Blue Christmas

I'll admit that at this time of year, I never attended or really understood how someone could be "blue" at Christmas. I am a hard head. I have to learn everything the hard way. The Lord has given me the gift of empathy, but it hasn't always been there -sympathy yes, empathy no.

It has been nearly a year now since I experienced the only true trauma I have ever experienced.

trau·ma

/ˈtroumə,ˈtrômə/

noun

noun: trauma; plural noun: traumata; plural noun: traumas

1.

a deeply distressing or disturbing experience.

"a personal trauma like the death of a child"

 

That puts it pretty simply I suppose. Since living in Kenya I have seen so many people deal with trauma and the aftermath of it. I have seen and gotten to know well American veterans who have seen and dealt with trauma and its aftermath. But, honestly, I had never really experienced anything that was truly traumatic.

 

I define trauma as something tragic that happens unexpectedly and knocks you off your feet.

In the early hours of January 1 2018, I experienced trauma when "my Emily" passed away. I now understand how when you watch TV and people receive traumatic news, they "lose their legs." I know what it feels like to have pain so deep and painful that you think you might surely never recover. I know what it is like to throw up from the shock of a trauma. I know what it's like to not be able to get out of bed... to not be able to hold your head up. I know what it is to cry from a part in your body and soul you never knew existed. I know what it is like to be unable to breathe the pain is so present.

Psychologist talk about the stages of grief.

• SHOCK & DENIAL-
• PAIN & GUILT- ...
• ANGER & BARGAINING- ...
• "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS- ...
• THE UPWARD TURN- ...
• RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH- ...
• ACCEPTANCE & HOPE 

It is said that not everyone experiences each of these and not everyone experiences each of these in this order. I have to say though , that for me, this journey has taken this very path... it does, however, sometimes circle back.  

For those of you experiencing pain this year at Christmas and throughout the year, I just pray that your journey through grief is one you travel with friends and family who love you. I am a blessed woman. Emily's death nearly incapacitated me. Emily's death made me temporarily angry with God. Emily's death is something I never want to go through again. But Emily's death taught me so very much.

I still have so much to work out. But day by day things get easier. Len has been in the hospital many times this year. The first time we went, I had a terrible time with the beeping of the machines in the hospital - a sort of mild ptsd I suppose... it made me hyperventilate every time I heard that beep.  Because I had seen Emily's monitor ... watched it carefully as her blood pressure dropped.... then Len had some issues and we were once again in ICU but this time in the US , not in Kenya. And his blood pressure dropped and I froze... then went into shock a bit... then tried to pray for his recovery, but got angry with God instead and said "if you take another person I love...." I couldn't pray then... for anything.... But God brought Len through that.

I don't know why God took Emily. I don't know why God allowed Len to stay. I don't really know anything about God except that he is ALL POWERFUL and as I looked over my old blogs, I could see his hand in every single thing.
And as long as His plan was my plan, I was ok with it. But the minute it didn't, I wasn't happy.

The night Emily died, we decided to call what had been the Haven, the Emily Martin Rescue Centre. That was God. And God has a plan for that rescue centre far bigger than my life or Emily's life. Unfortunately, I don't get to know that plan in full. I just have to trust and believe.

Some days that is easy... other days not so much. But God has heard my cry and rescued me.

Where to start

Coming back to this blog is tougher than I thought. I am so incredibly sad that I didn't keep this going. I keep going over and over all the stories I missed in the last couple of years. And then I realize, that I can wallow in the past, or pick up and keep going.

An a-ha! moment.  Isn't that the struggle each and every day? I get caught in what if and if only so many many times. I look back over my ministry in Kenya and surely have so many regrets. There have been some very painful moments particularly over the last couple of years where I truly wondered what God was doing... or did I think I heard his voice but didn't really...

When I said yes to the call of God to go to Kenya, the first thing I felt was relief and peace. I had finally said yes to the thing that God wanted most from me. It took a few years, but I realized that saying yes was not a permanent one and done thing. From that moment on, life got tougher rather than easier. From that moment on, I faced disappointment after disappointment. We lost some friends - mostly because we were so very far away. My sisters had and still have a difficult time understanding how I could go so far and leave my parents and my family. Everything did not get easier. And I could do what I did with this blog. I could think  "what if " I had just stayed at TSW - my home for 20 years and an incredible place to work. I'd have money now. I could help my parents more. I could send enough money to help fund the Rescue Centre.... OH WAIT!!!!?????

And then it becomes clear... God's plan was for me to assist in building that Rescue Centre not fund it personally. He wanted my blood, sweat and tears in that building. He wanted me to listen carefully and do exactly what HE wanted.

