It was just about two weeks ago since I went to see mom. Here are a couple more sky photos from the drive.
It was a bit cloudy as you can see in the pics but that day the
temperatures soared to 33 degrees Celsius by mid-to- late afternoon.
Since then they have been experiencing temperatures in the low 30s.Today it was 31 degrees.I much prefer the temperatures where I am now since it has cooled off a lot.
The day ended with a lovely sunset.
Short update: My friends in Kenya have now got the travel visa to travel to Toronto Canada and they will arrive sometime next week.
Continue to pray for this group of travelers: for all their needs to be met, for a safe journey and for a successful surgery for Baby Fidelis. I am so excited for her and her family. Soon she will be able to resume a normal life free of pain and discomfort.
Photo Credit: Hope Foundation for Orphans, Kenya
My friend's mother, Eunice is still at the missions hospital but now on an outpatient basis to save money. She is recovering but needs continued monitoring. Her nose bleeding has slowed. Please pray for her complete recovery (typhoid and high blood pressure), ability to meet the medical costs and discharge very soon.
Thanks so much for your support.
I'm joining in somewhat belatedly with Skywatch Friday today.
Have a look there for some awesome skies from around the world.
I've fallen behind in my reading goals for the year so have been trying to make up for it.
I've just finished reading London which is well over 1000 pages. This was my third
book and perhaps the longest book by Edward Rutherfurd. Maybe it only seems like the longest
because it took me much longer to read it than the other two books (New York and Paris). London didn't
quite meet my expectations. It started out strong and finished with a
whimper. The book spans 2000 years and I admire a writer who tries to
take on such a project even if the effort was not entirely successful.
Alexander
McCall-Smith is a prolific writer and has written several different
series of books; each of which are vastly different. I've read many books from
his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, all of which are set in Botswana, Africa.
These are my favourite books from this author. I have also read a few books from a
few of his other series. I like them a little less but they are a
decent read on a quiet afternoon. None of his books take much time to read and they add to the sense of accomplishment toward one's reading goals *wink.
I
don't tend to read diet books but I like to learn about tips and
tools to help engender a true lifestyle change. This book is a good addition to the
knowledge base and is so easy to read. In addition to the 20 "skinny rules" there are plenty of
menus and recipes all of which fall within the parameters of the author's
rules. I borrowed this book from the library and would need to purchase a copy if I hope to use the recipes in future. However the author has another book which is made solely of recipes that fit within the "skinny rules". That book might be more useful.
My current read is this biography of the great writer Charles Dickens. I
don't know about you but I haven't read as many of Mr. Dickens' books as
I would like. I grew up watching old black and white movies based on
many of his books. Great classics such as: "A Christmas Carol","David Copperfield", "Great
Expectations" and "A Tale of Two Cities". One of my favourite books of his is "The Old Curiosity Shop" but I don't recall seeing a movie based on it.
Before I finish the biography I will get started on the next two books (below). I came across them during a recent foray into a book shop. I was there to check out Harper Lee's newly released novel "Go Set a Watchman".
I don't purchase too many books these days but I wanted to check the
price of Harper Lee's newly released book "Go Set a Watchman". Since my visit to the book store I've placed a hold on it at my local library. There are several hundred people on the hold list so it will be at least 6
months before the book finds it's way to me.
It''s okay because I've
got so many books that I already own that I can read in the meantime. I am constantly adding books to my "to read" list. Many of these don't take so long to get once I place them on hold. I also pick up interesting looking books off the shelves whenever I make a trip to the library. So you see, I am never without reading material.
Other than reading, I've been busy trying to revive my pansies which are mostly now on their last legs due to the heat wave we've been having all summer. I'm not sure if my efforts will work but they've given me a lot of pleasure over the summer with their beautiful colours. The geraniums are still doing well as are the petunias. The gladioli did bloom but didn't do as well as I expected. Its the first time I've grown them. I think next year I will have to put stakes up to support them because they kept falling over the taller they go. Next year I want to grow sunflowers too and those grow even higher. My cherry tomatoes are now really starting to ripen in enough quantity to use in salads. Yum!
