Report 11 Final Report

Another chapter of our Bryce Homes Kenya story relates to an amazing transition that has occurred for Pastor Vitalis and his family who have spent years in the Kibera slums of Nairobi living in deplorable conditions and circumstances. I met Pastor Vitalis for the first time when I arrived at the Nairobi International airport on my first trip to Kenya in November of 2011. As I had a layover of several hours before connecting with a flight to Kisimu, Pastor Achilla had arranged for Pastor Vitalis to meet and help me make my connection from one terminal to another.

Pastor Vitalis was my first contact with anyone from Kenya. He told me about his experience living with his wife and large family in a mud shack in the slums of Kibera. At the time, we were in the process of considering expanding our Bryce Homes Program to Kenya. He showed me a photo of where he lived and the number of children he was caring for, most of them orphans whose parents had been killed by the tribal massacres that had devastated Kenya as the result of a recent political election.

We had a meal together which brought up the topic of food. When I asked him how he was able to cope with such a large family living in the poverty conditions he had described, he opened up and gave me more details. “At best, there is only enough food to have one meal a day”, he said. Then he made a statement that I will never forget: “We usually eat some rice or beans just before we lie down at night so that hunger pains do not keep us awake.”

The following year on my second trip to Kenya when I was accompanied by my friend Byron Hardy from Canada, our connection from Nairobi to Kisimu was not scheduled until the following afternoon. This gave us time to get some rest as well as an opportunity to meet with Pastor Vitalis and his family in the Kibera slums. As his family had become part of our program by then, I wanted to see for myself the conditions they were living in and how we could help them.

Pastor Vitalis met us at our hotel, and after we hired a driver, we headed off to the Kibera area, which was about thirty minutes away from where we were staying. Finally we arrived and found a place to park. Both Byron and I were somewhat hesitant about stepping out of the vehicle. I have been to many slum areas before in other parts of the world. What I was seeing with my own eyes this time was as if I had landed on another planet.

We walked through the winding trails over very rough terrain. It was difficult to navigate the open streams of sewage that flowed everywhere. Garbage was strewn everywhere although in a few places it was concentrated in open piles. As Byron and I were the only white people in the area, we felt somewhat conspicuous. Finally we arrive at the Vitalis home. The door was a sheet that provided privacy from the outside world. Inside there was another sheet dividing the mud hut into two rooms. Byron and I were offered the two chairs that were in the one room.  We were asked to sit down and were offered a sliced bread. The children crowded around, and the entire family was introduced.

As Pastor Vitalis had been part of our program for over a year, I was able to ask him some questions regarding what differences his family had experienced. As I looked around from the location where we were doing the interview, a myriad of thoughts flooded my mind. While we were attempting to come alongside and make a small difference, the impact on the lives of this family was of paramount importance. Then I thought about the area where we live in Canada and the United States and the luxuries of life everyone takes for granted. Then I thought out loud: if only I could transport some of the people who live in abundance to this location so they could see, hear, and smell the sights of the slums of Kibera. Wouldn’t they be willing to invest just a cup of coffee per day to assist a Christian family in need who lives in these conditions?

 God Answers Prayer

Moving Pastor Vitalis and his large family of 16, which includes 10 orphans that he and his wife provide care, has been on our list of things to accomplish in Kenya for some time. When Lighthouse Trails and Understand The Times decided to do a special fundraising program in

December of 2013 focused on adding latrines and new homes, moving Pastor Vitalis and his family out of Nairobi became a priority. As Pastor Vitalis was born in the Homa Bay area and grew up there, he was known to the chief in that region. When he inquired about the possibility of moving back, it was a matter of him making a trip to see the chief and securing a deed for a plot of land.

Once the land was secured, plans could proceed with the building of a home when funds became available. When our donors heard about this need, they responded, and we were able to go ahead with construction. Pastor Achilla hired a builder to clear the property of bush and start the project.

