April 2012

Hello again from Nairobi. Here's some of what we've been up to lately, and some stories from our relief work.

Having Chai in a traditional Masai Home

If there is one thing I can tell you about seeing poverty day in and day out, its that you don’t get used to it.  This is a level of poverty you don’t understand until you see it, until you smell it and hear it.  Until you sit in a house pieced together with whatever resources are available, plastic bags, scrap metal sheeting, pieces of bush etc, and share a cup of chai (tea) with someone who has nothing, until you experience it like this, you don’t even begin to understand.

The stories never get easier to hear.  The desperation and what I can only describe as the deepest sadness I have ever seen in someones eyes, the pure hopelessness and despair, it never gets common.  Each story has its unique elements, but they all have similar elements as well. The husband has died, usually of AIDS, often one or more child has passed away, they have no food, they cant get medicine, school is almost always out of the question.  Often its the grandparents or other extended family raising a number of children from various deceased parents. And then their are the families were its children caring for children, with no adults to be found. Heart wrenching. Somehow, we are called to be here.  We are called to bring the love and hope of God, as we deliver food and other basic needs.  We are called in the long run to build a place for widows and orphans to live in community with each other.  There will be food, medicine, education, vocational training, Christian education,  a real sense of family, belonging, and safety!

Back in November we had a day in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, arguably the most populated and condensed slum in the world, where we were delivering Christmas Hampers to some really desperately needy families.  Its a day Jennifer and I will not soon forget, as we were attacked at gunpoint at the end of the day.  Our camera was stolen, and I was physically attacked.  But what really stands out from that day are the families we delivered food, some household staples like soap and mosquito nets, most importantly HOPE to. We went into one ladies home, she is a widow with two young children.  She tries to eke out some kind of living selling random items in a small kiosk.  

We travel well off the beaten path to get to these homes.
They are always welcoming & very proud to host us.

We had to walk deep into the slum, around so many corners, down a steep hill, in mud mixed with human and dog waste, garbage, and stagnant smelly water.  It was rainy season, and the walking was tough, especially when you consider we were carrying 100 pounds worth of food etc for her. When we got to her home, we had to carefully enter as there were rusty nails and sheets of corrugated tin holding her “home” together.  I mean, this is a place no human should be.  She lives there. They eat their meals here.  They lay down to go to sleep here. I am not exaggerating when I say you would not allow your dog to go there.  This dear woman, doing her best to provide for her children, she beamed with pride as she told us we were the first visitors she has ever had.  She was so honored we would want to visit her where she lives.  That we would go to her.  I was humbled and broken by this.  God help us help them!

The new 4X4 purchased with
funds donated by generous Canadians.
 We can't do our work without this!

We have also been going to a very needy Masai community about an hour and a half out of Nairobi.  Our connection to that community, Jeremy, took us to a family recently that was well, off the grid! As we were bouncing along at a crawl over dried river beds, through thick brush, and around huge boulders, he told us  that this family where we were going is extremely poor.  He told us he had often grazed his animals in the area, but it was tough to get to.  He then mentioned that he had never seen a vehicle there.  It was rough going, but we made it, thanks to the great 4X4 provided by the generosity of some of you great people back in Canada. 

Milton.  He's a very polite young man, and
very proud of his education.

To give you some perspective on the isolation of this place, let me tell you about Milton. Milton is between 18-20 years old.  His english is not too bad, and he was really excited to tell us he was in school.  When asked what he is studying, he looked a little confused.  Milton is in 7th grade, and proud of it.  What’s that all about? Well, the school is a long walk for the kids, and because of the leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and buffalo in the area, its not safe for young children to go to school.  So, when they are older, and know how to handle themselves in the wild, they go to school if possible.  Quite often, the children are needed to care for the animals, so school       takes back seat to that. 

