Kenyans Serving Kenyans In Kakamega

Day 1: Early Tuesday morning, about 30 PACE staff boarded PACE's blue school bus and began the long journey to a remote rural town outside of Kakamega. Our goal was to build a house for the mother of one of our staff - in just three days! As it turns out, we only needed two days because many neighbourhood kids came to help (in exchange for a free meal). The ride was very enjoyable, as it took us through sections of tea fields and big cities like Kisumu, and it also gave us the chance to see mud hut villages and beautiful mountain ranges. We even made a short stop at Lake Victoria, and some of us took a rather rocky boat ride in search of hippos. We reached our destination around 5pm, and quickly set up camp before the rains came - some of the group slept in a church, others in a house, and still others (like us) slept in tents. Conditions were very basic ... outhouses (only squatting - no sitting!), cooking over the fire, sleeping on the floor/ground, and sponge baths (or river bathing for the more brave).




Day 2: After breakfast (mundazis and tea) and a devotional by Ryan, everyone found something to do. Some were busy in the kitchen, others made their way to the river to collect water, others began carting materials to the work site, and still others began plotting the new house. Before we knew it, teams were digging and putting in posts, the entire frame was up, and the wall separators, which are used to hold the "mud" were nailed into place. During some R&R time that day, an accident occurred during a soccer match and one of our team members was taken to the hospital with a leg fractured in two places. Not good - but, he's now home getting some TLC.





Day 3: While the team worked hard to complete the house, we made our way to Uganda to renew our visa. The three and a half hour journey by matatu was beautiful as we passed more lush forests and sugar cane fields. Crossing into Uganda was easy, but getting back into Kenya a few hours later wasn't so easy. We had some trouble at the boarder and as a result we could not get a renewed visa, so we still have the same flight issues as before. Please pray for us for strength as we sort this out; for God to remove any worry from our souls (a solution will come at the right time); and for patience, peace, wisdom and discernment. We will use this time and experience to grow closer to the heart of God.




Day 4: With the house as complete as we could get it (the mud walls have to dry for several more days before windows and doors can be finished and the exterior beautified), we all enjoyed a day of rest and sightseeing in and around Kakamega (a large city nearby). A real treat for us was finding popcycles at the Kakamega market - oh boy, it is unbelievably HOT in Eastern Kenya! Before we departed for the tour, Wachira dedicated the new home to Walter's mother - what a beautiful thing. Wachira reminded us all that people can build a house, but only a house where God is welcomed can become a home. How true. Just before supper, the rains returned, but this time in torrents! We had become used to the spectacular daily thunder and lightning storms, but this one was different - it lasted for hours and the super-soaked ground threatened to swallow our tents. When the rain finally stopped, we could have gone swimming in the puddles that had been formed. To our surprise, though, our tents stayed mostly dry.




Day 5: We were all up early to complete our packing, but before we left around 9am the men had some magic to perform on the bus, which refused to start. We jacked the bus up on one side, tied a rope to a tire and about 10 of the men pulled to rotate it while the bus was in gear ... wa la la, it started!! About 5 minutes enroute, we got stuck in the sticky mud along the road, so the men got out again and pushed with all their might. After the hard work, they still all had to run to catch up with the bus, which couldn't slow down for fear of getting stuck again. We were told that the route we would be taking home was longer, but with better roads (to cater to our fallen friend Ndegua and his leg). Unfortunately, much of the roads were under construction and the trip took nearly 12 hours as opposed to the 8 hours it took to get to Kakamega! One 147 km stretch of road from Eldoret to Nakuru was so torn up that it took five hours to traverse!! It felt as if we were never going to get home. But we finally got in at around 8pm - and we hit the sack shortly after.


As we reflect on this mission trip, our hearts warm as we think of how God works through people to bring hope to others. We witnessed a group of people - usually divided by department - come together and work in unison as Christ's body to miraculously erect a 3 bedroom house in under 2 days. While building, we also met an old man who had been neglected by his family and so his hands and feet had been infected with "jiggers" .... fleas were laying eggs inside of him, which immobilized him and caused him great discomfort. But Irungu, Mathenge and Kamau sat at this man's feet - washing them with disinfectant, removing tens of egg sacs, and cutting his nails. If Jesus would clean the feet of his disciples, would He not also do this as well? These actions brought great comfort to the old man as he slept soundly that night, which was something he hadn't done in a long time. To show him even more love, Irungu gave him his sandals and blanket and set up someone to continue with the disinfectant and sac removal process after our departure. Even now as we think of their generous love, our eyes begin to water. If only we were all just a little more like Jesus ...