Thanksgiving in Kenya

Just a quick update as its Thursday in Kenya which is Thanksgiving in America. Time is flying by during my time in Kisumu and each days feels so full. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to visit this place and meet so many wonderful people and to the Nicholson family for graciously hosting us during this trip.

We had a lovely meal this afternoon with several other missionary families from the States and did our best to create a traditional Thanksgiving dinner! It was great to celebrate so much and learn different stories from these families and what they are doing here in Kenya, from ministering to street kids, providing hope to widows and orphans and empowering these people with trust and faith.

Sending blessings and love to you and yours on this day of thanks - Happy Thanksgiving friends!

xo,

Mandy 

Cassi, Sarah, Ruth Michael, Chris, Abby Jones

Me & Iddy 

Care for Aids in Kisumu

The past two days we spent time with Care for Aids in and around Kisumu, in both Nyalenda and Manyata slums. 

Day one, we spent the morning with Care for Aids at a Kisumu center in Nyalenda. Having become a supporter of CFA over the past year alongside my sister and  friends in Atlanta (flashback to our ReProm event and Red Run 5k this past year) I was super excited to see this organization in action.  We had the chance to sit in during health and spiritual counseling sessions with several clients and learn more about their stories. I was struck mostly by the two youngest clients we met, Lynette and John who were both only 21 years old learning to cope with life HIV positive. In the four months they've been in this nine month long program, every client we met was showing visible physical improvement and appeared to be learning and growing as well. 
In the afternoon we made our way back to RingRoad to assist with the afternoon VBS taking place. It was a good time to see and meet old and new faces from the community while the kids could play and be kids. We had an interesting and chaotic time passing out crayons and coloring pages, but the kids ultimately had fun! 

Day two we attended a CFA "seminar" day in a more rural part of the Nyalenda slums where we listened in (the talk was predominantly in swahili) - pertaining to drug and substance abuse and the importance of caring for your body and mind as you cope with HIV and AIDS.

Afterwards the center served the 50 or so clients in attendance lunch of rice, beans and cabbage which Cassi and I were able to distribute. One of the clients brought her three tiny and adorable TRIPLET daughters and I had the chance to help in holding one of them during lunch. She is not only fighting HIV, but she literally has her hands full with three small babies and three other children and recenltly suffered a bad fall breaking one of her arms. 

After lunch we made our way to the other side of town to a slum community called Manyata, where we visited another CFA center and participated in home visits with three clients. The stigma of HIV and AIDS is quite intense within the African culture and many are outcast and ostracized in thier communitities. Care for Aids combats this by seeing each client as a valuable human being and regularly visits them at their homes, thus making them feel seen and cared for regardless of their status.

Diana and her children 

Karen 

Lynette 

Baby Lovin' this tiny bundled little - 1 of a set of triplet girls! 

Home visits with CFA staff in Manyata

Sweet babies sittin' in Manyata

xo, 

Mandy

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness." 

Desmond Tutu

Sweet kiddos in the Nyalenda slums

In and around Nyalenda, Kisumu - Sweet sweet children everywhere!

Sunday in Kisumu

Today we went to church at Ring Road and had the opportunity to see a lot of the day school kids and teachers. Cassi and I walked to and from church with Alex, a kind and smart boy from class 8 who lives with Chris & Sarah - we joked with him that he was our body guard, and he pretty much was as he’s grown super tall since we met him and his buddy Fabbish two years ago during the TOMS shoe fitting. I don’t feel unsafe here, but am very aware that I stand apart from most when out and about...it’s best to not walk alone and to have a trusty local to pal around with.
A couple of kids came to the house in the afternoon for a true American lunch of turkey sandwhiches (for those concerned about what we’re eating - it’s been super versatile from local chapati and beans to vegetarian Indian, to taco soup, so plenty of options!) and then later in the day to play in the Nicholson’s yard. This is a weekly thing and children gather at the gate every Sunday afternoon to play and spend time at the house. It was another laid back day but I got to spend some quality time one on one with several of the kids and learn more about them. I know they are all having a tough time with the reality the Nicholsons will be leaving at the end of December as this couple and family truly are doing Gods work in a very big way and have shown immense love and compassion and support towards the Ring Road community.

Some pictures from the past few days...

Wifi is spotty so sharing when I can!

xo,

Mandy

Greetings from Kisumu!

We arrived safely Friday morning after thirty or so hours of flying and layovers in Amsterdam and Nairobi and were greeted by our hosts Sarah and Chris Nicholson and a few friends from RingRoad, Neema, Alex and Fabbish. It felt great to see familiar faces and to be back in Kenya. 

We hit the ground running to make the most of our time and day on Friday by venturing out to Allara a village school along with Lakeside orphanage. The kids were having a celebration as it was the last day of school for the term and the top three in each class were rewarded for test scores. I was able to participate with handing out awards to the younger classes, 1 - 3 and we also had the chance to distribute some of the new underwear we brought to all of the girls afterwards. Since the term ended, they will not return unitl January of next year so the school also distributed bags of “Christmas” food, a new mosquito net and a new tshirt and pair of shorts to each child. It was organized chaos but great to be a part of the day and meet some new friends. We drove two brothers, Lenox and Frank back to town with us to stay with their elderly grandmother during the break, but her home is made of mud and it literally falling down and they have no means to repair it. Chris and Sarah have been helping them as the mother they were staying with previously passed away a few weeks ago and they really have no one to care for them. Frank is the younger brother and he has sickle cell anemia and is ill often and needs care. I plan to visit them this next week and see the house and work with the Nicholsons on a way to help rebuild the grandmothers home as they want to help these boys before their time in Kisumu ends. Cassi and I pretty much crashed Friday night, exhausted  from the traveling and 8 hour time difference and full day.

