Otter Creek Missions

From Guatemala

2006-03-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

This from Scott Brown, Lea Brown's father:

The entire crew made it safely with no casualties! We were met at the airport, and struggled our way out of Guatemala City. Carlos and Alex mastered the traffic, while the rest of us renewed our committment to prayer with fervor.
I don't believe there were quite as many screams as last year, induced by the insanity that Is Guatemala traffic. We old experienced hands tried to impress the first timers with our calm. No idea whether we succeeded, or not.

On arrival, everyone was given a little indoctrination speech as to some of the do's and don'ts. Looks like another terrific bunch. Plans were in place for us to work on the clinic, as well as travel to San Basilio and paint a mural on a wall of their church grounds there. We did the introductory exercises including games to get to know each other's names. After lunch, we planned the activities for the following day, and made trips to get the items necessary for Saturday's activities.

Saturday, we divided into two groups, one to travel to San Basilio, and one to paint the dining hall at Ezell Clinic. The group assigned to San Basilio was delayed for awhile, and doubled up with the paint crew on the dining hall. Brushes, Rollers, and paint splatters were flying! Despite my best efforts to sabotage the effort, we completed the job at 12:30 A.M. In the meantime, the group went to San Basilio, where Mary Pullias took charge and managed a mural of the animals from the Ark. amazingly, they completed it within a few hours. We have a pretty amazing group of workers down here. I continue to be in awe of the hearts that come together to accomplish these efforts.

Sunday, and we just returned from the services. The Church goers here have such a fervor! My smattering of Spanish only lets me grab parts of the sermon, but just being a part of it is uplifting. Carlos is a very integral part,and has a terrific voice for leading singing. We all left, grateful for having been there.
I have to leave now, or forfeit lunch. I can hardly wait for the next serving of black beans.

Steve and Magda continue to be heroes of mine. They are everywhere, and are masters at pulling things together when obstacles present themselves.
We solicit your prayers.
I, personally, am eternally grateful for the opportunity to work with such a group. I applaud Otter Creek for supporting such a wonderful program.

God's work is a marvelous thing to observe!

Scott

From Picayune, Mississippi

2005-09-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

We’ve been in Picayune for two days now and I’m overwhelmed by the relief efforts being carried out by the church here. The lobby and entrance of the church is a stock room for the many things people from these hard-hit areas need to survive right now…food, water, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene. The need is so great for basic items…some still don’t even have electricity. Others are living in tents or campers in their yards because they don’t have any place else to go or to be close enough to work from sun up to sun down. We have stuffed backpacks with school supplies and other goodies that were delivered to schools yesterday because they commence on Monday. We have distributed care boxes. We’ve listened to the stories of those who remained here and those who came back.
We’ve cleaned up yards that are filled with trees snapped in two or pushed over at the roots. Others wait at the church to serve the constant stream of people driving in to receive enough to sustain them for awhile longer.

It feels our efforts are just a dent in what needs to be done. And, the locals remind us that the area is clean compared to two and a half weeks ago. They have such a great perspective! They look at it one day at a time. Several teams have come before us and more will come, but the main work team is comprised of the local church members. They are remarkable! Though they must be tired and wondering if the end is in sight, they serve with energy and smiles that are from above. I am sure they are behaving like Jesus would to these people…helping people one at a time. Please continue to pray for their strength and endurance and for many to come and aid them as they serve.

in Him,
Linda Benthall

From Emily

2005-06-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to come to Kenya two weeks ahead of the rest of the Otter Creek team. It has been a blessing to have extra time with the students and team members here. God has really given all of the team members wonderful gifts that they use and use and use. What a neat thing to be able to witness some of "normal life" here at Kamulu and to see how Made In the Streets really works.

