Trips to Kenya to reach the unreached

We are planning our trips for next year. You may want to consider joining us or you may know others who have a passion to go where others don't go. This next year our trips will be in partnership with the PLO Lumumba Foundation and will be to the far Northeast, Northwest and Southern most part of Kenya. Our focus will be:

1. Medical camps
2. Sports
3. Evangelism
4. Civic education (to assist Dr. Lumumba in his fight against corruption)
5. Promotion of health as an asset
6. what if? Campaign fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS

We will equip and support the kenya team of musicians, preachers and doctors as they reach 9 unreached tribes. Trip dates include:

February - Marsabit
June - Turkana
August - Mombasa
October - village outreach not determined yet

As you consider if you are called to go with us you might want to read what Pat, a nurse who went to Marsabit with us in August said about her trip:

"The model of coming along side ministries and supporting them is so effective.  Those that are in the trenches day in and day out need various forms of support, encouragement and counsel.  Each of the ministries we worked with were strong spiritually as reflected by their fruit. Partners for Care is not just about doing good things for struggling people.  PFC is about seeing God transform lives through us, His hands and feet.  The ministry believes not just in the concrete ways we can serve, but also the very big God we serve who still does miracles today!"

Come with us and meet the people and ministries PFC equips to serve God in the slums and in the deserts of Kenya. See the miracles for yourself.

Blessings,

Connie
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Partners for Care - just where we need to be

I have returned from Kenya. I want to use this update to share with you

the status of the Partners for Care organization in Kenya.

It has been said every man has a turning point...I believe every
organization also has a turning point and PFC Kenya ends this year having
made a turning point. Our mission is to equip, engage, encourage and
empower young Christian leaders in the fight to save lives for the
kingdom. It hasn't always been easy to do this. We have struggled with
many attacks from the enemy but God has been faithful.

We are working with the highest moral authority of the Nation - Dr. PLO
Lumumba who is championing the move to eradicate all corruption from
Kenya. It is an honor and a blessing to work with him and the people who
run his foundation. One man in particular, Vincent Omondi, doesn't speak
of serving his people - he serves them! Through medical camps and his own
personal work in the slums of Kenya, he shows the hurting, the lost and
homeless Christ's love and brings them to Christ. We are blessed to serve
with him.

The PFC staff in Kenya are leading the way - we in the US are supporting
their efforts. They work in the slums, using music, sports and medical
outreaches to transform lives - to win souls for Christ. Sammy Wanjau
leads the team with good direction and dedication. He is well respected by
the PFC staff and pastors and community leaders. Sam Wachira leads the
what if? Life Changing Centre, working closely with Sammy as they create a
sustainable business that helps the small village and slum of Mururi.
Just yesterday a TV station interviewed the team to learn of their work.
The news show about Kenya Partners for Care will air 6 times on TV next
week.

We used to struggle when working with some Kenyan doctors at our medical
camps because of their lack of passion for their people - no more! We now
work with Helping Hands led by Dr. Martin Okello who serves the poor with
passion, kindness and respect. We will hold medical camps together all
over Kenya next year.

Pastor David Karanja of the Christ Harvesters International Ministry
(based in Marietta, Ga.) has agreed to preach the gospel where ever we go
for medical camps. We could not have asked for a better man of God to
spread the gospel! Our opportunities in Kenya continue to expand. We are
now working through PCEA churches to spread the message of HIV/AIDS.

And for me personally I have been blessed by those who have gone - seen
the work and now call this "our ministry". What a blessing to have
passionate
people engaged to help equip the Kenyan team to do God's work.

This next year will be the best year for Partners for Care in Kenya. Thank
you for reading these updates, for sending encouraging messages and
especially for the prayers and financial support. It takes many people to
help the children, the hurting, the homeless and lost. I look forward with
great anticipation to what God has planned for these young leaders in
Kenya as they work everyday to save lives for the kingdom.

Blessings,

Connie

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Dearest Connie,

Thank you for the continuing updates of your ministries in Kenya. I am so
proud of you and what you have wrought in that little corner of the world.
I look back at some of your first attempts to satisfy God's calling on
your life by organizing teams to provide medical clinics in the slums of
Nairobi.