When we arrived at their homestead, we were greeted warmly. (Except for the children who had never seen white people, certainly not close up, they were terrified of us). The ladies in this home get up before the sun every morning, and walk two hours each way for the days supply of water.  For an income, they sell any extra milk the goats and cows produce, but its been really dry up until recently, and there is a milk shortage in the whole country. They live in traditional Masai homes, made of mud, cow dung and skinny twisted trees that grow in the area. We presented them with a hamper of food, and visited with them in their “home” over some chai.  Jeremy, our guide in this community, his community, told us the milk had been obtained from the cow that morning, and the water gained from the 4 hour walk. Jeremy had told them we were coming, and they went as all out as they could, giving us milk, water and tea from their extremely scarce supply.  I was again struck with how proud they were that we would come and visit with them, and how determined they were to be good hosts.  The IMPACT of these encounters, and we have way too many to share with you, never gets old. It hits me every time. We prayed with them, blessed them, and encouraged them.  Then we left, having been made a little better by the hospitality of these dear people.  

None of these stories would be possible, were it not for the generosity of people like you.  We need your continued support to continue, and to grow this important outreach to the desperately needy in Kenya. We want to thank you. I mean, THANK YOU!!!! You really are making a difference.  We also want to invite you! Come, see what a difference your dollars are making, and be a part of how it happens, right here in Africa. You can do it, and we invite you to come and prove it!

March 2012

Masai-Land, Kenya Sunday March 4^th

Jennifer, Joshua and I left Nairobi early Sunday morning March 4^th, and headed out of town to Masailand.  This is a beautiful area of Kenya, on the edge of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, about an hour and half from Nairobi’s town center.

Jeremy and I. He is interpreting into Maa, the
Masai Native tongue. 

A view of the outside of the church. Gotta love the kids!

Since 2008 we have had a good friend out there, a young msn named Jeremy Saloji. Jeremy is a member of the Masai Tribe.  The Masai are the most well known of Kenya’s more than 40 tribes.  In fact, it is widely accepted that the Masai are the best-known tribe in all of Africa.  One of my favorite qualities of the Masai is the tenacious hold they have on the old, pre-colonial way of life.  Many changes have come in to their culture, but they hold on to many of the old ways of life.  I find it to be refreshing. The Masai are pastoralists; they keep sheep, goats, and cattle and they are nomads, following the best grazing for their animals. The Masai are sought after as night watchmen.  They are known to be fearless protectors of their animals.  They carry a sword on one side of their belts, and a hardwood club on the other called an orungu. Always in hand is a shepherd’s staff. 

We have been good friends with Jeremy and his family since we met in 2008.  Now, having moved here, our friendship has deepened.  We spent several days with Jeremy in December delivering Christmas Hampers to some very needy families who are part of the Masai community.  This led to an invitation to visit their church this month. 

 The Ladies Choir.  Most of the ladies are in traditional
Masai garb. 

What a privilege to share God’s word with these precious people, and what an awesome experience to worship together with them.

What I took away from that Sunday with our Masai friends is this observation.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of who Jesus is and what He did for us, it crosses the boundaries of time, geography and culture.  It touches that place in the human heart that only Jesus can touch. 

Here, on the other side of the world, on the edge of the Great Rift Valley in a tin roofed and tin walled church, I am worshipping with family.  As I share the story of the prodigal, and we all marvel at the grace and love of the father, these precious Masai believers sit and listen intently with tears rolling down their cheeks.  His love, His peace, it touches hearts across the boundaries of culture. What an amazing and encouraging day.

The Children's choir.

The view from the church. Beautiful.

A meditation from God's Sanctuary

I recently took up walking the dogs in an urban park, called Karura Forest.  It’s a beautiful sanctuary from the crowding; the hustle and bustle of very busy an often-loud Nairobi! This is as much a time for me as it is for the dogs.  They get to run off of their leashes.  I get much needed exercise and peace and quiet.

On a recent walk I was stopped in my tracks by a new super-highway! In fact, as I looked up the trail, I could see several new super-highways! The traffic was thick, bumper-to-bumper in fact and you could see how the forest floor was being impacted by all this new traffic.  I was intrigued, so I got down on my hands and knees for a closer look.  Yes, I said my hands and knees.  These new super-highways that I had never seen before were in fact ants! I have seen many ants in my time, but nothing like this.  It was amazing to watch the progression! Thousands and thousands of ants, on the move! They moved in perfect order, carrying little burdens of leaves.  It was just incredible.  I watched them for some time.  And there were at least 10 such “super-highways”! These pictures aren’t the best quality, as they are taken on my blackberry, but I wanted to try and capture the moment.

