I once was told that once you've been to Africa it gets into your blood. After returning from Africa I wasn't so sure that I would be returning there to do work in the same community. I had the desire to return to see my new friends at some point but the longer I'm away the more it pulls at me. I had a dream a few nights ago about the area that I was living and my friends there. Since then I've talked with some friends that I made there and exchanged emails with one of the pastors. It is in my blood!!! While talking with family my step-mother felt like she wanted to sponsor the High School education for my friend daughter. My friends name is Grace and is a single mother of two. Her daughter Bethany is a great student and a promising young lady. There are many more like her!
I have so very much missed my friends at the Naibor orphanage and continue to have a deep desire to help them. I have found the process of trying to get grants a pain. I realize that a huge part of this is due to my own short comings in paperwork and such processes. Maybe as time continues I will become better at this but for the time being it isn't something that I see as a fruitful use of my time. I do have a huge desire to buy land and build a proper orphanage for the kids in Naibor. Some of the other dreams for that land would be a vocational welding school and seamstress school that would also be the center for those businesses. The welding school has already been started and just needs a good home now.
Here's where I need you. We live in an extremely wealthy nation even in these "trying times" we are still so very well off. For example in 2008 we spent around 450 billion dollars during the Christmas season alone!!! We can all afford to give a bit. How about skipping that 5 dollar foofoo coffee drink that you really don't need. You could even just make it at home and save some money that you could help others with. Is a missed foofoo drink really more important than helping some kids who get there water from a muddy river with dead donkeys in it? I realize that giving your money to an individual in this day and age is a scary thing but read through this blog and see where others have invested there money and what it has gone to. Write me and feel free to pick my brain and see what I'm really all about. Together we can really make a difference for 30+ people today and thousands to come.
I look forward to hearing from all of you and embarking on this new journey. This is your open invitation to be a part of something incredible so please join in.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wrapping it up and on to the next adventure!!!
Dear Friends and Family,
I'm really not sure how to put the last three months into an email. I guess that's a good thing though, it sure would have been a boring 3 months if I would have been able to sum it up in one short email. I have made friends that will last a lifetime, my heart has been changed, I have laughed plenty, cried, been frustrated, relieved, overjoyed, I have loved and been loved, I have grown, I've seen new incredible things, experienced new things, been able to be a part of beautiful acts of kindness and I got to go the hospital. At the end of an adventure what more can you really ask for? It was....I can't think of a single word to truly capture it so we'll just use with incredible. I can't believe that I got to partake in such a grand adventure!!! I don't know if it has ever happened to you or not but I feel so unworthy to have been a part of all of that has happened to me over the past few months. There have been people who wrote to me or talked with me who have said that what I've done was this great thing but I really wasn't some selfless thing. I was given a rare opportunity to be a part of something great and I just said "OK". As I look back on my life there have been tons of opportunities to do such things but I always decided that there was something more important like a dirt bike or some vacation. Neither of those have ever came close to what I got from this trip. Take that crazy leap and jump at the next opportunity that you get to do something great. The few things that you have to give up will be so incredibly worth it. I guess I should probably tell you about my last week in Kenya and my travels.
Well wrapping things up at the house went fairly well. They even got all of the interior plaster done so the interior walls looked beautiful! It was so good to stand inside of the house with a roof and finished walls. I really am pleased with it and learned a lot from it. I hope to be able to apply that knowledge someday. I am glad that we now have George and Noah better trained with it. Before I left we had set up a project that consisted of 5 structures built out of the blocks that both of them will be a part of building. So there is one of the mission objectives completed....at least advanced. The ISSB blocks have been used and Noahs business has been improved and moved out into the publics eye where he has been able to use it to gain more business. Noah and George have also become friends. I really feel so blessed to have both of them as friends and had such a great time with the two of them. I really hope to be able to spend more time with them over the years to come.
Speaking of work and business development how about that vocational welding school and shop. In that area of Kenya people use the phrase "Jua Kali" as a slang phrase for poor craftsmanship. I wish that I would have known that before we started a vocational school in Jua Kali. As fate would have it the welding shop was very much needed there in Jua Kali. There is no other welding shop in the area so they have the corner on the market and people are using it! When I left there were chairs, a door and a window ready for sale out in front of the shop. They also already have a steady flow of business that is getting bigger. We were able to train orphans to become metal fabricators and have a shot at an occupation. In a place where the unemployment rate is around 50% this really is a valuable thing and I think that it will continue to expand and create more jobs.
Thanks to a donation from a new friend we were able to get the supplies to add another water tank and more gutters to harvest the water out at the Naibor orphanage. I have a hard time doing all of the work when there is a young person nearby who can learn how to do it as well so now there are a couple of boys at the orphanage who can install gutters as well. Now they just need rain!!!
When I left for Kenya I had this list of things that Jerry and I wanted me to get done while I was there but life happens. On the way from the airport right after arriving Jerry told me that the new orphanage and the youth camp were both unable to start. It's funny how our plans can get changed so quickly and things still work out so well. The overall purpose of the trip was to serve in any way needed so here are some of the bonus areas of serving that I got to be a part of. There was a lot of illness going around that kept some of the teachers from their posts for some time so I got to help out in the nursery school and kindergarten. I have walked into burning buildings, scraped up human brain, worked with violent teenagers and have a tendency to enjoy extreme sports but there is nothing that could have prepared me for that. Those teachers really are incredible. Those tiny little cute kids are so misleading. They are actually one of the most powerful single forces on the face of the earth. They can create enough power in one hour to power a city for at least a month!!! They are quick and sly, they can get into trouble in the blink of an eye and they leak! In one day we had 5 out of 6 wet themselves and then they played in it. Did you know that if a puddle of urine forms on a merry go round it's like a pee sprinkler? I do! That was the hardest work that I did the whole time that I was there.
We were also blessed by a number of visitors that needed to be taken from place to place from time to time so I got to be the tour guide/taxi driver. This was an interesting time for me. I really enjoyed the people that I got to spend time with and am so happy to have them as friends in my life. They really have brought a lot of great things into my life but it was a part of my time that I struggled with. I'm hesitant in sharing this with you because I feel like a whiner but I also want to be transparent with you in my struggles so here it is. I felt like I didn't have a "real" purpose. I had to put my stuff on the back burner to serve others. That should be something that I rejoice in to an extent but it was really hard for me. It turned out to be a great time of growth for me. I still feel silly for it but I'm glad that it happened. That took up about month of my time there so it really cut into some of the projects that I wanted to do but it also provided others with some great experiences and enabled them to serve.
Teaching bible studies was another great unforeseen experience for me. As a young follower of Jesus I am still weak in my biblical knowledge and this provided the perfect opportunity for me to grow in my knowledge and teaching skills. It really was a lot of fun and I have no doubt that I got more out of it than the kids that I was teaching.
My last week was bittersweet. On Thursday I went to the Naibor orphanage for the last time to say good bye to the kids and spend a little bit of time with them. It was hard to leave them. They were all there so we had enough people to play another game of baseball. My team got slaughtered! We then just spent time having fun with each other playing games and putting on fake tattoos, thanks Mom. They then started giving presents. They had been making me some stuff for some time and presented me with a necklace, ring, bracelet, belt and a hand carved black rhino. The boys had all done the rhino. Each one of them had a part in it and it really is great. It was very hard to leave and I had to fight back tears as I left these fantastic people who taught me so much and were so welcoming and loving to me. That place was by far my favorite place in Kenya. I miss it greatly.
Laura Nell, Kenia and I got some great time together before I left. I didn't get to spend much time with Kenia but am looking forward to hearing about what she's going to be doing with her time there. You all know Laura Nell from many previous letters about her. I will really miss my time with her. That lady had at least one bible verse for everything that life could throw at a person! "Laura Nell, we're out of potatoes." I'd say and then she'd pipe up with some verse that would pertain to someone being out of potatoes. It was incredible! Everybody there called her Mimi because L's and R's are hard for them to say. Mimi I'm so glad that we got to spend such great time together, thank you for all of your wisdom. Thank you for keeping me focused so often.
On my last day in Nanyuki I went on a hike to some caves with the youth and while we were in one of them I fell and bent my thumb back. I heard and felt a snap but could move it so I figured it was all right. As soon as I stood up I got sick to my stomach and dizzy so I had to sit down. It hurt!!! I've broke fingers before that didn't hurt that bad. So I made a sling so that it would be easy to keep it elevated and then put some of the ice cold water from a nearby creek on it. Kipchirchir and I waited by the creek while the others hiked up the trail a bit to a place in the sun to have lunch. While we sat there talking we could hear elephants trumpeting not to far off and monkeys playing in the trees. It was pretty awesome all things considered. It was a 4 mile hike back that went pretty well. I ended up getting it x-rayed after paying for the x-ray tech's cab ride to the hospital. No breaks and it wasn't dislocated so I just needed to keep it immobilized for awhile. I got it all wrapped up and went on my way. That bandage made it hard to do the things that I want to do so it only lasted about a day and half.
So after an overnight layover in London, lots of driving, one day in Redding and some cliff diving I am sitting in my Dad and Step-mothers house in Cornville Az. at 5am listening to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds moving on the next grand adventure....the rest of my life!!! It should be incredible!!! Thank you for coming along with me and being so supportive. I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully sitting down with you and sharing life. I'm off to pick up saddles for this mornings horse back ride and then off to work on a house with my Dad. I hope that this finds with a smile and in good health.
Love and Peace
Caleb (Njoroge)
I'm really not sure how to put the last three months into an email. I guess that's a good thing though, it sure would have been a boring 3 months if I would have been able to sum it up in one short email. I have made friends that will last a lifetime, my heart has been changed, I have laughed plenty, cried, been frustrated, relieved, overjoyed, I have loved and been loved, I have grown, I've seen new incredible things, experienced new things, been able to be a part of beautiful acts of kindness and I got to go the hospital. At the end of an adventure what more can you really ask for? It was....I can't think of a single word to truly capture it so we'll just use with incredible. I can't believe that I got to partake in such a grand adventure!!! I don't know if it has ever happened to you or not but I feel so unworthy to have been a part of all of that has happened to me over the past few months. There have been people who wrote to me or talked with me who have said that what I've done was this great thing but I really wasn't some selfless thing. I was given a rare opportunity to be a part of something great and I just said "OK". As I look back on my life there have been tons of opportunities to do such things but I always decided that there was something more important like a dirt bike or some vacation. Neither of those have ever came close to what I got from this trip. Take that crazy leap and jump at the next opportunity that you get to do something great. The few things that you have to give up will be so incredibly worth it. I guess I should probably tell you about my last week in Kenya and my travels.
Well wrapping things up at the house went fairly well. They even got all of the interior plaster done so the interior walls looked beautiful! It was so good to stand inside of the house with a roof and finished walls. I really am pleased with it and learned a lot from it. I hope to be able to apply that knowledge someday. I am glad that we now have George and Noah better trained with it. Before I left we had set up a project that consisted of 5 structures built out of the blocks that both of them will be a part of building. So there is one of the mission objectives completed....at least advanced. The ISSB blocks have been used and Noahs business has been improved and moved out into the publics eye where he has been able to use it to gain more business. Noah and George have also become friends. I really feel so blessed to have both of them as friends and had such a great time with the two of them. I really hope to be able to spend more time with them over the years to come.
Speaking of work and business development how about that vocational welding school and shop. In that area of Kenya people use the phrase "Jua Kali" as a slang phrase for poor craftsmanship. I wish that I would have known that before we started a vocational school in Jua Kali. As fate would have it the welding shop was very much needed there in Jua Kali. There is no other welding shop in the area so they have the corner on the market and people are using it! When I left there were chairs, a door and a window ready for sale out in front of the shop. They also already have a steady flow of business that is getting bigger. We were able to train orphans to become metal fabricators and have a shot at an occupation. In a place where the unemployment rate is around 50% this really is a valuable thing and I think that it will continue to expand and create more jobs.
Thanks to a donation from a new friend we were able to get the supplies to add another water tank and more gutters to harvest the water out at the Naibor orphanage. I have a hard time doing all of the work when there is a young person nearby who can learn how to do it as well so now there are a couple of boys at the orphanage who can install gutters as well. Now they just need rain!!!