I remember sitting at the dinner table at H.E.A.R.T. in the outskirts of
Nairobi and the feeling of despair of you and the team members when your
attempts were thwarted by the arrogance of a Kenyan doctor hired by you to
provide the medical services. I understood his usurpation of the team's
effort for his own self aggrandizement, of his barely concealed contempt
for your female leadership, and our discussions of how that model compared
to my own somewhat limited knowledge of fielding medical teams. You asked
for my input from a few of my experiences of leading medical teams to
various parts of the world to address the matter at hand. I shared what I
could, but the model I followed was more of servant leadership. My main
advice was for you to take charge, quit beating yourself up over the past
decisions, put the doctor in his place and pray for direction from God. I
imagined that the following day would be confrontational with perhaps a
parting of the ways with the hired Kenyan medical staff.

You speak in the current e-mail update of recognizing a turning point in a
person's or organization's life. What I saw the next day was the
beginning of a metamorphosis of Connie Cheren. Instead of the
confrontation that I had imagined, (and probably would have precipitated
myself had I been leading) you exhibited an act of servant leadership that
will always be with me. Rather than calling the team out and explaining
how it was to be henceforth, you and your little US team held a foot
washing service for the Kenyan team! That act of humility and servant
attitude was something that none of them (nor had I) ever witnessed in
such a situation. God used you in a way I would never have dreamt, but
the result was that Kingdom work was done from that point.

I understand the trials and tribulations you have faced over the past
years in the pursuit of providing for those you serve. I have seen the
efforts temporarily sidetracked by relying on those whose heart and
service was not for those needing food, shelter and medicines, but using
your good efforts to attempt to take credit for your work to advance their
own ill-advised cause. You have held the faith during these times,
forgiven the instigators of these travesties, moved on and continued the
fight for the right. You have recruited where possible from those that
you went to serve; you have empowered those with the vision and calling
among the poorest of the poor, and have pledged your own health, service
and treasure to that Kingdom calling.

I have traveled the world with some of the best and brightest Followers of
Christ. I have served with Wes and Joy Griffin of I L I in training
leaders worldwide; I have led local medical and construction teams to
several continents; and from my Board seat on The Mission Society, I see
the cutting edge of Mission work worldwide and those missionaries who are
leading those efforts. My hat is off to you and those who have been
inspired by you - the leaders you have supported in P F C - The Kenyan
nationals who share your dream and survive on your support - and the US
supporters that you have opened a door for to share in the Great
Commission. I know where the real talent and drive emanates, and that is
with an Atlanta nurse who could not resist His call for her service!

Long ago I listened to a college professor who shared a Life Lesson with
me that I shall never forget. He said, "In this world, there are only two
types of people - winners and losers. The winners give, and the losers
take."

Connie, you are a winner.

Blessings,

Jim Davis

When God shows you a need He wants you to act...not plan

Last Wednesday God showed me a need. And, He expected me to act with compassion. Instead, I went home to plan what to do. But, if I am honest with myself God told me what to do...right then not later. Nick and Charles had told me for two days they had a new client. Charles - a young man of 29. Charles was bedridden from the disease of AIDS but he had something else wrong with him. Nick would describe he was bleeding from his leg..I asked medical assessment questions but couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Nick said people in Mathare slum were "afraid" of Charles because of the "bleeding" and were running away from him.

On Wednesday I was able to go to Mathare to see this young man. We were blessed to be taking with us Michael Agwanda from Life for Children Ministry and his wife Lola who is a doctor. We found Charles bedridden, in pain and unable to move. He had a large growth on his left knee. Searching for any information about his health condition we found a folded up piece of paper. It was a referral for follow-up for the cancer tumor on his left knee. He was to have radiation and chemotherapy. The referral was written in August. Obviously, Charles could not afford that kind of treatment. So, now he lay dying. Laying in a shack in a slum, on fifty sheets barely able to open his eyes. We prayed for him and went to plan what to do. We knew he would need a chest x-ray to see if the cancer had spread. Then we would know if treatment was still an option or if he needed palliative care. He had developed a bedsore on his hip. The CT volunteers were visiting him changing the dressing on the bedsore and offering what support they could.