When we moved to Kenya in 2012,  many people would say..."are you going to build a school..." and my answer was always I don't plan on building ANYTHING in Kenya... and it stayed that way. And I didn't build anything in Kenya . God did... through Esther's vision and my willingness to do my part.

Wow... I really should write a book because this is already REALLY long.... but I digress.
In the coming days and weeks, I hope to select a few stories here and there that will chronicle the life of the ministry from now on. I am praying over all the thoughts in my head now before I tell the first story.... stay tuned. One of the stories will surely be the relationship of these two...Denis and Max.

You should write a book...

Our ministry is full of so many many wonderful stories. It is also full of many terribly difficult and painful stories. When I return to the US and begin talking with friends about the  ministry, most will inevitably say "you should write a book." My attention span is not that long. But I realized today that if I had continues to post short blogs  (which was my intention when I started this blog when we moved to Kenya) I would have a book.

I want to move forward trying to be sure to blog more regularly. I may play catch up a little. It's easiest for me to use a picture to tell a story. So you'll be seeing a pic or two from time to time that will begin a story I will finish with my words.

I could use your help as  well... if there is a story I have told you and you think "gosh, you should tell that one" shoot me an email susan@nowkenya.org

For now, pray that this will be yet another way that the Lord can be glorified and I can remember to praise him for all that he continues to do.

He makes all things new.. I'm BACK

I decided today to resurrect the Eastwood adventures in Kenya blog.  As always, as I went to this page for that purpose, I went back over other posts from YEARS ago. Oh how many stories I have missed telling you.

I am not sure if this will be a personal "type out loud" kind of blog or a ministry blog or perhaps more realistically it will be a combination of the two.

Look for more stories in the coming days....

8 YEARS

We call her Mama Grace.
Her given name is Jane. I don't even really know her surname.

In the early years, we met her only once or twice after her children became sponsored by us and some of our friends. As we started to spend more time here , we saw her a little more often. When there was a visiting day at school for parents, we would go and meet her there. We would make lots of food and she made nothing. She just came with all her children ( and there were many- about 5 total) and ate and got what she could. None of her children had the same father. She was a prostitute.

Fast forward 8 years. Esther and I started a bible study in our home for women. We started it with Mama Grace in mind. Since moving to the Githioro community we had been able to see her more often. When we would travel for visiting days, we would pick her up and she would help with making food for the children. She came to visit the house. She asked for a job in the shamba ( farm.) She was making a very good living as a prostitute and even admitted that it would be hard for her to give up sex  because she was honest enough to say she just liked it.

She was at the first bible study in our house a little more than a year ago. She has been coming faithfully. When we started our outreach program of visiting those who are sick or in need, she helped lead it. Today, she will help facilitate if Esther or I are not available.

Today, she came and told us that she has been living off the money she makes from the shamba only and has given up prostitution COMPLETELY. She went on to talk about how good she feels about herself.  She talked about how good it feels now not to do that.

And I cried and we thanked God.

When you live so far away from your family and all that is familiar to you, I think it natural to sometimes wonder why you came and if it really matters ( even though you surely actually know that it does)... and in those times, God has always sent proof of  obedience to His call.

8 years - one woman. ONE LIFE Changed by our God. He is AMAZING.

In Africa, there is so much truth to "truth is stranger than fiction"

One of the reasons I don't blog often is because the stories I need to share are complicated and full of details that need to be related. And I need to get it  just right because the story - and it's a true story- needs to be told in exactly the way I experience it here.

So, let's go back to the year 2009. It was this year that while working in a medical clinic here, we noticed two little girls who were always around. We started to wonder why they were not in school. Long story short, we ( and other friends) started sponsoring these two young ladies for boarding school.  Here's a picture of Lois and Grace in 2010

Over the years, we have had contact with the mother of these two.  For many years, we had to beg and plead with her to do even a small part to help. Peter and Mama Shiko were frustrated because on visiting day she would come with nothing for her children and expect them to provide for her. In fact, they described her as a little bit crazy.

Fast forward 5 years. Grace and Lois are thriving in school. Grace is in 8th grade and Lois is in 5th grade. They are lovely girls. The top picture on the left side is of them in 2010 and on the right and bottom -this year 2015.

These girls are thriving and becoming wonderful young girls.

Then there is the mother. The good news is that she is attending our Wednesday bible study faithfully. She also works on the farm here. She leads some of the outreach our group does.

The bad news is - she's addicted sex. We knew that she was a prostitute. But slowly but surely, her life is changing.  God is good.

Children's Court

There are many times when I say to myself, I should post a blog about that. Then life happens and I am pulled away from the computer. But this time, I MUST write.

My friend Esther was summoned to court because her "husband" wanted to have custody of his children. They have three together.

