child at heart

This is my page for Kenya 09 and all the information that I could ever flood you with.

In Kenya there is an ongoing tradition for when people visit the homes of other friends. When visiting others you generally take a present to the family, and normally it is something that the family does not a. grow in their shamba (garden) or is b. to expensive for them to buy at their markets.

For example when we go and bond (which is like shadowing a family) with our families we take gift baskets for them. Last year in the basket I took to Makena and her family we included things she does not have and can’t buy like flour, salt, rice, syrup, water bottles, dish rags, the basket itself and maybe some treats like chocolate.

If Makena came and visited me at my home she would bring me things she grew in her garden such as corn, wheat, tea, coffee, cocoa, carrots, potatoes, peas etc. – depending on what they can grow in their shamba’s during that weather season.

This year we have decided to include kitchen gadgets into the baskets since the families generally tend to use things until they are so worn out they are not useful anymore. Here is a list of the things they can use, and that we would like to take with us.

• Knives (this is the biggest need, a nice sharp knife works wonders for their kitchen work!)
• Potato peeler
• Plastic bowls (for mixing)
• Plastic containers (for storing things such as sugar and salts)
• Spatulas (metal)
• Ladles (metal)
• Cooking spoons (wooden or metal)
• Graters
• Silverware (metal)

Any thing you get please if possible make sure you get metal (except for bowls and containers which can be plastic). Since they cook over an open flame fire with a surface like a griddle plastic cookware would be used once and then messed up beyond use because of the temperature of the “stovetop”.

The goal is for all of us to bring enough diversity that we will be able to give our 4 bonding families a few nice things, but anything we bring that is extra we will be giving to the Kambakia Training Center (which is the “seminary” in Meru town). Here there are bible classes given to men, church services, VBS like activities for children, along with college level schooling taking place. They would LOVE to have some of these new things and it would benefit them since at times they are serving meals to as many as 200 people at once.

I thank God for your desire to help this trip be successful and for your desire to touch the lives of so many people.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Bella

Finally updating my blog about the mission trip!

Money to date: $1432.0

Money still needed: $ 2568.0

Days until we leave (as of May 13^th): 36

 

This is the schedule we will be going by:

June 19 (Fri): depart Atlanta KLM 622 @4.40p – arrive Amsterdam 7.25p

June 20 (Fri): depart Amsterdam KLM 565 @10.14m – arrive Nairobi 7.05p; Mennonite guesthouse

June 21 (Fri): Magadi church of Christ & Orphanage; Carnivore/Giraffe house

June 22 (Fri): travel to Meru/Trout tree/Equator; leaders meeting 8.00p

June 23 (Fri): Leaders Course; settle in, CBS planning

June 24 (Fri): Leaders Course; KTC workday, James and Makena (MY SECOND PARENTS) for lunch

June 25 (Fri): Leaders Course; KTC, women’s class (1p), Tigania, Nchiru Church

June 26 (Fri): Leaders Course; CBS planning, market day, Makena’s industries, visit Geofry and Catherine’s for dinner

June 27 (Fri): Leaders Course at KTC; KTC workday; CBS (Gatigati: Kiririwa church) 10a

June 28 (Fri): Timau Farmers Church and CBS

June 29 (Fri): Women’s class: Gatigati – Migambo Church; planning youth meeting

June 30 (Fri): Women’s class: Tigania – Miathene Church; bonding; youth planning am

June 1 (Fri): Women’s class: Timau – Gatinka Church; bonding; youth meeting planning

June 2 (Fri): youth meeting (4p); Women’s class (1p): Igembe – Kirindine Church

June 3 (Fri): youth meeting (2^nd and 3^rd or 3^rd and 4^th)

June 4 (Fri): CBS – Kambakia Church – 10a

June 5 (Fri): Kithaene Church and CBS

June 6 (Fri): Samburu Game park

June 7 (Fri): Samburu Game park

June 8 (Fri): Women’s class (1p) – Kambakia church, KTC workday

June 9 (Fri): Maasai – Sukuta Church – CBS/Devo                                        

June 10 (Fri): last things in Meru; market day; Joshua’s and Maitethia’s to visit