After a good nights sleep, Saturday started out fairly low key and we all went to town for morning coffee and breakfast at Java House, a popular Kenyan coffee spot. We returned home and Neema, a sweet smart sixteen year old we met two years ago was at the house to visit. She and I decided to walk to the nearby baby home called New Life and volunteer for awhile - you know I love the baby lovin’ and they were in need of helpers during feeding times. I was placed in the baby baby room where the littles were all 5 months and younger so we took turns bottle feeding each of the 9 babies. One in particular a sweet and tiny 3 week old, they named Beverly stole my heart. She was dressed impeccably in a white dress and I was able to feed and cuddle her twice throughout the day. We took a break and walked back to the house and Cassi joined us for the second round of feedings in the afternoon where she and Neema spent time with the older babies. New Life also has a division for kids with special needs called Amani which means Hope in swahili, and a couple of the girls joined me in the baby room to observe feeding time. 

This facility was very nice and impressive to see what all they do for these children in need or “crisis” as a staff member told me. The rains were coming down hard throughout the afterrnoon so we made our way home in a Tuk Tuk, with our trusty driver Solomon from our last trip.

Day two was another full and good day, filled with new experiences and kind people and precious little ones.

Thank you all for the love, prayers and encouragement as I journey throughout Kisumu and Kenya the next ten days.

Xo,

Mandy

Journeying back to Kenya

This Africa heart of mine is journeying back to Kenya in a little over three weeks.

Time seems to fly by these days and I found myself dreaming about a return trip and what that might look like and how it might be possible. With a lot of reflection and prayer and positive vibes from many (thank you!) dreams came into reach and plans started to fall in place and I was able to purchase a plane ticket to Kisumu, Kenya for two weeks over Thanksgiving. Officially departing Wednesday, November 18th and returning Tuesday, December 2nd.

As this won't be an "organized" trip like last year's VO trip to Uganda, I won't be completely on my own! I will be traveling with my friend Cassi and we are fortunate to be staying with the Nicholson family, CRF Missionaries winding down their time in Kisumu before journeying to Malindi, on the Kenyan coast early next year.

While in Kisumu, I hope to be reunited with my little buddy Obama, spend time with the children at Ring Road Orphan Day school, visit and volunteer at the children’s hospital, connect with the local Care for Aids team and partake in home visits and love on some babies at a local baby home.

The heart wants what the heart wants and my idea of a good time and how to use up PTO differs from most, this I get :) but I am truly so excited about this adventure and opportunity to return to a place

that captured my heart two years ago.

Thank you for loving me and my heart, for journeying alongside as I experience more of Africa and the beautiful people and place I’ve grown to love so dearly. 

Your prayers and well wishes and supplies mean more than you can ever know and the reach will be far and wide ~

xo

Mandy

“I don't always know where this life is going. I can't see the end of the road, but here is the great part: Courage is not about knowing the path. It is about taking the first step..." Katie Davis

Sweet Baby Loving ...

Sweet baby loving ...

On our last official day in Uganda, we spent our time at Sangaalo Babies ... loving on precious children whose circumstances have brought them to this loving home.

Sangaalo Babies - Home to 37 littles

The founder / operator / mama / wonder woman Damalie is truly a gift from above, with a genuine heart and passion for loving and caring for babies in need. 

Damalie, along with 2 - 3 other staff and often times her eldest daughter's tend to the needs / cares / well being of some 37 babies, all under the age of 4 ... I'm amazed and in awe of her deep desire and calling to love the loveless and her dedication through many trials to love and care for them so well.

Not to mention that the little babies are bathed 3 times a day - between feedings / changing / naps / this is a full time job x 37! Disposable diapers are not the norm in the 3rd world, so this also includes laundering a lot of clothes, blankets, sheets and cloth diapers!

My team fell right into place, loving and playing and caring for these babies and giving the Sangaalo "Aunties" a small break - Actually they went on to do laundry and cook and clean...who am I kidding, African woman are some of the hardest working people I've ever seen or known.

Per usual, I jumped  right in and met a little sleepy buddy lying on the floor and instantly fell in love - We'll call him "Baby K" and I am so grateful to have loved on him through cuddles and care for even this little while. He was a little angel, sleepy yet strong and is making great strides from his earliest days in this world where against all odds, he's overcome. We literally snuggled on this porch (in the shade & away from the downpours that came) for hours, while he napped, woke & played, ate his porridge and napped some more : )

Love at first sight... held this sweet baby ALL day

Sweet Damalie - Founder/Mama/Auntie/Visionary/Warrior of Sangaalo Babies 

*Disclaimer* As previously posted on Instagram, I was suffering some intense sunburn 3 days after the fact... Me+Equator+Doxycycline = Roasted

Love love love baby "K"

Linda and sweet baby Kate

Porch lovin' - with Heather, Allison & Linda

Curious little dude

So many beautiful babies to love & cuddle!

After our day at Sangaalo, we journied outside of the village with Damalie to see the land / farm / new home to these sweet babies, hopefully in the near future. The current location is rented, and having a permanent place that is wholly theirs will make a huge impact and allow more resources and growth! The house is almost ready for move-in, they only lack installing a fence / enclosure to keep the kids secure and contained.
Our trek made for quite the adventure as the rains came down and more mud ensued, also causing our van to get stuck in the African mud. Our drivers and several men in the village came out and helped push us out of the muck after slipping and sliding our way towards the main road.

Muddy terrain for this boy ... Village life

Thank you for following me along this journey.

I am grateful for this time in Uganda, for the beautiful people that I've come to know throughout this trip on my team and in each community we spent time with along the way.

I know my heart is meant to love others and I'm blessed to tell my small part of a much greater story.

xo,

Mandy