Sun 28 May 2006
Jarrett’s Prayer Letter Volume 7, Number 11
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Jarrett’s Prayer Letter
Volume 7, Number 11
May 28, 2006
Dear Friends and Family:
I couldn’t believe that I had gone a whole month without a complete letter until I checked the website to verify this fact. Pole sana! That means “very sorry†in Swahili. I found that I had written 4 short prayer request updates during the month, however, so I can’t be accused of totally ignoring you. I’ll use the excuse of a vacation in the middle of the month as a reason for not writing. We do appreciate your prayers very much.
This week we are entering our final month of this term. It seems to us that it has gone very fast, but that’s how life seems to be at our ages. We have really enjoyed having family here with us for the past month. And we’re not finished yet with family visitors. Susanna and Chris leave on the night of May 30th while Debbye and Becki fly in on the morning of May 31st. The way I figure it, they should pass each other in the dark somewhere over France. Debbye and Becki will leave the US from separate cities on Monday evening but plan on finding each other at Heathrow airport and touring London during a 14-hour layover. Please pray for safety for travel for all of them. Also pray that they will be able to get an extra bag allotment on check-in Monday night and that the luggage will make it with them intact. Pray for us as we drive in to Nairobi on Tuesday and back to Tenwek on Wednesday.
As I reported earlier, the vacation in Mombasa was very nice with good weather to enjoy the beach. The negative part of the trip was that half of the family got very sick from a flu bug. Marty began coughing severely on Thursday night and continues even now. The fever lasted about 48 hours. Rachel got the same symptoms about 48 hours later as did Carol Trachsel who traveled with us. Chris got the bug 4 days after Marty. Susanna, Amy, Elisa, and I have stayed healthy. Please pray for complete resolution of the symptoms and for no further outbreaks.
Our nearly 800-km [497 miles] [one-way] drive to Mombasa was as uneventful as we had prayed for. We borrowed the Chupp’s van which has air-conditioning and a diesel engine with a 500-km driving range. We had been concerned about the availability of fuel because of a temporary distribution crisis. I had filled the tank in anticipation of the shortage which was fortunate since there was no diesel fuel in Bomet the day that we left as had been predicted. On arrival in Nairobi, we found that there was plenty of fuel available for this highest priority city. Likewise, fuel was plentiful in the port city of Mombasa where it arrives by tankers.
We picked up Susanna and Chris at the airport in the evening on Saturday; they had no luggage with them, however, because of their late arrival into Chicago on the connecting flight. They barely made their London flight. But the bags were on the next morning flight which only comes three days each week. Therefore we could pick up their personal bags as we passed the airport on the way to Mombasa and have the orphan clothes sent back to the guesthouse. We packed those into the car on the return trip to Tenwek.
The 525 km drive from Nairobi to Mombasa is a good road book ended by two sections of bad roads. The European Union constructed much of the middle section, and the new section is being constructed by the Red Chinese. One can fairly fly along at 68 mph in the middle, but you have to crawl at 25 to 35 mph in the bad sections which are pot-holed and rutted. The ruts occur because of the heavily loaded lorries [mostly double tractor trailers] bringing goods from the port. Because the road was poorly constructed and the asphalt is hot, the trucks wear heavy grooves 4-6 inches deep into the roads as they crawl up the inclines. The road rises about 7,000 ft. in the climb from sea level to Nairobi. It seems like there are even more trucks than you see on the Interstate highways in the States until you realize that this is the only major highway traversing Kenya, making the trucks more concentrated.
It seems that there has been much more development than when we drove there six years ago. Lots of little villages catering to the truckers have sprung up. If they’re big enough, they put in 3 or 4 speed bumps. Police checks are everywhere. The police either stand by the road and just wave the vehicles over or put up tire spikes to cause the vehicles to slow down and wind around them, thus giving them the opportunity to stop the vehicles that they want to inspect. They also have a new radar gun which they use to stop vehicles as they approach Nairobi from the west – coming down a long hill. Four of our missionary friends have gotten speeding tickets in that area of long-ignored speed zones. They are also doubtful of the accuracy of the gun
There is still wild game to be seen along the road near Nairobi. Hartebeests, wildebeests, baboons, giraffe, zebra, and gazelle are the most common animals. As you get farther south, the scrub trees keep you from seeing much of the wildlife. As you get nearer to the coast, one sees the huge baobab trees. Many have large trunks that are 10-15 feet in diameter with narrow branches coming off at the top. People say that they look like they are upside down with the roots sticking out into the air. They have relatively few leaves in dry areas, but down at the beach their foliage is a bit more luxuriant. I understand that cream of tartar is made from the fruit of these trees.
The dominant influence of Islam is seen almost as soon as you leave Nairobi. Every town of any size has a mosque and a church. The mosque is usually more elaborate. We have not experienced any hostility in any of these areas, although the only close contact with people is near the ferry leaving Mombasa for the south beach area.
