Update #10

Dear Friends and Family,
This update should have gone out about two weeks ago- sorry for the delay. Life has been extremely busy since we returned to Kenya September 5th. Our initial arrival at the Nairobi airport reminded me of the disorganization and corruption so prevalent in this country. As I went to pay for my visa I was told my $50 bill would not be accepted because it was printed in 1996, a common year for counterfeit bills. Thus, I was forced to pull money out of the ATM (in shillings) then exchange the shillings back into dollars to pay for my visa. All of this, so they could put my money in an open box- no cash register- no computerized receipt.

Overall, my return here has been marked by progress, yet confrontation with the same obstacles. This past month God has convicted me of the fact that I need to commit more time to prayer. Prayer for the ministries we are serving at, the people we are working alongside, and all of God's blessings. Trying to get back into the swing of things, I lost sight of my purpose to love God first and foremost. I am in awe of how He has protected me thus far, how He has kept me in good health, and how He has given me strength to overcome daily frustrations. There is so much to be thankful for. Being in America for a month made me realize how much I love the guys at Light and Power Centre and my Form II students at Akiba. They are my passion and have been my focus for over a year now!

Within the first week of our return, one of the leaders at Light and Power Centre was released for inappropriate behavior and a succession of thefts followed by lies. It is hard to see people go, but a leader must be an example to others and this guy failed in that area. On the brighter side, the Centre is seeing progress in all areas. Bag orders have consistently been over 3,000/month for the past 3 months. Five out of the nine guys signed up for the matching funds savings program. This is a program requiring them to set aside at least 10% of their bi-monthly salary for skills training courses (driving school, college, etc). At the point of withdrawal their savings will be matched either 50% or 100%, depending on the length of their participation in the program. The Saturday Children's Program now has over 50 kids attending. The guys have truly taken ownership of this program. They lead the children in games and songs, followed by a puppet show of various bible lessons. It is wonderful to see the adults in the community stopping by to see why there are so many children at the Centre. Also, thanks to a contribution by one of our board members, five of the guys will be participating in the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon. On October 28 th, they will run the ½ marathon with me and the board member who supported them to run.

Teaching continues at Akiba. I have 39 students this term and have tried to be more strict with them about completing homework and staying in during break times for tutoring if they performed poorly on exams. It is a constant challenge with them though as I try to have them learn concepts versus the memorization techniques taught to them in the past. Hard to believe that there are only five more weeks left in the 2007 school year at Akiba.

During midterm break from school, Amber and I traveled to Kikambala to visit the girls at Mudzini Kwetu. We both look forward to these trips so much. The girls at the home are full of energy and incredible happiness. Our trip included spending time with the staff, taking the girls to the beach, and pushing them over and over again on their new tire swing. When I visited in July there were two new additions to Mudzini- a set of 9 month old twins- who were appointed by the court to stay at Mudzini until their mother was capable of taking care of them. They were both malnourished when they arrived and had been mistreated by their mother. Unfortunately, Macharia (the boy) was admitted to the hospital a few days before we arrived. We visited him in the hospital, which was quite an experience. Outside the building there were hundreds of mothers with their babies waiting to see a doctor or to receive medication. In the "private" children's wing the mothers had the role of the nurses. Someone from Mudzini stayed with Macharia each night and gave him water through his feeding tube. This morning we received the sad news that he passed away. During my time in Kenya, I feel like I constantly hear about a death in someone's family. However, this was the first time that the impact of death really hit me.

Kenyans don't have all the American resources, yet they make the most of what they do have. The majority of Kenyans live in a world different from ours. It is not the world that must change, but the people in that world. Even if I can't relate all the time, I have come to accept this world. As we were driving along the coast, the sites to my left and right no longer struck me as something different. I have accepted the rows of mud huts, the children walking home from school (probably at least a 3 mile walk), the women carrying timber or water on their heads, and the men sitting idle. There is so much I wish to change in Kenya, but change in this country will only start with incredible transformation in people's heart.

As I continue to serve at various ministries during my second year, I appreciate your support and prayers.

In Christ's love,
Anne
www.kenyaconnection.org

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