Tenwek visit, Gone for 10 Weeks?

Hello All,
We are at the first of Oct.  Can you believe it?  I bet it is getting pretty with the fall colors in Michigan.  We are just coming into spring and the flowers are in full bloom.  There isn't much of a difference in the seasons here, but the flowers sure know it.

This past week was very busy.  We started building our transformer building with the stabilized soil bricks.  It did not get off to a good start!  As the wall went up, it was not stable and not straight!  The guys also messed up the pattern.  We are putting 50mm gaps in 2 of the walls so that air can circulate through.  I had set up a pattern for them to build it by and it was not done correctly.  Communications is such a difficult thing here.  We have not found the secret to overcoming that problem!

We went to Tenwek Hospital in Bomet this past Thurs.  The engineering team wanted to go and see their facility.  We went in a matatu (van) packed with 14 people.  It was a 3 hour drive on fairly decent roads.  Not too bad!  We were welcomed by their staff and got to see much of their infrastructure.  They are located near a large waterfall.  Amazingly, they have a hydroelectric plant and get all of their power from that!  We were very impressed.  It is a dream around here to be off the grid and have control over your own power. 

This is a picture of the hydro plant.  I did not get one of the falls since it was pouring!

We also also saw their septic system.  It was an actual waste water treatment plant.  And, it was pretty in the fact that they have done it like a wetlands system (what we plan on doing).

 This is the plant where the black water from the septic tanks is treated.

This is a channel where the effluent flows.  It flows down a course of gravel and sand beds to be treated further before it is chlorinated and put into the river.

Joshua, our radiologist, was giddy to see their new CT Scanner.  Ours will be here in January and they had plenty of lessons learned for us.  They have just commissioned theirs (Sept, 7) and are going through many of the things that we will be facing very soon.

View from "the other side!"

I have to tell a funny story that happened with our house help, Rose.  She had been not feeling well all week and stayed home Mon through Wed (you should have seem my house)!  She did come to work on Thurs.  We left for Tenwek early on Thurs morning, so I left her a note.  I knew we would not get back till late in the evening so I asked her to make some cabbage and carrots and another lady was bringing spring rolls and samosas for dinner.  When Rose saw the name Tenwek, she thought we were going for ten weeks!  She was so worried and wondered how cabbage and carrots was going to last the kids for 10 weeks!  She finally asked another worker what it meant and he was able to tell her it was a place not a time.  She was very releived that the kids were not going to survive on one cabbage and some carrots for ten weeks!

The kids are doing great.  We seem to not see them so much with all the work and their school schedules.  We are going to try and spend Sunday together.  We have a movie and popcorn scheduled!

We are headed into Nairobi this morning to go to the Agricultural and Energy show.  We were told that they have Bio Gas systems there to show off.  Please pray that our journey will be safe.  We feel pretty comfortable with moving around town, but people always tell you to watch your pockets and purses.  Our neighbors were driving through an area yesterday and a man jumped into their car and stole her purse.  She pursued him and got it back, but it was very scary.

We have another exciting item on the docket for today.  Our friend Njoki is moving into her new house!  She finally has a house (and bed) of her own.  This has been an amazing adventure for her and a time that she was totally relying on God to provide.  We are headed up there after Nairobi to help her move in.

We will be heading home for a visit in about 2 months (Dec 7). That seems so close now.  The kids are looking forward to seeing everyone.  I am sure we will be ready for a break too (I am ready now)!  Take care and we will see you next week!

In His Hands,

Jullie T.

Use it or Loose it - Physics - Yuk!

Hello All,
This week has just flown by!  Not sure what we do with all of our time, but it seems to not be our own.

Jim went up to South Kinangop last Tues to look at the Kitchen project where we are helping for the orphanage.  That project is winding down with the funding!  We were able to get them a fairly complete bill of quantities (complete cost) a few weeks ago, and they have decided not to complete the project for now.  They will get it so that it is covered from the weather (up to the roof) and not finish it out until the money becomes available.  This is so typical of all the projects we are doing. They seem to get started without having a full picture.  In the states, we would have a full concept of what would go into the building and how much it will cost before it is started.  But, for this project at least, there were other factors that contributed to them starting before they were completely ready.  Another thing that we have found strange is that the builders are not the people that put together the Bill of Quantities (list of all the things that are needed).  They hire this out. For this Kitchen project, the Bill of Quantities was going to cost $5000! We ended up doing it in conjunction with the builder and the help of Excell.   Even the builder that is working on another small house we are involved in did not have a full understanding of all the widgets that go into the building!  We are almost finished with that project and he has missed many things from the original estimate he gave us. 

I am fully involved with Soccer again!  The elementary school is running an after school program with soccer right now.  We have 3 hours a week to play 10 games and do a 1 hour practice with the older group (5th-6th graders).  Just about all of the kids from 1st to 6th grade play (it is about 90 kids).  It is fun but a very tight schedule.  I am up there 3 days a week to get it going and referee.  I will try to remember to take some pictures next week.

