Kenyan Update

Hello friends,

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.

Thank you.

Moving Forward

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.