By Roger Oakland
Understand the Times and Bryce Homes Founder and Director
Report 5 Kenya
A couple of days have passed since my last report from Kenya was posted on our Understand The Times website. The reason has not been related to the lack of material to write about. The fact is that the days have been long and grueling, and I have not found time to do any writing. This may be hard to understand for those who have never encountered missionary work in the land of Kenya. As for me, a person who has made this same trip on four previous occasions, it is expected that by day’s end, the body and mind will be completely exhausted.
The Bryce Homes Program in Kenya has blossomed beyond my imagination. When I booked my trip for March of this year, I underestimated how much time I would need to visit representatives from all twenty families of the Bryce Home Kenya Program. Further, these Homes are not all located in one small community. Much of each day is spent travelling over unbearable trails through the wilderness. The wear and tear on the body takes its toll.
However, while my time here has been difficult and tiring, it has also been enjoyable and extremely rewarding. Further, I have a greater appreciation for the work that our Bryce Homes leaders have faithfully demonstrated over three and one half years. They make these journeys distributing food and clothes on a monthly basis. Without their team effort and their desire to serve the Lord, the program would not be possible.
I have spent some time thinking about what would be the best way to adequately report to our readers the observations I have made while in Kenya on this trip. I came here to evaluate the program and have learned a lot. As well, I have been given insights regarding how Understand The Times and Lighthouse Trails can assist the program in the future. It is also important to let our donors read reports and see and hear about the progress. Without our donors, the program would not be possible either.
While I usually take ample camera shots and video footage to document my trips, this time I learned that I need to carry an extra chargeable battery for my Canon camera as well as an additional memory card. I have collected enough material to make several mini documentaries based on the interviews and live footage that I captured. In the future, this will give me several projects that will highlight my March 2014 trip to Kenya.
So in order to prepare the transcripts for these future mini documentaries that we will post on our website and YouTube, I am going to write a series of reports that will deal with broader topics than just describing what happened on the days one to four that I travelled in Kenya.
Some of these topics will deal with observations that I made from projects that have already been completed since I was here the last time. Other topics will present a vision for future projects based on the needs I saw and how those needs can be met. Following is the list of topics I have chosen:
- Bryce Homes Kenya – Past, Present, and Future
- New Homes and Latrines
- Water Sources and Water Treatment
- Widows With Small Business Opportunities On the Way to Self-Sufficiency
- The Miracle in Kenya
- From Kibera Slums to Rural Paradise
- Rural Kenya: The People and the Country
I think you will find these reports fascinating. For those of you who have been faithfully supporting and following the Bryce Homes Program in Kenya, I am sure you will be blessed when you see what God is doing in Kenya as light shines into the darkness and many lives are being changed.
For now, let me say that we are committed to allowing God to work through us and be open for the program to expand in the future. While the needs far exceed our ability to transform entire communities, it is very apparent that progress is being made and Bryce Home by Bryce Home, the light of Jesus Christ is shining and making a huge difference. Click here to read more reports from Roger’s trip to Kenya this past week.