When I left for Kenya I had this list of things that Jerry and I wanted me to get done while I was there but life happens. On the way from the airport right after arriving Jerry told me that the new orphanage and the youth camp were both unable to start. It's funny how our plans can get changed so quickly and things still work out so well. The overall purpose of the trip was to serve in any way needed so here are some of the bonus areas of serving that I got to be a part of. There was a lot of illness going around that kept some of the teachers from their posts for some time so I got to help out in the nursery school and kindergarten. I have walked into burning buildings, scraped up human brain, worked with violent teenagers and have a tendency to enjoy extreme sports but there is nothing that could have prepared me for that. Those teachers really are incredible. Those tiny little cute kids are so misleading. They are actually one of the most powerful single forces on the face of the earth. They can create enough power in one hour to power a city for at least a month!!! They are quick and sly, they can get into trouble in the blink of an eye and they leak! In one day we had 5 out of 6 wet themselves and then they played in it. Did you know that if a puddle of urine forms on a merry go round it's like a pee sprinkler? I do! That was the hardest work that I did the whole time that I was there.
We were also blessed by a number of visitors that needed to be taken from place to place from time to time so I got to be the tour guide/taxi driver. This was an interesting time for me. I really enjoyed the people that I got to spend time with and am so happy to have them as friends in my life. They really have brought a lot of great things into my life but it was a part of my time that I struggled with. I'm hesitant in sharing this with you because I feel like a whiner but I also want to be transparent with you in my struggles so here it is. I felt like I didn't have a "real" purpose. I had to put my stuff on the back burner to serve others. That should be something that I rejoice in to an extent but it was really hard for me. It turned out to be a great time of growth for me. I still feel silly for it but I'm glad that it happened. That took up about month of my time there so it really cut into some of the projects that I wanted to do but it also provided others with some great experiences and enabled them to serve.
Teaching bible studies was another great unforeseen experience for me. As a young follower of Jesus I am still weak in my biblical knowledge and this provided the perfect opportunity for me to grow in my knowledge and teaching skills. It really was a lot of fun and I have no doubt that I got more out of it than the kids that I was teaching.
My last week was bittersweet. On Thursday I went to the Naibor orphanage for the last time to say good bye to the kids and spend a little bit of time with them. It was hard to leave them. They were all there so we had enough people to play another game of baseball. My team got slaughtered! We then just spent time having fun with each other playing games and putting on fake tattoos, thanks Mom. They then started giving presents. They had been making me some stuff for some time and presented me with a necklace, ring, bracelet, belt and a hand carved black rhino. The boys had all done the rhino. Each one of them had a part in it and it really is great. It was very hard to leave and I had to fight back tears as I left these fantastic people who taught me so much and were so welcoming and loving to me. That place was by far my favorite place in Kenya. I miss it greatly.
Laura Nell, Kenia and I got some great time together before I left. I didn't get to spend much time with Kenia but am looking forward to hearing about what she's going to be doing with her time there. You all know Laura Nell from many previous letters about her. I will really miss my time with her. That lady had at least one bible verse for everything that life could throw at a person! "Laura Nell, we're out of potatoes." I'd say and then she'd pipe up with some verse that would pertain to someone being out of potatoes. It was incredible! Everybody there called her Mimi because L's and R's are hard for them to say. Mimi I'm so glad that we got to spend such great time together, thank you for all of your wisdom. Thank you for keeping me focused so often.
On my last day in Nanyuki I went on a hike to some caves with the youth and while we were in one of them I fell and bent my thumb back. I heard and felt a snap but could move it so I figured it was all right. As soon as I stood up I got sick to my stomach and dizzy so I had to sit down. It hurt!!! I've broke fingers before that didn't hurt that bad. So I made a sling so that it would be easy to keep it elevated and then put some of the ice cold water from a nearby creek on it. Kipchirchir and I waited by the creek while the others hiked up the trail a bit to a place in the sun to have lunch. While we sat there talking we could hear elephants trumpeting not to far off and monkeys playing in the trees. It was pretty awesome all things considered. It was a 4 mile hike back that went pretty well. I ended up getting it x-rayed after paying for the x-ray tech's cab ride to the hospital. No breaks and it wasn't dislocated so I just needed to keep it immobilized for awhile. I got it all wrapped up and went on my way. That bandage made it hard to do the things that I want to do so it only lasted about a day and half.
So after an overnight layover in London, lots of driving, one day in Redding and some cliff diving I am sitting in my Dad and Step-mothers house in Cornville Az. at 5am listening to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds moving on the next grand adventure....the rest of my life!!! It should be incredible!!! Thank you for coming along with me and being so supportive. I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully sitting down with you and sharing life. I'm off to pick up saddles for this mornings horse back ride and then off to work on a house with my Dad. I hope that this finds with a smile and in good health.
Love and Peace
Caleb (Njoroge)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I'm in my last week here...
Dear Friends and Family,
This is a bit late but I know that you’ll all forgive me. It really has been a full week with tons of opportunities for God to help me grow into the man that He designed me to be. I’ve had to really battle some of the things inside of me that are not of Him or the real me and I know that it’s just the start. Sometimes you see things that just don’t seem right to you but if you really sit down and take a moment to think about them you know that those things aren’t really coming from that person but instead from a hurt or a place that they haven’t let God into yet. I know that many of you don’t share the same passion for the same God as me and I’m glad that you continue to read these and I hope that you get something from these anyways. These battles that I deal with make me fight within myself between the bad habits that I formed for many years and the true Love that God continues to fill me with. Some 2009 years ago or so there was this carpenter that changed the world. He loved in ways that hadn’t been seen before with a depth that is unprecedented. I simply want to be more like Him. Even before I asked God to take over my life I knew about this man and had such a high respect for him and what he did for the world. Even then I knew that if I could be more like him I would leave this world a better place because I was a part of it. It’s so hard for me though!!! My dear friends please pray for me to become more like that carpenter. If you’re not a praying person will you just give it a try for me, I could really use it!!!
On with my week now. Last Monday, the 9th, Bridget and Elle left us for the states. They left early in morning with a missionary couple from Tanzania that I would love to spend some time with. I really enjoyed all of the time that I spent with them. They were a blast!!! I even got to practice my restraints on Elle one night when she whacked me with a wet dish towel. It was like having a bratty little sister around, it was a blast! It was such an honor to share life with these two ladies. We really did get to dig into some of the depths of each other and share in both struggles and joy. What a great thing it is to share life with others. I really do feel so honored to be able to be a part of this and share in this beautiful life that God has given us. I still get to share it with Laura Nell and our newest addition, Kenia. Laura Nell continues to be a guiding light and I will miss her (and her cooking) dearly after I leave. Kenia and Laura Nell have taken such great care of me, I’m really not sure what I’ll do with out them….
With the girls gone my time got freed up again to tend to my other projects. The house and the business development of Noah’s blocks being the priorities. The house is looking great! They’ve finished putting all of the mortar up for the trim and it looks great! The roof will be finished today and they’ll start plastering the interior tomorrow. That should be almost done by the time that I leave for Nairobi. George (the contractor) and I took a trip to Nyeri on Friday to look for roofing but the cost was far to high and they didn’t have what was requested so we went to Nairobi on Monday. If you have been following all of these you’ll know that Nairobi isn’t exactly my favorite place on earth. It’s a city and the only city that I’ve ever even liked to spend more than an afternoon in is San Fran.. So George, his cousin Ken and I left around 7am in his old diesel Land Cruiser pick-up that I love. It’s beat up and held together with all kinds of miscellaneous pieces. It’s 2.5 to 3 hours each way and it’s nothing like a US highway. There are no lines in the road but there are bicyclists, cows, sheep, donkeys, pedestrians, car parts, speed bumps, and a lot of crazy drivers. You have to be so hyper-vigilant in your driving. So I have a bar in a very uncomfortable place that I’m resituating myself on every 60 seconds or so for the whole ride. I think I bruised my tail bone. We made it there with very few incidents and dropped off my faithful motorcycle. That part was rough. We then went to a restaurant that Georges uncle manages called Carnivore. Let me tell you, Carnivore is fantastic!!! Georges uncle got us this lunch that was incredible for free. Have you ever had ostrich? If not then you should try it. After lunch we hobbled out to the truck moaning and groaning from all of the food that we ate. We then took off to the industrial district to track down the correct roofing. After a bit of driving around we found a place that had it and they had it for 25,000 shillings less than anybody else. That’s a savings of around $325. So we ordered it up wrote out the check and went to pick it up. As they were loading it we noticed that it was the correct gauge but the wrong pattern. After a phone call to the boss man we let them load it up and hit the road again. We got back home sometime around 7pm. We spent 12 hours to get the right roofing and they didn’t even have it. I do have to say that the roof does look good and it’ll keep the water out just fine. It’s good to see it coming along so well.
I spent last weekend at the orphanage as a very last minute thing. George and I finished up our business a bit early so I just loaded up my stuff, told Laura Nell that I was leaving for the weekend and took off for Naibor. It was so good to be back with the kids. I really missed them. It’ll be hard to be away from them for so long. I keep on wondering if they’ll remember me or what they’ll look like the next time that I see them, if I ever get to see them again. They taught me more than any thing else here, I hope that I got to return at least a little bit of what they gave me. All of the kids were home from school so the place was full and so full of life. I helped cook the chipate for dinner much to the amusement of many of the kids especially the older girls who’ve rarely see a man cooking in the kitchen. They were having a youth conference for the weekend so there were people from around the area staying there. One of them was the youth director from Timau who slept on the bunk above mine. At sometime before 5am he thought that he really wanted to listen to music on the radio so he started going through all of the stations with the radio blaring. Remember that part where I wanted to be like that carpenter? I wasn’t having thoughts that would lead to me to actions like the carpenter. I asked him to turn it down so he did a little bit but just turned it back up a little bit later. So I decided to get up and go water the plants. I hopped out of bed and went into the dark night of early morning. I got ready to start watering and the ground moved right by me. There are some pretty big animals out here that can be not so nice when disturbed so my heart leaped into my throat. I quickly realized that it was a cow and went back to “watering”.
Speaking of wildlife, George and I took two people out to beautiful El Kaarama to see some of the structures. One of the people is building at least 5 structures from Noah’s blocks and wanted to see some creative structures and El Kaarama had some to offer. On the way we saw a number of elephants and giraffe amongst the usual animals. It was great because there were so many baby’s. It really was a great time.
Well, it’s time for me to wrap this up and get back to work. This is my last week so there will most likely only be one more of these. I look forward to it and looking back on this great adventure that I’ve been able to be apart of. It took nothing grand on my part to do, just follow the path put in front of me. I hope that this finds all of you well. I hope that there are some smiles looking at this right now. Maybe even someone got moved and will step out into an uncomfortable place that they’ve never been before and find an incredible thing waiting for them like I have. I miss you all and look forward to sitting down and sharing life with you in the very near future. Keep on smiling, you never know who’s day you could be making better with that smile.
Peace and Love
Caleb
This is a bit late but I know that you’ll all forgive me. It really has been a full week with tons of opportunities for God to help me grow into the man that He designed me to be. I’ve had to really battle some of the things inside of me that are not of Him or the real me and I know that it’s just the start. Sometimes you see things that just don’t seem right to you but if you really sit down and take a moment to think about them you know that those things aren’t really coming from that person but instead from a hurt or a place that they haven’t let God into yet. I know that many of you don’t share the same passion for the same God as me and I’m glad that you continue to read these and I hope that you get something from these anyways. These battles that I deal with make me fight within myself between the bad habits that I formed for many years and the true Love that God continues to fill me with. Some 2009 years ago or so there was this carpenter that changed the world. He loved in ways that hadn’t been seen before with a depth that is unprecedented. I simply want to be more like Him. Even before I asked God to take over my life I knew about this man and had such a high respect for him and what he did for the world. Even then I knew that if I could be more like him I would leave this world a better place because I was a part of it. It’s so hard for me though!!! My dear friends please pray for me to become more like that carpenter. If you’re not a praying person will you just give it a try for me, I could really use it!!!
