Kenya Day 3.

Today, my heart is full. I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of smiling faces as we drove up to MBEWAU Academy. They were so happy as they sang their welcome song. I couldn't help but cry as I thought of how much I had missed them. It has been two years since I have been to MBEWAU, but the kids that remembered me came and took my hands and led me to where the guest were supposed to go. They had prepared several songs to sing for us. My favorite song said, "You sugar our tea, you butter our bread, we wonder why You have been so good to us." All I could think was that God has been so good to me. I love these precious little kids and am so grateful to have this time to spend with them. We played games and soccer, sang and had crafts for the kids to do today. As the kids left they were buzzing with excitement, talking about what we might be doing tomorrow. We have a huge surprise for the fourth graders! Riley Craig will share on the blog about what she raised money for them to do tomorrow night. I cannot wait!!! Our missionary Chris Moore told the kids that this would be the most fun thing they have ever done in their life After school, we gathered all the schools' staff and presented them with some presents that we brought for them from the United States. Magellan's donated an umbrella for every staff member to have so that they could travel to school this year through the rainy season and not get soaked. We also had a friend purchase corresponding ponchos and another woman gave colorful bandanas for each one. They were so thankful and cheered as we handed them out! We proceded by asking all the women to stay for a spa experience. We showed them how to make sugar scrubs. We were only going to use it on their hands, but they liked it so much that they scrubbed their faces, arms and legs as well. They said their skin felt like a baby and wanted to be wow all over lol. We have a lady on our team who does pressure point therapy and reflexology, who massaged their hands and arms and we also gave them manicures. They all loved getting pampered and we will definitely do this again someday. I am blessed to be here and loving every minute here in Kenya! Kim Hayes

Kenya Day 2

Today while at MBEWAU worshipping I noticed a few things that spoke to my heart and actually coincided with my scripture that I read in devotion this morning.

I read the scripture John 15:5
Yes I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

I heard someone say that a few years ago, before this ministry of Real 4 Christ was in full motion, the children that attended the church and school came wearing tattered and very dirty clothes. They had hot spots on their heads and hair was sparse due to malnutrition. This mission since has brought nourishment, medical care, food, clothing and Gods word to these families. Thus, our faithfulness in being obedient to God and what He calls us to do has blessed these people in return. Now their faithfulness in learning about God and His love for us has brought them  so far from where they had been. They worship with such heart, singing loud, cheering, dancing praising, and most of all I see a community who loves one another, helps one another and looks out for each other and their well being.

These people of MBEWAU could teach a lot of us about how to worship God, love one another and overcome obstacles in their lives by trusting in God and leaving everything in His hands. Without the mission vision of Real 4 Christ here these lives would not be as blessed as they are today.

The response of the adults and the children here is nothing but warm, welcoming and loving, which is another lesson we could all partake in. This is how God intended us to show love to all of our brothers and sisters in Christ.Missions has definitely been embedded in my heart forever and the lessons I learn by experiencing missions seem to be endless. Thank you God for making this possible and thank you for helping me get through the obstacles satan kept placing in my path the days before the start if this trip. I am truly blessed to be here in Kenya!....Julie Craig

Water for Makobe II.

5000 Children die daily from dysentery in Africa.  Women and girls spend much of their time walking to retrieve water from sources that are contaminated.  These are horrible truths of life in Kenya and all of Africa.  Drilling boreholes to provide clean water for villagers is an important part of our ministry in Kenya.

The village of Makobe was drawing water from a small hole that was very contaminated.  They use the water for drinking, bathing and washing dishes and clothes.  Last October, our water missionary Bob Nicol began drilling a well for the people of Makobe but hit some very hard sandstone and was not able to drill any further.  The water didn't last long and Bob promised to return.

True to his word, Bob returned to Makobe with a diamond drill bit that cut right through the hard stone. The drilling went smoothly and the drill team was able to get the villagers plenty of life giving water.  Water sustains life but also give our missionaries, pastors and church members the opportunity to share the truth of the Living Water and He will give everlasting life to those who place their trust in Him.

All of these triumphs were realized because so many friends and supporters provided significant funding during the 2013 Christmas season.  And a special thanks from the people of Makobe Village, who now have a functioning well in their community that will serve them for many, many years.

Makobe Villagers getting water from a very small spring.  The water is scooped up with a pitcher and strained. This is a very slow process.

A very happy drilling crew and village elders tasting the water!

Celebration Meal!

11.  The happy group gathered at the new well

“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

College Station Team

We have 5 interns in from Texas A&M for the summer and 6 more from A&M for 2 weeks on a short term missions trip.  Here is a wonderful post copied from their blog.