I met Esther in 2013, when  a mutual acquaintance asked me if we could add Esther's oldest child to our sponsorship program. The reasons given were that the husband was abusive to Esther and the children and that he had actually threatened to have sex with his oldest child if Esther was not willing to grant him his "rights."

The Esther I met was a quiet, shy young woman with three lovely children. Two of those children suffered problems at birth. Maxwell, the youngest, has cerebral palsy. Claire had some trouble beginning to walk but is now quite healthy.

Esther's story and the story of the children is a very very long one. The things that the "husband" did to her are too horrible even to write.

Today, she had her day in court. I am writing this blog because I want to honor God and how He works in the lives of people. The Esther I met 3 years ago was afraid of her own shadow. She never asked us for anything. It was this mutual acquaintance who begged us to take Venus as a sponsored child. Even though Esther was often unable to pay her rent or to feed her children she NEVER asked. Except for one time. At that time the "husband" had come to her place and taken all of her things - beds, seats, even the thing she cooked with. He left his family with one very small mattress.

Fast forward three years. The "husband" took her to court to get "unlimited access" to his children. In all the years I have known her I had not even met him until January of last year. He had never given his children anything. He had indeed visited the family every 6 months to a year when he came home just to "get what was his" from Esther.

I so wish I had the words to clearly explain how pathological this man is. That will be for another day.

Today Esther for the first time faced him with her head held high. Just a year ago, he brought another case to court and when Len and I went with her to the court, she was afraid to even speak to him. I looked at her and told her to put her shoulders back, take a breath and go straight to him and greet him. SHE was in charge. He was not.

Over a year ago, Esther helped me to start two women's bible study groups. Iwanted to provide a place for women to come and learn about Jesus and to have a safe place to share problems. I asked her to be my translator. She did that, but wasn't happy about it.

Long story short - she's the leader now. She has a heart bigger than anyone I know. She does not want women to suffer like she has.  We are learning to be strong together - knowing that our strength comes from God.

Once again, I digress. What I want to say is that today a strong, confident, loving mother of three faced her "demon." She answered his questions with confidence and never shed a tear. We listened to lie after lie from him and yet she smiled with confidence because she knew the truth.

I took the stand at the very end of the process. I was a little afraid. I have never testified in court , let alone a Kenyan court.  But I knew the truth, and when I swore on that bible to tell the truth that is exactly what I did. Her attorney asked questions which I was able to answer. When the "husband" asked me questions, I was able to answer. It was a bit funny. This manipulator extraordinaire saw another woman he wished to control. He clearly did not know me at all. He went after me just as he would a Kenyan woman. He asked me if I had children of my own and I said yes. Then he said to me, you are lieing - you are barren. Now, in Kenya, that should have been a slap in the face. A Kenyan woman would have shriveled up and caved. I simply said that statement was true. Then he said that because of my being barren I wanted his children.

With a twinkle in my eye I proudly said, " I am 52 years old. I don't want anybody's children."

Point being, he thought that he could intimidate me like he has done to so many women including Esther.

When I stepped down from the stand, I realized that several of the women from the Monday bible study had come to support Esther. How amazing is that??? As I walked by Mary, she said to me - you are such a strong woman. They were all astounded that I stood with my head held high and answered his questions.

If one person has been changed by my strength - I give all the glory to God. He has done GREAT things in the life of Esther and she is passing it on. God is good.

What a new year it has already been...

In March last year, we started a group for women - ( see blog post from March 15, 2015)
We started with a little over ten women. That group has grown to between 50 and 60 each week. We have been asked by people in the community what we are giving them each week - surely they do not come and not receive a hand out of some sort.

Our answer remains that first and foremost we give them Jesus - His love... His big big huge love that is surpassed by no one and nothing. We teach about him and what he taught his discipled.

We provide a safe play to come and share burdens. We offer a place to pray and praise God . We offer a place to laugh together . We offer a place to learn things about the biology of the female body. We learn about how to deal with crazy teenagers.

While I was away in the US, 4 people asked Christ into their hearts.

Today, Miriam the mlevi as we call her came to our house. She was brought by one of the leaders of the group. We call her Miriam the mlevi because I have never seen her when she was not drunk.  And every time she comes drunk, I tell her to keep coming even if she's drunk.
So for months she has come off and on. She has 4 children. Her family has given up on her. She is thin - very very thin.
Today, Miriam came to say that today was the day she wanted to be saved  - the day she wanted to give up drinking and give her life to Christ.
We prayed with her. Reuben, our dear friend, helped me with her and interpretation.  Today she starts a new life. We told her it would not be easy, but we are here to help her on her journey. We sent her home with food for her and her children.  I told her to eat then go to sleep and begin again.
Tomorrow she will come to "check in".... please pray for Miriam.