This third week for me has flown by since the rest of our team has arrived. We had a day camp for the street kids at Eastleigh. Six of us would go into do the camp and the rest of us stayed here to work, teach and tutor. When we went to Eastleigh we would sing songs in Swahili (with the help of the Made In the Streets team). Each day we gave a talk about someone in the Bible who was maybe looked down upon but God used them do do great things. It all went well and each day we had more kids. It was rough at times. On Friday as we were about to pull into the center Jackton stopped the van very quickly and jumped out. I didn't know what was wrong, but then we realized that he was stopping a fight between some of the boys. One named Ken had hit Job on the head with a rock, and his head was bleeding. When they were letting the boys in Jackton would take their bottles of glue that they had been sniffing. It continues to humble me every time I go into Eastleigh to see these boys. All they own are the clothes on their back and all they think about is how to survive. We bought them bread and milk for lunch and on Friday we bought balloons for a water balloon toss. We also played the game where you tie a balloon around the ankle and you try to pop other people's balloons while protecting your own. It was very fun to watch them spend a few minutes just being kids and enjoying those games.

Today is Saturday and we have had the students at Kamulu all day while Steve Sherman met with the Made in the Streets team. Now we have a little time to relax, do laundry, etc. I think that our whole team is in need of rest. Tomorrow we have the singles seminar that has been advertised at churches around Nairobi from about 2-5:00. We are expecting about 75 or more single young Africans. I think it will be interesting! I know we are looking forward to sharing the joy and community that we have discovered as "singles" at Otter Creek. Then we will go to the Java House for dinner (just Otter Creek) not the whole seminar of singles. =) It will be good for a moral booster to get us ready for another busy week. This week we have some fun things planned amidst the busy schedule. . . Shopping. . . Safari. . . =)

Then it is back to the US on Saturday night and arriving in Nashville Sunday evening. Please continue to pray for us. This trip has not been without bumps in the road and we still want to finish strong and on a positive note.

Thank you,
Emily Gates

Time Flies

2005-06-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Our entire group apologizes for not blogging or reporting on what has been going on in Nairobi at MITS. I hope our lack of communication corresponds to a level of abundant productivity. We've been going to Eastleigh all week to work with the street kids there. You can't help but hurt for them. I'm amazed at how happy some of them are even though they don't have homes and some of them without adequate clothing. I had a personal hurt on Wednesday when I saw two of the same kids that were out at the farm last year, but they ran away to go back to the streets. They didn't even look like the same boys I met last year. They were obviously not acting the same due to the glue.
On a better note, Victor and I have made significant progress in the computer shop. We have a fully functioning computer network down there now (a Cisco 10/100 switch with a Linksys router running the DHCP with CAT5, for all of you IT junkies; Much thanks to all of the fellas that donated IT supplies!). We successfully setup a printer to be shared on the network so they don't have to constantly switch the printer cable from multiple computers. We hope to setup a primary file share in the next couple of days on the most solid computer they have in the shop so they can share files reliably. We don't want them to have to transfer files on the "sneaker-net" (transferring a floppy disk from one computer to another). We have plans to make them wireless in the near future so Charles can also do file and resource sharing from his house compound.
Today Charles, Steve Sherman, and I went into Nairobi to meet with a telecom provider to discuss the possibility of high-speed Internet access at the farm. Our meeting was very informative. Right now, their best option is VSAT, or satellite Internet. It doesn't seem to be cost effective yet, but we hope that another option or some other new technology (wi-max maybe) will be available to them in the next few years at a much cheaper price. Having a high-speed connection will do wonders for the new learning center they are building here. I hope to send a picture of the site. We've been told they may have the walls of the building completely up by the time we leave next week.
Jon Lee is leaving Nashville today and we can't wait for him to make it here. The whole OC team is hoping to go to the airport to welcome him here. He doesn't sleep well on planes so we're all praying for him to be relaxed.
I haven't touched on nearly enough things that have been going on in the last week, but so much is going on. Please pray for our team to be effective in our last week here.
Blessings,
Luke Tenery

We're in Kenya!

