How beautiful are the feet!

Often, when preparing to write for our newsletter/blog, we wonder, "What shall we communicate to our ministry partners this month?"  There are times when it is quite clear what to write about and we are filled with ideas and happenings to report. At other times, it can be quite challenging.  Fortunately, for this month we can share some happenings that we were excited about and touched our hearts in some way. You may be wondering why we have decided to include a picture of our shoes, which have obviously seen better days.  I mean, they are not really a sight to elicit a heart response are they?  Well, read on and you will see the places we visited in our shoes!
                                     

Maneuvering through these iron sheets can be very hazardous

Recently on our Hope Club days, we asked which of the children would like to have us visit their homes and meet their parents.  Enthusiastic hands shot up, and so began our excursion through a maze of shacks within the slum.  

 It truly was a sight to see us as we went traipsing through the slum with a host of children following us and holding our hands and leading us through narrow, mucky, alleyways to take us to their various dwellings.  It was pretty precarious navigating the walkways trying to avoid stepping in toxic looking liquids, mysterious and smelly piles of slush, and sharp, rusty edges of corrugated iron sheets used in the construction of the shacks.  Oh but what a delightful time we had with them!  They were so excited; it was like it made such a difference to them that we would take the time to visit their homes. We both felt like it was another major step in beginning to establish the presence of Hope Anew Ministries in the slum. This was especially relevant because the children told us that earlier that day, an incident occurred where one youth of about eighteen, was killed by a gang of other youths who were upset that he had been reporting on their criminal activities.  When a crowd learned of the killing, they caught one of the young men in the gang and killed him.

The children led us through alleys like this one

 The parents of the children in each of the different homes we visited were very gracious and responded positively to us and they seemed grateful that their children were attending Hope Club!   One of the parents related her amusement with her four-year old son Kevin, when he told her about some people who had built a tall building (Tower of Babel) out of pride because they wanted to reach God and how that God came down and messed up their language so they could not understand each other! The amazing thing is that this little one remembered the teaching and shared with the mother when he got home, it is really humbling because there times when we are teaching and wonder whether we are getting through to the kids! I think the Lord wanted to encourage us through the testimony of this mother!

Meet the children…..

This is Jared and he has been coming to Hope Club every week since we began.  He is frequently the first to arrive from wherever he has been playing, and like most boys, there is evidence of each grimy new discovery imprinted on his clothes, hands and feet.  He is usually displaying a huge toothless smile and excitement radiating from him.  He listens intently to the lesson and is keen to answer questions during the review game time.  His older sister attends sometimes as well.

Little Boy Lost…The little fellow in these series of pictures truly touched our hearts because he seemed so vulnerable and sad.  

Kamau speaking with the little boy

We could not get his name because he spoke so quietly that Kamau could not understand him.  He only stayed a short time for Hope 
Club and then he left.  Please pray for him.

Kimberly & Kimani at homeschooling conference

Prayer & Praise

• The whole family was delighted to attend the East African Homeschooling conference that was held in January in Nairobi.  A team of fifteen people from Apologia (They produce home school curriculum) came to minister to homeschooling families with lots of great activities for the youth and inspiring teaching for parents.  This is wonderful praise to the Lord for us.
•  We are grateful that there have not been any incidents of terrorism in Nairobi in the last two months.
•  Please pray for peace to prevail as we head to the general Presidential Elections in March. In 2007, there was terrible tribal violence with tragic loss of life as a result of disputed election results.
• When the time comes for us to clearly present the gospel to the children within Hope club and give an invitation for salvation, there is all manner of disruption without fail.  Please pray about this obvious display of spiritual warfare.