I wanted to get him clean sheets, pain medicine that relieve his pain and arrange with someone to stay with him while he made his passage to heaven. I am a nurse. I know what the dying need. But, I didn't act...and on Friday we received word that God relieved the suffering of this young man and called him home.

I made a pledge that the next time God allows me the opportunity to meet the needs of a dying person I will act with haste...and not plan. All Nick and Charles and their volunteers need is the medicines, the clean sheets, the food...they do the work. We can help them. I could have helped them this time but didn't. Next time I will...

Connie
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Playing barefoot

The Kenya Partners for Care staff use many different ways to reach the youth with the message of living for Christ and HIV prevention. Their latest efforts is soccer. The staff have started two what if? soccer teams in Muruiri slum - under 16 and over 16. These boys practice everyday - without a soccer field, without shoes or uniforms. The community comes out to watch them practice. As I stood watching them play in a grassy field barefoot I imagined them in uniforms and soccer shoes. George works with them teaching them about how to live as good examples to others in this small village/slum area. Just another way Partners for Care is helping transform the next generation - one boy at a time.

Connie
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Many people served - the devil is shamed

It is hard to believe but in 7 days time we went 12 hours north to Marsabit and 12 hours west to Cherengany - all on the "roads" of Kenya. I use the word roads even though at times there were no roads.
The medical camps in Cherengany met so many challenges that at times we could only laugh at the disappointments. But, the leaders from the PLO Foundation who we partner with to do medical camps said it best "the devil was shamed". None of the challenges stopped us from serving the people. The day before we left for the camps everything seemed "to fall apart". Drugs weren't ready, bed nets weren't available, transportation was a problem. I put out a specific prayer requests for people to pray for God to intervene if He felt us worthy. Early Friday morning we secured both the drugs and the bednets.
We arrived in Cherengany very late Friday night only to have the bus breakdown as we were delivering people to their hotels. The staff from Lumumba Foundation stayed up all night solving that problem. Somehow though we managed to get everyone to their camp site - we did four locations. People were already waiting to see a doctor. At the end of the day:
1536 were seen by doctors and received medications
700 children received polio immunization as we launched the Kenya polio program
900 mosquito nets were distributed
306 were tested for HIV/AIDS with 12 referred for follow-up
Many received community health and family planning
Tom from our team analyzed the water situation and developed a plan for them for safe drinking water
352 bibles were donated for the people
All were prayed for

Tom praying with the sick

The Nandi women singing to the guests at one of the sites

Transportation back to Nairobi was well let's say interesting as we didn't have the bus we traveled there anymore....but we all arrived safely.
The best part of all it was meeting a team of Kenyan doctors who are passionate for their people. The doctor who headed one of the sites told me when I called to see if he was ready to be picked up..."We can't stop now, we have 20 people waiting in line to be seen". He is a real servant to the people.
The final report written by the Lumumba Foundation is titled, What if there was passion for servant leadership?
Tonight we meet with the Lumumba team to debrief, analyze this camp and plan for the next one - Marsabit in February. I am looking for passionate people who want to come with me to serve along with the Lumumba team in Marsabit. Doing medical camps in Marsabit is as Ryan used to say...a task that is daunting and seems sometimes impossible but with God all things are possible.
Blessed to serve with those who care for the people here in Kenya,
Connie
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Little Elizabeth laid to rest

Early yesterday morning George took Nick to the morgue at Kenyetta Hospital where Nick dressed Little Elizabeth in her burial clothes, placed her in the small coffin he had made for her and placed on top of one of vans for the trip to bury her. The van was full as George drove Nick, Charles and 8 CT members to Elizabeth's home village. A small car with 5 more people followed behind.

When I sent the message that Little Elizabeth had died, Robert (a team member from the August trip) wrote:

In Kenya, you never know when you hug a child, when that beautiful creature may ascend to Heaven.  You never know if it will be in a year, a month, next week or even tomorrow.  You never know, when you look into their eyes whether the next time you visit Kenya, they will be looking and smiling at you or Jesus.  You never know who that treasure will be holding our her arms to for a hug.  You never know, only He does.

