Saying goodbye

Saying goodbye to kimilili

                                     

Well we knew that it wouldn’t be easy and it wasn’t, but I guess the more you miss a place means the bigger the space that it has taken up inside your heart and that surely can only be a good thing.

It’s not just the culture that we will miss, or the amazing views, the warm climate, the friendliness of passers by, the chapattis or the Mandazis. We will miss most the great friends we have made.  If any of you are reading this, sincerely thank you for the love and welcome you have shown us, for your openness to learn, for showing us how to hope and for challenging us to 100% relay on God for everything. Tu ta rudi xx

The Simplicity of Kenya and the people there is truly beautiful, even though we have only been back a few days we are struck by how much we can complicate our lives here instead of just focusing on our daily bread. The need to be constantly developing and planning ahead is addictive and feels like were moving forward but often we forget to stop and look at what we already have and appreciate it the way it is for a while. I don’t know how you balance out two extremely different cultures in the day to day but I hope that we can still keep an essence of our Kenyan experience and remember the simplicity of Kenya when we are back in the swing of our stressed up little worlds and remember the words that were uttered to us   “…chill out.. we’re in Africa’ 

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So although sad that the fantastic experience we have had has inevitably to come to an end, we are so very thankful to God for allowing this trip, for working in us and for faithfully protecting us….. And so very thankful for all those who have supported us while we have been away.

Asante sana sana.xxx 

One last trip to the house

Back to the house

So the chance came for me to visit the Soysambu house again for one last time before I returned home and I couldn’t miss it....

We decided an unannounced trip would be a good idea to really see what real progress had been made.

Just like every time before my stomach turned over as we drove down the narrow path that leads towards the house.. what would we find there…?

Well praise God. .it wasn’t just good news it felt like we were witnessing an actual miracle. To witness such transformation in a family in such a small amount of time brings tears of thanks to my eyes even just thinking about it.

We found the father Edwards smartly dressed, clean, shaved and washing the families clothes.. The feeble shadow of a man that we had once met was no longer and a different man stood tall before us.. It was so encouraging to see that in the day to day there he was working and providing for his family and taking on his fatherly duties once again.. You could see that along with this new responsibility he had adopted a sense of self worth.

Of course it is a long journey for him and getting over any addiction especially when you are surrounded in poverty is no small task but here he was, wearing a clean and bright yellow shirt, trying his very best.

We were delighted that Laurence (who works at IcFEM for the fathers ministry)  had agreed to come along for the trip. We felt it really important that Edward, being the farther, was the one who could really make or break this family and yet was the one member of the family that we had spent time with the least. Laurence , Elliud and Simon just chatted to him and listened to his worries, they spent hours together  talking listening and praying. I think Edward was genuinely stunned that this day was all about him and in those few hours you could see him coming out of his shell. 

Well it wasn’t long before the children came home for lunch..They walked in to their new house,which was now home, with their new little shoes, red socks and no jiggers or limping or sticks in sight. They beamed when they saw us and came to sit on our knees. We sat there drawing together communicating through the pics . Its strange how we have built up this close bond with these children with barely no words, but  we have worked hard together, cried together  and we have witnessed and experienced something life changing together. I guess that speaks louder than words. 

                                   

Saying goodbye to the children was something I was dreading. These children have firmly established a place in my heart and in all honesty I was scared about a big and uncontrollable outburst would embarrassingly take me over..

But it didn’t, instead I just felt a real sense that they will be alright now..that our work here was done and that there was nothing really more that we could do for this family. They seemed now so different to the way they were before, a few months ago we greeted the unpopular, dirty, jigger ridden, mixed up and very needy group of people. and we said goodbye to a hopeful, beautiful, clean, inelegant family unit. So as we said goodbye we were aware we were handing them over into Gods large and very capable hands knowing that there they would be safe.  

Heres the beautiful Abel showing the world that he can now jump as his Jiggers are gone. 

                                                      

On leaving Edward walked right up to the land rover , looked us all in the eye , shook our hands and said thank you so much…he hadn’t ever approached us before let alone had any eye contact, that itself was powerful evidence of transformation

                                         

Driving off, that was confirmed for us as, the whole family stood together as a family and waved us off together

                                    

I know and believe that God promises to do more that you can ever ask or imagine, but to actually see him at work with my very own eyes was just incredible and something I must never forget.

                                                 

Sun, chips and swimming trips

Sun, Chips and Swimming Trips...

                                  

We took a few treat days to the swimming pool about an hours drive out of  Kimilili. These days have been time out and chance to enjoy the lovely climate. They have also been chance to get to know our colleges more by just spending a day chilling with them by the poolside.

Those who we have seen and worked with daily have now transitioned into becoming great friends who we are blessed to have and who we will greatly miss.

                                       

(We’re rooting for the IcFEM guest house to get their own pool, it would be the only one in Kimilili…surely there’s a business idea in the making.)

 

The new IcFEM gift and book shop

The IcFEM Gift and Book Shop

                                   

So working in the shop was one of my favourite projects…it was a joy to see that with a small amount of work it could be transformed.

what was a bit of an embarrassment for a shop became another asset to icfems great list.

