplementary food assistance for malnourished children, pregnant and nursing mothers, in addition to a mid-morning meal for all primary and pre-primary school children and a take home ration for girls.

School meals remain an important safety net for many communities. WFP is providing school meals for 670,500 pre-primary and primary school children in arid and semi arid areas and in the slums in Nairobi. The Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Education is also feeding 610,000 of school children through the Home Grown School Feeding programme.

WFP is gradually scaling down short term interventions in favour of recovery activities such as food-for-assets (FFA) and Seasonal Cash for Assets (SCFA) through which WFP, in collaboration with the government, is developing appropriate skills to enable communities to improve their resilience and adaptation to climate change in addition to encouraging them to invest in their future. About 830,000 people are benefitting under these projects. In addition, WFP is providing a market for small-scale farmers under the purchase for progress (P4P) programme. WFP, working with partners, also builds the capacity of the small-scale farmers in WFP procurement modalities, warehouse management, quality assurance and record keeping.

Kenya is a low-income food-deficit country with a GDP per capita of about US$759 (2009 World Bank) and a Gross National Income (GNI) of USD 1628 (2010 UNDP). The 2010 UNDP Human Development Report ranked Kenya among the “low human development” countries of the world, placing it 128th out of 169countries.

WFP operations in Kenya support the Government's efforts in implementing all eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

=============================

I think you can appreciate that the already critical situation in Kenya is being exacerbated by the devastating situation in Somalia.  The Kenyan people need help in addressing their own food insecurity issues and on top of that, they need help to address the overwhelming needs of the Somali refugees who are streaming into different parts of Kenya.  I am encouraged that some relief efforts will focus on activities which will hopefully minimize the need for short term interventions in future, at least as far as it is possible to do so for one can't predict natural disasters and wars which impact on food security.

 

This first video addresses the Kenyan food insecurity issues which I addressed in my post here.

This second video illustrates the plight of the Somalis who trek to the Dadaab Refugee Centre in Northern Kenya.

I have put up two buttons on my blog (see right side of my blog)  if you would like to make a donation to help alleviate the food insecurity crisis.  They will be up for a least a few days to make it easier for you to donate if you wish.

One button is for the World Food Programme.

The other button is for World Vision.

These organizations are seeking donations.  There are also other organizations seeking donations and to which you could donate if you choose. Some of these are the International Red Cross, Save the Children international and many others.  I'm sure you will know which ones exist in your respective countries.

Please don't feel that you can't help. I read on one website that even $1.00 (one dollar) will feed four kids. Every little bit helps.

==============================================

If you can't give money, each of the international aid organizations also has other ways you can help.  Please check out their websites and find out how.

In closing, I wanted to mention too that the World Food Programme has implemented an interesting way of giving which I just learned about today. It's called "wefeedback".

It's easy: You choose your favorite food, put it into the Feedback Calculator along with the estimated cost, and then calculate how many hungry children this would feed. The next step is to donate exactly that amount.

You can do that here
http://wefeedback.org/calculator

I used the calculator and found out I could have fed 32 children with the $8.00 I spent on an inexpensive dinner out at McDonald's. Now I don't eat out that often but I think I would rather spend it on feeding 32 children so I will be making that contribution very soon.

 =========================

 Pastor Jonah, of Missions of Hope also hopes to be undertaking food relief to the Pokot peoples in the Kerio Valley area  next month. 

If you would like to help him do that we would so appreciate it.  

You can click to donate here.

==============================

Mercy Mission for Kigen Goes Forward

Since leaving a post on Saturday about little Kigen, we have been involved in a whirlwind of activity.

I know this photo is hard to look at but this is little Kigen and this is his reality. He is nine years old and he has some kind of skin problem. We really do not know what it is but we know he needs immediate help.  Kigen lives in a remote part of Kenya amongst the Pokot peoples and there is no road to get to where he lives.

My friend Jonah has been on a number of mercy missions to the Pokot people over the years. His most recent journey was about one week ago. During that trip he met little Kigen and his family. They all prayed together for this little boy to be helped and to get the treatment and healing he needs.

This is my friend Jonah on a different trip to help the people in the drought stricken area near Marigat, Kenya.  You can see it is dark. When they travel to help people and they do it on few funds they must journey night and day sometimes to get to where they are going. This way they can avoid costs of extra days car and driver hire and also save on lodgings.  Kenya is an expensive country which many people in the west do not know. The people must save money and be as frugal as possible. Your dollar will be used wisely.

Jonah just returned from a mercy mission on Thursday morning last week but is now back on his way to get Kigen and his family. He had a lot to do before he could leave on this mercy mission.  First, he has to get supporters and pray for the mission. He cannot act without support. He needs our help.  Once he knows he has our help, he then has to get word back to Kigen's parents that this mission will go forward.  Then he has to hire a car and take care of all the logistics.

Kigen's mother

When I saw the photos of Kigen and his family and heard of their plight, I really had to do something.  So I posted about it here on my blog and sent word to my friends to share the information. Jonah also posted on his blog and tweeted about little Kigen.  Some donations are coming in due to these efforts and importantly people are also praying for Kigen and this mission. The people that have already sent their donations or who have promised that they are on the way, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  It means the mission is now underway.

