Dear Friends,
Some may have read in our prayer request about the young man, John, age 14, who took Jullie's phone. When we found out about the missing phone, we contacted the local pastor, Reverend Simon Muhota, since we knew the children went to the same church (Africa Inland Church, Kijabe) that we go to. He made some phone calls and found out where the children live. When he went to visit, the father was not home (the mother died a couple years ago). He confronted John. John said he took the phone and gave it to Pastor Muhota. John was very remorseful and on the advise from Pastor Muhota we did not carry the event further. What he did do, however, was set up an opportunity for John to come and talk to us. A little background. This family is very poor. John is 14 and in 9th grade (called form 1 here in Africa) his sister Beth is 11 and brother Samuel is 9. Their father works in the fields finding pieces of wood to turn into charcoal and selling the charcoal. This is a common employment in which people work for pennies a day (literally). On Sundays, after church, these children would come over to use our soccer ball to play, and we would provide lunch and send them home with bread and some other staple foods. This last sunday, John, in desperation in trying to come up with money to continue in Form 1 School (families pay for school from grade 9-12) took the phone with the idea to sell it and pay for school.
Anyway, when Pastor Muhota arranged for John to see us, he apologized to us about his lack in judgement. He was very sorry. I believe him. Unfortunately, the poverty here that so many people experience is overwhelming. A lot of times they are looking for ways just to put food on the table once a day or once every other day. GOD's glory did shine through this event. We took this opportunity to mentor John, explain the forgiveness of GOD through his son Jesus and hopefully, help this boy and his younger siblings to have a better understanding of what it means to be Christian; not only to not steal but also experience forgiveness in a different light.
Thank you for your prayers on this. Jullie has her phone back, there is no damage done and hopefully this is a positive learning experience for John and his siblings.
In HIS Hands
Jim
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Glory of God can even be in a Sewage System
Hello All,
Just wanted to let you know that GOD is continuing to show miracles over here!
Last summer the EMI team we came with identified the sewer system as being a top priority because it was not functioning correctly. Not much has been accomplished to date. Just this past week we have made great strides. The city has understood our need to use an area that has special meaning to them for our large oxidation ponds. This will involve cutting down some trees. This is particularly bad because trees help to hold in the ground water. The ground water supply has been getting much worse over the years. Many people cut trees to use for fuel. So, much of the surrounding forests have been depleted, leaving the rains to just run off the mountainside instead of soaking into them for later use as ground water. The trees actually act as sponges to hold in the water that gets released later in springs and streams. So, the plan is to cut the trees and use that area but replant the trees in other areas of Kijabe. We think the new trees will cost about $1 each. We should need about 500 of them to replace the exitsting ones. Anyone want a fundraising project for new trees?? Bottom line is, we are very excited, even about Sewer water!
We have made more strides this week in all the projects around the hospital.
1. The new Mother Child Health (MCH) building design was agreed to and we are moving ahead with those preparations.
2. The new CT scan and pathology area designs are just about ready. We need to raise the roof of that area and we are making plans to do just that.
3. The new generator building roof design was finished. We just recieved some rebar for another project that we "borrowed" to get this roof finished.
4. Progress was made to repair the incinerator. This coming week will tell if the company that built it will fix it correctly or not.
The kids got out of school today for the term break. Anyone want some kids for 4 weeks?? I don't know what I am going to do to keep them busy all that time! They have some friends around here so I'm sure they will find something to do. We are going to get Trevor some Swahili lessons with our teacher and he has plans to read 2 books that will take some time. We are also going to go to Mombassa for a few days. We had some friends going and so at the last minute we decided to go with them. It is an 8 hour drive and is on the Indian Ocean. I am looking forward to that!
We sure miss you all!
In His Hands,
Jullie T.
PS - I am serious about the fundraising for trees. I can get information and make flyers for anyone interested.
Just wanted to let you know that GOD is continuing to show miracles over here!