Cultural Tidbit

Chapatis are a popular type of Indian flat bread loved by Kenyans across the country.  It is a staple dish and often eaten with a vegetable or meat stew or beans. Pieces of the chapati are used to scoop up the stew.  It reminds me of a tortilla, and it is quite tasty.  Here is the recipe which makes about 6 to 8 medium size chapati:

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 Tablespoons melted margarine
• Begin with 1 cup of water
• Directions:
• 1.  Mix flour salt and melted margarine together until it somewhat resembles breadcrumbs.  Add water and mix thoroughly.  If needed, use 2 tablespoons at a time to make a soft, pliable dough that is smooth.  It should not be wet and sticky, if so, add more flour.  Knead well.
• 2.  Place a damp cloth over the bowl to cover dough and leave in a warm spot and set aside for an hour.
• 3.  Knead dough again on floured board.  Roll out with a rolling pin to about ¾  an inch thick.  Cut in into 1 inch strips.  Roll each strip in a circle shape similar to a cinnamon roll. Place circles on a plate.
• 4.  Dust the board or work area with flour and roll out one circle to ¼ inch thick.
• 5.   Heat a heavy skillet pan (cast iron is great for chapati) and place about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan.  When the oil thins, place the flattened chapati on the skillet.  Cook for about 2 minutes on one side.  Check to see if the cooked side is a golden brown color.  Encourage air bubbles to form on the uncooked side by pressing down on the very edges of the chapati, before turning.  You may add two teaspoons of oil and then cook the other side about 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from skillet.  Do this with all of the uncooked chapati circles.  As each chapati is done, place in bowl or plate and cover with a clean, dry dish towel.  Serve with your favorite meat or vegetable stew.  Mmmm…nzuri sana!  Enjoy!

Grace & Peace
The Kamaus

Merry Christmas from the Kamaus

Dear Ones,

The Kamau Family would like to wish you a Merry Christmas from Nairobi,Kenya! 

Please take a moment to watch the Kamau Family 2012 Year in Review video! The Lord has been gracious to us in so many different ways and we wanted to share this joy with you our friends.

http://vimeo.com/56252224

In Gratitude, 

The Kamaus

Who is Sufficient for these things?

…from Kimberly

Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place.

For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish;

 to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Our field of ministry

I came across these verses in my personal study time and as I was considering what the passage was saying, the words,’ “sweet aroma” and “stench” brought images to my mind.  They were recent memories of walking through Mukuru Kayaba slum with Kamau as we visited the venues where the Hope Bible clubs will be held.  I remember that my mind was alert as I beheld the scene around me.  The slum was teeming with people engaged in all types of activity from keeping their kiosks, chatting with friends and cooking, to children obliviously playing in filth.

It had rained recently so the ground was slushy with mud and puddles; I found myself stepping carefully in order to avoid slipping and falling in the muck.  I was especially alert for suspicious looking plastic bags that might contain human waste.

 ( Kamau seemed to take perverse pleasure in warning me about them with a smile on his face.) Accidentally stepping on one of those would have spelled disaster for my state of mental well-being at that moment! 

The smells of rotting vegetables, cooked food, refuse, urine and others that could not be identified intermingled together and was made even more pungent because of the dampness.  It was a stench.

Children by open sewers in Mukuru Kayaba

 I was actually about to congratulate myself for keeping visible signs of revulsion at bay until someone carrying a bag of wet charcoal bumped into me and soiled my shirt. Oh great!  I struggled inwardly with feelings of fussiness and began to try and brush off the sooty mess.  Annoyance was beginning to stir as I wondered how I was going to be able to remove the stain. 

Kamau smiled at me in sympathy and I began to berate myself for behaving in this way.

How can such  hardness of heart set in that will not be touched by a baby like this?

“What is your problem Kimberly?!”  This is your mission field and where you will be serving the Lord.  You are being squeamish and cranky about a shirt when all around you people are suffering in squalor.  Seriously?!  You know Jesus would not be acting this way.  Why can’t you be more like Him?  

Look at your husband.  He used to live here for years and had to deal with the ugliness of the slum day in and day out and God gave him the grace to bear it without complaining. 

