Final Days in Kisumu

Saying goodbye is never easy, especially while God was blessing us with so many opportunities to love the people of Kisumu.  Between a packed last few days and the long journey home, we haven't had an opportunity to post to the blog in several days.  Here is a glimpse into our final days in Kisumu...

Mandy and Cassi returned to Russia Hospital where we again visited the Children's Cancer Ward 5 and Obama Children's Ward.  Thanks to many of you who so generously donated coloring books, crayons, socks, toothbrushes... we were able to pass along these goodies to many.  While seeing some of the same children who we had left coloring books with last Wednesday, we were surprised to learn that the 4 children in the cancer ward had so much fun that they completed their entire coloring book in a days time!  Needless to say, they were so happy we had come with more books.  We were able to again visit with Melvine, a patient who has sickle cell anemia.  Melvine had connected with Mandy while she read her a storybook during an earlier visit.  During this last visit, we were happy to learn that Melvine had been discharged.  However, the bad news was her uncle (caretaker) could not pay the bill.  Therefore, she could not go home.  Knowing how much potential Melvine has, we found a way to make up the difference so this beautiful and smart girl could return home and get back to school.

 

Valery lovin' her new Hello Kitty coloring book

Lameck & Austin sportin' their new socks

Melvine & Mandy

Many Bibles were donated before we left on our journey, which were happily received by Pastor George.  However, there was still a need for Bibles in the native language, Luo (pronounced Lou-oh).  We purchased 30 Luo Bibles at the local bookstore and gave them to people who needed one.  It's hard for us to imagine how Christianity could exist without having access to a Bible.  However, that was the case for many centuries before books could be printed and it still exists today in places like Kisumu, Kenya.  It just goes to show that following Christ is more than just believing what is written in a book.

Vince & Pastor George

 

Cassi spent the lunch hour with a very sweet and beautiful girl, Neema.  Neema is in grade 8 and has high hopes of attending high school next year.  With a strong desire God placed on my heart to invest in the children, Cassi could not be happier to sponsor Neema for high school.  She is very smart, motivated and has tons of potential.  Being familiar with the school systems in America, the schools in Kenya are nothing like what you might expect.  The RingRoad Orphanage Day School ends with grade 8 and there is no real system in place for government funded high school.  Without outside financial assistance, Neema may have otherwise not been able to further her education.  We can't wait to see what God has planned for Neema as she goes off to high school in February.  Keep up the good work Neema!

Cassi with new friend Neema

Meanwhile, Vince took a trip to visit Jon Keen who is a young boy he met on his last trip.  Last year, Jon Keen was attending RingRoad School.  He has always had some medical problems, but those problems magnified last year and resulted in paralysis of his lower extremities.  A lot has changed in Jon Keens life, but he has the same positive outlook and sweet spirit that he had when he could walk.  Most people that have met Jon Keen have been inspired by his story and we made sure to let him know that before we left.

Jon Keen excited to open a gift sent from a friend back in the USA

 In the afternoon, we returned to RingRoad School for a final visit and to say bittersweet goodbyes to our new friends.  After surprising the children on Tuesday with afternoon juice, they were happy to see that we had once again come with treats.  This time it was a lollipop and a new pencil for each of the 400 students.  Juice, a lollipop, and a new pencil...seems simple, right?  You could not imagine the excitement this brought to the children's faces as we handed them out.



Final walk through the slum to RingRoad School

Children anxiously waiting in line for juice, a rare treat

Pouring 400+ cups of juice

 

 

 

 

A bittersweet goodbye to Heidi and Chris; Mandy already en route to ATL

Our two week trip passed by very quickly but we have quite a bit of information to process and think through.  It is good to experience life outside of the USA and it really sinks in that our lives are not the norm for a lot of people.  Air conditioning, electricity, running water, Bibles, internet, health care; those are some things that we take for granted but don't exist for many people.  Vince cut his finger cooking dinner one night and almost passed out at the thought of getting stitches at a hospital in Kisumu.  We are so thankful for local anesthetics.