Last summer the EMI team we came with identified the sewer system as being a top priority because it was not functioning correctly. Not much has been accomplished to date. Just this past week we have made great strides. The city has understood our need to use an area that has special meaning to them for our large oxidation ponds. This will involve cutting down some trees. This is particularly bad because trees help to hold in the ground water. The ground water supply has been getting much worse over the years. Many people cut trees to use for fuel. So, much of the surrounding forests have been depleted, leaving the rains to just run off the mountainside instead of soaking into them for later use as ground water. The trees actually act as sponges to hold in the water that gets released later in springs and streams. So, the plan is to cut the trees and use that area but replant the trees in other areas of Kijabe. We think the new trees will cost about $1 each. We should need about 500 of them to replace the exitsting ones. Anyone want a fundraising project for new trees?? Bottom line is, we are very excited, even about Sewer water!
We have made more strides this week in all the projects around the hospital.
1. The new Mother Child Health (MCH) building design was agreed to and we are moving ahead with those preparations.
2. The new CT scan and pathology area designs are just about ready. We need to raise the roof of that area and we are making plans to do just that.
3. The new generator building roof design was finished. We just recieved some rebar for another project that we "borrowed" to get this roof finished.
4. Progress was made to repair the incinerator. This coming week will tell if the company that built it will fix it correctly or not.
The kids got out of school today for the term break. Anyone want some kids for 4 weeks?? I don't know what I am going to do to keep them busy all that time! They have some friends around here so I'm sure they will find something to do. We are going to get Trevor some Swahili lessons with our teacher and he has plans to read 2 books that will take some time. We are also going to go to Mombassa for a few days. We had some friends going and so at the last minute we decided to go with them. It is an 8 hour drive and is on the Indian Ocean. I am looking forward to that!
We sure miss you all!
In His Hands,
Jullie T.
PS - I am serious about the fundraising for trees. I can get information and make flyers for anyone interested.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Thank you GOD for our partners in ministry 20 march 2011
We have heard several of family members and friends exclaim how proud of us they are and how we are doing such a wonderful thing. In truth, I am thankful for the encouragement. In reality however, we couldn't do it without all you who are partnering with us in Prayer and financial or other means. God has blessed our family with the ability to move (and he has been preparing us for that all our life in the military). Does that mean our contribution in this ministry is more important? Certainly not! The apostle Paul writes about how the body of Christ is like a living body. Each part is equally important. 1 Cor 12:21-23
And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor...
So those of you who don't have the time or the ability to pack up and go to another land to serve the Kingdom of GOD, your support back home is equally honorable and is serving the kingdom in another way which is just as honorable and important. GOD uses us all in HIS way.
So, I say again, Thank you GOD for our partners in ministry. We are all serving HIS Kingdom in just the way, and place where he wants us. For those of you who think GOD is drawing you to the mission field, we can make room for you here if you want to visit and see what Kijabe Hospital is doing.
Also, for our partners, a Praise GOD!!! When we started raising support last fall, GOD blessed us with a wonderful outpouring of encouragement and support. We discussed with most of you what the support would be going to. Specifically, what is cost to live here in Kijabe. We were planning on our apartment costing about 500.00/month. As it turned out, Bethany Kids at Kijabe Hospital (BKKH), who we are seconded to by Engineering Ministries International, has worked very hard to get us a great rate on our apartment and as a result, we went from raising enough support before we left (expected to cover us for about 15-16 months) to about 22 months of support. So, Praise GOD that all your sacrifices have been to the GLORY of GOD and will keep us here most of the time we committed to eMi and the Kijabe Hospital.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
In HIS Hands
Jim, Jullie and the Family
And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor...
So those of you who don't have the time or the ability to pack up and go to another land to serve the Kingdom of GOD, your support back home is equally honorable and is serving the kingdom in another way which is just as honorable and important. GOD uses us all in HIS way.
So, I say again, Thank you GOD for our partners in ministry. We are all serving HIS Kingdom in just the way, and place where he wants us. For those of you who think GOD is drawing you to the mission field, we can make room for you here if you want to visit and see what Kijabe Hospital is doing.