2005-06-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Day one in the Kamulu region of Kenya. We arrived here last night nearly without a hitch. One of sixteen bags went MIA, but that's not bad for Nairobi's Airport. Well, one other thing: Keith Brown's guitar and its hard case were smashed into 144,000 pieces, but we think they'll reimburse him (with depreciation…) in the end.
We're all kind of in-between sleeping and awake, today, but that's to be expected. We slept from 4pm to midnight Nashvile time and have been awake from midnight to 1pm Nashville time. This takes a few days to get used to. Mike Rivlas from a supporting church in California is here as well. In past years he coached soccer at Hume Fogg and worked with Lipscomb University's Basketball team when Don Meyer was head coach there. He's an inspirational speaker of sorts, and the kids really seem to like him.
The new guys (Dan, Carrie, Katie, Mary Pullias, and Keith) went into Eastleigh today to get their first impression of the second-poorest slum in Nairobi. The streets are paved with trash and street kids live and play here. All of the kids at Made in the Streets are from this area. It's difficult to imagine that the amazing kids at Made in the Streets were once the disturbing children that approach us in Eastleigh with one hand extended for money and the other hand grasping a glue bottle. (Glue is the drug of choice for street kids. It costs less than a meal, and it curbs hunger for a while.)
In an successful effort to summon a rare Kenyan rainstorm, we ate outside tonight. It worked like a charm. As soon as we had sat down with our food, the evening rain began, chasing us into the shelter of the Made in the Streets Sewing Shop(pe). My bed is calling me. Day two awaits. Pray for us, please.

Hey look! Chocolate cake for breakfast!

2005-03-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

Doc L. here tonight. It's 11:10 PM and time to post today's activities. Our dental and medical clinics today were located here at the Clinica Ezell. There was no bus ride. I really missed it. What a true adventure. Many of us are learning new driving techniques and strategies to get around pesky traffic jams by watching our driver practice his craft. Did you know that you can drive on the left shoulder of the road and merge across oncoming and right lane traffic after making a left turn when you shouldn't have. Think about it. That was when I decided to sit in the back of the bus so I couldn't witness the details.
Today, one of our first pediatric patients was here after seeing several medical providers over the first 18 months of her life. When her mother pulled up her shirt to reveal a myelomeningocele, my heart sank. This lesion in the United States is next to hopeless; here it is tragic. We were all grieved as our new friend Carlos gently explained the implications to her madre. It was all new to her. When she wept aloud, everyone in the room wept with her. We formed a plan to help with all of the complications that accompany this paralizing problem, and we discussed how we could find a way to get a wheelchair or other device in order to allow her madre to be able to take her along on her daily multiple mile walks along the dusty, rocky roads. Leila was able to help her madre with some upper body strengthening and physical therapy. These precious members of this community are now even more complicated. I will never forget them.
Dentist and the people that help them have become my new heros. They worked late on Saturday night in Samayac. They work tirelessly. They work without complaining. Their compensation is an outsrtetched hand and "gracias", then a smile that could brighten any day. The only problem is that there is no way to give back the change after the overpayment.
We see the hope in the children's eyes. They know what "fun" is. It hurts to see that hope is not prominent in the adults. We hate to think about the possibility that these presious children could loose hope also.
Tomorrow, we leave Clinica Ezell and travel for three hours on our bus to Panajuochel on Lago de Atitlan. Wednesday is a rest day. Sight seeing and food. Then on Thursday we travel by boat to San Juan La Lugana to participate in a family camp. Supposed to be more primitive than HyLake, believe it or not. All that to say that this will be the last blog of the trip as we will not have access to the internet after tonight. To our families and friends, gratitude for your prayers for safety and effectiveness. We continue to ask for them.
God is with us here and will remain as we leave because Carlos, Sylvia, Alex, and Dr. Walter and all their staff will be here. We will never forget them, either.

Tuna and Quiche

2005-03-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

Well, we intended to blog last night; however, it was not in the clouds. Everyone was wanting to check their email, and the connection was particularly slow. Yesterday was a productive day thought it was not as busy as the first medical clinic.

