I was driving to our homeschool science co-op and got to thinking. For the last year and a half or so, the journey began in December 2009, my life was filled with getting prepared to go to Nairobi Kenya. Going to Kenya was something that I had dreamed about since I can remember. At first, it started off wanting to just visit Africa. Then, as I got older, I wanted to do something life changing and join the Peace Corps. I figured, I would help change lives for the better. Then, I became a Christian and I knew that someday, I wanted to do a mission trip to Africa to help those who never heard about Christ and transform their life of poverty and hopelessness into one of joy and happiness. Crossway (my home church) was finally going to Kenya! I couldn't believe it. When I heard our Pastor talking about it, I just knew that it was where I was supposed to go. For a long time, a close friend of ours had been trying to get the both of us to the Dominican Republic. I didn't have any desire to go. I knew where God was calling me and it wasn't the DR. So when the opportunity came, I jumped on board right away. So began the planning over the next few months. I signed the application and dreamed about what it would be like. I had no idea! Mike was all for me going. He knew that it was where I was supposed to go. So I was extremely surprised when he told me that he was going to go with me! What an amazing thing to be sharing my dream with my husband! Thus began our journey to raise money and have the both of us head to Nairobi and do all of the training together. From January 2009 to October 2009, we met once a month with our team. We had a weekend of training from CMF of CHE which is Community Health Evangelism. This is an amazing concept that I just fell in love with. It teaches people (communities) how to teach themselves in their community to live a better life. And as we teach them, we use biblical concepts and hope as our foundation. There is so much to learn. CHE had such a big impact on both me and my church that I went with another friend to Indiana for a weeks training in CHE concepts and am now a CHE trainer. I teach others about the CHE concept and its impact. What an amazing thing! God has brought me so far and has had me stretch so much, that I am even amazed that I can do so many things through HIM! Anyway, we had our trip in October 2009, which was frightening and amazing. You can learn about that on one here http://www.crosswaycckenya2009.blogspot.com/
When we got home, decompressing what we saw was very hard. But we got through it and changes were made. Then, in November 2009, my journey began again. We had our Kenya information night and then Kenya informational meetings. I felt God was not through with me in Nairobi yet. I had to go back. I wasn't done. So began my journey again from December 2009-October 2010. I went through training with a new team and this time I didn't have my husband. It was very different and I felt sad that he wasn't going with me. But I knew that this was where I was supposed to be. So my months were again filled with preparing for a vacation bible school, teaching CHE and getting to know the new team members. I was also asked to sit on the Global Ministry for our church and that entails interviewing any applicants for the Kenya trip. That was a lot of fun to do! I had an advantage in knowing who was going! :-) Fun!
So we had our meetings and went on the trip. You can learn about that here http://www.crosswaycckenya2010.blogspot.com/
When we came home, I had to decompress again and that was harder. But I had my husband to help me through it, because he had been there. Then in November, we had our informational night again. And we also talked about how we were going to send a team of teachers, as well as others, to Nairobi in July of 2011. This meant that we had to get the ball rolling really fast in applications and interviews. Thus went the process of interviews from November to the beginning of January. The team is now meeting and my work is mainly done. Wow! What am I going to do? So much of my time was devoted to preparation and the like. I am so excited for this new team and I don't feel called to go again, yet. I know that I will go again, for sure. When, I don't know. I hope to go again with my family. I am praying for this new team and for what they will accomplish. God is amazing in HIS WORKS. One of my favorite songs is by Leeland called Follow YOu. It talks about following you (God) into the homes of the broken and doing His work. That is my desire. To continue to do Gods work and use my hands and feet as His. But for now, I will do that at home in my community. I will go through Nairobi withdrawl right now and know that someday I will return. God bless Missions of Hope and what they are doing and may we bring some of that here.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Nairobi 2010
I finally have been able to actually sit down and write about my trip. Truth is, I wrote this when I got home, but just now was ready to post it. I hope you enjoy reading a little bit about my trip. I don't have any plans to return this year as we have had a pretty rough couple of months since I got home. I will write about that as well. I need to be with my family for a while and take care of them. My focus for a while has been all about Nairobi and I want to focus on my family. My youngest has informed me that he wants to know when he will be old enough/able to go with Mike and I to see Doreen(our sponsored child) and help the children in Mathare. I told him, as soon as I feel you can handle it. He would be so good.... I hope you enjoy my reminiscence.
As I sit here and type my thoughts down, I can’t help but think about the changes compared from last year to this year. I think that is what I want to focus on in this letter. When Mike and I toured the Mathare slums last year, we were devastated. It was nothing like we had ever seen before. Even though our team was prepared wonderfully, the smell was something you could never prepare enough for. It was like nothing I had ever smelled. The same for the sights. I knew what to expect, but I was still amazed at how poor the conditions really were. It was the first time I had ever seen something like that in person. Sure, I saw it on television, but to see it in person is something totally different. This year, I was so incredibly excited to return. I couldn’t wait. I wanted to see the progress made in one year. When we first walked through Area 1, Pangani, I noticed right away that there was a difference already. To me, it looked “cleaner” than last time. Garbage was getting moved to a central area. This time, I could look at the people of Mathare. I was not looking at the area and how unsanitary it was, I was focusing on the men, women and children of Mathare. Their spiritual and physical health was more of a focus for me this time.