Girl, you need to go to the Lord right now and ask him to change your fussy, wicked heart so that it can be more Christ-like!!!!

I tried to argue with the voice in my head by saying to myself that after all; the Lord gave the children of Israel explicit instructions on how to dispose of their waste by burying it.  He said that it was because He walked among the camp and that it should be holy.  He did not want to see an unclean thing among them which would cause Him to turn away.  I felt that the Lord probably understands how I am feeling!

So these are the thoughts that I recalled to my mind as I reflected on the passage in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.

The words gave instruction and comfort to my conflicted heart about the hope that is available for me to be changed.  I can know that in spite of my squeamishness… God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place… will bring this about in our ministry to the children of Mukuru Kayaba slum.  For those who are being saved, those whose hearts are being prepared by the Lord even now, the sweet fragrance of Christ will be evident.  It will be living and fresh among the stench of doom and misery.  How grateful I am that it is all God who is sufficient and His work in the lives of the children in the slum will not be hindered by the fussiness of His child.

We have exciting news to share!  Hope Clubs will be starting next week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  We will have clubs twice a day to begin with.  One location is close to the place where Kamau lived with his family, the other is a little further away but still within Mukuru Kayaba. 

We will be team teaching with Kimberly teaching the Bible lessons while Kamau translates into Swahili.  We have been busy planning activities for the club and learning Swahili songs to teach the children.

Prayer Requests

These items for teaching clubs are first donations that Hope Anew has received

**As you have read earlier, there is an apparent need for our hearts to be expanded with the compassion and tenderness of Christ.  Pray that we would see those in the slum the way Jesus does…as sheep without a shepherd in need of a Savior.

**We are concerned that we could be overwhelmed with children.  Pray that should many children come, God will cause there to be order and not chaos.  Pray that the teaching of His Word will not be hindered in any way.

**We need wisdom as we interact with the children, especially if it is a large group.

**Ask God to help us to make the club fun for the children.

**As children come to the Lord, pray that it will be lasting fruit for the Kingdom of God.

**Pray for protection and safety.

**Pray that the Lord will send godly volunteers that want to serve Him by joining us in reaching out to children.

** We want to be able to provide mandaazi (fried doughnuts) and bananas to the children.  Pray for God’s provision of this need and also for the funds to rent the places that we are using for the clubs.

May the Grace & Peace of God rest on you,

The Kamaus

My Bizarre Odyssey to Zambia

As many of you know, I had to make one more return trip to Zambia to retrieve personal belongs which we had left behind because we had no where to put them when we first arrived in Kenya. After securing housing, I prepared myself psychologically for the journey.  I have found it is necessary to do this when taking this train because although the trip from Tanzania to Zambia is supposed to take about two and a half days, there really is no telling when you’ll arrive. I had once endured a 22 hour delay due to a train derailment further ahead on the route.

Loading the train in Zambia

After a 15 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, I was welcomed aboard the train the next day by one of the staff, a young likeable fellow, who I later learned his name was Charles. A few hours into the trip, I was shocked to learn that he had passed out in the restaurant car; we made an unscheduled stop in a small station where a vehicle was hired to take him to a local clinic.  He was later brought back in the train with an IV hooked up on his arm.  

We proceeded with the trip with the intention of stopping in a major town where a better equipped hospital could be found, but he never made it to the hospital.  He passed away in the train.  

When we did finally stop at the town, it was to leave his body at the morgue as we continued with our trip.    A sad and disconcerting mood descended on the passengers at such a swift finality to life. 

  

I have used this train about ten times now, so I was very familiar with the routine and most of the major stops.  I knew for example, that when the train arrives at the Tanzania/Zambia border, the immigration officials of both countries board the train to check passports and stamp exit if leaving Tanzania while their Zambian counterparts stamp enter to allow you in their country.  The immigration officials normally pass through once to announce their presence and then return to inspect the passports and stamp them. 

