Mitumba Food Delivery

Mitumba slum is situated next to Wilson Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. Though this slum is smaller than some of the other slums, i.e. Kawangware (700,000 people) and Kibera (1,000,000 people) the need here is just as great.
There is a school in Mitumba slum that is serving the community by allowing children to attend without paying school fees. This doesn't seem significant, but because the Kenyan government does not give money to any schools, ALL schools have to charge school fees. If a child's parents cannot afford the fees, their child does not go to school.
When the school first started, there were children running around naked because they didn't have any clothes. These children were also eating dirt to stop the hunger pains in their stomachs. God spoke to a monetarily poor Kenyan man to start a school there and a few years later, there are 400 children benefitting from education and a relationship with God who otherwise wouldn't.
Our school has had relationships with this slum school since last year. We take students to their school to spend time with them and we also bring their students to our school to build relationships. One other way we help is through doing a food drive every October and November that results in us delivering buckets of food to them. Through our school really coming together, we were able to raise right at 200 buckets of food. Though there are 400 children, many are siblings and so we were able to give a bucket to every family that has children attending there.Shauna was able to go with me yesterday and she continued to comment on how great of an experience it was. We also took one child from every grade that helped contribute to raising buckets with us also. This is us right before we left.

The moment we arrived, we were greeted by hundreds of smiling faces. They were very polite and did not shove and push trying to get at the food. Instead they were incredibly humble and eager to help unload our vehicles. They were so grateful and had huge smiles on their faces. Upon leaving, I couldn't get over how I felt more blessed giving to them than they were in receiving it.

Typical of Kenyan culture, the school performed some songs and dances for us. I then spoke and wanted them to know very clearly that white people are not their providers and their source, but God alone! I told them very specifically that the only reason we were there is because there is a God in heaven who is filled with love for them and He moved on our hearts to cause us to do this for them.

I also told them that though the food will only last a short time, the greatest gift we could offer them was the gift of salvation, which is eternal. We also put a book in each bucket that is in Swahili outlining the plan of salvation and the prayer for salvation at the end. It's our prayer that God will move on their hearts.

We spend most of our lives looking for what will bring us fulfillment and we usually think that the more we possess, the happier we will be. I've searched high and low and I have never felt more fulfilled in my life than when I am able to help change and improve the quality of someone's life worse off than me. Shauna and I are so humbled and grateful that God would allow us to play just a small part in affecting change to a hurting world.

Back "Home"

I am finally back with my amazing wife after being away for two weeks! I arrived in Kenya on Friday night after 21 hours of flying on three different planes. God blessed me in London. When I was giving my boarding pass at the gate, they looked on their computer and said that I had received a free upgrade. I was upgraded to business in the first row with all of the extra leg room for free. This may not sound like a big deal, but on a 9 hour flight its huge!
One of the coolest sights I have ever seen was when we were flying over Sudan. It had just turned dark and as I looked outside I could see little "clusters" of orange among the blackness of the ground. I looked closer and could see that they were fires and you could see where villages were by the fact that there would be 20 or more little fires close together. This was so beautiful and unusual to see in the night. Typically cities are outlined by buildings and street lights, but Sudan was marked by fires.
I have hit the ground running in that we are preparing the Christmas buckets and food to be delivered next week to Mitumba slum. In addition to this, we are going to have a celebration service in the beginning of December for everyone who has given their life to Christ over the last couple months from our evangelism. We will be giving them a free bible in Swahili and encourage them to go through the new believer's class. I will also be preaching at this service.
Shauna is continuing to do an amazing job teaching and is getting involved at our church with taking a class right after the service on Sundays. She is preparing for a Thanksgiving party next Wednesday. I am definitely looking forward to the food and watching Charlie Brown's "The Great Pumpkin Patch" with the kids. Even being across the world, there's nothing like some holiday traditions to make you feel close to home!