The Ant Super-Highway

Since making Africa our home, we have travelled to the corners of Kenya, and we have even had a road trip in Ethiopia.  I have spent a good bit of time marveling at creation! I have stood at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Kenya, I have balanced on a narrow ledge overlooking a volcanic crater and marveled at the forest now inhabiting the ancient and fertile bowl left behind. I have looked out over the vast Serengeti Plain at huge herds of Wildebeest, and I have been wowed by the largest of Land Animals, mighty bull Elephants with Massive tusks.  I have been within meters of the always-graceful Giraffe, and stood a few feet away from Rhino and Hippo’s.  I have even swam in the Indian Ocean and marveled at packed schools of colorful fish of various size and hue.

All of these things are big.  Some of them are huge.  And each of them caused me to pause and wonder at creation.  But I tell you; these tiny ants were really an amazing sight to behold.

I was on a stroll, taking time out of a busy schedule to slow down a bit. It was quiet with only the sounds of nature, wind rustling the leaves, birds singing, monkeys chirping and howling, and occasionally the dogs barking at some new discovery.  It was being relaxed, enjoying creation and slowing down that allowed me to see these “little things”, and be amazed at them.  In my regular routines, when all walking is about the destination, in the busy-ness of life, I would have walked right over this discovery.  Even if I did notice it, it would have been at best a glance.

^{Proverbs 6:6-8
6} Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
      Learn from their ways and become wise!
 ⁷ Though they have no prince
      or governor or ruler to make them work,
 ⁸ they labor hard all summer,
      gathering food for the winter. 

I guess what I am getting at here is that its not always the big things that matter, its not always the big things that should capture our attention.  There is plenty to wonder at in the little things.  There is amazing detail, incredible design, and really cool cooperation. 

This simple lesson that I was struck with from creation can have real application in our day-to-day lives as well. Sometimes in the pursuit of what we think are the big things  we can crowd out some very important and very significant little things.  Maybe moments with someone we love, a spouse or a child, that just pass us by because we are so focused on what we think are big things. 

I think if we let enough of these significant little things pass us by, they can add up to missing out on having a life, because we are too busy trying to make something of our lives.  When its all said and done, and we look back on our times, it’s the little things that add up to something very big! 

It’s been a little while since our last post and we have had much transpire since we last wrote a blog. In this edition we are going to highlight some of the major events of the last 2 months.

On the last day of November we were robbed at gunpoint.  We had our good camera stolen and I was physically attacked.  It was a really tough few days there, while we processed the incident, and considered all the different angles.  Through the generosity of some very good friends in Canada we were able to replace the camera immediately. The incident was really a tough thing to experience. We were in Kibera, the largest slum in Kenya, when it happened as we were delivering food hampers to hungry families.  This made the whole thing seem all the worse. 

Pat and Larry with one of the needy Masai families we were
able to help because of your generosity.  You would not
believe the roads and fields we had to drive to get here!

On December 12th Jennifer’s Mom and Dad, Pat and Larry arrived for a visit from Canada.  That was a really nice treat. They were here with us for six weeks.  We had a great time with them as we toured Kenya and they got to know this great country their daughters family now calls home.  We traveled throughout much of Kenya while they were here. It was refreshing to experience Kenya again for the first time through their eyes, and this really gave us a renewed sense of our strong calling to be here, and it really gave Pat and Larry a greater understanding of the huge needs that have brought us here.  While they were here we were able to include them in the last few days of the Christmas Hamper Campaign.  This was a real eye opening experience for them and a really special opportunity for Jennifer and I.  All in all the entire visit with Pat and Larry was really, really great! We Can't wait to host some of you someday in the same way!

Our Toyota before the accident. One TOUGH truck!

