Days 11 through 13 in Pics (first to last): - Our hosts at the Eco Camp - Our accommodations - A hike in the desert with our guides - Dinner - Sunrise on our final morning
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Days 11 through 13 in Pics (first to last): - Our hosts at the Eco Camp - Our accommodations - A hike in the desert with our guides - Dinner - Sunrise on our final morning
Days 11 through 13 - Debrief and Unwind
This trip has been a fulfilling, but busy and exhausting experience for all of us. Between our two medical camps, and our service to the students at Beacon, we saw over 1,200 patients during our time in Kenya. What a blessing to serve so many. As we have done in years past, we reserved space at the end of our travels to debrief, unwind, and see a few sites outside of the Ongata Rongai community. This year we traveled well off of the beaten path to spend two nights at an eco camp, deep in Maasai territory. Some of the team opted to go on a driving safari, while the rest enjoyed a guided walk and picnic in the nearby desert hills. In both cases, we saw some beautiful wildlife and scenery. We were also treated to some traditional meals cooked by our Maasai hosts, and we left feeling rested and refreshed for our travel home. I’ll attach a few pictures to give you a glimpse of our experience. It’s now very late on Saturday evening, and we are waiting at the airport in Nairobi to board our flights home. We are traveling in two groups, with most of us heading home via Paris, and the remaining members traveling through London. We have 24 hours of travel ahead of us, and we look forward to being back in the States by Sunday evening. We’re incredibly grateful for our partners at Beacon of Hope, and for the support of friends and family at home, both of which have made this trip possible. We appreciate your prayers, and we look forward to sharing more about our trip in-person when we are home.
Day 9 & 10 in Pics (first to last): - Our medical providers doing check-ups on the Beacon Students - Bryan (our resident dentist) and Nicole, prepping the dental room. - Fluoride varnish treatment station - Vision exam station - Teaching “Thumbelina” to the nursery students while they wait. - Ending Day 10 with a surprise performance for our team, by the Beacon of Hope Poetry and Dance Team
Days 9 & 10 - Sponsored Children @ Beacon of Hope
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday working with the 350 students at Beacon of Hope Academy. Every part of our mission here is a blessing, but, at least for me (LeeAnne), none quite so much as this part. We started at the baby school and made our way through all 8 class levels over two days time. We completed a health exam, vision screening, dental exam and flouride varnish for every child at the academy. We documented findings and provided needed medications and referrals. Along the way, we also interviewed and photographed each of the children sponsored by folks @chapelhillbible. As I have said in earlier posts, the opportunity to receive schooling here at Beacon is life-changing for the children here in Rongai. They not only receive an education, but they also receive strong reminders of their own value and worth in God's kingdom. This is my second trip here, and it was amazing to see the progress of individual students that I met and interacted with last time, compared to this year. Their growth, physically, educationally, and spiritually was astounding. I have so much more to write about this. But for now, I'lll stop. The team is boarding vans to head to an eco-camp in Maasai territory to finish our trip with some rest as we process and debrief about our time here. I'll share much more when we return.
Day 8 in Pics
Day 8 - Mandatory Day of Rest
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, a day of rest was mandated after the government declared today a religious holiday for schools and most businesses in observance of Eid al-Fitr.
We traveled up the road to Karen to visit a local giraffe house. We were able to get up close and personal with the animals, and enjoyed an educational class on giraffes and warthogs.
Afterward, we toured a local bead factory, and enjoyed lunch at a nearby Mall before heading back to Beacon.
We are finishing out the day doing some planning for our treatments at the school tomorrow. We look forward to spending time with the students, and we appreciate prayers for great productivity as we attend to their medical and dental needs over the next couple of days.
Day 7 in Pics (first to last): - Our team dressed for church. - Pastor Kevin and Jay at Mavuno Downtown in Nairobi.
Day 7 - Lord's Day at Mavuno Downtown in Nairobi
Today we traveled into Nairobi to attend church at Mavuno Downtown. We have strong ties to Mavuno, and it was wonderful to worship with them and reconnect with several of the pastors there. After service, we joined several members of their pastoral team for lunch, before heading to check out the Maasai market for some local crafts. The week has been long, and we are all feeling a little tired today. Tomorrow, we have an unexpected day of rest. On Wednesday, the government announced that Monday would be a mandatory national holiday in observance of Eid al-Fitr, which is a Muslim holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan. This means that we will have to delay the start of our medical and dental treatments on the Beacon school children until classes resume on Tuesday. Here are a few things you can pray for over the next several days: - Pray for rest and restoration as we plan some low-key team activities for our unexpected day off. - Pray with us for the Muslim community here. They have certainly been prominent in our thoughts as we hear the frequent sounds of call to prayer during Ramadan. There are several Muslim families with children here at Beacon, and they are exposed almost daily to the gospel. We are praying for the Lord to open their eyes and hearts to His life-giving truth. - Pray for great productivity for our team as we work to complete the exams, dental treatments, and sponsor updates for all of the children at the Beacon school. Because of the holiday, we now have one less day to complete these tasks.
Day 6 in Pics (first to last): - Team prayer before medical camp. - Triage and main provider tents. - Ashley Shields doing a pediatric consult. - Our pharmacy and rapid impact team...and Pastor Jay, our head of pastoral care and intercessory prayer.
