A Week in the Bush!

Last week I had one crazy adventure after another as my intern, Sarah, and I traveled out to the bush for 7 days!  This year I had my work cut out for me - we needed bios and pictures for all 140 children in our program AND pictures and bios for all 37 widows in our program.  When I found out Sarah was coming for the summer and her interests included photography and women's ministry, I planned this week-long outing for her to help me with the bulk of this work!

DAY 1 - Sunday

Sunday morning we left bright and early so we could talk with some kids and women at a church in Oltinga.  We were greeted on the side of the road by Musa (Swahili for Moses), the pastor of the church.  He jumped in the vehicle and with slight twists of his hand, directed me through trees and thorns all the way back to his church under a tree.  And in the usual Maasai way, they greeted us with such sweet smiles and lots of singing and dancing.

These cute children sat next to us at church!

Pastor Musa, his son, and me

After a few hours of church, we talked with the 7 boys at Oltinga and the 4 widows from that area.  As usual, when white people are out in Maasai the crowds never seem to disperse.  And since we were going to be asking the widows some very personal questions, we setup our three lawn chairs behind the car to have some form of privacy.  Musa translated my Swahili into Maa and we had a great time talking with the four widows.  It was difficult, though.  Woman after woman told us about how they are suffering to pay for school fees and feed their children.  But their generosity never ceases - one woman never even had children of her own, but she is caring for her niece and paying for her to go to school.

Talking with Lesordo about his future
aspirations at his church under the tree!

We left around 2pm to head towards the main city in the area, Mairowa.  We have a large church there (Nalepo) and many children and women who were waiting to talk to us.  On the way we pulled over and took a quick break for tuna sandwiches to have enough energy for the rest of the day.

Rebecca and her cute little one sharing about
her life and struggles.

This beauty was standing on the side of
the road to greet us right as we left church!

Upon our arrival at Nalepo, we were greeted by around 50 faces!  We worked hard, Sarah helping the children with sponsor letters, and me getting as many bios of children as I was able.  Joseph (my national partner) arrived soon and helped with the translation and helped to speed up the process tremendously.  It is hard to ask these children some of these question - how old are you? (no one really knows), who do you live with? (the family structure here is so different such that if they say "mama" we have to ask more probing questions because in all likelihood, it isn't their "real mother" but a woman they are living with who they now call "mama"), what do you want to be when you grow up? (they only ever see teachers at school or their guardians who herd goats or farm so they don't always have the ability to think creatively about what they want to be after school),  what is your favorite thing to do? (out of all the kids I've ever met in my life, these children have the hardest life of work, work, and work to help their families survive so asking them to think about what they do for fun is slightly difficult....I mean these kids find joy in the smallest things in life and are constantly full of giggles, but it doesn't quite translate well because they rarely do things "for fun").  The conversations are hard, but God has melted my heart in the process.  I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!  They have so much joy in the midst of hard circumstances and that is something I really need to learn from them, regardless of difficulties, the joy of God should be visible in the way I act.

My buddy Seremon - he is a child at Nalepo

We worked super late into the night and still didn't finish with all the kids and needed to ask the remaining children and all the widows to come on Friday for Round 2.  We left as the sun was going down and all of Joseph's family was there with us trying to help so instead of all going back to his house and starting a fire then cooking (a process that takes at least 2 hours because you have to start with chopping wood), we tried to go "out to eat" in Mairowa.  Of course, this is nothing like you would experience in the U.S.  Megan and I have eaten out a few times in Mairowa so I was aware of what we might be in for, but this was Sarah's first time in Mairowa and we ended up wandering the streets after dark traveling to about 5 places, 4 of which were out of food for the night (yep, out of food - not something we really have to think about in the U.S......if you pulled up to McDonald's and ordered a cheeseburger and the response you got was "all out....actually all out of everything, try somewhere else" I think someone might have to pick your jaw up off the floor).  But, 'tis the life in Africa, it is smart really, only make enough food you are sure to sell because you don't have enough money for the surplus you might make.

We finally found a place and sat down to rice and beans, it was fantastic!  We were so worn out by that time, we were just thankful to have some food in our bellies!  After the meal we went back to the guest house and crashed for the night!

DAY 2 - Monday

Sarah and I woke up in such a bad mood, even though we were super tired the night before, there were some thorn trees on the roof to our room that scratched on the metal all night, making it nearly impossible to sleep more than 10 minutes straight.  Thankfully, we talked with the owner and he said he would have it trimmed that day!

We jumped in the car with Joseph and got on the road / path to Sinonik.  This hour and a half of travel was so bumpy that I have never been more ready to get out of the car!  We made a final left turn and saw a group in the distance beginning to sing and dance to welcome us :)

One of our beautiful widows

Hopping out of the car we went around and greeted the women and men by giving them our heads.  This is a sign of respect, they touch your head with their right hand, accepting your respect.  And in this process they are usually speaking to you in Maa, which is rather flustering at first, BUT by the end of the week, Sarah was talking like a pro!  As soon as we finished singing and dancing, they shoved roasted corn in our hands and watched as we finished every kernel (again, so generous in the midst of having very little).