Rich's Mom

I took an unexpected trip back to TN where I have been almost two weeks now. One of the main reasons I came was to spend time with my mother. She has always been such a source of strength and encouragement to me even in some of my darkest times. God has really blessed me with the opportunity to spend some quality time with her.
We are still standing and believing for her healing from melanoma (spelling?) cancer. There is nothing that medical science can do, but there is nothing God can't do! She is such an amazing woman and plays a large role in me being who I am today. Please keep her in your prayers!

Nairobi Standard Chartered Race

Yesterday, I had the privilege of being able to run a half marathon along with the best runners in the world, literally! I have run three marathons in the States, but this was my first half. Due to all of our ministry work, and mile high elevation, I did not find it wise to try the full.

We had some friends, who we have worked with in ministry, that also ran yesterday and this is us before the race started.

I was able to run the half in 1:43, which I was really proud of! I was just hoping to break 2 hours. I had no idea how big of a factor elevation plays in running until living here.

It turns out that the guy who won first place in the marathon had just won the Arizona Rock n' Roll Marathon in the beginning of this year. It was kinda cool knowing that the winner had been in our town. It was truly a great day running among 10,000 people!

Our "Visitor"

We were "greeted" with a visitor last night at our place. As we were getting ready for bed, Shauna went to brush her teeth and found this pleasant surprise. I'm just going to be honest and tell you that I freak out more than her over stuff like this. When I heard her scream, I knew it was bad. I almost didn't want to check it out because I was thinking it was a snake.
She was the one that took this picture. I wasn't about to get close enough for this shot. Our Kenyan help came in and killed it. I freaked out...

Community Development Project

One of my responsibilities here at the school is Community Development. We had our first outreach this week and I was pleased with how it went.

Our 12th grade hosted the 7th grade of Mitumba Slum School. There was some concern that the Mitumba students would experience some "culture shock" being at our school because their entire campus can almost fit in our multi-purpose room. I spoke with the director, Pastor Shadrach, and he told me that these kids have a "slum mentality" from living there their whole life. He says that because the slums are all they know, they don't dream of attaining more. He thought it would be beneficial for the children to come to our school in hopes of causing them to develop greater dreams so they can achieve them.

The Mitumba students had a great time and were almost constantly smiling and laughing. I went with our driver to pick them up and almost immediately, they were laughing and fascinated with leaving the slums and travelling somewhere. You would have thought they were at DisneyLand. Their teacher, who also came, said that most of the students had not left the slums in many months.

I was concerned with how our day would go because this is something different I am trying this year than what the school did last year. This is more comprehensive and engaging. There were good results and feedback from students and staff. We are going to be hosting them, one grade at a time, with our students twice a month in hopes of creating relationships and encouraging them in the Lord. This is also the school that we are doing the Christmas Bucket Drive so they will have a bucket of food to eat during Christmas. If any of you, State-side, would like to give to them just let us know. Each bucket costs 1500ksh, which is the equivalent of $20. Please keep them in prayer.

Mitumba Slum School

Earlier this week, we were able to visit Mitumba slum, which is located close to Wilson Airport. It's not nearly as big as some of the other slums, i.e. Kibera-one million people! but the need is still just as great and the conditions are just as desperate!

God directed us to an amazing man in this slum named Pastor Shadrach. He runs a school in this slum for almost 400 children and doesn't charge them anything. This doesn't necessarily sound too generous, but there is no such thing as free education in Kenya. Even in the slum schools, if the parents can't afford the fees, their children do not go to school. I can't tell you how often we will be doing evangelism and see children everywhere playing because they are not in school. As part of my job as Community Developer, I will be taking our high school students to do various activities and form relationships with them.

These children come from the poorest of the poor and most don't eat anything outside of what they are fed at school. Through donations, this monetarily(not spiritually!) poor pastor, is able to feed them TWICE a day! He gives them a porridge at 10 o'clock that consist of a day's worth of vitamins and minerals that is even more expensive than feeding them lunch. I have just initiated the Christmas Bucket Drive at our school where we will try to get enough buckets that consist of maize flour, beans, rice, etc. to give them so they will have something to eat at Christmas. Please pray that our students and families will give generously!!