PSA: I'm Alive Mom

Jambo! Well, this is my very first blog from Mombasa, so I'm sure my mom is freaking out. To my mother: I am alive and perfectly fine! Internet isn't something we get every single day, so it's precious when we can use it! 

Wow...where do I even begin?! If I even attempted to blog about everything since we've gotten here, I would probably write for hours and end with a complete novel on my hands. So, I'll do a quick summary of last week and focus on the safari, etc. My experiences while on this trip have been completely and utterly amazing! I have never fallen in love so quickly with a place and its people as I have here. Everyone is extremely friendly and so welcoming (even more friendly than College Station, Mom). 

From Thursday to Sunday we stayed at Mbewau (the school) in one of the extra classrooms. I helped in the babies class (3-4 yrs old) and oh my word! They are the CUTEST little kids in the world! Their personalities are all so funny, and I can't help but smile thinking of their precious faces! I definitely attached myself to each and every one of them so it'll be a VERY hard day when we leave. They all love to be held and will fight each other until you pick them up. Holding two at a time is common and if you're really strong, like Jessica, then you hold three at once. Every morning when I walked into the classroom they would shout, "Teacher! Teacher!" and immediately run to be picked up. Words don't even describe how precious these children are, and I can only hope and pray that the Lord used me to shed His love on them. 

Yesterday we left in the morning to head on safari! That was super awesome! We went on three trips through the preserve: one going to the hotel, an evening safari, and a sunrise safari this morning. I felt like a little kid every time we would see an animal, and I definitely had the Lion King soundtrack going through my mind the whole time! During the evening safari, we sat for a solid hour (maybe a little more) watching three female lions and one male lion stalk an entire herd of water buffalo. Needless to say, nothing happened and we were all very disappointed that the lions didn't attack the buffalo. My favorite part was this morning's sunrise safari. I woke up early to watch the sun rise and it was breathtaking. Words can't describe the beauty of an African sun rise and the colors that spread across the sky as the sun slowly ascends. There was a moment during the safari where my entire van was silent (I think at this point Jenny was sleeping), and I just stood staring at everything around me, trying to take as many mental pictures as possible. The silence combined with the surrounding landscape left me in awe of God's amazing creation. From the red dirt to the overwhelming mountains, God created specifically to show off His glory. Once again, I am humbled by the majesty of God!

I have already been so blessed by this experience, and I thank God every day that He allowed me to go on this trip to serve Him. The Lord has humbled me so much and shown me what true joy in Him looks like! From day one, I have made sure to set aside any emotions I may have and allow the Lord to fill me with His overwhelming peace so He may use me 100% each day. I look forward to heading to Southcoast this weekend to serve the Lord even more! 


Kwaheri! 

-Hannah

Mission Mombasa 2012 Video

Mission Mombasa 2012 video by Kim Hayes.

We are Home!

Kenya 2012 was a wonderful experience.  We saw God work when everything else wasn't going the way it was planned.  Eight months of planning and preparing and plans changed almost daily.

Monday, we suprised Mbewau with a final visit!  I asked Joseph the headmaster, to let us spend our last spare hours playing with the kids. All 190 children were released from their classes and the games were on.  There where soccer games being played, kids being pushed in swings and lots of children being loved on.

Little Emanuel walked up to Kim and raised his hands for her to pick him up, he layed his head on her shoulder and sang himself to sleep.  Courtney and Karen had multiple children hanging off them, Medina chatted with a group of kids for a long time and all of the guys played soccer with about 50 little boys. I found Imna, Kelvin and Morgan and carried them around on my back and shoulders for most of the morning. It was so great to just hang out with the kids.

My favorite memory of this trip to Kenya is seeing my Kenyan friends that are faithfully serving Christ every day in a very natural and organic way, no big screens, no stage lights, no sound systems, no padded pews and no air conditioning.  Everyone should experience a worship service in Kenya!

Thank you Chris and Lisa for following God's call on your life.  Because of that faithfullness many Kenyans lives have been forever changed. I am so very thankful that God has allowed me to see His hand at work in Kenya!  After a month or so we will start making plans for Kenya 2013.

God Bless!!!
David

Saying Goodbye.

Today we go to Mbewau to spend a little more time with the children and say our final goodbyes.  Our time here in Kenya has flown bye.  Every day has brought a new adventure and new challenges for the team and Kim and I as team leaders.  I learn to be more flexible every year and adapt to what happens because TIA, this is Africa.  Losing our co-leaders at DFW due to passport issues was a huge shock.  Several flight delays changed our plans in London and by the time we got to Mombasa we were all beat.  It has rained a lot here this year and we have had to adjust our plans for that too.