We praise God for the way he has moved in this dear child's life.

One lady's story.

I have decided that when I write about the ladies in our group, I will refer to all of them as Esther. I will pray that name on them so that they become strong and faithful.

Today's Esther came to the meeting last Wednesday. When she arrived, her hair was a wreck, her clothes were dirty and she had her young son with her. She left her 10 year old at home looking for some kind of work.

As Esther began to talk, she told the story of abuse and abandonment from childhood. When she was twelve she was beaten severely and ran away from home. She ran to the forest. There she found some people who gave her food and a place to stay. Not an unfamiliar story here. But guess what, she was really a slave. She was twelve, could not read or write and was at the mercy of these people.

She ran away and was "helped" by a man who took her further into the forest where she was going to be raped. Another man came along and helped her get to the road.

The details of her life are still being shared. When she came on Wednesday, she was brought by a friend from her neighborhood ( we are pretty sure the friend is a prostitute. ) You see the "christians" in her neighborhood and others decided she needed to be beaten because she did not take her 10 year old to school. But this girl  ( she is 26) has been on her own most of her life. Where is she to get the $25 it will cost for fees ( both of her children will need to start in nursery school which is not free) plus uniforms for both ( another $30 each.) So let's calculate, two children times say $60  . That is TWICE what she might earn in a month.  Where is her hope? How do we help her? Can you feel the love of Christ when you see know way out?

Well... as usual, the Lord works powerfully. When she returned to her home that day, a lady had left her phone number  and asked her to call. Esther was afraid I am sure because she had basically run away from a mob.  But one lady in that neighborhood stepped up and gave $25 for getting the children started and then they would "go from there."

So, at church this morning, I was feeling lethargic. I did not quite frankly feel like struggling to get what I could from our service since it is in Swahili and sometimes Kikuyu. I just did not want to try. I wanted to be anywhere else.

And then , the time came for visitors to stand and introduce themselves. And there was Esther. She introduced herself and then sat down. I looked at my friend Esther ( the co-leader of this group) and we raised our hands to heaven to thank God for sending Esther there.

And then another odd thing happened. We often have guests in the church. Usually, they just greet the church and sit down. But Baba Jane ( the eldest elder of the church) called the ladies up  and as we sang a great Kikuyu song ( don't know the words, but the songs are ALWAYS full of life )  the entire church came and shook their hands and welcomed them. THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. What a welcome our new friend Esther found at our church today. And she came to give thanks for the lady who was helping with her school fees. The joy I felt in all that happened today filled my heart.

And then, I found that our dear friend Sam was preaching today. That meant he would preach in English and Swahili and I was thrilled.

Thank you Lord for surprises - even though I should not be surprised.

The least of these...seriously

Today we started a bible study for women. By we, I mean my friend Esther and another friend here in Kenya. I had asked everyone to pray for this group. I thought we would be small and I thought that it was going to take a very long time for people to open up with their stories.

You see, I knew that most who would attend would be considered "worthless" in our community. By worthless, I meant multiple types of issues. Prostitution, alcoholism, abuse and the list went on and on. While I have prayed about this for weeks and felt that now was the time to begin, and while I prepared as much as I could, I was not prepared for what happened today.

First let me say - there will be NO pictures of these women. They suffer enough from extremely poor self esteem without my adding to their anxiety. Other than Esther and myself, the names I use will NOT be the real names of these women. They have tough stories and tough lives and they deserve privacy. But I do want you to know their stories and I pray that through this blog I can share with you the transformation that the Lord will provide in the lives of these women. So let me describe them to you.

There are no "fancy hairdos." That's one of the first things I learned from Kenyan friends. Hair is an indicator of social status. So, in this group, none of the attendees had "hairdos." Some had cut their hair very short, others had very tiny braids that can be done by a friend. Some of these ladies had stopped going to church because they had been ridiculed for their "lack of smart hair.)

They all wore their best. For some of them, that mean an ill fitting t-shirt and a skirt of some sort. I could see the feet of each of them. These were feet that have walked many miles just to look for work.

Nobody looked me in the eye. As they told their stories, they did it with their head down. But there were no tears even though these stories were unimaginably difficult.

Each woman had at least one child with them. For some, the other children were in school ( praise God) but for others, their children were finding work ( one of them was 10 years old and has never been to school because the $50 per year is prohibitive.) This is the child of one of the ladies who never went past first grade.

