I Was Lost, But Now I'm Found

As many of you know this past week we had an Agriculture Workshop at Ring Road Church of Christ that was provided by Healing Hands International.  Many people participated from all over Nyanza Province and even as far as Western Kenya.  During this workshop we had people coming and going inside the church, school and clinic compound for three days.  On the second day, I noticed this little boy, who was just a little toddler walking around and greeting people and eating lunch with all that were a part of the workshop.  At first, I thought he was one of the participant's children. He appeared to be well taken care of and had a little backpack on his back.  I was walking toward the gate in the afternoon and I saw this little boy again telling people "bye-bye" and waving at everyone as he was proceeding to go out the gate by himself.  I went immediately over and got him and brought him back in.  I began to ask around to see if anyone knew him.  I interrupted the workshop, went to the clinic and during the school assembly asked if anyone recognized this little boy.  No one knew him!  It was late afternoon by this time and I wasn't sure what to do. Other than saying, "bye-bye" he knew no other English, only Luo.  So I enlisted the help of my dear friend, Postina, who works in the kitchen at the school.  He told us his name was "Levi".  Postina decided she would take him home with her for the
night; give him a bath and feed him some dinner.  Meanwhile, I contacted the County Representative of Nyalenda, James Were, who also happens to work at Ring Road.  He called the Chief of Nyalenda and put it on the radio that a child was found at Ring Road.  By this time, this little boy was so tired!
Postina took him home after a little nap and took such good care of "Levi"!  Well, I could not quit thinking about this little boy.  We already had one student (that I talked about in my last blog), whose little sister was still missing; I could not stand the thought of another child missing!  When I got to the compound on Thursday morning, I couldn't wait to see how "Levi" was doing and to see if anyone knew anything more.  He was doing great and just as friendly as ever, helping out in the kitchen with all the ladies and Akuku.

It just so happened that we had a lead on "Levi" from one of the participants at the workshop.  He thought he had seen him with a girl that frequently comes to Ring Road to get food.  He said that when he went home that afternoon, he would check and see if that girl knew him.  The workshop ended and people left, but we still had little "Levi".  The man did not return to tell us if his lead was correct.  Postina said that she would wait at the school to see if he did come back.  I went home later that afternoon and called Postina to see if anything had happened.  She told me that the man had not come back and that she still had "Levi".  It was getting late, but I just couldn't stand the thought of not finding something out for one more day!  I kept thinking if that were my child and he were lost somewhere, I would be so desperate and frantic!  I went back to the school and Postina and I and another lady from the kitchen rented a tuk-tuk and we went to the area, deep in Nyalenda to find out if the person this man thought might know "Levi" actually did.  A storm was coming, but we were not deterred!  We got to the house of this woman and she had no clue who this little boy was!  While we were there many little children began to surround us, they always like it when wazungu's (white people) come to visit.  They heard us talking about this lost little boy and they said that a woman had been at their school looking for a little boy earlier that day, a school called, Kasagam.  It was beginning to get dark, so we said that the next day we would go to this school and see if anyone knew him.  I have got to tell you, I felt a bit defeated.  But, you must realize that Nyalenda has a population of 500,000 people!  I got home and told Greg the story and as I was telling him the story, my phone rang.  It was Postina and she said the mother was at her house picking "Levi" up!  We were all praising God that this child that was lost, was now found!  The Mama got on the phone and thanked me and I asked her if I could meet her the next day at the school.  We arranged a time and hung up.  I slept much better that night and couldn't wait to meet the Mama and see how she found her son.

 When we met she told me how she and her husband had been up all night crying, praying and looking for their only son.  They went to all the schools that were in their area to look for him.  After Postina and I visited that woman who didn't know "Levi" and the children heard us talking they went back and told the teachers that we had come and had this child.  The teacher called the Mama (who had been there earlier looking for "Levi") and said that he was at Ring Road Orphanage.  The guard at Ring Road took her to Postina's and "Levi" and his Mama were reunited!  She was so incredibly happy and she called her husband and he was overjoyed!  I truly believe that God was watching over this precious little one for those two days that he was lost.  I also believe that God orchestrated all of the events that led up to him be found.  We have no idea how "Levi" got from his nursery school in Nyalenda (which was very far away), to Ring Road.  That is a mystery to us all!  But, God put him in a place where He knew that he would be cared for and loved.
Well, for the rest of the story...this little fellow's real name is Denzel Favor and he is 2 years and 4 months old.  He has a personality that could light up all of Nyalenda and he loves Postina!  On Friday I had the pleasure of meeting Verah, Denzel's Mama and on Sunday, I got to meet Benard, Denzel's Daddy.  We had a little celebration, thanked God and got to know one another.  We exchanged emails and plan to stay in touch.  One day I hope that Denzel Favor's parents can tell him about how God saved him and that their were many people who loved him and wanted him to be found!

Denzel reunited with his Mama!

"Teaching-The Profession That Creates All Others"

Johnstone

Afline

I would like to share with you an experience that happened to me this past week.  It involves the teachers that you see here, Johnstone Giggs and Afline Obiero.