On with my week now. Last Monday, the 9th, Bridget and Elle left us for the states. They left early in morning with a missionary couple from Tanzania that I would love to spend some time with. I really enjoyed all of the time that I spent with them. They were a blast!!! I even got to practice my restraints on Elle one night when she whacked me with a wet dish towel. It was like having a bratty little sister around, it was a blast! It was such an honor to share life with these two ladies. We really did get to dig into some of the depths of each other and share in both struggles and joy. What a great thing it is to share life with others. I really do feel so honored to be able to be a part of this and share in this beautiful life that God has given us. I still get to share it with Laura Nell and our newest addition, Kenia. Laura Nell continues to be a guiding light and I will miss her (and her cooking) dearly after I leave. Kenia and Laura Nell have taken such great care of me, I’m really not sure what I’ll do with out them….
With the girls gone my time got freed up again to tend to my other projects. The house and the business development of Noah’s blocks being the priorities. The house is looking great! They’ve finished putting all of the mortar up for the trim and it looks great! The roof will be finished today and they’ll start plastering the interior tomorrow. That should be almost done by the time that I leave for Nairobi. George (the contractor) and I took a trip to Nyeri on Friday to look for roofing but the cost was far to high and they didn’t have what was requested so we went to Nairobi on Monday. If you have been following all of these you’ll know that Nairobi isn’t exactly my favorite place on earth. It’s a city and the only city that I’ve ever even liked to spend more than an afternoon in is San Fran.. So George, his cousin Ken and I left around 7am in his old diesel Land Cruiser pick-up that I love. It’s beat up and held together with all kinds of miscellaneous pieces. It’s 2.5 to 3 hours each way and it’s nothing like a US highway. There are no lines in the road but there are bicyclists, cows, sheep, donkeys, pedestrians, car parts, speed bumps, and a lot of crazy drivers. You have to be so hyper-vigilant in your driving. So I have a bar in a very uncomfortable place that I’m resituating myself on every 60 seconds or so for the whole ride. I think I bruised my tail bone. We made it there with very few incidents and dropped off my faithful motorcycle. That part was rough. We then went to a restaurant that Georges uncle manages called Carnivore. Let me tell you, Carnivore is fantastic!!! Georges uncle got us this lunch that was incredible for free. Have you ever had ostrich? If not then you should try it. After lunch we hobbled out to the truck moaning and groaning from all of the food that we ate. We then took off to the industrial district to track down the correct roofing. After a bit of driving around we found a place that had it and they had it for 25,000 shillings less than anybody else. That’s a savings of around $325. So we ordered it up wrote out the check and went to pick it up. As they were loading it we noticed that it was the correct gauge but the wrong pattern. After a phone call to the boss man we let them load it up and hit the road again. We got back home sometime around 7pm. We spent 12 hours to get the right roofing and they didn’t even have it. I do have to say that the roof does look good and it’ll keep the water out just fine. It’s good to see it coming along so well.
I spent last weekend at the orphanage as a very last minute thing. George and I finished up our business a bit early so I just loaded up my stuff, told Laura Nell that I was leaving for the weekend and took off for Naibor. It was so good to be back with the kids. I really missed them. It’ll be hard to be away from them for so long. I keep on wondering if they’ll remember me or what they’ll look like the next time that I see them, if I ever get to see them again. They taught me more than any thing else here, I hope that I got to return at least a little bit of what they gave me. All of the kids were home from school so the place was full and so full of life. I helped cook the chipate for dinner much to the amusement of many of the kids especially the older girls who’ve rarely see a man cooking in the kitchen. They were having a youth conference for the weekend so there were people from around the area staying there. One of them was the youth director from Timau who slept on the bunk above mine. At sometime before 5am he thought that he really wanted to listen to music on the radio so he started going through all of the stations with the radio blaring. Remember that part where I wanted to be like that carpenter? I wasn’t having thoughts that would lead to me to actions like the carpenter. I asked him to turn it down so he did a little bit but just turned it back up a little bit later. So I decided to get up and go water the plants. I hopped out of bed and went into the dark night of early morning. I got ready to start watering and the ground moved right by me. There are some pretty big animals out here that can be not so nice when disturbed so my heart leaped into my throat. I quickly realized that it was a cow and went back to “watering”.
Speaking of wildlife, George and I took two people out to beautiful El Kaarama to see some of the structures. One of the people is building at least 5 structures from Noah’s blocks and wanted to see some creative structures and El Kaarama had some to offer. On the way we saw a number of elephants and giraffe amongst the usual animals. It was great because there were so many baby’s. It really was a great time.
Well, it’s time for me to wrap this up and get back to work. This is my last week so there will most likely only be one more of these. I look forward to it and looking back on this great adventure that I’ve been able to be apart of. It took nothing grand on my part to do, just follow the path put in front of me. I hope that this finds all of you well. I hope that there are some smiles looking at this right now. Maybe even someone got moved and will step out into an uncomfortable place that they’ve never been before and find an incredible thing waiting for them like I have. I miss you all and look forward to sitting down and sharing life with you in the very near future. Keep on smiling, you never know who’s day you could be making better with that smile.
Peace and Love
Caleb
Sunday, August 9, 2009
8-9 post
Dear Friends and Family,
It’s funny how even after writing last weeks email, about appreciating the things that you see in everyday life, I can still walk through my days missing so much. For instance, I saw a bunch of giraffe on Thursday. Did any of you? I looked at them and thought they were pretty cool but I’ve seen those before. It’s amazing how quickly I had already lost touch with seeing those things. In my opinion a giraffe still isn’t nearly as amazing as watching Lydia learn to walk or Rachelle (Naibor orphan) laughing while she plays with something as simple as a balloon. It’s not just Lydia walking or Rachelle playing with a balloon it’s their faces when they do it. You get the privilege of seeing right into their heart and mind. I love watching Lydia’s face as she concentrates and then sees the joy and excitement on the face of everybody else, her face just lights up! It’s funny how much that moment is celebrated and then how later on down the road when she’s totally mobile that excitement turns to frustration and many other emotions. When Rachelle gets that excited it’s like you get a glimpse at her soul, her face just totally radiates it and it is incredible. I think that as we get older and more self conscious and hurt by others we don’t let ourselves experience those emotions to their fullest sometimes. I mean you really have to be with someone that you really trust to truly show those emotions in their purest forms, or maybe it’s just me….I hope that it is! I’ve started playing soccer recently and I have to tell you that sometimes there is some raw emotion being shown their. It turns out that I’m a bit more competitive than I would like to admit. Let me tell you about my week.
The Mohawk was a hit!!! You should have seen the looks the class gave me when they saw me that morning. I came in wearing my leather biker jacket, a bandana and a beanie. As the kids were all reading a passage about not judging people by their looks I took off the beanie and bandana and moved out to the front of them. They weren’t sure what to think of it. I would guess that I’m the first person that they’ve seen at the front of their class with a Mohawk. The lesson went fairly well but I still left room for improvement. For the rest of the week kids have been asking me about it and why I shaved it off. They all thought that it looked pretty great, they said that I looked like a rock star. I’m not too sure how much the deputy teacher appreciated it though. I asked him if I could have a Mt. Kenya Baptist shirt so that I could wear it around town and he just kind of chuckled and walked away.
I’ve had to give the house a bit more attention this week than normal so I’ve had some great time with George (the local contractor). I’ve really enjoyed my time him and will miss him. He is a very smart guy with a great sense of humor. He has become a good friend. I was sick Saturday so the girls even happily volunteered to come out and help with the house since we weren’t able to go to Timau as planned. The trusses were built last week and we are ready to roll them tomorrow. I look forward to walking around on top of the walls tomorrow. It’ll be good to have my nail bags on again. It’s funny how things like my nail bags, motorcycle helmet or my fire helmet feel so comfortable and so much like a part of me that has so many connected many memories. Smells and feelings come flooding back after a long absence from these things. It’ll be good to be back on my motorcycle again, I feel like I’ve been away from a friend. I’m not so sure if that’s healthy or not…..
The girls and I all piled into the car and went out on Safari on Thursday. They really hadn’t seen much wildlife since they’ve been here and that all changed quickly for them. One of the first things we saw was giraffe and water buffalos. We saw nearly everything even elephants! Unfortunately they haven’t been able to see any baboons since arriving and since they are leaving for Nairobi tomorrow I don’t think that they will be seeing any this visit.
Well my friends, I have a soccer game coming up soon so I must get going. The sun is out and a soft breeze is blowing. I’m at a small airport diner and can hear British accents mixed with Swahili and Kikuyu. There are small beautiful birds all around chirping and looking around for a fallen chip. I can smell the dry grass in the breeze and can hear the traffic on the nearby road…..I wonder what I’m missing.
Peace and Love
Caleb
Monday, August 3, 2009
8-03 Laptop revivals!!!
My Dear Friends and Family,
It’s an odd feeling that is starting to creep over me these days. It has even been a little bit of a struggle. My time here is drawing to an end in just about three weeks. I have come to really love a number of the people here over the past couple of months. I have been so very blessed to share life with so many great people. The warm hearts and open doors are such a testimony to a people that have so much value in relationship. I was out riding my motorcycle through Shamba Land (my name for a farming area near my home) with a friend of mine this week and we ran into some people that she knew from many years ago. Before I knew it I was like family. They prepared tea for us and then made a fantastic dinner. I had a great time talking with one of their twin sons who is in University right now over in Mombassa. It so incredible to take a step back from the moment that you are in and really just look at the moment that you get to share. This is something that I really try to do often and I know that I still take far too much for granted. There have been so many of those moments. I remember dirt biking to the top of this mountain with Steve one time. As we neared the top a thunder and lightning storm rolled in over the valley and we got to watch it come at us. We were so amazed at what we saw that we just kind of forgot that it was coming right at us. Before we knew it we were riding through the dark on our dirt bikes as lightning lit up the trails before us and we were completely drenched by the down poor. I took a step back and looked at this great moment that we got to share and it will always be a beautiful memory for me. I bet you’d love for me to share memories more from this week instead of from so long ago. Here we go.
Last week my computer suffered a major heart attack that, after talking to a computer expert, we decided had to be a fried mother board. So sad. The computer was going to be left here for people to use after I left. I lost all of my pictures, documents, music, and a computer for someone who really needed it. I felt very bad about not being a better steward of what had been given to me to care for and then pass on. The day before this happened I had written an email to a dear friend about miracles and how I fear people getting caught up in them and not seeing the everyday miracles that happen. In my heart I had started to put God in a box. He loves me though. So I was packing my computer up to take it back to the states in the hopes that we could at least salvage the pictures when I decided to ask God to fix it. So I asked and then opened it up and hit the power button. You wouldn’t believe what happened, nothing. So then I started to pack it up and had this argument in my head about plugging it in. I had done this before and nothing happened but I figured I’d take another shot at it. So I plugged it in and the little lights on the front lit up! There was a brief moment of hope so I pushed the power button and the screen came to life! So here I am typing out this weeks update on my resurrected laptop.
I’ve been struggling with some inner battles on what my future holds for me. I have this feeling that God has something big in store for me when I return to Redding but not patient enough and want answers now! That battle has been so unhealthy for me. I was telling Laura Nell about it and she told me that I should get better grounded in Gods word so I’m helping teach bible lessons at the school. I hate to say it but I’m sure that most of these kids know the bible much better than I do. It has been great though. They love doing the wave like we’re at a baseball game and have started to really engage in the conversations that come up. I have learned so much from them and have enjoyed both my time with them and my time studying for my lessons. Tomorrow I’m going to teach about the inner heart and not judging on what the outside looks like so tonight Elle is going to give me a Mohawk and we’re going to do something with my facial hair as well. It’ll be interesting to see how this one goes over.
The teaching staff here is incredible! They have such a great heart for these kids and invest so much of themselves into the children. We had some of them over yesterday to play UNO and had such a great time with them. They were laughing and joking with us the whole time. It was so good to see this side of them. They’ve been inviting me out for soccer games and I have to tell you that it’s been humbling. I have no skills at all. I tried to blame some of it on the altitude but it’s all me.