Nick has accepted Elizabeth's death telling me that he read in Isaiah 55 where it says God calls home some early to protect them from the pain and suffering they would endure here on earth. He also told me he never saw anyone fight for their life as Elizabeth did. He said she would ask Nick to pray for her. Nick brought me her hospital reports - she died from kidney failure.

When CT sent out the announcement they closed by saying:

"When we lose someone we love, our bitterest tears are called forth by the memories of hours when we loved not enough". I can tell you Nick will not cry bitter tears as he loved Elizabeth and cared for her with the love of Jesus.

On the list of help Nick needed this week was "white dress for burial". When I received that request I was traveling back from Marsabit on Wednesday late afternoon - they were to leave the next day to bury her. The Water Team and I stopped at a small village and went into a grocery store. Upstairs we saw a beautiful white dress with pink satin flowers and pink velvet sash. There was only one and it was Elizabeth's size. The team remembered she would need shoes. They had one little pair of white shoes perfect size and a pair of white tights with pink ribbons. Amazing...all perfect for Elizabeth. When we gave to Nick late that night he said Elizabeth would look like the angel she was.

Thank you for your prayers for Nick and all those who loved Elizabeth and will miss her. She was the story teller at the children's home always telling the other children when they returned from school the events that had happened while they were away. We are helping Nick organize a memorial for Elizabeth that all the children can attend.

Grateful for those who read these updates and care,

Connie
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The Water Team

The team that is traveling with me this trip all have an interest in water - both access to water and clean water. Tom is with FirstWater, Inc.. He partnered with us in August cost-sharing for a water filter that we took to Marsabit. Belinda is the Director of the Joe Beasley Foundation. Mr. Beasley has faithfully followed the work of Partners for Care for several years. We have wanted to work together and have come together on this water project. Deb has been to Kenya many times and is here to help us connect with other programs and to "see" the Partners for Care programs.

This team has done what some would call crazy. We flew in Sunday night and within four hours we were on our way to Marsabit. Only those who have gone to Marsabit know what it is like. We travel 10-12 hours north from Nairobi - six hours which is off-road through the desert. Off-roading looks fun on the TV commercials but soon gets very tiresome.

But, they endured and we arrived in Masabit at noon on Monday. We were anxious to go see the Gabra tribe. (For more on the Gabra tribe read the blog on www.partnersforcare.org for the August mission trip).

Our vehicle stuck in sand in Marsabit

The children's feet that we treated in August for jiggers were still healed and Jane who we taught how to treat the jiggers had helped more children with the supplies we left her. We saw and held the baby that was born the day we did the medical camp. She is 3 months old and looked good. The next day we went to see the Rendile tribe. We arrived in time to see 65 little children sitting on the floor in a one room small building reciting their lessons. Their teacher is paid $10.00 a month. They were precious all reciting their lessons as one of the little three year olds led them using his stick baton to point out the phonetic sounds on the chalk board.

We had brought supplies to treat the jiggers but the children needed more than treated for jiggers. They seemed sicker than when we were there in August. We triaged the children assessing what medicines they needed. We were not there to do a medical camp so we did not have medicines. 26 children had fungus infections on their heads, two with ear infections so bad you didn't need an otoscope to diagnose and 3 possible cases of malaria.

Without medicine we couldn't help. We drove to the closest place where the Rendile have medical care - 5 miles away. There were two nurses working there and we asked one to come with us with the medicine needed to treat the children. It was a blessing to see the children get treated.

The Water Team came to assess the water situation for these tribes. Everywhere they saw women and children either going to fetch water, waiting in line for water or returning from fetching water - walking with the familiar yellow jugs on their backs. We were able to meet with the Kenya government officials - water management, enviorment impact and the Public Health Officer for Marsabit. All of them were very helpful sharing what has happened to both secure water and clean what and what is planned. We learned there is 80% illiteracy in Marsabit with a population of 200,000. The top three illnesses are upper respiratory, malaria and diarrhea. The diarrhea is related to the poor quality of water. We saw most of the water sources in Marsabit. We also saw a program in progress for harvesting the mist to use as water.

