THE BIG CELEBRATION

SURPRISE PARTY FOR VOLUNTEERS

The Marquee (you can see a few of the new
 trees we've planted along the drainage ditch)

John has had it on his heart to bless the people who volunteer on The Widows' Farm.  They are mostly younger widows, plus Joel, who "supervises" the women.  John, Johnfred, Charles and Peter planned the whole thing.  They did such a great job!  Planned the menu - goat (later sheep, for we found that the older widows will not eat goat), sukuma wiki (kale), rice, ugali (aka African Cake - very stiff maize (corn) meal used in the place of bread, soda (pop), and tea!  They rented a marquee (tent) filled it with chairs, organized 4 women to do all of the preparation (an unbelievable feat) and even dug a temporary "convenience station".  The women cooked the meal for 28 on three wood fires.

The Temporary Convenience Station
(made with branches and sheets)

The ladies doing the preparation showed up about 6 AM.  One of the guys slaughtered the sheep (WE WERE NOT THERE).  The men did the initial butchering and then the women did the rest.  We saw parts and bits and pieces that we didn't know existed and certainly didn't know were eaten.

We arrived about 10:30 and there were a handful of widows (and a couple of children) in the marquee. (We found out later that they didn't have any idea that they had been invited to a banquet.  They just thought they were coming to some sort of meeting.  As usual, whenever they are called together for a meeting they came in their best clothes.) After we greeted them all Joel, Peter, Charles and Johnfred took us in to "see" the sheep's head and hide.  An aside to the ladies reading this:  Men are the same everywhere.  These guys just delighted in watching and hearing Marty's reaction to this display!  She was pretty cool about it (she thinks) ! Asked what they were going to do with the head they said they would eat it.  And the next day Johnfred let us know that Peter was busy preparing the head for his and Charles' lunch. He explained a bit of how they go about preparing it.  Nothing you want to know about!!!  Asked what on earth they eat from the head - we were told that the tongue is a special delicacy and the cheeks and neck (we didn't ask about the brain).  There are a lot of photos for this newsletter, but a whole lot that you won't be seeing!

While waiting for the meal to be prepared the women began to sing in the tent.  Then John suggested Marty take them to the prayer chapel.  So, she stopped their singing and explained that we were all going to the chapel to sing.  Well, that got them pretty excited and the next thing we knew the women and men (Charles, Johnfred, Joel, Joash [the night watchman] and Peter) were all in a group doing a traditional Luo dance and singing all the way up the farm and to the chapel.  What a thing to watch and be part of - just wonderful!!  We stayed there awhile and sang a lot and then danced all the way back to the tent for our meal. 

Traditional Dancing and Singing
on the Way to the Prayer Chapel

Singing and Dancing in the Prayer Chapel

Apparently sheep are much like chickens in terms of being eaten, in that there is NOTHING wasted.  The blood is cooked with some of the offal and onions and tomatoes.  It cooks up into a dark brown affair that resembles a wurst that hasn't been put in a casing.  They were very gracious in that they didn't offer John and Marty any of it, but very discreetly gave it to the others.  The rest of the organs, the tail and intestines (all cleaned very, very well) were chopped in bite-sized bits and fried, well done, in oil with seasonings.  This was served to us and we ate it - it really was pretty tasty. The whole meal was wonderful!  Our friends are so gracious and sensitive to us, and they know we love them and try to be sensitive to the culture here.  We never want to offend them.  The Lord really and truly does give "eating grace"!  (There are probably many of you reading this who were raised in the country and slaughtering and butchering were [or are] part of normal life for you and you are scratching your head in wonder at us or are laughing your heads off.) Although, Johnfred told us that he would have thrown the blood away.  

Making Ugali and Sukuma Wiki

Sheep Stew, Fried Bits and Pieces,
Sukuma Wiki,Rice, and Ugali

Marty wasn't part of the initial planning process because she had knocked 8/10 of a gallon of paint off the top of a ladder in the house and was cleaning it all up, so she couldn't be involved.  The paint story will show up in another place.  Don't ask!!!! But, before the party she did go out and get more plates, cups and spoons so that there would be enough for however many came. She also found out from the cooks what other kitchen items/utensils would be handy to have for the farm for future events.