I had the privilege to go on two home visits with these teachers. It is not often that you hear about "home visits" by teachers, but these teachers love their students and have their best interests at heart.  Myself along with Johnstone, Afline, Chris Nicholson, the Chaplain of Ringroad Day School and Orphanage, George Obonyo and a couple of the students that were involved all piled into Chris's car and began the trek to two separate homes in Nyalenda.  The first home was the home of two of the students, Frank and Lennox.  Both boys have been sporadically coming to school and one of them had not been in two weeks.  When we got to the home, we found that they lived in a very small mud hut with an elderly grandmother, who had very little eyesight.  There was no food in the home and it was very much in disarray.  The boys have no parents, but are back and forth between this home and the home of an aunt.  I am sure the grandmother was needing them in the home to help her each day and they got out of the habit of going to school.  Johnstone talked with this grandmother and found out the situation and we went to buy some food for she and the children.  Lennox was very shy and reserved about not coming to school and his brother, Frank was not in the home.  So we left and went to the aunt's home to find Frank.  When we got to the aunt's home, Frank was there.  Johnstone asked why he was not in school and he said that he had been bullied by the other children because he didn't have the right shoes.  Johnstone was very firm with him and said the he needed to come to the teachers if he has a problem and both Chris and Johnstone explained to the aunt the importance of being in school. Her own children were at school that day.  These two boys are truly orphaned, in the sense that they have no parents to encourage and love them on a daily basis.  Johnstone and Afline not only have to be teachers, but sometimes they have to be "parents" for these children.

Home of Lennox and Frank

The next visit was with a young boy named, Vitalis.  This story will break your heart.  Vitalis came to Chris last week and told him that he was not at school one day because his Mama was so upset.  His little 4 year old sister was missing.  At that time she had been missing for three days.  I will start by saying that children here are a lot more independent and walk all over their neighborhood in Nyalenda without a Mama with them.  We got to the home of Vitalis and talked with the grandmother and uncle about Mary, the little girl who is missing.  They said that she was last seen sitting with another little girl when a woman approached them with bananas.  She offered the bananas to Mary and took her away in a tuk-tuk (a little vehicle that is used here). They have alerted the chief of their area and the police of Kisumu.  We prayed with this family and offered to make copies of a picture of Mary, if they could get one from their rural home in Kakamega.  .  We all hoped that we were an encouragement to this precious family.  And just seeing that the teachers of Vitalis cared enough to come, I am sure made a big difference to this family.  Ring Road Day School is a light to this community!

Please join us in praying for Vitalis' family

So, this is for you, Johnstone and Afline.  

YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE
--(Author Unknown)

There are many who go the "second mile" And greet each day's tasks with a smile; Who spend their lives serving others And look upon all men as brothers. 

Who work for all children everywhere, When there's a need - they are there. Their time and talents freely dedicate Serving in places small and great. 

These are the ones we honor today And to you we wish to say - This world is now a better place Because it looked upon your face. Anonymous 

We Were Made to be Courageous

As many of you know for the last couple of years I decided that I wouldn't make New Year's resolutions, but I would pick a word that I would try to live by for that year.  This year I picked the word "COURAGE".  I wanted to have more courage in all that I do; not being foolish, but trying to cast aside fears that would keep me from growing in the Lord.  There is a song by Casting Crowns, that I love and want to share with you.

Courageous

We were made to be courageous

We were made to lead the way

We could be the generation

That finally breaks the chains

We were made to be courageous

We were made to be courageous

We were warriors on the front lines

Standing, unafraid

But now we're watchers on the sidelines

While our families slip away

Where are you, men of courage?

You were made for so much more

Let the pounding of our hearts cry

We will serve the Lord

We were made to be courageous

And we're taking back the fight

We were made to be courageous

And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand

Is on our knees with lifted hands

Make us courageous

Lord, make us courageous

This is our resolution

Our answer to the call

We will love our wives and children

We refuse to let them fall

We will reignite the passion

That we buried deep inside

May the watchers become warriors

Let the men of God arise

We were made to be courageous

And we're taking back the fight

We were made to be courageous

And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand

Is on our knees with lifted hands

Make us courageous

Lord, make us courageous

Seek justice

Love mercy

Walk humbly with your God

In the war of the mind

I will make my stand

In the battle of the heart

And the battle of the hand

In the war of the mind

I will make my stand

In the battle of the heart

And the battle of the hand

We were made to be courageous

And we're taking back the fight

We were made to be courageous

And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand

Is on our knees with lifted hands

Make us courageous

Lord, make us courageous

We were made to be courageous

Lord, make us courageous

For some reason, as I prepared to come to Kenya this time, I was struggling with all kinds of fear; fear of leaving our children and grandchildren; fear of not knowing how we would be received by our Kenyan friends; fear of being able to be what God wants me to be for these people.  I kept thinking of how God wants me to be courageous in the "war of the mind" and the "battle of my heart".  I asked one of our elders to please pray that God would show me the way that He wants me to be used for Him, that He would use my spiritual gifts and talents for the Kenyan people.  The day before Greg and I left a dear friend of mine prayed a scripture over me from the book of Isaiah.

"I will go before you and will level the mountains;

I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.

I will give you hidden treasures,

riches stored in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God

of Israel, who summons you by name."

Isaish 45:2-3

God has been with me every step of the way.  He has "leveled the mountains" and "broken down the gates".  After we arrived Chris and Sarah (our missionaries here in Kisumu) had a plan for how I could be used most effectively.  One of my main objectives was to be here for Sarah in any way that I could; God has worked it out where I will be working with Sarah on a project that will take some time and will help with the work here. He has combined my love for Sarah and my love for photography!  

But, as I close, I would like to share a few photos of true COURAGE!  Yesterday we visited the cancer ward at Russia Hospital.  All of these children are suffering with Burkitt's Lymphoma.  This my dear friend is courage; day in and day out being in this hospital and going through the rigors of treatment, not knowing what your outcome will be.