Today was our get to know you day. I thought that if I shared a little of my story, it would help these women open up. What I was not prepared for was how incredibly open they appeared to be. We were 10 total including me and Esther ( my dear friend who is an integral part of this group.) Each and every one had a story beginning in childhood of abuse, neglect, abandonment... the list goes on.
Of the 8 attendees, more than half never made it past 2nd grade for various reasons.

I had gone to town to pick up bibles in the local language as well as in Swahili. Guess what? More than half of these ladies cannot read. I just sat still as each lady told her story.  When everyone was finished and it was just Esther and me - I just said wow. And she said to me, "there is so much more that they are not ready to tell."

I have been here for several years now. Most of my "evangelism" has been in and through the church of some sort.  Most of the evangelism I have done has been through some tool - clean water/buckets, medical camps, large groups for training.

 A group was started last year for the youth in this community. When school is out for holidays, those who are between 14 and 21 or so come to our house for praise and worship and bible study. Most of these children have been brought up in church. Most are either in school or working somewhere.

This group of women have NOTHING. They have no family support. Most of their family either abandoned them very early on, parents have died - they just have no one.

For this group of women, just being invited to this group is something they have never experienced before. As we asked each woman some of the reasons why they did not come to church, the list sounded much like what you might find in the US.  Because they have sins that are apparent to everyone, or the entire community knows about them, they are shunned.

These are "the least of these." They are the least of these because that is what this society - including christians and the local churches - define them as . This is the story the community has created for them.  We intend now , through the love and teachings of Jesus, to create a new story for each. I will pray this verse over them for them next however long we are together. I do not usually like this translation of the bible, but for these women God has sent our way  - this is what I pray for them.

 Romans 12:2
New Living Translation
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.


Please pray for these ladies daily. Their lives are more than difficult. But we pray God will allow us to bring the peace of His son in to the lives of these women and their families.

Potatoes and Female Genital Mutilation

 It has been a very long time since I posted a blog. Several things have happened in the last few months that I put in my “note to self” box but forgot.

So today, I had to write.

A couple of weeks ago, we were blessed to be a part of a two day clinic and training in Moheto, southern Kenya. The training part was facilitated by me and Len’s Mom Sarah. We talked about many things facing women in that part of Kenya. We talked about menopause, post partum depression, and the practice of female genital mutilation. For two days we delved into practices that are more than 100 years old and why they continue these practices even though they are detrimental to the health of young women. We had great discussions and we all learned a great deal . I now have a greater understanding of the whys and hows of courtship and marriage in the Kuria tribe. Life is simple and complicated for them.

When those couple of days were finished, I was exhausted.  When I am teaching non-stop for two days, I just feel worn out. I give it all I have when I am in that group setting. But that type of setting is tough for me.You see, I like to be alone. I like reading alone, studying the bible alone, praying alone – I just need time alone. So after a few days like that, my well is completely dry and I have to hibernate. My closest friends know that about me, my family knows that about me. But I struggle with how I am seen in this culture. I am not the kind to come out every day and spend time talking all day. I am however, the kind who likes a good one on one in a quiet place. So I have to learn to adjust. Please pray for me that I find the right balance. Surely God made me this way for a purpose. I am praying over a bible study that will be starting in the next week. This study will be for new Christians, for those who have never known Jesus but know His name, for women who are prostitutes or have addictions of one sort or another – basically those Jesus would have spent time with while on the earth.

Clearly I diverge…. POTATOES…. Why did I title this potatoes? Well, you see this morning our neighbor loaded his motorbike with potatoes just like he does every day. Today, as he passed our house, two large sacks fell from his bike and spilled everywhere. I grabbed my “market bag” and went outside to help pick up the pieces.

When we were finished, I said goodbye, we all smiled and he went off to market.

That’s my kind of servanthood… no words spoken ( well a few Swahili words, but basically we worked in silence)… just gettin’ the job done.  There was a need, we met the need and then everyone went on about their daily routine.

You see… I am a quiet person… I like quiet… and I could pick up potatoes in silence. And I am pretty sure my neighbors felt the love of Jesus as plainly as those to whom I spoke for two days…

Lord help me find my way….

Fundraising - the "raisers" prospective

FACT - we have 37 children in the sponsorship program of Neighbors Outreach Worldwide. Fact - Len and I serve God and as such, had to give up our jobs in the US to do what He has asked of us. Fact- we focus on widows and orphans living in poverty in Kenya. Fact - we provide bible studies for a wide age range of people in our community. Fact - the vocational training center will open mid to late 2015. Fact - God provided all of these opportunities.

FACT - out of sight out of mind - so when I am in Africa, y'all might forget about me.... can't have that

FACT - in order to do all of this, it takes money. While we do our best to be proper stewards of each and every dime we receive, there is always a need.