Elle, Bridgette and I spent the night at the Timau orphanage this weekend. It’s an all boys orphanage and you can tell. These kids were so much fun. I think that we played volleyball and soccer for at least 5 hours on Saturday and most of us left the battle field with injuries and covered in dirt and mud. It was fantastic. Once again we felt so welcomed. They went the extra mile in everything. It is so beautiful there. They still have foliage and some of the greatest climbing trees. Those boys climb everything, play with everything and wrestle all day. It’s amazing how an old car tire can entertain them for so long. They have one old car tire that is always being played with by someone. The next morning we went to their church and were welcomed so warmly. They invited us up in front of the church again to introduce ourselves and give a little testimony. It’s funny how nervous I can get in front of all of those people. Even though there were only about 6-10 people who could speak English I had them laughing quickly. It’s so good to see all of those faces laughing and enjoying each other. It was a great church that really seemed to have a deep love for each other. You could tell that they were a close community that has shared life together very well. At the end of the service they invited us back up to the front where Pastor Steve presented us with some carvings of two Giraffes wrapping around each other. He talked about the differences between us and then about how even though there are those differences we are still brothers and sisters in Jesus. It was pretty incredible and a real honor.
As always you are still in my prayers. Speaking of prayers, Steve had his motorcycle, computer and some other stuff stolen from the house a couple of weeks ago. We prayed for him at a morning prayer time. There is just something powerful about people coming together in prayer, it was even more beautiful to hear these men pray for my friend whom they’ve never met from the other side of the world. He received a call a few days later from someone who saw his bike parked down the street so he took off from work and there it was. He picked it up with a burned out rear tire and an empty tank of gas. Other than that the bike was fine. No other property was recovered but I still see something great here.
I hope that all is well and that you are smiling and enjoying this wonderful life. I know that there is suffering and hard times but please know that you never have to go through it alone. To the Koz family; you are all in my prayers. If any of you see them please let them know that there are a lot of people praying for Cindy. I miss you all and hope the best for you. Give a hug to someone around you and let them know that it’s from me. If they don’t me then just give them a hug anyways, it can only do good.
Peace and Love
Caleb Oshier
It’s an odd feeling that is starting to creep over me these days. It has even been a little bit of a struggle. My time here is drawing to an end in just about three weeks. I have come to really love a number of the people here over the past couple of months. I have been so very blessed to share life with so many great people. The warm hearts and open doors are such a testimony to a people that have so much value in relationship. I was out riding my motorcycle through Shamba Land (my name for a farming area near my home) with a friend of mine this week and we ran into some people that she knew from many years ago. Before I knew it I was like family. They prepared tea for us and then made a fantastic dinner. I had a great time talking with one of their twin sons who is in University right now over in Mombassa. It so incredible to take a step back from the moment that you are in and really just look at the moment that you get to share. This is something that I really try to do often and I know that I still take far too much for granted. There have been so many of those moments. I remember dirt biking to the top of this mountain with Steve one time. As we neared the top a thunder and lightning storm rolled in over the valley and we got to watch it come at us. We were so amazed at what we saw that we just kind of forgot that it was coming right at us. Before we knew it we were riding through the dark on our dirt bikes as lightning lit up the trails before us and we were completely drenched by the down poor. I took a step back and looked at this great moment that we got to share and it will always be a beautiful memory for me. I bet you’d love for me to share memories more from this week instead of from so long ago. Here we go.
Last week my computer suffered a major heart attack that, after talking to a computer expert, we decided had to be a fried mother board. So sad. The computer was going to be left here for people to use after I left. I lost all of my pictures, documents, music, and a computer for someone who really needed it. I felt very bad about not being a better steward of what had been given to me to care for and then pass on. The day before this happened I had written an email to a dear friend about miracles and how I fear people getting caught up in them and not seeing the everyday miracles that happen. In my heart I had started to put God in a box. He loves me though. So I was packing my computer up to take it back to the states in the hopes that we could at least salvage the pictures when I decided to ask God to fix it. So I asked and then opened it up and hit the power button. You wouldn’t believe what happened, nothing. So then I started to pack it up and had this argument in my head about plugging it in. I had done this before and nothing happened but I figured I’d take another shot at it. So I plugged it in and the little lights on the front lit up! There was a brief moment of hope so I pushed the power button and the screen came to life! So here I am typing out this weeks update on my resurrected laptop.
I’ve been struggling with some inner battles on what my future holds for me. I have this feeling that God has something big in store for me when I return to Redding but not patient enough and want answers now! That battle has been so unhealthy for me. I was telling Laura Nell about it and she told me that I should get better grounded in Gods word so I’m helping teach bible lessons at the school. I hate to say it but I’m sure that most of these kids know the bible much better than I do. It has been great though. They love doing the wave like we’re at a baseball game and have started to really engage in the conversations that come up. I have learned so much from them and have enjoyed both my time with them and my time studying for my lessons. Tomorrow I’m going to teach about the inner heart and not judging on what the outside looks like so tonight Elle is going to give me a Mohawk and we’re going to do something with my facial hair as well. It’ll be interesting to see how this one goes over.
The teaching staff here is incredible! They have such a great heart for these kids and invest so much of themselves into the children. We had some of them over yesterday to play UNO and had such a great time with them. They were laughing and joking with us the whole time. It was so good to see this side of them. They’ve been inviting me out for soccer games and I have to tell you that it’s been humbling. I have no skills at all. I tried to blame some of it on the altitude but it’s all me.
Elle, Bridgette and I spent the night at the Timau orphanage this weekend. It’s an all boys orphanage and you can tell. These kids were so much fun. I think that we played volleyball and soccer for at least 5 hours on Saturday and most of us left the battle field with injuries and covered in dirt and mud. It was fantastic. Once again we felt so welcomed. They went the extra mile in everything. It is so beautiful there. They still have foliage and some of the greatest climbing trees. Those boys climb everything, play with everything and wrestle all day. It’s amazing how an old car tire can entertain them for so long. They have one old car tire that is always being played with by someone. The next morning we went to their church and were welcomed so warmly. They invited us up in front of the church again to introduce ourselves and give a little testimony. It’s funny how nervous I can get in front of all of those people. Even though there were only about 6-10 people who could speak English I had them laughing quickly. It’s so good to see all of those faces laughing and enjoying each other. It was a great church that really seemed to have a deep love for each other. You could tell that they were a close community that has shared life together very well. At the end of the service they invited us back up to the front where Pastor Steve presented us with some carvings of two Giraffes wrapping around each other. He talked about the differences between us and then about how even though there are those differences we are still brothers and sisters in Jesus. It was pretty incredible and a real honor.
As always you are still in my prayers. Speaking of prayers, Steve had his motorcycle, computer and some other stuff stolen from the house a couple of weeks ago. We prayed for him at a morning prayer time. There is just something powerful about people coming together in prayer, it was even more beautiful to hear these men pray for my friend whom they’ve never met from the other side of the world. He received a call a few days later from someone who saw his bike parked down the street so he took off from work and there it was. He picked it up with a burned out rear tire and an empty tank of gas. Other than that the bike was fine. No other property was recovered but I still see something great here.
I hope that all is well and that you are smiling and enjoying this wonderful life. I know that there is suffering and hard times but please know that you never have to go through it alone. To the Koz family; you are all in my prayers. If any of you see them please let them know that there are a lot of people praying for Cindy. I miss you all and hope the best for you. Give a hug to someone around you and let them know that it’s from me. If they don’t me then just give them a hug anyways, it can only do good.
Peace and Love
Caleb Oshier
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
7-28 update, new friends
Dear Friends and family,
This has been another eventful week of course. Someone once told me that if you’re following Jesus and things are boring then you’re doing something wrong. So far they’ve been very right. We received two more visitors from the states last week. It’s so interesting how people react to new people when they know that they are coming but know nothing about them. There is a bit excitement but also hesitation in them showing up. You never know what to expect. Since I’ve been here we’ve had 8 visitors and I’ve had that tension with all of them and I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by all of them. This time it was two college age ladies. Elle is here as part of her biblical counseling degree and her friend Bridgett is here for moral support and to just help out. They have both been a blast to spend time with.
So let me try to recap the week here for you. I’m a bit behind due to my computers motherboard getting fried. Well the house has windows in it now and we are getting ready to put the ring beam on it. Hopefully we’ll have a roof on it next week.
We were able to put in a new 1000 liter water tank and some more gutters up out at the Naibor orphanage. The welding students are doing well. We got their business license today and have expanded the business to hair cuts and cell phone charging. The business is growing and the reputation in the area has grown.
Friday Laura Nell, Chirchir and I went to a couple of schools so that Laura Nell could teach the Jonah story. It was incredible. We were in these bush school/church’s where the only light came from the open door or the cracks between the wall boards. Both of them became quickly packed with young children so curious to see what the wazungu (white people) had to teach. Laura Nell didn’t leave them disappointed. They were captivated by her animated movements and sounds. She had them laughing, jumping and even some teary eyed before they left. Our time there brought 103 kids to the sinners prayer. I’ve never been a part of anything like that before. It was incredible and I enjoyed it very much.
Due to so many illnesses we also helped out in the nursery school. I’ve lived with kids this age but I have to tell you that when you multiply them their strength and power to overcome nearly any force grows exponentially. Nursery school teachers should have comic books written about them. You never see any superhero go against a class of these kids because no matter how powerful that superhero might be they will never make it!!! Duct tape. This is the key. My dear friend Rachel gave me some red white and blue rolls of duct tape before leaving. It was one of those gifts that is given with a fun thought because of some conversation but ends up saving lives! I need a cape and tights with a utility belt armed with duct tape. Maybe a big “D” in the middle. Enough said.
Saturday morning we loaded up the car with water and supplies for the weekend and headed out to Naibor where the girls were going to spend the weekend serving the orphanages needs. I spent the night the first night to help out with the transition and had a great time. By the time Monday came they had packed walls with cow manure and mud, bathed little kids, ate like an orphan, played baseball, done laundry for about 28 kids, cooked, watched a goat get slaughtered, ate fresh chicken, done dishes, and cleaned the orphanage. There were many stories that came from last weekend but I don’t want to embarrass them. I bet an American meal and a real toilet were the best things that they had ever seen come Monday. I’m proud of them though. It’s not an easy life out there and to go straight from a lavish American life to squatty potties and mud huts is a rough transition. I can’t imagine anybody coming here and not having a life changing experience and I think that is what both of them will leave here with. I look forward to seeing where their lives go after this.
I hope that all of you get to do something like this at some point in your life if you haven’t already. I’m blown away by it and am so honored to be a part of it. There are similar needs right there in your own home town, at least there are in mine. You are all on my mind and in my prayers. Please take care of each other and give each other a hug for me until I can come home and give you one myself. I must get going.
Peace and Blessings
Caleb
This has been another eventful week of course. Someone once told me that if you’re following Jesus and things are boring then you’re doing something wrong. So far they’ve been very right. We received two more visitors from the states last week. It’s so interesting how people react to new people when they know that they are coming but know nothing about them. There is a bit excitement but also hesitation in them showing up. You never know what to expect. Since I’ve been here we’ve had 8 visitors and I’ve had that tension with all of them and I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by all of them. This time it was two college age ladies. Elle is here as part of her biblical counseling degree and her friend Bridgett is here for moral support and to just help out. They have both been a blast to spend time with.
So let me try to recap the week here for you. I’m a bit behind due to my computers motherboard getting fried. Well the house has windows in it now and we are getting ready to put the ring beam on it. Hopefully we’ll have a roof on it next week.
We were able to put in a new 1000 liter water tank and some more gutters up out at the Naibor orphanage. The welding students are doing well. We got their business license today and have expanded the business to hair cuts and cell phone charging. The business is growing and the reputation in the area has grown.
Friday Laura Nell, Chirchir and I went to a couple of schools so that Laura Nell could teach the Jonah story. It was incredible. We were in these bush school/church’s where the only light came from the open door or the cracks between the wall boards. Both of them became quickly packed with young children so curious to see what the wazungu (white people) had to teach. Laura Nell didn’t leave them disappointed. They were captivated by her animated movements and sounds. She had them laughing, jumping and even some teary eyed before they left. Our time there brought 103 kids to the sinners prayer. I’ve never been a part of anything like that before. It was incredible and I enjoyed it very much.