The Toyota on the tow truck.  The really costly damage you
can't see is underneath, to the brakes, the suspension, and the
 now bent drive shaft and axle. This is what makes the vehicle a write-off. 

One negative experience while we had Pat and Larry here was our first major motor vehicle accident which happened while we were on our way out to dinner on one of their last nights in Kenya.  We bought a 4x4 Toyota for our work up-country.  We searched hard for a great deal and we purchased a 1997 Toyota Hilux Surf.  We were lucky to find a 4x4 for under $10,000 Canadian dollars.    The vehicle will be a write off and we are now faced with the reality that we can’t replace the vehicle with the money from the insurance.  Add to that the fact that we are getting nearly 20 cents less for our dollar than we were when we bought the Hilux, and it’s a rough break. We need around $7,000.00 Canadian on top of what we will get from the insurance to be able to replace the 4x4.  It is essential we have a tough off road vehicle for the places we have to travel.   We really need financial help to replace our vehicle. 

Since our last update, we have also had to move from one side of town to another.  I won’t go into too much detail here but because we were misled by the property manager who lied to us about the home we rented 8 months ago, we had to move.   Unfortunately we weren’t able to find a suitable home within our budget, so our housing expenses have gone up by nearly $500.00 per month.

Its been a really eventful few weeks, yet after saying all that let me say we are more excited than ever to be here in Kenya!  We know we are supposed to be here, and we know God has big plans in store for this ministry, as we push forward to help these people, the most needy and vulnerable, the widows and the orphans.

We are so grateful for all the support we receive from all of you back home in Canada.  Your encouraging emails and Facebook messages, your prayers, and your financial contributions make it possible to do this work.  We are literally partnering with you to make this ministry happen.

In light of recent events and all these unexpected extra expenses, can I ask you to consider making an extra contribution? We have had some real setbacks and the added expenses are stretching the budget way too thin.  If you could consider making a contribution towards replacing our vehicle it would really help us!

You can donate through PAYPAL on the link on this page, through either debit or credit card.  Or, if you have not already signed up for monthly pledged giving, and that is something you would consider, please send me an email at jason@mission180.ca and I will contact you to let you know how to proceed with that.

Thanks so much for reading our blog, and thanks for your support!

Sincerely,
Jason, Jennifer and Joshua Sheppard
Mission:180, Nairobi Kenya.

December 2011 Report: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Merry Christmas friends and supporters of Mission:180!

December 15^th marked the 1^st anniversary of our work in Kenya! It’s hard to believe in many ways that we have now lived in Kenya, and out of Canada for one full year! In many ways it has flown by, while in other ways the time can seem to drag on! (Anything to with bureaucracy, visa’s, resident permits etc, this all drags on).

It has been an incredible 12 months.  We have accomplished much, and we now know better than ever there is so much to accomplish! The needs in Kenya, as with most of Africa, are huge!  A recent statistic tells us that there are 180 new cases of HIV EVERY DAY in Kenya.  If you are interested in the math, that’s 65,700 per year! We came here to help widows and orphans, and the need for help will not be going away anytime soon!

Since our arrival, we have been able to buy medicine and pay for medical treatment for children, we have fed hundreds of people on a number of occasions, we have helped people relocate out slum living into safer neighborhoods and better homes, we have travelled all over Kenya doing relief work, and we have been very busy going through the required motions necessary to establish ourselves and Mission:180 in Kenya.  What a year!

A very Needy Masai Family, with their Christmas Hamper in
front of their traditional home.  

 

Mission:180’s Christmas Programs:

Most recently we have seen the successful launch of two programs that will continue on for years to come.  We have successfully launched a program to help children receive sponsorship for school fees for a full year.  This year, 5 recipients and their families do not have to worry about where the next terms school fees will come from.  We have also launched our Christmas Hamper program.  These programs help Mission:180 accomplish several different things.

Brian and Sharon, they live in a refugee camp,
they are orphans being raised by their grandfather!