Last night there was a beautiful sky to the north of me so ran to get my camera. Normally we don't get nice colour in the skies to the north of me. We do get some beautiful sunsets here but in order to capture them I would have to be somewhere other than my home to get the right view of the western horizon.
I want to update that little Baby Fidelis had to undergo a medical assessment (Monday) in Nairobi, Kenya. This is required as a step toward getting the visa to travel to Canada for surgery. Please continue to pray for this dear one and her advocate and her mother who are still hoping to be in Canada by middle August for the scheduled surgery.
Photo Credit: Hope Foundation for Orphans: Baby Fidelis & mother Martha
I also want to let you know that my friend's mom, Eunice, has been battling with typhoid fever. While she seemed to be recovering from typhoid fever she continued to experience mental confusion and heavy nose bleeds. After being placed on different medications, she finally ended up in the missions hospital again. This means going to the hospital a few hours away since the local hospital is incapable of diagnosing medical tests and they were perplexed by the issues. I had a sense that Eunice might be suffering from a secondary infection and needed help urgently. The American doctor at the missions hospital indeed found that Eunice had a bladder infection and said it was good she was brought in before sepsis set in. It has taken a bit longer to get control of the nose bleeds caused by high blood pressure. I just had word this morning that Eunice is much improved. Please pray for complete recovery and ability to pay the hospital bills.
Photo Credit: Mine ~ Sunset from downtown Vancouver hotel one summer night
I am keeping busy and still behind schedule. So many things to do but not much get up and go to do them. I will get there just a bit slowly it seems.
I wanted to thank those of you who prayed and those of you who gave to help the young Kenyan mother who lost her baby at 31 weeks. If you are new to my blog or haven't visited in awhile, you may read the story here. A few blogging friends and I have been trying to help the young mom get out of hospital. Other friends in Kenya have also held two fundraisers but the mom remains in hospital.
Yes! She is still there. In Kenya you are not allowed to leave hospitals until you have fully cleared the bills. This bill was very high and we haven't quite managed to clear it. But it is much closer than it was to being cleared and fortunately for this humble family they have had outside support as well as community support. I'm sure it makes the load of the hardship a little less heavy.
Please continue to say a prayer for this mother and her young family. As you can imagine, it isn't good to have had to be in hospital all this time. She should be with her family members all of whom live two hours away. She has a husband and another child who need her and they need to grieve together as a family. Sadly, she was in hospital when her unborn child was released for burial.
I had another friend contact me last night for prayer. His mother-in-law (MIL) went missing when she went to try and seek medical help as she wasn't feeling very well. I think she was probably a bit delirious and lost her way somehow. My friend and his wife live several hours away from this woman and her husband. So I prayed and they prayed. Thank God the MIL was found today. She is now in hospital being treated for typhoid. Typhoid is a very serious disease and hopefully she will fully recover with the help of medicine.
Today many around the world are celebrating Valentine's Day. I hope you all have a blessed day and that you a get an opportunity to show your loved ones (or they you) just how much they mean to you.
A life worth living is one filled with faith, hope and love.
We never know exactly how long we have left here on earth or what tomorrow holds.
Today we may have abundance and tomorrow we may have lack.
Today we may have beautiful shelter. Tomorrow we may lose our home due to man made or natural disaster.
Today we may have health but tomorrow we may get the dreaded news that we are sick.
Today we may have a wonderful job. Tomorrow we might be redundant and given the "pink slip".
Today we may have loved ones all around us. Tomorrow something might happen to one of us.
Today we may enjoy reading, writing or crafting. Tomorrow we may lose our sight.
Today we may enjoy hearing and watching television, talking on the phone, listening to music. Tomorrow we may lose our hearing.
Today we might have hope and opportunities, something to give us faith in the future and love in the meantime. Tomorrow these might not be present.
Today you may be able to share your good abundance with others. Tomorrow you may need them to share their abundance with you.
~~~~~~
Even a bag of seeds is so precious. Especially to a small, barefoot child a half a world away who has never had a chance to go to school, who sleeps on a dirt floor, who doesn't know the security of clean water to drink, or a meal every day to fill his empty belly.