Going to Maasai Corner for the first time was awesome.  Last year it was the "Church under the mango tree." Now it is a thriving, growing and exciting place worship Christ and serve with fellow believers. As we returned yesterday for our last church service in Kenya much had been accomplished in a week and the place was even more beautiful.  God has great things planned for Maasai Corner and I know that many lives will be changed for Christ there.

Mbewau is a little piece of Heaven here on Earth.  There are several new ministries there that are pointing everything on that campus to Christ.  The sports ministries is 3 nights a week, water ministry is open every day, a small store sells goods to people and helps support the ministry there as a whole and a new mens vocational training program is about to start up in the next few months.  Men will come and learn wood working, welding, etc.

God has really blessed the Moore's ministries here in Kenya.  They face new challenges every day!  Please keep them in your prayers as they serve Christ here in Kenya.  Thank you Hallmark for all of your love, prayers and support for our missions trips to Kenya.  Great things have been accomplished here for Christ and even greater things will come in the future!

If all our flights are on time we will be home at 1:25pm Tuesday!
God Bless!
David Hayes

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.

Team Hallmark

June 13-26, Team Hallmark will be making its fourth trip to Kenya.  The last three years we have had some amazing trips and we trust God that this one will be the best yet.  We have had three training sessions, several team gatherings and met yesterday to pack our ministry bags.  We are counting down the hours until we load up on the bus and head to the airport.

Please pray for our team as we follow God's call to visit Kenya and spread the Good News to many that have never heard the name of Jesus!

The Sounds of Kenya

In just over a month Kim and I will be making our fouth trip to Kenya to work with the Moore's.  One of my favorite things about Kenya is the singing and worship.  Kenyan people worship Christ with there whole body.  The childrens choirs are just as good as the adults.

As summer gets closer there will be several teams going to Kenya.  Here is a taste of what they will get to experience!

David Hayes

Pen Pal Letters

The children at Mbewau Academy in Kenya are pen pals with some children in College Station, Tx.  Below is a link to see the letters.  Very Cute!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3205501890790.2133424.1063435357&type=1

The latest from Maasai Corner.

Maasai Corner is the largest building project we have taken on at one time.  Three buildings all going up at once.  God has great things ahead for Maasai Corner Ministries.

The summer teams will be here before we know it and things will be super busy.

Thank You to everyone who has sacrificially given to this wonderful ministry!!!


Maasai Corner Project Update March 20th from Chris Moore on Vimeo.

Mobile Clinic

For the past 2 years we having been using our "mobile clinic" (out of the back of my truck) when coming here to Maasai Corner. In the next few months, we are looking forward to getting into our new clinic which is being built, thanks to awesome supporters!


Can't Wait to Get Into Our New Clinic @ Maasai Corner!! from Chris Moore on Vimeo.

Maasai Corner Building Update!

Church Foundation

This is the base of the water tower.  

Corral Stone being laid for the Clinic Foundation 

Corral Stone Foundation of the Clinic

Hand tied steel for the building foundations and corner supports.

This is all buildings going up together, (right to left), Church, Clinic, Water Tower & Toilets

Please continue for good weather and safety for our workers on site.  We hope to have these buildings complete in time for the summer missions teams.  Thanks for your love, prayers and support!

Worm Medicine

In the US we don't think much about worms.  In Kenya the children can get hook worms from running around barefoot.  Every year with your help we are able to give the children the medicine they need to stay healthy.

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!

Mbewau Academy's New Desk!

In the summer of 2011, Cliff Williamson came to Mbewau Academy with Hallmark Baptist Church.  Cliff and Kathy had previously adopted five Mbewau students to sponsor monthly.  As he toured the school he noticed that the standard 2 and 3 classes were empty.  God pricked his heart and he inquired about how much it would cost to get 17 desk and a teachers desk for the students going up to standard 2 the next term.  When Cliff got home he made it his mission to raise the money for the desk.  The goal was to raise all of the money by October 31.  He sat down and hand wrote letters to church members, family and friends asking them to sponsor a desk for $150.00.  Before he knew all 17 desk had been bought.  Cliff decided to try and get the standard 3 desk sponsored as well, 17 more and a teachers desk.  By the end of August when Chris and Lisa returned to the states Cliff had raised enough money to pay for all 34 student desk and 2 teachers desk.  After Chris preached the Sunday morning message at Hallmark Cliff mentioned to the crowd that Lisa could also use a microscope in her clinic.  A man in the crowd rushed to Lisa as soon as the service was dismissed and said that he had a brand new microscope to donate because his daughter had just finished med school.

God truely had His hand on this endeavor.  The little secret is, Cliff is a 75 year young gentleman that just followed the Lord's leadership and will have an eternal impact on all of the children that pass through Mbewau Academy for many years to come.

Cliff, we are looking forward to seeing you in Kenya this June.
Thank You and God Bless!