When I arrived in Nairobi on my March 2014 trip, Pastor Achilla met me, and we spent the night in a hotel. The following morning Pastor Vitalis and four of his children met me at the hotel, and we discussed the upcoming move to Homa Bay.  They were enthusiastic about the move, which should occur around the middle of April. All sixteen children will be registering in a new school located near their new house.

On my final full day of touring the Bryce Homes, we were able to start early in the morning and drive to the location where Pastor Vitalis’ new house is presently under construction.  While we first travelled towards Homa Bay then northward to the location by a paved road, eventually we branched off to a dirt side trail. After what seemed like an eternity, we approached the site where construction of the new Vitalis home was taking place. As we got closer, I could see that the area looked like a paradise compared to the Kibera slums where they are presently residents.

While Pastor Vitalis’ house is partially constructed, it will only take a matter of another couple of weeks to complete the process. Wooden poles are dug into the soil and provide the structure for the walls. Smaller branches are attached to both sides of the vertical poles. Metal sheets supported by wooden rafters form the roof.  Then water is mixed with dirt to make mud that forms the walls and floor. Finally when the mud dries, plaster is made from mixing cement, sand, and water, and the walls and floors are coated. Windows and a single door are added, then the house is complete.

When the house is finished, it will be painted inside and outside so that it will be white. As well, a latrine/shower will be built on the property, a cook stove and chimney will be installed, and eventually eves troughs will be added to capture water off the roof for storage in a large plastic tank.

The area surrounding the home where Pastor Vitalis and his family will live is extremely fertile. Fruit and vegetables can be grown, and livestock can provide meat, milk, and eggs. In the near future, the family will be able to participate in a small business program and work towards self-sufficiency. Pastor Vitalis can start a Christian fellowship in the area and spread the gospel.

What a Miracle!

This transition from hell to paradise, from the Nairobi Kibera slums to a fertile area near Homa Bay, from my perspective is a modern-day miracle. While some may insist that miracles require demon deliverance, being raised from the dead, or cured of a terminal disease, the Vitalis family story shows me God can be involved in changing impossible situations to bring hope and a real difference in people’s lives. While this story is just one example, it reveals how God is working in Kenya through the Bryce Homes Kenya Program. This is God at work in a supernatural way using ordinary people and ordinary circumstances.

Now think of this! There are also 23 other Bryce Homes in Kenya that have their stories to tell. On this trip, I made the decision to increase the number of Bryce Homes from 20 to 24. This means there are now over 150 lives being impacted that can share testimonies about the goodness of Jesus and the difference the Bryce Homes Program has made to their lives.

Is it possible this is only the beginning and that God has a plan for us to share this vision on an even broader scale? As support is provided from individuals and churches who seriously care about missions, we are committed to follow the Lord, wherever and however He leads.

Kenya – Report 8

Video Update From Bryce Homes Kenya. Showers and Latrines that were built as part of the Winter Offering Building Program.

Living Water for Kenya

You don’t need a scientific mind to understand that water is one of the main essentials for life. In fact, a primary foundation of basic biology is the declaration that without water there is no life. The Bible also uses water as a comparison when discussing the quality of spiritual life and following Christ. Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

For those who live in technologically advanced parts of the world, it is hard to even imagine what it would be like to be limited by water in any way. If we are thirsty, we turn on the tap or go to the fridge and grab a cold bottle of water. We shower or bath daily, flush our toilets, and water our gardens and flowers without hesitation. Seldom does anyone ever consider what it would be like to be in a situation where water would be a limiting factor or worse yet even a threat to living. The availability and quality of water is a given for most who are reading this article. We consider this common necessity for life a God-given reality that we deserve.

The Outcome of Unclean Water

A trip to rural Kenya can be an eye-opening experience for someone like myself who has never had to struggle to access a plentiful water source for daily needs and especially good clean water to drink. The list of problems and potential disasters that face the people associated with water sources or lack of sources can be very discouraging in Kenya. The only running water that can be found is usually in a muddy, insect-infested stream. 