He clutches tightly to this donated bag of fertilizer that his mother will plant in hopes of keeping her children fed.
Photo Credit ~ Jonah, Missions of Hope, Kenya
Let's live a life of gratitude daily for the things many of us take for granted.
If you are reading this, or know how to read, you are one of the many blessed of the world's people.
"Sympathy is no substitute for action."~ Dr. David Livingstone, missionary to Africa
You don't quit when you're tired - you quit when the gorilla is tired.
Robert Strauss
I didn't exactly plan to tidy up and declutter fabrics and craft items today. In fact, I had hoped to continue with the sorting of my papers from a few days ago as currently I've got them spread through the entire front room.
But you might remember that I told you I was given some free fabrics. As I began washing and sorting the fabric to determine what to give to an elderly friend, I realized I needed to go through my yarns too. That prompted me to sort through all the yarn I've got and re-arrange things. Then I started sorting through a lot of my quilting fabrics and re-arranging them in different containers and areas of my home. After that I sorted through the few crafting books and patterns I have and put them in an accessible wicker container. I then went through all my crochet cotton and put them in another basket that I can easily access.
Altogether this took virtually all afternoon and evening in between a few phone calls, cooking, dishes, etc. It poured rain early this morning and again late tonight. In fact it is pouring heavily as I write this blog post and there were some claps of thunder and bolts of lightening which made me jump. I'm so tired now and it is very late but I need to put my feet up for awhile before I go to sleep.
I've got a little shopping buggy. Like the one in the photo but with a different fabric cover. I've filled it up with goodies for my friend (fabrics, yarns, pattern books, crochet cotton). She is going to be getting different people to make things for a bazaar she is organizing to raise funds for her church. This is my contribution to her cause. I'm also donating a bunch of crocheted caps I made last winter for her to sell at the bazaar. I made them to sell myself so I could raise funds for people in Kenya but I never got around to it. I can always make more later. Right now my goal is to declutter and organize my small space for better efficiency.
In a wardrobe in my bedroom I have 2 more plastic tubs to go through. These are filled patterns and seed beads. These belonged to my mom who had a lot of crafting materials. I didn't want to throw them all away when she went into a care home. Bit by bit I'm sorting through the things I brought home. I keep a few things and give away the rest. I still have a couple tubs of papers that belong to her that I brought to my home about 3 years ago. I also have more tubs of books, cds, clothes and photos that are still in out-of-town-storage. Most of the non-personal items will be given away but the photos I will have to go through and decide what to do with them.
But first I have to finish sorting my own things. That takes time. My next step will be all the papers I have in a big wooden box and in bags currently strewn from end to end in my living area. Once this is done I will have accomplished a major task. A lot of this paper was already sorted over time but I've got to go through it carefully, save a few pieces and destroy the rest. Then I still have my file cabinet to go through. I went through the file cabinet documents about 1 1/2 years ago and now it is mainly filled with this and that so much of it can go. After this paper stuff is dealt with, the rest will be so much easier to keep on top of.
I can't wait because, my space will look and feel less cluttered and I'll have things more organized for crafting and other hobbies. I'm hoping that my crafts will ultimately be put to good use and help Kenyan and local missions.
Monday the paperwork continues and perhaps on Tuesday too. Then I will give myself a break for awhile. I can only do decluttering for short periods of time. At the same time, I like to make some real progress and feel like I've accomplished something when I'm doing work around the home.
When one is tired it is always important to stop and smell the roses. I took these rose photos a few years ago. I love roses in every colour, don't you?
This week my way of smelling the roses will be to hopefully get to Spiderman 2 on Tuesday (cheap day) and I hope to get together with one or two friends for a chit chat over coffee. If the rain let's up, I have some work to do in the garden.
If
I could tell the world just one thing it would be we're all okay, and
not to worry cause worry is wasteful and useless in times like these. I
won't be made useless, won't be idle with despair, I will gather myself around my faith. Light does the darkness most fear. Jewel, American singer/songwriter
Hi friends,
While I've been housebound, I've been working on a few things besides my decluttering project.
