My Dream Team

By Dale

Tis the season for basketball so I thought, even though my team lost in the “not so sweet 16”, I would write a festive blog.  In 1992 America put together the first Olympic basketball team to feature active NBA talent. Names like Jordan, Bird, Johnson, Robinson…these were the best of the best at the time.  A Dream Team indeed.  It was touted by journalists as “the greatest sports team ever assembled” and proved it by defeating their opponents by an average of 44 points on their way to a gold medal in Barcelona, Spain.  By the way, one of the assistant coaches was Coach K.  I was 15 at the time!

Now I am about to turn 39 and have a “Dream Team” of my own.  At so many times while we’ve been serving at Naomi’s Village each one of us has been doing something different and so it often felt as if we were heading in different directions.  However, as I reflect on our time which is drawing to a close today, I recognize that sense was misguided.  Our little team of 6 was indeed heading in the same direction but simply spread out to have a larger impact among the various aspects of NV’s ministry.  Together we have touched the lives of many and together have been touched deeply by so many wonderful people. 

Several people have told us that we have given the children of NV a living and valuable example of a family that loves Jesus, loves each other and serves together in building God’s Kingdom.  I could think of no greater compliment to receive as we complete our time here at Naomi’s. Our team will likely never be the same again as things like this don’t come around every day.  But boy it is sure has been a joy to be a part of such an awesome team!

 

Isaac served a ton in the kitchen and learned to make a Kenyan favorite; Chapati!

 

Julia served predominately with the babies (here with Noelle)  Isaac assisting in the Kindergarten class

 

Ann assisting Jo Jo in the Kindergarten class (a teacher went on maternity leave)

Rachel assisting Nancy in her work

   

Isaac and I helped with the teens doing road work a few different times. Yes these boulders actually help smooth the roads!  Esther and Paul are pictured here helping while Willie is bent over continuing to work.

 

Lizzie serving with arts and crafts time.  Sorry, can’t tell who’s who :)

 

Ann loved helping with the babies too! (here with Sammy)

Rachel reading to a group of interested youngsters.

Isaac and I often washed evening dishes together.  Great father-son time; at least from my perspective :)

We built a nice friendship with chefs Uncle Michael (L) and Mike (R).

Liz playing “Spot It” with some little ones.

Rachel, Isaac and I after a fun afternoon of football (soccer).  The soccer field is a great teaching platform for character and teamwork!

Name Mates

by Lizzy

                                                                    Isaac & Isaac

                                                                   Elizabeth & Eliza

 

                                            Ann & Anne                                                              

  

                                             Ann Marie & Annemarie

                                                           Julia & Julia

We love these kids! So thankful to get to know them.

What Might Have Been

by Dale

When God takes your life in a different direction than you originally planned you are never really sure how things would have turned out on the other path.  It’s impossible to travel down two life paths at the same time. I am extremely grateful for where I am occupationally and being in the center of God’s will is precisely where I want to remain!

But here and there I have had small glimpses of where my life might be had God allowed me to continue my journey toward medical practice.  Such an opportunity has come while serving in Kenya.  Bob Mendonsa (Naomi’s Village co-founder) is an orthopedic surgeon and continues to serve once a week at CURE Hospital in Kijabe, Kenya where many folks come for orthopedic care; particularly children requiring major corrective procedures.

For the last two Tuesdays Bob has allowed me to shadow him while he sees patients in the morning and does surgery in the afternoon.  I’ll spare you the details of all the cases but I was able to see a procedure I hadn’t seen before called a “proximal patellar realignment.”  Look it up if you’re interested; pretty cool stuff!  Bob is a gifted surgeon, a great teacher and takes the time to explain (to me and the patient) the details of each case.  He is very thorough both in examinations as well as in the OR and takes the time necessary to listen to the patient’s concerns.  I admire this and would hope I’d have conducted myself in a similar manner if I had walked this path.

However, I have no regrets about what path I am on currently!  I have sensed for some time that I am right in the middle of God’s will and while on this trip it has only been even further confirmed.  My calling is definitely to our small towns of Akron and Alden.  The experiences here in Kenya God has used to spark new ideas and inspiration for our ministry at home.  While I look forward to coming back to the US to re-engage in ministry with my congregation and interact with Ms. B’s 7th and 8th period Pathways students (Mason, if you’re reading this give my regards to the rest and drop me a comment!), I am grateful we still have a few more weeks in this beautiful land.

A week in Kijabe with precious MK’s

by Rachel

       I went to stay up the hill from Naomi’s Village, to a town called, Kijabe, for one week to stay with my 2 nephews and 1 niece while my brother Dan, and his wife, Courtney, led 16 seniors on interim, touring and ministering in other parts of Kenya, learning more of the culture and land. 

What a fun, memorable time we had together.