While boreholes, also called wells, can be dug, if water is found, it is sometimes salty and not fit for human consumption. The digging of wells is costly as it is done by hand, and the depth they must be dug is often very deep. Often the well is dug in vain, and even though the funds have been spent, there still remains no water source.

Wells have been dug and water is accessible throughout most of the year. However, many different families access the water from these boreholes by dropping down pails attached to a rope. The pails are often dirty and full of germs. Walking on the surface of the well are cows, goats, donkeys, and chickens that deposit fecal debris continually. It is questionable whether or not the water is any safer to drink than in the country.

The biggest problem with water, when water is found, is that it is one of the leading causes of sickness and death in Kenya. Most people living in rural areas do not understand why they are sick and have no way of finding out as they cannot afford medical care. In other words, their bodies are constantly fighting some life-threatening situation; they don’t know what it is and they have no way of getting help to get rid of it. What a miserable way to live.

During my trip to Kenya last week, my driver, Steve, informed me that contaminated drinking water in Kenya is perhaps the most significant problem that rural people face. Coupled by the lack of education and an understanding of the cause of disease, they often equate the illnesses acquired from infected or contaminated water as “dark spirits” that are harassing them because they have done something wrong. While our Bryce Homes (which are run by Christian believers) are not vulnerable to this type of mentality, which comes out of tribal customs and beliefs, they still are subjected to the illnesses that come from unsanitary conditions. Dysentery is the normal response and is considered normal.

However there is much more for widows, orphans, and all others to deal with. Some of the waterborne diseases acquired through drinking contaminated water as listed (http://www.indexmundi.com/kenya/major_infectious_diseases.htm) include:

Hepatitis A - viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver; spread through consumption of food or water contaminated with fecal matter, principally in areas of poor sanitation; victims exhibit fever, jaundice, and diarrhea; 15% of victims will experience prolonged symptoms over 6-9 months.

Hepatitis E - water-borne viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver; most commonly spread through fecal contamination of drinking water; victims exhibit jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, and dark colored urine.

Typhoid fever - bacterial disease spread through contact with food or water contaminated by fecal matter or sewage; victims’ exhibit sustained high fevers; left untreated, mortality rates can reach 20%.

Then on top of this, add the parasite factor. Parasites can affect every organ in the body and cause horrendous damage and trauma. All of these things seem unfair and certainly unbearable. Such is the price one pays to live in a beautiful land plagued by poverty and disease that is accompanied by the lack of means to do much about it.

Based on my limited experience travelling around visiting our homes and speaking with my drivers and the Bryce Homes Kenya leaders, the symptoms described above are manifesting constantly with the people we are attempting to help. If these people remain subject to this same problem of contaminated water on a continuous basis, the problem of poor health will only continue, if not get worse. Although we are providing food, shelters, clothes, and good latrines, all of this soon becomes meaningless to someone who is dying from a disease caused by contaminated water.

Water Collecting and Water Purification

As we have previously reported, in an attempt to make the quality of life better, we have already constructed 12 new Homes for our families with metal roofs to keep them dry when it rains. On my March 2014 trip, while travelling from home to home, a sudden revelation popped into my mind. If the metal roofs are doing the job of keeping our people dry, then why not collect or capture the water that is shed by the roofs in a tank so it can be used. Actually after the idea came to me, I wondered why it had taken so long. When I was a young boy living on a farm in Canada, this is how our family collected water for washing and other daily practices.

When it rains in Kenya, it really pours. At particular times of the year, the certainty that there will be an afternoon downpour is 100%. Why not collect this water for human use rather than letting it fall on the ground and then run away. Sure enough, my idea was not new as later I noticed that some of the schools in the area were using this concept.

