Greetings from the farm,
This is our first update since arriving in Kenya and we are happy to say we are alive and well. It has been a life changing first two weeks here on the farm with many exciting experiences as well as hard challenges. I have many stories to catch up on so I will try to start from the beginning.
We had a sketchy start to our trip when we landed late in Nairobi because of flight delays in Amsterdam. It was around 11:30 pm when our taxi driver dropped us off down town at the hotel reserved for us, it was dirty and barred like a prison. We quickly found out in Swahili and broken English that our room had been given away because we were late for check in and to make it worse there were no other rooms available. Our driver suggested a place down the road so we packed up our bags back into the taxi and took off. The paved road that was well lit and full of people enjoying the weekend city nightlife soon turned to a dirt road without any lights. I asked the driver how much further and he said “not far,” I glanced at Kelsey and she gave me the look of “what the heck are we doing!” Twenty min of turning down dirt roads and dark alleys we finally arrived at a quaint little bed and breakfast. It had been over 25 hours of traveling, and we were thankful to feel safe in a gated complex with a bed and mosquito net.
The next day we arrived in kisumu where tsion (Klopp kid) and our new friend Josephat were waiting to pick us up from the plane. We had a bumpy ride to the farm on one of the worst roads I have ever been on. 15 kilometers to the farm took about 40 min as we drove on a road that had more potholes than flat pavement. Most of the driving took place on the dirt shoulders as we weaved in and out of oncoming auto traffic, cattle, and Kenyans walking around carrying machetes. When we arrived on the farm, we were greeted by the entire klopp family, Jeff and Maureen. It was a relief to finally be at our destination where we could acclimate to the altitude, hot weather and jet leg.
We had our first Sunday service the next morning where we were greeted with smiles, handshakes, and hugs from the Kenyans living on and off the farm. There was a lot of worship music sung in Swahili and was amazing to listen too. After church, we went to town with Josephat who showed us how to wheel and deal with the ladies selling produce at the farmers market. I was a little overwhelmed at first by the smell of produce rotting in the hot heat, the tight crowded isle ways, and people tugging at me to look at their stand. By the end, I was speaking basic Swahili to the vendors asking for the price, “too much,” “thank you very much” and “good bye.” The one thing I wish I wouldn’t have bought, were the chicken eggs that sat out on the shelf without refrigeration. Apparently, it is normal to store eggs on the shelf even in high 90-degree weather.
The next morning I thought I would surprise Kelsey and our house mate Anneliese to a gourmet garden omelet. I sautéed the vegetables perfectly and grabbed my first Kenyan egg to crack into the skillet. At the last second, I thought I had better test the sloshy sounding egg in a bowl. I cracked it and it exploded in my hands. I quickly learned to test the eggs by floating adding them to a bowl of water. If they sink, they are good and if they float “then eat at your own discretion.”
The first week here was a blur of sleepless nights and dehydration from the heat. Our vision of what we thought God wanted us to do while here, was drastically changed while observing the functions of the farm.We prayed that God would show us his vision for what he wanted of us. Knowing that God called us here has been reassuring during the times of feeling lost.
This week God has revealed open doors of opportunity to carry on the mission. We walked around to the homes of neighbors surrounding the farm and chatted with the families about everything from cooking to spiritual life. Our good friend Josephat was with us and was a tremendous help with translating, connecting with locals, and the language barrier. During the visits, we would pass out young life bibles that Lance Klopp donated and invited them to Sunday service. We hope to see them tomorrow for service.
Another exciting outreach was a medical mission with a group of Kenyan and European doctors. We passed across the equator to get to the village and school that was down a long red dirt road miles from kisumu town. We provided health care to over three hundred children and a few dozen adults. I was responsible for taking pre-treatment information and temperatures of all who came through the door. It was a crack up, trying to take the temperature reading of a kid who would start crying hysterically the moment I said “sasa” (Hi).I’m not sure if the kids were more frightened by the “msungu” or the thermometer. At any rate, after the first hour of working, I was a pro at making the kids laugh and could easily get a temp reading. The most common health issues facing the children and community is malaria, followed by gastrointestinal worms, upper respiratory infections, and HIV. It was very encouraging to see the entire medical staff working together as one organized unit, which also solidified my desire to have a profession that provides medical service to children.
One more experience I would like to share before I end this blog, is yesterday’s outing to a families home 6 miles away from the farm, up into the Nandi hills in a small village called Chebril. Our mission was to carry milk, baby formula and bottles to a woman who Kelsey had helped treat a few days prior. The farm’s medical clinic has been doing outreach vaccinations for children in the surrounding areas, where Kels had met and helped treat this woman’s children. This particular older woman, brought in 7 children with a malnourished three week old infant, who had not been receiving milk. The women told Kelsey that the baby was her daughter’s but she had died giving birth and the father was not around to provide for his family. This woman not only took in their seven children ranging in age, but had five of her own and is a widow. She was clearly having a hard time finding and providing milk for the infant and care for the other children. We spent the early afternoon hiking up to their village, to get to the baby. After a long persuasive conversation, translated by our good friend Lemik, we were told we could bring the baby to the clinic for a check up. Kelsey carried the baby all the way back to the clinic, down the rocky terrain in the heat of the afternoon She had many stares as women watched her pass by their local villages. She had received help, tying the baby to her chest, the proper way and all were amazed at a “mizungu” carrying a baby the Kenyan way.
It became clear to me that this was something weighing on Kelsey’s heart and was determined to take on. I helped her formulate a sustainable long term plan, to make this outreach effective. We met with a few of our local Kenyan friends on the farm and discussed options for a donor program at the clinic. Kelsey suggested that the clinic would have a program for mother’s, who cannot provide breast milk for children/infants. (Mothers, who cannot produce milk, have aids or a situation where the biological mother dies giving birth). This plan was discussed at the farm meeting and was given the green light. The baby has milk now and weekly checkups are planned for the weeks coming.
God has been revealing his plan in his time and he has taught both of us the importance of being patient, faithful and trusting in him.
This coming week we have plans to visit the three neighboring schools to teach dental and medical awareness. We will be bringing toothbrushes for each kid to practice with and keep.
Tonight we are making dinner with the five orphan boys who live on the farm. Kelsey and I have grown to love each of them and think of them as our little brothers. The boys are between the ages of 14 - 16. and are strong young men. We have enjoyed doing bible studies with them as well as help them with their daily farm chores and homework (science, math and English tutoring).
We are asking prayer for good health and safety. During the hike up the mountain to the old women with 7 kids, Kelsey stubbed her big toe on a stick that ripped her toenail off and stuck there in its place. After pulling the stick out we dressed the wound with toilet paper and duct tape and finished our journey to the infant.(Kelsey was determined to get to the baby) We made it back to the clinic where her toe was treated properly and she is now on antibiotics. She is sore but doing just fine
and I have been doing well with my heart and am praying that I don’t come down with anything I may have picked up from the sick babies coughing on me during medical outreach.
Sorry everyone for the delay in blog updates, with the everyday business, exploring opportunities in this unfamiliar land it has been a challenge for me to sit down in front of a computer and write. However, we will be on top of it from now on!!
We appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers!
Psalm28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped
Kwaheri
Derick & Kels