After breakfast, we hopped onto the bus and went into a Mayan village called La Fortuna which was in Quiche (pronounced kee-chay). The trip was quite bumpy, and our Guatemalan bus driver made it over a creek where the makeshift bridge was just barely wider than the bus (ask Brian L. for pictures). When we arrived at the village, there were already people waiting to be seen. We quickly set up shop in the three room clinic. We as Americans should feel really fortunate that we have the medical technology that we have. Some of the children had conditions that could have been easily treated in the states, but with the lack of medical attention these diseases became severe. There were several incidents of scabies with the children and little babies. Another little boy was cross-eyed from birth, which is a treatable condition in the states, but here that just don't have the medical advancement to treat it, so he'll more than likely have the problem for the rest of his life. Dr. L. did show the mother that she could patch his strong eye to cause him to strengthen his weaker eye and taught a few exercises to help him. The children in La Fortuna were very hospitable to us showing us how to pick and eat coffee beans, use the certain plant seeds as make-up and braid and fix our hair with flowers. They loved to run around tickling us and climb trees. We really were sad when we had to pack up and head back to the clinic. When we came back to the clinic, some of us showered, and others went walking into the next village. We took some time to rest before we ate supper. For supper, the wonderful cooks here made us fried chicken, fries, salad, and a tasty dessert that was a strawberry version of a banana pudding! After supper, we had a devo led by Dr. L., and we sang a lot of songs. Then, several people dashed to the computer to get in line to check their email. Then all the medical geeks sat in a room reading books about surgical procedures and conditions. I think that that was enough for one day. Someone will be back later to post about our activities today.

Adios. Jesus Saves.

Break me off a piece a 'dat communion bread.

2005-03-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke up to breakfast and then got ready to head over to the Iglesia de Christo for church. Although that most of us could not understand the service, we were still moved by the spirit (especially Brian L).*aside - we were especially impressed by the Guatemalan communion bread, which was really yummy, but it was a little difficult for Tina and Julie and to break off. Ask Ashley, who almost lost an eye to a crumb.* Also, Dr. Mark B. was called upon to deliver an improv message, which he did so eloquently speaking about unity in Christ despite language and cultural barriers, within just a moments notice. After church, several of us went wading in the beautiful stream. After wading, we returned to the Clinica Ezell to prepare for another adventure. After lunch, (which was scrumptious we might add) we prepared to go into a village to administer preventative worm medicine and to distribute vitamins. When we got to the village, about 100 people were there waiting on us. We presented a puppet show and sang songs with the kids before the medicine was given out. Afterwards, we ran around with the kids and sang songs with them. The kids loved to have their pictures taken by us gringos, and Brent surprised us by busting out some tunes on his harmonica. They got so much enjoyment out of the single coloring page and crayon we were able to give them. Although the children in the village had very little, they had so much appreciation for little things that we take for granted everyday. One of the main things that we realized from going to the village today is how futile our efforts would be if it were not for the ongoing work of the Health Talents International staff, who work here year round actually living among the Guatemalan people. It's a difficult job for them which requires much faith, perserverance, and dependance on God. We have seen how God has been faithful to this ministry, allowing them to expand their reach into even the furthest villages. May all glory and honor be given to God because none of this would be possible without Him.

Lots of drugs and a "chicken bus"

2005-03-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

Today was our first full day in Guatemala and we definitely saw the face of God in all of the people here. After an interesting day of traveling, including a search of our "chicken bus" by members of the Guatemalan government searching for illegal fruit and a thrilling backward entrance onto the interstate, we have had quite the experience getting to spend time helping the people in a nearby community and learning even more from them about the power of God's love.

We had "rooms" set up for dentistry, gynocology, general check-ups and the pharmacy. Many students got to spend time at each learning from the medical professional in that area and assisting by performing blood pressure checks, temp. checks, translating, holding the hands of people having dental work done, organizing and distributing medicines and developing relationships with the patients waiting in line and children in the area. These experiences provide an excellent opportunity for students pursuing medical educational paths to ask questions and find out through first hand experience whether that is what they really want to do.

