Jesus loves the little children

“Then children were brought to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belong the Kingdom of Heaven.” And He laid His hands on them and went away.”

Matthew 18:13-15

Today began like any normal day, but we had no idea what this seemingly ordinary day would hold. We headed out to Wako Bupi, one of the villages we had been visiting, conducting surveys on the Chujios (water filters) and sharing Creation to the Cross. However, once we got there we realized we had already visited all the Menyattas with Chujios, so it was time to move on the next village. This village was called Kubi and it was beautiful! It was set up on the side of a mountain and the Menyattas were tucked in the hills and behind the trees.

S dropped us off to begin with the surveys, but little did we know that all the women would be out of their homes fetching water and food for their families. We visited one house and then sat around and played with the kids for the remainder of the afternoon. The children were playful and curious, covered in dirt and worn clothes, as they normally are. There was this one child in particular, who looked about the age of two, wobbling as he walked around. He seemed big enough to be walking with no problem. His limbs looked like tiny sticks supporting him, waiting to snap at any moment. And once we got a closer look, we saw that his fingers and toes had some sort of growth on them, they looked as though there were clumps of mud dried on his tiny phalanges. It was so sad and almost terrifying because none of us had ever seen anything like that before.

[Sweet Shelby feeding the sick baby]

S had noticed this little boy before he left the village. When he finally returned to pick us up (more than four hours later), he hurriedly told us to get the kids and put them in the car. The doctors were waiting for us at the clinic and they closed in half an hour! This little toddler was one of eight children. Shelby wanted to take them all to the clinic, but we couldn’t find them all (plus I don’t know how we would have fit the entire family in the Land Cruiser) and the mother was unwilling to accompany her children to the clinic. We took the four that we knew of and pilled everyone in the car (twelve people in a five passenger car-get the picture?).

We quickly arrived at the clinic in Marsabit where Dr. Ivy was awaiting us. Paige and I noticed that we had a flat tire; unfortunately that was the least of our worries. The four children were immediately seen by the doctors. The doctors said that they couldn’t even begin to give them medicine because they were so malnourished. The oldest boy was around the age of ten, the second probably six or seven, and the two babies were maybe two years and eight months, but all of these ages were estimates made by the doctors because the children themselves did not know their own birthdays. The oldest boy was obviously the caretaker in the family, carrying the youngest sibling on his back the whole day we were at the village. The two-year-old (the one with the fungus on his fingers and toes) was running a very high fever. The doctors said that the growth on his fingers was identified as “Chigas,” which is caused by an infestation of fleas (the fleas burry themselves under the finger and toenails and cause an infection). The doctors said that the two youngest children had to be admitted to the hospital in order for them to regain any nutrients they lacked, so that they would be able to receive treatment for their illnesses.

S and Tyler quickly fixed the flat tire and we were on our way to our next destination…Marasbit Hospital. And let me tell you, this is not a place you would want to find yourself, no matter how serious your condition. I know when I say, “hospital,” you automatically have a picture in your head. Erase any preconceived visuals you may have because this place resembled more of a prison than a hospital…it honestly looked like a scene you would be found in a horror film (and I’m not exaggerating in the least bit). Walking through this real-life nightmare, I was filled with emotions of sadness, anger, and disbelief. I could not believe that these children could possible get any better while being housed in this institution. I was angered because I could not fathom how the government officials of Marsabit or even Kenya could allow this sham to be in this current state. I was disturbed to see the gigantic gab between what our hospitals in America provide (to everyone!) and the care this place provides (to only those who could afford it).

[This is ward that the children stayed in at the Marsabit Hospital]

And the madness didn’t end there; the workers were unwilling and disagreeable. They were only willing to admit one of the two children (even though they had strict orders by the official doctors from the clinic to admit both children due to their condition). With a little stern encouragement from S, they finally agreed to admit both ill children. After we checked the two children in, we had to go by the house to get the essentials for the two babies and their caretaker (the hospital didn’t even provide 24 hour nursing care, so S had to use his outside sources to ensure that these children would be adequately cared for). We had to retrieve simple items such as sheets for the bed, clean water to bathe and feed them, clean clothes, and food (all items that any institution in the U.S. would provide).

It can go without saying that each of us was deeply affected by what we experienced that day. We were left with so many questions, so many concerns, and so many emotions. That night, after returning the two older boys to their village, S picked up the mother and brought her to the hospital where her two youngest were being kept. Everyday since that day, we have returned to that hospital to check on those two precious babies. They are both doing much better! Both of them are without fever, they are cleansed from all the dirt and insects, they both have life in their eyes and color in the tiny faces again. The Chigas on the toddler’s fingers and toes have shown much improvement. We are so thankful to see those improvements because the doctors said that they probably would not have made it much longer in those living conditions.

S and M are currently looking into finding a better living environment for these children since the mother obviously does not have the ability to care for her eight children on her own. We don’t want to see these children go straight back into the unhealthy environment they were living, only to be right back where we found them. They need a change of life to ensure that they will be adequately taken care of. So please join with me and our team in praying for these children and their mother. Pray that these children would continue to get well and that they find a new home. Also, pray for salvation and healing for this mother.

The Lord is our Healer

As soon as we got to Kargi we set up the clinic and began to see patients that very afternoon. The clinic was insane! We set up in this tiny building with one doctor (Dr. Ivy who has only had three years of schooling after high school…scary, huh?) and man named Daniel, who ran tests for AIDS/HIV, TB, and Malaria. We had at least eight of us working, six translators, and then of course all the Kargian patients. The patients would wait in a line outside the building, get tested, see the doctor, and then come to us with their requested prescriptions. So then we had to count pills, calculate dosages, then grab a translator and explain to the patient their treatment. I can say that I’ve got some pharmaceutical skills under by belt now!