June 11 (Fri): CBS (Igembe – Kanooro church) – 10a

June 12 (Fri): Meru south, Kamuchiru church and CBS; finish packing

June 13 (Fri): travel to Nairobi, Mennonite guesthouse, shopping

June 14 (Fri): depart Nairobi KLM 566 @10.10p

June 15 (Fri): Arrive Amsterdam @5.30a, Depart KLM621 @10.20a, arrive Atlanta @1.40p

Every Sunday we will be participating in a morning church service and taking the Lord’s supper. On Saturday nights please remember to keep us in your prayers, since as you are getting ready to go to sleep we are getting ready to hear the Word and participate in service.

This year our CBS (children’s bible school) material is on Moses: God’s chosen leader. We will begin with baby Moses in Exodus 1-2:10, next we will go to Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3-4:23, next we will go to when Pharaoh refuses God in Exodus 7-12, and we will end by teaching about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt in Exodus 12:37-42, 13:17-15:21. The plan is then to pick up next year at the 10 commandments.

Please also pray for our youth meeting, this is our schedule we made last year and we will use it as a guideline. Please use it as a prayer guide to help us during this youth meeting.

July 2

2-6p: students arrive, play games, talk

6-7: Dinner

7-7:15: singing (I love this part)

7:15-8:45: Introductions

8:45-9:45: Christian maturity dramas

9:45-10:45: relationships with friends and family (session 1)

11p: Sleep

July 3

7:30-8:30a: breakfast

8:30-8:45: singing

8:45-10:15: Drama 1 and lesson

10:15-10:30: Discussion

10:30-10:45: Break

10:45-12(noon): video 1/lesson

12:00-1: Lunch

1-1:15: Singing

1:15-2:15: video 2/lesson

2:15-3:30: separate the guys and girls for lesson and discussion on specific topic

3:30-4: Chai break

4-5: relationship with God (session 2)

5: students depart for home

For the days we are bonding we are asked to bring an American gift to put into the baskets we take to our host family. We are being asked to bring Kitchen utensil’s; a sharp knife, potato peeler, cutting board, metal utensils (spatula’s, spoons etc), anything you could use that would be to expensive to buy in the culture over there. I am saying this for people who want to help support this trip but cannot give anything financially. You could donate any of these things to me for us to give to our host homes.

There are 10 students going this year with 2 adults. This is bound to make things a little more interesting than last year, one because we cannot all fit into 1 mutatu (their bus taxi’s) this time and two because the rooming is going to be interesting.

Either way I cannot wait to leave!

Money raised to date:

• 3-10-2009: $25
• 3-31-2009: $712
• 4-3-2009: $912

So what’s new?

4/7/2009

• We have our last meeting before we leave on April 18th. I will have an exact $ amount for the trip as well as a complete itenerary and all the last minute details. I will post them all as soon as I get them.
• There are 10 students and 2 adults going this year. Here are our names, please continue to be in prayer for us:
  • Sandra Alexander (F)
  • Taten Coleman (F)
  • Adam Davis (M)
  • Aaron Davis (M)
  • Bella Epps (F)
  • Corinne Faneus (F)
  • Alex Hisey (F)
  • Jerry Sanders (M)
  • Lacee Sewell (F)
  • Renae Stabler (F)
  • Dr. Richard Trull
  • Mrs. Marinda Trull

 

3/10/2009 

• I have bought my plane ticket for the low fare of $1,925.00 . My parents got some tax return money back and paid for my ticket with it so I could get the great price and I will pay them back with the money when I get it.
• I got my flight schedule last night (3-9-2009). Here it is:

Friday 19 June 2009			Air
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – Flight KL 0622		Status:	Confirmed
Depart:	Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport	Airline Ref:	2Y57FW
	Atlanta, GA, US	Seat:
	4:40 PM	Class:	T-Economy/Coach
	Terminal N	Mileage:	4393
Arrive:	Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport	Travel Time:	8:45
	Amsterdam, NL	Stopovers:	0
	Saturday, June 20, 2009
	7:25 AM	Aircraft:	Airbus A330-200
		Meal:	Meal
Remarks:

 

Saturday 20 June 2009			Air
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – Flight KL 0565		Status:	Confirmed
Depart:	Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport	Airline Ref:	2Y57FW
	Amsterdam, NL	Seat:
	10:15 AM	Class:	T-Economy/Coach
		Mileage:	4148
Arrive:	Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Int’l Airport	Travel Time:	7:50
	Nairobi, KE	Stopovers:	0
	7:05 PM	Aircraft:	Boeing 747 All Series
		Meal:	Meal
Remarks:

 

Tuesday 14 July 2009			Air
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – Flight KL 0566		Status:	Confirmed
Depart:	Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Int’l Airport	Airline Ref:	2Y57FW
	Nairobi, KE	Seat:
	10:10 PM	Class:	T-Economy/Coach
		Mileage:	4148
Arrive:	Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport	Travel Time:	8:20
	Amsterdam, NL	Stopovers:	0
	Wednesday, July 15, 2009
	5:30 AM	Aircraft:	Boeing 747 All Series
		Meal:	Meal
Remarks:

 

Wednesday 15 July 2009			Air
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – Flight KL 0621		Status:	Confirmed
Depart:	Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport	Airline Ref:	2Y57FW
	Amsterdam, NL	Seat:
	10:20 AM	Class:	T-Economy/Coach
		Mileage:	4393
Arrive:	Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport	Travel Time:	9:20
	Atlanta, GA, US	Stopovers:	0
	1:40 PM	Aircraft:	Airbus A330-200
	Terminal N	Meal:	Meal
Remarks:

 

2009 fundraising letter

Dear Friends and Family,

 I pray this letter finds you in God’s blessings. As you may already know, I am planning on returning to Kenya in June and July of 2009. I will be one of many from Faulkner University who will be going to assist the local churches and mission areas chosen by churches there and the missionaries who are already following the Lord’s will. Throughout the 4 weeks we are there we will be teaching classes designed for strictly men or strictly women, planning and conducting children’s Bible Schools similar to our VBS, and planning and conducting youth meetings. We are also planning on working at the Kambakia Training Center again where they are already preparing and conducting Bible courses and new areas of vocational training. We will also be helping in construction needs at the KTC. Each day we will be visiting with the new churches and villages in the remote areas of Africa to teach and encourage the Christians there. Our mission team will be working with local leaders and those who have spent countless years in Kenya as a missionary.

The Lord has already worked great things in my heart in ways I never imagined from this trip last year. I pray the Lord will continue to break me and use me however He has willed. Please pray for my prideful spirit to be broken and for Christ to grab hold of me at my very core.

I am humbly writing this letter to you to ask for your prayers, your godly guidance and wisdom, and if the Lord leads, your financial support as I go on this trip. The cost of my plane ticket and all my living expenses will amount to around $3,600. Any amount remaining will be given to the mission effort in assisting the churches and missionaries with the work there, as well as their continuing education on how to do missions, and the experience of becoming a missionary. I pray that through your help this mission trip will be a reality again for me, and that the believers in Kenya will have the resources needed to do the Kingdom work year round.

I have been struggling with whether or not I should pursue this trip further because of financial reasons and whether or not I am going because the Lord has called me to go again or because it is my desire to go back.  I am clinging to the scriptures and much needed prayer and trust in the Lord’s will. Please pray that no matter what I will follow the Lord’s lead in my life. Whatever may happen I cling to Him knowing that I am following His plan for me, whether in going a second time, or just by spreading Africa’s needs to those here at home.

I thank each and every one of you right now for all you are doing in my life and ultimately for the Kingdom of Christ. I can’t wait to keep each of you involved and informed about this trip and pray there will be much to rejoice about when the trip is over. If you feel led, you may send any contributions, mission advice, and scripture to me. Anything given is greatly appreciated, even if it is just a scripture passage or a prayer. Friendship shares its love in prayers. Please continue to remember and pray for the believers in Merutown, Abongeri, Tamao Farmers, Samburu and in the Massai Lands.

 Following Him,

Bella Epps

  “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”   -Matthew 9:36-38