Due to so many illnesses we also helped out in the nursery school. I’ve lived with kids this age but I have to tell you that when you multiply them their strength and power to overcome nearly any force grows exponentially. Nursery school teachers should have comic books written about them. You never see any superhero go against a class of these kids because no matter how powerful that superhero might be they will never make it!!! Duct tape. This is the key. My dear friend Rachel gave me some red white and blue rolls of duct tape before leaving. It was one of those gifts that is given with a fun thought because of some conversation but ends up saving lives! I need a cape and tights with a utility belt armed with duct tape. Maybe a big “D” in the middle. Enough said.
Saturday morning we loaded up the car with water and supplies for the weekend and headed out to Naibor where the girls were going to spend the weekend serving the orphanages needs. I spent the night the first night to help out with the transition and had a great time. By the time Monday came they had packed walls with cow manure and mud, bathed little kids, ate like an orphan, played baseball, done laundry for about 28 kids, cooked, watched a goat get slaughtered, ate fresh chicken, done dishes, and cleaned the orphanage. There were many stories that came from last weekend but I don’t want to embarrass them. I bet an American meal and a real toilet were the best things that they had ever seen come Monday. I’m proud of them though. It’s not an easy life out there and to go straight from a lavish American life to squatty potties and mud huts is a rough transition. I can’t imagine anybody coming here and not having a life changing experience and I think that is what both of them will leave here with. I look forward to seeing where their lives go after this.
I hope that all of you get to do something like this at some point in your life if you haven’t already. I’m blown away by it and am so honored to be a part of it. There are similar needs right there in your own home town, at least there are in mine. You are all on my mind and in my prayers. Please take care of each other and give each other a hug for me until I can come home and give you one myself. I must get going.
Peace and Blessings
Caleb
Sunday, July 19, 2009
7-19 Update
Dear friend’s family and who ever gets these,
Wow!!! How else do you respond to such a blessed life? I can’t tell you how many times a day I find myself in awe of the life that I get to live and the circumstances that I find myself a part of. I could have been writing these for some time but I don’t think that many would be interested in my life in America because there aren’t “exotic” things like here. The truth is that there are still so many moments there that are still as powerful as my moments here. It’s just so easy to get numb to them or see them as trivial when it’s part of your everyday life. There is this movie called The Crow and in it the main character comes back from the dead to avenge the murder of his fiancé. After dying and losing the one that he loves he tells this young girl that nothing in life is trivial. I think that is very true and that there is so much awe and wonder in the experiences that you get to have on a daily basis but we find ourselves “used” to it. It’s an easy place to get to but I urge you to look at it again. Tonight go outside take a deep breath and look at the stars and moon like it is your first time. Or do the same with a loved one. Take everything about them in, see all of the great things about them in a deeper way than ever before. Okay, I’ll get on with the email and telling you about the week.
I’ve told you about her before and I’m going to again because she is amazing! Laura Nell and I have been having so much fun together. She has such a great sense of humor and cooks very well. She made us this spaghetti this week that was fantastic!!! She really has been such a delight to spend time with and I am so thankful for her presence here. I truly find myself surrounded by wonderful people. I am still in awe of the warm hearts that I have encountered here. Noah and his family continue to invite me into there home and their lives. Washington and Helen (the dorm parents for the school) continue to bless me by always having an extra seat and food for me in the evenings. Chirchir and the orphans blow me away their joy, love and openness to me and each other.
We tore down a huge part of the walls on the house that we’ve been building so that we could go back and put up block interior walls and then did a ring of cement around the top of it to make it more stable. Between the two, the walls could take a direct hit by a Sherman tank. I hope that no one try’s to test that…..I take that back. If any one does I want to be the one who gets to drive the tank because that really does sound like a lot of fun. Wouldn’t that be a blast!!! We had some people from England come out to the site and they loved the building and the quality of the blocks. It was very encouraging. The guys doing the work were looking a bit beat up and spirits were a bit low this week so I treated them to lunch and it changed their spirits so much. The lunch for 7 of us cost about $15 and made them feel so appreciated. That is an incredible investment, what a great reminder of the power of just showing people that you do notice what they’re doing and that you appreciate it.
Yesterday I went to a Masai/Catholic/ Baptist wedding. Odd. I bet God gathered up his angels to watch that one for a few good laughs. It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke. It was pretty awesome to see all of these people with different beliefs gathered together listening to everything in two different languages to celebrate love. It was hot, loud, stinky, dirty and one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen. I love seeing cultures come together like that and celebrate something so grand. It was over a hundred miles round trip on a motorcycle with a young man on the back over dirt roads. I loved it!!!
Unfortunately there is a nasty cough going around at the orphanage and one of the girls became very sick. I got a call this morning that she has a fever and doing worse. I went out to Naibor to check on her and she was very sick. It hit very hard and very fast. So I brought her to the hospital with one of the older boys. We went to the general hospital and it is chaotic and filthy. We had been there for about an hour and hadn’t moved at all when there was an unusual commotion at one end of the hall. A crowd of people went rushing into a room carrying a man who appeared to have been coming out of a seizure. I looked at Francis the older boy and he told me that was the doctor was the man being carried. I looked back at him and said “We’re leaving.” I called around and found another hospital nearby. We walked in and she received her first injection within 5 minutes. The doctor left Catholic mass to come and check her out and diagnosed her with acute pneumonia. So that is where I am right now. She has been admitted and is in bed right now. There are two nurses and she is the only patient here. This is fantastic!!! All things considered of course.
Here is my last thing to share with you and you’ve already heard it. You keep on reading these so if you don’t like it then it’s your fault at this point. The stars are incredible!!! There was no moon last night or the night before so it is just absolutely amazing out. There it is, I’m done. Thank you again for all of your support. I continue to pray that this reaches you safe and sound. I also pray that these reach into your hearts and stir you up to just let your love ooze out of you even more than you already do. Thank you for taking the time to read these and being a part of this journey with me.
Much Love
Caleb Oshier
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
7-12 Update
My Dear Friends and Family,
This past week has been….well, I’ve been sitting here trying to find the words to describe it and I can’t. So I guess we could say that it was beyond description. It’s interesting when we really look at exactly where we are and how we got there and just trace it back as far as we can without going insane. There are so many events, thoughts, conversations, and miracles that brought us to this exact point in time. This week brought a number of things out into the open, brought closure to others and opened up even other things. It has been an emotional roller coaster. There have been good and rough moments but I truly believe that life is 90% attitude and only 10% events.
I’m not going to share the bad moments with you but I am going to tell you that even though there were rough spots I KNOW that they will continue to lead to more growth and healing. The power of love is incredible!
So on with events of the week. The Brown family, from Missouri, has been here for about two weeks now. Steve and Jody have three boys that were all born back to back and they are all so different and yet they are definitely boys and brothers. They also brought a 16 year old young lady with them, from their church, named Hailey. The whole group has been a blast to spend time with. They invite me over for dinner every night and it is so nice to be able to share life with them. We went out to the Naibor Orphanage this week and bought some chickens for them then killed them for dinner. Unfortunately we didn’t get to stay and enjoy the meal. We also went out there yesterday and played baseball with the community kids and the orphans. It was right after a rain and I took a spill between 2nd and 3rd. The orphans are getting better and better every week. It is one of my highlights of every week. Lauranelle came with us yesterday. Lauranelle is a widowed Ohio gal who brings so much laughter and joy to every room that she walks into. She has been an absolute joy to be around. I find myself looking for excuses to hang out with her.
Wednesday I was invited by a British friend to have lunch with her, her fiancé and his family at El Karaama ranch. I have to tell you that it was fantastic and I am so thankful for that time with them. To get there you have to take these “roads” that are really more like 4X4 trails that go through the bush. I was on my enduro motorcycle and had a blast. There was one point where I came through a watering hole area that was so full of life. A family of wart hogs was the first to cross my path and then I found myself between zebras and giraffe cruising down the trail. It was incredible! Those giraffe are so beautiful when they run.
I ended finding my way to Sophie and Murray (my British friends). They have a beautiful house out on the ranch that has a studio where Murray does his work. He is a very talented sculptor who is working on a life size male leopard. He was working on the spots when I got there, he might still be. It looked to be such a delicate and intricate job. We went down to a huge covered area for lunch. This place was amazing and overlooked the creek that was moving through. Murrays parents, sister, sister in law, niece and nephews were all there and they were such a delight to be around. I could have just sat there talking with them and listening to them all day. It was such an enjoyable thing to just sit there listening to their accents and all of the fun little sayings that they had.
The walls on the house are still going up but we have run into some changes in plans that will set us back a fair amount but I think that it will add to the structural integrity of the home in the long run. Oh the joys of building with new technologies! We have made a number of new contacts with this house and have a few potential buyers of the blocks. We have already made some blocks out of the soil that one of them brought to town and I think that it will be the start of a great relationship between Noah and this guy. I also met with another Brit named David Parkinson this week that I really enjoy. He is part of a large development out in the Naibor area. He is looking at using the blocks and also has a desire to really be a part of the Naibor community. Actually all 30 or so property owners in this new development want to contribute to the area so we discussed some options and contact for that. I hope that this leads to a long term fruitful relationship both in friendship and community development for that area.
We have a very promising welding student that will be helping me build a large two story play house for the younger kids here at the Baptist school. I’m really looking forward to building it! It’s like I get to build the play house that I would have always wanted!!! This is great.
All in all things continue to move forward in relationships, community projects, job development and Gods will in my life. Once again I thank you for your support. I hope that this finds you well.
Peace and Love
Caleb
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
7-7 update. My Grandma Died this Week
My friends and family,
It seems that there is always something at the end of the week that happens that is so powerful or eventful. Some of you already know what happened but I’m going to repeat it for everyone else because it is so much a part of my life and my time here. I had just arrived at the Vineyard church in Nanyuki when I checked my phone and saw that I had missed a call from Bre (my sister). That means that she had called me around 12:30 AM her time. That meant that something was wrong so I left church and called her. I had a strong feeling that I knew what it was and when she answered crying I knew that my Grandmother had died. Before I left to come to Africa I had a feeling that she was going to pass away while I was here. I don’t know the last time that I cried like that. I rode home crying and did it some more here at home. I called my Dad and he filled me in on what had happened. Here is the most important part of the night that she died. She was with her husband that she loved fiercely. She was with her daughter and her son and she was happy. She had her hearing aids and was shuffling around the house dressed up in one of her white cotton skirts and a matching blouse. My grandfather had made her hair look especially beautiful that night. My Grandmother was surrounded by the most important people in her life and was in her element. She was happy. That brings a smile to my face.
It’s hard being on the other side of this floating sphere while my hurting family is so far away but I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is where she would want me and where I belong right now. I don’t know if she’ll be buried or not but if she has a tombstone and you ever see it I want you to pay special attention to that dash between the date she was born and the date that she died because there is so much beauty and life in that little dash. Her dash was incredible!!! She and my grandfather had been married for 67 years I think. They really knew how to love and there was still so much love between the two of them. When my Dad got married last year I got to my grandparents dance. It was beautiful. Can you imagine how many times they’ve danced over the years and the stories behind those dances.
Here are my requests of you. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this both celebrating her and mourning our loss. Most importantly though I ask you to LIVE!!! None of you know when you are going to die. I’ve seen enough die before their time to know that our time could be any day. LIVE YOUR DASH!!! There will always be things to do around the house and stuff at work. Be responsible with them but don’t forget about the life that you have been blessed with. It is incredible…if you make it such.
It’s kind of hard to remember much more of my week. I’m designing an two story play house for the younger kids at the school and have started putting up walls at the house. I have also been able to talk with a lot of people about the blocks and have a couple of meetings set up to hopefully sell a lot of them for Noah. He and I are working smoothing out business stuff together and he is an amazing learner. I have learned tons as well and continue to everyday.
I’m sorry that this is late this week but I think that you’ll forgive me. I hope that this finds all of you with a smile. Just in case I’ll attach a picture of one of the orphans playing with a balloon sent by my mother. Please smile and laugh and love and enjoy your dash.
