NCCK and Saint Paul's Children's Home

Today is Friday 18 July. Last night was long, at least for me. Awake from 1:15-4:15, I was able to pray and journal a little, which was good. 

Today after breakfast and the briefing from Mike, we headed to meet an old friend of Mike's, from whose endeavors Heart of Africa gets it's name. As the abbreviated version of the story goes, Mike got involved with Peter Karanja Mwangi many years ago when he was publishing a parenting magazine one issue at at time from an early Mac computer.  Mike asked Peter what he had to offer the western christian world, and Peter replied that he wanted to share how Africans know the gospel from an entirely different perspective than how westerners know it.  So they want to share "From the heart of Africa".  That is what Mike's organization is based upon. 

Peter is now the leader of the Kenya Council of Churches, a high-church organization with membership from across denominations.  Both westerners and Africans understand that the center of the gospel is moving to the south.  By center, I understand that to mean where active spiritual growth and expansion is occurring.  And this is why we met with them today.  Today after introductions that took quite some time, Daniel was able to present the Print4All concept and how it can help change the economics of getting printed material into the people who can use it quickly.  It was very encouraging to Daniel.  We had a light snack and tea before leaving.

We then drove to St. Paul's Children's Home in Ongata Rongai.     After a little mix up and before we got there, we were told that we should go eat first, so we went to KFC along the way to OR.  KFC is more popular here (and in China, I observed in another blog posting 3 years ago) than it is in the states--or in Kentucky.  Back on the road, we passed a lion game park, and Sam noticed a sign that said Baboon crossing.  No lions or baboons were sighted.  We also passed two slums, and found the orphanage in a fairly depressed area as well.
 Along the way we noticed a lot of manual labor going on.  Everything from manual construction of 3-4 story buildngs out of cinder blocks, to carrying large loads of lumber on one-wheeled barrows (with a car wheel), to chipping basket-ball sized rocks away into square rocks to be used in construction.

We arrived at the orphanage, and immediately noticed the cute kids and also the extremely poor living conditions by our standards.  Kids had beds, there were pit toilets, and they eat well there.  The younger kids wore school uniforms (skirt or shorts, white shirt with sweater).  There were many more little kids than older kids.  

After some confusing-to-me discussions with the woman who runs the orphanage, Margaret, we "delayed" while waiting for the construction workers to arrive.  You see, our purpose was to dedicate the second story of the school classrooms that were financed through Heart of Africa.  I'll post a pic later in this update.  Our stall tactic until the guys got there was led by Martha very well.  She led the kids in talkiing about their ages, introuduced the teams and got them to sing and recite some verses.  Our team also sang some songs with them (Jesus loves the little children, Jesus loves me), and also we shared some favorite memory verses.

Sam met Sam, both 11 years old.

Then we got ready for lunch.  Yes, lunch again, after KFC ealier.  Appearantly there was a mixup,  and not wanting to be rude, the team obliged the offer of flat bread and chicken, a spinach like veggie whose name escapes me, and rice.  

After lunch, we did the dedication of the class rooms.  Mike dedicated the first room by praying a blessing over the first room, Jeff blessed the second room with a prayer, and Pastor Hazel blessed the third room.

Following that, we headed down to our van and got out some gifts.  My daughter Grace donated some hand animal puppets that we presented and gave to the orphanage.  Then we gave out some of Jim's soccer balls, and they were a hit!  

Then we said goodbye, and headed back to Amani Gardens in Nairobi.  I got carsick riding in the back of the van, middle seat.  I'm tall enough that I have to slouch to see out the windows, so I balance hurting back with claustrophobic car sickness.  

Dinner at Amani was good and short, and Jeff, Daniel and I got to share a little together about our impressions and reflections of the day, and Sam and I topped off the day with some Skittles, Good and Plenty, and 6 hands of "Five Crowns".

Time to catch up on sleep!  Tomorrow we leave Nairobi for Nakuru and Kericho, where we will spend two nights.