We decided the shop was in real need of a refurb.   We set ourselves a target that we would be finished and ready to re launch a few weeks later in time for the arrival of 10 teachers from England.

                We painted and scrubbed the room, designed shelves (made very nicely by Evans the carpenter) and branded the place with lots of posters, signs and price tags.

                                      

Linet held a big book sale to clear some of the old books. Selling over 40 books in 2 days It was a success and with the money raised she was able to order lots more stock from Nairobi.

 

The IcFEM gift and bookshop is now a place where many want to sell their wares and so even the IcFEM staff were revealing great crafts that they had made such a Julius the night watchmen who makes African jewellery and key rings really nicely. Of course the tailoring shop, now one of Linets biggest suppliers were working away and brightening up the place with there new and exciting wares.

                                   

Linet was just beaming with her new place, she finally got the lockable draw that she had been asking for and always had African music playing .the atmosphere is completely different. The shop is a nice place to be in and the sales have absolutely rocketed.

Taking more profit in one day than they had for the rest of the year, Linet was enthused and excited about her work and began to sell whole heartedly, she has a good eye for products, knows her prices and most importantly loves her job so I know that the place is left in capable hands. I really enjoyed my time with Linet and her willingness and openness to learn.  I will miss working with her and seeing that beaming smile that she now wears everyday.

                                  

DreamLand School

Dreamland school

It was great to get back to school and dreamland school was just a special as I remembered it.

We have both been teaching lessons which has been a real blessing. It is amazing to see just quite how well behaved the children are and how they are all so keen to learn, they value their education so much and it’s a delight to see. You wonder sometimes how they can love and value these lessons so much as the way they learn is so very different to our ways but dreamland school are certainly doing something right to be producing such studios, well behaved and delightful children.

Christmas card competition..(jo Finlay)

Gemma and I ran a Christmas card competition with the year 6s and 7s classes.. We arrived in school and within 10 mins we were winging a lesson that we hadn’t prepared for, but the children were just so well behaved and so eager and interested, that we soon felt at home.

We asked the four classes to come up with original ideas for their card by firstly getting them to write about their Christmas day.

I felt all choked up when one little boy, Tim, read his piece of writing aloud. It started..

“On my Christmas day there is no snow, there is no Santa, there are no gifts… but we have an amazing day….’’

The Christmas designs we asked for were to be African, Christmassy and unique… i guess that was a bit of a tall order, but we were pleased with the results that we got and the enthusiasm that they approached this task with.

It was a real incentive for them to know that the winner would have their card printed and taken to all kinds of places in Europe, places that theythemselves may never get the chance to see…it just reinforced nicely the message that I was trying to get across that there is such a relevance and a place for art, that if you have the guts to share your imagination out loud or on paper.. then who knows where it may take you.

One of the boys Joseph, I could really identity with… He sat scribbling away and could hardly get his ideas down quick enough. No sooner would he have started one sheet before he was asking for new paper for another idea…his drawings were scruffy and rushed, but he had something. At first I though he was just a bit hyper and he would soon calm down…but he came back to continue this artwork in his lunch break and after school, it was like he had found deep inside himself an new and special gift that he was desperately quickly trying to unwrap.

We selected 4 finalists and presented them with a prize, and I was delighted that Joseph was one of them. The finalists came up one by one and as they did they received a big round of applause and they proudly accepted .. We saved Joseph till last, I felt most proud of him and the passion that he had put in. As Gemma called his name we didn’t hear applause, instead the room filled with laughter and Joseph walked to the front with his head hanging low. It was awful like we’d got him up there to humiliate him….

I asked the teacher later why the children laughed and her answer was

‘’no one would ever expect joseph to win, even me…he does not excel in any subjects….. ’’

I wondered if I would have been in the same boat as joseph, if my education was in Kenya? I really felt for all those wonderfully creative beings living all over this continent that are branded as stupid because they don’t have academic minds.

However, I was proud of Joseph and was all the more delighted that he proved them wrong. As far as I was concerned he was the one who had excelled most of all.

Look out for the Christmas cards, or do ask me for more info, as they will soon be printed and available to buy in time for this Christmas.

Art projects ( Finners)

One of the things I really wanted to do on my return to Kenya was some big art projects in school… and moreso after the whole joseph Christmas card comp thing. I went back to dreamland to work with more children and again to encourage their creative minds and abilities. Again encouraging the thinking that your idea can start small but become turn into something big and beautiful ..they know ‘art’ as tracing in the back of their lined exercise books and so i wanted to challenge that.

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This project was on creation..Each child drew a day of creation on a large circle and we stapled the circles together to create large 3D orb globes that we hung, instantly brightening up the huge dark stairwell.. as we were in te process of hanging them, I disappeared off to get some more staples and returned to see a huge crowd had formed around the globes. The children stood around in wonder.. and with a sense of ownership that their piece of work contributed to something such as this.

Dreamland (Jo Riley)

My last few weeks were spent teaching in the school and hospital.

