2008 Mission Journal

(The following is a trip journal that was originally packaged in a half dozen emails sent from Nakuru during the 2008 trip.)

9/20/2008 – 0300 Kenya time

The trip has been uneventful so far.  Six of us flew from Missoula to Denver, had a quick bite, and then hopped on our flight to London.  The was smooth and fast, getting us in 1/2 hour early.  We slept little, if at all, so by the time we landed we were starting to drag a bit.

We met Zach and the airport and headed into downtown London for some lunch and a “walkabout”.  We visited several parks, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham palace before catching the tube back to the airport.  The flight to Kenya left on time.  We hoped to get some sleep before getting into Nairobi bright and early at 0630 (though that doesn’t look like it will happen for me), and hoped as well that Virginia caught her flight and would be meeting us at the airport.

More later.

9/20/2008 – 1630 Kenya time

We landed in Nairobi around 6 AM and were quickly introduced to “Kenya time” when it took us an hour and a half to get through imigration despite the fact that only 10 people were in front of us in line.  Virginia was actually in line right in front of us at customs… you fly halfway around the world and you run into a fellow traveler in the same line as you.  Wild.  But welcome.

We met Zablon, Regina and a group of people from PCEA Kiamenyuki involved in the Nakuru 3:16 project (including the pastor of the church).  They’d gotten up at 3AM to meet us at the airport- Kenyan hospitality never ceases to amaze me.

After introductions, some singing and a prayer, we loaded up the vans and headed out for Machakos Town to visit Springs of Hope.  I rode with David Saunders, a native of California who is heading up the Red Rhino project, a progressive, self-sustaining, eco-conscious children’s home.  Red Rhino partners with Springs of Hope, and since he was in Nairobi anyway he met us at the airport.  He and had a good chat about the state of Kenya and the various projects and I caught him up on some of the news from the U.S.

The team and our hosts had traditional Kenyan breakfast at the Garden Hotel in Machakos, and then headed over the Springs of Hope.  Springs is a wonderful project that rescues infants and toddlers from abuse and neglect.  The situations the children were rescued from are horrific- thrown into garbage heaps immediately after delivery (placenta still attached), dumped off onto the sides of highways as toddler, chained to beds for months while the mother plied her trade in the same bed, etc.

Mary felt that it was her calling to provide for as many of the children as she could, so she and her husband Joseph opened their home to the children.  The currently have 30 children ranging from 0 to 5 or 6, several of whom are HIV positive.  Springs of Hope provides a nurturing recovery environment, education, and healthcare in as much as they are able.  They are always challenged by limited funds.

Mary gave us a tour, and then we had a brief ceremony in which we presented her with donated money and children’s clothing.  Then the best part- we got to play with the kids for a short while before it was time to go.  All around the play yard you could hear the sounds of laughing and squealing as kids were swung around, tickled, and chased.  It was truly a joyous moment.  The children were beautiful- to think of how their lives began and the horrors they lived through, and then to see them now, is truly a story of grace and redemption.

On a sad note, one Springs child was not there.  Olive is a 1 year old girl who is HIV positive.  She recently recovered from a bout of pneumonia and then immediately came down with malaria.  She is in the hospital- Mary had just come back from visiting her when she joined us.  Prognosis is unknown.  We found a big teddy bear in one of our donated goods bags and presented it to Mary to give to Olive as our gift.

I was particularly struck by Olive’s story, not the least because my own daughter, Haley, just turned one.  I think of the life Haley has lived, healthy, happy, surrounded by love since birth, and I have trouble reconciling that with the justice that dictated that Olive should be born into terrible circumstance and afflicted with devistating disease her entire life.  My heart is heavy.  I can only console myself with the fact that, except for her earliest days, Olive too was surrounded with love.

The journey back to Nairobi and then onto Nakuru was a long, tedious one.  The first half was on bumpy, dusty dirt roads.  Picture yourself barreling down the road in a boiling hot van with 20 foot visibility and cars sometime coming at you head on in the chaotic way of Kenya drivers.  We then had the joy of passing back through Nairobi.  Had I not been so exhausted I would have been pretty nervous; as it was I fell asleep.  30 hours of air travel followed by 8 hours in a van on bumpy roads is frankly not something I’m used to.