For example, I've been knitting lots of dishcloths for my Etsy shop. All proceeds from my shop go to Kenyan missions. I find the knitting allows me to relax and think and pray about things on my mind. It also helps me feel like I am doing something useful and something that may yet be helpful to the missions in the country I hold dear.
I made my rug out of old pajamas which you can see here.
Another project that I've started is a Wizard of Oz quilt that I was originally planning to make for a Christmas gift. I ran out of time so now I am making it for a summer birthday gift.
It is a simple quilt and the quilt layers are being secured by hand with yarn ties instead of machine stitching. I'll also add a few rows of machine stitching just to make the blanket extra secure.
I still need to cut off the edges and make a binding to sew around the edges.
There are a few birthdays in February and early March so I've been working on some small gift packages. One for a local friend and and one for an aunt who lives out of town.
My friend turned 69 years of age on February 11th. Since she has become a senior citizen we don't get together as often as we used to and her health has been fragile for some time. This year we were going to celebrate her birthday by going out to high tea. But she came down with pneumonia a few days before her birthday and quarantined herself while on a course of strong antibiotics. I told her to take it easy and not push herself at this time so she can get better and I was relieved to hear her sounding much better over the phone a few days later.
This is part of the gift for my friend, Rose. I've made her two red dishcloths and thought this lovely china cup would be a nice cup from which to drink her tea.
Next month my aunt will celebrate her 67th birthday. I made her two dishcloths in shades of green and blue and included some note paper, a nice pen with floral designs on it and some funds so she could treat herself to a meal out in a restaurant.
I hope my aunt likes her small gift.
Now and then it is lovely to be remembered by someone else. Do you agree? I don't think your remembrance has to be anything huge or expensive. I think my friend and my aunt will both feel remembered when they receive their gift packages.
(My apologies for the poor photos. It was late at night when I took them.)
I hope you will come back soon. I am planning a giveaway which I haven't done for awhile. I will post all the details right here.
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12
Hello friends,
I want to thank all of you who have given and prayed for Little Linet while she was alive and for her family after her passing. As I mentioned in my last post, the family left for her final resting place on Friday from Nakuru, Kenya to Kisumu, Kenya to the Luo Tribal home land. It broke my heart to see them leave on their journey and to know that they were leaving with few funds in their pockets. But God is gracious. Through the loving prayers of many of you, the family has now completed it's journey and is back home in Nakuru where they will try to carry on without their little girl.
Mama Linet and her husband, are both impoverished and have very little education. To top it off they are living far from their home territory and they live in the slums where there is little opportunity for anyone. Life is extremely hard in Kenya for people with this background. We pray that the small charcoal business which we helped the mother to start will bear some fruit so that she can help provide for her family. She does have another small child who is younger than Little Linet was. We know the hardships of children in developing countries where the life expectancy for a child is low. Little Linet had not yet reached 5 years of age when she died of malaria.
In most poor countries, mortality is highest among young children (below
the age of 5), especially infants (below 1 year). Once children reach
the fifth birthday, their chances to live a long life improve
dramatically.
In general Kenyans do not have a long life expectancy. If you look on the graph below you will see how much less a Kenyan might live compared to most people in the world, including the Chinese.
My hope is that through my efforts and yours, someone, or several someones, will have a better chance at a long and better life. That is one of the reasons I have been focussing on medical interventions for children in Kenya. Though my efforts are modest in comparison to a non-government organization (NGO). I want to do my part to raise awareness of the needs there and the hardships for the people in that country.
I hope you will join me on the journey to raise awareness and to take action to help others who are less blessed than we are. Your actions, however small or large, have impact and mean something to someone. One day you will know the fruit of your labours. How many of you would turn away a starving child who came to your door? It is like that when we hear of and see starving and hurting children who live a world away from us. They are real and they need you. Please consider how you can help. If you truly cannot help, then I understand. But there are many people who still do not go without indulging their every desire for the best and the latest, in technology, clothes, vacations, etc. not only for themselves but for their children. I've been in homes of people who are not very wealthy but yet I stumble over the toys strewn about the entire living area; toys that belong to one child. I do believe in providing for children but there are only so many toys or possessions that any one human being, including children, can appreciate.
