Friday 31 July 2009

III - VOLUNTEERS: CONCORDIA, IRVINE, CA

From June 2nd to July 28, Prof. Adam Lee and 13 students from Concordia University, Irvine, California, were traveling in East Africa. They visited and worked in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. More information about their trip with Prof. Adam Lee: adam.lee@cui.edu
They visited the Elephant Orphanage on the first full day in Nairobi…

...– where they saw the little rhino baby.
They also visited the Giraffe Center…
...where they got a kiss from the giraffe Laura!
The day after they visited the burned down church in Kibera…
… and the school.

The children always touch the heart of the visitors.
– Teacher Miriam introducing her class to Prof. Adam.
The team sang for the children…
… and the children also performed for the team.

The Principal introduced the staff to the visitors. The school has now 120 children, from nursery to form two (2). The plans are to reach form eight (8).
The students loved to be with the children.
They entered also the Kibera slum, where most of the children from the school and the members of the church live.
After Kibera, they visited the Orphans Feeding Program in Kawangware.
They joined the Tomball Medical Team there, singing and giving a good Christian testimony.
On June 5th they visited Kiambu and helped to build the church there.
They helped to carry the heavy solid stones…
- … they went to the little river to take water….
... and carried the water up the hill to the building.
They helped the masons…
…and carried more stones.
At the end of the nday they gave a good Christian testimony for the local people and the masons, singing and praying.
– While 9 of them went to climb the Kilimanjaro Mountain in Tanzania, Prof. Adam + 4 students stayed in Kawangware to help to build the showers for the homeless boys.
40 street boys are enrolled in a rehabilitation program by the Lutheran Church in Kawangware, with support from HHOCC.
The team helped to prepare food for the boys (mixing ugali = white corn flour with water, a kind of polenta)…
… and served the food, eating also with the street boys.
Some street boys helped with the construction carrying stones sand, water, etc.
The shower project is a dream that finally became a reality. Sponsors from Brazil, Hungary, Germany and the USA are helping to build three showers and a laundry room. THANK YOU!
The children also received special attention by the youth.
The goal is to finish the building in August. When the team came back from their two-month trip, they stopped in Kawangware on July 27th and spent the day with the street boys.
They saw how far the building has gone until now. – The next step is to drill a well to obtain clean water for the project. Some people are willing to sponsor that project. And we are saving some money to establish a rescue center for the boys. Will you help? Contact HHOCC through our email: cwwinterle@yahoo.com.br
– “May the favor of the LORD our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our hands.” – Psalm 90:17)

IV - VOLUNTEERS: PRINCE OF PEACE

A Team from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Dallas, Texas, came from July 13th to 17th to visit and to work in Nairobi. After this they went to Kisumu to work there. They are: Beth (Director of Mission) & Shaun Daugherty; George Brandon, Sloan Brandon; Colleen Hildebrandt; Richard & Catherine Ray; Cylvia Stevenson; and Jeanna Turay. N- You can follow they Mission Trip at: http://community2.myfoxdfw.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=4626241&as=78592&b=
They visited Kibera on Saturday, where they went back to the service on Sunday …

- …and to spend all the Monday with the children at the school. They donated books to the school.
They visited also the Langata Women Prison with the NURU Lutheran Hour Team and some local volunteers.
Helped by HHOCC volunteers, they gave clothes, napkins and toiletries to the women and their children in prison
It’s always hard to see the children in prison with their mamas.
They also visited the Homeless Boys Program in Kawangware…

… gave T-Shirts to them…
- --- a plate of food…
… and helped at the Orphans Feeding Program.