We asked what they believe are the things to do to help improve the water situation. Their answer:

1. harvest water with rain guards and tanks all public buildings - schools, churches, etc

2. trucks with water tanks to distribute water

3. education of the people on safe water

We saw the progress on the PFC Hope Farm. This farm is growing food to feed the many orphans in this area. The ground has been tilled and some plantings are in. We have purchased a water tank that will help with watering the plants.

There was a lot accomplished in two days. The team worked from early morning until late at night...with no complaining. We are now on our way back to Nairobi.

Deb with a child in Marsabit

A child drinking water directly off a water tap

At Dr. Lumumba's office

Left for this team - medical camps with PLO Lumumba's Foundation and work with Nick and Charles and other programs the team members need to connect with.

Praying to help the people of Marsabit,

Connie
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Comments:

Dear Connie:

Thank you so much for including the Foundation. Although we don't have money at this moment just to have a presence in the person of Belinda is a blessing. As always your report is very touching. May God continue to bless Partners for Care as you serve G
od's people. Give me a call when you can. Give Belinda and other team members my love.

Joe Beasley

2nd annual Run for Rebecca a success

The weather was perfect for a run. All the volunteers showed up early to set-up and register the runners. Thousand Hills Coffee was there with coffee - such a blessing early in the morning! David Gruber had made a new video showing the work of Partners for Care. Seven board members came to help as well as seven Jr. Partners for Care representatives. Alpharetta police blocked off the road and city works employees set out the cones. Months of preparations and many hours of volunteer time paid off. Runners really seemed to appreciate the "African" prizes. We were especially pleased to have representatives there from the Christian Runners group. We will meet with them in December to plan next year's run. Thanks to all who helped this year we had 20 sponsors! Some repeats from last year Star Travel, InComm and new ones Parson's, Miller Realty etc. We took notes on ways we could improve next year's race. All the funds raised this year will help with the mission in Kenya of saving lives for the kingdom. Grateful for a successful run, Connie
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Little Elizabeth

Our plane has taken an emergency landing in Rome to remove a passenger who has had a stroke. I turned on my phone to receive the following message from Nick:

ELIZA IS DEAD

I feel so overwhelmingly sad for Nick. I wish this plane would get there so I can be with him. This is now the 78th person Nick and Charles have helped who has died from AIDS - the 23rd child. Little Elizabeth was so special, so little and so frail with a disease she was born with.

I will let you know more as I arrive and see Nick.

Pray for God to comfort Nick and all those who knew and loved Little Elizabeth,

Connie
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Partners for Care is very pleased to announce the newly formed Jr. Partners for Care. Led by Laura Espisto there are 8 high school students representing 8 high schools. They are passionate about their faith and their call to serve God. Read about them in their profiles. We are very blessed to work with such dedicated young people. Come meet them at the Run for Rebecca this Saturday. They will all be there! Connie

Little Elizabeth needs prayers

She is three years old...born with AIDS. She Nick's niece - one of the 34 orphans Nick cares for. She has just been hospitalized with vomiting and diarrhea. Nick texted me and asked for prayers for her. Pray God will heal her.

Praying for Little Elizabeth,

Connie

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-----Original Message-----
From: Connie Cheren <ccheren@aol.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 2010 10:00:45
To: Connie Cheren<ccheren@aol.com>
Subject:

Ashamed

Most of you know Nick. Some of you have been to Kenya and met him and walked with him through Mathare Slum as he showed you the work of Community Transformers. Others know Nick through the reading of the updates I send you.

I believe God uses Nick to speak to me in ways that break my heart. It isn't that Nick knows that or even that he tries to do that but it does happen. This morning I called Nick. He had not communicated recently and I wanted to check on him and the children he cares for. I told him the good news that Jane Lumumba (Dr. Lumumba's daughter who is interning for us this year) has agreed to help Nick develop a plan to secure funding. While Nick's ministry, Community Transformers, is long on passion and care for the homeless, hurting and those infected with HIV/AIDS, it is short on business plans, budgets, and even a brochure showing their work. Nick responded by saying how welcome she is and how glad he is for the help. Then he said, "I am always so ashamed to have to ask for food for the children".

Nick is ashamed because he can't as a young man with only volunteers as staff care for 34 orphaned children? I am the one ashamed as I sit in the comfort of my home with plenty of food. Ashamed of the ways I have spent money in the past. Ashamed I haven't been able to help him and the children more.