Of course, if you work and want things, that is okay. After all, that is what most people work for; things that make them happy. I am only asking that you consider helping a small child or two in Africa if you can. Moreover, I am challenging you to consider their needs as your own. I always say, there but for the grace of God, go I. I could have been one born in Africa without the blessings that God has given me in Canada. It could have happened to any one of you who are reading this in Australia, Canada, United States, or Europe. Please remember that. God has been gracious to each one of us. Let us be gracious in turn, to those whose mothers and grandmothers (and fathers) hearts break over the fact that they cannot provide for their children or grandchildren; simply because of the circumstances into which they were born.
It takes a whole village to raise a child.
Igbo and Yoruba (Nigeria) Proverb
Source: World Bank computations based on WDI
In other news of Africa, I am excited to announce that I have added two other children to my family. I welcome Linunda and Hiness, both of whom are in grade 6 and live in the African country of Zambia. I am going to help them with school tuition, food and clothing. They go to a Christian School and the are blessed to have good people overseeing the school. I am happy to welcome them to my family of sponsored boys in Kenya (Peter 8 years old and John 9 years old) and Ethiopia (Haile 21 years old).
Lindunda is 15 years of age. The way he holds his mouth in an impish grin, reminds me so much of a young nephew when he was the same age.
This young girl's name is Hiness and she is 12. She is a beautiful young girl with a bright eyed intelligence about her.
If I can encourage you to sponsor a child and you have some questions
about doing so, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to contact me
at any time if I can answer your questions or encourage you to support a child in Africa. If you would like to know of opportunities for sponsorship in Africa, please click here. I'm linking up with Our World Tuesday this week. A big 'thank you' to those who host this meme! It's always great to see what others around the world are doing.
God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort.
Matthew 5:4
My heart is very sad today.
I heard the news that someone I love has died.
The little girl I knew as Little Linet has lost this earthly battle for her life.
I was first introduced to her by my friend Jonah who voluntarily undertook missions in Kenya for many years before recently stopping for a time of transition. He learned about Little Linet while he was going to university. She was wasting away and unable to eat due to her cleft palate problem. He took her for medical help and she was eventually able to resume eating and she regained some weight. Then I started trying to help her with her medical issues with the ultimate aim of getting her through cleft palate surgery. Some of my lovely readers helped me with that. I am very grateful for your help. Rest in the knowledge with me that we tried to make her life and her small family's life a little brighter and to lessen their suffering.
We helped Mama Linet start a charcoal business, helped a bit with food needs and got Little Linet to the doctor twice for different medical treatments and also for a round of testing. She was declared a candidate for cleft palate surgery. That is where our help ended as we did not have enough to carry out the surgery. I was still trying to save money for that need.
Linet is gone too soon. Her poor family has one less child to care for but that does not alleviate their sorrow. I mourn for her right now. I mourn for the hugs and kisses she will never again receive from her mom and dad, the laughter and games she will not be able to partake in , the sunsets and sunrises she will never see again and never getting to hold her myself. I mourn for the joy she brought that will never be again. But life is very difficult in Kenya for those that are very poor. That is one reason we wanted to help her get cleft palate surgery. At least if she had the surgery she would be marriageable and she would not have to fend for herself. There would be someone to help her provide food and she might have children some day of her own. Now all that is not to be.
I am grieving today. But her loving family and Jonah who had the privilege of serving Little Linet and her family as best he could grieve more so. Jonah got to know the family fairly well while he was a student in their town. Now he is living back at his home but they called him just very recently and he rushed to Nakuru area where the family lives to see how he might help. Little Linet was very sick. Jonah rushed to her but it was already too late. Sadly, Little Linet succumbed to the ravages of malaria. There was nothing that could be done to help her after he got there. It is very sad and we will try to do something to help with funeral arrangements and costs. The burden of funeral needs and costs is a real hardship there in the poor slums and villages as it is anywhere else. That is the least that can be done for them at this difficult time.
