“Full as a roach on a biscuit”

Over the last 30 years, I have frequently stolen a phrase from Ginny Hurley, my hilarious friend from our days in Austin. After a nice meal, Ginny would say that she was “full as a roach on a biscuit”. We laughed at the mental picture that would bring to mind but we all understand the concept of total satisfaction that the phrase implied. Of all the things Ginny has said over the years, it seemed that this was the one that stuck with me. Fast forward to an evening in Mombasa, Kenya with the mission team having dinner with Chris and Lisa Moore, the missionaries we worked with in Kenya. At the end of the meal, I glowed in the satisfaction of great food with great friends by stating that I was “as full as a roach on a biscuit”. There were groans from the group as they let their displeasure with that comparison be known. Of course, that just made it

more fun for me to reiterate my insect/happiness equation. If you are wondering how this relates to some meaningful moment, please hold on for just a little longer.
The next morning was spent at Maasai Corner, a relatively new church in a fairly remote area. Church members and visitors from the area came together for a sports evangelism day. Chris took me to where the women were sitting outside a mud/thatch kitchen as they were cooking lunch over an open fire. The women were multi-tasking – cooking, cutting greens to be added to the lunch, washing dishes, talking, laughing, sharing life. We were sitting under the shade of huge mango trees with ocean breezes stirring the air. As I listened to them, I was enchanted by the absolute joy and contentment these women were experiencing. They spoke in Swahili but I could understand enjoying life in English. By American standards, these women had little to laugh about. They had no electricity, they had to tote water every day from a well, they wore old and torn clothes, they wore used shoes, and they ate what they grew in the garden or fruit that fell from the trees. Americans would say they were destitute but Americans would be wrong. While no one can argue the lack of modern conveniences, these women know more about enjoying every moment of their day than most Americans will ever know. They don’t waste time fretting over what might or might not happen but focus on living life to the fullest in the tiniest moments. As I listened and watched and tried to communicate, I sensed a relaxation and joy that I could only describe as being a “roach on a biscuit” – a total peace and pleasure in just living life and loving those around me. The contentment of the moment was exhilarating as I enjoyed God’s creation with people He loves. I pray that everyone gets to know the joy of being a roach on a biscuit at least once in your life. Life just doesn’t get better than that!!!

Jamye Richmond

To sacrifice means it will cost me something to give it.

What a blessing to be in Kenya!  My life will forever be changed.  God is so good to allow me to see and enjoy the beauty of his creation.  I have seen magnificent sunrises and sunsets.  The ocean is so beautiful and has provided such a peaceful place to spend time alone with the Lord.  We have been on Safari and seen many of the wonderful animals here in Africa.  The monkeys have even tried to join us for breakfast each morning at our hotel.  They are very good at stealing food right off your plate.

  The people here are so gracious, kind, and loving.  I have truly been blessed by seeing old friends again and meeting new ones.  It always amazes me when I go on mission trips that I can travel across the world  and speak a different language than many of those I meet and still have an instant bond with them.  That bond that ties us together is our Lord Jesus Christ and our love for Him. One of my favorite times in Kenya is worship.  The people here worship with their whole body and heart.  Their voices blend together to make such a joyful and beautiful sound unto the Lord.  

  The children in Kenya are so precious to me.  Their sweet faces are the first thing that I see when I think of Kenya.  They are forever imprinted in my mind and on my heart.  They have so little and yet they seem so happy.  We in America have much and never seem content.  We always seem to want more.  How I pray that I learn a lesson from the people in Kenya.  I am asking myself as I think of going back home, “What do I give to the Lord and the people that God has put in my path?  Do I give to them from my surplus and what is convenient to give or do I sacrifice to give to them?”  To sacrifice means it will cost me something to give it.  I don’t often give sacrificially.  Lord, help me do that for you and for the people you place in my life.  Please ask yourself too what you have given this past year that cost you something.  The people here in Kenya are in such need.  Will you be willing to sacrifice for them in the coming year?  I pray that I will.

  Three years ago I came to the school at Mbewau when it was first being built.  It is amazing what God has done in that time.  The school and grounds are absolutely beautiful and very well run and cared for.  They even have a flushing potty now!!!!  YEA!  On this past Saturday, we had planned to do hut to hut evangelism and have crafts and games with the kids in the afternoon.  However, it rained all day, so we enjoyed fun and fellowship inside with the adults who were there.  I spent most of the morning with Joyce trying to learn to make chapati which is a favorite food to many of us.  They are similar to tortillas, but are fried and have lots of oil on them which is why they taste so good.  Joyce said she would pray that I will make them well for my husband when I get home, but I think it will take many, many prayers.

  Today we went back to Maasai Corner where Real4Christ has begun another new ministry.  Last year, worship services were held under a mango tree and now a new worship center and medical clinic are almost completed.  We shared a special time of worship today and last Sunday in the new center.  Flushing potties are almost complete at Maasai Corner also.  Another big YEA!!!  The ladies tried to teach Sabine and I to carry a bucket on our heads today without much luck, but the Kenyan ladies got lots of laughs from it.