V - VOLUNTEERS: BUILDERS

From June 18th to June 30th, a builder’s team came from King of Kings Lutheran Church, Gardner, Kansas + Redeemer Lutheran Church, Springfield, Missouri. Rev. Dan Wehmeier & Rachel + their two girls Laura & Rebecca; David & Janice Reynolds; Janice Garges, LaDonna Smith, Nancy McKay, Jessica Hass, Robert Lowe, Jason Vissering and Michel McGuire.
“Builders for Christ” have gone to Brazil the last 10 years and had built over 15 churches there. This year, one team went to Brazil and another team came to Kenya.

Pastor Dan, Jean (Kiambu Youth Leader), Maico (Kiambu Chairman) David and Jaice in front of part of the old building and the new building.

Handing the last part of the money donation to Pastor Omodhi (Parish Pastor) and to Emmanuel (Parish Treasurer) on the first day of construction.

They carried stones, helped by the local people…

… they carried water from the river in the Africa style…
… they helped the masonries walling, helped also by local volunteers…

While some were helping to build, others were evangelizing the children.

David and Janice brought some PROCLAIMERS in Kiswahili: The whole New Testament recorded. They were donated by FAITH COME BY HEARING. It can be charged with solar energy, or manually, or by electricity. The youth group of Kiambu received one PROCLAIMER…

- … and also the women’s group. The goal is to gather the group once a week (or daily) to listen to some parts of the New Testament and to have discussion about the Bible’s truth

NURU Media Ministry (The Lutheran Hour) organized home visit teams with the visitors and the parish youth. Many families were invited for the Service on Sunday and for the films (movies) that NURU presented on Saturday night and Sunday night in the local language: Kikuyu. People were amazed when they heard Jesus speaking in KIKUYU! More than 150 people came at each presentation.

The ladies and youth from the parish, and the UHLC choir joint the special service on Sunday morning.

– On the last day in Kiambu the Team donated Swahili Hymnals and Bibles to the congregation.

It was an exciting event for both the visitors and the local people.

FRIENDS IN CHRIST = MARAFIKI KATIKA KRISTO– Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your love and support. – The church is not yet finished. Concordia, Irvine, CA Team decided to donate the new pews for the church. THANK YOU! – Maybe another builder team can come next year and help to finish the church. Or some people can donate the windows, the doors, etc. Please, do contact us.

The Builder’s Team also visited a school in Kiambu and gave a good Christian testimony there.

While a part of the group went on a safari, Pastor Dan and his family + Joseph Highley stayed in Nairobi. They visited the new mission in Umoja.

Rachel Wehmeier is a nurse and gave some advice about health care. She distributed some hygienic kits.

Joseph + Laura + Rebecca taught the children about Jesus.
The new mission also received a PROCLAIMER.
Pastor Mark Anariko, the founder of this new mission in his village, offered a lunch to the visitors that day at his house.

On Saturday, they led a Sunday School Teachers Seminar and donated lots of Sunday School material.
Pastor Dan preached at both services (English and Swahili) on Sunday at the Cathedral.
When the group joined again (after the nice safari some did), they visited Kibera: The burned down church and also the slum.
They gave some school supplies to the children and to the teachers.
The principal received a PROCLAIMER to share the Gospel with the children.
Rachel gave a lot of medical supplies for the Clinic in Kibera. – Remember that the clinic was burned down during the post election violence. They are provisory working with a clinic in the rebuilt parsonage.
Above all the work, the big blessing was that the contractor Samuel, who built the church in Kiambu and lives in Kibera, came to Pastor Dennis and asked to be baptized – he and all his family! PRAISE THE LORD!
The Team visited also Kawangware and had a Seminar with the PLWHA – People Living with HIV/AIDS.
They received food and hygienic kits.
They also received a PROCLAIMER and clapped hands when they heard the Gospel in their own language.
This was their last day in Kenya – for this trip! I hope they will come again. - They left lots of supplies for the children and also for the mamas in prison. We will forward this ASAP.
We had the visit of our grandson Martin (13 years old), our niece Martina and our son Léo in July. But this is an issue for another BLOG. We were so blessed whit their visit! “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His love endures forever!” – Psalm 136:1