Day 6 - Medical Camp 2
Saturday morning started early, as we moved the last of the furniture and chairs into the tents at our outdoor treatment space here on the Beacon of Hope Campus. Our waiting area was already filled an hour before the advertised opening time for clinic, and the flow never slowed down. Including our Kenyan partners, we had a total of 10 medical providers in the main tent, as well as 2 lab technicians, an HIV counselor, 3 ‘rapid impact’ providers (to administer vitamins and deworming medication), a physical therapist, and a dentist. Between us, we saw a total of 547 patients over a period of 8 hours. This was accomplished smoothly and in an organized fashion, which was huge answer to prayer. The patient population at this camp differed greatly from our first, and we saw a much higher number of serious medical needs. We listened to some hard stories, and tears were shed on both sides at times, but we served them to the best of our ability and as much as our resources allowed. In the end, we pray that the Lord would complete the work that we began, and we pray that the care they received would not only minister to their physical needs, but would open their hearts to the great love and care of their ultimate savior, Jesus Christ.
Day 5 - Visits to the Homebound
It’s been a few days since my last update, and our team has been busy. We spent the rest of Friday finishing the preparations for Saturday’s medical camp, and making some home visits in surrounding communities. There are many people too sick to visit our camps, so we sent providers to several homes to deliver groceries and provide medical attention and prayer. Those of us with sponsored children were also able to visit their homes to take gifts and groceries, and get a status update on their living situations. This was a sweet time for many of us. Pastor Jay also arrived safely tonight, and we look forward to having him as part of our team for a few days.
Day 4 in Pics (first to last)
Meeting with Beacon social workers and families of sponsored children.
Community posters advertising tomorrow's clinic. @chapelhillbible’s sponsorship is featured prominently.
Day 4 - Beacon of Hope
This morning was restful, which was needed after our day in Kibera. We had a later breakfast, followed by devotion, and then we split our team to tackle different tasks. One group began the sorting and packaging of medication for the medical camp on Saturday.
A smaller group, myself included, was invited to a monthly meeting with Beacon social workers and the families of the children who are in the school sponsorship program. This was a powerful and emotional experience for us. These families come from hard places, and the opportunity for their children to receive the educational resources here is life-changing. The meeting is a check-in on student progress, and it is coupled with coaching classes and sermons on Gospel-Centered parenting. The approach of the social workers here is incredibly holistic, and we continue to be impressed with the way they minister to these families. The teaching to parents was grounded in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, with a call to teach their children diligently the ways of the Lord. As we listened, we were reminded that as parents, our desires for our children are so universal, yet the path is harder for some than others, and the stakes are higher. This is an election year in Kenya, and tribal war is a very real danger in this place. There was conversation about the need to raise a generation of children who seek peace and unity, and who place their brotherhood and sisterhood in Christ ahead of tribal and political factions. Again, this is such a powerful truth for all of us.
After the meeting, we were greeted by tearful parents who expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet us and to attach faces to their prayers as they thank God for those who support their children.
If you have ever considered sponsoring a child here at Beacon, ask us about it when we return. There is room for more students in this program, and it is a powerful agent for changing lives.
Tomorrow, we conduct our 2nd medical camp, which will be held in a field here on the Beacon campus. There has been much word of mouth about this in the surrounding community, and we are anticipating large crowds. Here are some specific ways you can pray for us:
Pray for continued unity and clear communication between our team and our Kenyan partners. This is very necessary for the smooth operation of these camps.
Pray for the Lord to stretch our resources, providers and medication, so that we are able to serve as many people as possible.
Pray specifically for Bryan, our dentist. He has worked tirelessly for the past several days to provide care for many children and adults who are in desperate need of dental services. Pray for strength and stamina to complete the tasks before him, and for good communication with parents of the children he treats.
Day 3 in Pics (first to last): - Heading into Kibera - Setting up our clinic space - Patients waiting in line to be seen - Many schools brought their children for checkups - Most of our team
Day 3 - Medical Camp in Kibera
We held our first medical camp in Kibera, which is one of the largest slums in Africa. Our team members partnered with healthcare providers from Beacon of Hope, and the Ministry of Health. Together, we provided care and treatment to 357 patients. In addition we were able to provide nutritional counseling and vitamin packs for hundreds more. The day was hot, full, exhausting, and so fulfilling. The level of need here is evident, and we are all processing the things we’ve seen in different ways. We spend a lot of time in prayer as a team, and the Lord has been so gracious to give us everything we need to accomplish the tasks set before us. Kibera is indeed a place stricken with extreme poverty, but the people here have a resilience and a pride that belies their situation, and their sense of community is evident and strong. What strikes me most, and convicts me at every turn, is the ability of so many of them to say with conviction, in the face of a life so filled with struggle, that God is good. They openly express their gratitude to Him, and their gratitude to us, as we serve in His name and by His power. Check out today's pics, though it’s impossible to capture the experience. I’m sure any member of our team would be happy to share more about our time there once we return. We appreciate your continued prayers as we prepare for our next camp on Saturday.
Day 2
Day 2 - Preparations for Tomorrow's Medical Camp in Kibera
Today was busy and full as we prepared for tomorrow’s medical camp in Kibera. We started with morning devotion and prayer with teachers and staff at the Beacon vocational school. Our trip leaders (Laura and Ashley) left to meet with government health officials to iron our final details for camp, while the rest of us unpacked and sorted 18 suitcases, each filled with 50 pounds of medical, dental, and/or school supplies to be used or donated during our time here. We counted and bagged thousands of pills for the camp pharmacies, boxed and labeled the treatment tools our providers need, and delivered supply donations to our partners at the Beacon Health Clinic and the school. Some of us took a mid-day break to head down to the primary school during recess. The children at Beacon are taking mid-term exams, and they were happy to hit the playground to find a new soccer ball and some “wzungus” from CHBC waiting to kick it around with them. Some of us were also able to spend a few minutes with our sponsored children, and we look forward to more time with the students in the coming week. Tonight we go to bed tired, but grateful for what the Lord has allowed us to accomplish. We leave at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning to head into Kibera, and we are praying the Lord will use us to minister physically and spiritually to the people there.