We sat on the makeshift pews made of logs and talked with the women and children there.  The most difficult part of that day was hearing from some young girls who have failed the standard seven national exam (this would be equivalent to 8th grade).  In Tanzania, there is a national exam after standard seven that determines whether the child is able to go on to more school or not.  If they fail, no re-take and no ability to go on to school.  For boys, this means they start taking care of cows and goats full-time and maybe trying to farm, but for girls, this means they are usually going to be given away for marriage.  It is so difficult to witness, knowing these girls, and knowing the likelihood of their future.  The worst part of this all is that their failure is really of no fault of their own - the government schools in their area are well below average.  The teachers are not Maasai and they got assigned to those places by the government, so they really have no desire to live out in the bush and sometimes they don't even show up to school, but there is little oversight and heads are turned the other way when complaints are made.  It is such a hard system to live in when it feels like everything is against these girls, and there is nothing they can do to change it.

However, through our program, we are working to establish a skills training for these children who have failed their exam, giving them hope of a future that is extraordinary for their family and their area.  We are in the beginning stages and would truly appreciate prayer on how best to provide training for these children so they can learn a trade and even have the opportunity to make a living that is greater than mere survival.

These beautiful girls wanting to do more in life than simply get married

We left for Namunyak (another church), which was on our way back to Mairowa.  With three extra ladies in the back heading to the market, it made for an exciting sight to see in the rear view mirror as Sarah juggled Maasai beads, flailing arms, flying sleeping bags, and the constant clanking of various objects hitting metal on metal as we rocked back-and-forth with every meter we drove!

Indie writing a letter to her new sponsor!!

Stopping in Namunyak, we grabbed the lawn chairs again and talked with a handful of children and got their pictures.  This was a really exciting stop for me because I was able to tell Indie and her mother who was there with her about the amazing news - she was recently sponsored this month!!  Conveying this news usually brings such joy to my heart, but this was super special because her sponsor is my mom's cousin and we had been emailing back and forth about child sponsorship only to find out right before I left for the bush that she had decided to sponsor Indie!!  Her mother was beyond elated!


We made it back to Joseph's for dinner, but then due to a miscommunication in the family, the boys had accidentally used all the water for cooking that night to wash clothes thinking their mom was bringing more water....so by the time we reached there after dark, there was no water and no way to get water.  Again, a problem that my friends here have to deal with on a daily basis - getting water and getting firewood, without either you don't eat.  Joseph's wife finally was able to borrow some water, but it would only be enough to cook a small pot of rice, so Sarah and I opted to head back to the guest house and eat some peanut butter and beef jerky.

Sleep that night was AMAZING with no thorns scratching on the roof!

DAY 3 - Tuesday

We woke early because there was a long day ahead of us (we needed to get to three churches and the most people in our program were at the third church)!  I was pretty nervous when we pulled into our first church and there was no one in sight.  But the way God does, He brought the people...one-by-one, but He brought them there.  We talked with a handful of kids and one widow then needed to be on our way, asking the others who were absent to join us on Friday.

There was a decent road until we came to a Y and then there was merely loose rock and huge divets on a path leading our next 18 kilometers.  We stopped at the church in Matakase where 3 widows and 3 children were waiting for us, chai in hand!  It was the coldest day I have experienced in Africa....I'm talking t-shirt + long-sleeve + sweater + jacket and still a bit cold.  The pastor was so excited for our arrival and we got a great shot of him and his church under the tree!

The pastor, Joseph, & those in our program at Matakase

We then trekked on to the big church at Enkeuwa.  Everyone was SO excited that we had finally arrived!  We were greeted with excellent chai (without milk, special for Sarah) and chapati to fill our stomachs.  Then the work started and after talking with many children and widows, I was exhausted!  The pastor had all the kids come around me and tell me together that they were happy I came and to return again - it was precious.  All of a sudden, Nimpriss (the elected spokeswoman of our widow group) grabs me by the hand and says, "Let's go."  She takes Sarah and me into the church and sits us down.  The other two women are giggling and helping her and after a few seconds we have big bowls of rice and potatoes to eat!  

Nimpriss

We gave farewells, Joseph tied a bedframe on the roof of the vehicle for us to take back to Mairowa and then we headed back to the church at Matakase to camp out for the night.  Mind you, this was the coldest day I have experienced in Tanzania.....but it didn't hold a candle to the night!  Sarah and I bunked in the back of the vehicle, but we helped Joseph setup his tent.....in the dark - good times :)

As we were getting things settled, I started to boil some water on a little gas stove I borrowed from our teammates.  40 minutes later....we are still waiting!  Finally, Sarah suggests we use the tea kettle because it is made of a lighter metal and it has a lid.  30 minutes later....we start to hear some noise.  Then another 30 minutes go by and we are finally eating a crazy concoction I pulled together of spaghetti noodles and leek soup (it was pretty good, or maybe we were just so sick of waiting we would have eaten anything!)

