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Kevin

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:19:21 -0600

Abandoned, abused, and neglected children have become all too common in rural Kenya. The recent drought has made people reliant on farming and cattle raising more desperate and unpredictable. Pent up frustration and anger often gets taken out on defenseless children, especially those with disabilities or deformities. In fact, children born with deformities are thought to be cursed and are commonly hidden away and mistreated.

Witness Kevin, a 5 yr. old boy born with hand and foot deformities. Kevin's mother abandoned him for a life of prostitution.
Since women are the child raisers in Kenya, the responsibility fell on his alcoholic grandmother. She assumed the duty of caring for Kevin and his 2 1/2 yr. old sister. The children moved into her one room hut in a village near Nyahururu, Kenya. Neighbors say the grandmother left the children alone from morning to late at night, while she went drinking. No food was provided and they were usually left locked
out of the house.

Kevin not only faced neglect and hunger, but also endured regular beatings at the hands of his grandmother. She would tie his hands and beat him, witnesses say. This abuse reached a low point in January 2010 when Kevin went 2 days with no food and went to a neighbor's house, where he was fed. Somehow this enraged his grandmother and when she arrived home she punished him by putting his hands in the fire. Per Kevin's account she wanted to burn his head, but he offered his hands instead.

Kevin was found huddled in some bushes crying a few days later by a passerby. After seeing his burned hands and hearing his story, this good samaritan notified authorities and took the boy to a nearby hospital for treatment of second and third degree burns. Shortly after, Rev. Peter Amandui,who grew up in Nyahururu, returned to the area for his uncle's funeral. Amandui was told of the boy's situation by the villagers and went to visit Kevin. He was heartbroken by what he saw and took immediate action to remove the boy and bring him back to his current home in Kijabe. Not surprisingly, the family was willing to give Kevin away. Child protective services are not available in Kenya, so with little fanfare the matter was quickly handled. The grandmother was sentenced to 8 yrs. in jail, but immediately set free on probation because the court felt she needed to go home to take care of the 2 1/2 yr. old girl. Apparently the court was motivated by "compassion" for the little girl's needs in deciding to free her, judging this as more important than her abusive record with Kevin.

Kevin now lives with the Amandui family on Kijabe mission station. He has been given treatment for intestinal worms and malnutrition. His burned hands are healing and should function well eventually. He faces surgical treatment of his deformed hand and foot at CURE Hospital in Kijabe in the coming weeks. In spite of his traumatic past, he remains a pleasant, gentle, loving boy. Clothing, shoes, toys, high protein food, and vitamins have been given to the Amandui's for Kevin. Kevin has charmed all who have met him in Kijabe and should not go wanting for love now.

Some have testified that they see Jesus Christ in Amandui's actions. This pastor went for a family funeral and instead found a life to
redeem. Sadly, few Kenyan families can give so sacrificially to rescue a child like Kevin. What will become of the others? How can you help?

As we are sure you’ve heard by now, we are in the process of constructing Naomi’s Village, a children’s home in the Kijabe area. Naomi’s Village should be operational later this year and will be a place of love and hope for children who need to be rescued, but have no one to take them into a home. For more info. on Naomi’s Village and how you can help, click on the Naomi’s Village page on this website and/or click on Lost Orphans International.

CURE Kenya provides surgical treatment, counseling, spiritual guidance, and a new chance at life for children who have disabilities and deformities. Without CURE many of these children would be tossed away as worthless and cursed. CURE is also leading the way in educating the people of Kenya in an effort to change their culture of disability. For more information about CURE and how you can help click on CURE International.

By the way, our facebook page contains a lot of the humorous side of our lives in Kenya (rat-killing, giraffe-kissing, goat-leg cooking, etc). For a glimpse at the lighter side of life in Kijabe, including pictures, you can always “friend” us under Julie Harris Mendonsa.

Fighting on a Battlefield Lost

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:24:30 -0600

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.
-Abraham Lincoln

I have joined the long defeat that falling set in motion,
and all my strength and energy are raindrops in the ocean.
So conditioned for the win, to share in victors’ stories,
but in the place of ambition's din, I have heard of other glories.
-Sara Groves
from “The Long Defeat”

The poor you will always have with you...
-Jesus
Matthew 26:11a

LOSING THE WAR

Let the words of Jesus sink in. We are not going to see an end to poverty.
Check the UNICEF stats on orphans alone:

1990 - 2.8 million orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa
2003 - 14 million orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa
2010 - 25 million orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa

Over 15% of all kids under age 15 here are orphans...

Seems we are losing this war. That doesn’t sit well with our American winner’s mentality. Tough pill to swallow.

But we do win some battles. Some are as small as a single vulnerable life. Doesn’t that count for something? Should we only fight when victory is certain? Who pays when we value winning the war more than loving the sufferer we can see?