On this occasion, the Tanzanians did their one pass routine; I had the door to my compartment open and was sitting on my bunk ready for the actual passport inspection/stamp.

The next thing I know, the Zambian immigration came in, they proceeded to inspect my passport but I told them that I was waiting for the Tanzanian officials.  They informed me that the Tanzanians had disembarked from the train and that they were so sorry but that they could not give me a Zambian entry stamp without an exit stamp from Tanzania!

Ready to depart fot Dar es Salaam!

I was told I had to get out of the train and go to the Tanzanian side of the border to get an exit stamp otherwise, if I proceeded with my trip, I would find myself in Zambia illegally and would have major problems on my return trip. As I was trying to figure out what my options were, suddenly, the train started to move!  I knew this was an express train, so it’s not like I could just get off at the next stop and walk back!

 I quickly grabbed my bag pack and slugged it on my back and then I reached for another shopping bag and headed for the exit. 

  It was pitch black outside as only Africa can be and it was hard to see anything.  I knew if I stopped to think about what I was about to do I wouldn’t do it.  I did not do the one… two… three… whatever. 

  

Come to think of it, I don’t even think I prayed.  I just let go!  

Happy to be alive and on my way home!

There is a way to jump off a moving vehicle and I was pretty adept at it in my younger days, when I would slide off public buses on my way to school in my zeal to avoid paying bus fare. My friends and I would then use the fare for the movies on Fridays!  Anyway, something went wrong this time; when I jumped, the weight of the bag pack, pulled me backwards and it didn’t help that there were stones scattered along the rail line which I stumbled on.  I fell backwards and banged my head on a stone.  I must have momentarily suffered a concussion.  I knew the train was rushing past me but I could not see nor hear it. Something was telling me, “Kamau,…. crawl… away… from…. the train, crawl…away from the train,” but my body was responding ever so…slowly and then I wasn’t even sure if I was crawling away in the right direction!

The truck finally arrived in Dar es Salaam

When I fully regained my senses, I felt this dull ache on the back on my head and as I sat up I felt something warm and sticky on my face and I knew I was bleeding. I did not know how bad the head injury was, as I made my way to a little building where I could see some light; it turned out to be a railway staff quarters. 

I explained to the man I found there what had happened and asked for water to clean myself up.  I also asked if he knew of a guest house where I could spend the night. After getting directions, I started to make my way to the guest house; it was probably about ten o'clock at night when I arrived there.

I am glad I had cleaned myself and covered my head wound otherwise I might scared my host and may have been turned away.  The next morning, I considered going to see a doctor and was informed that there was a private clinic nearby. Upon further reflection, I decided against it since I know that in Africa, especially in the area where I was, most so called “private clinics” are run by not doctors but people with basic medical skills and I wasn’t in a mood to have someone experiment on me.

Unloading the truck in Nairobi

I crossed the no man’s land into Tanzania and went to the immigration where they quickly stamped my exit stamp after which I then crossed over to the Zambian side for the entry stamp.  From there I boarded a bus and proceeded with the last of the journey to the Village of Hope for our belongings. The return trip to Kenya had its own adventures which my wife kept you up to date!   I want to thank you all for praying for me, it very likely saved my life!  I am so glad to be home with my family all in one piece! Literally!    

So what’s the moral of this story…..

Don’t be dumb by jumping off moving trains!

Home Sweet Home!

Reflections... First Month in Kenya Part Two

…from Kimberly

One evening, shortly after moving into our new home, I was cooking dinner when my cell phone rang…

Me:  “Hello”

Kamau:  “Honey, I see a baboon outside on one of the rooftops!”

Me: “No way, really?!”

Kamau:  “Yeah, come see”

So I called the children and we gathered outside of our house hoping to see this most unusual sight in urban Nairobi.  We looked and looked but he had gone.

Kamau:  “I saw him climbing around and I was afraid he was going to fall.”