FACT - I detest asking anyone for money, talking about money. The only thing I like about money is counting it ( goes back to my old bank teller days.) So when you see me while I am here in the US the last thing I want to do is ask for money. But it is necessary.

FACT - without the help of our friends and family, this ministry will wither away. And so I thank God for each and every one of you every single day.

FACT - though I like to, I am not always able to write a note of thanks to everyone. I send quick emails from time to time ( our closest friends understand they won't be getting a note every time they donate) and then I try to write. There are days however, when all my plans fall apart and you may not see a thank you for weeks, even months. What I want to remind you of is that your reward ( or thank you note) is not on earth , but in heaven. And if you do not get a thank you for me it's because my head and my heart are already on to the next need of our children or the community in Githioro.

What I want each and everyone to know is that I pray you will all give. All of my pleas by email or facebook are not for me, it's for the ministry and our desire to help those who need it most.

Just a few thoughts....

Changes... inside and out

Today while I was in the US still helping my Dad recover from bypass surgery, Len was in Kenya continuing to prepare for our new phase of ministry. We are excited to get into the community where we will be serving and he'll begin preparing the house where we will live in a few months.

We are so blessed. This house will be a wonderful place to live among, serve with and care for the people of Githioro and the surrounding communities.

Len sent pictures of this wonderful house and I am anxious to get back to Kenya. I have to say I realized today how far the Lord has brought me  in the last ten years. When Len and I put the addition on our house after we got married, I was obsessed with many things.... but I was most obsessed with the master bathroom. I found pictures of a cabinet and had it custom made. I HAD to had a clawfoot bathtub... had to have six nozzles in the shower... had to have pine floors... took several weeks to decide on just the right toilet.

So today, Len sent pictures of the house and here's the master bathroom. I am happy now that my anxiety about which shower curtain would be best has been relieved.

Perspective

As most of you already know, my Dad found out about a week and a half ago that he had to have open heart surgery .Apparently, I am very hard on the hearts of the men I love most . Len, my husband, had a quad bypass in 2006. Now Daddy will have a triple or possible quad.

So now I know what it feels like to be half way around the world when someone you know has something major to deal with - although he's calling it a bump in the road. And it will be a bump, but I know from watching Len that the next two weeks are going to be tough on him and on my mother. It is incredibly hard to watch someone you love suffer.

Our passports were with Kenya immigration finalizing our work permits. Work permits are very difficult to get in Kenya right now and we have been working on it for months. So we had to wait for the process to be rushed and finished before i could get a flight to come home. At first, I was flying out last Friday... then it moved, and moved and moved again.

Today, it looks like I will be flying out. I think without the Lord by my side I would be completely nutty by now. But beyond that, the Lord has given me the greatest friends and family ever. Len has been a rock. I pretty much shut down after Sunday - felt desperate.  We came to Nairobi and " the boys" Anderson, James and Timothy came with us. They have been a great distraction as we hang out waiting.
One of them will stay one more night with Len so that he is not alone. Peter and Mama Shiko are here as well... holding my hand, praying, just "being" with me. I am blessed

So... as I thought about how much I miss my family - especially my Mom and Dad right now... the reality of the life of these boys smacked me right in the face. Anderson and James are total orphans. At such a young age they lost the two most important people in their lives. I have had my parents for such a long time and that is a blessing. I still get to talk to them and ask them things. I do not take that for granted. And I am gonna love those boys harder because they deserve it. They have been good to me and I thank God for them. These are the three taken at the beginning ot he year on their first day of high school.

Just when you think God is done....

As we prepared this fall to begin our second full year of ministry in Kenya, we were blessed to be able to stay at the Spiritual Life Center of St. Matthew's UMC - our home church. Len and I had been very restless at the latter part of our first year's stay in Kenya. We both felt God trying to speak to us about our ministry in Kenya. And so when we got back to the US, I spent a lot of time in the spot pictured below - praying, reading, praying, studying - and well maybe a nap or two. My dear friends Daphne and Elaine invited me to a bible study that began two days after we arrived home and that helped me "stay in the word" as soon as we got home even though my head was really spinning trying to figure out what our ministry in Kenya was really supposed to look like.

Part of what the Lord kept saying to me over and over was just three words... WIDOWS AND ORPHANS.... WIDOWS AND ORPHANS..... Every scripture... every thought. And then it happened. I had already begun to very amateurishly  draw a picture of what I thought God wanted me to be doing... how he wanted me to live in Kenya... how he wanted us to minister.  Some friends and I had talked about what that "compound" would look like....I asked them each to draw what they saw.
Each of us, without prompting of any kind drew something that looked like this. I shared this drawing with Len - in fact, it was sketched out on a whiteboard that sat in the middle of the floor of the SLC.

