Wrapping up our time in Kenya

I can hardly believe our time in Kenya has come and gone.  We arrived a week ago Friday and we have seen and experienced so much!

Tuesday, we put on a fun appreciation lunch and celebration for the Heart staff.  We've been treated very well here at the compound and the staff has been very gracious to us. They have prepared wonderful meals and have worked so hard to prepare for the various events that HEART puts on. We enjoyed playing games, singing songs and celebrating the wonderful work that the staff does.

Wednesday we participated in a Freedom for Girls Fundraiser tea with some of the national Ambassador wives.  It was a beautiful event that raises awareness and support for girls as they begin menstration.  Many are not equipped with the education or proper supplies needed during their cycle and therefore, end up missing a week or more of school/month.  Over time, they get so far behind academically that they eventually drop out.  The program is designed to raise money ($5/packet of supplies for ONE YEAR for one  girl...that's one Starbucks for us!!) and awareness to keep girls in school.

After the tea on Wednesday afternoon, we had the privilege of hopping on a small plane and taking a 45 minute flight to the Masai Mara for an overnight stay and Safari.  What an experience!  I've always wanted to go on a safari and this experience blew me away!  We were picked up at the "airport" (aka a gravel runway and a small outdoor hut) that is run by the Masai tribe.  We were then loaded into two open jeeps and whisked away to the first phase of the adventure.  The Mara encompasses a vast amount of land that is inhabited by a wide variety of animal species.  Amongst those we saw were zebras, hippos, baboons, crocodiles, lions (including cubs), wart hogs (aka "Pumbas"), a fox, 
elephants, a rhino (which is a RARE find in Kenya...and who charged one of our jeeps!), giraffes, gazelles, wildebeest, buffaloes, Sabocat (sp?), cheetah (with his fresh Gazelle dinner!), Secretary bird, antelope, mongoose, jack rabbits, jackels, hyenas and probably a few others that I'm forgetting.  It was truly an amazing experience that I will not forget!  For our acommodations, we were treated to the experience of "glamping" in luxury tents that were equipped with fully operating attached bathrooms.  We slept with the windows zipped up, mosquito nets covering us, and the sound of frogs croaking us to sleep.  It was a fun experience.

Yesterday was the hardest day to swallow.  We started our day off with a brief visit to the Kibera WEEP center and slums.  The center was small but contained a sewing room, a small preschool and a small gift shop.  The women welcomed us with song and dance and were thrilled to have us visit their "family".  The surrounding area, however, was disturbing and absolutely heart breaking.  The dirt ground of the slums was covered with trash and the children were playing in the sewage runoff.  Dogs were laying on the ground looking lifeless, chickens were drinking from the sewage water and eggs were sitting out to be sold (from the same chickens, if you get the picture)!  It was sickening to witness and it seemed so WRONG!!   How could this happen and how could these people live this way??
Today was a great finale to the trip.  We celebrated the 9 WEEP graduates that have completed their 18 month training program.  The ceremony was held at HEART and the graduates proudly marched in dressed in cap and gown.   This day is a very special day for the WEEP women and it signifies the road to their new life ahead.  It's been a long journey getting to this place but from their training, they learned how to make varies items to sell such as clothes, beadwork, tapestries, etc.  And how to run a business from a financial standpoint amongst other things.  It was wonderful to see our new friends celebrate their victory and we will miss them as we leave Kenya!

Our time has come to say goodbye to our wonderful time here!  As we head to the airport and prepare for the long flight a head, we hold very dear memories in our heart!  I can't wait to share more stories with you all upon my return.  Goodbye Kenya!



and on Safari in the Masai Mara, put on a women's conference and visited the Kibera slums.  Today, we helped with the special graduation ceremony for the WEEP ladies.

We've been so blessed to be part of such an amazing life-changing week!  

  It's been a full and impactful week to say the least.  Each event has brought about its own emotions (from joy and excitement to tears and heartbreak) for what we have witnessed.  But, the work that is being done through HEART is truly life changing.  We have witnessed women who have come from the darkest places of despair and hopeless and by the grace of God, (and the work of HEART) have found hope, acceptance and a future of dignity and prosperity.  That, we witnessed today as the 9 WEEP graduates completed their 18 month program.    

Ngong WEEP Center and slums home visits

Today was day 4 of our time here in Kenya.  As expected, this was a very tough day for us.  We got a first-hand experience of what life is like living in the slums.  We met several of the WEEP (Women's Equality Empowerment Project) women who are single moms (most of whom have 2-7 kids) and have been abused or abandoned by their husbands and families due to their HIV status.  Many of these women were homeless or were struggling to make ends meet and support their families prior to coming to the WEEP center.   We heard several of the women share their heart-wrenching stories and we visited three of their homes.  The most impactful woman we visited has HIV and Cancer, yet she has one of the most amazing outlooks on life that I have ever seen.  Despite her determination to survive, she, and majority of the women there, have a deep love for the Lord.  He is their source of strength, hope and joy.