Many of the hotels were closed for the month of May. During this time, the staff gets an annual month leave, and the hotel undergoes renovation. Every four years, the thatch roof needs to be replaced. The buildings have stone walls and a wooden frame overhead supporting the thatch roof. Many employees travel 8 to 16 hours to home areas elsewhere in Kenya, so they are only at home once a year. Many of the staff are men with families at home.
We had six nights at the Diani Beach area. We chose to divide the time evenly between a quiet retreat cottage hotel, Kokonut Cottages, and a larger, busier resort, Southern Palms. There was a great contrast between the two places.
The cottages were on an unpaved road more than 10 kilometers away from the main junction. Only a few smaller hotels were down this direction after passing some of the large resorts. This was a new resort that opened just last year. The British manager had run a similar operation just up the road before selling out, and several friends had stayed there.
We were the only guests other than a young couple from London. The staff catered to our every whim. We could order whatever we wanted from a menu for the next meal that was prepared whenever we wanted it and wherever we wanted to eat it. We ate lunches at the gazebo on the beach and breakfasts and dinners at poolside. Tea or coffee was brought to our rooms in the morning. Chris took windsurfing lessons, Marty and the girls walked the beach, and I read books in the lounge chair and discussed some spiritual matters with two of the staff. Susanna exchanged massages with the massage therapist. The beach was nearly devoid of hawkers. The few we saw were not aggressive at all. They actually took “no†for an answer. At $40 per person per night, this was quite a bargain. Our kids were also interested in a larger resort that provided lots of group activities.
On Wednesday, we reluctantly packed up to move up the beach to the 300 room hotel. Although it wasn’t full at this time of year, there were still plenty of people around. There were hundreds of staff personnel, 3 dining rooms, and two huge contoured swimming pools stretched out over a 150 yard central area leading down to the beach. There were shops, an internet café, a library and TV room. Volleyball on sand or water, water polo, ping pong, and nightly entertainment combined to make this a bustling place. The kids enjoyed all of these activities. This was an international resort with British, German, and other Europeans making up most of the crowd. This year there was a large group from Russia.
Outside the perimeter of the hotel grounds were the hawkers lining the beach ready to take you on glass bottom boats, snorkel trips, canoe trips up a nearby river to see mangroves or local villages, camel rides, or fishing trips. Or you could buy all the local crafts in the small shops. Marty bought some kanga wraps for some other people who had requested them and passed out some Bible and devotional materials, but there wasn’t as high an interest here in spiritual matters as in other areas.
The grounds of the place were heavily landscaped with waterfalls, flowers, and coconut palms. The rooms were nicer than others where we have stayed. Naturally this place was more expensive at $43 per night per person and included 2 rather than 3 meals each day. We were paying resident rates, so it was probably much more for tourists.
We were thankful for a time of rest and relaxation after a busy four months at the hospital. The weather was beautiful – warm with no rain. Of course, it was over too soon and we had to drive back – eight hours to Nairobi and 5 hours the next day to Tenwek, including sitting still on the escarpment road overlooking the Great Rift Valley while waiting for traffic to clear around a stalled lorry. The road is in pretty bad shape after the heavy rainy season, which has seemingly ended now.
Thanks for praying for Joyce, our AGC missionary to the Turkana people who was hospitalized at Tenwek after a seizure two days after delivery. She not only fractured her shoulder when she had the seizure, but it took more than two weeks for her mind to clear. At her check-up 10 days ago for her shoulder, it seems that her mind was clear.
It seems that not all missionaries in Kenya have it as easy as we do. Many national missionaries serve in areas of significant spiritual warfare as well as traditional armed conflict. This past week, Pastor David Kilel along with Mosop School director, Elijah Bett, went on a dangerous rescue mission.
There is an area in the Masai lands [nomadic herdsmen who have not adopted Western culture in a significant way] where two tribal groups have been having an undercurrent war. One is traditional Masai while the other is a group of Kikuyu [largest tribal group in Kenya – mostly agricultural and business] who have adopted the Masai nomadic lifestyle. However, these groups are armed with AK-47s instead of bows and arrows. One group escalated the war by murdering a pastor of the other group. The other group set about to murder a pastor in retaliation. This pastor was an AGC missionary.
David and Elijah went in David’s white Land Rover to try to rescue the pastor who was being hidden by believers in a wooded area. The Land Rover was intimidating to the warriors, as they thought it was a government vehicle which had come in response to the open war. They were able to rescue the pastor and several teachers without being shot at themselves.
When I returned, we had several sick mothers in the hospital. We’ve had very little malaria this year but an unusual concentration of other diseases. One mother was found near a road having seizures. She was brought to the hospital by a Good Samaritan, although I don’t believe that he paid the bill. At first it was thought she was eclamptic, that is suffering from toxemia of pregnancy with high blood pressure and seizures, but she didn’t respond to the usual medicine. She underwent a cesarean section for a healthy baby, but her condition deteriorated instead of improving. A spinal tap showed that she had bacterial meningitis [inflammation of the brain and spinal cord due to an infection] and HIV. It turns out that she is an orphan from a very poor area. She died without regaining consciousness. The girls have been feeding the baby in the nursery along with two others whose mothers have died. I wonder if anyone will come to claim this baby.