The Chief came and got really involved in the festivities.  He told us several very interesting things that we didn't know.  He said it is tribal tradition that to slaughter a sheep and have a meal like that is the way they bless the land.  Also, a marquee is usually only set up for funerals or, sometimes, weddings.  He said the folks there had never been treated to a tent nor a banquet like that.  It was an extremely rare event.  

The Children in the Field Behind the House

Next to the farm is a large field where people graze their cattle.  School is out for a few weeks and there were 9 or 10 children herding the cattle.  They kept gathering around the fence near the festivities (and cooking) to watch what was going on.  They know that Marty always has whistle lollypops and often there will be two or three stop by in any given day and quietly stand until she notices them - but never this many.  They all got their sweets - twice - and then the ladies who were cooking made sure the children all received a meal after the banquet was served.  God is good!  He saw to it that there was enough to feed the children!  

Several folks in America gave us money to buy solar lanterns to give out here in Kadawa. After the meal John and the chief showed the women the lamps and explained how they work, and then told them that they were being given the lanterns in appreciation for their hard work.  Never, ever would we have expected the reaction from those ladies.  They literally jumped up and down and began dancing and singing!  Even the old, old ladies were dancing!  An added bonus to having these lamps is the fact that they will no longer need to buy paraffin (kerosene) and tin-can lanterns.  They seldom can afford more than a few tablespoons of paraffin at a time and those tin lanterns hardly give off any light.  Oh my what a wondrous celebration it was and we were just totally overjoyed by witnessing it all.  Each woman was called by name and came up to get her lantern and every other woman cheered enthusiastically each time one went up - just as happy for each other as themselves.

Response to News of Lanterns

Old Teresia and Charles Dancing

Then lanterns were given out to all the staff and those men were every bit as excited as the women.  Marty took the chief on a tour of the farm and when they got back it looked like a small field of orange mushrooms had spring up.  The ladies had all put their new solar lanterns outside to charge in the sun!

Lanterns Charging in the Sun (orange objects)

We were able to get the tractor in and plow our field and over the past three or four days women and children have been preparing the soil, planting and fertilizing.  Yes, we said children.  It has taken awhile for the old widows to understand that none of the crops grown on the farm are consumed, used, or sold by us for our own personal use.  We didn't realize that was there perception.  Now they know it all goes to or for them and so even though they can't come work some of them are sending grandchildren to work on their behalf.  

Little Boy with His Tool, Preparing Soil for Seeds
(There on Behalf of His Grandmother)

What a wonderful, glorious day!  We are told that nothing had ever happened like that in the village and that it will be talked about for a long, long time!  A wonderful time was had by all. John and Marty possibly had more fun than any of them.  THANK YOU TO ALL WHO MADE THE PARTY AND THE LANTERNS POSSIBLE.  

Blessings,

John & Marty

IRRIGATION PROJECT - ECO-SAN TOILET - FIRST CASH CROP

THE IRRIGATION PROJECT

Thanks to your prayers, we have had rain for several evenings - enough to soften the ground so we could get the space for the drip-feed irrigation project ploughed (plowed).  There was a team of 6 oxen yoked together with a really primitive set of yokes (no "my yoke is easy" business there) . They were driven by a young lad with a type of whip (not used to strike them, but to make a sound and direct them) and another fellow was guiding the hand-held, single-blade plow.  It only took a couple of hours.  When they were done the yokes and harnesses were left until the next day, but the cows were immediately rewarded for their work by being released in our harvested maize field, where they were very happily chewing off the prime bits of the empty stalks.  The men let them stay as long as they wanted and then drove them home.

  Our Banana Bushes in the Background

The ploughed (plowed) field must be rained on and then harrowed in preparation for laying laying the drip lines and planting the crop.  

Marty shared the story of the oxen and their "guide" with a friend and commented of the apparent spiritual application of the whole task.   She wrote back some-thing that is well said and worth sharing:  "Your des-cription of the oxen and the field is lovely ~ the strength of those 6 animals focused on a singular task, guided by the hand of one who knows the plan…. Beautiful!"  