In Area 2, our sponsored child’s area and the area where we worked, the changes were amazing. We were greeted by gorgeous, smiling children singing and dancing with us. Last year, this wasn’t even a thought. The children had only been in the school for a week the last time we were there. They barely knew their names and any english. What a difference a year makes! Singing, smiling, talking, dancing, calling out the team member’s names, all in one year. I cried. As I walked into the school, the first change I noticed was the guard shack. They have to have a guard shack incase any outsiders try to get in. This is common. As I walked in, there was a new kitchen, and two new classrooms. This other picture is of me with our sponsored girl, Doreen. She is beautiful. She would run up to me every time she saw me and pinch me yelling “Jenn!” It was so neat. This is a child who a year ago didn’t know her name.
Anyway, we spent our time doing a medical clinic on Monday and then on Tuesday through Friday, we did a vacation bible school in the mornings. In the afternoon, we either did “Bring in the Light” or “Healthy Homes”. “Bring in the Light” was when we put plexiglass into the dark homes and shared the gospel message as well as talk to them about how important light is to them and just talking to them about the way they should keep their homes. “Healthy Homes” was about HIV/AIDS and explaining to them, as we looked around their homes, different ways that they could keep their homes “clean”. We taught them about sanitizing water, which they can do with a plastic bottle and sun as well as how they should not keep stagnant water in their homes and how cooking in their home is so dangerous and should be done outside. One grandmother told us that she has trouble cooking outside because she is afraid that if she does, someone will come up to her home and steal all the stuff she is using to cook. So sad.
I could talk about so much more, but needless to say, I will stop here. Mathare Valley in Nairobi Kenya has a piece of my heart and always will. It was an amazing trip and I am hoping to go back sometime in the near future. Let me leave you with this: 1John 3:16-17
“This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters . If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Let us not love with words or speech but with action and in truth.”
Thank you in the name of Christ,
Jenn Buczynski
As I sit here and type my thoughts down, I can’t help but think about the changes compared from last year to this year. I think that is what I want to focus on in this letter. When Mike and I toured the Mathare slums last year, we were devastated. It was nothing like we had ever seen before. Even though our team was prepared wonderfully, the smell was something you could never prepare enough for. It was like nothing I had ever smelled. The same for the sights. I knew what to expect, but I was still amazed at how poor the conditions really were. It was the first time I had ever seen something like that in person. Sure, I saw it on television, but to see it in person is something totally different. This year, I was so incredibly excited to return. I couldn’t wait. I wanted to see the progress made in one year. When we first walked through Area 1, Pangani, I noticed right away that there was a difference already. To me, it looked “cleaner” than last time. Garbage was getting moved to a central area. This time, I could look at the people of Mathare. I was not looking at the area and how unsanitary it was, I was focusing on the men, women and children of Mathare. Their spiritual and physical health was more of a focus for me this time.
In Area 2, our sponsored child’s area and the area where we worked, the changes were amazing. We were greeted by gorgeous, smiling children singing and dancing with us. Last year, this wasn’t even a thought. The children had only been in the school for a week the last time we were there. They barely knew their names and any english. What a difference a year makes! Singing, smiling, talking, dancing, calling out the team member’s names, all in one year. I cried. As I walked into the school, the first change I noticed was the guard shack. They have to have a guard shack incase any outsiders try to get in. This is common. As I walked in, there was a new kitchen, and two new classrooms. This other picture is of me with our sponsored girl, Doreen. She is beautiful. She would run up to me every time she saw me and pinch me yelling “Jenn!” It was so neat. This is a child who a year ago didn’t know her name.
Anyway, we spent our time doing a medical clinic on Monday and then on Tuesday through Friday, we did a vacation bible school in the mornings. In the afternoon, we either did “Bring in the Light” or “Healthy Homes”. “Bring in the Light” was when we put plexiglass into the dark homes and shared the gospel message as well as talk to them about how important light is to them and just talking to them about the way they should keep their homes. “Healthy Homes” was about HIV/AIDS and explaining to them, as we looked around their homes, different ways that they could keep their homes “clean”. We taught them about sanitizing water, which they can do with a plastic bottle and sun as well as how they should not keep stagnant water in their homes and how cooking in their home is so dangerous and should be done outside. One grandmother told us that she has trouble cooking outside because she is afraid that if she does, someone will come up to her home and steal all the stuff she is using to cook. So sad. I could talk about so much more, but needless to say, I will stop here. Mathare Valley in Nairobi Kenya has a piece of my heart and always will. It was an amazing trip and I am hoping to go back sometime in the near future. Let me leave you with this: 1John 3:16-17
“This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters . If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Let us not love with words or speech but with action and in truth.”
Thank you in the name of Christ,
Jenn Buczynski
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)