So here is step one. We will start with the Homes that are in the greatest need.  Some are miles away from a well or from a river. How much more convenient it would be to have water just around the corner – the corner being one of the corners of their own house. Lawrence, who does construction work (assisted us in the building of the latrines) has looked at the situation and has already come up with a plan. He is also capable of doing the eves trough (gutter) installation. After this is completed, we will construct a solid elevated base at one corner of the house where a plastic storage tank can rest and be secured. Every time the rain falls, water will be collected thus providing at least one good source of water for daily use.

In the near future, we will be obtaining quotes regarding the costs to assemble this simple yet vital way of trapping water. We will start with a few and see how this works. If successful we will add more as time goes by.

Purification of water for drinking purposes is an absolute necessity if we are going to improve the quality of life for the families we are supporting. It is a matter of doing some research, finding the proper device, securing the funds, and then putting this project into place.

When we have done this, we will be putting together a water collection/water treatment program similar to the latrine program.

When we told several of the widows that we were considering a program to help them with their needs related to water shortages and purity of water, they all were joyful. Later I will be documenting these interviews by producing a short video to post on our web site and YouTube.

Widow and grandmother Benedetta was even more than ecstatic. As soon as Pastor Achilla translated so that she could understand what I was saying about the coming water project, she broke into a dance and started to sing. “Praise God, Praise God, Hallelujah. Amen and Amen,” she squealed at the top of her voice. Then she broke into tears, “My knees get so sore now when I carry the buckets back and forth to the river for the water for cooking, drinking, and bathing.”

I looked over and saw the pails she was taking about on the ground.

Water Evangelism

So if Jesus proclaimed that believing in Him was the key of life and that “living water” would flow from us so that we would be a spiritual influence on others, what about the idea that the provision of natural purified water for those who are in need could also be a tool to share the gospel? Is it possible that sharing the good news of the gospel can go hand in hand with sharing physical water and making it pure to drink?

While true biblical Christianity must never confuse the true gospel with the “social gospel,” the true gospel recognizes that while the spiritual condition of a people is supremely important, their physical welfare cannot be ignored (see James 1:27; 2: 15-16). If food, clothes, houses, and latrines show that God cares for those in need, what about water, the most important and basic component of life?

Maybe those who have been given this pure water as a gift from brothers and sisters from around the world who care for them can share this precious gift with friends and neighbors who are not yet believers. Thus, the fulfillment of Jesus’ own words will become a reality in Kenya – believers in Christ will be filled to overflowing with spiritual water that they can share with their neighbors as they endeavor to evangelists for Christ.

While secular organizations also recognize the importance of assisting the poor and needy with the procurement of clean water, they lack the leading and direction of the Spirit of God and the Word of God. My prayer is that our Bryce Homes Program in Kenya will always be led by the Lord in the truth of His Word and that it would always proclaim the Gospel foremost. I pray we will develop a water collecting/cleansing program that will bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ. Lord willing, may we become known as a Bible-believing organization that leads the lost to Jesus by using “water evangelism” as a witnessing tool.
 

Report 7 Kenya

New Homes and New Latrines

I have never been enthusiastic about short-term missionary work that uses the “drop and run” method of handing someone a gospel tract then heading home never to be seen again. While God can use any method or technique to plant seeds of truth that later can be germinated by the Holy Spirit to produce good fruit, God has led Understand The Times in a different way. The way this has happened is truly a God thing. We did not come up with an idea or method and then put it in action by human means. By simply being led by circumstances divinely appointed, we came alongside nationals who are already strong believers and discovered they had a desire to reach their own people but lacked the means to do so.

This is exactly what has happened in Kenya. While Christianity in Africa is tainted (to put it mildly) with “every wind of doctrine” known to the Body of Jesus Christ (largely thanks to Western teachers), the contacts to whom the Lord introduced us were not only like-minded and grounded in the Word, they demonstrated themselves to be ministers of the gospel who operate with accountability. This is the first prerequisite that must be fulfilled in order to put together a team for implementing a program with an organization that is based halfway around the world.