It seems common to have grand ideas of making the world a better place.  We think most people would want to do their part in helping those who really need help.  Sometimes it can be discouraging to leave a place that seems to be in the same condition as when we arrived.  On a whole, that may be true.  But we hope that in some small cases, our message of love will be a source of hope and encouragement.  We hope this message is reciprocated by those in the community who saw it play out while we were there.

Many thanks to all of you for the outpouring of love and support through this journey.  To God be the Glory!

Cassi, Mandy & Vince

Visiting in Kisumu

 Today we had the opportunity to visit some kids in other parts of Kisumu. Our first stop was Lake Victoria School for Vulnerable Children. After learning about this little school last week, we coordinated with their director to visit and bring along some much needed necessities for these kids. The director of this school John, along with his son Wycliffe are trying so hard to help these children receive an education and provide a place to attend school within their community where they have very little. Thanks to the generous support from family, friends and coworkers we came to Kenya with 3 suitcases full of donations for the kids in Kisumu. New boys & girls underwear, cloth diapers, socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, pencils, sharpeners, crayons, pens, coloring books, markers, sticker books, new & gently used kids shoes, reading glasses and lollipops. These precious kids were the benefactors of your support today and it was a blessing to be a part of paying it forward.

A little means a lot :) These boys were so excited!

Lake Victoria School for Vulnerable Children
(The kids came running to greet us!)

Primary kids at Lake Victoria School

Me, Cassi, Wycliffe & Heidi - Lake Victoria School

Our second visit of the day was at Agape Boys Home in Kisumu. This organization is an outreach ministry to "street boys" in Kenya and provides a safe, caring, and rehabilitative environment. A life on the streets is an acceptable way for many Kenyan boys as a result of family poverty, abandonment and abuse. Vince met a young boy, Derek in Kisumu last year who was living on the streets at age 12 and he has been going through Agape's transitional program for the past several months. We spent about an hour with him today and he appears to be thriving and learning and in a much better place than when Vince last saw him.

I had the opportunity to chat with some other boys while they visited and met some truly bright kids - all ranging in age from 11 - 14. 

Daniel is 11 and he arrived at Agape last night - Both of his parents and uncle have died, leaving him without a nearby relative to look after him. He was happy to be there and to have slept in a bed & eaten a real meal :) 

Daniel - 11 years old

Vince & his buddy Derek 

Feeling a bit heavy-hearted tonight as my time in Kenya will soon be coming to an end. It is so hard to wrap my head around the whys and what ifs of this world and to make sense of circumstances and situations I have seen over the past 9 days in Kisumu.

To end on a happy note - a little Obama love from the day!

Mandy - Vince - Cassi

TOMS and Weekend Fun

I can't believe this trip is more than half over.  Time has really flown by and our "to-do" list is still long.  But that is life in Kenya, so much to do but you are limited by time and energy.  Being on the equator, the sun really depletes our energy quickly.

We had a surprise waiting for us at RingRoad school on Thursday.  TOMS had arrived!!!  TOMS is a shoe company in America that donates one pair of new shoes for every pair of shoes purchased.  So in case you were wondering, TOMS does actually deliver on their promise. We spent quite a bit of Thursday and Friday fitting each kid for shoes.  Supposedly, TOMS will deliver one pair of shoes to each child every year.  Pretty cool!

Friday is "fun day" at school.  We arrived to the sound of deep bass pumping through the slum.  The school received a stereo system as a gift and the children love to dance to African music.  Pictures can't do this justice, so you'll need to view the videos once we return to Atlanta.  It's a great experience to see these kids having fun and it gives them hope that life can be enjoyable, even in their desperate situations.

We headed out into the country on Friday night on a mini-vacation for some rest and relaxation.  The roads leading outside of Kisumu are under construction, so much of the trip was on washboard dirt roads.  It was pretty bumpy, but we arrived in time to see the sunset in the valley from our front porch.  The scenery was amazing and we really enjoyed the rest.