Dear Little Linet, now you may rest in peace in the arms of our loving heavenly Father.
I hope one day to meet and share the hugs and laughter we could not share on this earth.
From time to time I've blogged about Kipngeno and his need for sponsorship to attend medical school. Kipngeno is a very bright high school graduate from the highlands of Kenya. Though it was a huge struggle financially with not knowing where his funds were coming from, he managed to finish first year medical studies and sustain his desire to continue medical studies.
My efforts to find him a sponsor have gone in vain but I am thanking God because now Kipngeno has finally received a loan from his government to pay for his tuition. Praise God!!
Kipngeno still needs some modest support to pay for transport from his home to his university each new term and to pay for his room and board. The costs are a lot less than in America and if you are able to help at all it would be gratefully appreciated.
Kipngeno on the far right with his classmate in the middle and Jonah on the far left.
Please send any donations to me and I will send them on to him in Kenya. It costs about $300 total for Term 1 (room and board, travel). I don't expect any one person will be able to cover the full amount but if you can help at all, any amount you can send would be a huge help. Somehow with God's help, and a little help from others here and there, Kipngeno will get through another year of medical studies. Kenya is in dire need of doctors and medical professionals. If you are new to this story and this need and you would like to help Kipngeno through the longer term I would love to hear from you!
In other matters, Jonah's mother is still in hospital in Eldoret. She was released and went home to the village but was readmitted to Moi University Hospital in Eldoret before Christmas. She is suffering from some kind of vascular, blood and paralysis issues. Doctors believe it is caused by decades of bending over to cook and do the work that village women do. Doctors would like her to be transferred to hospital in Nairobi for further treatment and surgery. Your prayers for her and all the associated needs would be most welcome.
But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.
2 Chronicles 15:7
This is an encouraging word from the Bible. It encourages me to be diligent in all things and to keep moving forward despite the challenges that come and go and some that drag on longer than I'd like. The verse is a promise to me (and to all who believe) that eventually (perhaps sooner, perhaps later), my efforts will be rewarded.
The process of goal setting, which I started a few years ago, and the process of reflecting on progress at the end of each year, helps me to see what it is I am moving forward to each year, and whether my efforts are being rewarded with all my goals, not just the spiritual ones though those are very important too.
Of course other things may arise which impacts on what I am doing at any given time. New things may take priority, like the Swahili class I enrolled in in 2012. I had not planned on taking the course in a formal way, and that is okay because I simply adjusted my priorities to fit in new ones. Anything I do not achieve in a given year can simply be carried forward to another year, and other things can be dropped if they no longer fit my needs. What is important to me is that I keep in mind the things I have been wanting to do for a long time and make space in my life now that I have the freedom of more time. When I was working I never had much time for doing anything that I really wanted to do. My hours of work were excruciating and demanding. Family needs took up the rest of my time. Now I am retired but I have health challenges that take up a lot of my time. Even so I am blessed with more time for doing some of the things I want to do and I don't want to waste it.
Helping in the mission field is a huge part of my life. I was helping Jonah at Missions of Hope in Kenya but he is taking a break from his volunteer efforts at present and for the foreseeable future. I will continue helping him and others whenever I can. Jonah is not currently working on missions as a volunteer while he contemplates and acts on the next important phase of his life but we have not lost contact. Later, I hope to be able to undertake some projects of my own in Kenyan villages and I have done that several times before, often with Jonah's help. If you are new to my blog you can read about some of that work here. You can either read the posts backwards or scroll down and start from the beginning.
Image Credit: AANISCHAAUKAMIKW Cree Cultural Institute
Monday night I started my new language class. I think I will enjoy it a lot. I don't intend to say too much about it as I'm sure that will not be so interesting to most of you. I will simply say that I am studying the Cree language, and in particular, the Plains Cree dialect which is spoken in the western provinces and northern territory of Canada (which you can see in map above). The map suggests that the Plains dialect ends at the BC/Alberta border (the two westernmost provinces) but there are actual Cree speaking communities in northwestern BC as well. They have been established in that part of the province for a very long time.