Pray for Jane as she helps Nick. Pray for someone to come along side Nick and CT to as Jane said "help them to prepare themselves in a manner that allows them to ask for funding for their work".

Thanking God for sending Nick to remind me what it is important to God,

Connie
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Want to go to Kenya?

I will be going to Kenya Nov. 14 - Dec. 3. This trip will include:

1. A trip to Marsabit to check on the water filter, take the shoe design and tools for the people to make shoes to prevent jiggers and to follow-up on the Hope Farm (a farming project to grow food to feed the many orphans in this area).

2. To hold a medical camp with the Lumumba Foundation. This one will be in the Western part of Kenya. We will also do a what if? campaign there and evangelism outreach.

3. To attend the Dec. 3 celebration of the pastor training school Beth Casey and Sally Gresham have opened.

If you want to go you can go for part or all of the trip. The airfares are about the lowest they are all year.

Let me know...

Connie
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Partners for Care partners with International Shoemaking Design (see PFC on their website www.saintbrave.com)

Sandra Bolton was touched when she read about the children in Marsabit needing shoes to prevent the jiggers from infesting in their feet. She was moved to do something about it. She searched the internet and found International Shoemaking Design and contacted them telling them about Marsabit. To her surprise someone from the company called her.

That was just three weeks ago. In this short time, the designers at International Shoemaking design have designed a special shoe for the children that can be made in Marsabit. They are donating the tools necessary to make the shoes. Pastor Hirbo will have the youth of the church make the shoes as a mission outreach to the unreached tribes.

International Shoemaking Design has a website for their non-profit part of their business www.saintbrave.com. Go to their website and see the story of Marsabit.

Thank you Sandra for not just be moved by what you learned about the children but doing something about it.

I will carry the tools, pattern, etc. with me when I travel to Marsabit in November. And, thank you International Shoemaking Design for caring to help the children in Marsabit.

Praying for the children in Marsabit,

Connie
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Returning from Kenya

Today I am returning from Kenya...to my family and friends. I have missed my family and friends and feel blessed to have people I love to return to. This trip to work in the ministry of Partners for Care was very encouraging in many ways. Here are some of the ways:
1. The team from Michigan lead by Linda and joined by TJ from Atlanta was what every ministry hopes for. They came, dared to go to the unreached, served so humbly and most have expressed a desire to help the ministry. I am excited to work with them as they see where and how God wants them to help.
2. The work of the PFC team in Kenya has been recognized by people and organizations in Kenya that are leading the Nation in changes that will spread the gospel and help the hurting. We have been asked to work with the PLO Lumumba Foundation and this trip we did a medical camp with them. Dr. PLO Lumumba is one of the most respected Christian leaders in Kenya. He has just assumed the position as Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission in Kenya. Many are hopeful he will stop corruption which will help the poor and the sick. We are privileged to work with him. We are planning the next medical camp and will do one in each region of Kenya with them. They have asked us to organize the medical part of the mission, the HIV awareness and testing and spreading of the gospel. Everything we love doing!

The PFC team with some people from the Lumumba foundation

The PFC team at Dr. Lumumba's home in Kisumu

3. Kenya has enacted a new constitution. With a grand celebration attended by many East African presidents and a quarter million Kenyans the Nation became as they call it a Second Republic. Not since the country obtained its freedom in 1963 has there been such a celebration or such a time of hope. The constitution changes many things including that all children should be educated. It creates 8 regions and the plan is to develop each region starting with their assets so children can go school, people will have healthcare and there will be employment opportunities. It is a good time in the history of Kenya. Having seen the results of the post-election violence when I traveled the Nation on a peace bus, it was good to see the determination for kenya to become a great Nation for all its people.
Thank you for reading the updates, your encouraging emails and mostly for your prayers,

Connie
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They came to serve

We were blessed this week to have a team come to serve with us. They are sent from a South African organization - Global Challenge Expeditions . As young people they travel the world trusting God will show them where they are to serve. They select ministries in different countries and stay with them serving in any capacity they are asked. Once they were asked just to pray for a ministry that was struggling and they prayed for three weeks.