As I have mentioned previously, the obvious lack of food required for nutrition for orphans and widows was the first indication to me there was a physical need that had to be addressed if we were going to be effective as ministers of the gospel in the country of Kenya. How do you tell someone about the wonderful salvation provided by the grace of God when each evening he or she goes to bed with hunger pains so intense sleep is not even possible? While those of us who live in developed countries have no idea what this kind of experience would be like, for the poor and desperate in Kenya this is just everyday life.

Further, while in the areas we are attempting to reach there is the possibility of producing food such as maize, beans, and rice, widows who have been left helpless by the loss of their husbands also have a problem with the lack of  regular water supply. They are held captive by a hopeless situation. Since nutrition is one of the main factors relating to health and growth, illness is common place in Kenya. This further adds to the woes of fatherless families who are attempting to cope with life.

The first phase of our outreach program in Kenya was to provide nourishment to the families we incorporated into our program on a monthly basis. This is done as our three leaders purchase the food in bulk, pack it in bags according to the size of each family, and then deliver it by hiring drivers and rental cars.

The supplies not only include rice, maize, and beans but essentials for cooking including salt and oil. Soap for washing and cleaning bodies is a luxury that most had never experienced, but now they have this too. The next phase was to provide blankets, clothes instead of the rags they were wearing, and mattresses for the widows so they did not have to sleep on the mud floors.

While the food problem was being addressed, it soon became apparent that the majority of the shelters our widows and families were dwelling in needed to be replaced. The typical conventional huts that Kenyans build in rural areas are made of mud walls and thatched roofs. Their durability to the weather is not long lasting, and they soon become leaky shacks not fit for humans.

Following my second trip to Kenya in March of 2012, we asked Pastor Achilla and his team to secure bids for the construction of a few new homes. Understand The Times and Lighthouse Trails shared this need with our readers. First one home was built covered by a metal roof with four rooms instead of the typical two, the walls were painted white inside and out, and a stove was added in one of the rooms for cooking. These stoves were designed in Kenya. They have a chimney, which vents the smoke outdoors alleviating another major health problem.
 

To the present date, twelve new homes have been constructed,  These homes have become a landmark or a trademark for the Bryce Homes Program. As these plastered-painted-metal roof-with chimney houses are popping up everywhere, the word is being spread that God has not forgotten the poor and needy in Kenya. Government officials are taking notice and expressing their gratitude for the program, asking our leaders how it can be expanded further.

Now families can sleep at night and not fear their roofs will fall in on them or that a downpour during the night will force them to cover up with a plastic sheet. No longer do they have to inhale smoke that damages their lungs nor do they have to worry about their shelter catching fire as they sleep. While we have assisted in supplying beds and furniture, more furniture is needed. Keeping with our motto “As the Lord makes a way, we will move one step at a time.” The needs are so great we recognize our limitations and proceed with caution.

So far, I have documented several of the steps that have been made in order to establish the Bryce Homes Kenya program now impacting a country for the glory of Christ. For myself who has traveled to Kenya four times to monitor the progress, I have found a number of signs or indicators that have shown me God is leading us and that this is a “work of God,” inspired by God, and for the glory of God. The smiles on the faces of the widows and the orphans who are now accustomed to seeing a white man who has come from a far-away tells me and our Kenyan leaders that their faith in God has grown leaps and bounds since my first trip in 2011.

Adults and children are sharing their faith with others who are asking them, “How can the changes that have happened to you be possible?” They have observed that God has noticed them in their misery and has answered their prayers. They have been removed from their pit of despair and given hope, and now they are looking for ways to be a blessing to others who are still less fortunate. People around can see that Christianity is not a belief system just based on mindless emotion and hype. They see a practical display of the Christian faith that provides a plan by those who have the means to assist those who have nothing in the name of Christ as a demonstration of a real faith that makes a difference in the world. Many, because of their observations, are asking questions about how one becomes a Christian.  Others are powerfully seeing the hand of God and are coming to know Jesus Christ. Achilla’s church is growing, and there are plans to plant more churches in surrounding areas.