It truly blows my mind to hear where these women have come from and see where they are going.  The work that HEART is doing to make these success stories happen is an absolute gift.  I'm so thankful to be here to experience life first-hand and  I come away longing to help make a difference in changing more lives here in Nairobi!

Paradise Lost

Wow...what a great way to start our time in Kenya!  Today was an amazing day as we enjoyed a park play date with approximately 100 kids and their moms at a beautiful park just outside of the HEART compound.  As we pulled up to the plush grounds, we were greeted by the smiling faces of some precious children and their beautiful moms.  As I stepped off of the bus and was greeted by numerous hands reaching out to me, I was gripped by my emotions.  I had been eagerly anticipating this day to play with the kids and meet the moms, yet to see them smiling from ear to ear as they came up and embraced us was a priceless moment that I won't forget.   Within minutes I was walking around with my arm around one child and holding hands with another.  Various other children came up at different times and wanted to hold my hand, give me a hug or have their picture taken (and look at it immediately)!   We had crafts, games, beading, boat rides, camel rides and a cave visit (that is tucked behing a beautiful waterfall) for the children.  It was so fun to watch them partake in every activity, especially the "skipping" rope and making beaded jewelry.  I even had a little girl make me a bead necklace that she carefully measured and took her time creating. 

Right before we were ready to eat lunch, song and dance broke out by the mothers in the group.  We eagerly joined them and did the best we could to sing along and dance with them.  The most amazing part of this event was that these were women who have HIV or AIDS and many of whom are single parents due to the death of their spouse or abandonment.  They come from two of the slums that we will be visiting while we are in Kenya.  What resonated the most for me was that they are joyful women who sing because they are happy...happy with a joy that comes from the Lord.  It was not only fun to watch, but it reminded me what true joy really looks like!  

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed or time today!  It was sad to say "goodbye" to our new friends but we are gearing up for a busy, emotional day tomorrow as we go into the slums for church in the morning and then come back to the lodge to meet our Compassion Kids!  For now, it's off to bed!

Kenya Live!

Well, we made it to Kenya safe and sound last night (Kenya time).  Our travel day was long but un eventful, thankfully!  We enjoyed the wonderful service of the KLM flight attendants, abd felt like we had a meal every two hours onboard!  It's so surreal that we are actually here after so many months of anticipation and about 20 hrs of flying, but it's beautiful where we are staying at the HEART lodge.  It feels and looks a lot like Hawaii and the crow of the roosters and chirps of the birds was a nice way to wake up this morning.
Today is our park play day with about 100 kids and their moms at Paradise Lost.  We are looking forward to playing games and crafts with them, taking boat rides and watching the kids do camel rides!  It should be a fun day!

Kenya...Here We Come!

WOW...I can hardly believe that the trip is actually here!  Tomorrow is the big day.  I'm making my last preparations, packing my remaining items and getting ready to embark on this wonderful experience in Kenya. I'm in awe at the way in which the details of this trip that God has orchestrated have come together!  Thank you to all of you who have been there over the past several months to cheer me on, encourage me and share your words of wisdom.  Your love, your prayers and your support mean the world and I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!  You will be with going with me, in spirit, as I get on board the plane tomorrow.  "Jambo " (that's "Hello" in Swahili)! 

With love and blessings,
Sheri

 

Kenya...two weeks and counting!  Packing is underway and the excitement is increasing...as are the nerves of getting the preparation lists checked off.  I am so thankful for all of the support and interest from friends and family.  Although I'm getting on a plane with my team and flying to Nairobi, I feel as though I'm taking all of my supporters in my pocket with me!  I've been amazed and brought to tears a few times during the preparation process of this trip, as I see how God has been working and orchestrating His great plan in and through all of the details.   I am so excited about the group of women I am going with; the logistical aspects of the trip are coming together smoothly; my financial support has been incredible and I've felt God's presence in the ups (and downs) of the entire process.  More than anything, the one clear message I've received is that I am chosen to be going and some amazing experiences are in store for all of us.  I am blessed! 

The countdown begins...

Africa...three weeks and counting till we depart!  School officially starts tomorrow and my "baby" starts first grade!  That is bittersweet, in itself.  It means that summer has come and gone (oh so quickly this year!) and my daughter is growing up!   And...with the commencement of the school year means being one step closer to the big trip my team and I have been anticipating and preparing for, the past 6 months!  I've completed the vaccinations necessary for travel to Kenya, updated the passport and now the packing process is about to begin.  Nervous?   A bit, but getting more and more excited as the trip nears and I focus on the reason I am going...to be used by God to serve the women and children of Kenya whom we will be working with.   And...I get to meet the Compassion child face to face, whom my family and I have been supporting this year.  How awesome is that!!   So...prayers are greatly appreciated as the final steps are taken for preparation!   I've been called to Africa and I'm tremendously blessed to be part of such an awesome, lifetime experience!    I have great friends and family joining me through financial and prayer support.  I am blessed!