FIRST CASH CROP

Because of ploughing (plowing) for the irrigation project it was necessary to go over the spot where the sukuma wiki (kale) was planted.  We have given much of it to the widows, so there wasn't much left, but some did remain, so we sold it to two ladies who took it to market.  We sold it for 360 KES - about £3 ($4.35) - which goes into the widows' medical transportation fund.

SURPRISING THE INTERCESSORS WITH THE PRAYER CHAPEL

Marty invited the small group of intercessors to the Widow's Farm to surprise them with the finished prayer chapel.  They had no idea that we were doing it for them. Oh my!  They truly were surprised!  She read them the story of Jacob and the rock upon which he had laid his head (Gen. 28:18)  The stone that she had found to use for the altar was laying down and she had them tilt it upright and put it into place and then gave them olive oil to take turns anointing it.  Then named it Dala Nyasaye (God's House). Then they held hands and prayed and as they did a dove came and landed in the trees there.  (The same thing happened before when the men helped her bring that rock and set it there in the first place.)  She prepared tea and some cookies and brought them out there and that pleased them as well- it was an unexpected treat.  The cookies (biscuits) were a luxury and they were happily

Setting Up the Altar Stone

surprised that she had made the tea herself.  (It was made the way Locals do it - boiled with tea leaves, milk and sugar, all at the same time, then strained into a kettle. No big deal really, but somehow impressive to them.  Also it was made using a gas burner attached to a propane cylinder - not a wood fire, so it really was easy.  Sorry no photos available to show you that rig). They are such a group of lovely, gracious and loving ladies. They all sat on the benches that were made for the chapel and chatted and enjoyed themselves immensely .  It was a very pleasant time together. (Marty had an interpreter there.)

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE

We are both attempting to learn Dholuo words and phrases.  The tribe is the Luo tribe, but the language itself is called Dholuo.  It is not a common language and is only used by that tribe.  The village youngsters learn Swahili in school, and later on they also learn English, but the majority of the older folks and especially the old widows only speak the Luo language.  It pleases them no end when we try to communicate even a little and they readily offer us help in learning it.  

ECO-SAN TOILET

Timothy, the civil engineer who did the plans for the water tower has drawn the plan for the eco-san toilet, and George, the engineer who built the tower, will construct it for us.  Things are falling into place thanks to your prayers.  Yaaaay!  Opak Ruoth! (Praise the King [God]!)


Nyasaye Gwedhu (God Bless You [plural you])

John and Marty

UGANDA

So many things happened on our trip to Uganda that it is hard to know what to write about and what to leave out.  It was a great time!

Kampala Earthquake

Wednesday:  Kampala, the capital of Uganda, was our first destination; it took six hours to get there, where we would spend the night in Ephraim and Jova Tumusiime’s home.  We had just gone to bed and were reading when we felt the bed begin to gently shake – for quite a few seconds.  “John, what is that”?  “I don’t know”.  “John, it’s an earthquake”!  “No, it has lasted too long to be an earthquake”.  So, it stopped.  Then, a few seconds later the bed and whole house began to shake violently and the big metal gates to the compound were clanging together loudly.  There was no doubt it was an earthquake.  Marty was looking for a way out of the house, but the quake stopped abruptly.  John still wasn't sure it was an earthquake, but Marty has experienced earthquakes before and was convinced it was one (although she had never been in one so severe).  She was prepared to escape if it happened again (but realized she didn't know how to get out)!  Next morning we were told that there was a 5.5 magnitude earthquake on the Richter Scale at the epicenter, which was many miles away.  (Marty promptly located all the home's exits as well as the location of the keys.)

It has since occurred to us that God often works in the Natural first and then the Spiritual/Supernatural.  We believe that earthquake was a demonstration in the Natural of what God had planned for in the Supernatural in the remote area of His Kingdom in Africa to which He was sending us.