[entertaining the children outside of the clinic]

After the patients were treated, they are guided to some benches on the side of the building. This is where a few people would be to present the gospel to them. There would be a couple of us out there, speaking to a group of as many as eight people. I did not have this job until the last couple of days and honestly I was kind of dreading it, because everyone who had done it prior to me had expressed how exhausting it becomes. However, once I got out there and began to share this life-changing story with these people, everything changed. I had to pray that the Lord would give me energy and motivation. I realized that it’s not about me, it’s about bringing glory to His name. If I allow my emotions and exhaustion to drive me then of course I’ll grow weary and the stories will become mundane. But if I am sharing this truth with these people as if they have never heard it before, then it changes everything! It was so incredibly encouraging to see the smiles of gratitude on the faces of these women and hearing them sing praises to the same God that I worship and love.

We shared with these people that though the treatment they were receiving will only provide them with some temporary relief, it would not bring lasting healing. Further, true healing comes from the Healer, the Creator, and their Savior. Unlike us, these people cannot depend on their health; they cannot even depend on their healthcare. So for them to hear that they could have everlasting healing and comfort for all of their physical and spiritual needs was mind blowing.

[the Rendille women decked out on their colorful beads]

One of the traditions of the Rendille people in Kargi is that of “adoption.” Yes, adoption. And who do they want to adopt? The Mzungus (the white people). So oftentimes women (sometimes men) will approach you and ask if they can adopt you. With this adoption comes a new name, handmade beads, and even some livestock! However, most of the time they are expecting their new “white” son or daughter to give them something in return. I was adopted and given the name of “Robeya,” which means “green” or “one who brings green, growth.” I was adopted a second time and was given the name of “Gumatho,” which means “Friday” (and no, I don’t know what relevance that has).  This mama left to bring me beads and then proceeded to tell me that she would have a goat for me when I returned to Kargi in two weeks. They take this stuff seriously, so I might be coming home with a new friend.

We are to rely on the Lord and not ourselves…

“He delivered us from such a deadly peril. On Him we have set our HOPE for He will deliver us again. You must also help us by prayer, so that many may give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted to us through the many prayers.”

2 Corinthians 1:9-11

Please let this scripture resonate in your heart for the people of Marsabit and Kargi. The Lord is our deliverer and He has saved us from death. We set our hope in Him and it should be our desire for others to obtain that same lasting hope. So please partner with me in prayer for the people here, so that many may give thanks to the Lord our Savior!

back to the desert

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your work is not in vain.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

So we returned home to Marsabit from a week in Kargi (aka the desert) with the medical team. It was such a blessing to have the group of eleven join us in Kenya.  Today was a bit of a strange day in Africa. We bid a farewell to the medical team early this morning and spent the remainder of the day inside eating and watching movies. We watched three and a half movies (and I say “half” because we attempted to watch Oceans Eleven and it cut off right in the middle, prompting us to “insert disc 2” in which we did not have…like the saying goes…AWA (Africa wins again). That’s what we get for buying a bootleg in Africa I suppose haha) as a family and it really felt like home. We all agreed that we forgot that we were in Africa for a short time.

[The town of Kargi]

We all headed out to the desert Monday morning on “The Beast” (a huge safari vehicle). As soon as we arrived in Kargi we went out to set up the medical clinic and began to see patients. The people don’t have access to medical help-no doctors, hospitals, medicine, or any money to receive those things. If the people there are sick or become injured they either just live with the discomfort, become very ill, travel to Marsabit or Nairobi(if they have a mode of transportation), or just don’t make it. We had the opportunity to share the gospel with many people and they were very receptive. Rendille is the name of the people group that occupy Kargi. The Rendilles are some of the most friendly, welcoming people you will ever meet. They always have a smile on their faces even though they don’t seem like they have much to be smiling about. They are just naturally joyful people. One of my little friends I made walked around on rocks with bare feet half the time she was with me, but it never failed that she would look up at me with those big brown eyes, holding my hand so tightly, with the biggest, sweetest smile on her little face.

The children there are so sweet and they hung all over us. I went back to Kargi Primary Friday and taught an English and Social Studies class. I don’t really think the kids cared about the material I was trying to teach them, they were just getting a kick out of looking at a mzungu (a white person in Swahili) and listening to me talk! The first day I was there we went out the menyattas and informed the mamas about sanitation and water purification. We also shared “Creation to the Cross” with the women and children. I say women and children because the men of the villages are either out watching the camels and goats or sitting inside the menyattas. In the Rendille culture the women are expected to do all the work, caring for the children, cooking, fetching the water, building their menyattas…pretty much any work that is to be done is performed by the women. The men are highly honored in this culture and its kinda frustrating to see how backwards their way of living is…how unbiblical it is. This is just another indication of how their lack of knowledge of the love of Christ negatively affects their lives.

The trip was so great but very exhausting, as you can imagine, I was ready to get back to Shelby and Mary’s for some restful sleep and to be clean! Its basically impossible to be clean in Kargi because its so hot and dusty haha. When we got back to Marsabit yesterday we helped Mrs. Mary cook for the team…we made spaghetti, banana bread, and yellow cake with this amazing chocolate icing.

I can’t believe that I’ve been here for three weeks and I have only three more to go. In some ways it feels like I’ve been here so much longer but in others, it seems so short. I’ve experienced and learned so much that it’s almost too difficult to put it all into words. I do miss home, my family, and my close friends. But I’m thankful to have Shelby, Mary, and my teammates. They have made being thousands of miles away from home much easier than I could ever have imagined.

This is just a short overview of our week in Kargi. Stay tuned and I'll update more and hopefully with some pictures if the internet will cooperate! Continue to pray that God would move in the hearts of the Rendille people and that he would be preparing the hearts of those whom we will come in contact with this week.