We are just about ready to build our first building from the bricks we have been making.  I updated the projects page today, so if you are interested, you can go there to see more about all of the projects.  We are building a small (7m x 4m) building around the new transformer and breaker.  We were actualy supposed to get started last week, but there have been more delays.  This is now holding up getting the new generator on line.  We are still on the old generator until we can get this building up and then switch over to the new one.  I pray that next week I will have pictures of our first actual building with the home made bricks!

We got word this past week that our CT scanner is all packed and ready to go.  It is on a truck and awaiting shipment.  It will start it's journey across the ocean in Dec. and we will install in January.  We just need to have the building ready by then!  I went into Nairobi this past week to do some research on flooring for that building.  It is so frustrating here how dificult it is to shop for things like that.  They don't have flooring centers nor Home Depot!  It took me a half a day to go into town to see one product and talk to one sales man.  This is why I need to start early to gather information about these kinds of things!

Jim and I had to go back to physics class this past week!  It is a good thing that the internet is available!  We were designing a compression strength testing machine for the new bricks.  This involved some moment calculations that in the begining did not seem reasonable, until Jim remembered that weight and mass are not the same!  We were off by a factor of almost 10 because we forgot to multiply the mass by the factor of gravity (9.8m/sec2) in order to get the weight!  Use it or loose it!  But, we now have a pretty good design and will try to have it built this week.

Sorry that I don't have any pictures this week.  I will try and get some for next week.  Thanks so much for thinking of us.  Please pray for the people here and the projects, that we will keep moving them forward for God's glory!

In His Hands,
Jullie T.

Serving the forgotten in Northern Kenya

Thinking about this mission trip (within a mission trip) with doctors, nurses, medications, food and compassion, I once again had my eyes opened.  Leaving the U.S. for Kijabe, with our family, was taking a huge step down in creature comforts, foods, conveniences and other things that we take for granted back home.  But, after listening to the local Kenyans discuss their experience and the need that they saw, and seeing for my own eyes what true desperation is, I have come to know that Northern Kenya is at a whole different level of poverty, and need.  Kinna, Kenya, just outside of Meru national Park, has not seen rain for over 3 years.  The ground is completely absent of moisture such that you take a step and you send up a dust cloud 3 feet in diameter. 

Kinna Kenya Map

Setting up to distribute food and provide medical help in a village outside of Kinna

 It is out here that we have been hearing, now for several months, of the disaster with tribal communities losing entire herds of cows, goats and sheep (all they own) to starvation and lack of water.  While the world has learned of the Somali Refugee Camp known as DaDaab in North East Kenya and has sent hundreds of NGOs (Non Government Organizations) providing food relief for that area, the region of Kinna has gone mostly unnoticed by the rest of the world.  As a result, the families which have lost their sole possession of animals are now surrounded by a vast wasteland of dust and almost dead vegetation with what appears to be no way out.  Women walk for 4Km or more to find what little water they can (which is really thin mud or so it seems).  Food is scarce and the people seek medical help only in extreme circumstances and this is usually too late. 

Assisting several families in a drought stricken area

Typical familial dwelling in this area.  This family still has a few goats.

Goats that were not as fortunate.  With no water and nothing green to eat, life is extreme.

One of our local pastors befriended a chief (new Christian) in the Kinna area and heard of the plight of this man's people as well as other families, outside his tribe, that he was reaching out to.  I am not naming names or tribal affiliations due to security reasons for the chief and the few Christians living there in a predominately (>95%)  Muslim area.  We Assembled a team of about 30 people from Kijabe Hospital and Convoy of Hope to go to this area to provide food relief and medical treatment. http://www.convoyofhope.org/go/headlines/entry/waiting_for_rain_in_africa/

Distributing Food

Drinking water used by the local families.  They typically travel 4km daily to obtain this.

Treating Gordon's (Barana Tribe Local) leg burn.  I was the first American he has ever seen.
In their culture, they learn how Americans are evil and he was afraid of them.
Let's hope this olive branch blooms to something pleasing to GOD.

Our mission was to help those families who have slipped through the cracks of relief support and provide food and medical assistance and to show the love of Christ however we could.  And, above all, we were moved to help the local Chief in his ministry of reaching out in a way that is totally foreign to the people of this region.  Normally, people reach out to their own and within their own tribes but this man has broken from tradition and is doing what he can to help others across tribal lines.

School House where we based our operations in Kinna and also provided food and medical
relief locally for those who could travel to Kinna for help.

Somali family that is trying to find a better place to live.  What you see
is their entire house packed up to move.

We are hoping to continue what we have started in helping this man and are praying that through the seed he planted, and what we watered, that GOD will give the increase  (I Cor 3:5-8) to HIS Glory. Please pray for these people not only for their many physical needs, but also for their spiritual needs.  We came away from this mission trip with complex and contrary emotions.  We were not able to openly teach about the Gospel of Christ since we did not want to tear down the good works that this man had started.  But, we did sense GOD moving among these people.  In fact 3 of us stepped into a run down Africa Inland Church building that had not been in use since 2004 (due to the nature of the community).  We were only in this church for about 5 minutes and in that time we said a short prayer.  But…in that short time, about 20-30 people ran to the church and watched while we prayed.  There did not appear to be animosity among the people (of which we are very thankful) so it certainly had us wondering of how the Holy Spirit is moving in this area.