I’m writing this entry as we’re approaching Nakuru.  I think I’m going to take another nap.  :)  More to follow.

Mon 9/22/2008 – 0350 Kenya time

I just got to take my first Cipro (broad-spectrum antibiotic to counter food borne pathogens)… unfortunately between all that’s happened over the past couple of days and the fact that I haven’t fully adjusted to the new time, I know I’ll be awake for a while.  So, what better to do than write (and try no to wake Brian in the process)?

Resuming the narrative Saturday evening, we arrived safely in Nakuru around 17:30 and checked into the Merica Hotel in the boisterous and raucous downtown market area.  Nakuru is the main city in the highly agricultural Rift Valley region of Kenya.  A few hundred thousand people live in Nakuru and the surrounding areas, mostly engaged in farming, though there is some light industry and one university.  It is typical of an African town- cinder block buildings interspersed with wood shanties; people walking and going about their business; sheep and goats grazing alongside the roads; storekeepers sitting in front of their shops waiting for customers; crazy drivers. The region is the heartland of the Kikuyu tribe, and as such was one of the towns hit by the post-election, Kikuyu-vs.-Luo violence earlier this year, and some sections of the town are still recovery.  (A short distance from Nakuru is a refugee camp still housing several thousand people.)

The rooms were plain but comfortable, and the beds had the requisite mosquito nets (even after flying half-way around the world, the nets are one of the loudest things that screams “you’re not in Kansas anymore”).  We had a pleasant dinner of barbeque chicken and other Kenyan favorites at a local hotel, showered, and retired.

Sunday began clear, fresh and sunny.  We ate the standard Kenyan breakfast (eggs, potatoes, sausage, fruit, etc) and then headed over to the “Railway Station,” a ceremonial meeting place for processionals through Nakuru.  When we arrived there were a scattered few people milling about, but the number rapidly swelled as the members of our host church- Presbyterian Church East Africa (PCEA) Kimunyeki (kee-moo-nee-YEK-ee)- began to arrive.

At this point, I think some background information is in order.  Zablon Kuria, our host, is the founder and leader of ROCK Bridge Ministries, a Christian humanitarian organization that creates partnerships (“bridges”) between organizations and churches in Kenya and the U.S. to tackle problems.  I won’t go into details here, but it is an amazing peer-to-peer model that is proving itself in project after project.

Kenya, like many developing nations, has a large number of orphaned children, many of whom end up living on the streets trying to survive through foraging in dumps and conducing petty crimes; the vast majority die young.  The Nakuru 3:16 Street Family Rescue Mission was a project that evolved from the recognition that street girls are the most marginalized of the street peoples, but that they are the ones that perpetuate the “cycle of pain” through their offspring.  The goal of Nakuru 3:16 is to remove the girls and their children from the streets, get them clean, provide them with education and job skills, and let them start a new life.  (The name Nakuru 3:16 was “gifted” by Missoula 3:16, a Montana based homeless rescue mission that provided much of the inspiration for the project.)

The project was born out of the efforts of my family and ROCK Bridge, but quickly grew with support both in Kenya and the U.S.  For the first nine months, it consisted of a simple “soup kitchen” where the girls could gather for a healthy meal and get counseling and much needed supplies.  The number of girls quickly grew, however, and we needed to go to the next phase.

The way forward was provided by the PCEA Kimunyeki parish, which consists of a central church in Nakuru proper and five satellite churches in the surrounding countryside.  As is the case with many Kenya churches, Kimunyeki is a prominent fixture in the community, sponsoring projects that help fill the many social and health service voids not filled by the government.  Kimunyeki agreed to partner with ROCK Bridge / Nakuru 3:16 and provide a house for the project, which would provide a safe and healthy environment for the girls to live (vs. the dump), and allow the program to begin weaning the girls from the self-destructive practices they’d adopted on the streets.

