New Leaf

Today I went back to Oasis to see Dorcas (the name of the girl I talked about in my last post).  


We started the morning with 12 girls, all between the ages of 13-16, ready to take pregnancy tests.  Thankfully, all the tests came back negative. They were all a bit worried, but before we told them their test results we took a moment to sit them down and talk to them while we had a captive audience.  We talked about the importance of abstinence, and what they would all do if they contracted HIV, another disease, or ended up with a baby. The culture is very different here in terms of sex and abstinence, and so it's a difficult talk to have with these girls, but one that I wanted to have anyway. 


After the talk I took Dorcas back to the clinic room to change her bandages, which desperately needed changing after only 24 hours. She cried a little because she thought it was going to hurt like yesterday, but I finally convinced her that I was only going to re-bandage and that I wouldn't hurt her. 


When we were done (here's the miracle), she hugged me! She was so stiff and unresponsive and sad yesterday, and today she was laying her head on me, holding my hand, and then started asking me if I had money to take her to America. She was checking my pockets for money, rubbing my skin and saying that she wanted to be white, and begging to go to America. When I told her that I was going to come back tomorrow, and stay in Kitale for a while with her instead of taking her to America, it just wasn't good enough . . . so she asked for chocolate. Apparently women's needs are universal. 


Please pray for Dorcas, and for me as I begin this relationship with her, and continue to try to love her in a way that she has never been loved before . . . without abuse attached. 

Robbed

I need to write about what happened today. Writing is cathartic. It brings me to contemplation, prayer, and ultimately a deep dependence on God. Yet no matter how much I've tried to articulate my emotions about today, I can't seem to muster anything. I feel numb. 


How do I relay my experience today caring for a 14-year-old girl who has been beaten & whipped so badly that we had to offer 1st aid on lashes that she received a week ago? 


I can't sit here in my living room and offer a well-packaged story. 


I can tell you that as she laid face down on the bed and I, with gloved hands, picked apart her dirty, infected wounds to clean and re-bandage them, that I felt her cries settle like a pit in my stomach. Her ache made me ache. Her tears brought my tears. Her childhood has been stolen from her, and has been replaced with a shadow of a life wrought by emotional, physical and psychological abuse. She is not a teenage girl; she has been robbed of that. She does not feel safe; she has been robbed of that. She is not innocent; she has been robbed of that. She is not happy; she has been robbed of that too. 


The only thing she cannot be robbed of is God's love. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:38-39. 


That verse is the ultimate comfort after what I witnessed today. She may have been beaten and abused, but God's love can transcend anything. I tried to hug her and she was stiff, but God's love can penetrate even the most hardened hearts.  


I will go back there tomorrow morning to see her, give her a pregnancy test (along with 15 other girls who will get tested tomorrow), and later, an HIV test. I will check on her wounds, and be available to help. But ultimately, I'm just a vessel. I pray that Jesus would shine through me, and that she would experience a Love that is unfounded on this earth; a Love that transcends space, time, circumstance, and evil. I pray that this sweet little girl, who has been forced to grow up way too fast, would come to know the Savior who can heal, restore, and LOVE. 


-Written by Amy-

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 

Psalm 90:1-2

Everyday I just need a reminder that God is . . . God. 

Now we're cookin'. . .

The cooking situation has been interesting since we moved here. We had an oven, but only 2 burners worked on top . . . not the oven. We also had 2 outdoor burners, but if you want to use them you have to move the propane tank from the inside burners. And no microwave. This has made it a bit of a challenge to cook for 14 people.  Yes, our safari of six added a few people when we got here. We joined 8 people when we moved onto the compound here. Emmanuel, Juliet & Hannah are from Rwanda and live here permanently, and Jade, Michelle, Jenny, Cody & Jason are college students from the States who are here until August.  We love that our family has more than doubled, and we love cooking and eating together every night, but as I said, it's a bit of a challenge with only 2 burners. 

So today, my sweet husband went downtown and bought us a new oven!!  We were cookin' up a storm tonight, using 5 burners at once! We feel so fortunate to have been able to afford this oven, with the help from a few extra one-time gifts. It was fairly costly (no, they're not cheaper in Africa!), but God has and will continue to provide. 

