Beacon of Hope - Monday

Beacon of Hope Administrative building.

We arrived at Beacon of Hope (BOH) this morning at 8:00 AM to gather for worship. The people here are so gracious and genuinely excited to welcome us.  Grace and Merab gave us their time and gave us a tour of the Beacon of Hope complex - a complex comprised of several buildings for various different uses.

The Medical Clinic is a walk-in clinic that sees approximately 1500 patience a month - a figure up 100% from last year’s count of 750 per month. God is doing great things here at BOH.  Many more buildings are yet to be added to the complex.  Plans to add an inpatient care center is the next exciting addition scheduled for  sometime in the near future.

The vocational buildings were home to people weaving, sewing and doing beadwork.  The weaving looms were so intricate it was difficult to conceive how they knew what strings went where. Preparation for scarves takes about 8 hours.  Once the preparation is done, the women can begin the weaving.  Apprentice weavers complete 1 scarf in a day compared to the 2 completed scarves the more experienced weavers finish.

A beginning weaver

An apprentice weaver producing 1 scarf a day.

We were all amazed at how they know

exactly where every string is supposed to be.

An experienced weaver - weaving heavy rugs.

The sewing room consisted of three rows of sewing machines – all of them powered by human footwork.  Various different projects were going at once from sewing clothing to sewing tags on scarves.

Amy with one of the seamstresses.

Next we were introduced to the beadwork room.  While they make beautiful designs with small tiny glass beads, it’s the paper beads that are most impressive.  The Kenyan culture is very conscientious about not wasting anything.  We were shown how they make beads out of posters and magazine pages that would have otherwise been thrown away.  The paper is cut into a narrow triangle then rolled from the fat end to the narrow end.  The narrow end is glued down and after drying the beads are thrown into varnish to hold their shape.  Once dried, they are strung and made into necklaces.

If you look closely you can see the

piece of paper hanging from her hands.

Finished bead.

Right now we’re back at the main building for our morning tea.  Kenyan tea times are at 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.  These times are very important to the Kenyan people – especially when showing hospitality to their guests.  We have all come to look forward to our tea times as a way to relax and get to know the people we're with.

Now we’re off to home visits, visiting with the grandma’s in the weaving house, sitting in classrooms to observe the children, packing up medications for the clinic tomorrow and heading off to the slums to announce the upcoming BOH clinic on Saturday where we expect to see around 2000 patients!

A Kenyan scarecrow watching over the gardens.

A note from Jody:

I'm currently sitting in a classroom of 4 and 5 year olds studying English by copying the sentences the teacher has written on the chalkboard then reading them outloud.  As I observe, each child has their own unique way of  carrying out their work. Some are very serious making it obvious they take pride in what they are doing.  Others continuously look over at me and give me a great big hand wave and smile. Then - with obvious joy, a precious little girl picks up her school book, waves it in the air for me to see her finished work.  As a gave her a big thumbs up, her face errupted in pure satisfaction and joy. What a privilege it is to share these moments with these children.

Then the most precious of things to watch...the children lined up at the door for lunch and all folded their hands and errupted in song and prayer thanking God for the food they were about to recieve.  They are so happy and so grateful for what they have.  May it be a lesson to us all to be thankful for the little blessings in life and not worry about what we don't have.

The children singing us a song.

The playground.

A note from Kayla:

This morning a few people woke up not feeling so well. I don't know if it was the breakfast, the lack of sleep, or the unclean water we may have had while brushing our teeth. Regardless, when we got to Beacon of Hope and started touring the grounds, some of us just felt sick. However, around 12:30pm I got to go into the kindergarten classroom. When I walked in the door the kids immediately started shouting. "Muzungu, Muzungu!" In English, "White person, white person!" The kids had just finished a lesson and so the teacher told me I was free to play with them. I kneeled down by the children and they started pulling my hands, my hair, my earrings, and most of all... my camera. They absolutely love taking pictures! They kept saying "picture, picture!" We played for about a half hour and then I helped serve lunch, which consisted of "ugali," which is corn flour and cabbage soup. One of the 3-year-olds, Dorcas, grabbed my hand and made me sit down right next to her. When I got up, she put her hand on my seat to make sure no one but me could sit there. It was so cute!

When leaving the classroom, I felt 10 times better than I had in the morning. Those kids are so free-spirited and loving of everyone. Being around them just made me feel better. Kids of all nationalities have that ability, but there's something extra special about the kids in Kenya. Most live in challenging home situations, yet they always have a smile on their face... it doesn't get much better than that.

Kayla sitting with "her kids" at the lunch table.

Home Visits:

Some of our group members headed out to visit BOH patients to check in with their progress since beginning HIV treatment.  The patients all were very willing to share their stories and extremely grateful for the care and treatment that BOH offered.  Their lives are healthier and much more productive since beginning the HIV drug therapy.  Our team members spent time encouraging the patients and praying with them.

 
A note from Ali on the Mobilization Unit:

Hey friends and family!  A little FYI: The mobilization unit is the way to get the word about the free medical clinics out to the Kenyan people along the dirt roads and slums which many of them reside.  It is heartbreaking, yet hopeful.  It is difficult to face the realities of their life and lack of medical care, but hopeful as we will be able to help combat this deprivation in only a few short days.  Praise God for giving us this opportunity.  The mobilization involves snagging a bunch of flyers, a microphone, speakers, a smile, some swahili words (ie Matibabu ya bure Jumamosi = free medical clinic on Saturday) and jumping in the van to spread the word via microphone through the streets.  We drive slow, speak loudly and kindly, and hand out the info flyers.  The people are incredibly receptive.  If you simply make eye contact with anyone sitting even twenty yards off the street they will come (even run) right up to the bus to receive the info.  It is so evident how in need these people are of even the most basic medical care!  (..as do many people in the States, but it is an honor to be a part of, no matter where on earth the Lord is working in this way.) 

A song we sing may not perfectly correlate to this siutation in your perspective, but it has very much touched my heart today:  "We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord, we are one in the spirit, we are one.  And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love."  It has been amazing showing these people the true love of our amazing Lord. 

Wiith much love,
ali