Ethan age 8, Evie age 4 and Nate age 6. (from left to right)

JJ came up to stay the first 3 nights (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)  with her cousins and I. Then Ann hiked up with Dale Thursday night.  She stayed Thursday thru Sunday night with me.  Dale and the other 3 kids came up Sunday night and we all were together. Popcorn supper and movie night, unfortunately I didn’t capture that with a camera. Then Lizzy stayed with me Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, the pictures below are to share some of the memories with you.

Cuddling bunnies.                   Caring for Chicken Nugget, their one and only chicken.

     

Princess time!

Chef Nate cooking Green Eggs and Bacon on St. Patrick’s Day!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

Lollipop’s from the duka.

Very THANKFUL for this QUALITY TIME with these precious kids!

Just to name a few memorable events in the week:

I began the time together having a surprising mango fruit allergic reaction, then Ethan suffered an ear infection with throwing up.  We also had a night with missing “Chicken Nugget”, put some sad kids to bed.  We prayed for the chicken’s safe return and to our surprise, he did return by morning at 9:15am.  Our faith grew in this experience, a chicken surviving outside in Kenya isn’t likely. We stopped and praised God for answered prayer. We had lots of time drawing animals and doing some crafts. Each nephew lost a tooth the same night. I baked in a new oven that registers only in Celsius. I learned to make tortilla chips.   I picked my nephews up from school at 3pm each afternoon.  I became familiar and thankful for the student health center, getting myself some Benadryl and my nephew antibiotics, decongestant and a nausea pill. Lunch at Ebenezer Restaurant with new friends. We all went to church together at RVA. We played basketball at Tichtie Court (I played one on one against Ethan, excellent ball handler)  and swung on the swings with Evie at the playground. We walked to the duka for fresh veggies and some souvenirs (and lollipops). One evening we had a few prankster kids come to the back door knocking & scaring us. ( I think they thought Coach Schmidt was home) We were invited to “supper swap” Monday night, at Aunt Tiff’s home with great fellowship and great food.  I did one 6am yoga workout in the Tichtie music room.  We had lots of cuddle times on the couch together. Had fun reading “Sticky Situations Devotional” each evening and praying together. On Sunday we had moring pancakes and popcorn/ “Movie night”. We had to borrow eggs from “833”, neighbor Ashley, in order to have enough eggs for our pancakes. “833” was my 911 number for the week, thank the Lord for friend Ashley, she was very helpful and approachable. On St. Patrick’s Day, we made Green eggs with bacon.  I made mac n cheese from scratch with the cows milk they get 3 times a week, delivered. I learned to pasteurize the milk. Enjoyed fresh english muffins and sweet rolls from Elizabeth who delivers them on Saturdays. I learned how to give directions to the house helper on what tasks (laundry, chopping veggies, washing dishes, sweeping/mopping, cleaning bathrooms) to do for the day while she worked around us from 830-4pm. Making a list for her was not what I was very comfortable with but quickly understood that this is her livelihood,she needs the work & wages.  She is a mother of 2 boys and a husband, she walks 50 mins to get to Dan and Court’s each morning. Veronica, is her name, she is special woman of God. 

A very special, eye opening, growing, stretching week. Thank you Lord for this opportunity.

Food for the Soul

By Dale

Nurse Ann and Uncle Nathan (men older than you are respectfully called “uncle”) are, to my knowledge,  the oldest members of the Naomi’s Village staff.  By divine orchestration Ann came to NV as the nurse just eight months after they opened in 2011.  Nathan volunteered at the home for two years until he made a very natural transition to the supplies manager position when it was created at NV.  He had had several years of experience in receiving and accounting during his tenure at Kijabe Hospital where he first met Ann.  There is no official title for them as a couple but I tend to see them as the grandparents of the village.  They are a lovely couple and NV is fortunate to have them.

We made an immediate connection with each of them as we first arrived at NV because Nurse Ann helped get our girls antibiotics and Nathan received the five over-stuffed bags of goodies we transported from the States to donate to the home.  Nathan and I have had some wonderfully uplifiting conversations over the past several weeks.  The both of them have been a great encouragement to Rachel and I.  Because of this connection we’ve been trying to get a chance to spend some extended quality time together. 

We finally achieved this goal Saturday when we took lunch together at the Ebenezer Restaurant in Kijabe with our dear friends.  It was likely our last chance so we were very grateful for this opportunity.  However, we had to make some significant strides to make it happen.  Rachel is currently being the care giver to her niece and nephews at Rift Valley Academy where her brother teaches, while the rest of us continue serving at NV so we needed to meet in Kijabe so Rachel could remain close by while our Annie “cousin sat”.  As you may have already heard, the back roads here are indescribably rough and so Nathan’s car likely would not be able to make the trip. Fortunately, Dan put me on his insurance before he and Courtney left for their trip with a group of 16 seniors from RVA.  So, I drove up to Kijabe from NV with Ann and Nathan to meet Rachel for lunch.

We had a great visit while enjoying cold sodas, samosas (meat and onion filled-pastries) and chips (Kenyan term for French fries).  It was nourishing to our bodies but more importantly to our souls.

