Your Generosity Has Done This...Part VI

We want to keep you (friends, family, our churches) aware of how your generous donations are being used. Travis & Lydia (with their two boys Meshack and Silas) have been missionaries in Nakuru, Kenya for over 9 years. Sara and Lydia were roommates back in 1999 at Wheaton College and it has been fun to reconnect. The Klingsforths are involved in Urban Ministry of Discipleship in Nakuru for the past 9 years. Travis and Lydia are encouraging because they are everything a missionary should be; fluent in the local language (swahili), immensely patient, relational, flexible, cross-cultural, evangelical, and just plain friendly.

Lydia approached us to team with then in an educational project. Lamaze International and Duke University Area Health Program have started a training program called "Giving Birth Lamaze Africa." This program trains Kenyan Nurse Midwifes and other lay health care workers in the concepts of Lamaze. Also, some concepts about bad outcomes (meconium present, water breaks and their is hemorrhage) are taught and when you need to get emergency help and get the laboring mother to the hospital. At least 75% of deliveries in rural Kenya are completed outside of the hospital under the supervision of lay staff. So, training of these health care workers can make a big difference.

Donations were needed to purchase the model placentas, umbilical cords, babies (Target), and replica pelvis openings to teach the course. A medical supplier can charge well over $100 per model (well above an affordable cost for the course). Thankfully some creative ladies by hand "created" a placenta, umbilical cord, and so forth for less than $10 per model.

You can see how the training you a model like this is far superior to a text book or verbal explanation. The instructor can show breach deliveries, foot presentation, twins, delivering the placenta, clamping the umbilical cord, etc.

We hope this training provides health care workers the knowledge to provide better outcomes with normal deliveries and also the know-how to get assistance more rapidly when things don't go as planned. Your generosity again has made a big difference here in Kenya. You bought 10 placentas (placenti??)! Thank-you for blessing others by giving to God's Kingdom.

Your Generosity Has Done This...Part V

This Chappell grand piano was donated to AIC church in Kijabe in 1963.   When we arrived this grand piano had missing strings, was sitting cattywampus because of a broken front leg, and was sorely out of tune.  Apparently, some children forced their way into the church and started  jumping on the piano for several days until someone realized what had happened.  Consequently the lid has been shut on this fine grand piano for the past year; silenced and dysfunctional.  

 Well, that didn't sit right.  It says in Psalm 33, 

Sing to him a new song, 

Play skillfully and shout for Joy.   

Thanks to many of your generous donations the piano is making music once again.   Because of your donations, funds were available to repair the broken leg, replace the missing strings and tune the piano (not an easy thing in Kenya to find a piano tuner) to pitch.   God is glorified through music.  And God is also glorified in your giving.  Thank-you!   

Your Generosity Has Done This...Part IV

This is Sarah our house-helper and her two children John (6) and Faith (2). Sarah has worked hard for many years with various missionary families to become an outstanding cook. I'm not sure how we became fortunate to have her with our family 3 days per week. She cooks delicious pizza, chicken curry, enchiladas, and potato soup with a joyful spirit.

Around Christmas time we asked Sarah if there was anything that would help out her family that would be sustainable. She indicated that she had always wanted electricity for her house but it was always too expensive to have the electric wire run to the house, the meter installed, and the house wired. The total cost was about 28,00 KSH (400 USD). But the month to month cost of paying her electric bill she could manage as it would be offset by the Kerosene for her lamp that she would not have to buy.

Sarah made the written application. She hired an electrician to wire her house. Her application to Kenyan Power was accepted after a few months. Thanks to your generous donations into our project account Sarah was able to pay the fee to Kenyan Power for electricity! She now has working electricity in her house for the first time.

I asked Sarah what was her favorite thing about having electricity. She said, "you know now we can spend more time outside in the garden while it is light, but I can cook dinner for our family at 8:00 PM (normal dinner time in Kenya) and see what I am doing. And also Jonathan doesn't have to remain after school, because now he can do his homework at home in the evenings under our light."

Sara wrote the following thank-you note to you...

We are pleased for your support, thank God for electricity. Before I was using candles and kerosene, of which would give little light. But now no more darkness! We can easily prepare food and the kids can do studies without problems. Thanks for a helping hand. You are great and to be blessed.

Thanks from: Joseph, Sarah, John, & Faith

Your Generosity Has Done This...Part III

Rose works as a unit clerk for ENT and became a good friend in the past 4 months.



In October a gas burner caught fire in her home. In less than 5 minutes this was all that was left of her timber house and the homes of eight others. Rose and her husband got out safely but lost everything they had.



The hospital set up a fund to rebuild Rose a temporary house which you can see above that she moved into last week. I told Rose that we had many generous people back in America who were supporting God's work in Kenya. These people wanted to help someone who is in need and trying to rebuild, I asked her if there was anything she needed. Rose told me that they needed a simple bed and mattress.



Because of your generosity funds were used such that Rose and her husband have a place to sleep at night. Asante Sana!