Arrived @ Nairobi

We arrived safely with all our luggage. The plane was mostly empty from london so we got to stretch out and sleep. Gideon was at the airport to pick us up and now we are at the Grace House for the night. Tomorrow morning we leave for the day's drive to Kitale. Rene and Del are getting along really well wih Gideon. More later. Gideon says hello! Darla
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We're in London

We've met up with my Brother Del in London and we're waiting to depart to Nairobi. We all had good flights to London. More when we get to Nairobi. Darla

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Home and fully recovered???

Hi Friends,

Thanks so much for following our 1st blog of one of our trips. I hope you enjoyed the experience as much as I did. It was really nice to be able to share the moments and feelings as we were going through them.

I thought that I would send one last blog. Our time in Kenya was more than I could have hoped for.  I totally enjoyed traveling with each and every one that went this year.  I have actually missed the daily piling into the vans with everyone for the day's schedule.  But I also missed my husband and family here in the states and I'm glad to be home and able to catch up with them.  It looks like my grandkids have grown at least an inch!

Every time I go to Kenya I am so excited to be returning and visiting with the friends I have made that really have become family to me.  We have such a short time to spend together and we always try to squeeze the most out of each moment. Even having just come off that long flight and dealing with the jet lag, I'm already thinking about the next time I will go back.Kenya is truly in my heart and I don't  want to lose touch with those I have met there.

I have some sad news to share with you though, and I am having a hard time dealing with it myself.  On the day that we were to leave Kiminini, our friend and OWI president, Alice received a call that her 13 yr old niece Emma had gone into a coma and was rushed to the hospital.  She did not come out of it, but passed away a day later.  The reason was an enlarged heart due to Rheumatic Fever. This was a terrible tragedy that rocked our team.  We were so up with all the wonderful things that had happened throughout the last week. It just was such a shock.  I wished I could have been there for Alice and her family while they had to  prepare for the funeral.  On top of the grief they had, the expenses were high so as a team we donated to the cost, and prayed for Emma's family.  It seemed so little for such a huge loss.

Now I wish that was all but its not, just 3 days after our return we received a text informing us that one of our own orphans, Lorna Nekesa sponsored by OWI, had died that day of the very same thing as Emma. She was 14 yrs old and was going into the 8th grade.  On the Orphan Day she and the other orphans had performed songs, poems and recited verses of the Bible to us.  Lorna actually recited almost one whole chapter of the book of Luke. I remember thinking what a memory and a dedication to the Word of God.  We celebrated those orphans that were moving on to secondary school with congratulation cards and she was one of the 5 to receive one. It was a wonderful day and Lorna was a big part of it.  I don't know all the information but the Social Worker who works with our orphans, Patrick, sent an email on some of the specifics.  On the day of the medical clinic for the orphans, the doctors discovered a problem with Lorna's heart and sent her to the district hosp where she stayed for one week.  They discharged her right after we left claiming she was well. But she was not, Lorna died just 5 days after that.  I can't hardly believe it, I feel almost disbelief over her death. OWI has had this program for over 18 months and frankly I didn't even consider that this might happen. People die all the time but I wonder if these 2 girls developed this specific problem because they couldn't afford to see a doctor in the beginning stages of whatever caused their enlarged heart.  What keeps going through my mind is, what can I do to help stop it. I'm not doctor or nurse and I don't even understand what happend to Emma and Lorna but my eyes are opened to this and II want to try and do whatever I can do to help parents raise healthy and happy children.  Seems like a huge endevor but I know that with God's help, we can do anything! Please be praying for these 2 families.  Although I don't have a picture of Emma, I do have a couple of Lorna that I would like to share with you. One from when she started in the orphan program and the other from the Orphan Day celebration just last week. My peace is that she is in the arms of the Father and there is no more pain for her.
Thanks for going on this journey with me
Hugs,
Debbie


Our one hope is that God is in control and He cares for each and every one of us.  I can't comprehend this completely but I know He is a good and loving and fair Father.
 