OUR SMALL BATTLE - NAOMI’S VILLAGE

On a dusty patch of ground in semi-arid Maai Mahiu, Kenya, a hopeful banner is being raised on a battlefield of futility. A home for just 110 of the 25 million stands partly constructed. On every trip to the site we pass the objects of our efforts - the local orphans along the HIV Highway running adjacent to our land. We are not responsible for winning the war. But this is our battle. Is it worth it? You judge...

Kenya Shared

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

When our family packed up and moved to Kenya over a year ago in Aug. 2008, we never imagined so many visitors would come join us in the work God is doing in Kenya. Sharing a variety of experiences with those we love and with those we barely knew before their arrival, has opened our eyes anew to the beauty of the body of Christ and God’s plan that we live out this journey in deep community with one another. Surviving Nairobi traffic and its ridiculous round-abouts, eating a plate of nyama choma (roasted goat meat) together, hearing mentally disabled children at Comfort the Children quote Scripture, worshiping in the slums of Nairobi, playing with children at an IDP camp, digging out the foundation for Naomi’s Village, or watching doctors at CURE open up a human body - these things have united us together in a powerful way.

Our guests brought with them energy and encouragement, which we desperately needed. They also brought gifts for our family, medical supplies for the hospital, stuffed animals, candy and activities for children at the hospitals and IDP camps, clothing for the poor and needy here, etc! A heartfelt thank-you to those who sent gifts with the visitors/teams that came our way.

Those who were not weak of stomach found themselves dressed in scrubs, observing Bob or Tim Mead in action in the OR at CURE. Even Emily and her friend have watched an operation. (“When can I scrub in, Daddy?”) The team from our church, The Village, watched an amputation of a young boy’s leg. Excited but also sad at what they just observed, they recognized that although this boy lost his leg, he gained the ability to walk as CURE will fit him with a prothesis.

Such as These

Sat, 7 Mar 2009 13:23:11 -0600

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:14, 16

“I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered, I will give them praise and honour in every land where they were put to shame.” Zephaniah 3: 19

I recently spent 4 days as part of a CURE team traveling in a van around Western Kenya, where we held mobile clinics in churches and other facilities. We evaluated and treated 300 children with disabilities in Kisumu, Kitale, and Eldoret. I was a bit overwhelmed by the severity of the crippling maladies suffered by so many Kenyan children. Infections, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, burn contractures, clubfeet, limb deformities, rare genetic disorders...all affecting kids additionally saddled with the stigma of a society that views disability as a curse. Such children often do not see the light of day, being hidden by ashamed parents. Now read the scripture above from Zephaniah and hope with me for that day.

CURE International exists to glorify God by identifying, helping, and loving these marginalized children. My family became part of this mission in 2008 when we moved to Kijabe, Kenya. While the needs in just Kenya alone are staggering, I have found great reward in helping to fight this battle. Each child we help matters to God.

As you are aware, I haven’t asked for your financial support for my family to live here and work with CURE. CURE has graciously provided for our needs since we arrived in Aug. 2008. CURE International depends on the generosity of thousands of donors to run its 11 hospitals in Africa, the Middle East, and Central America. Because of the current worldwide financial crisis, monetary donations to CURE have dropped precipitously. Since hospitals like the one in Kenya do not turn a profit, ongoing operations depend on these donations. Budget cuts to CURE hospitals, including ours in Kijabe, threaten to limit care for disabled children if things do not change.

Our family has made a commitment to do our part financially. I will not be accepting monthly financial support from CURE for the coming second year in Kijabe, among other things. Will you please prayerfully consider making sacrifices of your own to help CURE with this worthy venture to help these children continue to receive the care they need? Is there any way you can see to help us carry this burden? Your support would not fund our remaining in Kijabe, but it could literally mean the difference in a child’s opportunity to be healed. Many of you have asked on occasion in the past how you can help, and some of you have even promised to give. This is your chance to do so.

I’ve included some pictures below of children recently treated by CURE in Kenya, even some from this recent road trip (which is one of many similar trips that occur every month to allow us to reach children whose parents cannot afford to bring them to Kijabe). Please slow down and look at these and remember that you can personally make a difference for these kids, the “least of these”.

Grace in the Bank

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 12:29:11 -0600

But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:8-10

From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.
John 1:16

Our minds struggle for words as we try to understand and express the worth of His grace. It seems the scriptures above tell us that God Himself banked grace in our accounts, reserved for us before time began and meant to continue blessing us. He is now revealing that grace to us gradually. Like continually discovering hidden gifts unexpectedly, we find this life in Christ truly full of one blessing after another. What next, Lord Jesus...?

In December we visited the orphanage site where Naomi’s Village will be built soon. The 5-acre plot of land is flanked by the Maai Mahui primary and secondary schools and the nearby mountains (see below). We hired a liaison to secure proper registration of Naomi’s Village with the government. Plans have been drawn up by a builder. Once the paperwork is in place the land will be cleared and the building process can begin. More pictures detailing the land and our visit can be found under “Our Photos.”