So back to the present.  The plan for the day was to march in a processional to the Nakuru 3:16 house where we would meet for Sunday worship service and officially “open” the facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony.  I have to confess, I had no idea what to expect… I guess I was thinking that there’d be a group of a dozen or so people walking through the town, followed by a small, intimate ceremony.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

It’s now 0445, and I’m going to try to get an hour of sleep before we start our day.  Plus, I know this is getting long for one entry, and there is much more to tell, so I’ll resume later.

Monday 9/22/2008 – 1910 Kenya time

(continued from previous entry)

If you have ever been “up close and personal” with a street person, you’ll be able to relate to what I’m about to write.  The typical street boy is covered in grime to such a degree that the brown skin of their feet and hands is often turned pitch black, as are many of thier ragged and torn clothes.  The smell can be brutal- layer upon layer of body oder, urine, glue (their drug of choice) and who knows what else.  Their eyes are bloodshot and unfocussed.  They are skinny and sickly looking.  It is overpowering.

So when they come up to you and say, “Jambo,” (hello) and stick out their hand, you have to dig deep as you take their hand with a smile on your face.  This we all did often over the next hour or so.  As we stood around waiting for the processional to begin, street boys started milling about the crowd, and several came over to us since we were mazungo (white people).  Some were just curious about us; most wanted money, but accepted “no” as an answer.  It seems the only english phrase most of them know is “I’m hungry” as they look into your eyes pleadingly.  It is clearly a learned emotional play, but they are, in fact, hungry.  (We learned later that they sniff glue because it allows them to go to sleep while terribly hungry… sadly, glue costs only a few cents for several days supply- much cheaper than food.)

This was the setting for perhaps the most memorable moment in a day filled with memorable moments.  Throughout the morning Kenyans of all ages had been coming over and introducing themselves.  At one point, a bunch of smiling, boisterous young women (most with children) came over and greeted us with great joy.  I assumed that it was some group within the church, but then someone told me that they were the Nakuru 3:16 street girls.  I was floored.  I had been expecting to meet girls looking, acting and smelling like the street boys that we’d encountered; instead, these girls were totally “normal”.  The contrast and transformation was stunning, which was noted often throughout the day.

Soon thereafter the processional started.  It was lead by a drum corps and the key principals of the event- the pastor of Kimunyeki, the chairman of the Nakuru 3:16 committee, Brian and me.  We were followed by an honor guard (“brigade”) of uniformed youth, and then the 400 or so parishioners and street girls followed two-by-two, with Virginia, Travis, Pam and Deb paired with Kenyans at the head of the line (Zach and Kim were shooting video and pictures respectively).

We marched through the streets of downtown Nakuru, and it seemed like the whole town came out to see what the commotion was all about… I’m sure we made for quite a sight.  Some onlookers shouted encouragement; others asked what the event was all about.  (One onlooker asked what we were doing, and our hosts answered that we were working to remove the kids from the streets to which he replied, “Then where will they go?”  Interesting.)  The street boys shadowed the parade (it turns out that they were the boyfriend, husband, and families of the girls in the program).  I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we were honored more than we can describe; it was an amazing experience.

After 20 minutes or so we came to the Nakuru 3:16 house and went into the courtyard.  The house was a simple block building that was 1/2 of a duplex and set on around an acre of fenced (i.e. walled) land.  The Nakuru 3:16 team had set up tents and chairs for the service- the courtyard quickly became packed with parishioners milling about and socializing.  Music was playing and people swayed with the African beat.  Brian and I were asked to go with the elders in the “ready room” (my term) to discuss the service.  Since this was a unique event, much discussion ensued on little things like what the bible verses would be (Brian chose John 3:16-17 and Mark 10:13-16).  After a brief (by Kenyan standards) prayer, the meeting disbursed and we went out to start the service.

I would be kidding myself if I thought I could use words to adequately describe the next three hours (yes, that’s how long the service lasted), so I will only touch on a few of the most significant events and impressions, and suggest that the reader come to Kenya some day and experience it for themselves.  As expected, the music and singing were lively and fun, with people clapping and dancing, even though the sun was blazing down and most people were in dress clothes.  They prayers were passionate and heartfelt, and the congregation was serenaded with a series of performances by various choirs and groups, not the least of which was the Nakuru 3:16 girls.  They performed a couple of songs and also a long poem (in Swahili) that they’d written for the occasion describing their life on the street.