The dentists and dental assistants stayed hours after the rest of us left the medical sight because they had so many more patients needing attention. After we all got back and ate a delicious dinner and chocolate cake (with sprinkles) courtesy of our generous hosts, we met together for a period of devotional.

We are encouraged to see some of the ways that God is at work in the lives of the people we are meeting. And we look forward to experiencing more and more of His work as we pray He uses us this week to show His love. Tonight, after the devotional, we were given some free time to spend processing all that we have experienced. We pray that we will be given eyes to see all that God is revealing to us throughout this week.

Monday, June 21, 2004

2004-06-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

by Jon Lee

For those of us who joined the group for week two, the past three days have been quite an experience. We have been introduced to a world that is, for most of us, quite different than anything we have ever seen or imagined. I'm reminded that we really do live in luxury compared to much of the rest of the world.

Our group was given a warm welcome by the kids and team leaders who came to pick us up at the airport Saturday night. We immediately felt right at home. On the ride from the airport, I talked to Karis, one of the former street kids who now lives at Kamulu. Karis explained to me that John Denver music is his favorite, but that he hasn't been able to find any of his CD's in Kenya yet (imagine that!). I promised that we had one or two of them in the US, and that I'll have to send him a few when I get back home. It's amazing that it doesn't take much to make these kids happy, or for them to be entertained.

Sunday morning's worship was a great experience. Everyone seemed to be happy just to be together. Some of the songs were those that we sing at home, while others were in Swahili and sounded like something from The Lion King. It was fascinating to just sit and listen to those songs and to see their joy. Sunday afternoon we went down to Eastleigh for afternoon worship. For the week two group, this was our first glimpse of the slums of Nairobi. After worship, we went to Java House for dinner (a place that serves American food).

On Monday, we started the morning with classes for the kids. After that, the week two group went to Eastleigh to spend the day on the streets. The others stayed to work on the farm. My first time on the streets of Nairobi was an experience that will change my perspective on the world. I have never seen people living in conditions like that before. It was very humbling to see so many people struggling just to find their way through the day. There are no need for trash cans there, because the streets serve that purpose. It took me a while to get used to the stench there, although it's something I'm not sure it's something I could ever completely adjust to. We saw dozens of kids sniffing glue to numb the pains of hunger. One place we went was an alley where several young, single mothers were sitting by piles of trash with their babies. In this picture the girl in the middle is one that Made in the Streets has known for several years; it's amazing how healthy her baby is - on the streets. We talked to them for a while, then walked with them and several young boys back to the Made In The Streets center to feed them lunch. Several of us talked about the fact that there are precious few opportunities for people here to climb out of the poverty into which they were born.

Glimpses of hope are very few and far between. There is, however, a strong sense that there is hope found in God. People here are not bashful about that. After going back on the streets for the rest of the afternoon, we headed back to Kamulu for dinner and a devotional with the kids. It's been a great two days, and I look forward to what the rest of the week has in store for us.

Saturday, June 19, 2004

2004-06-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

by Jeremy Jennings

It's Saturday and a change of pace for us in Kenya. We took a break from our regular busy schedule and slept in (thirty minutes). We didn't have any classes planned today, so we did lots of laundry this morning. Kids Club, an afternoon outreach to Kumulu community kids, was the only scheduled activity, so I was looking forward to a day of rest. I was wrong.

After getting the laundry started, I headed down to breakfast for a couple mandazi and chai. While finishing my chai, I wandered into the woodshop where Joel and Robin were getting ready for one of their first contract jobs: kitchen shelves and a utensil rack. Next thing I know I'm walking down the highway with a toolbox and a couple pieces of wood with the woodshop crew: team members Joel & Robin and student workers Karis and Antony.

