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A
Life-Changing Experience in Kenya It is difficult to get back into the routines at home after an experience like a foreign mission trip. Things that seemed so important before become trivial. In May, my husband, Kevin, and I traveled to Kenya with a group from Buckner Orphan Care International as part of CBF of Missouri’s KidsHeart Africa initiative. We enjoyed the group and got to interact with many Buckner employees (even Ken Hall, the President, was with us part of the time), Laura Cadena (National CBF),a BGCT employee and a variety of pastors, staff and laypersons from Texas churches. The first two days in the country we were on Safari at the Massai Mara. We were able to see lots of animals - cheetah, lions, elephants, giraffe, hippos, gazelle, cape buffalo, ostrich, etc. It was a fun adventure. Kenya is a beautiful country and as Kevin would say, it is a "land of contrasts." We were very impressed with the Kenyan nationals that were Buckner employees. They are so dedicated to God, the ministry and their countrymen (especially the children.) We could just see their commitment and love. Dickson is the head of the Buckner organization in Kenya. He showed us around and explained the ministries. Rose and Belinda are two social workers that work with the foster care program in Busia. They travel many miles on foot or bike each week to visit the children in their foster homes. We were able to meet with the foster kids on Sunday afternoon. Because of a delayed flight and vehicle problems, the 32 children had to wait three hours for us to arrive. We met them at a local Catholic Retreat Center that allows Buckner to use their facilities. They were so happy to see us. We laughed and played together. Some of our team had bandanas, pencils and other things to distribute. We were able to show them pictures of our families. We also took many photos and showed them to the children on the digital screens. They loved that. Some of the kids had traveled 12-15 miles so after we visited with them awhile we had to let them get home. I wished we could have had more time to be with the children. The next day we got to visit some of the foster homes. The foster kids were in school but it was interesting to see their huts and meet some of their family. We heard sad stories about them losing their parents, and one being head of household at age nine. We even saw the graves of some of the parents. Also in Busia, we visited the proposed site for one of the Community Development Centers. There is a church there now and the Baptist Convention owns the land. Some of the local pastors traveled with us this day. We were told that they are usually the ones that recommend to Buckner the children who need foster care. Back in Nairobi we visited the Baptist Children’s Center. The BCC is an impressive place. They actually house children at that facility so they have dorms, a wash house, a cafeteria and some other buildings. They have a preschool (the older kids go to a public school located just next door), a health clinic, a garden and a well. They sell water to the community for a very small price so that they do not have to walk miles to get water. They also have a church and a building for vocational training. They teach woodworking and sewing to the teenagers that do not go on to high school. We met Tony — who runs the place – and teachers, clinic workers, the cooks, some dorm parents and other employees. That afternoon we went to see the Slum Ministry. We met two pastors that work in the ministry. The older one had been the director of the BCC before Tony. The younger one was a product of the BCC. He came out of that life so he knows the needs and wants to help others have a better life. They showed us the classrooms and the children sang and quoted scripture for us. They also have vocational training for older children. We saw the woodworking shop, the sewing room and the beauty shop. The facility is built on a dump, and we could see people out in the dump collecting plastic bags and washing them in the river. We were told they then sell them for income. We traveled to Marigat to see the new Child Development Center building. The building was almost complete. Sam Harrell, a CBF missionary, was planning to paint it and do some finishing work the next day. We met Doreen, a missionary from a Nairobi church, on this trip. She had been in Nairobi attending classes towards an education degree so she traveled back to Marigat with us. Doreen has built her own hut and lives there with the local tribe which is an unreached people group who do not have a Bible in their language. She is learning their language and holds church in her yard and teaches at the local school. Soon they will be able to have church services, preschool classes and other community ministries in the new building. Even though Kevin and I are glad to talk about what we saw in Kenya, it is hard to put into words what we experienced. We have given presentations at Memorial Baptist, our home church, and for many individuals. We would be happy to come share our experiences with your church or civic group too. |
Giving to CBF of
Missouri:
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