About this time the street boys came in and joined the service.  The came and sat by the wall near me, and so I had the opportunity to observe them throughout the service.  They were very well-behaved, standing when everyone else stood, participating in the singing, and even breaking out a bible to follow along with the readings.  It would be easy to think they are hopeless, and that the best service to society would be to contain them in the dumps until they die.  Clearly that’s not the case, at least not with all of the boys- there are real human beings in there just looking for some help in breaking out of their destructive cycle.  The girls were proof of that.

Then came an extended period of announcements and presentations.  Our group was introduced individually to the congregation, and then a number of speeches were made about the program.  Zablon made a powerful speech in support of the program, noting that if Jesus were to come to earth today, he would go first to the streets before he’d go to a church.  All I can say is that I am happy that I did not have to follow after Zablon- he is an amazing speaker.

Soon thereafter we stepped outside the gates for the ribbon cutting ceremony.  After a brief dedication I was handed some scissors to cut the ribbon; I in turn handed them to Regina and asked her to do the honor, which she did.  The plaque was an inscribed stone that read:  “Nakuru 3:16.  This center officially opened on the 21st of September by Dan Cripe from Missouri, USA.”   (Oops).

I then spoke briefly to the congregation.  I first gave thanks to our hosts and the 3:16 team.  I thanked Jennifer who has been my partner throughout this journey.  I also told them about Jennifer’s grandfather, the late Charles Dannelly, who’s legacy made the project possible.   (I hope to have the center re-dedicated in Charles’ name.)   I told them that I did not open the center- they did.

I concluded with some words about the vision of the project, and then I walked back to my spot with tears in my eyes… Here were 15 beautiful young girls and their 15 children, all of whom had been given a new lease on life through the legacy of one man and the efforts of a few others.  The transformation in these 15 girls had profoundly touched the 400 people of Kimunyeki parish, many of whom admitted that they’d previously been afraid of the street people.  The girls and the parish were in turn touching the lives of the entire community.  It was awesome to think about the multiplying effect of one deed.  If we can sustain the program, who knows how many more people will be positively affected.  Dan Cravy describes deed as ripples that flow outbound when a rock is thrown into a smooth river; I could see the ripples moving out from Kimunyeki.

Soon thereafter it was Brian’s turn to give the sermon.  He rocked the house (in both English and Swahili through a translator).  He had the whole congregation learning how to say, “Missoula, Montana,” and laughing at his anecdotes.  His lesson was moving and unifying, and I saw more than a few tears (or maybe sweat, but I’m pretty sure there were tears).  He built bridges over those 30 minutes that will last a lifetime.

Following the sermon and some more prayers, and offertory was held.  They asked each of us to take our offering and hold it in our clenched fist as our “burnt offering”.  After the standard offering they held a special offering for the Nakuru 3:16 program itself.  Many, many people came forward to give what they could, and contrary to the private giving in the U.S., the moderator called out big donations and the congregation celebrated.  In the end, they raised over $1,000 for the project (remember, many Kenyans make less than $1/day).

The service concluded soon thereafter.  I can honestly say that I’ve never been through a 3 hour service, and that I never would have guessed that I’d have no problem with it.  This was not an event that dragged- it was all meaningful.

It was 2 PM by this point, so we took our leave and broke for a delicious lunch at the “Rift Valley Sports Club.”  During lunch we were privileged to meet and speak with Amy (Canadian) and Sam (Kenyan) who are doing research on work programs for AIDS victims.  They are finding that people with HIV are happier and healthier if they are given the means to provide for themselves through agriculture and hard work than if they are given a “free ride.”  Their research will have an effect on AIDS policies in the developing world.

Following lunch, we broke up into singles or pairs and headed out to “districts” (a.k.a. “small groups” or “home churches”).  Zach and Kim were a pair, as were Deb and Pam and me and Virginia.  Travis and Brian went single.  In Kenya, the formal church service happens in the morning, and then everyone goes to smaller gatherings in homes in their neighborhood.  Here they take tea, eat, and fellowship.  They sing, dance, give testimonies, and generally just rejoice in each-other’s presence.   It was truly a joy to be able to participate.

