New Wheel Chair For Francis

I am very excited to tell this story. I moved out of Nairobi last May. In all the months since then, any time I ventured out and head back toward Nairobi, I would see this young man in his dilapidated wheel chair somewhere on the side of the road.  He always had a smile on his face and seemed to know everyone.  In November 2012 back in the U.S, as I was preparing items to put on a shipping container I saw my grandmother's wheelchair sitting in my sister's storage area.  I asked my brother-in-law if anyone needed it and he said no, so I had him load it up and I put it on the container that left the U.S. in December. I anxiously awaited the arrival of the container in Nairobi, just believing that grandma's wheelchair was going to make a difference in this young man's life.

The container arrived two weeks ago.  Then we had the election and everyone stayed home for awhile.  Today, Thursday, March 14 I enlisted the help of my new young friend, Paul, to go with me to deliver the wheelchair.  Paul works at the roadside car wash where I go once a week.  He knows this young man personally.  I also took my Teresa with me (she was behind the camera).  We found Francis on the side of the road and greeted him.  He was all smiles.  Paul had already told him someone was bringing him a new wheelchair.

Paul pulled the "new" wheelchair out of the car and we started trying to open it up, only to discover that on its rough sea voyage, it had gotten mashed and it needed a little adjustment to make it open up!  Thankfully, it wasn't damaged.  We needed a good before and after, so Paul and I stood with Francis for the picture.

Next came the moment of transferring Francis from his old chair to his new one.  It required Paul literally picking him up and placing him in the new chair.  Francis explained that he had suffered from polio as an infant and had lived his whole life in a chair.

 After determining that Francis literally had to be helped with every step, Paul very graciously and carefully lifted him in his arms and shifted him to the new chair.

Francis, was a great sport about everything.  Here you get a good look at his old chair.  It was made by some locals who made a very sturdy frame, attached wheels, and the seat part was simply a plastic chair that fit into the frame.  His particular plastic chair had seen better days.  It was split in several places and had been repaired.  I can't imagine how it must have felt to him.

Notice in every picture he is grinning from ear to ear. He was so happy.  Paul makes the adjustments and makes sure Francis is comfortable

Then Paul decided to take him for a ride!  He tipped the chair back and took off.  Francis was laughing all the way  It was awesome.

Then Paul demonstrated how easy it was to just simple push him.  Francis told us he loved the wheels on his new chair.  He said the old one kept getting flat tires!  When that happened, he was forced to stay home until someone could go get his tires repaired.  This new one won't have that problem.

This man came walking up.  Apparently Francis does know most everyone along this route and people kept walking by and stopping to see his new chair.  He was so excited.

I am so thankful we had a way to get that chair here.  Thank you Lord for letting me find Francis.  Thank you for Paul who was such a willing helper!  When we got in the car, Paul and Teresa were also grinning from ear to ear and talking about how wonderful it felt to be a part of making a difference in the lives of others.

Thompson Falls

There is place in Kenya called Thompson Falls.  Its located on the equator and is a place I have wanted to visit for the 11 years I've lived here.  I finally got the chance the end of February.  Teresa, my friend and househelp has wanted to take her daughter there, so we asked our friend Moses to accompanying us and we all took off!  This is some of the landscape we encountered along the way.

After a few hours, we reached the equator.  

We all  had to have our picture taken with "the sign".

Ok, last equator "sign" picture.  

This little pot you see under this sign is very important.  There is a young man nearby who is eager to show us what happens to "draining" water on the equator.  Basically, there is a wooden match sitting in a bowl.  The bowl has holes in the bottom so the water can drain into the bucket below.  On the equator (right under the sign) the match doesn't move even though the water is dripping through the bottom.  If you move 20 feet south of the sign, the water drains out of the bowl in a clockwise manner.  The match helps you see the direction the water is moving.  Then you go 20 feet south of equator, and the water begins spinning counter-clockwise.  It looks like a trick, but it is really just a demonstration of the gravitational pull of the earth.  Very cool demonstration.

Another sign along the way.

After about four hours of driving, we arrived at Thompson's Falls, our destination.

Our first view of the actual falls.  

We took turns standing at the "best picture" site.  After all, there isn't much else to do there except just stare at the falling water.

Teresa and Wambui

This adorable child was standing at the railing.  I couldn't resist taking her picture.

These are some Kikuyu people dressed in traditional dressed.  They were hanging around hoping to earn some extra money by having tourist pay to have their pictures taken with them.

Kind of scary.  I'm sure it all meant something in their culture, but I'm not sure what.

Stunning views.  There is something about falling water that is just mesmerizing.

If you are fit enough, you can walk down to the bottom of the falls.  Of course that also means you have to walk back up!  I stayed at the top while Moses, Teresa, and Wambui went all the way down.  There  was a whole bus full of students from a local school.  Of course they went to the bottom.

We took a picnic lunch.  It was breezy and cool and perfect weather for our picnic.  The falls were in the background, and with plenty of good fellowship, it made for an awesome day.

The picture below is off coffee bushes.

As we headed back to Nairobi, over to my left, I realized there was a full moon.  It is very hard to capture the beauty in a moving car, but this is what I captured.

Then I looked to the right and saw this incredible sunset scene -- again from a moving car!