There were five on the team - Madeleen, Maggie, Werner, Cornelius and Gerrie. Cornelius is actually from Zambia before he moved to South Africa. On the first night they sat with us and simply said "we came to serve - tell us how we can serve you and others in your ministry".

They have served all week. They planted a very large garden with the children at CT children's home moving them closer to becoming food secure; they enlarged our garden at the PFC house; they made learning material for the children's home in our area and visited the children there; they sorted, counted and organized all of our medical supplies for our next medical camp; they helped with marketing ideas for our what if? center and cyber; and did a prayer walk through our village. The last thing they did was buy and take sandals to all the children at the CT children's home.

Cornelius working on the PFC garden

The team working on the PFC garden

The South African team

The team was humble and served with passion. They rose early to begin work and worked until late at night. As Jesus instructed - they did everything with all their hearts. They exemplified the meaning of "team". It was truly a joy to be with them. We will not forget their love for Jesus, their prayers, their laughter, their South African accent (especially as Madeleen read the Word to us always having just the right passages that we needed to hear), their kindness to all they met, and their loving encouragement of our young ministry.

Thank you God for sending us these young people who served so well,

Connie
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Medical mission with Dr. PLO Lumumba

This last weekend Partners for Care was blessed to serve with Dr. PLO Lumumba and his wife in a medical mission outreach in Bonda (his home area). The team sang throughout the day mobilizing and then sang at Dr. Lumumba's event honoring his aunt who was killed in the US Embassy bombing in 1998. Dr. Lumumba has been our what if? spokesperson since the beginning of the program. He was recently appointed the Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission. He is a great Christian leader and many here in Kenya, in the US and throughout Africa pray he can stop the corruption that steals from the poor and prevents Kenya from becoming a developed nation. Our team served well - Nick, Njenga and Mike traveled with us from CT to help with HIV testing. We helped organize and deliver medical camps to over a thousand people.

Blessed to work with Christian leaders who remember the poor,

Connie
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Little Jimmy

Jimmy is six, but looks three. He clings to you when you hold him. He is listless, weak and sad. Yet when all the children at a new children's home we have started working with were asked to sing, he took his place and sang the words.

Jimmy with Dr. Craig

Jimmy was rescued five months ago and brought to this children's home that is near our house. Yesterday, George took Dr. Craig, TJ and I with some of the PFC staff to visit the children in this home. Jimmy is a double orphan having lost both his parents. He had been abused before he was brought to the children's home. He had a fever and seemed very sick. Dr. Craig and I carried him to the nearby VCT for HIV/AIDS testing. Dr. Craig watched the counselor as she explained how testing is done. We prayed Jimmy was not infected. After a few minutes the counselor told us he was negative. We then carried him to a local doctor. The doctor couldn't believe he was six. He tested him for malaria. Jimmy was positive for malaria. The doctor gave him malaria medicine, vitamins and tylenol for his fever. We took him to a small restaurant and fed him as he hadn't eaten since early morning.

Jimmy probably has had malaria for a long time. Untreated malaria is the leading cause of death for children in Africa. This is why. They don't get diagnosed and then treated. Dr. Craig and the team probably saved the live of this little boy. And it wasn't hard...it just took going and finding him. I am reminded of Mother Teresa's words..."If you can't feed a 100 children...feed one. We can't save a 100 children,,,but we saved one.

The team has left now. We will miss them. They served so many...including us. They were kind, loving and compassionate. They worked late into the night and early in the mornings preparing the medicine, supplies, etc. For the next team. May God bless all of them as they travel home.

Grateful for this team of servants,

Connie
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The Rendille tribe - the sickest, the poorest - very much the least of these

Both the Americans and the Kenyans thought that the people we treated the last day of our medical mission in Marsabit were the sickest and the poorest people they had ever met. We traveled about an hour on the bus to hold our last medical camp. As the bus approached a small group of houses (manyattas) made from sticks and dung, children started running towards the bus. We got off the bus and the children put up their arms to be carried. We carried those we could and held the hands with the others as we walked to the area where we would set-up the medical camp.