After a short while of assisting the construction effort, I was sent back to the shop on an errand. While there I was confiscated by John Wambu, the elder Kenyan statesmen of MITS, and Steve Sherman who were going to meet the Coulstons to see Mountain View.

Mountain View is just that: about 15 acres up on the mountains on the edge of Nairobi where the Coulstons have a dream of one day opening a christian camp for the Kenyan churches. After a harrowing drive in the 4x4 we made it to the top and saw a tremendous view of the Nairobi valley. The coolest thing about the trip in my opinion was meeting the neighbor: a 70 year old woman who lived alone in a mud hut with a thatched roof. She led us through the gate of her briar & thorn fence, let us take pictures of her home, and told us what she did when the lions and leopards come around her place. (In case you're wondering, she makes a lot of noise with some tin cans, then gathers her goats with her inside her hut and hopes they go away). Here is her picture; she'll be our neighbor some day, Darlene says.

When we finally made it back, the woodshop crew had completed their project and I talked them into walking back down to the house so I could take a few pictures of the finished project for the first pictures of their woodship portfolio.

On the way back to my penthouse apartment atop the water tower, I ran into a donkey cart filling barrels of water from Shanon Water Works. After a quick tour through the new boys dorm (there are 5 new street kids coming out next week), I talked John Wambu into keeping the generator on a few extra minutes for a hot shower.

Now Darlene's homemade pizza is almost done and my day of rest has left me rather worn out. I think we're going to show the kids a slide show of some of our digital pictures from week 1 and maybe stay up late enough to welcome the week 2 crew and finally catch a few hours rest before we start again tomorrow.

I can't wait.

Friday, June 18, 2004

2004-06-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

by Philip Henry

Day 6 (or 7?) here in Kamulu, Nairobi. It's been the fastest week I can remember! We were originally scheduled to go on a safari at a game park today, to see Simba and Rafiki and all their friends, but we decided to wait until the second group is here so we can all go together.

So this morning I taught the students a few rough drawing lessons, arming them with newsprint and willow charcoal. Summing up three years of college art classes in an hour simultaneously entertaining and disastrous, although a few of the students seemed to have a knack for drawing. The picture is of Ali (who also takes care of the goats), on a picture where all we asked them to do was to use the animal stamps. After classes, we took a break from the kids (which I didn't necessarily need) to visit the village market, where fiteen million vendors all compete to sell African artifacts to sucker American tourists. These salesmen were slick. I stupid enough to wear a T-shirt that said "Cowboy Show," thereby shattering any hopes of my eluding an American identity. We all bought gigantic authentic (really) Masai spears for about 1000 shillings (about $12). We bought these because we thought they would be useful in killing the lions that overpopulate Nashville.

We also ate real American food at the market food court (like sweet and sour chicken and spring rolls) and were able to buy groceries at the food market. Our van trip back felt a little bit more like a combination of a Disney roller coaster (the roads...wow, the roads) and a circus (with us white folks crammed into a van as the main event). To be honest, the most entertaining part of the day for me.

I really missed the students today, and though the market was fun, I was very glad to arrive back at Kamulu. We had cell church tonight (it is usually in small groups, but we combined tonight.) We sang (I think the students know more English worship songs than I do...) and the floor was then opened for people to share thoughts. I was amazed all over again at these children and this place. It's been one week, and I already am thinking when I can come back. May God continue to bless this ministry, its staff, and the children that I have so come to love.

Friday, June 18, 2004

2004-06-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

by Jeremy Jennings

We've about wrapped up week one here... This trip is the completion of a commitment I made three years ago with my friend Shanon. I wish he was here to experience it. I think about him often as we teach and learn, laugh and often cry, and are deeply humbled by how God redeems the lives of street kids.

"Philipo" (Swahili for Philip) sang last night that "all men are equal down at the cross" and that probably describes my experience in Kenya better than anything else . It is humbling to realize that the only difference between me and 14 year old Cugia is the "accident of birth" and that for all of my money, degrees, and nationality, they are important only to this world and not to God. The picture is Francis Cugia on the day he arrived at Kamulu.