Africa Inland Church, Kinna

It has been since 2004 that this church has been used.

Our Kijabe Hospital Team.  Over the course of 4 days we treated 800 people medically and 200 people dentally.
I served as a "Pharmacist" working with the official pharmacists.  That goes to show
that GOD can use you in ways you would have never thought of.

This is an area where your prayers are coveted.  These people need rain, food, medication, and above all, Jesus Christ.
In HIS Hands
Jim

Missionary on Mission Trip

Hello All,

Yesterday, Jim left for a place near Isiolo.  He went with a group from the Hospital on a medical and food relief mission.  They left yesterday (Friday) and will be back on Monday.  We think it is kind of funny, "a missionary going on a mission trip!"  It is kind of like being in a subset of a missionary!
A few weeks back, a local Pastor had us over to his house.  We met another friend of his named Abdi.  Abdi is from the Burkana tribe near Isiolo.  He is now a Christian because he saw the love coming from the Christian people (and the opposite from near him) and wanted to know why.  Once he understood the gift of grace, he wanted to be a part of that.  Anyway, his people need help (medical and food relief) so a group from the hospital went.  They were traveling in 3 vehicles and had (I think) 20 people with them.  They wanted Jim to go because he had a car.  At least they love him for something!  I am sure he will be more than helpful.  I did not go because I did not feel comfortable leaving the kids with someone and they had a lot going on this week end.  I have a map of Kenya below to show you where he is.  I wanted to mark where we are and where Isiolo is, but I could not figure out how to do that.  (Jim is not here to show me!)

You can see Isiolo about right in the lower center.  It is just above Mt Kenya. We are in Kijabe, which is between Nairobi and Naivasha (Naivasha is north west of Nairobi).  I went to mapquest to try and get directions to Isiolo so that I could show you the route, but it says you can't get there from here, which is why it took them all day yesterday to drive there!  He called last night and they had arrived safely.  I will have pictures and details to tell you about next week.

Someone told me something this week that has stuck with me.  I have been pre-buying milk from a local lady.  I pay for it up front and Rose brings it every day for about a month.  It is really good and I pasteurize it in a pasteurizer that I purchased.  But what Rose told me was that the lady was so appreciative. She was able to buy school shoes for her children that she was not expecting to have the money for.  I did not understand why at first.  But then I realized it is the African way.  When they are given money (for selling just 2-4 liter of milk) they will spend it on current needs.  It is very difficult here to keep anything in your pocket.  Jim and I read a book that we have mentioned before called African Friends and Money Matters. It described the culture as one that lives in the moment.  But, this living is not frivolous.  It is life's necessities.  If you need to put food on the table and you have 150 shillings, you will buy rice or ugali or something to make a meal.  You can't think (or make the family not eat that day) to save that 150 to be able to buy a pair of shoes for 500 shillings (or more).  (Note: a shilling is a little more then 1 cent).  This is one way I really like to help the people here.  When I can purchase a staple for my house and bless someone else, that is a no brainer!

I wanted to let all the supporters of Yvonne to know that she is doing great!  This school was exactly what she needed.  She is learning to read Swahili and English.  She is also learning to speak English.  She just started the 3rd term of her kindergarten year.  They start the school year in January.  She will begin 1st grade then.  I registered her for the third term last week and the bill was 6500 shillings (about $70).  This will buy her education in this private school, her lunch and transportation for the whole term (3 months)!  I have enough money in the coffers to get her started into the 3rd grade - Thank you all for supporting her.  If you would like to donate, please let me know. 

We are planning on coming to Michigan on Dec 7th and staying for a few weeks through Christmas.  We would love to see as many people as we can, so please book us in early!

Thanks so much for all you do.

In His Hands,

Jullie T.

Hello All,
We have had a very interesting and busy week! 
It started with a tour of some BioGas Digesters in Kibera, the largest slum area in Nairobi.  They are basicaly septic tanks where the toilet part sits right on top of it and the methane gas that builds up in the tank, is piped out to a kitchen and used as cooking gas.  Not sure if it is a possibilty to use one here at the hospital, but we are looking.  Anyone out there have any information about Biogas digesters?

Here is the digester with the toilets on the bottom level and a conference area upstairs.

this the the cooking area

This is the slum area.

We had and exciting event with the power system this week.  We fired up the new 500Kva generator to test it.  All seemed to go well.  If all the data has come within spec, we will commission it next week and start using it for the hospital.  This has been a project that has been in the works for over a year, so it is very exciting to have this generator on line.  The next step is to have the new power line from Kenya Power and Light connected.  That should happen in the next month or 2.  When that is connected, the power will be more reliable and we won't have to (get to) use our new generator as much! 

Firing up the New Generator

Here is the first day of school picture!

We are exhausted today!  It is Saturday, and both Jim and I are feeling like being blobs!  We slept in till almost 8:00!  I think we will make some cookies, a bit of pizza and maybe watch a movie.  My next obligation is to make choc sauce for an ice cream social tonight with Trevor's class.  I had better go get a nap to have the energy to deal with that!

Take Care,

In His Hands,

Jullie T.