Today (Sunday) we went to Church at Ringroad to participate in an authentic African church.  It is surreal to see goats within touching distance while you're singing How Great Thou Art in Swahili.  After Church, we took a group of the older boys back to Chris and Sarah's house.  We read John 13, which is the story of Jesus washing the disciple's feet.  This story is about being a humble servant and I think the kids were shocked to have a white person wash their feet.  But I'm sure it was more surprising when Jesus did it first.

-Mandy/Cassi/Vince

Kisumu Blessings

Another full day in Kisumu ~

We started our day as volunteers and visitors at Russia Hospital. Chris and Sarah have established a great presence there and usually visit the children every Wednesday. We spent the first hour or so with four sweet kids on the Cancer Ward - They all have Burkitt's Lymphoma, a malignancy most common to children in this region of Africa and is often caused by poor health and sanitary conditions. We came with lollipops, coloring books & crayons and were able to spread a lot of cheer. Cassi and Vince hung out with the three boys in their community space and I had the opportunity to sit in a room with a 10 year old girl Valery, who was receiving treatment. We sat together on a small sofa-like seat and took turns coloring pages in the book. When the nurse realized that I wanted to stay with her awhile during her chemo, they gave me a gown, gloves and mask to suit up - Valery thought it was hilarious and we made the most out of a tough situation.

It was a wonderful experience, moving in every way and I look forward to going back next week to visit again. 

We then moved over to the Obama Children's Ward to visit the other kids staying in the hospital. Armed with lollipops and smiles, we made the rounds through several areas and visited with some very sweet, yet sick kids. Imagine a hospital type setting from World War II and you are fairly close to what this hospital set up is like. Rows of metal beds, side by side - Most of the kids had a mama or relative with them in the bed or beside as they are not supposed to be left alone. The family is responsible for providing their own food, washing the children and washing their clothes. 

Sarah and I both had the chance to sit with the most beautiful girl Melvine (she is 12) and has Sickle Cell Anemia and was receiving a transfusion. She is in the care of her uncle, as both of her parents have died and he works most days until 9pm. She is incredibly bright, loves school and likes to read storybooks. She will most likely be there for one week, which she told me was typical for when she needs a transfusion. I'm hoping to go back and spend some more time with her :)

Cassi and the sweet boys at Russia hospital's Cancer Ward
Coloring books & Lollipops!

Later in the afternoon we made our way back to RingRoad to visit the kids and par-take in some teaching - 

(Yes, they asked me to teach?! go figure :) Cassi and I both spent time in Class 2, where I taught a lesson from their English workbook on completing sentences, correcting verbs, alphabetizing, etc. and she was brave to take on a Math lesson.

Afterwards, I met up with my new buddy Obama and we played in the courtyard for awhile - we worked on numbers, colors (he loves to say Purple!) and we did a few rounds of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes! He is getting stronger everyday and the staff said that soon he will be ready to go to school. They've been giving him "Plumpy'Nut" several times a day and he is able to eat some solid foods like beans and maize and potatoes too! He has gained a kilogram (about 2.2 lbs) in the past week and a half since they met him. 

Mama and baby walking in the village aka slum of Nylenda
(This is the road we walk each day to RingRoad and back)

Class 2

Teaching an English & Math lesson to class 2
(It was an experience to say the least!)

Class 2 

Sweet Rachel - she was very tired today!

Friends in Class 2

Amazing & life changing experiences all around.
Thanks for being a part of the journey and for the continuous love, prayers & support!

Mandy, Cassi & Vince

The First Days at RingRoad Orphans Day School

Our hearts rejoice of the love we have given and received during our first few days here at the RingRoad Orphans Day School.  Never have we ever been greeted by tens of hundreds of children holding their hands out in desperation to hug and be hugged by complete and total strangers.  There is no greater feeling!