God lives powerfully in the hearts of kids who sing every night songs they have written about how God has rescued them. After a lesson on goal-setting, Kiki, one week off the streets, told us hers was to help other street kids.

My prayer is that our time here in some way helps Kiki realize her goal.

Thursday, June 17, 2004

2004-06-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

by Katera Bolander

Today was my first day in Africa. I was a little nervous about getting adjusted to everything, but none of that mattered the minute I began to meet all of the people who work and live at Made In The Streets. Today was incredible as I got to meet some of the nicest people I've ever met and get to become a part of the ministry here in Nairobi. Esther taught me how to make a necklace/ bracelet which is a skill the students learned earlier in the week. We got the teacher's resource room more organized today and continued with the classes that have been taught throughout the week. The children seem to really be gaining a lot and I know that we are all gaining a lot as well. The night has just ended with a highly entertaining concert put on by the students and staff with some "guest stars" from the OCC group. This came after a meal with all 44 of us together -- we ate meat (the kids' say it's their favorite food), ndengu (a little lentil) and chapati (tasty bread).
I love it here and look forward to all that we will experience tomorrow.

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

2004-06-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Shackelford

As Emily, Lauren and Mary taught the students how to make tissue paper & glue bookmarks (which some of the kids then turned into rather large charms for their necklaces ... oh well), Philip continued his keyboarding class and Jeremy and Stephanie finished their class with the team members, reviewing resume' and interview techniques that they can use to help the students. Jeremy and Stephanie then continued their class with the students teaching them the steps one goes through for proper decision making. Each of the students were given a book entitled "All About Me" and a journal - both of which are used to encourage the students to begin to know themselves, to know what they like, and to know what they want to do in the future. The kids really seem to be enjoying the books. They love writing out their biography and deciding for themselves their own opinions and their dreams. We spent this afternoon helping in the businesses. Jeremy and Stephanie began to work with the six students that are approaching graduation and will be looking for a job. We will be helping them to write a resume' and practice their interview skills. After working in the library and in the woodworking shop, Mary, Lauren and Emily began to work on wiriting a math curriculum for all of the students. After work we taught the students ultimate frisbee ... they caught on quick and loved it! They are just so creative ... they can take any project, any song or any game and give it their own twist to make it even more interesting. Emily taught the devotional this evening on the body of Christ and how everyone has their own individual part and role in the body as Philip led the students and team in singing. Another wonderful day.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

2004-06-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Shackelford

This morning Jeremy and Stephanie continued their "Creating Pride" class with the team members as Emily, Lauren and Mary taught the students how to make hemp and bead necklaces. Philip worked with Joel and Angela and several of the students teaching them keyboarding. Today they continued to learn chords and simple praise songs. After a lunch of githeri (beans) and chapati (bread), we had the afternoon free to visit with the students and staff in their businesses. Stephanie spent the day sanding Christmas ornaments while Philip continued to work on keyboarding, Jeremy taught Joel how to keep his business records on an Excel spreadsheet, Emily and Lauren worked with Angela organzing the library (they have acquired a lot of books thanks to all of your donations!), and Mary worked with Jackton and some of the girls in the tailoring shop making dolls. After work we taught the students games encouraging team work - and they definitely taught us a few, too - most of which required rhythm and dancing foreign to us Americans! After a devotion time of singing and sharing, we enjoyed a delicious dinner of spaghetti shared with all the team members.

Monday, June 14, 2004

2004-06-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

by Philip Henry

I started teaching piano to four of the students and two of the workers here at Made in the Streets. And since I have had less than half a dozen lessons in my life, I found it humorous that I had this opportunity to spread my improper playing techniques to young Kenyan minds. I can't imagine what will happen when Jon Lee gets here next week and has to undo all the damage I've done. Ha ha!

