This week, Roger Oakland, director of Understand the Times and the Bryce Homes for Children, is in Kenya, visiting all 16 Bryce Homes and spending time with Pastors Achilla and Nelson who run the program in Kenya. The picture you see to the right here was taken yesterday while Roger and the pastors were visiting Widow Lewnida and Widow Alice, two of the Bryce Home widows. Needless to say, the children love Roger and see him as their “grandfather in the Lord.”
Roger is sending daily reports. Below are Day 1, Day 2, Day 3. You can also follow his daily reports at the Understand the Times website, where Ron Pierotti is posting them.
Day Three in Kenya, December 2012
by Roger Oakland
To travel from _______ to _______ is not really that far – about 120 kilometers by road. However getting from Migori to North Kadem, an 80 kilometer continuous rock pile, is another story. If you are not physically in good shape, you risk the chance of being shook up badly. Think of this. It would be the equivalent of riding the large wooden roller coaster at Knott’s Berry Farm without getting off for three hours.
There are no words that properly describe this experience. However, when the day is done, I can look back and my mind and heart is filled with joy by what I saw and heard of what God is doing here in Kenya through our team. They have been raised up along with the support from Understand The Times and Lighthouse Trails to reach their people, and they have a plan. How encouraging this is to see what can actually happen when the Church of Jesus Christ functions as the Church of Jesus Christ should function. I give praise and thanks to the Lord who has placed this vision in our hearts and has provided a partnership through faithful brothers and sisters in Kenya who are willing to be God’s hand extended.
In spite of the rugged trip, we finally did reach our destination where two of the Bryce Homes are located – Widow Lewnida and her 10 orphans and Widow Alice and her 4 orphaned children who are neighbors. On our last trip, Lewnida was looking after Alice and her children as Alice’s shack was no longer livable. Since then a new home has been built for Alice so she now lives on her own. However, Lewnida has taken in three new orphans into her home. Both Alice and Lewnida gave testimony of how their lives had changed and gave glory and honor to Jesus Christ in video-taped interviews. We unloaded the December supplies at both locations and presented Alice and Lewnida their Bryce Home plaques.
While we were on location, Lewnida’s new four room house was literally being constructed by a crew of workers who had come from Migori. I was able to video tape some of the various stages of construction. I plan to put together a slide show on how these houses are constructed at a later date so that those who have donated can see exactly how their funds are been being spent. While we were on location, another truck arrived with the wood for the rafters. The house should be totally completed in a couple of weeks.
The highlight of the day for me was when the children gathered around me to see the individual photos that I had taken of them with my camera. They had never seen their own faces before nor had they ever got so close to a muzungu (white man) who could have been their grandfather. Pastor Achilla snapped a classic photo that I will always cherish.
After a couple of hours it was apparent that the late afternoon rain was on its way, and it was time to leave. Lewnida and Alice had prepared a meal for the workers and for us, and the table was set with food. We had a wonderful time together, encouraging one another and thanking Him for all He has done.
We arrived back home long after dark and very tired. Today, we will be going to _______ and delivering the December food support there. It will be a long day.
To see the reports for Day One and Day Two, click here.
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