While food, clothes, stoves, furniture, and homes have been stepping stones to faith, perhaps the most significant project that has made the greatest difference is a project I never would have expected. On my last trip, Pastor Achilla pointed out to me the reason so many were sickly was because there was a need for outdoor latrines for the deposition of human waste. This may sound strange for us based on our western culture, but it is a fact of life in Kenya. We only know about the conveniences that go along with hot and cold running water – toilets and showers. Few have ever experienced the use of the raw outdoors when the call of nature comes on a daily basis.

Not so in rural or even urban Kenya. The nearest bush, patch of weeds, prickly sugar cane field or behind the biggest rock in site is the location where one retreats for relief. Basic hygiene dictates that such practices soon lead to disaster when body wastes are not confined and isolated. So necessary action became apparent – something needed to be done to find a way for this problem to be solved.

So Pastor Achilla, Pastor Nelson, and Walter were asked to do the research. Lighthouse Trails and Understand The Times informed our readers of the need. Thus the Christmas/Winter 2013 Building Project was born. When donors found out about the project that would construct latrines for all our families the funds poured in from all over the world.

Deep holes in the ground were dug, brick walls and partitions were built and plastered, cement floors were poured, and finally metal roofs completed the frames. These small buildings were also designed to have a second function. A second compartment complete with a door, provided privacy for an enclosed shower.

Finally, came the last and most important feature. The first latrine was built with the typical “hole” in the floor. Apparently, that is the way it has always been done in Kenya. However, because of our North American point of view, the Bryce Homes Winter Construction Project established a new precedent and initiated a new style of latrine so that one could sit on an elevated seat.

While you may be bewildered why I would even consider mentioning these details, there is a definite point. What I discovered while visiting each home and interviewing the widows is that all were verbally ecstatic about the latrines and how they worked. The new style was an absolute hit, especially for the older widows.

In fact, the latrines have now become a major factor that has developed into another evangelistic tool for the Bryce Homes Program. Neighbors who come by to visit want to see the “new thing” that has come to Kenya. Private showers and “sitting” toilets have developed into a major witnessing tool. Who would have believed that a latrine could bring such an unexpected result?

Video Update From Bryce Homes Kenya. Showers and Latrines that were built as part of the Winter Offering Building Program.

While visiting the area this time, I met with the Chief of the region. He had travelled there by motorcycle especially to meet me and thank me personally for the difference the program has made for the community he oversees. (I have his interview on video tape, which I will be sharing at a later date). The one thing he was emphatic about was the difference the latrines had made to the widows in the area. “No longer do they have to go and hide behind a bush when they are showering,” he said. “Now these women can live a life that gives them dignity,” he further declared. “Your contribution to our community has made my life easier. I am most grateful and thank the Almighty God for your coming to Kenya.”

It was obvious to me as we visited the homes in the area the difference there was in the way I was accepted since my last trip. The love and gratitude expressed to me was very obvious. It was like I had become part of their culture and that they understood how much I cared for them as human beings. (Again, at a later date I will put together a video that will share these comments).

To demonstrate their appreciation I was given four chickens by four different widows topped off by a huge bundle of bananas by a fifth widow. Knowing how little these widows have and what they gave, I was reminded of the story of the widow in the Bible who had virtually nothing, but all she had, she gave to Jesus.

I am certain now that the houses, showers, and latrines that have been constructed through the support of our donors have made a tremendous difference. Only God knows where this will lead in the future. I am praying that I will be given the opportunity to return to Kenya again to see.

·        Widows With Small Business Opportunities On the Way to Self-Sufficiency