Isch’s Kenya Mission Trip

October 2011

Through Christian Assembly Church, Los Angeles, California

With Living Room Ministries & Kimbilio Hospice, Kipkaren, Kenya

Thank You to all of our supporters who helped to

make this trip possible for us!

Our lives and hearts have been forever changed.

Why a mission trip to Africa?

It is hard to pinpoint what exactly was our motivation to apply for this trip, other than it is what our hearts called us to do. We had been hearing about the wonderful deeds that Juli McGowan had been doing in Africa for as long as we had been at Christian Assembly. Each time that a new update of her work was shared, it left us wanting to hear more, to do more. When the announcement at church was made that a team was going to be heading to Kenya to work alongside Juli, it took split seconds for us to look at each other and say, “Let’s go!”

This mission trip looked different than what might typically be thought of as the purpose of a mission trip. It was not a trip to build a church or home, to teach, or to evangelize – it was a mission of presence and awareness. We went to Africa to learn what it means to so humbly love and care for the poor and sick. We went to the remote village of Kipkaren, to show the sick and dying that they are not forgotten. Their bodies may be broken and failing, their hearts may be aching, and they may feel completely lost, but they are not forgotten, and they are not alone.

Juli’s ministry, Living Room & Kimbilio Hospice, has helped many by providing palliative care, compassion, and hope. It was a genuine blessing and honor to come up alongside Juli and her team, to see and learn from their compassion for others, to encourage their efforts, and to support and lighten their workload.

It’s time to travel!After months of preparation, our trip had arrived! We drove down to southern California and met up with our mission team of nine. Before heading to the airport we were busy packing extra bags to a full 50 pounds, with supplies for the hospice – medical supplies, sheets, blankets, books and a few toys for the children. We traveled with 14 bags of supplies!

We “lost” 2 bags in Nairobi,

but they were later delivered

to the hospice.

The Team at the hospice, sorting through all the supplies that we were blessed to bring with us.

Standing at the entrance to KimbilioHospice. “Karibu” means welcome.

The Team being commissioned at Christian Assembly before leaving for Africa.

Travel Around the WorldOn October 6, 2011 we departed the Los Angeles Airport to fly to Amsterdam. After an 11 hour flight, we landed for a short 2 hour layover and were back on a plane to Nairobi. This second flight took another 9 hours; we finally landed in Africa!

It took us a few hours to go through customs, retrieve our luggage, and find out information on our missing bags. After making it out of the airport we were whisked away to a missionary hostel to sleep for about 4 hours.

Before we knew it, we were on an hour flight to Eldoret. We landed about 7:40am (9:40pm PST on October 7th).

Next we drove 2 hours to the village of Kipkaren, Kenya.

Total travel time approximately 36 hours

Here we are with our team at the Eldoret International Airport (Kenya). The airport

had very few people at it, definitely different than Los

Angeles International!

Driving through Eldoret. Notice we’re on the opposite side of the road! There were a lot of motorbikes and bicycles that would dart on and off the road.

(Above): Piling into the ambulance for the 2 hour drive to Kipkaren.

(Below): Loading our luggage on top of the hospice’s ambulance.

Coca-Cola everywhere in Africa!

Our Incredible WelcomeTears fill our eyes and warm our hearts as we remember the tremendous welcome we received from the Kenyans.

Before our trucks pulled to a halt at the gate of the Kimbilio Hospice, we could hear the joyous singing of our welcoming. Children from the orphanage, hospice staff, community members, and patients who were able to come out, were at the gate singing and dancing. It was hard to wrap our heads around the ceremony they had put together for our welcoming – we were only 9 Americans who they had never met, but to them, we were already family.

We were ushered in to their community with a ribbon cutting, bouquets of roses, a tree planting for each of us, and more singing and dancing.

Click here to see a quick video of our welcome!!

Kimbilio HospiceKimbilio Hospice (Refuge in Swahili) is a 26 bed, inpatient hospice that houses adults and children living with terminal illness.