  God has richly blessed Real4Christ ministries in both places.  Our team will be heading home tomorrow and it seems like we just got here.  We said good-bye to our friends at Mbewau and Maasai with heavy hearts and many tears.  I have been so blessed by knowing and working with the Hallmark team this year.  They are a very special group to me even though they are a little crazy (or a lot crazy) and  I am so thankful they allowed me to join them on this trip.  I only regret that Donald and Stacy were not able to come with us for they have been missed very much.  I also regret not getting Chris Moore back for wanting to fill my 4 days late luggage with trash and hide my clothes.  Thank goodness for Lisa!!!!


Medina Gribble

The time of my life!

We arrived at Maasai Corner and got the grand tour which was nothing short of incredible. The whole facility was constructed with mostly concrete and either steel roofs or weaved thatching. The detail was amazing in some areas while I could see some from America would turn up their nose to other details. For example, the shelves were all concrete and not level. These were purely functional and did well for what it was intended while not aesthetically pleasing. The concrete floors, however, were high quality even for standards back home. They were dusty and hidden from the construction but when wiped with a wet cloth, they revealed beautifully colored and polished concrete floors. The locals also spent three of those months hand digging a 110 foot well—looked like a good four stories down or so! I have to say I respect their hard work and am impressed with the construction skills they have. 

Church itself was good but I think I experienced quite a bit of culture shock through the service. The music was well done and I could tell everyone enjoyed the worship but everything was in Swahili. It was a blast to watch the kids dancing to the music and Courtney even got up on stage and danced along with the music pastor. The sermon was done by Chris Hopper with the local pastor translating at his side which was about the only thing I could really understand. 20-30 people were baptized after the service in the new baptism tank as well now that it was completed.

Then we moved into the newly built clinic right away where we used the facility for its intended use for the very first time. I was told the builders worked until 2am the night before just so we had running water for the day. This consisted of one sink, an American style toilet and the beginnings of a shower stall fed by the newly erected campus water tower. The first thing I noticed was that the waiting room consisted of benches around a mango tree I found it amusing to ponder how affronted patients at home would be if they had to receive care in these conditions. We opened the clinic after church service which by the end of service had approximately 100-200 people waiting to be treated! Keep in mind they had to walk for miles to get here and we only had three caregivers: Whitney, a dentist, and Lisa and I, both of us nurses. Whitney and his help are all-stars by the way; they were cruising through patients all the while fully gowned in the heat and no a/c. Even with the speed they were going they had to devise a sort of triage for their patients because the need for dental work was just too great. 

We weren’t with out our own challenges. Lisa pointed out that the local doctors in Kenya generally do not actually practice and instead “oversee” an average of 12 or so national clinics. She shared countless horror stories about the care these people received but it really hit home with a particular patient seen that day. This one poor man of about 40 years had received care at a state hospital for some blood in his urine. For some reason, the doctor chose to insert a suprapubic catheter into his bladder for this problem. This is a highly invasive surgical procedure. While I don’t know the specifics of his initial symptoms, this seems like overkill to me and wildly unnecessary specifically for a man that very likely cannot return to the hospital at his leisure. To make matters worse, the catheter site was now infected as was his urine. With further questioning we found out he has had it in since February and had no idea when he needed to follow up or even why he had it done in the first place. I wanted to take it out right away but didn’t know how to safely do this. The only thing we could do was give him the strongest antibiotics available and send him back to the very clinic it was inserted to have it removed immediately. I felt terrible and really helpless at that point having to send him back to the place that did this to him. I fear he still might not follow up for removal and medical care.

The government is very corrupt here and do not seem care about the health of their people at all. Going through the usual channels for local nursing certification is rife with crooked people expecting kickbacks. One official attempted to make Lisa pay $13,000 dollars in order to receive her local RN license. She refused of course since she could at least still work as a guest. While this was with restrictions and more limited, it is better than nothing. 

Available medicines are so scarce I don’t know how she manages to care for the people at all. There are no local FDA regulations like in the states, so the dose concentrations vary widely at the local pharmacy aka “chemist’ and not reliable. I was worried about running into a true medical emergency since we only had a half dozen vials of IM Decadron for “those that are really hurting” to quote Lisa and a couple of packages of antibiotics. Antibiotic supplies were available in very limited variety and volume, namely Cipro, Zithromax, and Flagyl. We did also have a decent supply of worm medication from America which was good because we were handing it out like it was candy to our patients. No lacerations or abscesses yet, thank God. I get nervous about the thought of having to stitch up or cut into a person in this environment.

We got to see 47 patients in about 3 hours when all was said and done. The rest had to go home which I felt terrible about. I’m certain people would riot at home if we had to do this at the ER. Over all it went well with the majority of patients just needing medication for STDs, ear infections, and general aches and pains. 

All in all, I’ve been having the time of my life.
Chris Thames.

Masai Corner Ground Breaking!

Thanks to donations from all over the world, we are able to strart building a new worship facility and clinic at our new project site called Masai Corner Ministries. In the past 2 years, many have come to know Christ in this primarily Muslim area on the south coast of Kenya.  Stay tuned for more updates as we proceed with the building.....

Chris and Pastor Chondo breaking ground for the new worship center and clinic. 

Praying for God's blessing on the project

The official blueprints!