Peace and Love
Caleb
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Salvation and Yamaha's
Well hello there everybody,
I enjoy this part of the week because I get to reflect on my week and see all of the things that I’m blessed enough to be a part of and then I get to share it with you. I just hope that all of you are enjoying it. Even more than that, I pray that these stir your hearts. I know that all of you have an amazing heart to begin with because as I look at the list of people that I send this to I realize that I am truly surrounded by greatness. All of you really are amazing and I am blessed to have you in my life. I know that you care about each other and about others. I just hope that these letters stir you even more into becoming a part of the solution because if you aren’t part of the solution then you are really missing out. I have been so blessed to be a part of this and I know that I could be doing this anywhere and making a huge difference in my life and the life of others. It’s just stepping out past the fear and into the love. Just love on each other, your enemies, and even your grocery bagger. Just say hi and genuinely ask how there day has been. There’s a huge gift in there for you as well. Enough preaching, let me tell you about my week and some of the things that God has been doing here and there actually.
The internet is a beautiful thing….if used right. I have been able to talk to a few of you through skype from right here in Nanyuki and from Nairobi. I’ve been able to keep up with you via emails and that has really opened a great deal of communication with some of you and even some that I really didn’t expect it to in ways that I would have never guessed. I’ve been able to share dreams, fears, faith, hope and Love with a few of you. An old friend and I have been sharing some things very close to our hearts. I would have never guessed that would have happened but I am so thankful for it. So thank you for trusting me and sharing such tender things with me. It has been an honor to share that with you.
The great news is that I found out how save every single soul on earth!!!! That’s right my friends I have found the fool proof way of bringing everybody to God!!! Here’s how you do it. First you need a 25+ year old motorcycle with a freshly rebuilt motor so that you can only go about 60 kilometers per hour. Check out how fast that is next time you get into your car. It’s not fast. Then make sure that there is a lot wrong with it. This can be variable based on riding experience. If there is little to no experience then you don’t need anything wrong with it. In my case I used an early to mid 80’s Yamaha XT500 with a rebuilt motor, squirting oil leak, sour carburetor, wobbly rear tire, and a loose chain. The wobbly tire is important because it wears you down quicker because you are getting your rear just beaten by the seat. So it’s a little over 200 kilometers between Nairobi and Nanyuki and that is the perfect distance to really meet Jesus. Any further and you’ll be looking at the next big truck to pass you as a way out of the misery. So as your doing this ride you are getting passed up by large school busses, lorry’s and the most fearful of all is Matatu’s. Right now Chris G. should be either chuckling or shaking his head at me for doing this against his advice. Sorry Chris. So a matatu is a small van with the oddest decorations all over it. Pictures and lines from American rappers is a very popular decoration for these. I have also seen one with Osama Bin Ladden and then there are the ones that have a white Jesus and say Jesus Saves across them. It really doesn’t matter which one you are encountering because all of the drivers are possessed. They are insane and don’t really care about anybody else as long as they don’t get slowed down by you. I seriously almost got to meet Jesus in person by a matatu with a huge picture of Jesus covering the whole back window. I remember just wondering if that is what he is really going to look like when I meet Him in the next second. I think that I prayed more and called out Gods holy name more in that 3.5 hour ride then in my entire life. So if you want to have the most spiritual experience of your life I can hook you up.
Now moving on with the beginning of the week. Really I spent most of the week working with the block builders and George our super Kenyan builder. This guy is incredible and I am so glad that we’ve been able to use him on this house. I would still be digging footings if it wasn’t for him. The new house has been very time consuming. Jerry made it back from Tanzania and is bringing back 6 guests from the states today. I haven’t made it back to the Naibor orphanage this week but might head that way today and stay the night there. I really miss spending time with Chirchir, Mary and the kids. I moved this week into an office. I have become an expert on using space wisely. It is small and there is no bathroom. I sure am glad that I have a roof though.
It has been an interesting week for me emotionally though. There have been some struggles here that I’ve had the chance to work through in myself. It was tough not having my close friends around to help out with them but it was good to be able to deal with them through God. I did get some great advice from Pastor Mike though. What a blessing that was. I was praying a few nights ago and He was so clear with answers for me. It was great for me and my faith to grow in Him in those places. Even then I questioned it and had to be re-centered. Thanks again PM. I had a cold that I’m still shaking a bit. If any of you have spent time with me when I’m sick then you’ll have pity on all of those who were around me during that. I was a miserable person to be around and I wasn’t even all that sick. Being sick didn’t help with the emotional stress at all but in the long run it was all for the best.
I hope that this is finding all of you well and walking in His presence. I sure do miss you and look forward to seeing your laughing face again. For those of you who have been wanting to send packages use the USPS and let them know that it is for a charity and they will give you the best price. I think it’s around $140 for a 50lb. package so smaller ones are pretty reasonable. UPS is horrible so don’t even think about it. It’s around $500 for a 20Lb. package I think. Well I love you all and look forward to hearing from you about your life and the amazing things in it.
Peace Love and Blessings
Caleb
I enjoy this part of the week because I get to reflect on my week and see all of the things that I’m blessed enough to be a part of and then I get to share it with you. I just hope that all of you are enjoying it. Even more than that, I pray that these stir your hearts. I know that all of you have an amazing heart to begin with because as I look at the list of people that I send this to I realize that I am truly surrounded by greatness. All of you really are amazing and I am blessed to have you in my life. I know that you care about each other and about others. I just hope that these letters stir you even more into becoming a part of the solution because if you aren’t part of the solution then you are really missing out. I have been so blessed to be a part of this and I know that I could be doing this anywhere and making a huge difference in my life and the life of others. It’s just stepping out past the fear and into the love. Just love on each other, your enemies, and even your grocery bagger. Just say hi and genuinely ask how there day has been. There’s a huge gift in there for you as well. Enough preaching, let me tell you about my week and some of the things that God has been doing here and there actually.
The internet is a beautiful thing….if used right. I have been able to talk to a few of you through skype from right here in Nanyuki and from Nairobi. I’ve been able to keep up with you via emails and that has really opened a great deal of communication with some of you and even some that I really didn’t expect it to in ways that I would have never guessed. I’ve been able to share dreams, fears, faith, hope and Love with a few of you. An old friend and I have been sharing some things very close to our hearts. I would have never guessed that would have happened but I am so thankful for it. So thank you for trusting me and sharing such tender things with me. It has been an honor to share that with you.
The great news is that I found out how save every single soul on earth!!!! That’s right my friends I have found the fool proof way of bringing everybody to God!!! Here’s how you do it. First you need a 25+ year old motorcycle with a freshly rebuilt motor so that you can only go about 60 kilometers per hour. Check out how fast that is next time you get into your car. It’s not fast. Then make sure that there is a lot wrong with it. This can be variable based on riding experience. If there is little to no experience then you don’t need anything wrong with it. In my case I used an early to mid 80’s Yamaha XT500 with a rebuilt motor, squirting oil leak, sour carburetor, wobbly rear tire, and a loose chain. The wobbly tire is important because it wears you down quicker because you are getting your rear just beaten by the seat. So it’s a little over 200 kilometers between Nairobi and Nanyuki and that is the perfect distance to really meet Jesus. Any further and you’ll be looking at the next big truck to pass you as a way out of the misery. So as your doing this ride you are getting passed up by large school busses, lorry’s and the most fearful of all is Matatu’s. Right now Chris G. should be either chuckling or shaking his head at me for doing this against his advice. Sorry Chris. So a matatu is a small van with the oddest decorations all over it. Pictures and lines from American rappers is a very popular decoration for these. I have also seen one with Osama Bin Ladden and then there are the ones that have a white Jesus and say Jesus Saves across them. It really doesn’t matter which one you are encountering because all of the drivers are possessed. They are insane and don’t really care about anybody else as long as they don’t get slowed down by you. I seriously almost got to meet Jesus in person by a matatu with a huge picture of Jesus covering the whole back window. I remember just wondering if that is what he is really going to look like when I meet Him in the next second. I think that I prayed more and called out Gods holy name more in that 3.5 hour ride then in my entire life. So if you want to have the most spiritual experience of your life I can hook you up.
Now moving on with the beginning of the week. Really I spent most of the week working with the block builders and George our super Kenyan builder. This guy is incredible and I am so glad that we’ve been able to use him on this house. I would still be digging footings if it wasn’t for him. The new house has been very time consuming. Jerry made it back from Tanzania and is bringing back 6 guests from the states today. I haven’t made it back to the Naibor orphanage this week but might head that way today and stay the night there. I really miss spending time with Chirchir, Mary and the kids. I moved this week into an office. I have become an expert on using space wisely. It is small and there is no bathroom. I sure am glad that I have a roof though.
It has been an interesting week for me emotionally though. There have been some struggles here that I’ve had the chance to work through in myself. It was tough not having my close friends around to help out with them but it was good to be able to deal with them through God. I did get some great advice from Pastor Mike though. What a blessing that was. I was praying a few nights ago and He was so clear with answers for me. It was great for me and my faith to grow in Him in those places. Even then I questioned it and had to be re-centered. Thanks again PM. I had a cold that I’m still shaking a bit. If any of you have spent time with me when I’m sick then you’ll have pity on all of those who were around me during that. I was a miserable person to be around and I wasn’t even all that sick. Being sick didn’t help with the emotional stress at all but in the long run it was all for the best.
I hope that this is finding all of you well and walking in His presence. I sure do miss you and look forward to seeing your laughing face again. For those of you who have been wanting to send packages use the USPS and let them know that it is for a charity and they will give you the best price. I think it’s around $140 for a 50lb. package so smaller ones are pretty reasonable. UPS is horrible so don’t even think about it. It’s around $500 for a 20Lb. package I think. Well I love you all and look forward to hearing from you about your life and the amazing things in it.
Peace Love and Blessings
Caleb
Monday, June 22, 2009
A great week in Kenya
Hello everybody,
How are all of you. I have received some emails from some of you and am so happy to get them so thank you very much for the support and filling me in on your lives. For some of you this is my first email to you so please feel free to write back and let me know how life is treating you. It was a good week to be in my shoes. Actually they are all pretty good now that I really start to think about it.
By the end of the last day that I wrote to you had killed and eaten a chicken. It was really very tasty and a lot easier to kill then the goat. It’s very easy to clean up as well. I was told that it would be a lot chewier than it really is. Don’t get me wrong it’s not some fosters farms boneless skinless chicken breast but it sure is good. It’s odd when you really see people look at food purely as survival and fuel for the body so that they can just get through another day. Yesterday I was privileged enough to help out in feeding 210 local children while at the Naibor Orphanage. The orphans were amazing!!! They made sure that the community kids ate first and did the whole thing. They prepared the food and then served it. It was a giant pot of beans and rice that two of us could barely lift up onto the table to serve from. These orphans were such amazing servants!!! I feel so honored to be able to be with them so often. What a blessing it is.
I got a little ahead of myself there so please let me go back a bit. I spent most of the week in Nanyuki working on the foundation and footings for the house. It is coming along slowly due to the tedious work of laying these blocks perfectly with a mortar course between the two rows and between each course of block but it is coming along. There was a lot of dirt work that had to happen as well. Labor is cheap and they do a great job with a little supervision. I have noticed that even if you can barely communicate with them they gain a lot of respect when they see you pick up the shovel as well. At first they don’t know how to take it because apparently it is odd for white people to do work like that. I enjoy it though. I also enjoy going over to the kitchen to chop wood. The workers here at the school and the church found that amusing at first as well. They were surprised that I knew how to chop wood. This makes me sad that this is something that they don’t see. There isn’t very much social mixing between the whites and blacks. This has been another area that I’ve had to struggle with as well.
So that took and working out kinks in the block making process have taken up most of my week. I’ve been putting in about 12 hour days this week but it feels good and I enjoy it. My back has been getting more and more sore so please pray for it. I’ve been taking a lot of Ibuprofen and trying to baby it but it’s just not the best environment with the bumpy roads and hard work.
This weekend I rented a little Chinese motorcycle and went to Naibor to stay with the orphans. I miss my bike badly!!! I hope that I never have to buy a Chinese bike because they are horrible!!! It did feel good to be on two wheels again. The orphans never knew that you could a wheelie on a motorcycle and were amazed even though I could only get the front tire a few inches of the ground. On Saturday we took off for a preserve and spent the day with Rhino’s, big cats including a black leopard, hippos, tons of birds, gazelle, Impala, élan, and tons of other animals. I rode an elephant that was 10 feet 8 inches tall and it was amazing!!! I chased away three white rhinos. This is one of the scariest things that I have ever done, probably not the wisest. It’s okay Mom I had a rock and a stick ;o). One of them had a horn that was at least three feet long!!! I saw giraffe run and let me tell you it is so graceful and beautiful. We hid while a herd of water buffalo came and drank from a watering trough. All in all it was incredible. I will post pictures on my face book so check them out there.