School Entrance Gate

6 year old, 20 lb. Obama with his new friend Mandy

In the last 48 hours we have been touched by the personal stories of so many children, but one in particular stands out as we sit and share our stories.  Jamilla, a 14 year old girl whom Vince first met in Kisumu last year, was our reason for a visit to the local Russian Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital on Monday.  As you can imagine, the hospitals here are nothing like what you might experience in the states and the healthcare system is quite corrupt.  Jamilla was omitted to the hospital a week prior due to sickness.  Chris Nicholson, who we know from Atlanta and is really the reason for our visit to Kisumu in particular, asked us to join on his visit to the hospital.  Jamilla was sharing a room with 2 other patients, one of which was on their death bed while we waited.  You can only imagine the conditions and turmoil this might cause a 14 year old child. After several hours of waiting and paying for her release, we were able to happily bring Jamilla home.  Jamilla was all smiles with her release and looked forward to being back in school the next day.

Walking through the hospital

Jamilla and Vince prior to her release from the hospital

Jamilla never forgot the day Vince took her into town last year and bought her a much needed school uniform...which she is still wearing today.  Vince and Cassi were excited to take Jamilla into town this trip and buy her a much needed pair of school shoes to replace those that were in shreds.  A new pair of sturdy school shoes here in Kenya cost 1900 shillings, approximately $22 US Dollars.  There are so many needs here in Kisumu that we can't even begin to reach everyone, but we will rejoice with each smile, each hug and each way we can share the love of God with these people.

Jamilla and Cassi on her first day back to school

Our Journey Begins

Our journey actually began about 10 months ago when a group of people gathered together to hear about an opportunity to visit Chris and Sarah Nicholson in Kisumu, Kenya.  If you don't know where Kisumu is check out this map:

It's right on Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa (and 2nd largest in the world) but you can't get in the water or you'll get sick.  If you continue reading the blog over the next few weeks, you'll discover things that don't seem to make a lot of sense.  Like why do Kenyans put speed bumps at the bottom of a steep hill and paint them the same color as the road?  It's just part of the experience.  


So who would want to burn two weeks of vacation, pay for premium jet fuel and microwaved airplane food, risk contracting an unwanted parasite, just to get a sunburn in a village on the equator? Well, meet the team:

Cassi Woods - Grew up in Northwest Georgia in a city called Dalton, otherwise known as The Carpet Capital of the World. Moved to Atlanta in 2004 to pursue a BFA in interior design at The Art Institute of Atlanta. Currently employed in Atlanta by Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio Architecture and Interior Design where she is involved in the design and development of multi-family apartment housing, corporate office, country club and hotel interiors. Enjoys her involvement with the young adult ministry at North Atlanta Church of Christ, cycling on her road bike, volunteering at the Fox Theater and most of all, spending time with those she loves. With a nagging desire to visit and serve a country in great need, Africa in particular has been pulling at her very heart strings. The day has finally come to answer God's calling.

Mandy Waldrep - Atlanta native, born and raised in the South & the youngest of three. Spent her college years in Atlanta & New York City & earned a degree in Fashion Marketing. Lived in NYC working until 2009, then returned home to Georgia. Currently loves her job working for Alternative Apparel in Norcross, GA, spending time with family & friends, giving back & loving others! Attends Buckhead Church, has a heart for Africa and orphans in particular!"Do for one what we wish we could do for everyone" Andy Stanley

Vince Barker - I grew up in Texas, just outside Fort Worth in a town called Mansfield. I went to college at Texas A&M University and majored in Mechanical Engineering. After graduating in 2009, I spent two years in jail, I mean grad school, at Georgia Tech. Now I work at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Marietta, Georgia.

We start heading east around 10:30 pm on Friday night. It's crazy to think that we won't be landing in Nairobi, Kenya until Sunday morning, a haul of about 25 hours plus the time change of traveling half way around the world.  I'm hoping the excitement of the trip will make the time pass quickly.


Our mission is to reach out to a hurting community by showing the compassion of Christ by what we say and do.  I'm hoping this blog will give an adequate glimpse into what life is like in our world.  People who are more like you and me than a far away tribe on the cover photo of a National Geographic Magazine.