Kakaari

Early-Morning View from our Hotel Window 06:27 7-8-13
(the time on the photo is US time)

Thursday:  We drove another 6 hours on paved roads, which were occasionally rough, in Ephraim’s 2001 well used, but able for the job, van to a small market town in a fairly remote area.  But there was a hotel there into which Ephraim and we were booked. 

Friday - Sun:  We were headed for our destination, Kakaari, a very remote area, down in the Great Rift Valley, near the border  of The Congo. Absolutely beautiful, verdant country with spectacular views of the valley, volcanic crater lakes, tea plantations and bananas!  The trip to and from Kakaari took another 1-½ hours each way (total 3 hours a day for 3 days).  The actual village itself was about 15 miles off the paved road and on very, very rough, narrow dirt roads.  Motion sickness first thing in the morning became a problem for Marty, but it cleared up in about a half hour once there.

Rice, peanut gravy, ugalie, boiled bananas
& potatoes.

That area of Uganda is the banana capital of the universe!  Needless to say, bananas are staples there – green cooking bananas (aka plantains in the West); yellow bananas; red bananas (sweet and tangy); boiled bananas; mashed bananas (matoke); fried bananas; banana beer (saw it [smelled it] being brewed in the village).  Groundnuts (small red-skinned peanuts) are also a staple there.  One treat was a peanut sauce/gravy served with each meal.  During the dictatorship of Idi Amin, the Ugandans were able to stay alive and relatively healthy by eating bananas and groundnuts, which provided sufficient nutrients.

Boiled Bananas - Fried Cabbage

All day Friday and Saturday was dedicated to teaching and ministering, in a mud church with a corrugated tin roof, to about 30 regional pastors and other leaders from various villages in Western Uganda.  How some of them got there remains a mystery (the area was so remote).  Some made real sacrifices to be there.  The theme of the conference was “Building for Growth”.  We also led impromptu workshops on Saturday on Discipleship through Cell/Home groups; the Gift of Prophecy - Prophetic Intercession - Five-fold Prophets.

Impromptu Workshop (Notice the Bananas All Around)

Interior of Church

Sunday was just a great and wondrous (and long) day.  The little church was packed and John delivered a powerful faith-building message!  The faith level was really high.  Marty had, had a dream on Thursday night that had her really puzzled - it just didn't make sense. She prayed and sought the interpretation. Then in the wee hours of Sunday morning she got the interpretation.  It was - that there were folks in the church that were mixing witchcraft with Christianity and were deceived and also very confused as a result; there needed to be repentance - rejection of the witchcraft and total commitment to the Lord.  The two leaders of the group, Ephraim and Mark, agreed that was an accurate interpretation and we had a time of congregational repentance.  Then there was a short teaching on the infilling of the Holy Spirit.  There were many children there.  When teaching about the Gifts of the Spirit and being “Baptized in the Holy Spirit” Marty pointed out that with children the Holy Spirit isn’t a “baby Holy Spirit”; He fills children and they operate in the Gifts of the Spirit in the same way as adults.  When the church was given the opportunity to come forward to receive the Infilling (Baptism) of the Spirit the pastor got all of the children in the congregation and brought them to the front of the adults that had already come.  When we prayed, the presence of God was very powerful and the people responded with much joy and enthusiasm.  But to see how the children responded to His presence was just an amazing and beautiful thing.  We tried to get photos of them, but it wasn’t possible.

We would be remiss if we didn't mention the singing and dancing in that church.  The only instruments were two primitive drums that had skins across both ends; they were played with a stick and the hands. Truly, no other instruments were needed!  There was even a choir. Wow!  What harmony!    

They Were Having a Great Time

Babies Dancing

The Choir

)

The Offering

MANY BLESSINGS,

JOHN & MARTY

TAKING BACK WHAT THE ENEMY STOLE!!!

FOUND ON FACEBOOK

Seemed appropriate to our situation!

MEDICAL FUND

Thanks to your generosity, Violet was able to have several orphans treated for ringworm – there seems to be an epidemic of it.  Some of the boys had various wounds on their bodies that needed treating and one little girl needed medication for a bad cough.  Truly, most of these children, if not all, would not have received treatment without this fund that you have made possible. Thank you again.