Also, for our partners, a Praise GOD!!! When we started raising support last fall, GOD blessed us with a wonderful outpouring of encouragement and support. We discussed with most of you what the support would be going to. Specifically, what is cost to live here in Kijabe. We were planning on our apartment costing about 500.00/month. As it turned out, Bethany Kids at Kijabe Hospital (BKKH), who we are seconded to by Engineering Ministries International, has worked very hard to get us a great rate on our apartment and as a result, we went from raising enough support before we left (expected to cover us for about 15-16 months) to about 22 months of support. So, Praise GOD that all your sacrifices have been to the GLORY of GOD and will keep us here most of the time we committed to eMi and the Kijabe Hospital.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
In HIS Hands
Jim, Jullie and the Family
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Rains Have Begun!
Well, the rains have begun here! It started raining on Thursday and has rained some every day. Sometimes in a downpour and sometimes in a mist. The bottom line is that the mud is out of control! We drove home from the Junior High play of Narnia last night (which was outstanding by the way) and helped a man get unstuck. His car had slid sideways and the tailpipe was in the mud so he couldn't even get it started. We got a group together and pushed it (really slid it in the mud) so that it could start. What a mess! But, all that being said, we are grateful for the rain as it will make gardens grow = food!
We have told you before how difficult it is here when so many people ask you for help. Jim and I have come up with one little way: We have many ladies that come to the door selling food items (tortillas, samosas (a little meat pie), english muffins, egg rolls) that we have decided to buy what we can and then we give it to the others that come to ask for food. That way we can support the ladies who are making a living selling food and can support the people that need it. It is very inexpensive to buy and we feel we can give it away. People here live on about $2-4 per day. It is amazing. Their rent is usually about $26-30 per month. That would be an apartment with no water and maybe no electricity. One of the doctors told us that even a head neurological nurse that he works with makes only about $120 per month. Many things are in perspective, like rent and some fresh foods, but many things are expensive even to us.
We finally got our diplomas! They were made in Auburn, then sent to Michigan, then sent via DHL to Nairobi. I will not frustrate you with all the details, but they were held up in customs for 2 weeks and we got them yesterday. Lesson learned: If you send anything, it should be $49 or less, the normal postal system should work pretty well as long as it is in an envelope (big or small) and somewhat flat (small boxes should be OK also, but we have heard that envelopes hardly ever have a problem) and make sure everything is listed on the customs form with the prices. They say it takes about 2 weeks for things to arrive in our box. Our address is listed above in the contacts tab. Now we will be moving forward with our applications for work permits. It should take 3-6 months. Our current tourist visas expire on April 26th but we can renew for 3 more months. We just have to pray that we will get our permits before July 26th!
Sallie bought a drum from a Masi lady the other day. She was so proud of it. She spent a whole $3 on it!
Jim and I have been very busy with the Hopital this week.
1. We now have permission to work in ernest on the septic system - Yea! It's a poppy job but someone has to do it!
2. The new CT scan room and Pathology remodel is coming along. We are still in the design phase but we are zooming in on it.
3. The MCH (Mother and Child healthcare) has moved up on the priority list. This is a new building very close to the CT scan/pathology area. We have a design as of this morning (Russ you are amazing!) and will get that going soon.
4. The repairs on our building are getting there. The water system was not built correctly (cross connects everywhere!) so they are completing those with Jim's help.
5. We should have figures back from the 3 prospective Architects tomorrow. So, this week will be the difficult job of chosing one to build the new children's wing!
The kids get out of school next Friday for the month of April. Not sure what I am going to do with them for all that time! They will start term 3 at the end of April and go through the middle of July. They make the breaks bigger because it fits with the Kenyan system and also many of these kids board here so they have to travel long distances to get to their families. We thought about going to Mombasa on the Indian Ocean, but will probably wait on that trip till Aug.
Hope things are well with you and your families. Please email when you can.
jimjulliet@AHC123.com
In HIs Hands,
Jullie T.
We have told you before how difficult it is here when so many people ask you for help. Jim and I have come up with one little way: We have many ladies that come to the door selling food items (tortillas, samosas (a little meat pie), english muffins, egg rolls) that we have decided to buy what we can and then we give it to the others that come to ask for food. That way we can support the ladies who are making a living selling food and can support the people that need it. It is very inexpensive to buy and we feel we can give it away. People here live on about $2-4 per day. It is amazing. Their rent is usually about $26-30 per month. That would be an apartment with no water and maybe no electricity. One of the doctors told us that even a head neurological nurse that he works with makes only about $120 per month. Many things are in perspective, like rent and some fresh foods, but many things are expensive even to us.