That night we played some more baseball at the orphanage and they are getting better. After that we loaded up the pundas (donkeys) and went to the muddy creek to get some more water. Everybody crammed into Johns and Mary’s sitting room to hang out and talk. The girls made jewelry out of beads so I am now wearing a very girly looking baby blue and pearl ring that has a matching bracelet. That’s okay, I’m secure enough in my masculinity to wear it. While we were all hanging around Mariamo (my little Masai orphan friend) climbed into my lap and fell asleep. It just flat out turned me into putty. After someone grabbed her and put her to bed I went outside to do something that I still can’t remember when something amazing happened. I looked up!!! That’s right I looked up…and the stars were amazing. I’ve been in the middle of the dessert in the US and those stars had nothing on these stars. The milky way was so clear and beautiful. There were more stars than I could ever imagine!!! So I decided to sleep in the tent. This was a completely foreign idea to anybody there. They thought that it was great. I was surrounded by 30 orphans trying to figure out what I was doing. I don’t know how anybody could think that we were and accident or that the stars are just some random thing. How could anybody deny that what I saw that night in the heavens and in those kids is just evolution and an accident. It was incredible to say the very very least.
The nest morning I woke up a little before 4:30 am to a rooster that I named breakfast. I need to remember to buy them a new rooster. Just kidding, I didn’t kill it but I am thinking that it would taste great if I ever decided to stay there again. It was a slow morning. We went to Johns church and I understood nothing that was said. After the sermon everybody starts singing and moving out of the church in single file moving past each other in such a way that you shake hands with everybody that is there and ending in a full circle in front of the church singing. I really liked that. I’ve never seen a church service end that way and it was the best that I have ever seen. There is so much community in it and such a great feeling of unity. It was beautiful.
John asked me to speak to the high school kids after the service. Mist of them speak enough English to get most of what was said. It was hard to really get them engaged and interacting because of the poor understanding of each other. We talked about Love though. It really is one of my favorite subjects in the world. It went well all things considered.
So there is my week. Thank you to all of you who have been gathering clothes for the kids and donating financially. Thank you for all of your prayers!!! It really works!!! Thank you so much for just showing so much love for these people and myself. I love you all and miss you.
Love Peace and Blessings
Caleb Oshier
Saturday, June 13, 2009
2nd week in the field
Greetings all,
I hope that this is finding all of you in good spirits and Gods grace. You know the only thing that will prevent that from happening is you, just in case you were wondering. I saw a beautiful rainbow this week. I was in Naibor driving back to Nanyuki and there was rain at the base of Mt. Kenya. It made a beautiful rainbow that reminded me of the promise that God made to Noah that He would never again flood the earth. He sure isn’t practicing to do it here. Unfortunately the drought is getting much worse. You can drive to Doldol and see dead cattle all over the side of the road due to the drought. Cattle and people are dying due to starvation and lack of water. Did you know that the Sahara Dessert is growing considerably every year due to the cattle industry in South America. I wonder if that has anything to do with the drought here.
It blows me away how the decisions that we make on one side of the world effect the rest of the world so much. You wouldn’t believe how many Obama things you can see over here. Pastor Jerry and I were having lunch in Nairobi and this semi flat bed trailer went by with a huge Obama banner and people dancing and blaring “the roof is on fire”. So don’t forget that your decisions do impact not just you but our world.
Monday I delivered a goat to the orphanage in Naibor. I don’t know if any of you have ever slaughtered a goat but it is a lot of work. Just killing the poor thing is difficult. John Chirchir said that I am the first wazungu (white guy) to ever slaughter a goat with him. The last Americans ran off crying before they even cut it’s throat. The kids love it!!! It’s a feast for the next few days. They can’t wait to see who gets the goats testicles or head first. The Masai believe in drinking the blood of the animal, they’ll even use it to survive in drought situations by just taking a little at a time so the cow stays alive. Well there are a few Masai kids at the orphanage who ran off with the bucket of goats blood for the dogs and came back with dried blood around their mouths. This was a shocking thing for to see Mariamo, a 3 year old girl who has become very dear to me, return with a big smile and some dried goat blood around her mouth. Before we had even finished cutting it up Mary (John’s wife) had cooked up some delicious goat ribs for us. It was a real treat but kind of hard to think that I had taken the life of the animal that I was now eating.
The moon is coming up later and later and the stars are incredible!!!! I’m under them right now!!! I was walking home last night from a friends house that I had dinner at and looked up and my breath was almost taken away. I was walking with Esther and she said that they get even brighter. I can’t wait to see that. I was going to sleep outside tonight but it might rain so I think I’ll stay in. The temperatures are perfect for camping.
We started laying out a house on campus, that I’ll be living in as soon as it is done, today. It will be the first house built here made from the interlocking bricks that we are trying to get going her in Kenya. I look forward to it’s completion. Unfortunately the big hang up will be getting the blocks made quickly enough. I don’t think that they will all be ready in time.
The culture still has a lot to teach me but I’m a willing student. My Swahili is improving. I can get the basics of a conversation sometimes and can communicate certain things. I try to make it to Swahili devotional as much as possible because the hymns sound better in Swahili and it helps to be around it a lot. I did find myself getting frustrated with it last night so please pray for me and my patience in this.
So far this has been a great experience and I know that I have already had an impact here. I feel like I really am right where I need to be. It is hard and I miss many of you but I think that I could live here. It’s much more simple and people tend to be less hung up on crap and focus more on relationships. I am disappointed at how much TV is still watched and that there really isn’t anything good on TV to watch. It really is the “boob tube”. I look forward to hearing from you all and seeing you when that time comes. Please pray for all of us here.
Love and Blessings
Caleb
Sunday, June 7, 2009
1st week in the field
In all honesty there is so much to write about and my head is full so hear is a quick summary from an email that I sent out a few days ago.
Today was good. They say good different here and now I am saying it the same. They same names different as well. I am Bwana Calebu. Today I was off on my own. It was very freeing to take off in the Landcruiser and make my way through town to a number of shops and then out to the Naibor area. I am getting ahead of myself. I woke up and was so refreshed and feeling so at home. It was so nice because the mosquitoes didn't keep me up all night like the night before. I got some great time in with God and then went off to devotional with the school staff at 8. It was in english so it was easy to understand. After that i went to the devotional with the grounds workers. I like this one more because they do it in swahili. We start out with tea (everything starts with tea!) and then sing a song in swahili. I think this is how I will learn swahili. It is beautiful listening to all of the men sing in swahili. I can read it and pronounce it but I don't really know what they are saying. It is more informal and there is more friendship at this one.
I ended up packing up all of the welding stuff and spending the day trying to fox electrical gremlins at the shop in Naibor. We did go to the orphanage at lunch and it was GREAT!!! It was only the little kids and they couldn't get enough of me and the camera. There was one little girl who sat next to me and kept petting my arm. None of the people here have hair on their arms so it was so funny to her. When she was done she sat there holding my finger. She won my heart. I really enjoyed my time there but I am realizing what a handicap it is not knowing swahili. I'm working on it with little forward momentum.
Unfortunately I have had little time to read and write. I love my home here. It is to big for me but it is just me living here and I enjoy the quiet. I have giant herds of kids walking by and they love to stare at the the "mazungu" in the headmasters house. Jerry Sherry and I are the only mazungu around so it is very different. All of the kids speak swahili and english but I try to just use swahili with them. I am the only one here aloud to because I am learning it. They have to use english because that is what all of their testing is in.
We need to make a test house for the blocks to market it and we need to make a bunch of buildings around campus after that so I think we'll be making a house for my new friend Noah and his family on their shamba (farm) so that they can move off campus and live on their own land. This would be a huge blessing for Noah and then I could move into his home on campus to make room for other visitors that will be here at the end of the month.
They brought in a little girl to the orphanage who had passed out from starvation. This was heart breaking. I wish that you could be here to see it and feel it because it is so overwhelming. It is not just this girl but more than you can even fathom and you can't save them all. She ate today.
I tried teaching baseball in the evening after moving 4,000 pounds of corn and rice from Nanyuki to the orphanage in Naibor. Monday I take a goat out and slaughter it. Baseball is more difficult to teach than I would have thought mostly due to me not speaking Swahili.
It's amazing how these children have never seen a battery operated toy, a video game, a cement floor in their home, a toilet, or even a sink and they are so happy. They are filled with joy and love because of John Chirchir and his wife Mary. They are well behaved and a delight to be around.
I need some sleep so keep on praying for me. Best of wishes to all of you.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Nairobi Day 3
This is such a different world mixed with beauty and not so much beauty. The vegetation is beautiful! You can walk up to a stranger at a restaurant who is smoking near you and ask them to move and they will gladly move unoffended. They people are kind and hospitable. The men will walk around holding hands with another man who is their good friend. As you can see above the roads are a bit rough. This one is one of the busiest in the city and it has pot holes longer than the car! The driving is crazy but everyone is forgiving in it though they use their horns all the time. The horn is used more as a warning device than anything else.
I'll be here a few more days due to a doctors appointment for one of the orphans on Tuesday and then we'll be heading to Nanyuki. I look forward to getting there so that I can get settled in, meet everybody and get to work. Unfortunately the land for the orphanage is taking longer than expected to go through so that is on hold. Due to economic hardship in the US the funding for the youth camp has been pulled completely and the funders want the 33 acres to be sold. We are hoping that they might change their minds or we can find another supporter to buy it and donate it. We can build the high school, orphanage, medical clinic and vocational school on that property if we can somehow keep.
In the mean time I will have more time to be coming alongside Noah to assist in any way possible with the brick building and John with the welding instruction. My Swahili is very poor but I'll be sitting in on the third grade Swahili classes possibly to help out as soon as I arrive in Nanyuki.
I hope that all of you are well and "walking to the rhythms of His grace". Thank you again for your continued support and prayer.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
I'm in Kenya
We did it saints!!! I'm sitting in Pastor Jerry's flat in Nairobi as I write this. We took a stroll into downtown today where I have already met some great people that I look forward to developing relationships with over the next 3 months.
All of your prayer and financial support made this happen. Less than two weeks ago I had $1200 by the time that I left the US I had $3800!!! It blows me away what faith and Gods love does. Jerry and I will be in Nairobi until Tuesday most likely, I should get to know the city better by the time we leave here. It is so very different here. The people are beautiful but the mannerism are very different. Some of them will do anything for a shilling so you have to be very careful accepting help or entering into conversation with a stranger. The temperature is perfect but a little overcast. Natalie, I had a burrito today with pico de gallo and gauc! The tea is strong! We are next to the Ethiopian embassy and they are partying it up with very loud music that has been going since 11 am.
I'm off to read and take a small nap. Thank you for all of your support. Please keep it up, I can use every bit of it. I'll write again soon.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Enroute
I'm sitting in Heathrow airport right now. I can hear a few different languages and tons of accents and it isn't even that busy right now! I had lunch at a delicatessen a block from Paddington square in London today. A Armanian Jew that loves our last president joined me as well as his buddy. They are Kosovo survivors and love Americans. I was offered a place to stay in both Kosovo and London. They bought my tea and I think they were getting ready to offer me their daughters. I tell you what my friends, there is nothing boring about following Jesus!!! More to come soon.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Aloha
I realize that "aloha" might seem a little geographically incorrect for this journey but, like "aloha", I am saying hello to one group and goodbye to the other. It's hard to believe but today is my last day in Redding. It's not even a long day! Tomorrow I hop on that jet below and take off for London.
I can't believe that God would give me the opportunity to serve His kingdom like this! The longer that I live the more blessed I realize that I really am. Please keep me in your prayers my friends. I hope to be posting pictures of Nairobi on here by the end of the week. Thank you for all of your support, I can't wait to start showing you the fruits of it.
I can't believe that God would give me the opportunity to serve His kingdom like this! The longer that I live the more blessed I realize that I really am. Please keep me in your prayers my friends. I hope to be posting pictures of Nairobi on here by the end of the week. Thank you for all of your support, I can't wait to start showing you the fruits of it.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
I'VE GOT TICKETS!!!!!