This was the scene as I got off the bus at the university at 6:20 p.m. Jan7, 2013. It is very dark but at least it wasn't raining as was earlier in the day. This bus "loop" did not exist when I was a student many years ago but that tall building directly ahead in the photo is where I lived for a year in my 2nd year on campus. Oh the memories!
I actually spoke Cree as my first language but my parents started me speaking English when I was only about 3 years old so I didn't get much of a grounding in the language. When I started university I tried very hard on my own to practice the language. I had some success, however there weren't a lot of opportunities to practice. My mother did not remember to speak to me in the language even though I reminded her many times. Speaking to her children in English was a habit hard to break. Now I will be studying the language formally. My nephew and I will be enrolled in the same class and it will be fun to see how we both get on with the language. He was a huge help to me tonight finding the building and escorting me from and to the bus stop as well as carrying my bag and coffee. We both plan on practicing what we learn with my mom over the phone. It will be special and nice. In fact, right after class, my nephew called his grandma and said some words to her in Cree, including words that I don't even remember and which we did not learn in the class. I was quite impressed. I do also intend to get back to studying Swahili as soon as I am able.
What about you dear reader? What are your special goals for 2013?
This is my submission for Our World Tuesday. Please join in if you can and read what others are up to.
Jonah, of Missions of Hope (MOH), has placed his missions outreach on hold for the foreseeable future. As many of you know he has recently graduated with his Masters Degree in International Development and is currently looking for employment. While he puts his energy toward that, he will not be able to continue with his volunteer work helping orphans and widows. That means his MOH blog is no longer available and he will not be taking any donations at this time.
If and when the work resumes, I will let you know. He wants to thank any of my readers who have contributed toward various initiatives over the past few years. Your contributions are not unnoticed and they mean far more than you know. To date, we have fallen far short of the funds needed for little Linet's cleft palate surgery. I am still hoping to proceed with this initiative but it will take much more time. We value your prayers for Linet, her family and her surgery need. When I have something concrete to report on this need, I will provide an update on my own blog.
In the meantime, I will continue to do a small part toward assisting the villagers in the villages around around Kericho, Kenya. This work is modest and sporadic (and includes things like the Jiko Stove project which you can read about in my blog). I am currently trying to raise funds through sales of my crafts. There is a link to my Etsy shop on the right if you are interested. Alternatively if you wish to make a small donation, please let me know.
People often wonderful why I have thrown my heart and soul into Missions of Hope in Kenya. Though this video and song are about Rwanda, they express my heart for Kenya and my hopes for Kenyans. I have been to Kenya several times. I have seen the poverty and the hardship with my own eyes, and now I am responsible.
Lyrics to "Albertine"
I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine
there in her eyes what I don't see with my own
Rwanda
now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are
I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda
I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine
I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine
Though I am not on a stage with a thousand eyes on me and my platform is small in the scheme of things; the work(s) I do are what I can do in my own circumstances, and I am willing. I will tell the world.
Edwin
Since I last wrote about the missions, my friend Jonah, overseer of the Missions of Hope, contracted typhoid fever while in Uganda at his convocation and he has been in hospital. Also Edwin, the young man in the photo above who is battling cancer, has been hospitalized. Please keep them in your prayers.
Orphans
If you have already started thinking about Christmas gifts for family and loved ones in 2012, you might want to consider giving of a different nature this year. Missions of Hope has some unique gift ideas for you. Click here. I have also started to add items to my Etsy shop. You can see the items here. More will be added over the coming days. All proceeds go to the Missions of Hope.
Hello friends, it has been awhile since you've heard from my friend Jonah in Kenya. Please click on the link below and read what he is up to. It would be wonderful if you could leave him a comment to encourage him at this time. Thanks and see you soon!
Kenya Missions of Hope: Graduation Is Upon Us: Things have been challenging and hectic for me here as we prepared for my mother's graduation in one city and to present my thesis in anothe...
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 ...