PRAYER CHAPEL

From Entrance to the High Place

When we bought the land for   The Widows’ Farm, about four years ago, Marty got a dream.  In one corner of the property is a small grove of bondo trees (bondo means dove) interspersed with saplings of some sort.  Her dream was to make it into an outdoor prayer chapel. Well, this year we were able to begin to make the vision a reality.  We hired a young man named Peter to help Charles on the farm and his first job has been to make a pathway to the chapel.  The way there from the front gate is (was) knee high in weeds and crooked and full of hills and valleys.  Peter has dug, filled in holes, flattened hills, split rocks to fill in ditches and making a beautiful pathway.  He has covered it with murram (a hardpacking red soil indigenous to East Africa) it will become like a road. It is just amazing. Charles removed this year’s deposit of debris and chopped out stumps with his panga (machete) to make the ground smooth, and Marty raked for 3 days to get the small stuff out. The first day, when she got tired she sat down for a bit, leaning against a bondo tree. It was so quiet and peaceful and just full of the Presence of God! It's going to be wonderful when it's done!   

The Path - Before

The Path - After

John and Marty went in and began to decide how to lay it out.  The place has some natural pathways and also some lovely little nooks that are perfect for people to sit or stand in, and also plenty of walking-around room for those who like to be mobile while praying.  We laid rocks out to separate areas and make pathways. The place has three natural levels, with a “high place” in the middle that is perfect for a couple of benches and a focal area – the benches are made and ready to put in place.  Marty "coincidently" came across the story of Jacob and the ladder (Genesis 28:18-19).  He took the rock he was using as a pillow and set it up on the spot and names it Bethel (the house of God).  John, Peter, Charles and Marty went and found a BIG rock and put it in the middle of the focal point on the high place.  The prayer chapel is now names Dala Nyasaye (House of God in the Luo language).

Altar on High Place

One day when several folks were working on it we came across a flat piece of metal, almost like a tool or sorts.  That prodded the memory of Charles who told us that years ago that grove had been a place of devil worship and sacrifices.  We never knew that.  Woohooo!  How's that for taking back enemy territory?  

We will surprise the intercessors (a small group of women - 99% widows) by bringing them out and having them place the stone as an altar in a small ceremony.  Then they or anyone can come, whenever they wish, to spend quiet, peaceful time in a place dedicated to that purpose.  They will be so surprised and pleased.

Below are benches we had made - it's just about finished!

 

When we brought in the big stone, just as we set it up in its place a dove landed in the trees above and began to coo.  What a blessing!

It looks like a park inside.  When young Peter was digging holes for the benches he stopped and said "It's so quiet here".  It truly is quiet and peaceful - the presence of God is almost palpable. We believe He is pleased with it.

Hornet's Nest

We love the way our Kenyan friends pray. There was a hornet's nest in the prayer chapel and we asked Charles to get rid of it. He told us that he said to God that those hornets could live somewhere else, and he told Him that it would be no problem for Him to remove them.  He reminded the Lord that the ladies who will be praying there are old and they can't run very fast to get away from the hornets.  A few days later the watchman, Joash, went to get rid of them.  THEY WERE GONE!!!

Blessings & Love,

John & Marty

ARRIVAL IN KENYA - THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!!

WE ARE HERE - TADAAAAHH!
We left England on the 1st of June, spent the night in Zurich (a less than 2-hour flight) then on to Nairobi (about 7 hours) where we stayed for two nights to do some business, then on to Kisumu (a half-hour flight) - arriving on the 4th.  All flights were on time and went very smoothly.

FROM OUR BALCONY JUST BEFORE SUNSET TONIGHT

THE ECO-SAN TOILET SAGA
Whilst in Nairobi we met with Clay Mashauri, an agriculturalist who has taken great interest in the Widows' Farm project.  We want to make a large patch for growing vegetables and irrigate it using a drip-feed system from the water tower.  He's the expert and he and John sat and made a lot of plans for that project.  He'll be coming out to Kisumu to do it for us.