The services provided by staff include: management of pain and other symptoms and provision of psychological, social and spiritual support. Within this facility, there are also counseling services available to support families during the patient’s illness and bereavement as well as a training institute for health care workers, caregivers, and community members to be empowered with knowledge and skills in palliative care services.

Kimbilio Hospice opened in May of 2011.

The hospice is largely self sufficient with 2 acres of passion fruit (to eat and sell), a large vegetable garden, and a fish pond with 1000 tilapia (to eat and sell).

Daily you will see most patients sitting on the veranda (left), enjoying the fresh air, scenery, and each others company. An incredibly therapeutic and spiritual place.

Living Room Ministires

In 2009, Living Room Ministries International was established to address the many injustices that remain for those living with life-limiting illnesses in Kenya. Guided by the belief that every person was created in the image of God, Living Room’s work is about more than treating a disease. We are caring for a person—physically, psychosocially, and spiritually. Race, tribe, religion, educational level and ability to pay do not determine a person’s value and do not interfere with the care provided by the Living Room team. Our goal is to achieve the best quality of life for individuals and families facing advanced disease.

We urge you to find out more: http://www.livingroominternational.org

See Flovia’s transformation. A true living miracle!

We had the privilege of meeting and playing with Flovia at the orphanage.

Juli & Flovia

Guest HouseOur living accommodations in Kipkaren were far beyond what we were imagining we would be residing in. We stayed in the guest house of David and Allison Tarus; dear friends of Juli and instrumental members of the community and hospice.

The guest house had a living room, full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, and the outdoor upstairs terrace. There was one single bedroom, and the other two rooms had 3 double-sized mattresses (in bunk beds). Every bed had mosquito netting hung to surround. There was running water and electricity inside the house; most homes in the village do not have any of these amenities. We were told that at any time the power or water could go out. We got lucky, the lights only went out a few times.

David and Allison blessed us by arranging to have two ladies, Miriam and Stella, cook all of our meals. They made us very Americanized Kenyan food – such as pasta with lentils as the sauce instead of marinara sauce. The food was good, and it was comforting to have full-bellies with “homestyle” food.

The Guest House. (Below): David & Allison

Tarus with Juli.

Enjoying cokes by candlelight on our last night when the power went out.

HikingThe day after we arrived, Juli lead us on a hike, weaving on and off the dirt road, through gardens, next to homes, and on footpaths. Finally, we made it to our destination, we were atop a huge outcropping of rocks with panoramic breath-taking views of the African countryside. Worth the hike!

Childlike TruthAs we walked, many children from the homes we passed, began to follow us. They were curious about the muzungus (“white people”) and where we were going. It was a delight to have the children travel with us. The littlest of smiles, waves, or dancing would bring out their laughter – a melodic laughter of pure joy from their hearts.

In many of our pictures you can see the children wearing what we (Americans) may view as old clothing, mis-matched, the “wrong gender”, un-seasonal… but to them it doesn’t matter. What you see may be the only items of clothing they own. Many go without shoes as well, not because it’s hot, but because they do not own any. Even though these children have very little in material possessions, they were genuinely happy. It was an utter shock to the soul – these children were happier than most people in America… how is it that they can have so little, and be so happy?

This series of pictures depicts one of our team members, Ken (in red), taking pictures of the children. In the first picture you see Ken taking a picture of the children who walked with us. Then you see the children run towards Ken to see the picture. And finally Ken is engulfed by the children who want to see the picture.

Many of the children had never seen a camera before. And most had never seen their reflection, or picture of themselves. You needed to point out who was who in the picture(s), because they did not recognize themselves.

Listen

to the

Symphony

Walking to KimbilioMost days we would walk the 40 minutes to and from the hospice to the guest house. Here are some pictures along our daily walk.

A continued view of our walk to Kimbilio.

What does your commute look like?

Juli’s is awesome!

