“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?”

Mohandas Gandhi

This is more of Ben’s report. I am attending some meetings for the next three days, so the changes I talked about yesterday will be put off for a week or so.

Visited a number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Gem. Visited a school (primary) where almost 90% of the pupils there are orphans under the care of their grandmothers, who single handedly help feed, school, and clothe the orphans. I was touched by the story of one young girl (between 8 and 10 years old) who lost both of her parents to HIV/AIDS. She has no siblings. Soon she will be on her way to Mombasa as a house help. (Mary).

Actually just read that part about Mary, the young girl destined to a life of servitude as a maid. Will have to see what we can do.

Johnny Brooks

Kate and I had a little meeting this morning about the blog, expect some sprucing up real soon. I want to make it easier for people who don’t know us and what we do to actually get to know us and what we are doing. We will still update each day. The real change will be the side bar. I am creating a series of articles, pictures, videos, etc. that tell our story. The links will take you on that journey. Not sure how long it will take to get done, but as soon as it is we will let you know.

In the meantime enjoy this report of a recent mission to Gem (pronounced game.) Written by Ben, one of our Kenyan team members;

Irine got infected with syphilis, which ate her up as she kept it a secret. She shared with me about her ordeal and how the doctors had told her, she had to undergo a surgery to remove the damaged parts. She had great difficulty in passing urine until this last weekend Oct. 31st-Nov 1st 2009. As her cousins with much help from the Brooks family, we organized a quick harambee and raised 26,000/=. The Brooks family gave us 13,000/=. The rest was raised by us (Irine’s cousins.) She is to have an appointment with the doctor on Wednesday 4th November 2009 to chart the way forward. Victor, Joseph will oversee. I had to travel back to Nakuru to help my sick daughter (Mercy.)

A couple of things: First Mercy, Ben and Pauline’s daughter, has malaria. She is being treated and will make a full recovery.

I had to correct a few spelling issues in Ben’s note, but otherwise left it as it was. Harambee is a fundraising meeting. A group of people come together to help someone out. 26,000 Kenyan shillings is approximately $346 U.S. dollars.

Johnny Brooks

It’s our day off. Back tomorrow.

 Our family and I have undertaken to move to Germany and are currently finishing up the 5th phase of the 7-phase plan that takes us from preparing to leave America, over the Atlantic ocean, and on to full integration.  Throughout this long process that began in August, we have experienced a wide variety of change in location, circumstances, and people we've been around. 

We went from our normal routine of life to sleeping on mattresses, all in the same room, and having no furniture and few possessions.  As rough as that was, we kept in mind that we still had it better than most in the world.  Next, we lived for 12 days with a friend and his family.  We lived in a little shed there that had no running water.  There was a lot of dust and friendly spiders, ants, and bugs to share the shed with but we still had an air conditioner, electricity, and cell phones.  Two of our kids contracted chicken pox during that time.

From there, we moved to a hotel room while making last-minute preparations to launch into San Diego, California.  In Cali, we turned in our family van for shipment and moved into another hotel while enjoying the company of some friends in that area.  We next lugged our 24 bags into an airplane and traveled for what amounted to about 18 hours across America, (changing planes once b/c of engine trouble) and then the ocean, until we arrived in Germany.  We next traveled by van for an hour or so and finally checked into a hotel near Heidelberg and are now adjusting to a lifestyle where people are accustomed to much smaller living spaces and higher prices for everything.

If you read through all of that, I want to thank you for sticking with me and getting to the main point of all of this.  The struggles and coordination that went with this move were and have been challenging but we thank God that it went smoothly, overall.  As I talked to my family about all we had been through, it seemed right to me to point out something significant.  We are a family.  Through all the changes and all the places we have lived and been, we've stayed a family.  Family isn't about where you live, what you have, or what you are going through.  It's about serving our God and about being together.  No matter what goes on in our world or our circumstances around us, we always have our God and we have the bond of each other to sustain us.  This is the constant, the anchor, that gives life meaning and makes it worth living.

-The James Matthews Family

Just a reminder how you can contribute to what is going on here in Nakuru, Kenya.

Checks can be made out to Kenya Fund and mailed to:

713 West First Street
Beaver Dam, KY 42320
U.S.A.

or you can use Paypal.com and send to back2kenya@yahoo.com

We do as well have a Western Union office and MoneyGram office here in Nakuru. Use my full names; Johnny Lee Brooks.

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