1.    It helps connect you, our supporters in Canada to the important work we are doing, by affording you the opportunity to be directly connected to a specific need and project.
2.  It feeds needy, hungry Kenyan’s for 6-8 weeks, bringing them not only much needed physical sustenance, but also the hope and encouragement that somewhere there are people who know about them and their situation, and who care enough to give generously to help them!  This Christmas we have delivered over 7,000 pounds of staple foods to 72 very needy families, thanks to the generosity and kindness of Canadians like you!
3. It ensures that children will be educated and taken care of for their school year!

This precious lady, unable to have children of her own
was abandoned by her husband.  She has adopted these
5 special children and is doing her best to raise them
and provide for them. 

Brian and Sharon, pictured above, really grabbed my heart! They have been orphaned by AIDS, and now their grandfather is doing his best to raise them! He can barely provide a few meals a week for them.  They desperately needed the food we brought them. I gave each one a huge hug, and they were very light! Picking them up was very easy, putting them down is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.  I just wanted to take them home! It's these children, and the hundreds of thousands like them in Kenya we came to help! 

Thank-you so much and this Christmas may you know more than ever, that it is far better to give than to receive!

We want to say once again, thanks so much for your encouragement, your prayers, and your financial support! Without those three things, from people like you back home in Canada, we could not do what we do here for the neediest of the needy in Kenya! If you would like to make a contribution, please feel free to click the donate button on this page, and follow the simple steps to help make an IMPACT, one life at a time! All donations are receipted for income tax purposes!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jason, Jennifer and Joshua Sheppard

Mission:180 Presents "Give the gift of a Christmas Hamper"

Mission:180 presents "Give the gift of a Christmas hamper".  Due to the overwhelming response to the sponsored children program (who are all now fully sponsored) we have decided to give you another option to give back this Christmas.  For $60 CDN we can purchase enough staple food to feed a family of four for about 6 weeks.  There are many extremely needy families that we are connected to.  A Christmas hamper is not only a gift of food, it's a gift of HOPE!  It's a gift that says someone cares about us. 

If you would like to be a part of this program and purchase a Christmas hamper as a gift from yourself or on behalf of someone else please email me at jennifer@mission180.ca

Each hamper will contain the following:

2 - 1KG packages of Red Kidney Beans

1 - 1KG package Green Grams (like a bean)

2 - 2KG packages of Sugar

1 - 700 gram package of Spaghetti noodles

1 - 10KG bag of Maize Meal used to make Ugali

1 - 5KG bag of Rice

6 - 1L Ultra Treat Heated Long Life Milk (does not need to be refrigerated)

2 - 2KG bags of Chapati Flour

2 - 1KG bags of Ujimix Sour Porridge

1 - jar of Royco Mchuzi Mix Spicy Beef

1 - 1KG package of salt

1 - 4KG tub of cooking fat

1 - jar of Margarine

1 - 500gram bag of loose tea leaves

15 - steel wool for cleaning

1 - bar of antibacterial soap

1 - bar of laundry/dish soap

Mission:180 Presents "Give the gift of education this Christmas"

Mission:180 has selected some deserving children that need help with their school fees for the upcoming school year in January.  We are looking for individuals, families, work groups, school groups etc to help either fully sponsor or partially sponsor a child this Christmas.  You could also honor someone special in your life by giving them this gift that will improve the life of a child in Kenya.  When you fully or partially sponsor one of the children you will receive a special thank you message from that child along with a picture of the child and updates on how that child is doing over the course of the school year.  It is a great way to give back this Christmas season!  All donations towards the children’s school fees will have tax receipts issued at year end so it is a win, win situation.  Please consider helping someone less fortunate this Christmas.

*Please note that this is not a monthly sponsorship program but rather a one-time donation for Christmas* 

Bryce Mbulika

Bryce was born on March 26, 2008 and will be entering Nursery School at Guadalupe Academy in January 2012.   His favorite subject at school is Language and he excels at drawing and coloring.  Bryce loves to play soccer in his spare time but hide and seek is his favorite game.  Bryce says that blue is his favorite color.

Please note that Bryce’s school fees include lunch and tea 5 days a week.

The fees required for Bryce to attend Nursery School are $480.00 CDN.