We finally got our diplomas! They were made in Auburn, then sent to Michigan, then sent via DHL to Nairobi. I will not frustrate you with all the details, but they were held up in customs for 2 weeks and we got them yesterday. Lesson learned: If you send anything, it should be $49 or less, the normal postal system should work pretty well as long as it is in an envelope (big or small) and somewhat flat (small boxes should be OK also, but we have heard that envelopes hardly ever have a problem) and make sure everything is listed on the customs form with the prices. They say it takes about 2 weeks for things to arrive in our box. Our address is listed above in the contacts tab. Now we will be moving forward with our applications for work permits. It should take 3-6 months. Our current tourist visas expire on April 26th but we can renew for 3 more months. We just have to pray that we will get our permits before July 26th!
Sallie bought a drum from a Masi lady the other day. She was so proud of it. She spent a whole $3 on it!
Here is a picture:
1. We now have permission to work in ernest on the septic system - Yea! It's a poppy job but someone has to do it!
2. The new CT scan room and Pathology remodel is coming along. We are still in the design phase but we are zooming in on it.
3. The MCH (Mother and Child healthcare) has moved up on the priority list. This is a new building very close to the CT scan/pathology area. We have a design as of this morning (Russ you are amazing!) and will get that going soon.
4. The repairs on our building are getting there. The water system was not built correctly (cross connects everywhere!) so they are completing those with Jim's help.
5. We should have figures back from the 3 prospective Architects tomorrow. So, this week will be the difficult job of chosing one to build the new children's wing!
The kids get out of school next Friday for the month of April. Not sure what I am going to do with them for all that time! They will start term 3 at the end of April and go through the middle of July. They make the breaks bigger because it fits with the Kenyan system and also many of these kids board here so they have to travel long distances to get to their families. We thought about going to Mombasa on the Indian Ocean, but will probably wait on that trip till Aug.
Hope things are well with you and your families. Please email when you can.
jimjulliet@AHC123.com
In HIs Hands,
Jullie T.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Ah - Another beautiful Day! And We know why we are here!
Hello All,
Well, we wake up again and it is another beautiful Day - Amazing. Some mornings the wind is blowing and it is a bit overcast but, by 7:30, it is beautiful again. At home, when it is like that in the morning, you would think a storm is coming and it will be nasty all day, but not here! We have not had a bad day since we arrived. We have been told that the rainy season is coming - so not to get too used to it. We sure are enjoying it while it lasts!
It has become very clear why God has sent us here! There have been so many issues with planning, designing, fixing, troubleshooting and organizing that our hands have been competely full! The hospital staff are overwhelmed and just plain need help to keep the focus of the new expansion. Jim and I are finding our hands in many little and big projects around here (see the Kijabe project tab above to get the details). It is keeping us busy and the days are flying by. We can see this project taking longer then we anticipated. We are so glad to be here and be able to use our God given abilities to help. Keep praying that the project will move forward in a timely manner and that all the necessary people will coordinate their efforts towards the final goal.
The kids are all doing great. Trevor in excelling in his classes (go figure)! Timothy and Sallie are loving school. They have some kind of event every weekend at the school with the other kids. Trevor actually has 3 events every week end that he can go to. Their idea at the school is the keep the kids busy and they won't get into trouble! RVA is an amazing school!
Love you all,
In His Hands,
Jullie T.
Well, we wake up again and it is another beautiful Day - Amazing. Some mornings the wind is blowing and it is a bit overcast but, by 7:30, it is beautiful again. At home, when it is like that in the morning, you would think a storm is coming and it will be nasty all day, but not here! We have not had a bad day since we arrived. We have been told that the rainy season is coming - so not to get too used to it. We sure are enjoying it while it lasts!
It has become very clear why God has sent us here! There have been so many issues with planning, designing, fixing, troubleshooting and organizing that our hands have been competely full! The hospital staff are overwhelmed and just plain need help to keep the focus of the new expansion. Jim and I are finding our hands in many little and big projects around here (see the Kijabe project tab above to get the details). It is keeping us busy and the days are flying by. We can see this project taking longer then we anticipated. We are so glad to be here and be able to use our God given abilities to help. Keep praying that the project will move forward in a timely manner and that all the necessary people will coordinate their efforts towards the final goal.