Another interesting living condition here is the fact that on most days, and usually for no reason, we lose power.  A lot of times it has to do with the rain, and our rainy season is just getting started, so we anticipate it happening a lot more. Having no electricity has been a big challenge, especially with kids, and 14 people in the house at any given moment. When the electricity goes out, we're usually in the middle of trying to fix dinner, or emailing or Skyping with family, or something else for which electricity would be an asset. And now with an electric oven, we're starting to think that randomly losing power at any given moment is not conducive to living here. SO, we've been prayerfully considering buying a generator for our house, which has the only kitchen. We are also hosting a group of 20 college students this summer, as well as a few other families, so we'll be supporting close to 40 people here on the compound.

Would you please pray with us that God would provide the necessary funds for the generator?  We would love to buy it soon because, as I said, rainy season is heavy upon us and we would love to get it installed soon. The generator and installation will be roughly $1,000.00.  If you or someone you know would like to give toward this project, you can use the "Donate" button to the right. All donations are tax-deductible.  

I'm just happy I finished this blog before we lose power again! ;-) 

Peter

This is Peter standing next to Mya. 

He is a child who lives in the slums not far from our house. We met him at church on Sunday morning at Oasis of Hope. Peter's father is gone, and his mother is an alcoholic. He is around 4 years old, although no one knows his actual birthday. Mya is 3 1/2. 

Peter was a little shy, but he let me hold him. Then he peed his pants (no diapers in the slums!) so I put him down. He continued to hold my hand for a long time, and then became enamored with my bracelet. It was hard to walk away from him, but I'll see him again soon. Please pray for Peter and his sisters. Everyday they live in such extreme poverty that 5 minutes there would make you beg for mercy.

AdJuStMeNt

Our first 4 days here have been a whirlwind of excitement, jet lag, tears, joy, beauty, shock, exhaustion, homesickness, and major adjustment.

I feel like I’m the embodiment of the verse, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” I’ve been a bit disappointed in myself since we got here. I thought I could handle this better. I thought I would be a “trooper”. I thought I would be brave. I had hoped that when something happened like two nights ago—the electricity went out and I heard mosquitoes buzzing around my face and I was hot and tired and couldn’t sleep—that I wouldn’t break down in tears and long for the comforts and convenience of home: electricity, air conditioning, the ability to open a window for fresh air without wondering if it would result in malaria. 

God has allowed me to see so much weakness, pride, and entitlement in my flesh. He has opened my eyes to how much I’ve really taken for granted, and to how much I’m truly desperate for Him every moment of the day and night.

I’m not miserable. I’m actually happy to be here because I know that it’s where God wants me.  It’s so beautiful here, and my kids love it. Today Mya told me that she wants to live in Africa forever. In the midst of the adjustments and homesickness, I’ve had moments of joy and peace, and I’ve felt God’s presence every step of the way. 

This is a picture of Howie and the kids at the great Rift Valley lookout. This was a little stop we made on our way to Kitale from Nairobi. This is also where little Howie bought his first machete. I'm so proud. -Amy

We're out!

I'm sitting in our hotel room late on Tues. night. All the kids are in bed and we have to be up in 6 hours to head for the airport.

Can't believe we're out of our house for good. Wasn't expecting to sob, but walking out of that house for the last time got me very emotional. It wasn't because of the house; just because of the memories. They're tangible, and I will cherish them forever.

Thank you for your prayers as we embark on the next 36 hours of travel (minus a sleep at a hotel).

Some of you have asked for an itinerary to be able to pray specifically. Here it is:

Phoenix to Minneapolis, arriving 2:30 pm local time, March 2.
Minn. to Amsterdam, arriving 6:40 a.m. local time, March 3.
Amsterdam to Nairobi, arriving 8:30 p.m. local time, March 3.
Overnight in Nairobi hotel.
Nairobi to Kitale by car, arriving whenever we get there in the evening, March 4.

We'll keep you posted when we arrive.  Please pray that flights are on time, for no cancellations, and for content, peaceful children. God is good, and we definitely feel protected and cared for.