--

Debbie
"We are moved by our love for Him!"
_______________
949 280-7987
Ordinary Women, Inc.
Joining Hands for Global Change
26861 Trabuco Rd. Suite E-146
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Leaving Masai Mara

Hey it,s so nice to be back on line again. Arriving at the Masai Mara left me without a signal except for a few short times and mainly while we were out on the Mara looking for animals. Everyone is well and has enjoyed their well deserved rest . But we were all glad to have been used by God throughout the week to help the people of Kiminini. While at the Mara we took a couple of game drives. The first drive was pretty exciting as we were able to spot 4 of the Big 5. Lions, Elephants, Leopard (for me the first ever), and Water Buffalo. Along with several other animals such as Zebra, Giraffes, Gazelles, Ostriches, Hyenas, Wildebeests, and the list could go on. Early the next morning we started off on a marathon safari. First to see was a Rhino mom and her kid. They were hiding in the brush but with all the vans swarming to see the rare site as there are so few,, she came out and allowed us to snap a shot and then went back under cover. Very nice of her don,t you think? For the next several hours we saw so many animals including more Lions both male and female. One group had just finished feeding on the kill the Lionesses had made and the were resting under the tree. The male did sit up for a snap. Last stop was the Talek River to see the Hippos. Dispite the low waters due the the drought conditions we saw several and their young. I have been to the Mara several times now but I never get tired of seeing these beautiful creatures in their natural enviroment. I also enjoy seeing those who have never experiened anything like it for the first time. And this being the first time for both Abraham and Chris who have lived in Kenya their whole lives, made it even more enjoyable. We are on our way to Nairobi right now. From the Mara is around 4 hrs and we are about half way. One of our vans got what they call a punture (flat) and had to stop and change the tire. Fortunately nothing more serious. I can't believe that our vans don' t have more problems since they take such a beating on these roads, if you can call them that but really in all the times I've been we have had only had trouble twice. We will be staying over night in Nairobi at the Grace House again (where we first stayed when we arrived in Kenya) and tomorrow we will go to visit Pastor Victor in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa. It is located in Nairobi and from its size, from what I hear, has practically become its own city. One of our girls, Becky spent several weeks there 4 years ago on a mission trip and she is going back to vist friends she hasn,t seen in that long. One of our loyal supporters, Lynda was able to get a couple of used laptops donated to OWI to give to whoever we thought could benefit from them and we will present one to Pastor Victor. The other one is going to OWI Kenya to help the operation of our OP program. What a blessing they will be for them! Thanks Lynda for thinking of our friends in Kenya. Well I think I'll take a little nap and maybe when I wake up we will be there. Talk to you all soon. Debbie
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Woman's Conference con't

and her group. Our guest speaker was a native Kenyan who is studying in California was going to be in Kenya and so she flew into Kitale for 2 days. The Church was packed and there was testimonies from both groups. Since we started late we did not stop for lunch that was being prepared by the men of the Church. At 4 we finished and sat down to eat. Since we had missed lunch we were hungry and ate a full plate dispite that we had been invited to our friend Nancy's, the nurse at the district hosp, home for dinner at 7pm. We rushed home and prepared for dinner. Nancy and her husband live in Kitale with their family and they had rented the equivielant of an outdoor wedding setup. They had a large open sided tent in the compound front lawn and a buffet table filled with food. There were chairs all around and music playing various songs that you might hear at a wedding. She and the Dr. Went all out in throwing a dinner for our whole team. Last day with our friends at church tomorrow
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Woman,s Conference

Well this is day 8 and we have gotten really comfortable in the house and also in Kiminini. Our boys that Marjaana and I sponsor, Abraham and Chris have stayed with us every day so we have had. Lots of time with them. Tomorrow we leave for the Masai Mara. So as for the Woman's Conference, it was supposed to start at 10 am right after the social workers had one more meeting eith our group. That was not to be and we did not get going until 11:30. Alice, OWI Kenya president had a beautiful traditional dress of blue on and in fact most of the team had dresses given to us from the tailor made just in the last couple of days and we to were able to wear the tradional dress to the conference. The great praise and worship sung by Pastor Ann and her
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The medical clinic results