HopeHere are pictures of just a few of the patients at the Living Room who shared with us their life-story; some cannot speak, but their stories were shared. The light in their eyes and the smile on their faces tell volumes of the care being received at the hospice. Each and every person illustrated to us what it means to have true joy amongst pain and suffering.

Jacob

Isaiah Paulina & Caroline

Mercy (5)

Chepchumba (8) Samuel

Moses

Osoro (3)

Support & EncouragementOne of our main goals in coming to the hospice, was to support Juli and her staff. Since we were the first team to come to Kimbilio, the tasks and assignments were not solidified. Our days were very fluid; help out where needed, encourage the staff, love the patients, support.

(Above): Chris working hard with the kitchen staff. The staff cook 3 nutritious meals and at least 2

wholesome snacks daily. Meals happen at different intervals

throughout the day, keeping all patients and staff well-fed. It is a

day-long non-stop process!Names from Left: Nicholas, Ken,

Kari, Greg, Chris.

(Below): We are stitched quilts to be hung as wall décor in the common room and bedrooms. This brought in a lot of

colorful uplifting adornment! Names from Left: Dar, Silvia, Kari.

(Right): Nurse Michelle listening to patient’s ailments and treatment

courses, assisting with wound care, and offering suggestions. Dar (in pink), a

social worker who is helping to assess family and social situations to provide

the best holistic support for each patient. (With Nurse Rachel)

(Above): Kari sitting on the veranda, holding Moses’s hand, listening to a music therapist sing.

Names from left: Joseph, Caroline, Kari, Moses, Teresa.

A Breath of Fresh Air

(Above left): A view of the 2 acres of passion fruit on the property.

(Above right): Silvia working to harvest and prune the passion fruit vineyard.

(Below left): Gene and Greg are teaching Jacob how to play chess. Jacob was a history teacher in Nairobi before an accident occurred that left him paralyzed from

the chest down. Jacob loved the intellectual challenge of learning chess!Names from left: Jacob, Gene, Greg.

(Below Right): Ken is working to make pieces, for their homemade chess board, out of wood and metal scraps.

(Above): Osoro is a 3 year old boy who came to the hospice in a desperate attempt to receive help for a large disfiguring tumor on his face. His mother found the right place to care

for his needs. Since his first round of chemotherapy, Osoro’stumor has shrunk considerably! He will need to receive

several more rounds of chemo. Read more about Osoro’sincredible story.

Osoro was a bit afraid of white people. He had never seen any before coming to the hospice, so he shied away from any

eye contact or attempted communication. Osoro is from a different tribe and doesn’t understand Swahili or English. But Cassidy’s warm heart and spirit soften Osoro’s heart.

Osoro connected with Cassidy, they played soccer and blocks together! When it was time to leave for the day, Osoro gave

Cassidy a hug and cried when he left. What a treasured memory.

Names from left: Rachel, Osoro, Juli, Cassidy.

Days Full of Care

Eddah (left) and Emily (right) helping to make pull-string bags to be sold

to World Vision and to visitors.

Silvia spending time with Teresa and Mary. The team on a morning home visit.

Chris and Michelle holding Mercy and Chepchumba.

Home VisitsOne day we walked with Henry (left) into the surrounding villages to check in on patients living with HIV/AIDS.

We were able to visit two homes on our outing. Both families graciously invited us into their homes and shared their story with us. These families were hurting badly medically and economically. However, there was never a sense of defeat – they were HIV+, but still had light in their eyes and hope in their hearts.

The hospice continues to support and assist the community based program, Tumaini na Afya (Hope and Health). This organization was born in response to the needs of the community surrounding HIV in October of 2004. The nature and vision of Tumaini na Afyafocuses on the prevention of HIV/AIDS, mobilizing those who are already infected with the virus for treatment services, as well as continued follow-up and care within the community.

Some of the ongoing programs within Tumainina Afya include: HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns; HIV 101 trainings targeting school aged students; home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS, other chronic illnesses and orphans and vulnerable children.

(Above): Standing in front of the hospice with Henry after our home visits.

(Below): Some children we met along our walk.