The day was restful and enjoyable.  I always enjoy opportunities to move around in this beautiful country.  I look forward to future journeys.

Dedication of the New Training Center!

Happy Days!  Yesterday, February 16, 2013, we dedicated our new training center.  What an exciting day it was.  Let me walk you through it.  On January 1, 2013, I rented a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, house with an additional bathroom outside.  It also has a one-car attached, fully finished garage.  The room in this first picture is the living room.  The guys were unloading items we had purchased several years ago, but had to put in storage because we didn't have a facility.

I began the process of having bookcases built so we could finally unpack our many boxes of books which came on a container in 2010.  Thank you to all who donated books!  Wow.  We have given books to school libraries, community libraries, nursery schools, individuals, and now, finally, our own training center.

As we unpacked, Teresa (my faithful friend and house help) thought we would never get to the end of boxes. Then we began the process of sorting and shelving.  I definitely have a new respect for librarians.

More stacks of information and knowledge

We finally came to a place of order and set the date for the official dedication.  When you get a group of Maasai pastors together, you always have to have food!  Teresa and two other ladies did an amazing job of cooking for us.  This is our water tank just outside the kitchen door.  Two of those things you see on the ground are like habachis.  Kenyas call them jiko's.  They use charcoal as fuel.

We rented a tent and the white chairs.  The green and gray chairs belong to us.  You can see a bit of the house in this picture.  Just ahead beyond the chairs is the one car garage.

Back to the kitchen.  I am just checking in with the cooks, Anastasia, Teresa, and Florence.  They are enjoying our huge kitchen.

This is the dining room set up with chai (tea)  to drink as individuals arrive.

The cooking process begins in these huge pans called sufaria's. Teresa is stirring the stew.

Joanna Kelley, a board member, stepped into the kitchen to say hello as Teresa was busy chopping onions.

Cabbage chopping time!

More chopping.

We drafted some teenagers to help us with serving.  Melissa Asira is seated just waiting to serve.  

Mosses Kuria, and David (another board member) are busy outside moving tables around

We had to have balloons to show the way.  The teens blew up the balloons and headed down the hill.

First stop.

And of course, in Kenya, you always have to make way for the donkey carts on the road.

And cows! and other occasional cars.

And you always have interested spectators.

That house with the red roof is our new training center.

Pastor John Shakai (standing, also a board member) is greeting a few other pastors who arrived early.

I love to just sit near and listen to these pastors just enjoying one another.

Three more pastors walking up that killer hill.  This shot shows you just how steep the walk is.

One of our teens, Daniel Asira, going to greet these three pastors.  I was so proud of our teens.

They finally got up the hill, talking all the way.  I'm afraid my huffing and puffing would have prevented any conversation if I had tried that.

Their first look!

David, organizing bags we plan to give away.  This room will become our computer training center.  We have 5 laptops due to arrive on a container next week.

 Pastor Shakai's wife, Maria, looking at a book while she waits for the festivities to begin.

David was my translator for the day.  He and I are going over the program notes

John and I enjoying a moment.

We began with prayer and a brief history of Starfish and our promise to the pastors that we would provide a training center.

It is always such a joy to stand before these Godly men.  They humble me.

 
Emmanuel pastors a church we will be conducting a literacy class in in March.  He is such a joy to be around.  He and David are brothers.

Enjoying more praise and worship.

 Pennia Parsitau, a dear friend and board member.

 From left to right is Mary, Pastor Ken, and Jacob.  Jacob and Mary are my landlords. Pastor Ken, our guest speaker is the associate pastor at my church in Nairobi.  Jacob attended the church Ken grew up in, and got to watch him grow into a very committed young pastor.

Pastor Ken did an awesome job preaching the word.  His message was God created perfection, man sinned and perfection became broken, God through Jesus Christ, will bring about perfection again.  Powerful word.

First point, God created perfection.

Third point -- It will be perfect again -- through Jesus Christ.

Lunch time!  We opened the doors to the garage and found all the yummy food.

This garage will become a bunk room.  We believe it will hold approximately 6 or 7 bunk beds (or double-deckers as they call them)

The cooks dishing up the food.

 Jacob, Moses, and Ken enjoying good food and fellowship.

Our awesome teens serving the adults.

Joanna with Maria

Teresa and Maria, catching up!

 Wambui (Teresa's daughter) Anastasia and her daughter Lucy

Pastors enjoying good food and one another.

I have a digital frame I loaded up with pictures going back 5-6 years.  Most of these pastors live in areas without electricity.  They were so fascinated with seeing themselves frame-after-frame.

Pastor John and Pastor Ken, sharing a happy moment as they looked around the room and anticipated the training that could happen in this place.

Pastor John and Emmanuel

John and Maria fascinated with the picture frame.

David, looking through a book.

This living room will be our main training area and library.

We gathered together to pray a prayer of dedication for this center.  What a special moment.

These two young men are both educated.  They are very excited about the possibilities and opportunities for themselves and the other pastors.

This bulletin board shows a picture of the literacy classes we have conducted through the years.

Teresa taking a short break as we began shutting it all down.

Teens are waiting for their next instructions.

Stowing the chairs for another time.

Although this is the end of this blog, it is just the beginning of exciting days ahead.  We have waited many years to see this all come together.  I just want to thank those of  you who helped make this possible.