When we arrived back at the clinic there were so many more waiting to be treated. The team had gotten organizied and the process of seeing each person had begun. Dr Kasenbeli told us about the District Health Officer of Kitale and that he wanted to come and meet us. This was the very first time that this particular clinic was opened and so in Kenyan style we had a ribbon cutting ceremony. The people waiting to be seen crowded around the clinic and Pastor made the announcement of the opening thru the support of Kitale district, Dr Kasenbeli, OWI US and OWI Kenya. The Distrct Health Officer spoke and then Marjaana said a few words then was given the honor of cutting the ribbon. Back to work immediately. First stop was the blood pressure/pulse table. nurse Linda and Joy were taking those while Jen V took down the numbers. I came to help later to give the nurses a break. Jen became honorary nurse taking the vitals and I wrote the numbers. Marjaana was our over all coordinatior of the med clinic making sure that all details were being handled and connecting people to the right resources. Nurse Mumbi was in charge of the medical side of coordination making sure that we had all the meds we needed. . Running here and there and even going into town on a motorcycle when the vans were not available to pick up more. The 7 clinians who came to help were seeing the paients and then sending them to lab and HIV testing. Those showing positive of which I heard were last count 10 and mabye more before the end of the day were counseled by our social workers Becky V, Evelyn O and Jenn T along with the help of our friend Alex who flew in from Sierra Leone. The pharmacy was manned by OWI Kenya Irene and Jenn R, Jan M and Tom helped with packaging pills and crowd control. Also our friend Silvia joined us for the morning to help there. And Belinda ran errands into town and picked up supplies from the district hosp in Kitale. By the end of a very long and hot day the clinic had treated over 1500 people. . Had there been more time more medicine and more energy we could have seen more. They just kept coming. So many people with sickness and no way to pay for the treatment they needed. My heart broke for every child and adult who came and literally waited for hours and hours in the hot sun to be helped. The team was drained physically and emotionally but excited that so many were helped. Tomorrow we have the Womans Conference at Deliverance Church and Pastor Rosemary from Kenya will speak along with several of the team and OWI Kenya sharing.......talk to you soon
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Medical clinic for the public today

So today we have gotten an early start to the clinic and when we arrived there were at least 100 people waiting. We had not begun by 10 but there was a need to wait for the meds and the OWI Kenya team to arrive. Marj and I had to go into Kitale town which is 20 min drive to exchange money since we can only withdraw small amts at a time. We are on our way back and had to collect 3 other nurses for the clinic. We look to have lots of help. Please pray that it goes well and many are treated. Deb
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Medical Clinic for OP

Today was a very full and emotional day for a lot of us. My day started out pleasant enough. I planned to meet Alice at the road and walk to the Church, Tom decided to join us and we had a nice walk thru the town of Kiminini. After reaching the Church just minutes after the vans did we were ushered in for tea and breakfast. The set up of the clinic was done quickly and the orphans and their guardians with other family were already waiting. All were weighed, measured, had their blood pressure taken along with temps before they went to see a doctor. Then if needed they received injections or had lab work done before making the stop to the pharmacy. Dr Kasenbeli brought several clinians and nurses to help and this made the process of seeing and treating over 300 people move as smoothly as possible. I have been a part of OWI med clinics to both the OP and to the surrounding public for the last 5 yrs and have been able to handle all the sickness and frustration I have witnessed at them. Knowing that what we do helps a bit , even giving them some hope by showing them that others care about their situation, but today was different for me. I saw one of the orphans sitting in the corner all by himself, he had been there for quite a while. I went and sat by him in silence as we could not communicate with each other. I tried to locate his guardian but found out that she had a funeral to attend and had dropped the boy off with a young girl of about 10 and that girl was in charge of a toddler. I decided to take the boy thru the stations of the clinic. So after having his weight and measurments taken we then then moved on to the doctor. I sat there saying nothing as the doctor asked this 7 year old child what his symptoms were. The Dr prescribed meds for malaria and an eye infection and then sent us to the pharmacy. They filled his prescriptions and told him how the take his medicine. I stood there wondering if he understood and if he would follow the instructions given him. How can this be? A child his age taking on the responsibility of his health? I had the instructions repeated to the girl and she promised to tell the guardian. With nothing more I could do, I watched these 3 small children begin their walk back home alone. The injustice and pain of of it hit me so hard that I could not go back inside the Church for a good hour, I couldn't bear to see the same situation played out again. I don't understand why this is but I do know and believe that God loves that child and all who are suffering and He is walking through it with them as they deal with their trails in this life. Seeing that young boy with his sad little eyes jiust sitting there all alone makes me hope for the promise of our new home where there will be no more tears or sorrow to come quickly...... Tomorrow we will do this again for the public.
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OP day

So today was an early day. We had to a3rive at the Church at 8 to be there to help serve breakfat for the orphans and their guardians. Everyone including Mumbi and T were up and ready. After breakfast which ended an hour late the program got started and the kids were everywhere. I sought several of the kids and was able to actually meet to the faces that Trish and I have seen thru the profiles we work with every week. After lunch the Guardians and orphans put on a program in which they sang songs, danced and recited poems. It's amazing to hear the kids reciting large sections of the Bible and singing songs about God and the gratefulness that they have for how he has provide for them. The guardians put on a drama about how a child that lost both parents and needed to be sponsored was taken in by the OWI program. This is how some Kenyans share stories with others especially since many speak different dialects of Swahili. At the end we brought in 12 cakes, lit the candles and sang happy birthday to all the kids and to one adult. Marjaana celebrated her birthday with all 96 orphans. She said it was a great way to celebrate! Dinner was at the Pinewood Hotel and we had several guests join us. Dr Kasenbeli and Nancy who we met first at the Swiss conference were there, they work at the district hosp in Kitale. Also Abraham and Chris and our drivers Gideon and Steve. Tomorrow is another big day as we will have the first med clinic at the Church speciifcalllyfor the orphans and the guardians and their families. Alice lives close to where we ate staying and she is coing to meet me at the house at 7am and we will walk to the Church, about a 30 min walk. We are on our way home as I write this, good night
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Day 2 Orphan Day