The team met back at the hotel and spent some time sharing our thoughts on the experiences of the day.  We were all a little bit overwhelmed, and each person had rich memories and insights that were sweet in the sharing.  I would love to go into some of these thoughts, but this is far too long already.

After that we went to bed (or some of us did- Zach couldn’t sleep and ended up staying up all night).  More to follow.

Tuesday 9/23/2008 – 2305 Kenya time

Most of us were up before the sun on Monday, and off to the first of our two safaris (“safari” means “journey” in Swahili).  Lake Nakuru National Park is a world renown park known for it’s population of rhinos and flamingos.  As luck would have it, it’s also right on the outskirts of town (think Blue Mountain for you Missoula folk).  (Pam and Deb unfortunately had a malfunctioning alarm and slept through it all.)

As an added bonus, we also took along the girls from the 3:16 house and their children, the vast majority of whom had never been there.  It was joy seeing how happy and excited the kids were and hearing their squeals of excitement.

Since I am falling so far behind on this journal I am going to largely pass over the safari and let the photos tell the story when we return.  Suffice it to say that we saw lots and lots animals, including rhinos, waterbucks, Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles, cape buffalo, giraffes, zebras, flamingos, baboons, monkeys, and a lion hiding in the distance. I was sad that my kids couldn’t be there with me- they would have loved it.  It was very cool.

We returned to the hotel around noon, had lunch, and then headed back out for our respective afternoon events.  Virginia went to the dentist to evaluate a broken crown that resulted from a “corn incident.”  In the end the dentist said she should wait until she returns to the states to get it fixed, and charged her around $6 for the consult.

Brian, Kim, Travis and Zach went to the Nakuru 3:16 house to prep for the painting work starting on Tuesday.  When we met up with them a few hours later they were exhausted- not from sanding and prepping (which they did), but from being human play-gyms for the kids.  It was a great time for them to get to spend time with a meet the girls, and the kids were having a blast.

Pam, Deb and I went to the Kimunyeki main church to meet with the Nakuru 3:16 committee and discuss both the current status and future plans for the program.  There is an interesting dynamic to meetings in Kenya that requires great care and patience in how you present ideas.  We muzungo (white people) tried our best to respect this dynamic, but I think we were a bit of a shock to them, in large part because our short time in Kenya wouldn’t allow us to unfold our positions over multiple discussions.

The result of the meeting was both exciting and daunting.  On the one hand, the committee clearly had taken ownership of the program and had a grand vision for where they wanted to take it.  A mix of social workers, health workers, and teachers, they had a big heart for the street people.  They wanted to follow the path of the Tumaini program (more on that later) and move the girls to their own land outside of town.  This would have a two-fold benefit- (a) it would remove the girls from the temptations and destructive influences ends of their former lives, (b) it would allow the program to become self sufficient through raising their own food and animals for both internal consumption and selling in the market.  As an added bonus, the girls would learn trades (farming, business) and the very act of taking care of the farm would give them a sense of pride and ownership.

The daunting aspects were (not surprisingly) around money.  I learned that the tank was largely empty and that there is only about a month of money left to fund operations (food, medical, supplies, etc).  Somehow we need to find $1,500 per month to keep the program running, and a few one-time capital infusions to reduce the burn rate by getting some no-graze milk cows, chickens, and goats, for example.  Moving to full self sufficiency by getting some land will also require significant capital investments.  Anyway, “if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”  I am encouraged that through faith and creativity we’ll find a way.  The results so far have been so positive that we just simply need to make it work.

We all headed back to the hotel.  Most of the team went to dinner.  I retired to finish yesterday’s journal and then go to bed.  I was so tired that I actually fell asleep typing on my laptop.  I slept well.

I’m out of time (again) so will have to stop here.  Tuesday was a great day- I’ll write about that soon.