Unnamed No Longer

By Dale

In a paper sack discarded behind a small business in Kenya you would not expect to find much of value.  There would be no real reason to even check its contents.  Fortunately however, an older man of the community did and you won’t believe the value of what was inside; a baby girl approximately one week old!

She was taken to the hospital by this man where she was diagnosed with pneumonia and subsequently treated with little hope of survival.  She miraculously responded to antibiotics and began to gain strength through bottled nourishment.  Within a few short weeks she was fully recovered but had nowhere to go.  Just after noon on Monday, March 14 Naomi’s Village was contacted to see if there was interest in accepting the child and by 5 PM this baby girl was escorted by Bob and Julie Mendonsa (NV founders), other NV staff and two interns from the States into the village premises with singing and dancing of everyone else at NV.  The tiny bundle was lovingly passed from Auntie to Auntie during the joyous celebration; no longer unwanted.

Bob and Julie shared the story with all of us and declared that this child now belonged to the NV family…Whahooo! Bob went on to tell us that when they picked her up at the hospital her file was marked “Unnamed”!  On the ride back from the hospital they deliberated on what name to give this precious child.  To honor Nurse Ann and several of the Mary’s that work and teach at NV they decided on Annemarie.  When I heard this announcement and did the math in my head tears came to my eyes.  This unwanted, unnamed child was born just around the time we came to Naomi’s Village and now was given the very name of our third born who has been completely enamored with the babies here.  It is hard to describe the feeling of being a part of “when a child belongs”.

(Our Annie with her arm around her first “name mate”, Ann and holding her new “name mate”, baby Annemarie)

A Walk in the Park

By Dale

Mt. Longonot is a stratovolcano here in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. It is thought to have last erupted in the 1860s.  Protected by the Kenya Wildlife Service the mountain is part of a national park of the same name which is derived from the Massai word meaning “mountains of many spurs" or "steep ridges".  An initial eruption thousands of years ago left an enormous crater in the middle of the mountain creating a rim around which one can hike.  The summit peaks out at approximately 9,000 feet above sea level.  It has been calling to me ever since we arrived in Kenya!

Finally, the opportunity arose to attempt a climb.  After packing our lunches and a few extra water bottles the night before, the whole family awoke for a 7:00 am departure.  Our driver took us to the foot of the mountain where we paid our inflated non-resident entry fee into the National Park and began our hike.  A wide gravel path led us into a low grassy area with wild zebra and waterbuck grazing in the distance.  Grass quickly changed to a dusty clay-like trail that showed routine wear from erosion. It was a good hour, including breaks for water and pictures, before we reached the top of the rim to enjoy a refreshing snack and a breath-taking view of this mountain’s formations.

   

 

  

  

Even though the crater contained within this mountain had no visible access trail leading to the bottom it admittedly had a certain draw to it.  Isaac couldn’t help himself from constantly looking for a way down as we proceeded to make our way around the rim in a counter clockwise direction, the summit in our sights.  After hearing directly from brother Dan’s harrowing descent into the crater I was reluctant to join Isaac’s enthusiasm.  However, when we reached a point clearly marked “Crater Access Point” and feeling as if we would have time to spare, we could no longer resist the temptation.  With Isaac leading the way, Lizzy, Ann and I followed him down the extremely steep precarious trail leading into the crater leaving Rachel and a very disappointed Julia at the top.

 

The four of us cautiously lowered ourselves a hundred vertical feet or so to find that we could explore the source of steam visible from the rim.  A steam vent in the crater wall approximately the size of a large beach ball emitted hot air and boiling vapor.  I anticipated the odor to be fuller of sulfur but the smell was unremarkable.  The depth of the hole and temperature of the emission though was indeed quite remarkable.  We tossed in a stone but couldn’t hear it hit bottom and then a leaf to watch it hover in mid-air.  We braved the steam with our hands but could only hold them there for a few seconds.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t too much further before we reached a point where it was no longer within our capability to descend “safely”.  Isaac stood out on the trunk of a tree growing from the side of a cliff face with nowhere to go but straight down.  He wisely opted to turn us around without completing the descent!

  

 

     

JJ waiting up at the top of the crater entry point.

The four of us made the strenuous ascent to rejoin Rachel and JJ at the top where we continued our journey.  As we approached the summit the trail conditions changed to a gravely pumice giving it the feel of walking up a hill of marbles.  With the sun now fully ablaze these conditions made for hot and difficult progress but we pressed on to the summit nonetheless and enjoyed both a spectacular 360 degree view and the thrill of accomplishment.  A few family photos were taken before we moved on in an attempt to find a shady area to enjoy our packed lunch together.

 

At the summit

By the grace of God we successfully maneuvered the remaining portion of the rim trail and then made our way back down the trail we first ascended to meet our driver at the entrance gate around 2pm and complete the 13.5 km trek.  We were one happy but exhausted family!