(Above): Henry took us all throughout the countryside to get to the homes. We walked

about 6 miles! (Below): We trekked a good distance along the

railroad tracks.

Gifts from St.Catherine’sIn the beginning stages of the hospice, Juli and the head staff had visited a Catholic hospice, in Kisumu, Kenya, to see how they were running their care center. A year later Juli received a call sharing that the Kisumu hospice, St. Catherine’s, was closing and that Mother Superior wanted to speak with her in person. Juli and her head team travelled to Kisumufor the conference. In their meeting Mother Superior handed Juli a list of hospital supplies and asked if the Kimbilio Hospice could use any of them. On this page-long list were supplies that the Kimbilio staff has been praying for and saving to purchase. The team’s mouths dropped when Mother Superior said, “It’s all yours. Come pick it up next week.” Incredible!!

That “next week” fell right during our visit, so all of our male team members drove out to Kisumu to pick up these items. The drive to Kisumu was a long 3 hours, on bumpy roads, in the back of the ambulance. When our team finally arrived, they were amazed at all the items that were being provided; PLUS there were numerous extra gifts being donated in addition to the long list previously provided. What a blessing!

Kimbilio received over $100,000 in medical equipment from St. Catherine’s Hospice. Gifts included 7 hospital beds, geriatric chairs, bedside tables, wheel chairs, and many many boxes of medical supplies and clothing!

Children’s HomeMost evenings we walked to the Empowering Lives International children orphanage to participate and listen to the children’s nightly devotions. As soon as we stepped foot on to the property of the children’s home, children would run up to us, hug us, giggle and talk with us (in English). We would be led by hand to the small round structure where devotions would be held. The evening of devotions would include packing in to a small domed structure with 100+ children, singing, dancing, reciting Bible verses from memory, and the sharing of a story/lesson and/or personal testimony.

Two evenings, our team participated a bit more by teaching the children songs and performing two small skits – David and Goliath, and Daniel and the lions den.

Click here to hear the children singing at their nightly devotions.

To find out more about the children’s home in Kipkaren, and about the great movements Empowering Lives International is doing in Africa, click here.

(Above): Silvia and Michelle with some

children at the children’s home.

(Right): A picture of the homes and common

space structures at the Kipkaren orphanage.

ChurchEvery Sunday the community of Kipkaren convene at church, eager to whole-heartedly worship God, learn, and love. There are many waves of devotions in the 3-4 hour long service. Each service begins with singing and dancing, then a small sermon, next more singing and dancing, then at least an hour-long sermon, followed by tithing, and then possibly a combination of more singing, a sermon, or testimonies from the church community. Any person can get up during service and share their personal testimony, impactful Bible teachings, encouragement, and words of wisdom. It was inspiring to see the pure-hearted devotions of the Kenyans. The members of this community have so little, yet give so much. They are starving, dying of illnesses, orphaned, widowed, poor, broken, yet they give praise for the good in their life. What a lesson to witness; what a lesson to emulate.

The church has room to seat about 220 people inside. When you walk in the double doors at the back of the church, you see a room packed to it’s brim with green plastic patio chairs, a small stage in the front, and a foldable table with an electronic keyboard and two microphones placed on top. The church is simplistic, but incredibly inviting and spiritual. Every seat in the church is filled, there are people crowding around the doors, and children sitting in all the outside window sills to hear the message. Wow!

Being guests of the community, we were ushered to the front two rows of the church. It was nice to have an unobstructed view of the stage, however, this also proved to give easy access to pull our team members up on stage to dance with in front of the congregation! The amount of dancing that was done, inside the hot church (no A/C with 200+ people), truly was an invigorating cardio workout.

Powerful. Moving. Inspiring.

Our team standing outside the church. These are the double

doors in the back of the church, where people are

crowded around to worship and hear the messages.

Kipkaren RiverWe went on a hike to see the Kipkaren River. This used to be the only source of drinking and bathing water for the village (look at the brown color of the water). Living Room Ministries raised money to drill several boreholes, providing clean water at many of the schools/training centers, orphanage, medical clinic, and hospice. There is also a community spicket at the hospice, giving access to clean water for all the villagers.