For me it was my first time in Dreamland school and was a real privilege to meet and teach these wonderful children. I taught classes in years 5,6,7 and 8 about the heart. I wanted to make the lessons as interactive and interesting as possible as their lessons usually consist of just copying off the blackboard or from an exercise book. In my first lesson it turned out they had put two classes together and so I had 60 pupils and the teachers deserted me. They were so well behaved and enthusiastic to learn though, so it was not a problem. They never seemed to want me to stop. Sometimes the teacher that should have been teaching the next lesson never turned up or it would be lunchtime but they would not leave the lesson . I also taught each of these years a few first aid classes which were good fun and had them all bandaging each other up. I also saw some of their more mischevious side during these lessons!

The hospital staff were so enthusiastic and eager to learn. They made me feel really welcome and part of the team. I taught them basic life support, ECG performance and interpretation and first aid. They really work as a great team at the hospital so much so that all the staff including the groundsmen turned up for my teaching sessions! This was really nice but made the teaching a little bit difficult particularly when teaching ECG as I could see that some of them were struggling to understand what I was teaching. Even though I kept saying this teaching might not be relevant for some of you so feel to leave, none of them did!

I spent a week teaching the main doctor at the hospital physics of ultrasound and ECG interpretation. He was really eager to learn and a quick learner and it made my job easy. Since I've been back he text me one day really excited to say he had performed and interpreted an ECG on a lady and diagnosed an MI. I was really excited to hear this especially if you remember from a previous blog entry that until then the nearest place to get an ECG was a 2 1/2 hour drive away. (However, the ECG machine is very old and is unable to record all 12 leads plus it takes about 1/2 to do what would take 5 minutes and be much clearer with a more modern machine). During my time there I had lots of people coming up to me worried about their heart or chest pains and I realised that there is a definite need for more knowledge and facilities in this area.

I learnt a lot during this time especially about being flexible. One day I was to teach first aid to the health co-ordinators from each of the local units. It was due to start at 9am and I was all ready to go but there was no sign of anything happening. It got to 11am and still nothing had happened as not all the health coordinators had arrived I started to get a bit worried by this but was told "Relax Jo this is Africa. If you can't do something today you just do it tomorrow". How I wish that attitude worked in the UK we'd all be a lot less stressed but I am determined to take this more relaxed attitude back with me.

On our final sunday we visited Dreamland's sunday service (a service for all those who board there) It's is a service that's organized and led by the children. Its began with 30 mins of worship, some leading the singing some banging upside down barrels as their drums and every other child dancing.. there wasn’t a stationary person in that building (except us of course) and it was just so lovely to see a complete lack of inhibitions.. Where regardless of age and gender all these children were dancing and worshipping god.

The children of dreamland really are a joy to be with and it was a sad day when we said goodbye. The children sent us away with a wodge of thank you letters each…

Dear Jo Artist

The reason causing me to write is to say thank you.

I never knew I would be able to make my own Christmas card but I did. You made me know the true colour of art and its to have your own imagination not copying.

As you go back I hope that you will come back again.

God bless you for everything you’ve done to make us use our imagination.

May Gods grace be with you till we meet again,

Bye,

Yours faithfully,

Tim

Dear Jo Doctor

My main aim to write is to thank you for sacrificing your time to come from England to Kenya to Kimilili to Dreamland to teach about the heart.

We are very glad for that good thing you did for us even we know how to give first aid to a victim injured by fire or when playing on a football pitch.

Now we know how the heart pumps blood to other parts of the body and we say thank you

Yours faithfully

Kelly

Painting stuff

Painting stuff

Painting signs, walls and pictures and anything else that may need a lick of paint..

                                                                

Its great to be practically doing stuff with the paint and paintbrush as creative work these days is often computer based and a rare percentage of any job is the actual painting. So It was exciting to just go at a blank wall with a brush and see what happened…

We painted a mural in The Upper Room, a room soon to be a café area at the HQ for the IcFEM staff encouraging them to fellowship over lunch. We were asked to paint leaves and flowers.. so that’s pretty much what we did.

Again so many popped in to visit us and to encourage us as we worked…We asked the IcFEM staff to contribute to our wall by painting a flower.. they could approach it anyway they liked                                                   

.....and it was just lovely to see the results.

For some this unveiled creative talent that any didn’t know they had and they enjoyed their chance to add their mark to this artistic project.

It would be great to be able to take the time to train some of these people and give them confidence to be able to colour the many drab walls that Kenya has and brighten them up with a splash of their imagination.

As we painted the requests came flooding trough from people asking us to paint their house, school, church or office.. if only we had more time.

Chocolate cake and 24

So we may have taken a slightly indulgent and addictive turn ..we could blame it on Jo’s birthday (as that’s where both the cake and 24 dvds were introduced), or we could blame it on Matt leaving. But, we have been making cakes and watching the series ever since. We’re not proud of it but we do feel that after experiencing many withdrawals such as dairy milk, a proper cup of tea, internet access, hot shower and a gin and tonic, we are allowed a few luxuries. However we’ve gone cold turkey this weekend and man it’s been hard!

Fortunately Jo Riley needed to borrow the projector for a seminar so we scored the it for over the weekend and managed to watch the final few episodes on the big screen.. wooh(made it very scary tho)