Two friends...

Meet Peninah and Marita, two of our clients. They are members of a group called Tene, which loosely translated means Growing in Love.

They visited our office to have their photos taken individually but also wanted this one of them together - by their delighted smiles I could tell they are good friends. Many of our clients, all of whom belong to an accountability group, have a close friendship. This relationship helps make the groups strong as they are committed to helping each other through tough times and genuinely celebrate each other's successes.
Accountability groups are a key ingredient to the success of our micro finance program. It is in these groups that our clients learn and grow as business owners, make savings deposits, make loan payments, resolve issues and learn more about Jesus Christ who is the foundation of our ministry.

It is finally open!

Actually, I thought I would be way more excited when this day finally came. It has taken more than a week for me to even post this entry...I guess I just lost the zeal I once had...it just seems so anticlimactic. I have however shopped there two times now and enjoyed myself both times :)

Mostly I think it has not yet hit me just how awesome it is to have not only the Nakumatt, but a whole mall within 5 walking minutes from my front door! At this point only the Nakumatt and a salon are open, but soon there will be many shops and I suspect even banks available to me.
When I return to Kenya from the US perhaps the whole mall will be open...and I can settle into the reality that just around the corner is a complete shopping experience.

Here I am visiting with the ever present elephant that graces the front door of every Nakumatt. You can peak inside just a bit...to the right in this photo are more shops being built out.
Oh happy day!

Friday morning chapel with Teen Challenge

In the photo below is John Martin, director of Teen Challenge Kenya. The residence, which is right next door to where I live, houses up to 28 young (and not so young!) men who are serious about being transformed from an addict to a victor through the power of Jesus Christ.

John saw us just outside the gate yesterday evening and invited us to tour the house and to join then at chapel this morning. What a blessing! Here he is introducing the guest pastor...
...Pastor Charles Maina is from Kenya but recently moved his family to the US. He is now living in Boston where he is a pastor at a Calvary Chapel.
His message, "3 Keys for God's Promotion" was excellent. He reminded us from Heb 12:1-2 that we are in a race and that it will take perseverance and endurance to finish well.
The first key is to be focused on Jesus Christ. He made the point that God is committed to us and that we must be committed to God. He also invited us to see challenges as an opportunity for God's glory to be manifested.
The second key is to be faithful. Even in difficult times we are to do whatever we do for God; in private and in public. What we sow we will reap; when we sow prayer we reap God's anointing, when we sow honesty we reap blessing...
Many of the men were taking notes, and all were listening intently. Especially when he shared his testimony and they could see that he is just like them. He started with humble beginnings - his first pair of shoes came when he was in High School! And he lost everything during the post election violence. I believe the men were greatly encouraged.
The third key is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We cannot run the race in our own power - it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able!
We closed with prayer...this is the worship leader...what you don't see here is the wonderful praise and worship we enjoyed earlier in the service, with this man at the keyboard thoroughly enjoying the music :)
We were so blessed to be invited and welcomed into this place. I kept thinking about why each of these men is here and am so grateful there is a place where they can come to receive hope for the future.

Surgery in the Bush...

Recently I was privileged to be part of a 7 day medical camp. I posted about 4 of the days on Facebook so please go there to see pictures of the awesome team and how we worked together. We were a team of 10 Americans including a doctor and a nurse plus about 8 Kenyans including Dr. John Sentero seen below and several translators plus pastors at each church.

On day 6 the two doctors performed surgery on the hand of one of the precious people who came for medical treatment. Below are 30 some pictures of the surgery. Be warned, some are a bit graphic...in fact I can't even look at them! But then I am a bit of a wimp :)

I took this photo to show how the OR is being prepped. The table was covered with a sheet of plastic and here Dr. Eric Kerley is sanitizing the operating table.
Here both doctors are explaining what will happen...this woman has a large lump on her hand between her thumb and forefinger. The lump restricted her ability to work so she and her family have been suffering for months.
Can you see the lump on her hand?
Ah she is a brave lady! I think Dr. John here is shooting her with something to numb the area.
Okay...I am sensing pain...
Oh, I can feel her pain now...
At this point I left the area...couldn't take any more! A dear (new) friend named Kay volunteered to go back in and take the photos you see from here...
I think there is no need to explain what is happening...






Later Dr. Eric told us that Dr. John was extremely brave as he dug deep and around nerves to get the whole lump out...
Notice Dr. John is in a dress shirt!?



Kay did an awesome job doncha think? You can see the fatty deposit (that's what it was) below her hand...oh - and notice she still has her bracelet on!

Closing up the wound...


From here I had the camera...I shot this through the open window...open to the dirt, dust and bugs from the outside...it was way too hot to close the windows...
This is Nurse Paula...she and her husband Don have a ministry called T.H.E.M. (The Healing Evangelism Ministry). They are personal friends who sponsored the 7 day medical clinic. I love to watch her working with patients. She has a tender and loving heart.
Here she is overseeing the bandaging process :)

Here Paula is giving orders to ensure that her patient will receive the proper aftercare she will need. Later I found out that she will walk one hour to a nearby dispensary every day for at least two weeks in order to have the dressing changed.
That evening we prayed as a group that her wound will heal properly and without any infection.