The bridge that Kari is standing in front of was built by Living Room Ministries. There used to be a rope bridge crossing the river, but it was destroyed in a storm. After this happened, the community on the other side of the river would stand on the shoreline and call out, singing for help; they asked to bring them Jesus. Without the bridge, this community had no access to the church or way to cross the swift moving river. Living Room answered their prayers by building this sturdy bridge.

World Hospice Day

Celebrating on the Kimbilio Hospice veranda.

The day we arrived to Kipkaren was World Hospice Day, however, the staff decided to postpone celebrating it for a few days for our welcoming. It was amazing to be in Kenya to celebrate Kimbilio’s first World Hospice Day! All of the patients were brought to the veranda, in mixture with staff from the hospice and medical clinic, community members, and our team members. It was a packed onthe veranda! We were able to hear stories of how instrumental Kimbilio has been in everyone’s lives, the extraordinary care and love that is provided, heart-breaking and heart-warming testimonies, praises given to the Lord, and kudos to the staff, all interlaced with laughter, smiles, and joy. Juli and her team change the lives of every person they come into contact with. We are still in awe that we were able to spend two weeks in Africa with this remarkable community. The Kimbilio Hospice is a miraculous, spiritual, and healing home like no other.

Our hearts have been moved,

our emotions transformed,

our minds inspired,

our spirits stirred.

We are ready to go.

Go where? Well, we’re not sure yet. We feel compelled to do more, be more, share more. Our time in Africa opened our eyes to the great need in the world, and to the vast differences between the American lifestyle and the poverty most of the world lives in…

If you have food in your refrigerator

Clothes in your closet

A bed to sleep on

And a roof over your head

You are richer than 75% of the world

While in Kenya our hearts were broken by the poor - poor in spirit, poor in family, poor in food and clothing, poor in health, poor in education. Our hearts were broken, but then knitted back together with the thread of the importance of the field of missions. We have been forever changed, inspired, and set in to motion. We are ready to go back out to serve others.

Since returning home, we have been researching opportunities for us to serve more long-term overseas. We are searching to find the right fit for us, where we can use our talents, skills, and education to help those in need. We would love for you to trek with us on this journey of figuring out what is next for us; please pray for us, ask questions, inquire on where we’re at in our process, support us in this new life-changing challenge. We are very excited to see what doors God will open for us! Thank you for allowing us to share our hearts with you.

Seeking

All those people goin' somewhereWhy have I never cared?

Give me Your eyes for just one secondGive me Your eyes so I can seeEverything that I keep missing

Give me Your love for humanityGive me Your arms for the broken-hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reachGive me Your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me Your eyes so I can see

Listen to Brandon Heath “Give Me Your Eyes”

Asante Sana!(Thank You in Swahili)

Thank you for sharing in this journey with us! If you have any questions or comments, we would love to hear from you. Please call or email us

Here are two of our online albums from our trip. There will be pictures in both that are not shown in this presentation; there is just too much goodness to fit it all in! And when we receive the pictures from our trip’s photographer, we will share them with you also!

Mission Trip: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.645926072049.2113316.23801571&type=1&l=84edc9c606

Safari: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.645937139869.2113317.23801571&type=1&l=ac8a99731d

Team’s Blog while in Kenya: http://livingroomteam.blogspot.com/

At our good-bye celebration we were adorned with colorful Maasai Kangas.

Did you know?Click for more details...

Cancer Rates in Africa… are expected to grow by 400% over the next 50 years.

80% of Cancer Patients in Africa… have advanced incurable disease at first presentation to a health facility.

Palliative Care is… an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families.

Water Problems Affect… half of humanity.

40 Million People Live With… HIV/AIDS, with 3 million deaths in 2004.

72 Million Children… of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005.

24,000 Children… Die Each Day due to Poverty.

Half of the World… over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.