Jonah praying with Kigen's family.

For those that are praying for this mercy mission, we also thank you!  It is through prayer that things will change. It is through prayer that people will be moved to join this effort.  It is through prayer that little Kigen and his family will have the faith and strength to make this long journey.  It is through prayer that Jonah will have the strength and resources to physically and emotionally undertake this mercy mission again so soon.  It is through prayer that the medical staff and hospital will be prepared to properly diagnose and treat little Kigen.  It is through prayer that we will have enough resources to properly undertake this mercy medical mission.  I believe in the ability of prayer to move mountains.  Particularly, this mountain in little Kigen's life.

I'm so happy to report that since Saturday Jonah has done a number of things. He planned to be in Eldoret, Kenya on Monday (it is now night time Monday in Kenya so people should be fast asleep). Up to now Jonah has also been coordinating with the hospital in Eldoret to see if they can undertake the kind of assessment that Kigen needs.

A car that can withstand the travel of the roads ahead will be hired in Eldoret and word has been sent ahead to Kigen's family through the mission station in the area. This  needs to happen so that Kigen's family can make the journey to meet him and get their ride to the medical centre.  Little Kigen and his family must walk 5 or 6 hours on a long and dusty path to get to the mission station.  There is no road that goes to where they live.  It will be a difficult journey for them all.  Especially considering Kigen's medical condition and the fact that they just made the same journey a few days prior in order to get food assistance.

At the mission station, Kigen and his family will get some rest and freshen up.  There they will meet up with Jonah and the driver and make the long journey to Eldoret. The journey to Eldoret will be a little easier as they will not be walking, they will be riding.  Nonetheless it will take a whole day.

So the mercy mission to help little Kigen is underway. If you have played a part in this mission through a donation, prayer or by spreading the word to your contacts, I thank you so much. Your efforts are not in vain. You will have an impact beyond measure.

If you are just now hearing about this story and want to do something to help, we still need you. There are so many needs to cover in this medical mission and a number of people who we need pay for services.  Kigenkerichojoy[at]gmail.com

UPDATE:  It is now just after 1:00 a.m. in Western Canada. Received word from Kenya that little Kigen is awaiting surgery. Please keep him and the surgeons in your prayers. I'm praying just now before sleep. God bless.

Photo credits:  All photos the property of Missions of Hope, Kenya, Pastor Jonah.
If you wish to share this story, photos may be used with credit. Many thanks and blessings.

 Click on the badge above to join others for Blue Monday.

Click on the badge above to join with a host of others for Mellow Yellow Monday.

Heart for the Pokot

I mentioned yesterday that my friend Jonah had recently returned from a food relief effort amongst the Pokot people in communities located hours and hours drive north of Nakuru, Kenya.

He travelled to Baringo, Pokot and Ngoron areas to distribute food supplies to people hit hard by drought.  This area is very dry and they cannot grow crops so they rely heavily on outside sources of food. They are a pastoral people and raise goats and cattle when they have the means. It is a difficult area because of its dryness and lack of potable water.  There is an ability to grow crops if one has water but this area is in lack of water to drink let alone to cultivate crops.

The people are gathering in anticipation of food distribution.

You can see the happiness on the faces of the women who greet the volunteers bringing food aid.

Jonah reports that he and the NGO workers from Kericho Town who helped to transport the food had a great trip and they really enjoyed doing everything that they could do for the people.  He was especially grateful to the US government for donating the relief supplies to take to the Pokot people and also for the relief they have provided to many other people in drought stricken areas of Kenya.  He is so touched by their generosity.

Here you can see the US logo on the cans and bags of food awaiting distribution.

 

 

Jonah and the team had to travel all through the day and the night to get to their destinations and they did arrive safely though the land rover they used to travel and transport is over 20 years old.  They had to stop every few hours to permit the overheated engine to cool down. No doubt the heat of the area added to the problem of overheating.

Along the way, in a place near Kamurio, they met this small boy named Kigen. He is 9 years old and in serious  need of medical help.

Here Kigen's mother and Jonah pray with the staff in the basic medical facility.

Kigen's mother, Paulina tries to feed her baby while Kigen sits under the blanket. The blanket protects him from the flies.

Kigen under cover.

This is Kigen uncovered. He really needs help.

If you can help with funds to get Kigen to a medical facility for proper diagnosis and treatment, please scroll to the bottom of this post where you will find a link to a donation button.

Kigen needs to get to the nearest hospital in Eldoret. We hope they can help him there otherwise they may need to send him to Nairobi. We need a miracle to help him and for his healing. Please join with us. In the meantime, please help get this word out to your friends and contacts and put Kigen and his family on your prayer list if you have one.

If by chance you are one of the blessed ones who could provide a substantial donation to this child or to help his people who really need food and water wells, I would prefer that you do not send the funds to me. Instead, please contact me and we can discuss in more detail how best to send your assistance.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

You can donate to assist in little Kigen's medical mission. 

Donations can be made via Pay Pal here. Just click the donate button.

Photo credits:  All photos the property of Missions of Hope, Kenya, Pastor Jonah.
Photos may be used with credit. Many thanks and blessings.