We said goodnight and settled in the car for the evening, having no idea that around 2am we would wake up unable to sleep it was so cold!  It was definitely necessary to spend the night in the bush that night, BUT we were planning to do anything and everything we could to try and make it back to the guest house the following evening!

DAY 4 - Wednesday

We woke up shivering and I tried to make coffee, cup by cup.  Then right as we are preparing to leave, one of the widows from that church who we talked to the day before greeted us with a thermos of warm chai!  After drinking our full, we headed towards the Kenya border to a place known as Matale B.  The road was surprisingly good and we even saw some baboons on our way!

My heart ached after hearing from the children who had gone all the way through standard 7 in Tanzania, failed the national exam, went to a Kenya school and tested into grade 1.  It left me astounded, how could this 14-year old boy go through 8 years of school and test into grade 1?

We talked with a widow who lost her eye two years ago when trying to collect firewood and helped one of our blind widows into the room to talk with her about her struggles and prayer requests.  It was a hard day on little sleep, but God gave us the ability to walk through it and accomplish many tasks for His glory.  And thankfully, we made it back to the guest house for a warm night of rest!

DAY 5 - Thursday

This was by far the most difficult day of our entire trip.  We made the journey out to Matale C - 20 kilometers from Mairowa.

tree in the way, unpassable
SO Joseph walks to the side and starts
chopping, pretty soon we have a detour
 JOYS OF DRIVING IN THE BUSH :)

The pastor out here is my FAVORITE!! He is such a sweet man who is so elated at every moment and makes you feel so welcome.  Though his greeting was warm and he filled our bellies with delicious food, the place where he lives is so disheartening.

Every child we saw that day was suffering - 2 had open sores on their legs that didn't go away, one had an infected sore on his head, 1 had been bitten by a green mamba and the teeth were still in his ankle, a few more had scabies, and the list goes on.  It was so hard not to run to my vehicle, grab my First Aid kit and try to do something, anything, even with little medical training.  God is working on my "savior complex" of always wanting to do something to help fix the problem.  He showed me that day that I do need to help, but in a way that is actually sustainable.  If I give medical attention today, I go home feeling good, then those kids are still suffering tomorrow.  Instead, He is showing me to actually believe in His healing power, to pray like that is the only option, and seek ways that these people can get help that won't leave them in the same or worse position after I leave.  It is hard...I'm still wrestling through those emotions.

Please pray for Nonkishu

Then came the most difficult story I have heard from one of our widows.  She is beautiful and laughing the entire time before we sit down to ask the hard questions - what are your struggles? what are you asking God to help you with?  how can we pray for you and your children?  The tears started forming and I knew she wouldn't reveal these difficulties unless I pressed harder, asking more questions.  I felt as if my heart would explode as she told me of the times that her late husband's father beats her and refuses to help her or her children, and of when there was a time that her late husband's brother tried to kill her, to the point where he had the rope around her neck and was tying her to the tree when someone spotted them and stopped him.  The tears wouldn't stop and I tried to find words to comfort her, but none came.  After we finished, Sarah suggested we take a break.  I walked a short distance, facing away from the people, and wept.  Story after story of women who can't feed their children, women who are oppressed, women who in the world's eyes have nothing to smile about yet who God gives joy in the midst of suffering.

Pastor Isaya, his wife & grandson in his church
under the tree, with the goats!

Matale C children walking home together

DAY 6 - Friday

We went back to Nalepo to talk with those we weren't able to finish with on Sunday.  We had one boy who was covered with scabies and had broken his arm two years ago, but who still hadn't sought medical attention (he hid it, ashamed, and didn't even tell me about it until I assured and reassured him that it is good for him to tell me any problems so I can help him).  After talking with him about his ambitions to become a tailor, we encouraged him to come back the next day to visit with the nurses doing medical checkups to advise in how to best help him.

When taking the pictures of the widows, they passed around a beautiful white necklace so they all looked so pretty for their pictures - it was so precious!

We finished around 3 and headed back to the guest house for a lunch of instant mashed potatoes followed by our 4th of July feast of Spanish rice with corn and S'MORES!

Our s'mores = oreo + weird Tanzanian marshmallow + cookies & creme

DAY 7 - Saturday

This day was INSANE!  We had too much to do and not enough time to do it.  I knew I had to lower my expectations, otherwise I would go through the day upset and frustrated.  But somehow, only through God's amazingness, we finished everything we needed to do!

Sarah and I met Joseph early to sort school supplies for all the kids in our program.  Then Megan and Lauren arrived to help :)  We picked up the nurses and started the medical exams while Sarah was working with sponsored children to write letters.  Then we even had time to talk with people who were not at their churches that week to get their bio and pictures!

Megan and the son of on of our widows as his mom is getting a medical checkup

We left there with full cars, full hearts and full of stories!  It was an AMAZING week!  Praise to God!