Such a wide range of emotions today. I discovered that it seems I still have the capacity to be amazed. Today we went back to Eastleigh, the second-poorest area of Nairobi and actually walked the streets that I noted are rougher than most of the trails I have ever biked. Years of garbage caked these roads, but it didn't stop masses of people from living on them. It was as if people were dwelling amongst a landfill, such a giant leap from the super-sanitized streets that we know. Every few minutes brought a new odor, each more "interesting" than the last.

And before I harp too much on the poverty of the area, let me emphasize the most striking thing about Eastleigh: the people we met. We visited some "bases," which are nothing more than places in alleys where people live. We visited with some women that some of the team members knew. Most of them had infants; one was six months pregnant. We sang some Swahili songs (actually I just hummed, I haven't mastered Swahili yet...) and these women seemed overwhelmed with joy!

Tonight I was heading to bed when I was distracted by the boys outside. They were all sitting in a semicircle, with three of the oldest boys (ages 17-18) acting out some sort of skit. The other boys were laughing hysterically. Karis, who could pass for Kobe Bryant's younger brother then announced to the boys "Now if you have a talent to show, come now and God will bless you." Some of the boys sang, some did a Christian rap of some sort (I recognized "JC" in the chorus). This little improv concert was like nothing I had ever seen. Boys of different ages loving each other, loving life, and loving their God ALL AT THE SAME TIME! It was like a scene from a cheesy movie that I would have otherwise thought could never happen.

This is an amazing place. God has worked his wonders in this city, and even three days into the trip, I know that this trip is the blessing I have needed for a long time. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings. May God use us as His tools this week and do supernatural things in us and through us.

Sunday, June 13, 2004

2004-06-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Shackelford

Worship services this morning at Kamulu were quite an experience! These students know how to express their love for the Lord! From spontaneous singing to a time where various people can rise to showcase their individual singing talents, all are encouraged to participate in the service. Frances (one of the male staff members at MITS) preached a wonderful sermon about confessing your sins and not covering them up. After worship we toured the farm. Most of the buildings are bagged dirt stacked tall and sealed with cement plaster. After a flat tire on the bus and the van catching on fire, we headed off to worship at the Eastleigh center in Narobi. The "roads" in Eastleigh are ditches with potholes the size of entire cars. Amazing. The children staring through the gates were heartbreaking. Those commercials you see on TV asking for money can't even describe the reality.

Saturday, June 12, 2004

2004-06-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Shackelford

Why do they board airplanes from the front? Walking through first class is simply depressing. On our flight from London to Nairobi we pass over the Sahara desert. According to the map on our TV screens, we are 1661 miles and 3 hours from Nairobi. All I see is sand. The deepst blue sky above us fades into a mix of baby blue and white that melts with the haze of the sand and sun to form a completely indescernable horizon. The only think your eye is drawn to are the ripples and mounds in the sand. No life. No habitation. Not even any pathways. Spots in the sand seem to have a teal blue tone, too light to be water. I wonder if it is some sort of mineral. It it were, I wonder how anyone could ever mine it. Crossing the Nile we enter the African jungle as night sets. The sky is black and there are no lights below. Only 10 minutes before landing did we see any lights. We were greeted at the airport by several Made in the Streets (MITS) staff holding a sign that simply said "CREEK." The drive out to the farm was quite an experience. Though dark, we could faintly see outlines of huts and burned-out cars that line the streets. The smell. It took me a few minutes to notice it and then twenty minutes to get used to it. After a 45 minute drive out to the MITS farm in Kamulu, Kenya, we were excitedly greeted by the Coulstons and many of the girls from the program. Time for bed!

Friday, June 11, 2004

2004-06-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Shackelford

As we meet at the Nashville airport for departure to Kenya, former President Ronald Regan's funeral is beginning. What a world we live in today where we are free to travel to most any place we desire and in less than 19 hours we will be landing in Nairobi. Philip Henry barely made the flight. He was franticly searching for his passport. Panic! Lukily, of course, he finds it at the last minute -- on his kitchen table! :)