I had to throw in the picture of the Virgin Airlines Jet because they are letting me take my mtn. bike for FREE!!!
So here it is my friends, I'm leaving a on the 26th of May for Nairobi (a few days after the wedding of Kirsten and James!!!) with a 9 hour layover in London! I'll be returning on the 25th of August to start funding for my two year trip. I also got my international drivers license this week.
I have been surrounded by so many people who have been praying for me and helping out with fund raising. At this point I'm about $5000 shy of what I was shooting for but God is good and I'm going whether I have the money or not! He will provide me with whatever I NEED and more I'm sure. Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
New Friendships and Journeys
I owe all of you an apology for not getting this to you sooner. I think I just needed some time to digest the weekend and prepare my thoughts for you. Pastor Jerry was invited to fly out to Redding from Florida for the weekend a couple of weekends ago. He ended up finding the time and hopped on a couple of planes and landed Friday night in Sacramento. We had breakfast Saturday morning with some friends and talked about God and His works in Kenya for the morning. I tell you what my friends, I really like this guy and can't wait to get to Kenya to serve with him. He has such a grounded love for the people that he gets to work with and it shows!
After a couple of days of spending a lot of time together we dialed in some of things that I'll be working on as soon as I get there. So here they are. My first project will be repairing the floor of a cistern in Isiolo. Isiolo is a mostly Muslim community with a little bit of Al Qaeda, venomous snakes, malaria, and scorpions. I'm very excited about the type of motivation these things provide in getting the job done in an expedient manor. After that I'll be repairing some pump issues with the water system at their school in Nanyuki. From there I'll be working on fencing and property lines for the youth camp and the orphanage in Naibor. I think that Naibor will end up being my home when I go back for the 2 year trip due to my two biggest projects being there. I look forward to building my first home there. I've always imagined building my own home but I never thought that it would like this...actually the one that I dreamed about had a toilet.
Some of the other things that I might be helping out with are teaching math science at the school, helping in the three orphanages, teaching fire trainings with the municipal fire dept., first aid and CPR classes, vocational classes, trying to help Noah (Kenyan block builder) get his business going smoothly, learning Swahili, general maintenance of all of the different sites and above all else pursuing Gods will and love.
Father I pray that you bless all of those involved in this journey. I pray that you forgive me when I stress out about not having "enough" money for this trip and continue to help me grow in my faith in you. Thank you for picking me to be a part of this adventure and journey. I love you Father. AMEN!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Some fun developments to share with you.
My friends I have to tell you that I am a blessed man. I truly am a very blessed man and I don't deserve it. God picked me to serve Him in Kenya and then He continues to open doors to make it happen.
Sunday we had our first steering committee meeting and it went very well. I blows me away that there are so many people who are so supportive of me and what God is doing in my life. Jeremey, his wife Misty and his three children have been a huge part in making all of the fund raising happen. Jeremey has yet to enter into a relationship with Christ and is still such a man of high integrity and honor. I'm telling you guys Jeremey is the type of man that God has HUGE plans for and you should meet his family, they're great and they're all on board and supportive.
Kimber has this type "A" personality that totally evens me out with my not so type "A" style. Her husband Dave is also totally on board and have not only donated time but finances as well. Chris and Monique have been the catalyst for all of this and have been such amazing supporters since day one. There will be plenty more through out the years to come, I would imagine, on those two. Pastor Mike was unfortunately unable to attend but he and are meeting later in the week to go over it. He did however get the financial stuff lined out so that donations can be sent through the church so that people can use their donations as a tax right off.
We discussed a number of fund raising events and why we're doing this. There will be more to come on the fund raisers and I look forward to your support and help with those. I'm trying to keep this short and not succeeding very well so please forgive me and feel free to ask questions if you have any.
Pastor Jerry Daniels will be her on Friday and will stay until Monday!!! I'm extremely excited to be able to spend some time with him and get to know him better. He will be spending some time with us at the Vineyard on Sunday and at First Baptist Sunday evening so please show up and see what this is all about if you are able to. I look forward to hearing from you soon and updating you on all that is happening.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Teleconference With Pastor Jerry
Where do I start???? I guess I'll start where it should always start, thank you God! I really am Jonah. Two years ago I was a self indulgent fool who would have never thought of truly serving anyone other than myself and if I were to let myself have it my way that's how it still would be but my God is a powerful God. He has changed my heart. I guess I'm still just serving me because I feel so much joy in the opportunity to serve my brothers and sisters. God has changed my life is such an amazing way! Okay I'll back to the teleconference.
I'm so excited to start spending time with Pastor Jerry in person. He is such a joy to talk with and has such a servants heart for Gods people. I feel so blessed to be able to work next to him. So here are some of the things that we discussed in todays teleconference.
The school that he runs has the headmasters house open until late June so I'll be able to stay there for awhile. He also has vehicles that I'll be able to use as needed while I'm there in Kenya. So that means that I'll need a lot less money for housing and for transportation for the three month trip. The two year trip will require me buying a truck for myself and that poses some problems due to the way that Kenyans treat their vehicles. I'll probably purchase one in England and have it shipped down to me.
The orphanage and youth camp will be built in Naibor which is about 10 Kilometers from Nanyuki (where I'll be living). The orphanage will also serve as a Medical clinic and vocational training facility. It looks like I'll be used for both of those facilities as well. I hope to be teaching classes that will help the orphans learn trades so that they can become self sufficient when the time comes. There is also the possibility of me helping out with that at the school as well. There is also a need for medical training that I'll be able to use some of my old skills and knowledge to help out with basic first aid and CPR classes.
There really are so many needs there that I can't even list them. I would love to see you come out to be a part of these journeys and these lives. Of course I would love for long term help but even a couple of weeks would be so much help to our Kenyan brothers and sisters as well as yourself. Thank you all for your support!
I'm so excited to start spending time with Pastor Jerry in person. He is such a joy to talk with and has such a servants heart for Gods people. I feel so blessed to be able to work next to him. So here are some of the things that we discussed in todays teleconference.
The school that he runs has the headmasters house open until late June so I'll be able to stay there for awhile. He also has vehicles that I'll be able to use as needed while I'm there in Kenya. So that means that I'll need a lot less money for housing and for transportation for the three month trip. The two year trip will require me buying a truck for myself and that poses some problems due to the way that Kenyans treat their vehicles. I'll probably purchase one in England and have it shipped down to me.
The orphanage and youth camp will be built in Naibor which is about 10 Kilometers from Nanyuki (where I'll be living). The orphanage will also serve as a Medical clinic and vocational training facility. It looks like I'll be used for both of those facilities as well. I hope to be teaching classes that will help the orphans learn trades so that they can become self sufficient when the time comes. There is also the possibility of me helping out with that at the school as well. There is also a need for medical training that I'll be able to use some of my old skills and knowledge to help out with basic first aid and CPR classes.
There really are so many needs there that I can't even list them. I would love to see you come out to be a part of these journeys and these lives. Of course I would love for long term help but even a couple of weeks would be so much help to our Kenyan brothers and sisters as well as yourself. Thank you all for your support!
Be powerful!!!
"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world" -Karl Barth
Today I have a teleconference meeting with Pastor Jerry of Kenya and Chris here in Redding. We will be talking about my time in Kenya and smoothing out a lot of the finer points that need attention. I'm very excited to be spending some time going through what my role there will be and how to play it out better. I would love it if you could pray for this time. Pray that Gods will be done in my time in Kenya. Thank you for your support saints.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Mission Statement For Kenya Outreach
Mission Statement for Kenya Outreach
First and foremost all praise goes to God. Everything else must come after seeking God and His will in every facet of this journey. I will be God’s servant in my life and every other life that I encounter. I will be faithful, humble and always striving to be more like Jesus.
There is a need for some of the skills that I have been blessed enough to acquire and I feel called to fill that need. Pastor Jerry Daniels has an orphanage and a youth camp that need to be built as well as a number of other opportunities for me to be used as Gods tool in Kenya. I feel called to be there serving in any way that I am able to. There is also a need for sustainable businesses that can stimulate the economy and support families. I feel that with guidance I can be a part of the solution to these needs and want to do that while I am there as well.
This is a trip to empower not enable our brothers and sisters. When I say brothers and sisters I mean those who are saved and those who haven’t been saved yet. God loves them all and I want to be His tool in their lives. I desire to empower my brothers and sisters and to encourage growth in a passionate relationship with God while working with them. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of living for our brothers and sisters through God, sustainable business, a safe home for orphans, brotherhood through hard work and a safe camp where children can grow in relationships with each other and our Father.
First and foremost all praise goes to God. Everything else must come after seeking God and His will in every facet of this journey. I will be God’s servant in my life and every other life that I encounter. I will be faithful, humble and always striving to be more like Jesus.
There is a need for some of the skills that I have been blessed enough to acquire and I feel called to fill that need. Pastor Jerry Daniels has an orphanage and a youth camp that need to be built as well as a number of other opportunities for me to be used as Gods tool in Kenya. I feel called to be there serving in any way that I am able to. There is also a need for sustainable businesses that can stimulate the economy and support families. I feel that with guidance I can be a part of the solution to these needs and want to do that while I am there as well.
This is a trip to empower not enable our brothers and sisters. When I say brothers and sisters I mean those who are saved and those who haven’t been saved yet. God loves them all and I want to be His tool in their lives. I desire to empower my brothers and sisters and to encourage growth in a passionate relationship with God while working with them. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of living for our brothers and sisters through God, sustainable business, a safe home for orphans, brotherhood through hard work and a safe camp where children can grow in relationships with each other and our Father.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
A quick update.
I have three things to update you on. The first is the marriage of my dear friend Kirsten to James Petermann on May 23. What kind of a friend would I be if I were not to be there for their wedding so I'll be sticking around a bit longer. I hope to be on Kenya soil by the first of June though.
So there are the first two. Here's the third. Chris and I sat down earlier this week and came up with all of the costs that the first trip will take. There will some revisions of course but it is a number around $13,000. If you would like a break down of all the costs then please feel free to ask. I am very far away from that mark at this point so please help me with any thing that you can.
Be blessed my friends. Call me, write me, send me a goofy picture. I look forward to all of it.
So there are the first two. Here's the third. Chris and I sat down earlier this week and came up with all of the costs that the first trip will take. There will some revisions of course but it is a number around $13,000. If you would like a break down of all the costs then please feel free to ask. I am very far away from that mark at this point so please help me with any thing that you can.
Be blessed my friends. Call me, write me, send me a goofy picture. I look forward to all of it.
Monday, March 2, 2009
1st chat with pastor Jerry
Good news my friends. Pastor Jerry called me today from Florida. Pastor Jerry is the Pastor of the church in Nanyuki that is building the youth camp and it looks like an orphanage as well!!! This was a very exciting phone for me and one that I have been looking forward to for some time now. Pastor Jerry seemed excited about the possibility of me coming out there to help out with some of his projects. He seemed like a very real man of God and a great man to be working with. As I write that I am reminded of how lucky I am to have been able to build two beautiful coffee shops with Pastor Mike. Now I might have the opportunity to build a youth camp and an orphanage with what seems to be another great man of God. I tell you what friends, my life is a blessed grace one.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
We've got a possible launch date!!!
How does May 1st sound? I'm hoping to be on a plane heading for Kenya on or around May 1st!!! Thanks to some good friends I already have my first $1,000 for this trip!!! That means that I only have $6,000 left to raise in 2 months. I'll be gone for 3 months in Kenya working primarily on helping the block making businesses in Nanyuki and Migori set up better standards to make their businesses more efficient. I will hopefully be setting up the contacts and learning the culture better for the youth camp that I hope to build for Pastor Jerry just outside of Nanyuki. This is an exciting time and I need your support with it. Pray for me and what I hope to be doing there. Pray for Gods will to be done in all of this. Help support me financially. I can't tell you how important that is to making this work. This is a great way for you to play a part in an awesome ministry and an opportunity to help out others who are much less fortnate than yourself. I feel like we have a responsibility to those out there who were never given the opportunities that we have been so blessed to have. Write to me and let me know if you can support me or if you know of anybody who can. Thank you for all of your support.
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