The Journey-Ch.6

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Sometimes I am greatly inspired to write about life in Kenya. Like in the mornings when our kids get up in the dark to get ready for school and we peak outside to see the sunrise that is filled with soft yellow and intense orange hues stretching across the horizon. Or, when we are driving to school with our 16 kids in the van, and the noise is intense and I have to watch the road like a professional driver, missing all the obstacles, swerving around the potholes, and trying to avoid the bottom of our vehicle being torn out if I happen to hit one. Other times I feel I have as much inspiration as a dry, crusty piece of toast.

After dropping the kids at school I come and try to work in my office (that also acts as the playroom, living room, washing area and library). This in itself is another obstacle course….toys, clothes, books, dishes, etc. Not that it is messy, just crowded as sometimes 15 people use the area. It is like hitting the lotto if I have enough luck that my computer has a full, or even half-full battery, and the Internet works all at the same time. I rarely have that kind of luck.

Usually getting work done in the office means I have to go out back, behind the dorm and unlock the little generator shed, turn it on and run the cords in through the window. The good thing about this is that I can plug the washing machine and computer in at the same time trying desperately to kill two birds with one stone. These days I would be happy just maiming one. The bad thing is the rain makes this whole process really difficult.

The small generator is a HUGE blessing. The fact that we buy gasoline for it at $4.18 per gallon isn’t such a blessing. I do appreciate the fact that I can wash my clothes, and that I don’t have to do it by hand. If our water didn’t trickle into the washing machine, taking a good 40 minutes to fill, it would be faster than hand washing. I do believe however that even if it is slower, it is more thorough.

Other days consist of going to the market. I love those days because the sun is usually shining in Naivasha, where we shop, and it is a good 10 degrees warmer. I usually come home very grungy but warm. It is not like cruising down to your local HEB or Krogers, it is more like driving through a dust storm to get to the outside market where we purchase our fruits and veggies, then going to the tiny grocery where everything is covered in a layer of dust. It is funny how it seems the days we go to the grocery that the whole town of Naivasha decides to go to. The isles are wide enough for 2 carts to go down if everyone strictly sticks to their lane.

The culmination of the above events inspired me to look for an apartment. This was a journey within itself. I started looking last week and found that in a third world country prices can be as high as in America. I wonder how people make it here. Nairobi however has been called the “New York City” of Eastern Africa because it is a major hub of activity, thus driving up the prices.

I was extremely blessed to find a tiny, little, adorable house to rent. It will be home part time, a team house and a place to take the kids on weekends. I will stay at the orphanage part time and in my new home part time. I am thrilled about the fact that I will have space, make some new friends, have space, find a church I can attend on a regular basis, and have some space. Did I ever say it gets crowded living with 24 other people??

For now we are picking up our plans for building since the rain has finally subsided. This year is going to snowball with activity. Our kids are busy with school, our babies are now both mobile, we are planning for teams and we are praying that we can bless many, many children.

We need some volunteers to come offer a month or two of their time. Becky and Chris, who are house parents to the boys are moving home in August and I will be travelling to the states in August for 2 months time. Think about expanding your horizons this year and coming to enjoy the children of Kenya and the horizon of Africa…there is none like it!

New Year’s Investments:

Here are some opportunities to make some live changing investments. The investments will definitely be ones that grow, mature and yield high rewards…maybe not ones that you will get to partake in yet definitely ones that will be well worth every penny!

Investment #1

Margaret

“Maggy” is the 15 yr. old sister of Gracie who lives here at IAA. She is one of the girls that slept on wooden planks before we delivered mattresses last month.
Maggy just finished Jr. High and completed her exams in order to enter high school. For most kids that is a huge deal. The exams are tough and all wait anxiously for their results. The problem when Maggy got her results that told her she passed was the fact that high school was not an option. High school is not free and her aunt barely makes $1 a day.

We decided to jump in the car and make a visit to see Maggy in Nyahururu and find out if there was anything we could do. She ended up making the 3 hour trip home with us as ITHM will pay her school fees so that she can expand her world, get educated and hopefully break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. She will attend high school in Nairobi. This was we can visit and encourage her during this important time of life.

With the purchase of a uniform, shoes, books, supplies and school fees the first semester costs $430. Semester #2 will be around $200 and semester $3 approx. $200.

Since we were already in the area in Nyahururu we decided to make a visit to Eunice’s brother and Nelson’s sister. Their poor, elderly grandmothers are raising these orphans. Both kids finished 7th grade this semester.

Investment #2

Ann

Ann is Nelson’s sister. She is a tall, slender, 16 year old beautiful girl. She and her grandmother were surprised to see us and they invited us into their mud house for some tea. There were 5 large 50 lb. bags of maize in the corner that they were trying to sell so that Ann could go to school. Unfortunately there were no buyers and school was starting the following day.

Ann’s options were 1. No school, no chance of breaking out of poverty or 2. School, education and growth.

ITHM invested $200 to get her started for her first semester. Semester #2 and #3 will be $180 and $150.

Investment #3

Janet

We met Janet as we were getting Maggy’s paperwork from her Jr. High. The principle brought Janet in to meet us. She scored one of the highest scores on her exams and was in tears because she can not further her education.

She came in to meet us being very shy with her pretty face and tall frame. Her mother abandoned her and she has been left with an elderly grandmother that is too old to work. Janet carries water from the dam for people after school as a source of income for her and her grandmother.

Janet’s options are 1. No school; perhaps marriage to a man as much as 20 yrs. older than her, or prostitution which some kids are forced into in order to provide for the family. Or, 2. An education; possibly to become a future teacher, doctor and/or leader.

ITHM wants to pay for Janet’s education. The year will cost $900.

We need some investors. If any of you are interested in investing a small or large amount for any of these orphaned girls, please make a note in the memo of your check for “education fund”. Also, send me an email to let me know so that we can get the ball rolling and gets these young ladies in class.

If you decide to sponsor one of these girls I will get you a photo of them and update you on their progress.

God bless and a tremendous thanks for all of your support!

Jennifer, kids, ITHM and IAA.

Make tax-deductible checks to:

ITHM
23223 S. Warmstone Way
Katy, Texas
77494

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