The next day I saw another mother who was transferred in from Longisa Hospital in a semi-conscious state after giving birth. I told the clinical officer to do a spinal tap on her right away, and she, too, had meningitis. She has responded only partially to the treatment and may die as well. Please pray for her recovery.
We’ve had many patients with pancytopenia – a condition where the bone marrow stops making red cells, white cells, and platelets; the deficiency of the latter causes bleeding from many areas of the body. Two mothers are on the ward with their noses packed from a life-threatening bloody nose. There are several different causes for this condition, but the main treatment is time and fresh blood transfusions which are difficult to arrange. One mother had a dramatic improvement with a form of cortisone.
We’ve seen very few mosquitoes this year which is probably why we’re not seeing the terrible malaria cases. Climatic conditions play a role in this as it affects mosquito breeding. I recently read that Ethiopia didn’t have a malaria problem until they introduced corn production on a large scale. It seems that the mosquito may feed on corn pollen for part of its growth. We’ve had very little mature corn this year because of the drought, so I wonder if this major change has contributed to the paucity of mosquitoes. It will be interesting to see if we’ll see the mosquitoes when the corn tossles [or is it tassels?] out.
I’ve been pleased with developments at the children’s homes. Both Bosto and Kenduiwa were awarded grants of $6,000 from World Orphans for the construction of a dormitory. This will allow the expansion of both facilities. Of course, this means more supplies of food will be needed. Some of our supporters have underwritten the salaries of the staff at each of the homes, which is a wonderful answer to your prayers. The chickens at Umoja and Kitoben have begun laying more and more eggs, but have not quite begun to pay their own way and support the children. They were only hatched in January. The goats were due to arrive at Bosto today. The toilet is finished at Kitoben and the showers nearly completed. And most importantly, the children are thriving at all of the homes. Please continue to remember these homes and the children in your prayers. There is a possibility of a fifth home in Bomet beginning soon, so please pray for the Bomet AGC local church as they contemplate this venture.
I’ve given away one of the cameras that was sent by supporters to a daughter of a widow. Her name is Mercy and her mother is named Rose. Please pray that she will be successful in starting her own business. Another orphaned young man named Leonard received a camera and has done well with his business. Please pray for wisdom for me as I offer this option to others; I want it to be God’s leading and not mine.
I need wisdom in assisting Rosaline, who I have mentioned in the past. She has 8 children, two of whom are blind, and we are assisting the children at Mosop School. The husband, who is alcoholic and abusive, has moved temporarily to Nakuru and married another wife [her bad luck]. He sold the only cow that the family had, and continues to threaten to kill Rosaline. He became especially violent when the 8th grade daughter gave birth to a 2nd child after being assaulted by a man. Rosaline convinced the daughter not to take poison after she learned of her pregnancy. The husband wanted her to kill the baby and throw it in the rubbish.
She also may be inheriting the 13-year-old tongue-tied son of her widowed [or single-mother] sister, who recently died of AIDS. The boy never had simple corrective surgery for this problem, and can not speak clearly enough for most people to understand him. Consequently, he is very shy and withdrawn. When she told me the story of this boy, Peter Kiplangat, who was living in one of two distant places, I realized that a visiting ENT surgeon, Scott Voorman, who leaves on May 30th, could probably help him. I gave her $20 for matatu fares and gave her some clothing for the boy who was reportedly wearing only rags. Rosaline left on Thursday morning and returned on Saturday night. She had walked over 100 kilometers [60 miles] in searching for him and bringing him back. He had been attending 2nd grade classes and working at night for food. He was literally dressed in rags when she found him.
We gave him some more clothing and the first pair of shoes that he had ever had. He was fairly beaming as he played soccer with Chris and some neighborhood kids. He will have surgery tomorrow morning. Please pray that he will be able to develop normal speech after this. He’s fairly old to learn correct speech, and there are no speech therapists in the area that I know of.
Rosaline, 38, is the youngest of 11 children herself. Her parents are very poor as well. She has asked for help in starting a business, but I’m not sure what the answer is for her. She needs a safe place to live as well. She has a good heart and a list of problems longer than your arm. She is a Christian. I wish that there were more that I could do for her, and it seems that there is no end to the needs.
Please pray for me as I seek a deeper prayer life with God. I gave a brief sermon on prayer and the character of God two weeks ago and was very convicted of the need for improvement. I know the importance of earnest prayer and unity in prayer. Head knowledge isn’t the same as heart knowledge and experience, however.
We appreciate your prayers very much. We see the results of prayer all the time, so I try to faithfully report these answers for your encouragement. Let me know if I fail to mention something that you are praying for. [The containers still haven't arrived, but don't stop praying. A visiting doctor is bringing two fetal monitors next week.] Persistence and earnestness in prayer are important keys.
Serving Jesus with you,
Paul, for all the Jarretts in Kenya