The kids are all doing great. Trevor in excelling in his classes (go figure)! Timothy and Sallie are loving school. They have some kind of event every weekend at the school with the other kids. Trevor actually has 3 events every week end that he can go to. Their idea at the school is the keep the kids busy and they won't get into trouble! RVA is an amazing school!
Love you all,
In His Hands,
Jullie T.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Century Plant?
This is for you mom.
I took this picture of what looks like a century plant. But those are native to SW United Sates. Not sure if this is one or a relative?
If anyone knows what this plant is called, please let me know. There are many of them around here and they sure are pretty.
We saw many baboons on the road near here yesterday. It is so dry here right now that they are coming down from the forest to look for food. The rains should be coming soon.
We have been looking at architects for the Bethany Kids wing. In about 3 weeks we should be able to choose one and start getting into the nitty gritty of it all. There are many other project around here that Jim and I have our hands in though: New generator, pathology relocation, CT scan room build out, water supply, incinerator repair, septic system (see the Kijabe Project tab at the top of the page for specifics).
Thanks so much for keeping up with us. We feel blessed to be able to live here and help with this wonderful facility.
In His Hands,
Jullie
I took this picture of what looks like a century plant. But those are native to SW United Sates. Not sure if this is one or a relative?
If anyone knows what this plant is called, please let me know. There are many of them around here and they sure are pretty.
We saw many baboons on the road near here yesterday. It is so dry here right now that they are coming down from the forest to look for food. The rains should be coming soon.
We have been looking at architects for the Bethany Kids wing. In about 3 weeks we should be able to choose one and start getting into the nitty gritty of it all. There are many other project around here that Jim and I have our hands in though: New generator, pathology relocation, CT scan room build out, water supply, incinerator repair, septic system (see the Kijabe Project tab at the top of the page for specifics).
Thanks so much for keeping up with us. We feel blessed to be able to live here and help with this wonderful facility.
In His Hands,
Jullie
Sunday, March 6, 2011
First Kenyan Wedding
Yesterday, we attended our first Kenyan wedding for our friend Collins and his new bride Tabitha. Collins is the local engineer that we are working with at the hospital to build the additional facilities. The Wedding was great. Everyone said to not expect it to start on time (sometimes 2-3 hours after the advertised time)! The invitation said it was from 11-5, but we knew better! We got there at about 11:20 and it started about 11:45. We even ate at about 1:30 (not too bad)! The best part for me was when the Groom came down the isle dancing all the way with a great big smile on his face!
The ceremony was nice and then we ate. It was typical Kenyan fair: Mukimo (a mashed potato and corn dish), Chipates (flat tortilla like things), rice, beans, chicken and fantas and cokes. The wedding party had left for a time to have pictures taken and were expected to return soon. After some time, we left since the kids all had events at the school. We left about 3:30. They probably finished up around 6:00. The weather was beautiful but hot (we all cooked since we forgot the sunscreen again)!
We went to Rose's house today for lunch. She is our house help. She had a beautiful spread: Mukimo, Chipatis, a salad (tomatoes, onions, cilantro), fresh juice (mango, pineapple, passion fruit), carrots and peas, and a stew. It was very good (and filling)! Here is a picture from today:
This is Collins (he has a solemn look on his face right now)
We went to Rose's house today for lunch. She is our house help. She had a beautiful spread: Mukimo, Chipatis, a salad (tomatoes, onions, cilantro), fresh juice (mango, pineapple, passion fruit), carrots and peas, and a stew. It was very good (and filling)! Here is a picture from today:
This is a picture of Lucy (Rose's daughter in law), Dennis (her 3 yr old grandson), me, Sallie, Rose and Yvonne (Rose's grandaughter), Trevor and Timothy.
We also need some more prayers. We have so many people
coming to ask for help and are having a problem understanding if the needs are real and what we can do. We don't usually just give out money. We like to help but sometimes we can not. There are so many. We usually give food and water to those who want it, but need God's guidance to know how else we can help.
Thank you all for keeping up with us!
In His Hands,
Jullie T.
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