Me:  “I wonder how he got there.”

Kamau:  “I don’t know, maybe someone is keeping him as a pet or he escaped from the game park.  Anyway, do you see? This is how rooftops become damaged here in Nairobi!”

Me:  “Yes, I would think so.”

Hmm……. there really is so much to see and hear in this vibrant city where your senses come alive with excitement.  It is teeming with people from many tribes and nationalities; people from different parts of East Africa; Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania as well as places in Asia and the Middle East. There are many languages being spoken even as one is in crowd of people, which in Nairobi, is anywhere you go.  It feels very exotic to me and I feel grateful to have the opportunity to live in the country of my husband’s birth and to serve the Lord here.

After living in a rural area in Zambia for 5-1/2 years and in a suburban area in the US before that, living in a major urban population center is somewhat of an adjustment to say the least.  I enjoy being in close proximity to stores and to be able to visit a local kiosk selling a variety fresh tropical fruits and vegetables at anytime. The industry and ingenuity of the Kenyan people is admirable to witness.  There are many little businesses operating from the side of the road, anything from simply roasting maize on a homemade grill, to all types of furniture displaying excellent craftsmanship.

What has been most challenging for me so far is the public bus transport, called matatus.  As an American, I don’t know where we got the idea of having “personal space,” but it sure becomes a troublesome way of thinking when you are riding in a matatu.  My mind loudly screams in protest that my personal space is being violated beyond all that is bearable when half of a total stranger’s body is hanging over my face or a limb of some sort is overlapping onto my own.  I try not to even think about the speed at which the mataus are going, the fact that we are driving on the sidewalk at times and the oncoming vehicle that we just narrowly missed.

Crossing the road has once again become a challenge, even at 47 years of age.  The last time I felt this way was in elementary school I am sure, but now I am feeling the apprehension that a small child would feel walking along a busy highway and trying to cross it.  My husband has to hold my hand firmly and tell us when it is safe to cross because the traffic is so heavy and pedestrians are not given the right of way.

Oh well, the positive side to these challenges are that opportunities to pray without ceasing are increasing!

...from Malaika

Hi! I'm here in Kenya and things are going okay here, I guess.

We don't have a car right now so we have to catch matatu's (buses) and sometimes they can be crazy. They go pretty fast too. But those things don't really bother me that much. Probably cause' I myself am a little crazy and wild.                     

We have to walk a lot also, which is NOT fun when you're hot and tired and if you don't like walking really far distances. Fortunately, we haven't had to walk really far distances, at least Kimani and I haven't. I don't know about my parents.

There are times I do like going out for walks (not really far ones though), just going out of the house once in awhile.   I like going to the movie theater and stuff.

When I'm on buses or walking, sometimes I smell the smoke from the cars and trucks and buses, and they do not smell nice. Sometimes it makes my stomach hurt and it's not nice having a stomachache out in public where you can't lay down.

I like living in the city. Walking around places, catching matatu’s, stuff like that. But when my parents start teaching me how to catch a matatu by myself, it’s probably going to be creepy because I don’t really want to end up in another part of Nairobi.    

But I do like the scenery in some places and going out for a little bit, and my cousins are here so we get to see them once in a while.

Well I guess I will see you later.

Prayer Closet

**A huge answer to prayer is that Kamau arrived home safely from Zambia after going there to retrieve the rest of our belongings.

**As we turn our attention to our new ministry in Kenya, pray that God will lead us to the location for the children’s center within the slum.  As soon as we find a place and get it ready, we can begin having Bible clubs.

**We also in need of wisdom as we approach leaders with the community in which we will be serving.  Pray that God will lead us to like-minded Christians and people within the community that could aid us in reaching out to the children and parents within the slum

.

** Join us in praying for peace between Christians and Muslims.  There are terrorist elements that would like to stir up animosity which can lead to violent reprisal acts.

Grace & Peace,

The Kamaus