Good morning today is the day we will throw a birthday party for our orphans. Yesterday we met OWI Kenya girls , the Pastor and some of the orphans. Since school is out they were at the Church waiting to see us. Our social workers greeted their counterparts and had a great time getting to know each other. Meanwhile the rest of us walked the Church grounds and made plans for how to arrange the various crafts that Tom, Jen and Belinda brought for the kids to do. We were to have lunch at the Church at 1 but as always it was running late and so we decided to caravan over to the marketplace to buy some goodies for our afternoon visit to Tumaini. As soon as we left the Church it started to rain and so we had to run from the vans to the building where the boys at Tumaini were waiting for us. More later......
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Kiminini

It was dark when we arrived in Kimini so we could not really see where we were going. But Gideon was ale to find his way......how does he do that? He has only been to the Mayer property once before and that was 2 yrs ago! Well we arrived at 8:30, tired of the bumby road and hungry. Ann who is Paul's caretaker of the guests that come to stay greeted us and had a delicious dinner of spagetti, salad and fruit ready for us. Salad you say? Paul being from the states and knowing that we would not normally in Kenya eat fresh greens has them washed in water that he puts thru a purifier. So we felt safe to enjoy. Something we won't do elsewhere while here. After dinner we relaxed in the livingroom for coffee or tea and talked about first impressions of Kenya especially for those that came for the first time. Some were excited to see the random monkey or zebra on the side of the road. And there was a comment made abot how at lunch in Nakuru while waiting for our food, at the next table the waitress brought the gentlemen there a pitcher of water to wash their hands. Different cultures and practices however small catching our attention telling us that we are in another country. We fnally searched out the room situation and got ready for bed. Marjaana Belinda and I were escorted to a guest house across the road for one night as there is a single guest leaving this morning and we will join the rest in the main house for the duration. Adequite place. We slept a bit but not as much as we needed due to jet lag. Right now Marj and Belinda are debating whether we have hot water let alone any water as the pressure is VERY low! for our shower. Well maybe I will just wait till we get back to the main house to shower......... Debbie
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First morning

Habari za asubuhi (good morning). Day 1 - we were delayed at the airport waiting for Becky's flight to arrive from London so we sent the team to Gracia house ahead of us to get their rooms and try and sleep for today's drive to Kitale, of which is usually 8 hours. Gideon tells us that the roads have improved and the ride should not be so bad so we will leave at 10 am rather than the crack of dawn. They are experiencing a severe drought and the whole country is rationing electricity. Marj and I woke early before dawn and found that the lights went out while we were trying to get ready. It was pretty funny as I was brushing my teeth and it went totally black in the room. We fumbled around looking for my flash light only to find that the batteries were dead. Lesson - Always check your flash light before you pack it. Meeting team at 8 for breakfast. Love Debbie and the Team!

Nairobi and the airport

Jambo! We have finally arrived at our destination and have been here for 2.5 hours getting through customs collecting luggage and waiting for our last team member Becky who is arriving via London. Our long time friend Gideon who will take care of us while we are in Kenya met us with lots of hugs at the gate. As always it is hurry up and wait. We are all excited to be here but tired. More tomorrow. Debbie

The Netherlands

We have just arrived in the Netherlands and our flight was only 7 hrs so our next leg of the trip will be 9 hrs. Shortly after take off there was a medical emergency as a man took too much insulin and our two nurses, Joy and Linda were there in a heartbeat to aid the young man. He had a rough time for a bit was ok in the end once Linda put in an IV. We are now racing for our next flight as we have only an hour before the next flight leaves. Talk to you all soon deb
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Finished our 1st leg of the trip

Well we are finally leaving the states on our way to Kenya. The team is now complete as we met up with Marjaana, Belinda and Linda here in Detroit. Our next flight is 9 hrs and we are getting ready to taxi out to take off now. I'll try and blog more once we land in Amsterdam although our layover is very short, 1 hour! Please pray for a sfe flight and on time arrival. Debbie
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Let's Start Blogging

Hello everyone!!