Shirley Sprouse came over to visit us at the SLC one day because she  had heard from the Lord about a foundation of some sort having to do with our ministry in Kenya.

And so after  a blessed time at home , we returned to Kenya to begin ministry still feeling that God was trying to tell us something.

One day just a very few days after we got back to Kenya, Len was out with our friend Sam. He passed by his church and just for information shared with Len that it was indeed his church and then was telling of the struggles the church was having as well as the opportunities.  He described current projects, prayers they had about future ministries and Len sat quietly and listened. All he said to our friend was, you have to talk to Susan about this. You see, Sam had described what God was telling me in the US  in the fall.

And so Len shared the story with me, and then Sam came to the house and began to tell me about the compound of his church. And I began to weep. I asked him to hold on and brought out the very first pencil  sketch God had shown me. All of the items on my sketch were in that compound or planned to be in that compound. That drawing was a real place - the foundation was there. Coincidence... I think not.

And then we went to look at it. I was literally speechless. Never had God spoken so clearly as he did with this plan. Things began to happen. We started to become a part of that church. Turns out the pastor's house is empty because the pastor has his own house. So they had a church member just living there for security purposes and prayed for someone to come and live there. A primary school was already in the early stages of development. This is a google maps view of the current church and it's compound. We are blessed that the AIC church in Githioro has agreed to allow us to be their partner in ministry in this community.

So, in July we'll begin a new phase of ministry in a community - living in community with those we serve. Our first challenge is to raise funds for a well. That community suffers greatly because water is not readily available and many walk miles and miles daily for water. In the dry season, water is not available. Getting water to that community will be our first priority. And it's a big goal. It will take about $23,000  to dig this well that will provide water for the community, the church, the vocational training center and eventually a hospital.

We will be calling this new ministry Neighbors Outreach Worldwide. We hope that this "banner" of ministry will allow for others to join us in ministry whether it be  in Kenya or any other place in the world.  You are all part of the ministry. Len and I happen to be living and working IN Kenya but all of you are helping us minister here and are ministering in your own place where God has put you.

We base this ministry on Mark 12:28-31

Mark 12:28-31 The  Greatest Commandment

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.30And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’31The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.

We are Neighbors Outreach Worldwide - Called to love and serve our neighbors.

www. neighborsoutreachworldwide.org 

More to come.... please keep praying

In His Service
Len and Susan Eastwood



God is Good

Yeah... I know... haven't posted a blog since October of last year.... but hold on to your hats... big stuff coming. God is AMAZING.....

You will have to hold on just a little while longer for full details of changing ministry for us in Kenya. Ask and you shall indeed receive......

Love to you all... please visit soon... I'll post this to facebook when we have more details.

50 is indeed the new 40

When I turned forty years old ( just ten years ago) I was still in the "it's all about me" stage of my life. I demanded from Len that not only did I require a party with all my friends and family, but that I also wanted to go to the Homestead for the weekend and spend an entire day in the spa where it was going to be all about me. The timing of other things gets a little blurry... I can't remember whether I had pitched a fit then for the Volvo convertible I had always wanted , or the emerald ring that I had always wanted... but all of those things I had gotten because I deserved them. And I got whatever I wanted. And guess what... I still wasnt' happy.
Ok... so I diverge a little now. In 1993 I was dating a young man much younger than I. There were many things about that relationship that were not exactly "right". Don't get me wrong, there were things that good about it as well, but it certainly was not the relationship God had planned for me. But several very good things came from that not exactly right relationship. And I don't want to go into details of that relationship because I don't think it fair to tell my side and not the entire story. And that young man remains a friend. so... anyway.
In that relationship was where my journey back to a life lived as God had intended began. It was right after that relationship ended that my search and journey back to God really began in earnest.  But during that,my friend was aware of my great love of gospel music. And in particular, he was very aware of my admiration of Mahalia Jackson. I would always say that when I went to heaven I was going to be able to sing like Mahalia Jackson. So, there was a play at the Swift Creek playhouse and he took me and I was touched...deeply. But not as much by the story as I was by the voice of Cora Harvey Armstrong. It was that day that I thought when I get to heaven I want to sing like Cora Armstrong. You could feel Jesus in her voice.
And so... the journey began slowly. In 1998 I met Len.  And after an interesting courtship we were married. But I knew the entire time, from the first date that this was the man God had saved for me.  When we got married in 2000 I wanted to have Ms. Armstrong sing at our wedding. She has been a symbol of my journey back to Jesus for a long time. But, alas, she was busy.
Over the last years I have followed her ministry. Through facebook I have been blessed by her workds of encouragement .
And so... now it is time for my 50th birthday. And praise God, it's not all about me.... not even close. It's all about giving God the glory for all that he has done in my life- a life transformed in the last 20 years... a life that is continuing to be transformed. And now Ms. Armstrong will sing on my birthday as we give God the glory.
I pray each of you will join us on that day for oysters and barbecue as we do the best we can to bless our minsitry in Kenya so that we can do what the Lord has asked.
Fifty is indeed the new 40 for me. I get the chance to do this birthday  a little differently- my birthday, a gift from God, a celebration of a life I have now given to Him to use in any way He wishes.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will indeed give you the desires of your heart. And I apologize now Ms. Armstrong, but I might just have to sing along ( in a corner where no one can hear me)

