First Signs of Spring

While we await news of little Kigen and how he is doing at the hospital, I thought I would tell you about my little outing on Sunday.  I end this post with a short blurb on how to donate to Kigen's medical care.

I went out on the spur of the moment on Sunday past to enjoy a walk and take in a movie. The weather here has been alternately cold, windy or rainy and we've had very few sunny days. Sunday was an exception so I took advantage of the break in the weather.

As I went about I snapped a few photos of some of the early blossoms I passed.

I thought this wall of bamboo looked lovely.

Having experienced bamboo plants in my own garden I think it is better to plant bamboo in containers or they'll overtake the surroundings spaces.  I feel sorry for the neighbours.

This evergreen tree has obviously been here a long while too but I thought it looked so majestic.

I took several shots of this tree so you could see just how large it is...

... It positively dwarfs the vehicles.

This was the movie I went to see.  I know I left it a  little late to go and see it. It is probably out on DVD shortly!  I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and it was very touching when the King made his speech.

This was the weather on the walk home. It had turned chilly. I had a brisk walk.

I thoroughly enjoyed my little outing.

If you are wondering whether you can still donate to assist in little Kigen's medical mission, the answer is "yes". We not know yet how long the hospital stay will be and the medications that will be needed.  All of which in turn affects the food and lodgings required for everyone on the mission.

Whatever donation you can make will surely help.

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

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

An Update on the Medical Mercy Mission to Save Kigen's Life

Yesterday I posted a very short update here about little Kigen the boy we met on a mercy mission of food aid to the Pokot.  I then went to sleep and when I awoke I had this comprehensive update from Jonah about how things are progressing with Kigen's care.

As you read the update I think you will be so moved and touched.  You will that God is in this work and He is answering prayer.  I thank each and every one of you,  for your concern for this little boy Kigen and for your part in prayer and giving.

Jonah and little Kigen's family arrived in Eldoret and went straight away to the hospital.

Driving to the hospital in Eldoret.

The hospital signage is in sight.

At last they are at the hospital.

Jonah takes a photo to commemorate this trip.

Now here is the update from Jonah.

It is me again just wanting to praise God for His faithfulness.  My heart is now 'free'.  I can now eat a bit as I know Kigen is in the doctor's hands and in God's hands as well.

This bag was donated to Kigen's mother on the streets of Eldoret.

I also want to thank God for the bag that was donated (blue one in photo) by people in the streets of Eldoret. We had realized that Kigen's mother came on the journey with an old bag, so we decided to buy her a new one.  Instead, it was given to us for free!  In addition, close to 500 Kenyan shillings was donated right there on the streets for this boy and his mum.  God really works wonders.

It was a more touching moment for me as I felt God was telling me "I will take care of this situation" and I felt really that I am just a tool/ instrument to be used for God's purpose.  The doctors too were so kind.  We did not even queue! [If you know Africa, you know what this means].  We were welcome everywhere we went and I must praise God for that.

Little Kigen being escorted by the nurse.

What is next now is that Kigen was given a dressing up by the doctors and is awaiting surgery (if I understood what they said well).  He will need three practitioners or doctors to be able to treat him.  First will be the one's to deal with the skin (there is a scientific name for it), those to deal with eyes, and another part, I forget but I guess general health.

The doctors here were so much touched too with the amount of courage the boy has.  They were saying that they are seeing for the first time, something they were just reading in the books when they were in medical school.

The boy Kigen is upbeat, and he raises our hopes for his health.  His younger  brother too is here with us.  He was not feeling well, too.  So he is here for check up; especially for his eyes.  He kept asking for him [his older brother Kigen] when they were with different practitioners.

We did mention to him [Kigen] of the many people praying and supporting him for his medical needs.  He said he is so much grateful and "TOROROT: (Pokot for God Bless you abundantly".)

Thanks so much again
Jonah

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

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

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

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.

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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.

Two weeks of Sky

I thought it would be fun to show the sky over Vancouver over a two week period. You can see we have had all kinds of weather! Soon it will be spring. Already today was feeling warmer and we are expecting beautiful sunshine for the next 3 days.

If you have time, please check out my post

 About a Boy.

Blessings.

Click on the badge to join in the SkyWatch fun.  I'm slowly making my way through all the wonderful sky photos this week!

About a Boy

I am so thankful today. Lately it seems I've lost some of my ability to be thankful. It isn't that I don't appreciate what I have. More like I have been preoccupied with my own needs and issues. I've been too busy to really savour what I have and to ponder exactly how the good Lord blesses me each and every day.

Every now and then though something happens and comes to my attention to teach me just how good I have it. Though the economy has been rough, Jehovah continues to provide me with food and shelter and more stuff than I really need. In fact, I've been giving away things. This is our culture in North America, where we tend to have an overabundance of things. I believe when we have too much we forget just how much of the rest of the world lives.

Today I cannot forget.

My friend Jonah lives in Kenya.  He recently went on a relief mission to try and alleviate starvation amongst the Pokot people (I'll be posting about the relief effort soon). Jonah is a student and so he is doing this as a volunteer. The food was provided by USAID and Jonah enlisted the assistance of a local NGO to take the long journey north to Baringo, Pokot and Ngoron and deliver the food.

While on this mission he came across a young boy who is in desperate need of assistance. Please be ready for a sad sight but this is real folks...real needs.

This little boy's name is Kigen.  His head is covered. I think because of his condition and the strength of the hot sun.

This boy desperately needs medical attention. The nearest hospital is hours and hours drive from the small village where Kigen lives. I don't even know if the place where he lives has a name but it is close to another small place called Kamurio, Kenya. Kamurio is so small you will not find it on a map.

The closest hospital is in Eldoret, at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.  I want to help this boy and I would like to encourage others to help him.

Basically what needs to be done is for my friend to hire a car to make the long journey back to this place to pick up the parents and boy and then make the journey with all of them to Eldoret. These parents have no education and they've never been out of their small village so this is a huge journey for them.  They will need help in every way for lodgings, accommodation, medical costs and medicine as well as the return journey. My friend also needs assistance for food and lodgings and to pay the driver.  Not just any car for hire will do. In order to get into these back roads, we need to hire someone with a reliable SUV.

This is a picture of Kigen without the cloth over his head. You can see his skin is literally peeling off and I fear the worst if he doesn't get medical attention immediately.

Just think if this was your child, your nephew, your grandson. What would you do?

I am thankful today, that my nephew doesn't need to rely on the kindness of strangers when he gets sick. I am thankful that he doesn't have to travel hours and hours on a bumpy, dusty road to get to a doctor and the medical help he needs. I am thankful for so much more.  But right now I am particularly focussed on medical blessings because of this precious 9 year old boy, Kigen.  A boy who lives far, far away from me in a place I've never set foot in and yet he tugs at my heart.  I hope he tugs on your heart too.

If you can help, please contact me as soon as humanly possible.

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

 Pay Pal here. Just click the donate button.

 

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.

Life is a Highway

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