Wed 9/24/2008 – 1150 Kenya time

Zach and I just got back from shooting video down at the town dump (called “black base”) which doubles as the main street person home in Nakuru.  It’s an intense experience and we’re emotionally drained.  The rest of the team just headed down there.  But I’ll leave that story until it’s proper order.

Back to where I left off.  On Tuesday morning we checked out of the hotel in preparation for going to stay with host families for a couple of nights.  After breakfast we headed to the 3:16 house for a morning of work.  One crew painted the gate and the pillars on the outside wall (and did a great job).  Another crew sorted our donated clothing and goods.  Zach and I picked up trash in the courtyard and worked on filming the documentary that we hope to make when we get back.

Just before lunch we had a team meeting to discuss some of the tactical things we want to get for the girls while we’re here.  We decided to try to get them mattresses (so that no girls have to sleep on the ground), mosquito nets, storage bins for their goods and the kitchen supplies, and assorted other critically needed supplies.  We also made a wish list of bigger items we’d like to consider over time.

We ate a great lunch prepared by the girls, and we invited several of the boys- primarily husbands and kin- as well.  It was interesting talking to the boys- they were polite, thankful, and invariably wanted to start business or otherwise get a leg up so that they could leave the streets.  It was also touching watching the fathers interact with the kids.  A father myself, I could see behaviors that made me realize that these were not all absentee fathers- they missed their children terribly.  One father picked up his little girl, wiped her very snotty nose on his shirt (an age-old father move) and then closed his eyes as he hugged her close.  (I was able to capture the moment- attached).  These men, women, boys and girls are far from perfect (who isn’t?) but over and over again they reinforced to me that, in truth, they are “the same kind of different as me”.

Afer lunch we headed out for the afternoon to visit PCEA Nakuru West and their projects.  Nakuru West was the first ROCK Bridge partner and has made amazing progress on their projects.  They have a health center, pharmacy, maternity ward, and job training center on their main church “campus”, all of which have grown considerably since I was here last.  We got a tour of the new maternity ward from our friend Esther, who gave us a moving testimony about (as we would call it) “working for a purpose.”

We then visited the Tumaini children’s home.  Two years ago it was foundation, some walls, and a temporary roof.  The transformation has been nothing less than miraculous.  There are multiple children’s dorms, a dining hall, a primary school and a (very productive) well in the children’s home area.  These facilities support 65 orphans, several live-in boarding students, and a couple hundred (I think) daytime students.

There is also a 10 acre productive farm that produces nearly all of the food staples required by the children.  At the edge of the property is a 5-10 acre segment of the 30 acre parcel that is provided for the use of HIV positive people that are forced out of mainstream society by the social stigmas.

The recently drilled well is going to be a godsend, not only in saving money but also by providing the program a revenue opportunity- they were recently donated a truck that will allow them to sell their surplus water in nearby villages.

We spent some time watching the kids play.  I couldn’t help but think that these happy, clean, educated, playful orphans were the exact same kids as are sleeping in the dump, but for the fact that they had the opportunity to live in a home.  It made me even more passionate about keeping the 3:16 program in gear.

I could go on and on about Tumaini (you might think I already have), but to wrap up- Tumaini is a huge inspiration for any project… it started humbly, proved it’s worth, and then was off to the races.  Most or all of the capital improvements required non-trivial outside investments- and for that we are all deeply thankful- but the result is that the program is now over 90% self sufficient from an operating standpoint.

The Kenyans we were with yesterday said over and over that they see Nakuru 3:16 easily following this model.  With a piece of land and initial structures, it could achieve operating self-sufficiency very quickly, and then grow in scope and possibly even have every street kid off the streets of Nakuru in a few years.  That’s thinking big, but certainly not thinking beyond the realm of possibilities.

One final note- the sacred rule when working on projects internationally is that you must partner with a solid team in-country… as an outsider, you can’t force your ideas and plans onto any culture.  ROCK Bridge has repeatedly proven itself to be a best-in-class partner.  They are more than capable of creating and/or seizing a vision and making it a reality with some help as needed.  I am very excited that they’ve agreed to take on this project- it’s a huge vote of confidence from an authority on the subject, and it gives me high hopes for where the project will be going.