Hi friends, I'd like to share this post with you from my friend Jonah who has just returned from a trip to Northern Kenya's Maralal District. I think you will find it interesting. Just click on the link below (underlined). Please do leave him a message at his blog site. I know he'd love to hear from you. Thank you for visiting.
I've now posted the first set of clothing for sale. I will see how this goes before posting more items for sale, like sweaters and dress slacks and jackets.
I've finally decided I will try to sell some of my little used clothing. I have a lot of clothing I used for work and also some clothing I've never worn for summer. I want to make room in my closets and also make some funds to send to the mission field. I hope you will tell your family and friends so that when I have finished taking photos of the inventory, you will be ready to take advantage of the sales.
All clothes are of excellent quality and mostly from the high end stores. I want to upload these items soon so that the sweaters I have can be in someone's hand during the cooler weather. I also have some dresses for summer wear in case you are taking a cruise this winter or going to a warmer climate for the coming Christmas holiday.
Gently used boiled wool jacket sweater. Perfect for Fall and Winter.
I know of two places on line that specialize in clothing sales (not ebay or Craigslist). When I post for sale, I will put a notice here on my blog. Sizing and brand information as well as price and shipping information will available wherever I post the clothing. All sales will be done through Pay Pal.
If you know of any websites that you like to deal with and that specialize in sales of plus size clothing please let me know.
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.
Isaiah 44:3
In my last installment of my Kenyan travel series here, I mentioned that we were on our way to a community borehole. I don't actually know the name of the village where the borehole is located but I had been there years before (and it is several hours by dirt road to the west of Marigat). In my first visit about 5 years ago, the missionary at the mission station took me on a tour of this arid area and told me of his hopes and dreams for building a borehole and a new church as well. I didn't have the funds myself or the contacts for helping but I said I would commit this matter to prayer.
It took another year or more but through God's grace he led me to a Christian humanitarian group that promised to visit Kenya and see what they could do to help. Though it took them another year or so they did make good on their promise to visit Kenya. Once they saw this arid place for themselves, they committed to raising funds for the borehole. Now a borehole has been built but the community still has no water. The area has been terribly plagued by drought and some of the hostilities that have arisen have resulted in huge tensions in the surrounding area and even led to loss of life.
What is needed now are significantly more funds and a pump by which the water can be transported over large distances to the people who need it. I'm told that the humanitarian group hopes to make another visit late this summer or early Fall. I pray that they will make it and that they will indeed be able to raise the funds required. This would surely be a huge blessing to the people. In my most recent trip to Kenya, I just had to see the borehole for myself and recollect just how much has gone into the state of things as they are currently. There have been other changes since I first visited, including a new missionary to this village. Thank God for people who are willing to go and minister in areas like this.
This road goes through a more densely populated part of the village where we were visiting for the day.
It led us to this road which I love as it has an umbrella of trees making it look like a pretty country road.
Despite the significant drought that has affected this area, the children are like children anywhere...
...laughing and playing and alternately confident and bashful with visitors.
Here I pose with some of the leaders in the community as well as the children in the neighbouring area. We are posing with the honoured guest, the reason for our trip, the borehole. The clouds look like they are about to burst open with raindrops and drench the parched ground. But it wasn't to be. Before long, the sky was clear once again and the heat remained.
Here is the borehole. It represents lots of prayer, struggle, ups and downs, anguish and dashed hopes. It also represents the hope that is still there for clear and pure water for this community of people.
It was very hot and dry in the area. These mud huts are the traditional abode of the people and I was invited into one. The adults were not home but some local men let me in.
I could not believe how absolutely cool it was inside and what a welcome relief! The newspapers that hang from the rafters are cut into pretty shapes to decorate the inside.
The laundry flutters in the small breeze.
It was a blessing to visit this village again and now I continue to pray for their water needs. Would you join me in praying that this well could indeed be completed so that the children, the elders and the people in general can have some clean water to drink?
God bless you.
Please click on the words "Scenic Sunday" above, to see more beautiful scenes from around the world. I'm not sure why but the widget feature doesn't seem to be working properly.