We are trying our best to be good stewards of the land and resources.  One of the things we want to do is definitely not at the top of our exotic or adventurous list!  In different areas of the country one sees signs saying proudly "This is a Defecation-Free Village".  Pollution from human waste is a serious problem in the slums.  (Not so much in the villages. ) The nation is attempting to clean itself up and is setting sanitation goals.  Education plays a big part in that.  We want our farm to be an example of keeping the land and environment healthy, sanitary and productive.  So one of our goals is to build an eco-san toilet.  There are a few kinds - the stand-up pit-toilet model, and concrete, plastic and ceramic pedestal types.  We have opted for the pedestal type.  However, we are having an extremely difficult time locating a supplier.  We found one toilet that we liked, but it comes from China and we can only get it if we order 100.  Concrete doesn't seem practical in terms of cleaning the bowl.  That leaves plastic.  Still, we couldn't find any!  But Clay knew a place in Nairobi where they are produced.

So off we went to Nairobi city.  We avoid going into that city.  It is huge and crowded and not necessarily safe in some areas.  We do not know our way around.  But Clay does, and he drove us in his van.  We found the place on the outskirts of town - so far, so good because we didn't have to go into the city.  But, because Marty had seen pictures of ceramic ones, which would be ever so much easier to clean, we went looking at some ceramic manufacturers.  HAH!!  None of them had ever heard of such a thing!!  But one place directed us to go to River Road. (Marty thought it would also be on the outskirts. But no!! ) It turned out to be right in the middle of the city and had the worst traffic jams imaginable!  No exaggerating   It was hot, and Clay had his window down while we were stalled in a jam; calm as could be - traffic jams and heat not bothering him a bit.  He just wanted to serve us. He was using his mobile phone (brand new) and had it in his hand.  A young man jumped up from the sidewalk, reached into the van and grabbed the phone right out of Clay's hand.  The thief fell down, but because it all happened so fast, and Clay didn't actually realize what had happened, the guy was able to get up and run away through the crowd before Clay could think to get out of the van.  Now, here is a perfect example of Kenyan temperament.  Clay continued to drive along River Road so that we could look for the toilet shop.  He was initially upset, naturally, but recovered so quickly and never said a mean word about the thief or said anything about just ending the search.  He was as calm and cool as could be.  Amazing!  WE NEVER FOUND THE SHOP!

Further research and investigation continues.  The Assistant Chief in Kadawa has one that we are going to look at - it is made of concrete.

What Is and Eco-San Toilet?
What is an eco-san toilet, you ask?  The toilet housing looks like a typical outhouse but elevated.  In the back at ground level is a door.  The toilet itself is divided into two compartments; the one in the front funnels down to a small hole to which a hose is attached.  This section is for urine and the hose diverts it into a container that is removed periodically - through the back door.  It is then diluted with water and used to fertilize plants and flowers.  The back part of the toilet bowl as larger and that is where the waste and paper products go - down into a large container.  Ash is strewn over the waste to help decompose it and to eliminate the odor.  Periodically the large container is removed and emptied into a compost bin.  Believe it or not, it does compost and becomes useable for germ-free fertilizer.  (We ourselves do not plan to use it! - the fertilizer, that is.  It is just to hard to wrap ones head around that whole scenario.)  Yes - we will use the toilet.

What About the Plastic Toilet Manufacturer?
Apparently these eco-san toilets are not the hottest item on the market, because, although there were a couple of them in the reception area, when they took us out into the storage yard it took a long time and several men to get to the part of the yard where the toilets were kept.  After looking at the different options we went back into the reception area to look at the display sample again.  At that point John wanted some pictures of the item in question and actually wanted Marty to sit on it for a photo!!!!  This in front of a whole group of staff.  After a squeal of outrage and a firm NO from her, the sales representative did so without the slightest qualm!

Doors to remove waste

 There you have the first installment for this part of our journey.

Thank you for your prayers on our behalf.  We had a couple of days of not feeling great; John a day of "just feeling yucky".  He had to go back to bed.  But your prayers brought him right out of it.

We'll keep you posted regularly.

Blessings & Much Love,

John & Marty