We are looking for 8 people to sponsor Bryce at $60 each.

If you would like to help Bryce attend Nursery School in January please contact Jennifer at jennifer@mission180.ca

Jason Dangi

Jason was born on June 11, 1999 and will be attending Grade 7 at Marie Immaculate Education Complex in January.  His favorite subject at school is Social Studies which he also excels at.  Jason’s favorite sport to play is football (soccer to us Canadians) but he also loves to hang out with his friends in his spare time.  Jason’s favorite color is green.

Please note that Jason’s school fees include room and board as he is required to live in dorm starting in Grade 7.

The fees required for Jason to attend Grade 7 are $600.00 CDN.

We are looking for 8 people to sponsor Jason at $75 each.

If you would like to help Jason attend Grade 7 in January please contact Jennifer at jennifer@mission180.ca

Mildred Atieno

Mildred was born on December 12, 1996 and will be attending Grade 9 in March of 2012.  She is unsure which school she will qualify to attend in March until after she writes her Grade 8 nation exams in November.  Her favorite subjects at school are Social Studies and Christian Religious Education but she excels at Social Studies, Math and English.  Mildred loves to read novels in her spare time and her favorite sport is Volleyball.  Mildred’s favorite color is pink.  When Mildred grows up she would like to be a Lawyer and then a Judge.

The fees required for Mildred to attend Grade 9 are $700.00

We are looking for 7 people to sponsor Mildred at $100 each.

If you would like to help Mildred attend Grade 9 in March please contact Jennifer at jennifer@mission180.ca

Natasha Dangi

Natasha was born on October 3, 2003 and will be attending Grade 3 at Marie Immaculate Education Complex in January.  Her favorite subjects at school are English and Swahili but she excels at Mathematics.  Natasha loves to play with her skipping rope in her spare time but her favorite game is hide and seek.  Natasha’s favorite color is pink.

The fees required for Natasha to attend Grade 3 are $300.00 CDN.

We are looking for 6 people to sponsor Natasha at $50 each.

If you would like to help Natasha attend Grade 3 in January please contact Jennifer at jennifer@mission180.ca

Prudence Kagonya

Prudence was born on September 9, 2000 and will be entering Grade 6 at Excel Academy in Nairobi in January 2012.  Her favorite subject at school is Social Studies but she excels in Mathematics.  Prudence enjoys participating in athletics specifically with racing but in her spare time she really enjoys playing with her skipping rope.  Prudence’s favorite color is pink.

Please note that Prudence’s school fees include lunch and tea 5 days a week.

The fees required for Prudence to attend Grade 6 are $600.00 CDN.

We are looking for 10 people to sponsor Prudence at $60 each.

If you would like to help Prudence attend Grade 6 in January please contact Jennifer at jennifer@mission180.ca

The Famine In Kenya - Garissa County

The Refugee Camp

The Somali Refugee Camp

Many people back in Canada have asked us at Mission:180 how the famine is impacting us, what we have seen of it, are we involved in helping fight it etc.  In this post I want to take some time to answer those questions, while sharing with you my heartfelt observations and emotions from a recent trip I took to an area of Kenya that is being affected by the famine.
First here are some facts from the World Food Program:

• Kenya is experiencing one of the worst droughts in recent years.
• The number of severely malnourished children admitted to hospital has increased by 78 percent this year compared to last year. Malnutrition rates among children below the age of five years have risen dramatically with reports of up to 37 percent in some northern districts -- more than double the emergency threshold of 15 percent. 
• Up to 3.5 million people are affected by the drought and their plight has been worsened by high food prices resulting from both local and global factors. 
• Kenya currently has about 447,000 refugees 
• Dadaab refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya continues to receive large influxes of refugees mainly from Somalia with about 30,000 new arrivals in June alone.
• Kenya is a low-income food-deficit country with a GDP per capita of about US$759 (2009 World Bank) and a Gross National Income (GNI) of USD 1628 (2010 UNDP). The 2010 UNDP Human Development Report ranked Kenya among the “low human development” countries of the world, placing it 128th out of 169countries. 