We were given two small buildings to use so registration, prayer/sharing the gospel, community health and family planning would be outside. HIV testing and medical would be held inside. There waiting, were all the people we would be able to treat that day. We gathered for prayers for the people and for strength for the day and opened camp.

The doctors and nurses were saddened at how sick the children were - they had bacteria, fungus and virus infection. Most of the children had all three! And, the children were infected with jiggers! Badly infected. TJ, Linda and Robert set-up a jigger treatment station treating as many as they could.

Mare cutting the toe nails of a child infected with jiggers

T.J. and Linda treating the children infected with jiggers

I normally don't treat as I leave that more to the Kenyan doctors, nurses and American doctors, nurses we bring. But, I thought we should do something for the children we couldn't treat because of time. So we gathered them and Pastor Hirbo and Mare gave them deworming medicine. I was assisting. I realized there were at least 15 children with serious scalp fungus. So we set-up a station just for the children infected with fungus. As I held each one and showed Mom how to apply the medicine I saw they also had eye infections, ear infections and of course running noses. We treated as many as we could with as much medicine as we had.

Connie with a sick child

Connie deworming a child

We gave out nets to the pregnant women and the children under five. In the book "When Helping Hurts" it says don't start with a needs assessment but first start with an asset assessment. Then give the resources to build on the assets. I was reminded of that when the children told Rob "we have a soccer field, but we don't have a ball". Rob had the ball - he then played soccer with the children all the time we did the medical camp! Praise God for Rob's endurance...

I also wanted to tell you Pastor Hirbo and I sat with the chief asking about the life of these Rendille people. They walk 6 hours for water and 6 hours back! Twelve hours a day to get water.

Charles testing the area chief for HIV/Aids

The good news for the day was 60 people gave their life to Christ that day. Pastor Hirbo had asked for a sleeping bag so he can travel to these people and stay with them for days at a time to disciple them. We brought him two sleeping bags and a tent for his ministry outreach to the unreached.

At the end of three days in Marsabit 773 people were treated, 323 tested for HIV/AIDS, 1,403 people signed commitment cards, 250 nets distributed and many people heard the gospel.

We left at 4:30 am Wednesday morning for the long road home to Nairobi. We were blessed to serve God's people and to help the humble servants Pastor Hirbo, Mare and the other pastors and people who serve as they reach out to the unreached people groups,

Connie

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Seeing the fruits of our labor

The team was blessed to see the fruits of their labor on the face of a small boy. On Sunday we worshiped at Pastor's Hirbo's church. The only thing that I can tell you about that experience is that you haven't seen worship until you see the Boran people worship. Some of you may have read the book about the different styles of worship. Well, the Boran only have one style - jumping and shouting to the Lord. Even our worship team who are wonderful worshipers were moved by the experience. Sammy (lead of the Temples of Worship) told the congregation that when they come to the Marsabit church they just want to sit and watch.
In the afternoon we held the what if? event in the park. Many came and many tested for HIV/AIDS. And, the other part of our mission team - the sports ministry took place with hundreds of kids. Rob (son of Dr. Craig and Pat who are on our team), TJ and several of the Kenyan team have been playing football (soccer) every where we go. All Rob has to do is take one of the soccer balls he had bought for the mission off the bus and hundreds of kids follow him to the field! And, he played for hours!!
But, while we were enjoying the day our hearts and thoughts were with the little boy from the day before with the jiggers who was so sad...and all the children we had met with jiggers. I had decided I would ride with Pastor Hirbo on his motorbike to see how Jane was doing with treating the children's jiggers. At dinner that night I asked if anyone wanted to go with me. So many wanted to go we decided to take the bus. We would leave at 5:30 am as we had a whole day of medical missions ahead of us.
When we arrived at the camp many of the children were already awake. We found Jane who called the children. Pastor Hirbo knew right away when he saw the two children we had treated on Saturday walking! Then we saw their faces - big smiles!

A before and after picture of a child who was treated for jiggers

The jiggers were dead. The children said the pain and the itching was gone and they could sleep at night. Their toes still need treatment with the vaseline which will help restore the skin and prevent more jiggers. We left money for Jane to buy water. We checked on the newborn baby and mom - both were fine.
We left encouraged to go to a school to set-up the day's medical camp,
Connie
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