Third Day at the Mission Site, June 24th

I spent this day with some of our members preparing for the health clinic to be held on Thursday. We inventoried medicines and put together health kits. The entire mission team toured a tea farm and factory in the afternoon. Kenya is known for its black tea.

We also crossed the equator.

Fourth Day at the Mission Site, June 25th

The entire mission team was involved with the free health clinic for the people in the community. We had some doctors and pharmacists from the Meru hospital volunteer to help and also Jim Tarr, a dentist from our mission team. We served around 800 people and handed out health kits as they exited the grounds.

Fifth Day at the Mission Site, June 26th

On this day, some of the mission team members volunteered to visit three different High Schools to mentor the students. Our aim was to elevate low self-esteem in youth, discuss career choices and AIDS prevention. When I spoke, the group of high school students began laughing at me. They were only laughing at my accent. I spoke to the students about staying focused and how sometimes family, friends, drugs and alcohol, and boyfriends can deter them from their education. I told them with the help of Jesus and their own self-determination that they could stay focused on getting an education.

I am in the process of developing a sponsor program for the high school I visited. Some of the students are in need of financial aid in order to continue their high school education. More details later.

June 26th

In the afternoon, the entire mission team visited an elementary school across the road from the mission site. This is the school that Charles Mwiti attended when he was a child. This is also the school of the MWAKI orphans. There are approximately 225 students and 14 teachers. The classrooms are very primitive along with the teaching supplies. We provided the teachers with supplies and each student received a pencil and a small stuffed bear. It was amazing to see how excited they got by receiving so little. Some of the students performed for us with singing and dancing.

Ken Muthee

I met a a student at the mission site and asked him why he wasn't in school. His reply was that his grandmother, who he lives with, couldn't afford the school tuition for him to attend school. His name is Ken Muthee and he is in sixth grade. He is not one of the MWAKI orphans for he has a mother, but lives with his grandmother. On the day that we visited the elementary school, I gave the head teacher 500 shillings for Ken's tuition for ten months, which is about $6.00. There was 50 shillings left for him to buy a pair of shoes.

Lost Camera

I lost my camera on Friday, June 26th. It's really quite comical of how it happened. I was at the mission site and had just finished taking some pictures of the quilting women. I put my camera back in it's case, but forgot to zip it up. I then went to the bathroom (latrine) and guess what? You guessed it! My camera slipped out of the case and down the hole it went. Oh well! Thanks to Shanon Williams, Nancy Berry, Nancy Hoatson, and Connie Wolfe for sharing their pictures with me.

Sixth Day at the Mission Site, June 27th

Our mission project for this day was a Vacation Bible School for around 200 village children of all ages. The Avalanche Ranch curriculum used in 2007 in many United Methodist Churches in our area was shared with the children of Meru. Jodi Nelson and her daugher Jaclyn brought their cowboy boots and hats for the occasion. Several stations were set up for the children to rotate to. Kevin Stoner, who is from Lincoln, and I had a puppet show station. We also let the children play with the puppets and sang songs with them. Snacks and lunch were served to the kids. Donations that were made went towards the food and craft materials. We also handed out Prayer Bears or little teddy bears to the children.