Anxiously waiting his turn!

Bearing those facts in mind, I travelled North from Nairobi about 6 hours to Garissa county, to a little Somali village called Sombo.  On the drive from Nairobi, the further north we got, the drier and dustier it became.  Soon we started to see dead animals, some were wild and some were livestock, sun bleached bones with tatters of skin and fur attached.  These animals, like their owners, are dependant on water to drink, and dependant on the food water helps to grow.  You know times are tough when the camels are dropping dead! The live animals all look to be in various stages of severe illness and starvation. 

Desperately digging in a dried river bed for water.

As we drove we crossed a number of bridges.  These were fairly long bridges, and the rivers they span are wide.  Now, they just help us cross completely dry riverbeds.  They look like highways of sand! Sometimes we see people digging with whatever tools they can find, going as deep as they can in the middle of what used to be the rivers, desperately searching for water.  If and when they find some precious water, there is always a long line-up of people waiting with their "jerry cans", the ubiquitous yellow containers that used to contain vegetable oil for cooking.  If water is found, it is brackish, muddy, and unsafe unless boiled.


We reach a point close to the small town of Garissa, and we branch right.  Now we are off roading on an old camel trail.  Time to put the Toyota Hilux Surf we drive into 4 wheel drive! We go about 35 km's over some rough terrain, driving through a number of dried out river beds.  Its HOT now!  We left Nairobi this morning and it was 18 degrees celsius.  Now, this afternoon, near Sombo village, it's 38 degrees celsius! Its a very dry and dusty heat, no humidity to speak of.  

This was once a life giving river.

A traditional celebration dance! 

From Sombo we travel another 10 KM to a Somali refugee camp.  Things are beyond desperate here.  There is no food, and there is no water.  The shrinking Tana River is close by, but it comes with some real challenges.  Recently a child was snatched by a crocodile, never to be seen again.  The river is dangerous, and the water is not clean.  We have arrived with food.  There is a traditional tea ceremony with the village elders, then a time of dancing and "singing".  They are very happy to see us!! The ladies are singing a song, when translated it says, "we were never educated, we want our children to learn, let the wazungu (white people) come".
At this point I am really glad I am sweating so much, because it masks the tears streaming down my cheeks.  These people are living in absolute squalor, with no resources to speak of. They are traditionally nomadic, and they have travelled a long long way hoping for something better.  They have found more hunger, more thirst! Like us, they want to provide for their children, they want to live freely, worship freely, they want to make a life for themselves.  They live in a state of constant concern about their next meal, will they be able to find a place to settle down, will they finally feel safe and "at home".  They have nothing, no place to call home, no land to plant crops or to build a permanent dwelling, to feel like they have a place. How long can people live like this? 

Distributing the relief packages to each family.

A beautiful family!

 Today each family receives enough food for 4 weeks.  It is amazing to be a part of helping keep people alive.  It is humbling to see their gratitude.  Its heartbreaking to not be able to do more.  


Its  really overwhelming to see it, hear the sounds, to hold the emaciated little ones.  I feel so helpless there, so useless.  I remember the purpose of Mission:180, to impact one life at a time.  It seems hollow this day.  But every life does matter.  Every cup of water given matters.  Every morsel of food makes a difference.   Every day we can keep someone going means hope.

Hope shines through!

A very special little girl!

We at Mission:180 are involved in a feeding program in a slum in Nairobi, we regularly visit an "Internally Displaced Peoples Camp" near Nairobi, bringing them the word of God and food, and we routinely participate in helping with medical and educational needs here in Nairobi.  Now, we have also been to the places being hit hardest by this famine, the worst on record in 60 years!  Are we seeing the impact of the famine, YES! We see it in Nairobi, with rising food and fuel costs, and with people asking us to help their loved ones in famine stricken areas. We see it in the slums of Nairobi, and we have seen it up close and personal in places like Sombo Village.
Are we doing something to help fight it? With YOUR help, yes!    We are doing the best we can with what resources we are given to work with.  


We maintain our conviction that every life matters, and we must make an impact, one life at a time.