In my last post ( I know, from WAY back in January) I mentioned a child who had ended up going to a dental surgeon.

His name is James Esenyen. James is 14 years old and in class eight.

In 2008 James’  father Joshua was training to become a police officer. While home from training one weekend, he complained of a very bad headache and went to the hospital.  They gave him an injection of some sort and some medicine and sent him home. Three hours later he died.

There were four children -Jackson, Eunice, Anderson and James. Their mother Mary was left to care for all four of the children. In April of 2012, Mary was infected with typhoid and died.  Four children were left orphaned.

 When James came to Holy Trinity to interview he came in his tattered school uniform.  I remember him very well. He was quiet and very respectful, but not much of a smiler. What I noticed most was that James had a terrible infection on his lower jaw the origin of which seemed to be inside his mouth. Infections scare me- particularly in Africa. Left untreated, death is never far to follow.

  And so James was enrolled in the Children’s Education Fund. He is in class eight at the school and doing very well. He is an incredible “footballer”  and all around athlete as well as a leader in the school. He has a great sense of humor and a delightful laugh.

After several trips to the dentist, it was found that James had lost a permanent tooth and that the roots were still lodged in  his gum. The source of the infection had been found. The roots were removed and James is healing very well now. 

James spends holiday with our Kenyan friends who live in the same compound that we do. There he has 3 brothers and two sisters. He is happy and healthy. We are able to watch that wound and make sure it is indeed completely healed.

James is a delight to be around. We took all the children to Lake Naivasha for a trip a few weeks ago. James helped prepare lunches and made sure all the younger children were ok.  Whenever we are working at the compound he is always first to volunteer.

Today James helped me clean out the pharmacy closet. I taught him a few things about the medicines we have and he helped me organize. We had some bibles in the closet. The only thing he asked me for was a bible . There were tons of soccer balls, clothes and tons of other things, but he wanted the bible. He did not have one of his own.

A few minutes into our cleaning project, James asked me if he had to call me Susan. I said no, but what would you call me instead? And he said I'd like to call you Mum. Many people in Kenya call me Mum. But few have ever asked if it was ok. This was different. The time we have spent together has been good for both of us. And so he can call me Mum and I am happy that he asked instead of just taking for granted it would be ok.

This afternoon we will be going through school supplies. James knows that God blessed him by sending him into our path. I hope he realized that God blessed me by sending him into mine.

Today we went to Holy Trinity Academy. The drive is about 30 minutes.
About half of the total number of children we have in our Children's education and welfare fund are in this school.

Our program is comprehensive. This means that not only do we provide for tuition and education supplies, we provide for the whole child - body , mind and soul.

Whenever I think of these children I think of the prayer I said so many times while at St. Margaret's

"And since it is of thy mercy, heavenly father,
That another day is added to our lives,
We hereby dedicate both our souls and our bodies to Thee and Thy service in a sober , righteous and Godly life,
In which resolution, o thou most merciful God,
Confirm and strenthen us
That as we grow in age, we may grow in grace."

Ok.. so it's been over 30 years since I said that prayer. I know I messed up some of the words. But the sentiments are the same. I could hear myself continuing to pray that prayer for me. But I could also hear the children in the Children's Education and Welfare program saying that prayer as well.

Ordinary day - we are always asked what an average day is like. Today should have been one of those. Off to Holy Trinity for a health screening in preparation for a pedicatrician who is coming in a few weeks. We also wante to get "results" from the most recent KCPE - a very important exam that those finishing primary school ( class 8) take to determine what their future will be like. After these results come out, schools start offering spots in their classrooms based upon those scores. More about this in my next blog.

But this usual day, led to tears and trips to a dental surgeon. And of course, 3 children who will now fill the number of spaces we currently have funds for for children.

All in a day's work... tomorrow we go back and start looking at ways to screen the dorms.

A couple of pics from this "ordinary" day.... coming.... soon... hopefully...

Banana slug... YUCK

So for a look at the "lighter" side of living in Kenya.
This is what I woke up to this morning.